Why doesn't MARTA recieve state funding?? (Atlanta, Savannah: cost of, vs., statistics)

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by southgeorgia

The local governments mentioned are those in the metro area. it will not use tax funds from the rest of the state.

i don't mind my state tax dollars paying for certain things around the rest of georgia, but marta is not one of them.


edit to add:

if it gets to a point where funding from the state is required, i would lobby them to shut it down.

Good thinking!

Marta is necessary for Atlanta and Georgia, as is public transit/rail for any large city. I can't imagine the city or the state without Marta...it has certainly been an advantage for both in many ways.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

We have to get over this, "If it doesn't benefit me, I don't want my taxes going toward it", mentality. If your taxes only went to things that benefited you directly, this country would shut down in days. Taxes are pooled. The pool money gets divided and goes where needed. Much of it goes to places/things you'll never see or use. That's how it works. We can monitor governments and make sure they put it to the most efficient use, but you'll never live in a society where your money goes ONLY to the things that only benefit you. Sorry.

Brilliant, Gregory! Brilliant! Keep preachin' the good word...

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by southgeorgia

The local governments mentioned are those in the metro area. it will not use tax funds from the rest of the state.

i don't mind my state tax dollars paying for certain things around the rest of georgia, but marta is not one of them.


edit to add:

if it gets to a point where funding from the state is required, i would lobby them to shut it down.

Okay, then - you ARE one of "those people" from South Georgia. Thanks for letting us know where you're coming from.

Since you have let it be known how you feel, think about this a little:

The President is getting ready to spend over 10 BILLION dollars of your tax money on public transit. Here's hoping MARTA gets it's fair share.

There. Feel better now?

[AcidSnake]

Originally Posted by southgeorgia

The local governments mentioned are those in the metro area. it will not use tax funds from the rest of the state.

i don't mind my state tax dollars paying for certain things around the rest of georgia, but marta is not one of them.


edit to add:

if it gets to a point where funding from the state is required, i would lobby them to shut it down.

What's this obsession of yours with MARTA? You just simply pick and choose which state funded project to support and which one that you wouldn't? Do you have some sort of criteria for this? Or maybe you are simply engaging in some troll-like behavior simply to get a rise out of the pro-MARTA supporters on here? I defnitely think its the latter...

[AcidSnake]

[quote=southgeorgia;7143703]yeh, we're just a bunch of idiots. change the name and we won't have a clue.quote]

Thank you very much for confirming my beliefs. Name change, it is!

[southgeorgia]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

Good thinking!

Marta is necessary for Atlanta and Georgia, as is public transit/rail for any large city. I can't imagine the city or the state without Marta...it has certainly been an advantage for both in many ways.

honest question here: what benefit is marta for the rest of the state?


public transit is good, but i feel each area should pay for their own transit needs. i would prefer to see no outside funding at all for a local transit system. if there are enough people to warrant its need, there should be enough local tax money available. if need be, raise the cost of riding the train.

[wxjay]

Originally Posted by southgeorgia

honest question here: what benefit is marta for the rest of the state?

Having an public transit system in ANY large city is needed for a multitude of reasons: from commuting to congestion relief to tourism. Major corporations select sites for their headquarters based on things like this. This is a reason why some companies have been turned off from metro Atlanta - the congestion. No one wants to open a big business in an area where they have to have their employees stuck in traffic for hours. It's a negative and a deterrent. A similar thing goes for tourists, etc.

Walkability and public transit are major draws and economic benefits for the city and for the state. Don't you think that the economic welfare of Georgia's largest city and the region with almost 60% of the state's population warrants state monies to make that happen?

I can understand why people don't want to pay money, but it's short-sighted to not see that if your biggest moneymaker city suffers, then the entire state suffers too. Without the city of Atlanta as it is, Georgia would NOT be the state it is today. That's just a fact. That doesn't mean that no one else matters in this state - agriculture is a big industry, for example. But to simply deny funding for a mass transit system on the state level because you personally don't use it is the complete antithesis to what the US stands for as a whole.

public transit is good, but i feel each area should pay for their own transit needs.

Question: Do your tax dollars pay only for the roads you drive on? Your tax dollars are spread to state services. You fund many things - things you use and things you don't. I don't own a farm or do any horse-riding, but part of my state funds go to farms so that they can operate and produce foods that make their way to supermarket shelves nationwide.

It's for the greater good, and that is what this country is about - working toward that. Everyone looking out for number 1 is NOT democracy.

[AcidSnake]

Originally Posted by southgeorgia

honest question here: what benefit is marta for the rest of the state?


public transit is good, but i feel each area should pay for their own transit needs. i would prefer to see no outside funding at all for a local transit system. if there are enough people to warrant its need, there should be enough local tax money available. if need be, raise the cost of riding the train.

Well I guess there's no need to debate with you further. I quite frankly disagree with you and there are many people much more learned than I in the ways of taxes and infrastructure who can explain this better than I can. But you are entitled to your opinion, which is something I find quite beautiful about this country that we live in. Peace!

[AcidSnake]

Originally Posted by wxjay

Can you at least give him a chance to actually do something first and then judge? The man has been in office for 4 days. Relax.

No point in wasting your time with this fella. He's not gonna budge one way or another. Just pray that there aren't too many more like him!

[southgeorgia]

Originally Posted by wxjay

Question: Do your tax dollars pay only for the roads you drive on? Your tax dollars are spread to state services. You fund many things - things you use and things you don't. I don't own a farm or do any horse-riding, but part of my state funds go to farms so that they can operate and produce foods that make their way to supermarket shelves nationwide.

highways, airports, etc. . . are not the same to me as local public transit. those benefit us all, but i do have a gripe with the current georgia airport expansion plans. they are spending millions upon millions to "upgrage" every airport in the state. take 4J5 for instance, about 15 minutes west of valdosta. they just spent several thousand dollars on a fencing project that was completed a few weeks ago, but now they are about to extend the runway by 1500 feet! complete waste, as this airport serves agricultural aircraft (crop dusters) and weekend ultra-light hobbyists. the statistics turned in to the state are a complete fabrication, as with most of the small airports as it helps to "prove" they need the upgrades. they plan on building a small FBO and a few other things. there is a list that describes what they consider 'essential' for every airport. it is supposed to be crucial for economic development. why is this a waste? because 4J5 is 15 minutes (driving) from KVLD (val regional) which has an 8002'x150' grooved runway w/ 1400' MALSR approach lighting, ILS approach, ATC, FBO, airframe and powerplant service, hanger space, avgas, jet-A1+ available, another 5600' crosswind runway w/ lighting as well, etc. . etc. . . and this type of work will be going on at every airport around. i didn't mean to hijack a thread about marta, but that was something that's had me teed off i thought i should make everyone aware of. this will be happening all over the state. some places need it, most don't. more taxes wasted.

*sigh*
anyway,

you make a good point about atlanta needing it, but i'm not the type that believes throwing public money at a problem fixes it. i've been on marta; in fact it was two trips in one: first and the last. i've read several posts of local people who don't even like the thing because of the type of passengers they run into.

someone mentioned earlier privatization; that i am a big supporter of. however, usually when someone is worth privatizing it is done. look at amtrak; why is it not privatized? because outside of the northeast it is a massive drain of tax dollars and a failure.

i looked at buying a ticket from the nearest station once just to take a train ride somewhere. it was 3 times the cost of flying and would take 3 days to make the trip vs. 3 hours on a plane. yep, lets keep funding that.

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

No point in wasting your time with this fella. He's not gonna budge one way or another. Just pray that there aren't too many more like him!

its funny that i feel the same way about you. no, honestly, i feel the same.


my opinions are always open to change when i see an argument strong enough to sway them.

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

But you are entitled to your opinion, which is something I find quite beautiful about this country that we live in.

we are very much in agreement on that; look, common ground!

Originally Posted by wxjay

Can you at least give him a chance to actually do something first and then judge? The man has been in office for 4 days. Relax.

give him a chance; why? we already know what his plans are and i very much disagree with them. like i said, its nothing personal against him. I'm sure he's a great guy and i do find him very likable but politically our minds are on opposite ends of the spectrum. i thought you guys would've realized that by now from my postings, or at least by my location alone.


Mr. moderator; before you delete that last comment, please realize it was not i who took the discussion off-topic, as i did not initially bring up the subject of the new president. i'm not looking for a debate on this, someone just asked me if i feel better about him being president and i felt obliged to answer.