Vote No on July 31 - Stop Taxing the Middle Class/Poor Unjustly (Atlanta: sales, home)

[belleislerunner]

So I ran the Peachtree 10K yesterday and saw all the "Untie Atlanta" signs out - but was curious if there any "NO" groups that are organizing/distributing literature, getting out the vote?

I find it odd how all the "yes" materials threaten economic doom and gloom (i.e. scare tactics) if it fails. I personally think it's a subsidy to encourage suburbal sprawl and should be shot down - plus it's an unfair tax on the poor/middle class who regressive taxes hit the hardest.

Are there any "NO" groups out there? Which side is winning in the polls?

[cqholt]

I personally think it's a subsidy to encourage suburbal sprawl and should be shot down - plus it's an unfair tax on the poor/middle class who regressive taxes hit the hardest.

Really, I think that 10K in the summer heat went to your head. The tax will allow all visitors to metro Atlanta to help pay for transportation improvements. GA is 2nd last in transportation investment. It does not help that a lot of the gas tax earned here goes to south GA to build 4-lane highways to nowhere. The list is a fair balance between strategic road improvements and transit expansion. Plus, all local jurisdictions get 15% of the funds to spend on local transportation projects that their desecration. The law is very clear, in that the tax will ONLY last 10 years or until the $8.5 billion is collected, which ever comes first. It can not be extended without another list and voter approval.
Key freeway interchanges will get rebuilt, 20/285, 285/400, and 285/85.
All transit improvements have 10-year operational cost included in the price tag.
Please read the full report, get educated, then form your opinion:http://www.metroatlantatransportatio...nal_report.pdf

[Onthemove2014]

How is keeping businesses from going to Birmingham or Nashville "bad for the poor"? Are you insane?

[cqholt]

How is keeping businesses from going to Birmingham or Nashville "bad for the poor"? Are you insane?

Its bad for our poor. Who cares about the poor in Nashville or Birmingham?

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by belleislerunner

So I ran the Peachtree 10K yesterday and saw all the "Untie Atlanta" signs out - but was curious if there any "NO" groups that are organizing/distributing literature, getting out the vote?

I find it odd how all the "yes" materials threaten economic doom and gloom (i.e. scare tactics) if it fails. I personally think it's a subsidy to encourage suburbal sprawl and should be shot down - plus it's an unfair tax on the poor/middle class who regressive taxes hit the hardest.

Are there any "NO" groups out there? Which side is winning in the polls?

There is a sign outside my suburban neighborhood telling people the tax is just supporting the Beltline and explains that 10% of the tax is sent there.

Which is ironic on the encouraging suburban sprawl comment...

I spend a good deal of time picking over city and transportation planning and keeping up with details from year to year disregardless of a tax vote...

One thing I can honestly say... This tax isn't supporting all urban growth or all surburban growth. It is supporting all as-is growth.

Gwinnett Co. has the Sugarloaf extension, which will increase sprawl, but it will also move people off of other congested routes.

They also have a series of projects designed at widening roads for inter-suburban travel. These are areas where the suburbs are already built out and mature. The target goal is connect people to suburban business centers closer to home (ie. people will drive less).

Then you have Atlanta... they are actually getting a disproportionately high share of the revenue and that is ok. They will get upgrades to most major arterial roads in the core (that don't already have them)... this along is big.

Then, there is also the Beltline. It is fully targeted at creating urban-residential growth and using other existing infrastructure.

I do agree with you on the poor choice of a sales tax, but for me I'm choosing investing in the region's development is more important for all.

I would love to do it a different way, but if we do we still have to get a Republican legislature to create a law and a Republican Govnonor to sign it. This is what they came up with... and it has taken us over 4 years to get here.

While I'd like to look for more solutions for the future next time around, I'm afraid to keep delaying.

[cqholt]

Then you have Atlanta... they are actually getting a disproportionately high share of the revenue and that is ok.

The exurban counties, Cherokee, Fayette, Henry, and Rockdale, are getting a disproporationally high share. They will get more in projects and 15% local allocated funds than they put in. Most of the tax revenue will come from the City of Atlanta. This is where more people are concentrated, more people visit, a lot of employers, and where people are less likely to travel to counties outside of the 10-county TIA area and make purchases. There will be some people that will travel miles out of the way just to avoid paying a 1% sales tax.

[Iconographer]

It will fail. Voters want to send a message to politicians that are as accustomed to breaking promises as they are to breathing. 400? Hello?

[AcidSnake]

Definitely not Tennessee or Alabama!

BaDum Bum!

I know, I know, bad joke.

Originally Posted by cqholt

Its bad for our poor. Who cares about the poor in Nashville or Birmingham?

[JPD]

Originally Posted by cqholt

The exurban counties, Cherokee, Fayette, Henry, and Rockdale, are getting a disproporationally high share. They will get more in projects and 15% local allocated funds than they put in. Most of the tax revenue will come from the City of Atlanta. This is where more people are concentrated, more people visit, a lot of employers, and where people are less likely to travel to counties outside of the 10-county TIA area and make purchases. There will be some people that will travel miles out of the way just to avoid paying a 1% sales tax.

It will be far easier for people living in exurban counties to drive out of the TIA area to make their purchases. As a result, they'll potentially be paying in very little relative to what they'll be getting out of it.

[earthlyfather]

No more taxes. Politicians have proven over and over and over they will not use them wisely. Taxes and investment used together are oxymorons.