Tag: Jan Jones

The marginalization of Fulton County–or, more precisely, its elected leadership–continued apace this week with injury, quickly followed by insult.

"We should just change the name of this body from the Georgia State Senate to the Fulton County Commission because we're getting into the business of running this county," announced a frustrated state Sen. Vincent Fort, D-Atlanta, minutes before the chamber approved four GOP-penned bills affecting the beleaguered county.

The state Senate this afternoon passed the first few House bills designed to overhaul the political structure and finances of Georgia's largest county, despite objections that doing so meant moving backwards in terms of racial politics.

When Republicans in the General Assembly redrew district lines in 2011 to give themselves majority control over local legislation in Fulton County, they made no secret of their intent to rein in a county government they believed was bloated, profligate, and unresponsive to the residents of its northern end—while brushing aside the racially fraught image of white politicians disciplining black elected officials.