Mayor Shirley Franklin: “Invest or die”
MayorTV is a challenge from America’s Mayors to 2008 candidates: start talking about cities! MayorTV asked Mayor Franklin what she thought a national agenda for cities should look like.
“Infrastructure isn’t sexy.”
So says Mayor Shirley Franklin of Atlanta. In her far-ranging MayorTV interview, she was the first to admit that aquaducts, sewage facilities and desalination plants don’t exactly grab headlines.
That is, until the worst drought in 100 years hit the Southeast.
With reports that Atlanta has only three months of water left, Mayor Franklin is dealing with an infrastructure problem of biblical proportions. Naturally, “It all comes back to water, water, water — everywhere,” says Mayor Franklin. “Water is my top 10 priorities. Or top 20.”
Washington, meanwhile, has compounded the drought by drastically cutting their investment in water infrastructure. “In the 1970s, the federal government gave cities 75 cents of every dollar they needed to build water and sewer systems,” she explained. “Today, we get pennies on the dollar.” The result? Leaking pipes, failing equipment, wasteful systems — at a time when waste means disaster.
“There was a major campaign for the last presidential election called Vote or Die,” the Mayor told us. “I would modify that to say, Invest or Die. Invest, or Atlanta’s economy — and the national economy — is going to shrivel up and die.”
(More interviews and your comments at MayorTV.com)
Duration : 0:5:9
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Best-selling novel …
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yep
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you should watch my …
you should watch my video
you should watch my …
you should watch my new video post…
if she wanted to …
if she wanted to clean atl she should go back to philly w/ all the other trash.
This woman is a …
This woman is a complete joke. Atlanta is eaten up with crime and is falling apart and she sits quietly on the sidelines. She is USELESS!!
Lesbian!
Lesbian!
shirley frank is a …
shirley frank is a freak
Black people …
Black people especially. Its time to vote intelligently! Stop allowing these crooked politicians to fool you folks into thinking that voting against a democrat is like resurrecting Confederate General Robert E. Lee from the grave, and reverting the south back to days of slavery!
I mean really, have we gooten anything out of this constant fear-based voting pattern? Someone just tell me what it is that black america gain so far in the last 30-40 years from our black political leadership?
Atlanta sucks so …
Atlanta sucks so much … Mayor Shirley Franklin is so over-rated… The Atlanta School system is garbage, and the Clayton county school system while not a part of Atlanta is also rifed with bird-crap for leadership.
Well, after 30 years of tried & tested black leadership, it is now proven that no matter what what color and/or ethnicity a person is, all have the equal potential to suck in a position of power!
Okay southerners, can we FINALLY elect someone based on competence and smarts?
shirley is nothing …
shirley is nothing but a crook in a dress. SON-N-LAW ARRESTED FOR LIFE BECAUSE OF MURDER AND DRUG SELLS. HER DAUGHTER GETS HOUSE ARREST FOR LYING UNDE OATH. WHO ARRANGED THAT. SHE SAY SHE DIDN’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. Now 140,000,000 is missing. All i can say is, where ther is smoke theres fire.
FRANKLIN IS “BMF”
FRANKLIN IS “BMF”
i disagree.. when …
i disagree.. when Powell was in Atlanta he asked some questions concerning the City Atlanta ..she couldnt even answer straight. Atlanta is now on the 10th place and its not because of S.F
I think Shirley …
I think Shirley Franklin is one of the best mayors this country has ever had. She’s great.
maybe your parents …
maybe your parents need a stiff talking to, this attitude is so common, you probably run from a challenge… Do you think you are blameless?? We are all humans in this race of life… Stop pointing the finger and judging, please!!! comments like yours takes of precious space in my opinion. In your mind your just stating your opinion w/ your comment.. That is your own personal struggle……
maybe your parents …
maybe your parents need a stiff talking to, this attitude is so common, you probably run from a challenge… Do you think you are blameless?? We are all humans in this race of life… Stop pointing the finger and judging, please!!! comments like yours takes of precious space in my opinion. In your mind your just stating your opinion w/ your comment.. That is your own personal struggle……
Atlanta has sure …
Atlanta has sure motivated myself to get more involved in my community… Instead of complaining stand up and be PROACTIVE, make a difference… Mayor Franklin has a staff, for a reason, she is one person. As city residents and as Georgians, we also have responsibilities!!! We must stop turning a blind eye, and take positive action and cease from pointing the finger…
too many coons in …
too many coons in Atlanta!!!!
I used to live in …
I used to live in NY even with all the money there I have never seen such a huge disparity between haves and have nots as I have seen in the South.
I wonder if the most useless politicians in the world wind up in the South
Agreed,,they, like …
Agreed,,they, like most other cities, have received istance on numerous program to address many challenges,,however,,failure to use the funds as intended is like putting money in a bag with holes,,they will always need more to offset wasteful spending!
I bet you a good portion of Atlanta’s millionaires and billionairs, have invested in overseas programs that have made them money and even they have not invested back into the city!
People wont invest …
People wont invest in Atlanta they simply leave perhaps she needs to make it bit more business friendly