GIANNO CALDWELL: Bottoms ran Atlanta into the ground. We can’t let her do it to Georgia
The opinion article argues that former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms should not become Georgia’s governor, citing rising crime and police departures during her mayoralty. Its author presents Republican candidate Rick Jackson as the stronger choice, contrasting Bottoms’ record with Jackson’s background and public safety proposals.
The article says Atlanta recorded 157 homicides in 2020, up from 99 in 2019, and reports that shootings also rose. It says more than 200 officers left the city’s police department in 2020. Jackson, who founded healthcare staffing firm Jackson Healthcare, is described as proposing more certified crime labs, a state law enforcement division focused on child sex trafficking, and tax relief for law enforcement officers and veterans.
In short
- The article criticises Bottoms’ record on crime as Atlanta mayor.
- It cites 157 homicides in Atlanta in 2020, up from 99 in 2019.
- Jackson’s proposals include more crime labs and an anti-trafficking division.
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The case for
A governor’s record on public safety matters, and the reported rise in Atlanta homicides and police departures during Bottoms’ mayoralty gives voters grounds to question whether her approach worked. Supporters of Jackson can argue that his proposals on crime labs, trafficking enforcement and tax relief for officers offer a change in direction, while his business experience may bring a different approach to managing state services.
The case against
A rise in crime during a mayor’s term does not by itself show that the mayor caused it or that a different candidate would have prevented it; voters should weigh broader conditions and the full record. Bottoms’ supporters can also argue that Jackson’s proposals and business background do not establish that he would deliver safer communities, and that governing requires experience with public institutions as well as specific plans for policing and prevention.
Explained simply
Keisha Lance Bottoms was mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022, a period that included a sharp rise in homicides and shootings in 2020 and the departure of more than 200 police officers. Public safety and staffing at the police department have since been part of debate about her record.
Bottoms is a Democrat seeking to become governor of Georgia. Rick Jackson, a Republican businessman and founder of healthcare staffing firm Jackson Healthcare, is also running; he has proposed expanding crime-lab capacity, creating a state law enforcement division focused on child sex trafficking, and providing tax relief to law enforcement officers and veterans. The race matters because the governor can shape state policy and budgets on policing and public safety.