Interview with Eva Galambos, June 26, 2012

Partial Transcript: I'm Bob Short. This is Reflections on Georgia Politics, sponsored by the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies and the library at Young Harris College.

Segment Synopsis: Interviewer Bob Short introduces interviewee Eva Galambos

Partial Transcript: Well, mayor, as--in your biography you say that you've had a very good life.

Segment Synopsis: Galambos recalls her childhood in Germany and Italy and their emigration to the U.S. following the expulsion of Jews from those countries, and discusses the family's move to Athens, where her father taught at UGA.

Keywords: Athens, Georgia; Benito Mussolini; Berlin, Germany; Business administration; Coca-Cola; Culture shock; Debate Club; Delta Phi Epsilon; Glee Club; Harold Hirsch; Immigration; Italians; Italy; Jewish refugees; Jews; Professor; University of Georgia; Valedictorian; World War II

Partial Transcript: Um, and, um, I came to Athens--I mean Atlanta after we were married.

Segment Synopsis: Galambos describes her early work for unions and wage organizations in Atlanta and St. Louis.

Keywords: Cicero Kendrick; County unit system; Emory University; Fulton County, Georgia; Georgia politics; Intern; Journal of Labor; Korean War; Labor and Industrial Relations; Labor market; Labor news; Legislators; Machinists Union; McDonnell Douglas; Medical school; Printers; Sabbatical; Self-education; St. Louis, Missouri; Typesetters; Typographical Union; University of Illinois; Wage Stabilization Board; Wage increase; Washington University

Partial Transcript: When did you first come to Sandy Springs?

Segment Synopsis: Galambos recalls moving to Sandy Springs, then a small bedroom community, and forming a local commission to advocate for the interests of Sandy Springs' residents.

Keywords: Annexation; Atlanta Public Schools; Bedroom community; Civic affairs; Committee for Sandy Springs; DeKalb County, Georgia; Fulton County Commission; Governance; Housing development; I-285; Local government; Public services; Public utilities; Sandy Springs, Georgia; School integration; Suburbs; Zoning

Partial Transcript: Let's talk about your, the process of becoming a city.

Segment Synopsis: Galambos details years of effort to incorporate Sandy Springs and the impasses the Sandy Springs committee met in the Georgia legislature.

Keywords: Billy McKinney; Black Caucus; Business community; Cynthia McKinney; Democrats; Department of Justice; Epilepsy; Fulton County Delegation; High Point Elementary; Legislation; Legislative bill; Private school; Public relations; Redistricting; Referendum; Republican; Rural democrats; Sandy Springs Chamber of Commerce; School integration; Segregation; South Georgia; State government; Subcommittee; Tom Murphy; Yard signs

Partial Transcript: Shortly after the referendum you had the duty--well, you had the responsibility to create a city.

Segment Synopsis: Galambos discusses how Sandy Springs transitioned into a city with its own local government and her appointment as its first mayor.

Keywords: Activist; Business license; Chattahoochee River; City council; City manager; Cobb County, Georgia; Consultant; Floyd County, Georgia; Governmental consulting; Oliver Porter; Outsourcing; PhD economics; Planning districts; RFP; Request for proposal; Rome, Georgia; Roswell, Georgia; Urban finance

Partial Transcript: What, uh, services now does your consulting company provide?

Segment Synopsis: Galambos details the operations of Sandy Springs' government, which is primarily managed by independent contractors, which she indicates works more efficiently and inexpensively.

Keywords: CH2M Hill; City employees; City manager; City officials; Communications; Community Development; Competition; Finance Department; Fire department; Jacobs Engineering; Mill Rate; Municipal court; Municipality; Parks and Recreation; Planning Commission; Police department; Policy makers; Private market; Public Works; Special Service District; Survey; Taxes; URS Corp.; Zoning Commission

Partial Transcript: There have been at least two Fulton County areas that have become cities since Sandy Springs--John's Creek, Dunwoody.

Segment Synopsis: Galambos discusses the wish of many of Fulton County's residents to form a new county

Keywords: Brookhaven, Georgia; Campbell County, Georgia; Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia; DeKalb County, Georgia; Dysfunction; Government merger; Milton County, Georgia; Milton, Georgia; Overhead; Peachtree Corners, Georgia; Tax cuts

Partial Transcript: Let's get back to Eva Galambos: what's ahead?

Segment Synopsis: Galambos speaks about her future plans to travel to Russia and describes her children as her greatest accomplishments.

Keywords: Accelerator; Bucket list; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Parenting; Physicist; Piedmont Hospital; Saint Petersburg, Russia; Sweden; Travel

Partial Transcript: Yes, traffic of course, is a problem.

Segment Synopsis: Galambos speaks about the traffic in Atlanta and the surrounding communities, stating that she believes public buses are preferable to train transit.

Keywords: Buckhead, Atlanta; Bus rapid transit; Commuting; Fifth Avenue; Freeway; Heavy rail; Highway; MARTA; Metropolitan Atlanta; New York, New York; Retail; Roswell Road; Traffic