Common Cause

Atlanta Mayoral Runoff Needs a Real Ethics Focus

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST

Atlanta mayoral runoff needs an ethics debate

Georgia's cities held municipal elections yesterday. We congratulate the winners and thank all candidates who stepped up for public service. You are the backbone of our representative democracy! Atlanta's mayoral race is headed to a runoff between Councilwoman Mary Norwood and former State Senator Kasim Reed. Common Cause Georgia strongly invites these two candidates to embrace our call for pay-to-play reform in City contracting. Public safety and financial responsibility are certainly important issues. However, we also need to rebuild trust, and signaling that the City is ready to depart from its patterns of cronyism in contracting would go a long way. City Council candidate Amir Farokhi (in the December runoff) has endorsed our pay-to play proposal. Common Cause will continue to build support for pay to play reform to be introduced when the new Council sits in January. To see the highlights of the Common Cause proposal: Pay-to-Play reforms. To read the full text: model legislation.

Atlanta candidates should support pay-to-play reform

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST

Common Cause challenges Atlanta candidates to support pay-to-play reform

Common Cause Georgia co-sponsored a Mayoral Candidate Forum along with the League of Women Voters of Georgia, Druid Hills Presbyterian Church, and others on October 1st. Candidates Lisa Borders, Mary Norwood, Ralph Reed, and Jesse Spikes attended. Questions for the candidates included their stand on our proposed Pay-to Play ordinance.

While none of the four candidates officially signed on the CCGA pay to play ordinance there was general agreement that money has no business determining who gets city contracts. Candidate Norwood gave an opening that she could support a variation of the proposal we put forth. Two City Council candidates Wesley Knapp and Amir Faroki have endorsed our pay-to play proposal. Common Cause will continue to build support for pay to play reform as the election nears.

To see the highlights of the Common cause Pay-to-Play reforms.

To read the full text of the model legislation.

Atlanta Mayoral candidates should support pay-to-play reform

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 PST

Common Cause Georgia challenges Atlanta Mayoral candidates to support pay-to-play reform

Common Cause Georgia is asking all candidates for Mayor of Atlanta to support reforms to the City’s Procurement code that would restrict those who contribute to candidate’s campaigns from doing business with the City. Common Cause’s model legislation is similar to pay-to-play reform in other states where these restrictions have had positive effects in taking cronyism out of the contract awarding process.

To see the highlights of the Common cause Pay-to-Play reforms.

To read the full text of the model legislation.