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Spelman Spotlight
September 1981
Spelman Hosts Open Forum
For Mayoral Candidates
Pamela Cook
Theodora Lee
Valerie Barrow,
by Karen Burroughs
News Editor
On Thursday, October 1,1981,
the Spelman College SGA
presented a political forum in
Sisters Chapel involving six can
didates for mayor of Atlanta, and
four candidates for 4th district
city councilman.
Opening remarks were given
by Gena Hudgins, Vice President
of the SGA, who served as
moderator and time keeper. She
then introduced the student
panelists and the candidates for
election.
The six mayoral candidates
present were A. Reginald Eaves,
Sidney Marcus, Warren
Shulman, Mildred Glover, An-
dree Kahlmorgan, and Andrea
Young, representing her father
Andrew Young, who was not
present at the forum. The four
candidates for 4th district coun
cilman who attended the forum
were incumbent James Bond,
Thomas Cuffie, Hildred
Shumake, and Robert Reese.
Since the forum took place, the
October 6th elections revealed
that Andrew Young, who receiv
ed 42% of the votes and Thomas
Cuffie with 30% of the votes, will
also have to engage in a run-off
to determine the position of 4th
district councilman and mayor.
Andrew Young has had a large
amount of experience in a broad
range of organizations,
programs, and positions. He was
elected 3 times to the House of
Representatives where he served
Atlantans in matters such as
Social Security, health care, civil
rights, and education.
At the request of former
president Jimmy Carter, Young
resigned his seat in Congress in
1977 to serve as Ambassador to
the United Nations. As chief
delegate to the UN, Young
represented the United States in
complex international
negotiations and diplomatic mis
sions. During this period. Young
was also a member of the
President’s Cabinet, where he
worked for assistance to cities,
job creation, food stamps, and
other domestic programs.
As mayor, Young has plans for
improving Atlanta’s job and
economic development,
neighborhoods, public safety,
taxes and services.
Sidney Marcus, the candidate
around whom much controversy
was centered because of his
delinquent payment of taxes, has
been a state representative for
the past 13 years. In his opening
statement in the SGA forum,
Marcus told the students that
Atlanta needs a mayor who is
“dedicated and worried about
the welfare of the city.”
Marcus was instrumental in
establishing the World Congress
Center in 1972 and fought
successfully for its expansion in
1981, which should provide 8,000
new jobs for Atlantans. He was
also instrumental in the expan
sion of Hartsfield International
Airport, and the establishment of
community recreational
facilities. Marcus has several
plans for revitalizing the city if
elected. These include protec
ting the neighborhoods and
cleaning up the downtown area,
making jobs accessible through
better transportation, and in
creasing the efficiency and
productivity in the delivery of
city services.
James Bond, 4th district coun
cilman for the past two terms, is
the son of Spelman librarian Mrs.
Julia Bond. He has formerly
served as chairperson of the
Development Committee of the
AUC. This committee was
responsible for monetary con
tributions for the redesign of
Graves Hall on the Morehouse
College campus, high intensity
lighting near the Clark College
dormitories, and the renovation
of historic Fountain Hall on the
Morris Brown College campus.
In his opening statement, Bond
told the students “Black College
Day meant a lot to me. However,
I felt there should have been
more particiation from the facul
ty; it affects them also.”
Thomas Cuffie, a lawyer, has
been a public servant for over 10
yers. If elected, he has plans
geared toward reducing un
employment, reducing crime,
improving housing, and
providing better services for
senior citizens and the han
dicapped. “I am about the
business of the people,” Cuffie
said in his opening statement.
Mayor Maynard Jackson is per
sonally endorsing Cuffie, and
assisting in his campaign.
Following the opening
statements by the candidates,
Pam Cook - Freshman Class
President; Theodora Lee -
Sophomore Class President;
DeAna Jo Swan - SGA Social
Chairperson; and Valeria Barrow
of the Political Science Society,
directed questions to the can
didates as panelists for the
forum.
Theodora Lee, directing her
question to Sidney Marcus,
asked him if he would support
state legislation to help poor
people by permitting them to
defer the payment of taxes over a
period of time.. To this Marcus
replied that the law already
provides "that if you pay later,
you have to pay late charges,
interest, and principal, which is
what I did, and what you can
do.” He said, however, that he
would not support such a bill.
Valerie Barrow, directing her
question to James Bond, accused
him of having "not yet reached
political maturity” and "riding
on the coattails” of his brother
Senator Julian Bond. “You don’t
get elected twice, once with 65
percent majority and the other
with 75 percent majority of the
votes by riding on someone
else’s coattails,” replied Bond.
Following these and several
other questions delivered by the
panelists, the students and can
didates joined hands and com
pleted the forum with the sing
ing of the Spelman Hymn.
James Bond
Andrea Young
Thomas Cuffie
Sidney Marcus