It's time for Atlanta, Fulton, and DeKalb to retake control of their own destinies (Decatur: low income, sales)

[aries4118]

It’s time for Atlanta, Fulton and DeKalb to retake control of their own destinies | SaportaReport

Enjoy!



"The regional transportation sales tax was a rare opportunity for the 10-county region to invest in metro Atlanta’s future. And the tax went down in flames — 62 percent to 38 percent in the 10-county area — failing in all 10 counties.
But a preliminary precinct-by-precinct analysis of the vote by the Atlanta Regional Commission shows a slightly different story.
In the City of Atlanta, the tax passed by 60 percent to 40 percent. Not only that, the map shows that the area inside I-285 generally favored the tax while support declined in concentric circles surrounding the core.
There’s a lesson in these results. The core of the region continues to be willing to invest in its transit and transportation infrastructure.
That is over and above the penny sales tax that the City of Atlanta, Fulton and DeKalb counties have been investing in MARTA for more than 40 years."


Areas in dark blue passed the regional sales tax by at least 67 percent; and areas in lighter blue supported tax by between 51 to 66 percent. The breakout box shows how people voted inside the perimeter. (Draft precinct results compiled by the Atlanta Regional Commission).

[Iconographer]

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it ironic that neighborhoods that currently have the best accessibility to the city are the ones that showed the strongest support for the referendum?

[lastminutemom]

With all due respect to Sapatora, DeKalb citizens are not in much of a position to finance anything. Sitting with the highest (excluding some municipalities) milage rate in the metro area, thanks to a raise by the county commission last year and the school board this year, and sinking property values, parts of DeKalb are poorer than they have ever been.

I am not sure how she expects DeKalb to contribute. Raising the sales tax in DeKalb would be dangerous to our businesses if the rest of the region dosen't follow suit, remember DeKalb has been paying that extra penny for decades.

I don't have a simple answer to the challenges but it is time for Sapatora and others to acknowledge the sad shape DeKalb is in.

[btard]

Originally Posted by aries4118

There’s a lesson in these results. The core of the region continues to be willing to invest in its transit and transportation infrastructure.

Disagree. It only confirms that low income individuals will continue to vote for tax increases that have little to no impact on them.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it ironic that neighborhoods that currently have the best accessibility to the city are the ones that showed the strongest support for the referendum?

It's true but I don't think it's ironic. These are areas that already have some transit and they know how it can work. So they want to flesh out the system and give it more of that "last mile" capability.

It's a lot easier to get enthused when you can see success within your grasp than it is when you are staring at a huge, impenetrable puzzle with no easy solutions in sight.

[cqholt]

Disagree. It only confirms that low income individuals will continue to vote for tax increases that have little to no impact on them.

What an ignorant comment. Sales tax is very regressive and would hurt them more. The areas shaded blue in the map are the higher income areas of Atlanta and DeKalb County.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by btard

Disagree. It only confirms that low income individuals will continue to vote for tax increases that have little to no impact on them.

What cq said. You are misreading this map -- the blue areas, indicating the strongest support for transportation improvements, are high income neighborhoods.

[cqholt]

What cd said. You are misreading this map -- the blue areas, indicating the strongest support for transportation improvements, are high income neighborhoods.

Most people in Atlanta, high to low income, know the benefits of transit. Only a few polling precincts in the city limits were less than 50%.

[cittic10]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Is it just me, or does anyone else find it ironic that neighborhoods that currently have the best accessibility to the city are the ones that showed the strongest support for the referendum?

Me! Me! I do! I do!


Like every debate nowadays, each party picks their side. This issue had opponents on both sides but had much more support amongst democrats. Areas on the map look to me like where the democrats are most heavily concentrated. That's just my guess.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by cittic10

Like every debate nowadays, each party picks their side. This issue had opponents on both sides but had much more support amongst democrats. Areas on the map look to me like where the democrats are most heavily concentrated. That's just my guess.

It's those rich Democrats living intown and fixing up their neighborhoods and such. Most of them are into typical Democrat issues like transportation, education, "clean water," "sustainability", "walkability" and who knows what else. Why they can't just get in their cars and drive escapes me.

Not only that, you get the feeling they are looking down their noses at everybody else, even if they don't say so. If they want to create their own little world and pay for it, fine, but do the rest of us have to know about it?