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Old 02-17-2010, 09:13 AM
 
Location: Atlanta, GA
1,262 posts, read 2,966,336 times
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http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/atla...nt-309384.html

If nothing else, I really hope all of this teaches our state and local leaders what their inability has cost us. Hopefully in the future, our governments can finally work together and actually realize some of these grand plans. This is just so sad and pathetic.
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Old 02-17-2010, 09:19 AM
 
Location: The Greatest city on Earth: City of Atlanta Proper
8,469 posts, read 14,933,699 times
Reputation: 7263
I can think of several four letter words that fit this situation, but only "crap" won't be censored

Looks like the city will have to do this on our own, like always.
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Old 02-17-2010, 10:16 AM
 
9,124 posts, read 36,307,674 times
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Well, I can't say that I'm surprised, given the fact that they asked for a hand-out to cover the entire cost of the project. As the article noted, projects in other areas, like Arizona, are more likely to get funded because they only asked for a portion of the overall project funds. Why should the fed throw in almost $300 million if the city and/or state aren't willing to kick in anything and have some skin in the game??
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Old 02-17-2010, 11:04 AM
 
Location: Atlanta
969 posts, read 1,953,790 times
Reputation: 625
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobKovacs View Post
Well, I can't say that I'm surprised, given the fact that they asked for a hand-out to cover the entire cost of the project. As the article noted, projects in other areas, like Arizona, are more likely to get funded because they only asked for a portion of the overall project funds. Why should the fed throw in almost $300 million if the city and/or state aren't willing to kick in anything and have some skin in the game??
Exactly, which is why Atlanta and the metro area won't be able to get anything done until the STATE OF GEORGIA commits to helping us out. Instead, the state acts like the city/metro is a curse.

I don't understand how these rural politicians (who hate Atlanta) continue to get elected. Atlanta's metro population makes up a little more than half of the population of the entire state and most of Georgia's growth is due to the Atlanta area. When will the people in this metro area wise up and vote for politicians that have their best interests in mind? As Atlanta continues to grow and dominate the population of Georgia, I hope one day things will change.
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Old 02-17-2010, 11:24 AM
 
9,124 posts, read 36,307,674 times
Reputation: 3630
Quote:
Originally Posted by mike7586 View Post
I don't understand how these rural politicians (who hate Atlanta) continue to get elected. Atlanta's metro population makes up a little more than half of the population of the entire state and most of Georgia's growth is due to the Atlanta area. When will the people in this metro area wise up and vote for politicians that have their best interests in mind? As Atlanta continues to grow and dominate the population of Georgia, I hope one day things will change.
The "rural politicians" get elected because they represent "rural areas". The whole state doesn't live in the city of Atlanta, so most of them could care less if there's a streetcar system on Peachtree.

Think about it- the actual population of the City of Atlanta is less than 500k (I don't have exact number at the moment) and even with people who commute into the city for work, the daytime population is still under a million people. That leaves another +/- 6 million people in the state who have no use for a streetcar system on Peachtree, or any of the other programs that the City can't fund- at least partially- for itself.

If the City of Atlanta wants to grow as well and as fast as it can, it's going to have to start doing some things for itself and by itself- the rest of the state can't continue to bail the City out. The city I live in is trying to get a downtown area established, so they look for grants from the ARC and other state agencies to fund studies, acquire property, etc. These grants, however, require that funds be matched dollar-for-dollar by the city. We happily pay our half of the costs, whereas the City of Atlanta is waiting for someone to hand them the entire thing.
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Old 02-17-2010, 11:39 AM
 
Location: Norman, OK
3,478 posts, read 7,236,057 times
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^Bob, I can agree with you to a point. But when this city of only 500k - 1 million is arguably the biggest economic draw for the entire state, and with its failure would come a complete collapse of Georgia's economic well-being, I don't think it's unfair to ask for the +/- 6 million people to support efforts to make the city more attractive to businesses and the like for the future.

The problem is - as you have stated - people always have to ask "How does this benefit me?", and they only see the direct benefit. As an example, I have no children. Why should I pay taxes to support a county school system that I nor my family uses? There is no direct benefit, but a cumulative benefit as funding the school system will help maintain it and educate future citizens of this country.

Until we break this mentality of "If I don't use I don't pay for it" in terms of mass transit, then this state and the city of Atlanta will deteriorate. And with that will be a huge funding source for the state.
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Old 02-17-2010, 11:40 AM
JPD
 
12,138 posts, read 18,243,635 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mike7586 View Post
curse.

I don't understand how these rural politicians (who hate Atlanta) continue to get elected.

They keep getting elected BECAUSE they hate Atlanta.
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Old 02-17-2010, 11:47 AM
 
9,124 posts, read 36,307,674 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wxjay View Post
^Bob, I can agree with you to a point. But when this city of only 500k - 1 million is arguably the biggest economic draw for the entire state, and with its failure would come a complete collapse of Georgia's economic well-being, I don't think it's unfair to ask for the +/- 6 million people to support efforts to make the city more attractive to businesses and the like for the future.

The problem is - as you have stated - people always have to ask "How does this benefit me?", and they only see the direct benefit. As an example, I have no children. Why should I pay taxes to support a county school system that I nor my family uses? There is no direct benefit, but a cumulative benefit as funding the school system will help maintain it and educate future citizens of this country.

Until we break this mentality of "If I don't use I don't pay for it" in terms of mass transit, then this state and the city of Atlanta will deteriorate. And with that will be a huge funding source for the state.
I'm not so sure the city will deteriorate- it just won't continue to grow at the rate that if possibly could- and maybe that's not a bad thing. Take NYC for instance- NYC has had less than a 3% population increase in the past decade, and it's managed not to deteriorate, yet we've got people trying to boost the City of Atlanta population by 50% over the next 10-20 years. What's wrong with just cleaning up and bettering what's already there?

That said, I'd think the city would get more support at both the state and federal level if they went into projects like this with a willingness (and the ability) to kick in some funds on their own. It's one thing to ask for a hand up, but another entirely to ask for a hand-out.
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Old 02-17-2010, 11:50 AM
 
Location: Atlanta
969 posts, read 1,953,790 times
Reputation: 625
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobKovacs View Post
The "rural politicians" get elected because they represent "rural areas". The whole state doesn't live in the city of Atlanta, so most of them could care less if there's a streetcar system on Peachtree.

Think about it- the actual population of the City of Atlanta is less than 500k (I don't have exact number at the moment) and even with people who commute into the city for work, the daytime population is still under a million people. That leaves another +/- 6 million people in the state who have no use for a streetcar system on Peachtree, or any of the other programs that the City can't fund- at least partially- for itself.

If the City of Atlanta wants to grow as well and as fast as it can, it's going to have to start doing some things for itself and by itself- the rest of the state can't continue to bail the City out. The city I live in is trying to get a downtown area established, so they look for grants from the ARC and other state agencies to fund studies, acquire property, etc. These grants, however, require that funds be matched dollar-for-dollar by the city. We happily pay our half of the costs, whereas the City of Atlanta is waiting for someone to hand them the entire thing.
The bold type is the problem with this metro area. I'm not just referring to the city of Atlanta, but the metro area as a whole. There is no regionalism and no cooperation with the surrounding areas. It's like each county is out for itself and screw everyone else. Until this metro area comes together and figures things out as WHOLE (that we all need each other) and the state realizes that the Atlanta metro is actually in the state of Georgia and is an economic engine for them, nothing will get done, ever.

MARTA was envisioned to be like the DC Metro and be the transit service for the entire region. However, we all know how that went down. Everyone likes to rip on MARTA and how it is a poorly run system. Does anyone stop and think that it might be because it is the only transit system in the country that doesn't get any money from the state? And even though the state gives MARTA no money, it can tell MARTA how much money it must spend on operations and capital improvements. It's like the state wants MARTA to fail.

MARTA could have been very much like the DC Metro if it got the funding it needed. DC has a crime ridden history like Atlanta, yet it was still able to expand it's rail and bus service. The DC Metro covers several counties in 2 STATES and they can all cooperate with each other, but we can't do that in Georgia and it's really sad.
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Old 02-17-2010, 12:27 PM
 
Location: Norman, OK
3,478 posts, read 7,236,057 times
Reputation: 1201
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobKovacs View Post
I'm not so sure the city will deteriorate- it just won't continue to grow at the rate that if possibly could- and maybe that's not a bad thing. Take NYC for instance- NYC has had less than a 3% population increase in the past decade, and it's managed not to deteriorate, yet we've got people trying to boost the City of Atlanta population by 50% over the next 10-20 years. What's wrong with just cleaning up and bettering what's already there?
Apples and oranges comparison. You want to compare Atlanta to the NYC economic and cultural engine that has been churning for literally centuries in this country?

I don't think many people are looking for an explosion in population like 50%, but to compare a well-established, huge city like NYC to Atlanta is simply unable to be done at this time. They do share similarities - with NYC, the state of New York would be in far worse economic shape than they are, even for as large a state they are. Plus, the state of New York recognizes this and supplies tax funds for major road construction and mass transit throughout the state to connect it to NYC. Here in Georgia, the 9th largest mass transit system in the country is funded by a 1 point of a sales tax in 2 counties and run by people from 5 counties and the state legislature in terms of how it can spend its money. Seriously, this is the recipe for economic growth of this state?

There is no doubt in my mind that things will deteriorate here - be it loss of people, loss of businesses (both present and potential) because of the neglect of Atlanta by the state legislature. And when that happens, then the state will have no choice but to step up and take leadership in this matter. I mean, why is the state so against putting the funding of mass transit to a referendum vote? Huh?
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