Despite mayor's veto, Riverdale to proceed with project

Wed, Oct 31st 2007, 08:39

 By MEGAN MATTEUCCI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/29/07

Despite some last-minute political wrangling, Riverdale will move forward with plans to break ground on a new town center early next year.

Voters approved the downtown redevelopment project — part of a tax allocation district — during a special election in September.

"It's not only a town center," Council member Michelle Bruce said. "This will create jobs and a sense of unity that we never did have in this city. It will bring everybody together and give kids something to do."

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/clayton/stories/2007/10/29/riverdaleplan_1030_web.html

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Riverdale City Council overrides mayor's TAD veto

Wed, Oct 31st 2007, 08:36

By Joel Hall

The Riverdale City Council has overturned a veto by Mayor Phaedra Graham that would have derailed the city's plan for the Riverdale Town Center, a tax allocation district (TAD).

"To me, [Graham] slapped the voters in the face when she did this," said Councilmember Bruce. "[The Town Center] creates jobs for our citizens, it creates tax base ... [the voters] wanted this and this hurts the taxpayers in the city."

http://www.news-daily.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=22460&SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&S=1

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Proposed mortgage rules face hurdles

Mon, Oct 29th 2007, 16:37

WASHINGTON -- Democrats introduced legislation Monday that would tighten an array of mortgage lending standards and require U.S. regulators to issue new rules ensuring that loans be made only to borrowers who can afford to repay them.

The bill, by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and two North Carolina colleagues, could set the baseline for the emerging debate over how to prevent a repeat of the mortgage meltdown. But its passage is by no means assured, and elements of the bill are likely to draw intense opposition from the lending industry.http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mortgage23oct23,1,6715773.story?coll=la-headlines-frontpage&ctrack=1&cset=true

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Novice challenges city council incumbent Clark

Thu, Oct 25th 2007, 14:10

Judy Fenton, who wants to retrofit the Alaskan Way Viaduct and remove statues at the Olympic Sculpture Park, is running for Position 9 against incumbent Sally Clark, who wants to continue the work she's done for the city's neighborhoods.

"I'm a geek for Seattle's neighborhoods," Clark said.

"I want to figure out how to both retain the character that we like about them and see them grow in ways that allow new people to move in."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003946792_elexseacouncilnine13m.html

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Governor Schwarzenegger Approves DPA Legislation to Expand Clean Syringe Access

Thu, Oct 25th 2007, 13:55

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently signed Assembly Bill 110, authored by Assemblymember John Laird (D – Santa Cruz), which allows local governments to use state HIV prevention funds to purchase clean syringes. http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/102307ab110.cfm

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Washington Post Endorses Adam Ebbin

Thu, Oct 25th 2007, 10:04

District 49: Democratic incumbent Adam P. Ebbin faces only nominal opposition from James Ronald Fisher, an Independent Green Party member. Mr. Ebbin, the only openly gay member of the General Assembly, has the rare courage in Richmond to speak out against the political scapegoating of illegal immigrants, religious minorities, homosexuals and other easily exploited groups.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/24/AR2007102402341.html

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Oklahoma’s first openly gay legislator visits Dallas

Mon, Oct 22nd 2007, 08:12

From one “blue” region to another, gay Oklahoma Rep. Al McAffrey is coming to share his experiences with Dallas’ political activists.

“We have a lot in common with his district,” said Jesse Garcia, president of Stonewall Democrats of Dallas. “He’s in a little blue island of Oklahoma City, and he’s coming to Dallas County where there’s another blue island in a sea of red.”http://www.dallasvoice.com/artman/publish/article_7018.php

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Dallas County sheriff vows to crack down on warrants

Fri, Oct 19th 2007, 11:56

Dallas County constables have started helping the Sheriff's Department serve felony and other high-level criminal warrants, giving the county a total of 100 full-time warrant deputies – a force unrivaled by any other county in Texas.

  "If you have a warrant out in Dallas County, someone is going to be knocking on your door," Sheriff Valdez said.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/101607dnmetwarrants.30d1adb.html

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A December Primary in New Hampshire? It's His Call.

Mon, Oct 15th 2007, 17:16

One person who may know what Gardner is thinking is Jim Splaine, who was along for the ride to Keene and back. Splaine, 60, is a Democratic state legislator who wrote the 1975 law giving the secretary of state power to set the primary date. Splaine also wrote subsequent amendments extending that power.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/11/AR2007101102109.html?hpid=topnews

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Okla.: Utilities' Rate Increase Denied

Mon, Oct 15th 2007, 14:45

Commissioner Chairman Jeff Cloud and Commissioner Jim Roth signed two separate orders rejecting the request of Public Service Company of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co. PSO is a subsidiary of American Electric Power Co.http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/apwire/0a229e7c61966c73612c99b4bdd1be86.htm

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