Buckhead City Rises Again

Yep. The spectre of Buckhead City has risen again. Like the Confederacy, I don’t expect it to be successful- probably more of a bargaining tool within the chambers for Cop City. I’m guessing that like Senator Robertson, these other legislators have spots they own in Atlanta (maybe a rental condo in the Landmark?) that they frequent when they can’t drive all the way back home to Cordele or Statesboro during the week. Other than that and Senator Harbin’s having been married in Atlanta First Baptist, it is unclear to me their connection with my city of residence.

What’s more confusing to me is the fact that I’ve been to their cities and I will respectfully say, they have plenty of work to do in their own districts. Now I can’t say I’ve ever been to Cataula, but I have spent a decade-plus of volunteering in Taliaferro County (Anderson’s district) and can personally speak to the lack of economic development, the abysmal poverty, despite the county being in a unique five-point star of Athens, Augusta, Milledgeville, Macon, and Atlanta- all areas that could be gateways to development within an hour to two hours of each, if a company wanted to relocate and needed large tracts of land. The last time I checked, the biggest development going on in the metropolitan area of Crawfordville was a chicken plant. Not a bad source of jobs, but I deeply appreciated the previous Superintendent Allen Fort making efforts within the one school building in the county to upskill the students in his care to meet the needs of cybersecurity jobs that he could feed into Augusta University. In fact, some years ago, I personally tried to make this connection between the schools more forthright. This seems like a far better idea than another chicken plant in Georgia.

I’ve been a kid in rural Georgia who wanted to upskill and was willing to do the work, just needed some adults to show me a path forward. It’s the reason why I volunteered with Northside Drive Baptist in Taliaferro County for so many years. To a certain extent, I know that exposure to other cities, other options, and other pathways can make a sincere difference in trajectory and dreams. 

It isn’t clear to me that’s what these gentlemen have in mind for my city. 

That said, I can appreciate that we’ve finally removed the veil of any lack of connection between the Gold Dome pressure for Cop City and this stupid idea that Buckhead residents are either unified or in the majority of wanting a separate city. 

Clearly Bill White can’t even find a local legislator to carry the bill, so he farmed it out to these folks in South and West Georgia. 

Now Senator Robertson does have a little tie to the issue though, right? 

He IS the President of the Fraternal Order of Police Georgia State Lodge. So for anyone watching at home, this is the LEO’s “inside guy” carrying water for his organization and is willing to divide my city of residence if the APF doesn’t get their latest rainmaker. I’m guessing the way the FOP and the APF are set up that there are no direct conflicts of interest here, or if there is dark money, it hasn’t been found and discussed yet. I truly don’t know, but I’m aware enough to know how that works, and it’s kind of hard not to see. 

What I also know is that others are asking about that too.

Meanwhile, my Mayor had to go before students at the AUC last night and was raked over the coals for this Cop City bs. In some ways, I feel for Mayor Dickens. He voted for Cop City, yes. But he probably assumed that things would die down instead of amping up. But that’s the problem with ivory towers- you’re unable to be aware of the vibe on the street. That’s also the challenge of actual movements- they are organic and leaderless and unify people you wouldn’t normally see coming together. Movements are often issue-led and are unifying for one basic goal. And #StopCopCity is that. 

I’m a basic white b who grew up on a farm in Walton County, who doesn’t miss sitting in the pew in her Baptist church, and who served within the Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. for years. I’m no “leftist fringe element”. But this smacks of inside dealing for the benefit of lining the pockets of corporate-sponsored prejudice toward the Black and brown kids around her.

That ain’t right. 

If you’re wondering why the Republican party in Georgia is losing ground- I’ll give you exhibit A. 

Instead of sticking to the conservative principle of local control, or the idea that politicians shouldn’t be bought, these gentlemen are showing how easily the Republican party in Georgia can be manipulated by the Atlanta Police Foundation and a single white male with a larger checkbook. 

My cynical advice: if money and certain non-local issues influence/motivate these men, then I’d recommend for any lobbyist on the marble today reach out and ask them ‘how much’. If they can be bought, then that means you can buy them too!

That should terrify anyone in their districts, but should make some compelling arguments to PAC treasurers. 

Happy shopping to all today!