Buckhead v. Atlanta - Ep 124

Crazy Money with Paul Ollinger

What would happen if the richest neighborhood in your town declared itself its own municipality, taking with it the tax dollars of the richest 20% of citizens? That is what might happen here in Atlanta where a well-funded group is petitioning to carve the wealthy neighborhood of Buckhead (coincidentally, where I live) away from Atlanta, into its own city. This initiative has gained traction and has a very real chance of making it to the ballot in November of 2022. Not that Buckhead residents don’t have good reason to be frustrated with local government. Our police force is diminished and demoralized, and crime is simply out-of-control. Aggravated assaults in Buckhead are up 52% this year over an already violent 2020. And at Lenox Square, a mall that is 2 miles away from my home, there have been a half-dozen shootings and many more armed robberies over the past year or so. It’s a total freaking mess. On today’s episode, I talk to Bill White, the CEO of the Buckhead City Committee, the group behind the initiative, and to Felicia Moore who is both the President of the Atlanta City Council and a candidate on the ballot for next month’s mayoral election. This might sound like a local news story but I think it’s relevant to all of us and relevant to the mission of this show because it’s emblematic of where we are as a society and whether or not the wealthy are better off trying to isolate themselves from our relatively less-affluent neighbors and fellow citizens. I look forward to hearing your feedback. Please email me your thoughts. To learn about Felicia Moore go here. To learn more about the Buckhead City Committee, go here. RATE and Review Crazy Money here.