Farokhi for Atlanta

Background:

I am the son of two educators, one from Augusta, Georgia, the other from Iran. I was born and raised in Atlanta, went to undergrad and law school at Duke and currently practice law in the Atlanta office of McKenna Long & Aldridge, LLP. My practice focus on commercial litigation and international dispute resolution.

My community activity has focused on education. I serve on the board of a local charter school and a local private school. I have also been active with the Georgia Conservancy. I am currently joining the advisory board of a grassroots community development organization in Atlanta's West End community.

Please see full bio at: http://www.amirfarokhi.com/aboutamir.php

Goals:

I am running because I truly believe Atlanta has the potential to be one of America's great cities. The city has tremendous history, amazing neighborhoods, strong business and academic communities and solid infrastructure. However, municipal politics has, for too long, been tied to race and geography and, as a result, the city has dropped the ball on transportation, economic development in underserved neighborhoods, affordable housing and acquisition of greenspace.

The current economic climate has also exposed massive service inefficiencies and poor financial management. In order for Atlanta to fulfill its potential, the city needs leadership focused on making the city do to the basics very well and on crafting a proactive vision for the future.

Issues:

The current financial state of the City of Atlanta is, in blunt terms, shambles. Because of antiquated accounting practices and lack of fiscal transparency, citizens have been left in the dark regarding the financial state of their city for years. We must improve the financial transparency of Atlanta's city government.

Additionally, the quality and delivery of city services is inconsistent and inefficient. Atlanta must put its residents and businesses first, before it can effectively "dream big." It is increasingly difficult to live in Atlanta and the city must make it easier for residents and businesses to get things done. My campaign will offer solutions as to how we can improve customer service at City Hall and and improve the quality and efficiency in the delivery of these services. Sustainable principles must play a role in this.

Finally, public safety is an urgent issue in Atlanta. Although the city's population is rising, the current Mayor, in the wake of massive budget shortfalls, has furloughed police and fire employees and visibly reduced services. Property crime is up in much of the city and a rash of recent high profile crimes have left residents feeling very unsafe. Morgan Quinto Press recently ranked Atlanta the third most dangerous major city in the country. This is unacceptable. We have to find a way to restore public safety funding, bring neighborhoods together to fight crime, and build sustainable neighborhoods that encourage community rather than disunity. The city needs short term and long term solutions to not only make things better now but ultimately to make Atlanta one of America's most approachable cities.

Grassroots Support:

This is my first run for public office and while I intend to spend significant resources on direct mail, my campaign will also have a strong canvassing and people-to-people effort. My campaign has been adopted by the Young Democrats of Atlanta as the only campaign that they will adopt in 2009. This "endorsement" gives my campaign an energized, wise volunteer base. I am also actively seeking union support. Moreover, I have spent significant time over the last year in neighborhoods across the city in order to secure the support of neighborhood leaders.

DFA Values:

I believe that the bigger a community's tent, the stronger it is. From LGBT issues to affordable housing to homeless prevention to sustainability, I take a progressive stance. I view myself as a progressive because I believe that the role of government is make our weakest links stronger and to provide opportunity and space for all to flourish.

Fiscally, I believe that government should not spend money that it does not have. This requires conservative budgeting. Moreover, I believe that government should look to reduce its operational costs through increased use of technology and integration of sustainable practices and materials. In Atlanta, we have an opaque and mysterious fiscal system, held largely in the hands of the Mayor. I am calling for increased transparency, including, for example, 1-page public quarterly reports for each city department setting out what has been budgeted, what has been spent, where it has been spent and the plan for staying on budget for the remainder of the fiscal year.