"We may need more connector roads between interstates and other major arteries, or we may need something else. But that by its very nature will continue to require increased infusions of tax dollars to keep it running."—Tom Maloy, Powder Springs
"Nobody I know likes to pay taxes. However, for counties and municipalities."—Dan Matthews, Oconee County
Every day, people in 43 Georgia communities talk to one another through Patch, exploring local, state and national issues through the lens of their town, county or neighborhood.
But some issues—like the 2012 referendum on a penny sales tax to pay for transportation improvements in multicounty regions throughout the state—are big enough that we all can benefit from a broader discussion.
With Patch, we have the opportunity to share ideas from Athens to Acworth, from Midtown to Marietta. And maybe if people in these communities talk more often, we can understand the issues, and one another, better.
Many Patch users, bloggers and contributors have already weighed in on the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or TSPLOST, most of them against it:
“The regional transportation group expects the taxpayers will willingly vote to raise their taxes another penny through a new TSPLOST—‘ they seem to be saying. From where I stand, the government has not shown itself worthy to ask for more money from our pockets.”—Ray Newman, Dacula
"They can all they want— for a bunch of projects that will not improve my Avondale-Buckhead commute."—KP, Decatur Patch
We learned from Tuesday’s elections that a majority of voters across northern Georgia are willing to pay an extra penny on every dollar they spend to fund local education projects: ESPLOST referendums passed by wide margins in Athens and Oconee, Barrow, Gwinnett, Walton, DeKalb, Fulton, Douglas and Cherokee counties. (Bartow, Forsyth and Walton counties also approved general-purpose SPLOST proposals.)
So, what does that mean for the TSPLOST in 2012? We want to know what people across our Patch communities think, and why.
What are the major transportation issues for Atlanta and surrounding regions?
Does this week's education sales tax success suggest similar success for the TSPLOST next year?
Will you vote for a transportation sales tax? If not, how should road and transit improvements be funded, if at all?
Join the discussion in the comments.
Read a book, you illiterate rednecks - and stop asking for a handout. We want a modern infrastructure, and until you can pay for your own stuff, you better get used to the idea.
And vote no to T-SPLOST.
Katie - Gas tax is the most fair tax. The big gas guzzlers pay for owning them. The people with fuel efficient cars pay less. Things like HOT lanes are regressive taxation. The bus boy making $8 an hour has to give up 10% of his salary to get to work quickly. The CEO uses pocket change. I prefer the more equitable tax, but first you have to convince me that it is needed. No one has convinced me that layers of bureaucracy can't be cut out. Instead we are adding layers of "regional governance." There is no reason we can't work together as a region without having a layer of unelected bureaucrats.
Please vote NO! on Tsplost
We graduate a lot of kids, some are smarter than others, like any other large group of people. The differences I see in graduating kids are environmental issues, how they were raised and by whom, how much parental involvement they had (if any at all), etc. It's not what or how the school system teaches, everyone gets the same education. It's what kids do with that, that matters. My wife has kids that just don't care, their parents don't care... how do you teach those kids? At some point you have to shift the focus on those that want to learn. Please tell me of some of the rules that hurt students success... I haven't heard of any at our elementary school???
I voted against SPLOST (mainly for a new courthouse/jail) in Forsyth county. Why would I vote for a TSPLOST and increase our sales tax to 8% when it should be 6%? No thanks!
Urbanist, if you truly believe that our tax dollars didn't pay for that road to begin with, you're delusional. The toll was set to pay for the road, not be a toll in perpetuity to fun incremental projects. The GA 400 toll should end as originally agreed upon by the voters.
I'm no fan of the AJC's Jay Bookman, but he does have some interesting stats in a piece he did in the paper today. According to hom, road construction costs have doubled in just the last 18 years due to inflation. http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2011/11/16/toll-roads-a-sign-of-political-failure-cowardice/?cxntfid=blogs_jay_bookman_blog
(1) Shaw,Jason 176th (2) Maddox,Gene 172nd (3) Roberts,Jay 154th (4) Williams,Al 165th (5) Black,Ellis 174th (6) Lucas,David 139th Sponsored In Senate By Bulloch,John 11th