Newspaper Page Text
October 5, 1981 / Maroon Tiger / Page 11
CITY ELECTIONS
Marcus By Split?
by Warren Colter
News Analysis
With the Atlanta
mayoral election less than
two weeks away, members
of our community are
giving great thought to
how the votes will be cast.
It is more than a mathe
matical possibility that the
next Mayor of Atlanta may
be white.
After observing a
student wearing a hat sup
porting a white mayoral
candidate, one student
commented, "With the
range of views and back
grounds represented in the
three Black candidates,
every Black person should
be able to support one.
There are too many Blacks
running; they will just split
the vote."
Supporters of individual
Black candidates argue
that white votes will also
be split. They point out
that there are five white
candidates, while whites
constitute only 45 percent
of the registeretf; voters.
On the other hand, there
are only three Black candi
dates, and Blacks make up
55 percent of the regis
tered voters.
There are those who
agree with one Black
woman who says, "A white
man would be more effec
tive in getting things done
for the city in these days of
Reagonomics. Although a
Black man may have the
expertise, he will not get
the necessary cooperation
at the state and federal
level."
Supporters of Sidney
Marcus believe the time is
right for a mayor with
experience in the State
legislature. With more
funds in the forms of block
grants, the legislature will
have even more influence
on how the city operates.
His Black supporters
believe Marcus has the
allies in the legislature to
get funds for Atlanta while
a Black man could not.
Warren Shulman sup
porters feel he is the man
to run the city like a busi
ness, and provide motiva
tion for city employees to
provide the best services.
It is thought that Shulman
would operate in harmony
with the Republican
policies of the federal
government.
Most analysts agree that
the major candidates are
Andrew Young, Reginald
Eaves, Marcus, and
Shulman. Many see Eaves
and Shulman as intra-race
rivals to Young and
Marcus, respectively.
Although each of the
four will probably receive
bi-racial support, it is
generally expected that
Young will get a larger
percentage of the white
votes than Eaves, and that
Marcus will get a larger
percentage of the Black
votes than Shulman.
There will undoubtedly
be a run-off, since no
candidate will successfully
woo 50 percent of the
voters in a field of eight,
even if we narrow the
major candidates to
Marcus and Young, as at
least one local columnist
has done.
Most people seem to
think the final two can
didates will come from the
names Marcus, Young and
' Eaes:>. * * * - •- f
Young's ease with the
media, and campaign
expertise may prove to be
his edge against Eaves.
Despite his tax prob
lems, with organized and
"closet" Black support,
Marcus may very well be
pitted against Young in the
runoff.
For a win in the runoff
Marcus will need to take
advantage of the effect of
a fierce rivalvy between
Young and Eaves. Many
see Eaves as the "grass
roots" champion, and
Young as the champion of
the middle-class. Although
such stereotypes seem
unfair, there are Young
and Eaves supporters who
feel that their candidate is
the only Black man who
should be the next mayor.
Equally important, how
ever, will be the way sup
porters of the four least
known candidates vote in
the runoff. Supporters of
Mildred Glover may
support Young, but the
bulk of the remaining
three candidates' support
ers may very well go to
Marcus. This could be the
deciding factor in a dose
runoff.
Of course, voter turn
out is an overriding factor
in all considerations.
In any event the likeli
hood of the next mayor
by Warren Colter
Although the mayoral race
may offer more glamour and
other such things that tend to
attract students, the import
ance of the race for the
Fourth District City Council-
member must not be over
looked.
The Atlanta University
Center down to Walnut Street
is one of the several commun
ities in the fourth district.
Oakland City, West End, Just
Us, Ashview Heights, Harris
Chiles, Adair Park, Pittsburg,
Venetian Hills and part of
Cascade Road are also in the
district.
There are four men seeking
votes as our councilmember
on October 6th: Thomas
Cuffie, Hildred Shumake,
Robert Reese, and incumbent
James Bond.
This column goes on
record calling for a major
forum featuring the four
candidates for our city
council seat.
As temporary and/or new
citizens in the community,
students often fall prey to the
campaign tactic of pure
name assocation.
In order to be intelligent
voters, students need to do
research into the office and
the candidates.
Our new councilmember
will only be one of twelve
members of the City Council.
To meet our concerns effec
tively, he must have the pro
fessional respect of the other
councilmembers. This
respect will come from high
ethical standards, and a keen
knowledge of the concerns of
te various communities of his
district, as well as expertise in
city government. He will be
working with a new mayor
and possibly as new council
president
The four candidates have
backgrounds which reveal
some commonality, but
which certainly make some
candidates more viable than
others.
Three of the candidates are
graduates of the Atlanta
University Center: Cuffie and
Shumake from Morehouse,
Reese from Morris Brown.
Bond attended school in
Massachusetts and Georgia
being white is worth con
sideration, and more than
Tech.
Cuffie, Bond and Reese
have all lived in Atlanta since
pre-high school days, while
Shumake remained here after
graduating in 1977.
Each of the candidates
seem concerned with unem
ployment, crime, community
development, and the rela
tionship between the Atlanta
University Center and the
other communities in the
district.
The qualifications and the
tactics of the candidates do
not permit easy comparison.
Voters must choose either a
disc jockey, an airline
employee, a former city
attorney, or the incumbent.
In his letter to voters,
Reese tells of his radio
experience and community
involvement. He is employed
by the United Youth Adult
Conference, which organized
the Saturday searches for the
missing and murdered
children. He mentions no
experience with local govern
ment, but suggests as I
imagine all candidates except
the incumbent would concur,
" 'Politics as usual' just won't
do."
a few Blacks seem to think
it may be desirable.
Shumake, while also lack
ing government experience,
appeals to the students as
"one of the guys." He eats
breakfast, lunch an dinner in
the infamous Morehouse
cafeteria. Shaking hands and
putting in a few promises for
the Atlanta University Center
between football scores, he
resembles a candidate for a
student government office.
Many students feel Shumake
has reached the over-kill
point. One student wondered
aloud, "Why doesn't he
campaign more in the other
communities in the district."
The incumbent has a
slogan, "Before you ask what
they're going to do ... ask
them what they've done!"
This may well be a good
measure of the best candi
date.
The only candidate who
stands up to this measure is
Thomas Cuffie. He has ten
years experience in city*
government, serving most
recently as a corporate attor
ney for the executive and
legislative branches of the
city.
Why One Should Vote For
A. Reginald Eaves
by John Eaves
. . whom shall I send and who will go for us, then said I,
here am I; send me. Found in the Bible, these words propheti
cally explain the predicament of Atlantans today. For on
October 6th, the citizens of this city will have to choose from
among several mayoral candidates of varying backgrounds
and personalities — someone to go for us.
If one were to look intelligently into the qualifications of
each, there would be no question of whom your choice should
be. For one man, A. Reginald Eaves, has the experience and
the proven leadership that put him far ahead of the others. For
instance, after serving as a special assistant to the mayor in
1973, A. Reginald Eaves effectively directed the day-to-day
operation of the city government's largest department when
he became Atlanta's first Commissioner of Public Safety.
When he took his office in 1974, Atlanta's crime rate was at
its highest level in history. When he left five years later, it had
fallen to its lowest level in eight years. From 1978 to the
present, A. Reginald Eaves has served as an elected official on
the County Commission. There he has been instrumental in
passing legislation for the benefit of all Atlantans.
So, if you were to add up A. Reginald Eaves' experience as a
city and county administrator, experience in police work,
experience in city service, and experience in municipal public
administration, you will find that he is your best choice for
mayor. The one candidate who can make you a big winner in
the years ahead
4th District City Council Race—
Be Intelligent Voters