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ROCKING THE VOTE
The modern era of Athens-Clarke County government began
in 1991, but it almost didn't happen. Prior to that time, the
City of Athens put most government authority into the hands
of the mayor, with the city council forced to go along with him
(always a him) on any important issue. The mayor basically
represented business/banking/UGA administration interests.
Clarke County was more rural, and government out there was
basically about roads and bridges and trying not to be domi
nated by Athens. Athens business and government leaders had
been trying for 20 years to consolidate the two governments,
but the people out in the county kept voting it down. Finally,
they worked out a compromise whereby the new government
was composed of districts that mostly included part of the
city and part of the county, and the head of government had
very little power and was not even called "mayor," to reassure
the country people that the bad old Athens mayor was not
going to gobble them up. The new leader was to be the "chief
elected officer." The county citizens
were reassured, and "unification"
passed, once they stopped calling it
"consolidation."
The next task was to elect the
new government, and a bunch of
people jumped into the race for
"CEO." Oddly enough, after agitat
ing for consolidation/unification for
so long, the "establishment" didn't have a candidate ready for
the usual succession. They finally decided at the last minute on
a popular lawyer/banker and the race was on.
During the previous 20 years of political dominance by the
business community, local liberals/progressives had made some
inroads, electing a black county commissioner and a couple of
liberal white commissioners. A coalition of blacks, white liber
als and university students elected the first black city council
member, and several neighborhood-oriented council members
were elected, but the establishment always elected the mayor.
What proved to be the most significant development in the
election for the new leader of the unified government was the
candidacy of city council member Gwen O'Looney. She was a
neighborhood activist and a woman; she was liberal politically,
and she was in tune with the music scene that had been grow
ing up downtown unnoticed by most of the people who made
up the established political leadership.
Electing a county commissioner or a city council member
was one thing. Electing a chief elected officer countywide
was something else—something that called not only for every
ounce of grassroots energy but also for money. Leafieting
door-to-door wouldn't be enough. This one required mailouts,
newspaper and radio advertising and yard signs—lots of them.
Nobody outside the establishment had ever had that kind of
money to put into a political campaign, but Gwen O'Looney
knew where to turn. Suddenly it became apparent that this
upstart candidate had the money she needed to mount a seri
ous campaign, and she was getting the money not from a bank
but from a band. That band, R.E.M., made the difference—
barely. After a hard-fought election and an even more hotly
contested runoff, Gwen O'Looney headed the new government.
For the first time, the "townies," the people from the down
town music scene, played a significant role in the election of
our government's leader, and for the first time we had a leader
who was part of and understood the downtown scene.
Since that time, the members and staff of R.E.M. have
become synonymous with progressive politics and forward-
thinking community projects, historic preservation and neigh
borhood protection—never asking anything in return except
good government. R.E.M. has provided the vital political
counterweight that freed Athens to realize its potential as a
haven for creativity, as an interesting place to live, unique in
Georgia, known worldwide.
With R.E.M. out of business, we don't know what the future
will hold. Even with their support in the last election, Gwen
O'Looney, in a comeback attempt, lost out to a much more
conservative candidate. But the money never actually came
from R.E.M., anyway. It came out of the personal pockets of
Michael and Bill and Bertis and them. We certainly hope they'll
still be around, and if they are, they will no doubt remain the
same concerned citizens they've always been.
She was getting
the money not
from a bank
but from a band.
Pete McCommons edilor@flagpole com
THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:
1N1EWS <§2 FEATURES
City Dope 4
Athens News and Views
The breakup of R E M. is an event of worldwide significance, but what does it
mean for Athens in particular?
Comment 7
‘‘Lincoln Up.” Mr. President
If Barack Obama is to emulate Abraham Lincoln, which Lincoln should it be?
EVE1N1T
The Reader 10
Antebellum Pop
A Dangerous Woman has a modern feel and goes down very easily —a pop read for
a pop pioneer
Art Notes 11
Grotesque, Comic Proportions
A couple of local boys make good in the Netherlands.
[MUSO©
Cut Copy 15
Band on the Run
Band from Down Under ventures across the globe to help us get down
Von Grey 21
The Rockin’ Sisters Return to Make Some Noise
This teen sister act plays tuneful Americana with a skill that's beyond their years
CITY DOPE 4
CITY PAGES 5
CAPITOL IMPACT 6
COMMENT 7
ATHENS RISING 8
DU 1 8
KIDDIE DOPE 9
THE READER , 10
ART NOTES 11
MOVIE DOPE 12
FILM NOTEBOOK 13
THREATS & PROMISES 14
CUT COPY 15
REM 16
CRITICAL DARLINGS 20
VON GREY 21
THE CALENDAR' 22
BULLETIN BOARD 28
ART AROUND TOWN 29
COMICS 30
REALITY CHECK 31
CLASSIFIEDS 32
OPERA 34
EVERYDAY PEOPLE 35
EDITOR & PUBLISHER Pete McCommons
ADVERTISING OIRECTOR & PUBLISHER Alicia N>ckles
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Larry Tenner
MANAGING EDITOR Christina Cotter
ADVERTISING SALES Anita Aubrey Velinda Edwards. Jessica Pritchard
MUSIC EDITOR Michelle Gil/enrat
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AD DESIGNERS Kelly Ruberto. Cindy Jerrell
CARTOONISTS Cameron Bjgue Missy Kulik. Jeremy long David Mack. Clint McElroy. Zaik Wood
ADOPT ME Special Agent Cindy Jerrell
CONTRIBUTORS Charles-Ryan Barber. Caroline barratt. Stephen Berry. Tom Crawtord.
Kevin Craig. Foster Tyler Elrod. David Fit/gerald Chris Hassiotis. John Huie, Gordon Lamb.
Kristen Morales. Emily Patrick. Jordan Stepp, D.erv Wheeler. Kevan Williams
CIRCULATION Charles Greenleat. Nash Hogan. Jesse Mangum. Matt Shirley
WEB 0ESIGNER Kelly Ruberto
ADVERTISING t EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Jessica Smith
ADVERTISING INTERNS Rebecca McGee Morgan Gunt/
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VOLUME 25
ISSUE NUMBER 38
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