$6.14 Billion Transportation Bill Passes unanimously! (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: employment, neighborhood, sales tax)

[BobKovacs]

Of course the mayors passed it- this way if the voters don't pass it, they can say "it's not our fault- we were all for enhancing transportation in the metro area". To not pass it would have been a death sentence for any mayor up for re-election.

[cwkimbro]

http://www.atlantaregionalroundtable...c_Comments.pdf

Wow, you should read over some of the comments they received! You just can not make some of this stuff up

[atltechdude]

I'm wondering, is there going to be some kind of an organized campaign for this?

Because I would volunteer time if there was.

[AcidSnake]

I've perused a good bit of these public comments.

If these allegations are true, I'm very disappointed that former Governor Barnes may have been the driving force behind cutting South Dekalb County's balls off by killing the I-20 east MARTA rail project. And that was back in 1999, before the housing craze truly blasted off and right-of-way was less of a concern.

I guess whether it be Democrat or Republic, Georgia's political leadership truly has a tendency to disappoint people in the most brutal of ways. I guess hades will freeze over before South Dekalb ever truly receives any love.

If it ain't getting ripped off by the loss of the Perimeter CID, if it ain't having so many garbage dumps forced upon us, then it's being forced to eat a 1-cent sales tax for the past 40 years while consistently getting shafted by a lack of rail-lines and bus cuts. Southern politics truly suck total d---.

I am soooo ready to vote this bill down. Someone explain to me why I should think otherwise.

Originally Posted by cwkimbro

http://www.atlantaregionalroundtable...c_Comments.pdf

Wow, you should read over some of the comments they received! You just can not make some of this stuff up

[StAubin]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

I've perused a good bit of these public comments.

If these allegations are true, I'm very disappointed that former Governor Barnes may have been the driving force behind cutting South Dekalb County's balls off by killing the I-20 east MARTA rail project. And that was back in 1999, before the housing craze truly blasted off and right-of-way was less of a concern.

I guess whether it be Democrat or Republic, Georgia's political leadership truly has a tendency to disappoint people in the most brutal of ways. I guess hades will freeze over before South Dekalb ever truly receives any love.

If it ain't getting ripped off by the loss of the Perimeter CID, if it ain't having so many garbage dumps forced upon us, then it's being forced to eat a 1-cent sales tax for the past 40 years while consistently getting shafted by a lack of rail-lines and bus cuts. Southern politics truly suck total d---.

I am soooo ready to vote this bill down. Someone explain to me why I should think otherwise.

If this passes there is some hope for south dekalb to get a rail extension. If it does not there is no hope.

I am desipointed that the I 20 east marta extension did not get funding on this bill but you have to realize if this bill passes there would be momentum going for transit expansion and south dekalb could be the next to benifit.

[AcidSnake]

If South Dekalb ever has a chance in heck of getting rail it will likely be through federal monies. Most of Georgia's politicans are late today and stupid forever in this area.

To heck with "State's Rights" in this situation. As a black resident who often seen from personal experience how local lawmakers act not much differently than your typical Somalian warlord ruling over a fiefdom, I would rather allow the federal government to step in and give South Dekalb an I-20 rail line.

The only way I think that like-minded South Dekalb residents like myself will vote for this bill is that a plan must be outlined for how we will get our transit line. No ifs, maybes, and possiblys. That's not good enough. Not anymore...

Originally Posted by StAubin

If this passes there is some hope for south dekalb to get a rail extension. If it does not there is no hope.

I am desipointed that the I 20 east marta extension did not get funding on this bill but you have to realize if this bill passes there would be momentum going for transit expansion and south dekalb could be the next to benifit.

[atltechdude]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

The only way I think that like-minded South Dekalb residents like myself will vote for this bill is that a plan must be outlined for how we will get our transit line. No ifs, maybes, and possiblys. That's not good enough. Not anymore...

The plan includes $225 mil for I-20 transit if it is approved.

It isn't enough for rail right now, but that can go toward starting something and attracting more funding possibly in the future.

If the plan doesn't pass you get $0 for that.

[AcidSnake]

I repeat: possibly is not good enough anymore. "Possibly" is like a crappy contract written on soiled toilet paper when it comes out of Georgia.

Originally Posted by atltechdude

The plan includes $225 mil for I-20 transit if it is approved.

It isn't enough for rail right now, but that can go toward starting something and attracting more funding possibly in the future.

If the plan doesn't pass you get $0 for that.

[cwkimbro]

I'm not sure what to say... Atlanta has grown northward by leaps and bounds. Alot of the reason for more investment to the north is a reflection of higher property values and more people (taxpayers) to the north.

But here is my other problem... being from outside Dekalb Co. This is part the reason I am really getting tired. Dekalb is already getting more than their fair share of the tax money if you calculate the way it is divided.

Take Gwinnett as example. It has more people and about the same amount of jobs, but yet Dekalb is getting more money and most of the projects Dekalb is getting aren't exactly geared for the citizen of Gwinnett, but as expected for the citizens of Dekalb.

So my problem is... I'm starting to hear... we want more or I won't vote for it... when Dekalb is already getting more.

This is one of the problems I had with --Ellis-- in particular making so many complaints. My reaction to him was... well your mostly at fault. Dekalb is already getting more than its fair share of the split. Dekalb pushed for all the projects its getting and they are partly responsible for where those projects are.

I kind of feel like Dekalb's leadership is telling part of their county they are getting shafted, then those leaders turn around and demand more from the reason, but it was the county's own leadership that already pushed for the use of their share of funding elsewhere.

As for me... I'm from the Lilburn/Mountain Park area. We aren't directly given much either, so I'm somewhat in the same boat. I'm still supporting it though, because it will help support my county's goals and build investments Gwinnett needs to make anyways and will allow the county to use other existing funding options in different ways.

But I will say this.... $225m isn't nothing. It will pay for all of the federally required studies (environmental assessments, etc..), pay for engineering, and some right of way purchases. This will make the project that much cheaper down the road. It will make the project shovel ready and prepared to leverage federal funds.

In fact the I-20E corridor is actually coming off alot better than the GA400 north corridor. Don't forget there are alot of parts of Fulton and Dekalb Co. that don't have rail service, in fact those parts have less bus service and they pay the MARTA tax too.

Dekalb also has alot of road and widening projects, even though the hot topic issue is transit. Dekalb hasn't put as much money into maintaining their road system (or building it for that matter). The funding will give them a good start at fixing alot of different issues and help them get back on track of doing regular road maintenance.

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

I've perused a good bit of these public comments.

If these allegations are true, I'm very disappointed that former Governor Barnes may have been the driving force behind cutting South Dekalb County's balls off by killing the I-20 east MARTA rail project. And that was back in 1999, before the housing craze truly blasted off and right-of-way was less of a concern.

I guess whether it be Democrat or Republic, Georgia's political leadership truly has a tendency to disappoint people in the most brutal of ways. I guess hades will freeze over before South Dekalb ever truly receives any love.

If it ain't getting ripped off by the loss of the Perimeter CID, if it ain't having so many garbage dumps forced upon us, then it's being forced to eat a 1-cent sales tax for the past 40 years while consistently getting shafted by a lack of rail-lines and bus cuts. Southern politics truly suck total d---.

I am soooo ready to vote this bill down. Someone explain to me why I should think otherwise.

[AcidSnake]

Your opinion man. I quite obviously disagree.

You want to pick one aspect of what you perceived is an unfair advantage on the part of Dekalb to hang over my head and that's okay for you (I noticed you didn't even try to delineate the differences between North & South Dekalb). But for myself, I don't look at one aspect of Dekalb county's life from the ugly past, to the not-so-great present...I look at the WHOLE picture...and it's an ugly one.

No need to go into long detailed explanations. You and me have danced to this same tune in past threads.

It is what it is. Leave it at that.

Originally Posted by cwkimbro

I'm not sure what to say... Atlanta has grown northward by leaps and bounds. Alot of the reason for more investment to the north is a reflection of higher property values and more people (taxpayers) to the north.

But here is my other problem... being from outside Dekalb Co. This is part the reason I am really getting tired. Dekalb is already getting more than their fair share of the tax money if you calculate the way it is divided.

Take Gwinnett as example. It has more people and about the same amount of jobs, but yet Dekalb is getting more money and most of the projects Dekalb is getting aren't exactly geared for the citizen of Gwinnett, but as expected for the citizens of Dekalb.

So my problem is... I'm starting to hear... we want more or I won't vote for it... when Dekalb is already getting more.

This is one of the problems I had with --Ellis-- in particular making so many complaints. My reaction to him was... well your mostly at fault. Dekalb is already getting more than its fair share of the split. Dekalb pushed for all the projects its getting and they are partly responsible for where those projects are.

I kind of feel like Dekalb's leadership is telling part of their county they are getting shafted, then those leaders turn around and demand more from the reason, but it was the county's own leadership that already pushed for the use of their share of funding elsewhere.

As for me... I'm from the Lilburn/Mountain Park area. We aren't directly given much either, so I'm somewhat in the same boat. I'm still supporting it though, because it will help support my county's goals and build investments Gwinnett needs to make anyways and will allow the county to use other existing funding options in different ways.

But I will say this.... $225m isn't nothing. It will pay for all of the federally required studies (environmental assessments, etc..), pay for engineering, and some right of way purchases. This will make the project that much cheaper down the road. It will make the project shovel ready and prepared to leverage federal funds.

In fact the I-20E corridor is actually coming off alot better than the GA400 north corridor. Don't forget there are alot of parts of Fulton and Dekalb Co. that don't have rail service, in fact those parts have less bus service and they pay the MARTA tax too.

Dekalb also has alot of road and widening projects, even though the hot topic issue is transit. Dekalb hasn't put as much money into maintaining their road system (or building it for that matter). The funding will give them a good start at fixing alot of different issues and help them get back on track of doing regular road maintenance.