An article in today’s AJC — Feds open up funding for Atlanta streetcar project — reflects a couple of trends worth watching. The entire Atlanta area, even some of its farflung suburbs, seem to be in the midst of a…
Month: July 2011
Pictures of the hubris of the housing boom
Savannah River Landing — the big empty spot at the east end of River Street next to the Marriott — is by far the most visible sign of the real estate bust in the Savannah area. It’s also an area…
City officials back off fast on threat to fire Lovett or other employees who respond to media
I made a lengthy post yesterday about Savannah city manager Rochelle Small-Toney’s threat to fire Chief Willie Lovett if he speaks to the media again without authorization. That threat brought a firestorm of criticism of Small-Toney, and by extension of…
Georgia’s June tax revenue indicates slow recovery continuing
Consumer sentiment nationwide declined sharply in July. If the reactions I’ve heard from friends are any indication, a trio of factors is certainly depressing sentiment here in southeast Georgia: a run of hot weather that — together with steep Georgia…
Georgia on the FDIC’s mind. Again. Still.
The FDIC got off to a quick start today, closing two Georgia banks well before the usual 5 p.m. witching hour: High Trust Bank, Stockbridge, Georgia, and One Georgia Bank, Atlanta, Georgia. From the FDIC’s press release: Ameris Bank, Moultrie,…
400,000 votes on the new Ga. license plate? Never mind. Start over.
Ha. So the Georgia Department of Revenue has declared a do-over. A few weeks ago, they presented 8 semifinalists for the new Georgia license plate and asked the public to vote on them. Here are the 8 as they appeared…
Police chief complains about leaks (water, not secrets), is threatened with gag order and possible firing
When I first saw the headline on SavannahNow this morning — Savannah city manager threatens police chief’s job — I assumed that city manager Rochelle Small-Toney was taking a hard line regarding Willie Lovett’s performance. After all, there are a…
Felix Salmon on the damage already done by the debt ceiling debate
Felix Salmon is surely a new name to many, but his incisive commentaries on finance and economics have gained him considerable influence. In his latest opinion piece for Reuters, “The damage already done by the debt ceiling debate”, he notes…
Savannah Music Festival gets great press from NPR
I’ve spent the last 30 minutes or so listening to a sublime 2011 Savannah Music Festival piano recital by Nikolai Lugansky. That’s one of five great performances pulled together in one post — Sounds Of Savannah: Concerts From An Eclectic…
Highlights of Bernanke’s remarks to the House today
Here you’ll find a few highlights from today’s prepared remarks by Ben Bernanke before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services. It seems pretty clear the Fed is standing pat, despite fears from many of us that the current weakness…
New Georgia license plate: down to the final three!!
Well, here’s just what you’ve been waiting for on a hot hot Wednesday in mid-July. As of this morning, Georgians can view — but not vote on — three finalists for the new state license plate. I wrote about the…
Housing market slowly recovering, but what happens if FHA standards tighten?
A couple of pieces in yesterday’s Savannah Morning News shed some interesting light on the local housing market and on broader national issues. In his monthly roundup of data, reporter Adam Van Brimmer quotes a couple of realtors who come…
AP looks at efforts to retrofit cities for an aging population
Everyone knows we have an aging population in America, but what does it mean for American cities? Check out this fascinating AP piece: “Aging boomers strain cities built for the young“. Apart from some painful prose — like “silver tsunami”…
The Glands / Summer Hymns – The Wormhole – 07/29/11
Well this is a big deal, huh? The Glands released two albums more than a decade ago — “Double Thriller” and “The Glands” — and seemed to be headed for the big time. And then they split, then years passed,…