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please vote for it. it's about 5% rail and in the atlanta area we can't do much better than that because of the tea partiers. in this kind of situation you can't "hold out for better", this is all we're going to get.
also, it looks like there may be trouble getting it on the ballot in july after all:
A quick look at the list shows:
$700 million for the 4 mile Clifton Corridor
$540 million for MARTA maintenance
$690 million for enhanced premium transit service up the I-75 corridor (whatever that ends up being)
$602 million beltline streetcar transit
I'm just worried giving the government additional tax money for something that should be covered anyway. I mean, I've lived in plenty of places where the roads get fixed and expanded all the time without residents paying a special transportation tax.
I'm afraid this takes accountability away from our officials and lets them think they can just rely on new sales taxes to fund everything.
...
I'm all for helping transportation, I just thought that was built into the taxes we already pay. How have they dropped the ball so poorly that they require an additional special tax just to fund projects that should be funded anyway?
I just think that maybe we should consider more forward looking leadership instead of providing more funds for the current band of fools to squandor.
...
Right now I think the leaders are playing residents as fools trying to get us to give them more money so they can fund projects that they should have been funding all along instead of doing God knows what with all the tax revenue that they did receive.
Georgia's gas tax is one of the lowest in the country. Investment in roads is the lowest in the country.
I'm no cheerleader for GDOT (I'm particularly tired of pointless rural road expansions), but we live in a deep-red state that has said "no taxes" for so long that this is just what you would expect would happen. Blaming our political leaders for having far less roadway funding than other states seems like an unwarranted leap.
Someone (architect##?) was comparing Georgia's and North Carolina's road funding outlooks for the next couple decades and, if I recall, Georgia was something like 30% below NC's level of anticipated funding. That's going to show over time.
So yeah, I'd rather add a dime to the gas tax and be done with it--we would be just like most other states then. But Georgia's voters can't seem to stomach the idea they have to pay for things the government provides.
A quick look at the list shows:
$700 million for the 4 mile Clifton Corridor
$540 million for MARTA maintenance
$690 million for enhanced premium transit service up the I-75 corridor (whatever that ends up being)
$602 million beltline streetcar transit
I think he meant 50%. Yeah, a crucial zero to leave off.
So yeah, I'd rather add a dime to the gas tax and be done with it--we would be just like most other states then. But Georgia's voters can't seem to stomach the idea they have to pay for things the government provides.
I think that is a gross misrepresentation.
I think most Georgia voters, myself included, can't stomach providing money to the government for inefficient services and wasteful spending. I think a lot of the frustration with the terribly wasteful federal government is trickling down to their opinions of state and local governments.
I'll gladly pay increased taxes for a few things. Two of those things are:
Transportation (this is essential to our economy and is one of Atlanta's strengths over other cities. Being at a crossroads of many interstates, the freight rail infrastrucutre and the airport are all central to the city's existence. This competitive advantage must be maintained.) I'll pay tolls and increased gas taxes to keep the highways moving. These are consumption taxes and spread the burden mainly on those using the resources.
Education (within reason) - I'm all for funding education, but not when it means throwing money at problems that are not fixable by more money. Newark, NJ schools pay something like $12,000 a year per pupil and they continue to suck. No amount of money is going to fix what ails many of the local schools. I was amazed at the facilities of Frederick Douglas High School when I was there last year for a career fair event. That school was much, much nicer than the one I went to, yet the school's report card of academic achievement is pathetic (2009-2010 State of Georgia K-12 Report Card) I'm in favor of merit based scholarships for our high school graduates and not the "catch all, gotta keep every high school senior HOPE eligible" system the high schools now operate with. reward the high achievers with scholarships to college and fun more skilled training programs to provide more high school graduates with viable career paths. Not everyone is college material and the push to send everyone to college is massively wasteful and kids are going into debt to get diplomas that mean nothing because so many of the schools are a joke. Reward achievement and potential for greatness, not simply "fogging the mirror" and passing high school.
Nice try, but wrong plan, I'm talking about Fastracks, T-REX was just a $1.67 Billion plan, Fastracks is $7 Billion. But in your desperate attempt to discredit me I'm sure you'll correct my figures, they might be off by a few dollars, lol.
Regardless of which PLAN you thought I was talking about, both plans are better than anything done in Atlanta in the past 20 years.
You can't argue on principle, apparently.
No, it isn't the wrong plan. I am specifically talking about T-REX, when the massive rebuilding of I-25 happened. You claimed there was no road improvement, when in reality there were massive ones. Something we tackled with our multi-billion "Freeing the Freeways" plan in the 80's. Prior to that, our freeways greatly resembled pre T-REX I-25.
Get your facts straight before you continue to mindlessy bash Atlanta, again.
I'm just worried giving the government additional tax money for something that should be covered anyway. I mean, I've lived in plenty of places where the roads get fixed and expanded all the time without residents paying a special transportation tax.
I'm afraid this takes accountability away from our officials and lets them think they can just rely on new sales taxes to fund everything.
If they get this, what is next? A penny sales tax so Georgia Power can update the power grid? A penny sales tax to fund our police and fire stations? A penny tax for libraries?
I'm all for helping transportation, I just thought that was built into the taxes we already pay. How have they dropped the ball so poorly that they require an additional special tax just to fund projects that should be funded anyway?
I just think that maybe we should consider more forward looking leadership instead of providing more funds for the current band of fools to squandor.
Not saying I'm necessarily against it, but I'm not voting yes just because some people here said so. I've seen the plan and I'm going to require a lot of convincing that it's worth a penny sales tax, especially due to the paltry contributions for rail.
Right now I think the leaders are playing residents as fools trying to get us to give them more money so they can fund projects that they should have been funding all along instead of doing God knows what with all the tax revenue that they did receive.
We already pay some of the lowest taxes in the country and it shows in our infrastructure (rail, roads, etc).
We can't just sit around and HOPE that things will get better because they won't. You have to pay for everything nowadays, and transportation infrastructure is included.
This tax is about our future and if we don't pass it we will decline. In addition, the tax and transportation project will create jobs in the area which we desperately need now. So stop thinking about what it's going to do for you alone and start thinking about everyone in the metro region since this affects us all.
Traffic in the region is not getting any better and many companies are opting for peer cities because of our infrastructure mainly.
Atlantans use to think long-term but now it is just about personal gains and not about the whole metro area in general.
The TSPLOT presents a good mix of transit and roads. This is to make everyone happy from the transit dependent to the SUV driving suburbanites. I, being a transit dependent commuter, am very happy with the list. I do wish more could go for transit, but then the tax wouldn't pass. I have been educating people at my office about the TSPLOT, many who say they vote for it, but don't even know whats on the list. I present the tax as an improvement that will last for decades. There is NO way the tax can be extended past 10 years or after the $7 billion is collect, which ever comes first, without the voters approving it. Please read the entire proposal before creating views. Vote YES in July!
Myth 1) Voters feel if they dont use the rails or buses, they shouldnt pay for mass transit.
Truth 1) You need mass transit badly in Atlanta to reduce the congestion, pollution, and traffic. This would benefit everyone, especially those who dont use mass transit. Imagine being able to get home in 20-30 mins instead of 60-90 mins.
Myth 2) Mass transit attracts crime
Truth 2) Mass transit does not bring crime to the suburbs. Look at affluent suburbs like Metro DC and Metro NY. Only ppl riding into the suburbs are those who can afford the train ride there. Similarly, new Georgia cities are starting their own police department, putting more officers on the streets to prevent crime.
Myth 3) A penny tax is a penny too much
Truth 3) You couldnt get a better bargain. A penny sales tax is affordable and guess what- if you dont like it, shop where they dont have it! You'll spend more time getting there than its worth. Look, a penny sales tax is a small price to pay for MASS IMPROVEMENTS! Would you rather increase your income or property tax? I think not.
A working, clean mass transit system can be put into place if we're all on board. The current system of building more highway lanes and adding variable tolls is unsustainable.
Just think of the quality of life-
* Being able to get into and out of the city and spending more time with your loved ones.
* Jumping on a train to go to a game
* Go green and save green by leaving the car at home and taking a train to a city restaurant.
Go green and save green by leaving the car at home and taking a train to a city restaurant
My wife an I commute via MARTA and have saved thousands of dollars in 2011 because of not buying gas and maintenance on a car. I took the money I saved an reinvested into the community. Mass transit can be an economic engine and give people more disposable income.
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I am specifically talking about T-REX, when the massive rebuilding of I-25 happened. You claimed there was no road improvement, when in reality there were massive ones. Something we tackled with our multi-billion "Freeing the Freeways" plan in the 80's. Prior to that, our freeways greatly resembled pre T-REX I-25.
