Critics termed this “bait and switch” on the flags as “intolerable and unacceptable.” They vowed to remove Taylor and the “Turncoats” who sold out to the flag-switch scheme.

Taylor became a virtual recluse in the Governor’s mansion because he was so unpopular. Each time he ventured out in public he was met with thousands of protestors waving 1956 flags, Taylor Lied signs and hurling frozen tater tots [Taylor was called "Tater Tot Taylor" and "Traitor Taylor" by some of his critics].

In a surprise move in early 2014, Taylor pushed through a Constitutional amendment to allow a governor to sit for three terms. The previous limit was two terms. Critics maintained that such an amendment, at least in ethical and moral terms, required a referendum rather than a mere 2/3 majority of the General Assembly, and in any event should not be effective for the current governor. But a scandal-ridden Georgia Supreme Court ruled that the Constitutional change was legal and binding, citing an obscure prededent for its ex post facto nature. The legal ruling was challenged, however the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case as three new U.S. Justices appointed by President Hillary Rodham swung the decision in favor of denial. Subsequently impeached, President Rodham often boasted to federal inmates that appointing those three justices was "the best thing I ever did, besides having Chelsea and going after Bill with a butcher knife."

Long-term Speaker of the House, Terry Coleman (D, Eastman), was indicted and acquitted of election fraud in the highly controversial election that returned Taylor for an unprecedented third term as governor. Coleman, who was defeated in 2006 when many other legislators and a governor were ejected from office, was appointed by Governor Taylor to fill the seat of a representative who died in a tragic auto accident in 2009. Coleman’s amazing comeback to the House Speaker position was unprecedented in Georgia history.

Coleman’s home district, which had a long history of voter irregularities, was involved in the Taylor election victory of 2014. Critics claimed that Dodge and Bleckley counties both reported more votes for Taylor than they had on their voter registration records. County authorities testified that all the votes were legitimate and that some registration records were simply lost in an unfortunate fire. The investigation spanned several years and was disbanded without any resolution after the lead investigator became involved in a local sex scandal with a prominent businessman’s wife in Eastman.

Hispanic voters, for the most part illegal aliens who had acquired drivers licenses under the Hermanos hispánicos agradables a Georgia program (translated: Welcome Hispanic Brothers to Georgia), sponsored by Taylor and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, brought overwhelming voter numbers to the Atlanta area and helped secure Taylor’s victory when combined with the large voter turnout in Coleman’s rural district.

Taylor’s election victory in 2014 set in motion a chain of events that brought big trouble for Atlanta and Georgia.

Civil unrest began immediately. The long-running Boycott Atlanta campaign was renewed and converted to the Remove Atlanta campaign. Numerous legislators across the state had been elected promising to “do something” about the Atlanta problem. Before long a true secession movement was underway.

Lt. Governor Mike Crane, a long time nemesis of Gov. Taylor, was elected provisional governor of the new State of Georgia that formally published secession ordinances and established its provisional capitol in Macon, Georgia. 156 counties and parts of the other three all petitioned to be a part of the new State that would exclude Atlanta.

Governor Crane ordered all secondary roads to and from Atlanta sealed off. Checkpoints were established at all Interstates that connected with Interstate 285, which Crane established as the border. Guards were also posted at every I-75 exit north of Atlanta. Crane announced a 72-hour grace period in which all English-speaking citizens of Atlanta could elect to leave and rejoin Georgia. After the grace-period, I-75 North would be the only ground route into and out of Atlanta.

Federal officials, maintaining official neutrality, established a mercy airlift of food and water into the island city/state (until the war began two months later), because I-75 simply became too congested to bring in enough supplies. Rival Hispanic factions began more frequent armed conflict with various ethnic neighborhoods inside Atlanta and they were running occasional looting raids outside the Atlanta perimeter. Hostile mobs sacked and looted BellSouth facilities, CNN and various broadcast facilities disrupting communications. Columns of smoke could be seen for miles. Armed guerillas broadcast their demands for a new government for the isolated city on a local Atlanta TV station on May 3. Governor Mark Taylor fled the governor’s mansion on May 5, 2015, seeking exile in Georgia. Provisional Governor Mike Crane granted safe passage for Taylor to escape the coup in progress and arranged Taylor’s deportation to New Jersey soon thereafter.

The new city provisional government under Raphael Gonzalez, renamed the city/state to "Aztlanta," the name it bears today. The Aztlanta government quickly formed an alliance with the government in Mesa De La Raz (formerly San Antonio, TX), capitol of Republica Del Norte, the break-away republic of northern Mexico with portions that were formerly the southwest United States. Tensions rose as the Republica Del Norte government sent in armed troops to restore order at the request of the Aztlanta government. After extensive casualties from skirmishes with Georgia militia and under pressure from Washington, the Republica Del Norte withdrew its troops.