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NEWS SECTIONS: World news | Election news | News from Europe | News from North America | News from Latin America | News from Asia and Australia | News from Africa | Urban events | NEWS SPECIALS: Local elections in England & Wales 2008 | London elections 2008 | Latest news story |New Orleans elects first
white mayor since 1978
New Orleans, 7 February 2010: Mitch Landrieu has been comfortably elected as the new mayor of New Orleans. Landrieu beat 10 other candidates to the post, with 66.5 per cent of the primary vote, avoiding the need for a run off. His nearest rival scored 12.8 per cent of the vote, in an election fought on reconstruction and recovery. Landrieu, Louisiana’s lieutenant governor and a mayoral candidate in 1994 and 2006, becomes the city’s first white mayor since his father Moon Landrieu left office in 1978. The city’s two term mayor Ray Nagin was ineligible to run again due to term limits.
The race’s other frontrunners ran, like Nagin before them, on their business experience, pledging to bring outsider acumen to the city’s ailing administration, which has been hit by numerous scandals. Landrieu’s nearest rivals throughout the campaign were black Democrat Troy Henry and businessmen and state official John Georges, who outspent his rivals with a $3.4m campaign bid. Henry congratulated Landrieu in conceding and said that he will be “a fantastic mayor”.
Landrieu was first elected Lieutenant Governor in 2003, first under Democrat Kathleen Blanco but then under Bobby Jindal, the Republican rising start frequently mentioned in connection with the 2008 and 2012 vice presidential tickets. Landrieu’s opponents united during the campaign to slate his ‘establishment’ connections and career politician image. Landrieu served for 16 years in a state representative seat previously held by his sister Mary (now a US Senator) and his father (who served as Housing and Urban Development Secretary in the Carter administration).
Much was made during the campaign of the fact that if elected Landrieu would be the city’s first white mayor since his father left office in 1978. New Orleans is 61 per cent black, something referred to by the current mayor in his infamous ‘Chocolate City’ speech. Mitch Landrieu first stood for the post in 1994 but was beaten by Marc Morial, son of the city’s first black mayor Dutch Morial, who replaced Moon Landrieu in 1978. Landrieu Sr first shot to prominence as the lone vote in favour of school integration in the state legislature in 1960.
No 9/11 trial in New York after
Bloomberg changed his mind
New York City, 30 January 2010: The Obama administration has admitted that it was now unlikely the ‘9/11 trial of the century’ was going to be held in New York City. The city’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who originally supported the US government’s decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspects near Ground Zero, changed his mind and asked the White House to consider alternative locations. The mayor claimed it would cost as much as $200 million a year and cause millions of dollars of losses for the NYC economy. "It's going to cost an awful lot of money and disturb an awful lot of people," Bloomberg said.
Georgetown professor Robert Lieber says he was not surprised the White House shifted its position. "What you've got here is a legal issue and a political issue and both of those are very much in play at the present time," he said.
Attorney General Eric Holder announced last year that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four more 9/11 suspects would face civil trial instead of a military tribunal, and they would tried in Manhattan federal court.
The Justice Department has been under public and political pressure since the announcement. Six senators, Republicans, Democrats and an Independent recently wrote a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder urging him not to try Mohammed and the other alleged 9/11 conspirators in New York City. They say having a trial so close to where the Twin Towers once stood would be a recruitment and radicalization tool to terrorists. (Report by VoA News and local reporters)
US suburbs face
growing poverty
New York, 28 January 2010: Since the beginning of the 21st century, two economic downturns translated into a significant rise in poverty in many US metropolitan and non-metropolitan communities. Suburbs saw by far the greatest growth in their poor population and by 2008 had become home to the largest share of America’s poor.
According to new research by the Brookings Institution, suburbs were home to the largest and fastest-growing poor population in the country. Between 2000 and 2008, suburbs in the country’s largest metro areas saw their poor population grow by 25 per cent - almost five times faster than primary cities and well ahead of the growth seen in smaller metro areas and non-metropolitan communities. As a result, by 2008 large suburbs were home to 1.5 million more poor than their primary cities and housed almost one-third of the nation’s poor overall.
In 2008, 91.6 million people - more than 30 per cent of the nation’s population - fell below 200 per cent of the federal poverty level. Between 2000 and 2008, large suburbs saw the fastest growing low-income populations across community types and the greatest increase in the share of the population living under 200 per cent of poverty.
Cities and suburbs in the US Mid-West experienced by far the largest poverty rate increases over the decade. Led by increasing poverty in automotive manufacturing metro areas - like Grand Rapids and Youngstown - Midwestern city and suburban poverty rates climbed 3.0 and 2.2 percentage points, respectively. At the same time, Northeastern metros -led by New York and Worcester - actually saw poverty rates in their primary cities decline, while collectively their suburbs experienced a slight increase.
New Birmingham mayor
promises to restore pride
Birmingham (Alabama), 20 January 2010: Jefferson County Commissioner William Bell defeated lawyer Patrick Cooper to become the next mayor of Birmingham (Alabama). Bell took 54 per cent of the vote, with Cooper on 46 per cent. About 40 per cent of the city’s registered voters went to the polls.
Thanking his supporters, the mayor-elect said he wanted to restore the good reputation of the city after the previous mayor’s conviction of fraud. "Our city is united for wanting something better than what we have had. You have my pledge I will spend all of my waking hours to make us proud again," he promised.
The election was a runoff from the December first round where Bell trailed Cooper by 25 to 41 per cent of the vote. That ballot had 14 candidates, although one died shortly before voters went to the polls. Bell will serve the remaining two years of former mayor Larry Langford’s term. Langford was removed from office last October after his conviction of taking bribes while on the Jefferson County Commission.
US cities contemplate
moving election dates
Trenton, 11 January 2010: In order to save funds usually spent on elections, several American cities have agreed or are considering reforming their current arrangements in order to provide for more efficient municipal races. The state of New Jersey has recently passed a bill in its legislature to move the state election day for city polls from May to the November election spot, in order to hold municipal races on the same day as other elections in the state. Meanwhile in the California city of Oakland, the council has agreed to use the instant-runoff system for its forthcoming mayoral election in order to avoid the need for a separate primary in June.
Under the instant-runoff (IRV) system, voters rank candidates in order of preference, therefore allowing for a candidate to emerge with more than 50% of the vote after defeated candidates’ preferences are reallocated according to voters’ wishes. The new system will spare the city having to pay for two separate races, though it remains in severe financial crisis, like many others, and may have to reduce its number of police and firefighters this year. IRV was used for the first time in last year’s Minneapolis race and is now used in San Francisco, Aspen (CO) and Takoma Park (MD), and planned for use in Memphis and Berkeley in the near future.
The New Jersey bill passed the state assembly this week 49 votes to 25 and now awaits outgoing governor Jon Corzine’s signature. The bill allows the 86 cities to shift their election day from the second Tuesday in May to November in order to save costs by holding them alongside other races. It is anticipated that the move could save cities such as Newark as much as $1m.
Baltimore mayor agrees
to resign to avoid prison
Baltimore, 7 January 2010: Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon has agreed to resign from office in early February following her conviction of embezzlement last month. In a deal with the state prosecutor, Dixon agreed to do 500 hours community service and pay $45,000 to charity. However, she will keep her pension of an estimated $84,000 a year. Under the deal the prosecution also agreed to drop perjury charges against the mayor, which would have come to court in March. While the mayor did not admit to perjury, she acknowledged there was strong evidence to convict her.
On 1 December 2009, the mayor was convicted of embezzling $500 worth of gift vouchers meant for poor families. During the trial, which started on 9 November, the mayor was accused of using gift cards, donated to provide gifts for needy children, to buy electronic gadgets, clothes and other items for herself, family members and friends. Allegedly, the mayor had asked property developers to provide gift vouchers, worth thousands of dollars, to be given to poor families with young children. However, the jury acquitted the mayor of the most serious charges, including theft.
The deal between the mayor and the prosecution has been strongly critisised by Baltimore’s leading newspaper, the Baltimore Sun. In an editorial, the paper called for a prison sentence for Dixon. “This woman needs to be thrown in jail, and I don't mean a country club federal prison. I mean the big house in Jessup,” the paper wrote. Dixon will turn over power to City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.
Despite her conviction, Dixon remained a popular mayor, although her Mayor Monitor approval rating declined from 8.06 points in June 2009 to 5.71 points last December.
Gay woman elected
Mayor of Houston
Houston, 13 December 2009: Annise Parker, Houston’s city finance officer, has been elected the city’s new mayor in a run-off election, which, leading up to polling day, was marred by controversy about the Ms Parker’s sexual orientation. Members of conservative religious and anti-gay groups circulated leaflets saying that an openly gay mayor was unfit to represent a city like Houston.
At a victory party, Parker told her supporters that voters in Houston had opened the door to history. "I know what this win means to many of us who never thought we could achieve high office," she said. She also thanked her fellow Democrat opponent for a fair and constructive campaign and ‘introduced’ the person who had shared her life for more than 19 years.
Other US cities like Portland (Oregon) and (Providence) Rhode Island have openly gay mayors, but none are the size of Houston. In Europe, Berlin, Hamburg, Zurich and Paris are cities led by gay mayors.
Houston’s current mayor. Bill White, was barred from contesting the election due to term-limits. He has confirmed that he intends to run for Texas governor in November next year. Annise Parker will take over the post as mayor in early January. The city’s most pressing problem is its $130 million budget deficit.
Kasim Reed finally named
as Atlanta’s next mayor
Atlanta, 10 December 2009: After nine days of waiting and one final recount, it was confirmed today that former state senator Kasim Reed had been elected as Atlanta’s new mayor. His winning margin was 714 votes out of 84,000 cast. The loser, councillor Mayor Norwood, was composed when she told her supporters that now was the time to accept the result.
Mayor-elect Kasim Reed was criticised for declaring himself the winner on election night, at a time when there was great uncertainty about the final count. He will take over from Shirley Franklin on 4 January. Reed will become the sixth consecutive African-American mayor of Atlanta, however, the closeness of the result mirrors the decline of the city’s black population. Since 2000, the share of white population has risen frm 30 to 36 per cent, while the percentage of blacks dropped from 67 to 56 per cent.
Atlanta and Birmingham are
still waiting for new mayors
Atlanta, 8 December 2009: Votes cast in Atlanta’s mayoral run-off ballot will be recounted following a request by Mary Norwood, who lost the election by less than 800 votes. The run-off, which was won by Kasim Reed, became necessary after Ms Norwood won the first round but failed to get the required 50 per cent of votes. The result of the re-count is expected to be announced on 9 December.
Meanwhile in Birmingham, Alabama, attorney Patrick Cooper achieved 40 per cent of the vote in an election to replace disgraced former mayor Larry Langford. William Bell, a member of Jefferson County commission, won 25 per cent. A second-round ballot will be held on 19 January. The election became necessary after Langford was convicted of fraud and corruption. The former mayor, who is now giving bible classes, can expect a lengthy jail sentence.
Washington city council votes
in favour of same-sex marriage
Washington DC, 5 December 2009: Washington DC’s city council took the first step to allow same-sex marriages. In a 11-to-2 vote councillors approved a bill which will give gay men and women the same rights as heterosexual couples. The bill has to go through a second reading before the mayor is asked to sign it. Mayor Adrian Fenty has already indicated that he was in favour of the measure.
The bill will also have to be approved by the US Congress but, with a Democrat majority in both Houses, commentators believe the bill will be passed quickly. Gay rights supporters hailed the vote as the end of a long struggle, which started in 1975, to give gays and lesbians the same relationship rights as heterosexuals.
Church leaders and some representatives of the city’s black community have condemned the bill. Bishop Harry Jackson, from Hope Christian Church said that only Congress or the courts can now slow the city's march toward legalising same-sex marriage. "Our only options are legal,” he admitted.
Same-sex marriage is already legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and Massachusetts.
Convicted Baltimore
mayor clings to office
Baltimore, 3 December 2009: Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon remained unusually quiet after been convicted of embezzling $500 worth of gift vouchers meant for poor families. Despite calls for her to resign immediately, sources close to her said it was business as usual in City Hall. “There are no plans for a transfer of power to the city council president.” The council president would become interim mayor if Dixon were to resign or be removed from office.
Under Maryland state law, a mayor convicted of a felony or misdemeanour is supposed to be suspended from office immediately after sentencing. But Ms Dixon’s lawyers argue that they might appeal against her conviction and any suspension should await the end of the legal process. The mayor’s conviction could lead to a maximum prison sentence of one year.
During the trial, which started on 9 November, the mayor was accused of using gift cards, donated to provide gifts for needy children, to buy electronic gadgets, clothes and other items for herself, family members and friends. Allegedly, the mayor had asked property developers to provide gift vouchers, worth thousands of dollars, to be given to poor families with young children. However, the jury acquitted the mayor of the most serious charges, including theft.
In March 2010 Mayor Dixon faces a separate trial on perjury charges. She is accused of not having reported gifts from a former boyfriend and property developer who benefited from city tax breaks.
Sheila Dixon became mayor in January 2007 after Martin O'Malley was elected governor. Later that year, she easily won an election to a four-year term, thus becoming Baltimore’s first female African-American mayor.
Californian mayor believes
heaven is closed to gays
San Francisco, 30 November 2009: In normally tolerant northern California the mayor of Vallejo, a town of some 120,000 people north of San Francisco, caused uproar when he said gay people would not be allowed into heaven. Mayor Osby Davis told the New York Times gays were committing sin and that sin will keep them out of heaven.
While the mayor, an evangelical Christian, has now issued an apologetic statement saying he was quoted out of context and vowing he would in future seek to represent all citizens of Vallejo. "I care for the entire community and my desire is to build consensus on our diversity. Let me be clear, I have and will stand against hatred, discrimination and divisiveness wherever they exist,” said.
While officially Vallejo is committed to ‘ethnic and cultural diversity’ the city council has in the past been accused of anti-gay sentiments.
In 2007, the mayor was elected into office in an highly controversial election by beating his openly gay opponent Gary Cloutier by just two votes. Cloutier was initially declared the winner and sworn in after the two candidates had tied on election night. But after a recount two days later, the mayorship was taken away from Cloutier and given to Davis.
Last year, after Vallejo became the largest Californian city ever to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy, the mayor suggested the city should pray itself out of its financial mess.
Pittsburgh mayor criticised
over proposed student tax
Pittsburg, 26 November 2009: Pittsburgh’s students and education officials are lambasting Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's plan to impose a one per cent tax on college tuition for the 2010 budget. Ravenstalhl estimated that the "Fair Share Tax," as it is called, would raise about $16 million in city revenue. "I've heard the argument that taxing the privilege of attending Pittsburgh post-secondary schools is unfair, that it would create a situation where students can't afford their tuition," the mayor said in announcing the tax. "I don't agree."
He noted that the cost of higher education for students rises every year, but "the city and its taxpayers solely bear the burden of providing them with services." The tax on college tuition would be the first of its kind in the nation, and USA Today reports that other cities will likely attempt the same thing if the plan is approved in Pittsburgh. "It's a new and untapped potential source of revenue," explained Terry Hartle of the American Council on Education, who was quoted by USA Today.
Other groups are watching the developments in Pittsburgh closely. "This is a hot topic across the country," noted Kim Griffo, director of the International Town and Gown Association at Clemson University, who was quoted by Inside Higher Ed. "All eyes are on Pittsburgh to see how they handle this and whether it works."
But Mary Hines, president of Carlow University and of the Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education, argued that few students at Carlow pay full tuition, and they cannot afford increased costs. Furthermore, she voiced concern that fewer students would enrol in Pittsburgh colleges as a result of the tax. "We want them to realize they are coming to an exciting city that will welcome them with open arms," she was quoted as saying in USA Today. "This does not do that." (Report by CityTownInfo)
Washington DC suburbs
to promote smart growth
Washington DC, 15 November 2009: Urban planners in the suburbs of Washington DC have backed new policies to promote smart growth and car-free lifestyles. The council of Montgomery County, Maryland, has approved a new zoning masterplan to focus new growth on areas adjacent to metro stations and make the provision of cycle and walkways a condition of any new development approval. To cope with a projected 200,000 extra residents over the next two decades, developers will be permitted to increase density of housing developments in proportion to their proximity to metro stations, including use of high- rise schemes. Until its introduction this week, its zoning policies discouraged any further development in the already highly populated area.
The strategy has not only won acclaim from advocates of smart growth but is seen as necessitated by the lack of new land in the county for actual development, with many strip malls contributing to urban sprawl northwards from the capital. Policymakers are currently lobbying the federal and state governments to green light a much needed cross-county transit system, though budget shortfalls make this quite unlikely to proceed in the immediate future.
The county contains much of the unincorporated population centres of what is termed ‘suburban Maryland’ to the north of the nation’s capital, which though served by a transit network to carry commuters to the city, is particularly reliant on private transport for other purposes. While the council serves one of the most affluent areas of the US, its members are all Democrats. The county’s track record includes its social zoning policies, pioneered during the 1970s to compel and encourage developers to incorporate affordable housing in their developments, which has since been adopted by many US cities.
Mayor Monitor rates the performance of mayors from across the world More
New Orleans elects first white mayor since 1978
No 9/11 trial in New York after Bloomberg changed his mind
US suburbs face growing poverty
New Birmingham mayor promises to restore pride
US cities contemplate moving election dates
Baltimore mayor agrees to resign to avoid prison
Gay woman elected Mayor of Houston
Kasim Reed finally named as Atlanta's next mayor
Atlanta and Birmingham are still waiting for new mayors
Washington city council votes in favour of same-sex marriage
Convicted Baltimore mayor clings to office
Californian mayor believes heaven is closed to gays
Pittsburgh mayor criticised over proposed student tax
Washington DC suburbs to promote smart growth