AROUND TOWN: Transit tax, Marjorie Taylor Greene's new intern, Tumlin on cityhood defeat

As the MDJ reported in recent weeks, the three Democrats on the Cobb County Board of Commissioners are in favor of putting a 30-year sales tax increase to fund mass transit on the November 2024 ballot.

Chairwoman Lisa Cupid had tried to get a 30-year tax on this year’s ballot, but faced hesitation from colleagues and Cobb’s mayors.

Five of Cobb’s six mayors told county leadership in February that of the two options available for a transportation sales tax referendum this year, they favor a five-year, roads and trails-focused package rather than the 30-year mass transit option.

Now, with Cupid and her colleagues ready to press forward with the 30-year option, we caught up with three of those mayors to get their thoughts.

Powder Springs Mayor Al Thurman told AT that he doesn’t have a problem with either option. When he joined other mayors in supporting the five-year option, Thurman said, it was because he believed it more likely to pass.

“The 30-year, I know we need transit regardless,” Thurman said. “So I'm OK if that's where we are at, because I don't think there's any going back at this point.”

If Cupid sticks with the 30-year option, Thurman said he’ll back it.

“No doubt,” he said. “... We have to answer the question of transit in this county.”

How about Thurman’s counterpart in nearby Austell, Mayor Ollie Clemons?

“For me, in Austell, it's more about the first mile, the last mile, the connectivity there,” Clemons told AT. “And so we are trying to make sure that we're not missed out on as transit develops, one way or the other. We were more in favor of probably the five-year, thinking that, let's put something on the table, let's see how it works. If it works well, then let's come back.”

Clemons said he didn’t have a strong preference at the moment between the two options. He’d like to hear more details from county staff and officials before committing to one or the other.

“At any rate, transit improvements in the county and how it improves our citizens, is ultimately what we need,” Clemons said.

Smyrna Mayor Derek Norton says the county needs to strike while the iron is hot.

"I think if we don't do something, nothing will ever get done," Norton said. "And I know there's a lot of differing opinions on the five-year versus the 30-year, but I believe the five-year, the window to do that already passed this year."

Echoing other mayors, Norton said that whatever the county pushes forward with, he wants to make sure his city has a seat at the table.

"I will work with her (Cupid) to make sure that Smyrna is included in that discussion, and make sure we move forward," he said.

GREENE'S NEW INTERN: U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, who if reelected will represent a portion of south Cobb, has a new intern.

Greene has employed Milo Yiannopoulos, a fellow far-right provocateur, as a coffee-fetcher and Xerox-operator in her D.C. office. Yiannopoulos, 37 years young, announced his new gig via a post on messaging service Telegram.

“I’ve finally been persuaded out of retirement. But my skills are a bit rusty, so the best role I could land was an unpaid internship with a friend. Pray for me!” wrote the British commentator.

You may recall Yiannopoulos from the early years of the Trump campaign and administration, when he frequently made headlines for his controversial statements and association with the so-called “alt-right.”

Yiannopoulos, who in 2017 married another man, now considers himself “ex-gay” and has announced that he plans to open a gay conversion therapy center in Florida.

Yiannopoulos had somewhat of a fall from grace, even in far-right circles, when a video surfaced in which he appeared to condone pedophilia. He was forced out of his job as an editor at Breitbart News soon after the comments emerged.

After AT reached out to Greene’s office, a spokesman forwarded a statement she’s been sending to media that have asked about the new hire.

“So I have an intern that was raped by a priest as a young teen, was gay, has offended everyone at some point, turned his life back to Jesus and Church, and changed his life. Great story!” Greene wrote.

If, she added, the press doesn’t accept her framing, we should instead write about Rep. Marie Newman. Newman, an Illinois Democrat, is mother to a transgender woman.

The always classy Greene said we should ask Newman “how to turn your son into a woman.”

TUMLIN ON CITYHOOD: In the wake of voters rejecting the referendums to create cities of East Cobb, Lost Mountain and Vinings, Around Town was curious about Marietta Mayor Steve Tumlin’s take. Tumlin, as you will recall, expressed concerns over the boundaries of the Lost Mountain map coming so close to Marietta’s western border and preventing the Gem City from expanding in the future. He had proposed a two-mile or so buffer between any new city and Marietta to accommodate such growth, and was riled that no one from the Lost Mountain cityhood movement contacted him about the matter.

Was Hizzoner surprised all three referendums were defeated?

“From the degree of the discussion of the merits, no. Only surprise was the margin,” Tumlin said in an email. 

As a seasoned elected official, why does he believe they were defeated?

“Adding a layer of another taxing authority and that Cobb County with all its elements, both good and bad, is a successful County."

Would he like Marietta to move forward with annexation plans given the possibility of a future cityhood referendum?

“No plans of annexation other than to be prepared to discuss with an adjacent property owner desires to pursue coming into our City."

AFFORDABLE HOUSING: The Atlanta Regional Commission, that notable barnacle of civic consultancy, has announced it’ll be lending a hand to five local governments on a series of projects around metro Atlanta.

Cobb made the list, getting a hand from the ARC on housing — a hot topic these days and a hobby horse of Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, who’s pledged to expand affordability in a market that’s less than friendly to folks with incomes under six figures.

Here’s how the ARC describes the venture:

“Cobb County will work with ARC staff to evaluate the current state of housing and develop a needs assessment to support their growing population. The study will also identify issues and opportunities around the state of affordable, accessible housing in Cobb County.”

RECOGNITION: Matt Simpson, a Smyrna paralympic athlete, has been named as one of 16 individuals who will serve as ambassadors for the sport of goalball, a sport similar to handball that’s specifically designed for blind and vision-impaired athletes. Simpson is an alumnus of Whitefield Academy, and a two-time paralympian with a silver medal under his belt.

MARCH AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE: The Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Cobb chapter and others have organized a march against gun violence on Marietta Square from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. 

In a news release, Ben Williams, Cobb SCLC president, said, “On behalf of the Cobb County Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the partners with whom we work, including the national youth-led organization, March for Our Lives, I ask that you join us as we bring together members of our community to stand in solidarity with the families of the victims of gun violence around the country and locally, and hundreds of thousands who will be marching on June 11th in nearly 500 communities around the nation, to demand swift and resolute action now by legislators at both the state and national levels to dramatically increase gun safety. We will accept nothing less!"

APPOINTMENTS: U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, announced that 19 students from Georgia’s 11th Congressional District have received appointments to attend a U.S. military service academy. Each year, members of Congress are tasked with nominating students from their own district to attend the nation’s prestigious service academies. Appointees are awarded full four-year scholarships, which includes tuition, housing, and books. A number of them are from the Cobb County School District.

Harrison High School graduates Noah Anderson and Matthew Davis were appointed to the U.S Military Academy; Harrison High School graduate Avery Aschwege was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy; and Allatoona High School graduate Levi Brown and Harrison High’s William Laine received appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

"Congratulations on being among those chosen to represent our state and district at some of the most revered institutions in our nation," Loudermilk said.