It's come down to a runoff between Kasim Reed and Mary Norwood. Reed is black. Norwood is white. So ... we have a racially-charged runoff coming up. I'm guessing Reed will be the next Atlanta Mayor. Why? Because votes will be cast on racial lines, and there are more black than white voters in Atlanta. Mary Norwood has made some statements recently indicating how horrible she thinks Republicans are ... so I can't see Republicans making any real effort to vote in the runoff. In my view the big difference between the two is that Reed voted for the recent massive property tax increase and Norwood voted against it.

Let's also make this point. Blacks who vote for the black candidate on the basis of race are conscientious voters. Whites who vote for the white candidate on the basis of race are --- racists.

This morning we told you about Atlanta police officer Pat Cocciolone. She was injured in the line of duty and needed a ramp on her house for her wheelchair. Volunteers have been working on that for her. Check out the progress of her new ramp.

Apparently there's some talk radio station in Atlanta that is having a hard time getting anyone to listen. Soooo ... they've put up some billboards asking people if they're "Boortzed out." Now that is flattery, my friends. Trouble is, I haven't seen one of these billboards. Can someone take a picture and send it to us? It needs to be in my scrapbook.

Hmmm...I wonder what's going on here? Maybe one of you folks was there and can fill us in. Whatever it is, I hope there's video...

View the rest of the photo gallery from Saturday's concert here.

Our friend Herman Cain gets the crowd going at America's Health Care Town Hall in Atlanta Saturday, August 15th. Since this is such a hot topic, we are going to bring you a Health Care Reform Special on Monday, August 24th noon-1pm ET. Clark Howard will join us with WSB's Scott Slade moderating. If you have a question you'd like covered, submit it here.

Las Vegas can be a bit exhausting, so all I wanted to do on the AirTran flight home yesterday was saw some logs. I cranked up the Kindle, though, and started reading the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. An AJC editorial presented some ways the Atlanta area might crawl out of the economic doldrums. Here was one suggestion:

"We believe, though, that Atlantans in the right tax brackets should shake off a bit of their investing conservatism and put more dollars behind our hometown startups and young companies.

"If the prospect of triple-digit investment returns aren't enough, consider the civic good of helping the region grow high-paying jobs.

"Surely Atlanta investors can step up more, even during hard times, and seize potentially lucrative, if risky, opportunities.

Say what?

This jewel of an editorial was written by one Andre Jackson representing the AJC editorial board.

Well, Andre ... have a seat. I have a few things to say to you. First ... I haven't seen your name before, so I have no idea how long you've been hanging around the AJC. You should know, though, that your paper has excelled in promoting wealth envy since I stepped off that Greyhound here 42 years ago. Your editorial board has never missed a chance to throw the word "greed" at high-achievers. In reading years worth of AJC editorials you would scarcely know that Atlantans with money to invest actually worked for their wealth. They earned it. To the editors of the AJC they were either "lucky" or they exploited some poor, downtrodden, pitiful poor people. AJC editorial word processors have a two-key macro for inserting the phrase "pay their fair share" into commentaries. I dare say that there is not one person on the editorial board that could come close to telling you (a) what percentage of total income is earned by the top 1% of income earners; and, (b) what percentage of total income taxes the disgusting top 1% pay.

So .. here you come suggesting that the very people your paper has made a cause out of vilifying for decades step forward and, if necessary, sacrifice a goodly portion of their wealth in Atlanta startups.

As it turns out, I have a bit of money I could invest, but I'm holding those funds very close. Let me tell you why, sport. I would bet five dollars to a donut hole that you voted for Obama. Good for you. Hope you're enjoying all of this wonderful change while you're telling me how you want me to invest my money. While you're getting your jollies from the hopey-changy thing I am working overtime trying to figure out how to save as much of my future income and retirement nest egg from this guy as I possibly can; and I suspect I'm not alone.

Have you taken stock of how your man wants to raise our taxes? Or, I should say, have you seen his plan of attack on the very people whom you think ought to be pouring money into Atlanta startups? Let's start with a guaranteed 4.6% tax increase in about 17 months. Then we have surtaxes ranging from 1% to 3% to cover his health care dreams, plus taxes on our health care plans. Charlie Rangel has an even higher surtax - this one over 5% -- waiting for the super achievers, the ones with real money to invest. Then let's add to all of this a reduction in allowable tax deductions (really another tax increase) and the removal of the Social Security earnings cap. You total these goodies up and the tax rate will be around 50% for the people you think have all this money to invest. And Andre ... we're just talking federal taxes. You might want to remember that our esteemed city council just raised property taxes by 45%, and then there's the Georgia income tax on top of it all. To make things even worse, Obama thinks that Christine Kirchner, the President of Argentina, is one of the hottest things going in this hemisphere. She nationalized all pension plans in Argentina. Retired Argentineans will now get their checks from the government. Do you, Andre, want to convince me that your president isn't thinking the same thoughts here?

Tell you what, Andre. When we get a president and a controlling party in Washington that exhibits even a faint affection for capitalism and economic liberty, you can drop us another note. When we have a governing --- or "ruling," as Obama likes to day --- party that doesn't see tax increases as the answer to every problem plaguing mankind; when the leaders of this nation respect private property ... then you can talk to me about investing in your pet startup projects. While this menace is in the White House, and while the corrupt Charlie Rangel is writing our tax laws, I'm sitting tight.

It seems that there was a Tea Party tax protest scheduled for Independence Day in Gwinnett County. The event was going to take place in the parking lot of the old Macy's at Gwinnett Place Mall. Gwinnett Place is a Simon mall. The parking lot where the event was to take place is privately owned. The owner of the property had given permission. Last week the Simon people asked the event organizers to come to a meeting. Even though Simon did not own the property, there were some contractual agreements that gave Simon control over what could and could not be done there. So ... the Tea Party is now history. Julianne Thompson, the co-organizer of the event, tells us that Simon didn't like the fact that the word "protest" was being used to promote the event --- besides, Simon doesn't like "political events" on property they control.

So .. there you go. The Scheduled Atlanta Tea Party is history. The vendors, fireworks, children's activities ... all of it cancelled. No alternative location could be found on such short notice. So, on this Independence day, we want to thank Simon Property Group, Inc. for standing up for the cause of liberty. Not.

There are other Tea Party tax protests in the Atlanta area for Independence Day. Check out this list of nationwide protests to find one near you. 

Seems there's a bit of a problem in the Georgia Tech area in Atlanta. There have been a string of armed robberies near the Tech campus in recent weeks. One Tech student was shot during a robbery in May. When will it stop? When some armed Tech students shoots one of these predatory bastards dead in his tracks. Ohhhh ... but it's probably illegal for a Tech student to carry a gun to the campus, so for now it's the robbers who will be armed. That ought to work out rather nicely.

This won't mean much to someone not from Atlanta ... but they're going to put timing chips on the running shoes of all Peachtree Road Race participants this year. I like it because it may stop the cheaters.

The coveted prize for running the 10K Peachtree is that t-shirt. You get to wear that t-shirt to show everyone what a stud you are. Yeah .. you ran 6.2 miles in the sweltering July heat in Atlanta. Trouble is, out of the 55,000 runners, there are a lot of cheaters. They get their race number and then sit in the comfort of some Burger King or Starbucks halfway through the race until the runners start coming by. Then they toss their lattes into the trash and join the race to pick up their t-shirts.

Now the race organizers have a way to deny these cheaters their prize. If your chip doesn't show that you crossed both the starting line and the finish line you should go home wearing your sweaty running clothes. Let's see if the organizers have the nads to do this.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is running a little contest to name Atlanta's Most Obnoxious Radio Personality. Here's the link. When I logged on I thought I would be running away with this one. Lord knows I try. But alas ... I'm running a way behind to folks like Steak Shapiro and Frank Ski. My listeners can set them straight. Get to it. Oh ... and don't forget that as a good liberal you are absolutely REQUIRED to say that I "preach hate." If you don't, you could lose your complimentary subscription to People Magazine.

A Fox News Channel crew visited me in the studio yesterday. They wanted my comments on the closing of Bowen Homes in Atlanta. I understand that Bowen Homes, a breeding ground for crime, is this city's last welfare housing project. Residents are going to be given vouchers to be used in finding a place to live elsewhere in the city.

I knew when they came to me for a opinion that it would never be aired ... and it would seem that I was right. My feelings here are what you might call somewhat politically incorrect.

Let's keep Bowen Homes. Let's keep the parasites and crime breeders right where they are so we can watch them. Why spread this culture of crime and dependency throughout the city? I told Fox news that people who are looking to rent an apartment or condo should always inquire about the presence of Section 8 housing in the neighborhood. For the most part, you don't want these people around. They do nothing to enhance your living experience. They bring nothing to your neighborhood but crime and drugs.

Any wonder I didn't (so far as I know) end up on any Fox newscast?

We've been talking about this local story quite a bit this morning, so here's a place for you to discuss it. An Atlanta woman accused a man of kidnapping her, taking her to the Smokey Mountains, and raping her. A pizza delivery guy saw her tied up on the couch and called the police. Now it turns out that she has pled guilty to filing false reports in the past.

Here's an art show you Atlanta area folks will want to check out.

Steve Penley
The Reconstruction of America

March 28 - June 13, 2009

Opening Reception
Saturday, March, 28, 2009
6 - 9 p.m.

Marietta / Cobb Museum of Art
30 Atlanta St SE • Marietta, GA 30060 • (770) 528-1444

Here in Atlanta, Georgia, home of the Mothership News/Talk 750 WSB, we have some racial chips on some shoulders in the state government. On Friday, about two dozen black Georgia lawmakers apparently stormed out of the Georgia House. They did so because they were angry that a white Congressman blocked a proposal to make Barack Obama an honorary member of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus.

State Representative Austin Scott says that he blocked the proposal because the wording would have put the full chamber on the record and it declared Obama as a man with an "unimpeachable reputation for integrity." After Democrats balked at revising the wording, Scott blocked the proposal.

But naturally, this automatically turned into an issue of race. Some black lawmakers saw this as a snub to the nation's first black president. State Representative Al Williams says, "It drips with racism .. I call it just like it is." Al Williams is an idiot who couldn't define the word "racism" if his per diem depended on it, and it doesn't.

There are still some backward minds out there who think that any amount of "disrespect" (to use the vernacular) shown PrezBO is evidence of racism. Unfortunately this one is in my back yard.

We are having a little HOA brouhaha here in the metro Atlanta area. A man by the name of Ron Tripodo spent $900 to install a 14-foot flag pole on his front lawn. Tripodo put the American flag on the pole, complete with landscaping and lighting.

Then the Bridgemill subdivision home owners association comes along and orders him to take down the flag pole. The rules of the HOA apparently stipulate that "you are not allowed to have any structure outside the framework of the home." But Tripodo refuses to remove the pole. The HOA is going to sue him for $25 a day for damages for every day the flag pole remains, on top of attorney's fees.

Know what? I'm on the association's side. He knew what the rules were when he moved in. If he wants to put a flag pole out there in his front yard ... move to an area where there is no homeowner's association and no restrictive covenants to abide by. Sorry to say it .. but this guy is being a jerk. He signed a contract ... he should be a man and live within its terms.

A resolution has been introduced in the Georgia Legislature to condemn a modernization project for Chicago's O'Hare airport. They are calling it the "Runway to Nowhere." Representative Joe Wilkinson introduced the resolution, calling attention to the Georgia Congressional delegation to stop wasteful spending projects approved for Obama's "stimulus" package.

The Georgia legislatures are upset that Chicago's expansion project is estimated to cost $20 billion, while Atlanta's request for Hartsfield is a mere $500 million.

Wilkinson explains, "Why should the people of Georgia and the rest of the nation cough up $20 billion to build an airport in Chicago, when their own state won't even pay for it?" continued Wilkinson. "Compare Chicago's project to Atlanta's request of $500 million for the new Hartsfield-Jackson international terminal. Atlanta and Chicago have virtually identical airports with identical traffic volume, yet Chicago's terminal will cost more than $19 billion more the proposed Atlanta project, and the airlines have affirmed that it will do very little to alleviate flight delays. The American people were right to stand up against the 'bridge to nowhere,' and it's time to do the same with the 'runway to nowhere.'"

Now if the Georgia Legislature really wanted to do something for the people, it would seize operational control of Hartsfield International Airport from the City of Atlanta and then put it up for sale or lease. The Georgia legislature could then use the proceeds of that sale or lease to fund tax relief for Atlanta's hammered home owners. But really, that makes too much sense ... so let's hammer O'Hare.

Let's get this stupid idea stopped before it picks up any more steam. What stupid idea? Well ... read this story. Someone thinks it might be a good idea to build a new football stadium for the Atlanta Falcons on the site of the now-closed Doraville General Motors Assembly Plant. If you live in Atlanta you might know that this assembly plant is very close to Georgia's 2nd busiest airport, Dekalb-Peachtree (PDK). When I'm landing on runway 20L I'm looking right down on the roof of this assembly plant out my left window --- and I'm not all that high either. Let's call it around 400 to 500 feet.

Are the pilots and businesses that use PDK aware of what's being discussed here? They're talking about building a stadium and various mixed-use developments right in the approach path to PDK's busiest runway. You know what happens next, don't you? Well ... the FAA should step in and prohibit a project like this right off the bat ... but you can't count on that ... so what happens next is that people start screaming for the closure of PDK. After all, you can't have all of this people flying around in their airplanes over a crowded stadium, can you? Golly! They might be terrorists or something? At the very least you will have pressure to close PDK ... or at least the runways that have approach or departure paths over the stadium.

The pilots, staff and business of PDK had better get busy killing this idea right about now. There are many good locations for a new stadium in the Atlanta area ... this isn't one of them.

OK .. now you wealth envy folks can start screaming. After all, anyone with an airplane is rich, right? You don't want to hear that the average value of a privately owned piston aircraft is less than the cost of a bass rig, do you. No. Didn't think so.

Oh you betcha! There's Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin preparing to go to Washington to attempt to glom on to some of that bailout cash. I live in Atlanta and I've been watching Atlanta goings-on for about 40 years now. So let me send a message to the taxpayers of America. Bailout cash for Atlanta? No way!

For at least two decades Atlanta has had a reputation for one of the most over-staffed and bloated city governments in the nation. The City of Atlanta has been a glorified jobs program for the poorly-educated graduates of one the nation's worst school systems (Atlanta Government Schools) for years. Before the taxpayers of this country fork over the money to cover these years of mismanagement there are just a few things the City of Atlanta should be required to do. Work on these goals and then come begging:

• Sell the Paulding County and Dawson Forest. Oh! Never heard of these massive City of Atlanta land holdings? It seems that Atlanta owns 10,000 acres in Paulding County, Georgia and another 10,130 in North Georgia near the city of Dawsonville. The Dawsonville property is extremely valuable North Georgia mountain land. The 10,000 Paulding County acres were purchased for $935 an acre 33 years ago. Before Atlanta comes begging for taxpayer money these two giant holdings should be sold. If the city wants to wait until the real estate market improves it could pledge to sell these properties within five years and use the proceeds to reimburse the taxpayers .. with interest. What do you think? Five thousand an acre? Let's see ... that adds up to about $100 million?
• Privatize Hartsfield International Airport. This idea was first floated by former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young and it's been bouncing around ever since ... to the distress of Atlanta political types. Here's a link to a 14-year-old study from the Georgia Public Policy Foundation which indicates that revenues from the sale or lease of Hartsfield could amount to $166 million a year - and, as I said, this was 14 years ago. You can only imagine how much that figure would be today.
• As this presently stand it is illegal for the City of Atlanta to take one penny in revenue from the operation of Hartsfield. This is past asinine. By leasing of selling that airport Atlanta could be taking in hundreds of millions a year. Until the city is willing to take this step there should be no federal bailout.
• Privatize a few other things. Garbage collection and maintenance on city-owned vehicles, to name two. That would be a good start.
• Fire Some Folks. After all of the above has been accomplished .. then start sending out the pink slips. And don't give me that horse squeeze about how it would affect essential city services. How many times has some local TV station sent out undercover reporters to video city employees at work .. and how many times have we seen these people doing private errands, sleeping, and gobbling down Krispy Kremes while they were on the clock. Give me a break ... some of these people need to be collecting unemployment.
• Adjust pensions for city executives. Everybody else is taking it on the chin with their retirement funds ... why not the officials of any city coming to the federal taxpayers for a bailout?

There's your short list. You can forward this to your favorite elected official and tell them that you don't want Atlanta in your pocket until these things are done.

It's time for another Boortz Power Lunch presented by Solomon Brothers Jewelers! Join Neal, Belinda, Royal for lunch on Friday, December 5th at Ruth's Chris Steak House in Sandy Springs,Georgia 11:30am-1pm.Tickets go on sale November 20th at 9am.  For tickets, call (404) 255-0035 ONLY AFTER 9AM THURSDAY. Tickets are $65 with a portion going to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Atlanta folks, and anyone familiar with YouTube, will remember the Grape Stomping Lady:

Well, The Family Guy has dredged that back up. I'm sure that woman is thrilled. We certainly are though.

Updated info! Mark your calendar and come to a FairTax Rally on Sunday, November 16! John Linder, Mike Huckabee, Saxby Chambliss and ... ME ... will be there. It'll be 2:30-4:30pm at the Gwinnett Center. Hey ... I was heading to Naples on Sunday, but plans change, right? Anything to promote the FairTax.