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Fulton County

Commission Chairman Mike Kenn reacted quickly last week to comments

from the governor about Fulton County management.

Barnes told

the editors of the Atlanta Business Chronicle that Kenn should realize

that he is not going to succeed in changing MARTA's funding by involving

the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority or the state.

"Why

do they [GRTA] have to get involved with this? If you can't run that

county down there, we'll see about doing it," Barnes said.

Barnes added

that Kenn needed to focus on his own problems.

"It's

almost shocking to me to [hear him] say, 'Listen, we don't want to make

the tough decisions we have to do to cut our budget,' and we don't want

to go to the people and say, 'Listen, we've run this deficit, and we

need to pave roads and other things.' And, by the way, I know that the

state of Georgia has built things like the World Congress Center in

Fulton County, and has invested billions of dollars and gives assistance

to Grady Hospital," Barnes said.

Kenn was

quick with a comeback.

"I read

Gov. Roy Barnes' comments last week with a tremendous amount of disappointment.

I have worked with Gov. Roy Barnes, legislators, representatives of

GRTA and the ARC in a constructive and productive manner to find solutions

to many of the problems that face the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Unfortunately

for all of us, the "skills" that Gov. Barnes exhibited were

that of an effective partisan politician and not those of a true leader

for the metropolitan Atlanta region. I am shocked that Governor Roy

Barnes has resorted to such partisan and anti-Fulton County rhetoric.

Quite frankly, I expected more from Governor Barnes," he said.

Kenn said

he has always supported MARTA and will continue that support.

"I am,

however, working to change MARTA's antiquated and unfair funding structure.

And, to represent that the reasons behind my positions on MARTA and

Grady Hospital are a reflection of Fulton County's past budget problems

is completely false. And, Governor Barnes knows it."

The Chairman

said he has told state leaders of the problems and just wants Fulton

County treated fairly.

"I have

spent a considerable amount of time detailing the drastic financial

ramifications of supporting two regional programs used by hundreds of

thousands of Georgians each year in meetings with Governor Barnes, Catherine

Ross, the GRTA Board and the ARC, as well as in the pages of this publication.

The issue is one of fairness for Fulton County's taxpayers.

I am at a

loss as to why Governor Barnes would attack Fulton County's government

and the overburdened taxpayers that he represents. Maybe he thinks that

taking "shots" at Fulton County is a good way to solidify

his rural political base. Maybe it's part of some grand re-election

strategy. Whatever the motivation, it's clear to me that such partisan

and personal attacks will do nothing to solve these problems."