Jeanne Bonner reports over on Atlanta Unfiltered that Atlanta Business Chronicle reporter Maria Saporta laid into Atlanta’s mayoral candidates during a Citizen’s For Progressive Transit transportation forum last night, using some of those age old “you talk the talk, but do you walk the walk?” questions.

To rattle down Bonner’s compiled list of answers to questions asked by Saporta:

• none of the Atlanta mayoral candidates regularly take MARTA
• none of the candidates live in neighborhoods that traditionally have sidewalks
• none are avid cyclists or bike commuters

That said, all the candidates say they are strong supporters of alternative transit options in Atlanta.  However, it’s one thing to show support and another to live the life.  For people with the means to choose where they live that choice often can say more about a public figure than a stump speech or a kiss on your baby’s forehead.

So, if you’re an Atlanta voter and alternative transportation is your primary concern this election, find some other issue to be passionate about because transit isn’t a strong suit for any of these candidates.

As reported by RealClearPolitics, according to the Kaufmann Foundation Index of Entrepreneurial Activity (say that five times fast), Atlanta is the country’s most ambitious city “with nearly 200 more entrepreneurs per 100,000 people than the second runner-up.” (h/t: AJC’s BizwriterKristi)

But note that this is based on 2008 data, which includes almost months of pre-crash activity.  It will be interesting to see how Atlanta entrepreneurial activity holds up to its rivals “post-recession.”

Hopefully these scores of entrepreneurs aren’t heeding the words coming from city of Atlanta mayoral candidates, Kasim Reed and Lisa Borders, who during a recent real-estate endorsement induced euphoria exclaimed to the AJC…

“The real estate development community is to Atlanta what the financial services industry is to New York,” Reed said at a Midtown Starbucks one recent morning.

Borders, in a phone conversation, said almost the same thing: “Development is to Atlanta what cars are to Detroit and entertainment is to L.A.”

Both candidates better hope to hell that their statements aren’t true.   Tying Atlanta’s future to the real estate market seems like a sick death wish.

And why would you even mention Detroit?!

Rule 1 when running for mayor: never EVER speak the word “Detroit.”  At most you can say “Motown” and even then you better be lamenting the once great music scene.