ATLANTA — The leaders of the Buckhead City movement are now talking about voter suppression over not yet being able to vote on breaking away from the city of Atlanta.
They plan to deploy what they are calling “anti-voter suppression” teams to the state capitol next week.
Georgia Democrats told Channel 2′s Richard Elliot that they not at all happy Buckhead City leaders are using that phrase “voter suppression” to describe themselves.
They point out that those same leaders don’t want the entire city of Atlanta to vote on a Buckhead City, even though a breakaway would affect them.
“(We want) real Buckhead residents and voters to join us in the formation of an anti-voter suppression team,” Buckhead City CEO Bill White said, laying out his plan to convince state lawmakers to give residents a vote on whether to break away from the city of Atlanta.
He plans to deploy what he is calling “anti-voter suppression” teams to the State Capitol to meet with lawmakers and convince them of their plan.
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“We will be going deployed down to the State Capitol starting this monday, speaking with legislators, explaining our position and asking them to give us the right to vote,” White said.
White and other Buckhead residents reiterated their concerns about crime and not getting city service they believe they’re paying for. All, they say, are reasons to break away from Atlanta.
“Bless his heart. Whatever his problems are, bless his heart,” Atlanta Democratic Rep. Stacey Evans said.
Evans said White and his Buckhead City group have yet to reach out to any member of the Atlanta legislative delegation to talk about a Buckhead City.
She thinks his invoking “voter suppression” is hypocritical since he wants only Buckhead residents to vote on breaking away, not the entire city of Atlanta, even though it would impact it, too.
“To say there is voter suppression because he wants only the small part of the city of Buckhead to decide legislation, to decide the fate of the entire city, is hilarious to me,” Evans said.
In a similar vein, house lawmakers approved a plan Thursday that would create the City of East Cobb.
That plan is different in that East Cobb is not already incorporated, so it’s not trying to break away from another city.
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