Shook Defends Vote for Airport Concessions Contracts

Buckhead District 7 City Councilman Howard Shook has issued a statement on why he decided to vote in favor of the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport vending contracts supported by Mayor Kasim Reed.

Here is Shook's statement:

"After an intensive nine-hour public grilling of city officials I joined a 12-3 council majority in support of the proposed airport vending contracts. The scrutiny was warranted given the dollars involved, the campaign contributions made to the mayor by various venders, and well-remembered corruption that occurred during the 1990s.

History and insinuations aside, no one has alleged any specific wrongdoing.  Questions asked by skeptical council members produced no smoking guns. Mr. John Miller, a principal author of the highly respected “The Model Procurement Code for State and Local Governments,”  testified that he had conducted an independent audit of the process and found it well-constructed and executed without any indications of malfeasance.

I certainly can’t blame Atlantans for being wary regarding airport procurements, but I don’t have the luxury of accepting cynicism as a substitute for evidence, especially when thwarting the contract awards without any legal basis would create several important problems, including:

• The sooner the mayor signs the award legislation, the sooner injured bidders can avail themselves of their right to appeal;

•  I don’t believe politicians lacking any facts to do so should in effect usurp the authority properly owned by the appeals process;

• A delay could push back the opening of the new terminal, which could deprive the airport of millions needed in part to pay off the bonds that funded the project;

• The contracts of existing vendors would go on even though expired — a situation that a former mayor was rightly condemned for.

As the only member of council who voted against the infamous Airport Indoor Advertising contract, I have no problems voting NO on a bad deal. All I need is some evidence."