"No government can exist without taxation. This money must necessarily be levied on the people; and the grand art consists of levying so as not to oppress.'' — Frederick the Great, 18th Century Prussian king

I;m feeling pretty oppressed already Frederick

Any allusion to race is a cheap shot of desperation. This debate has been good and has revealed much about our elected officials.

Thank you Mr. Lowry for your continued dedication to sanity.

Mr. Lowry, I am curious since you seem to have so much time to devote to this topic, who is paying you for all the time you are spending on this ? You are all over Atlanta talking and writing against T Splost. So when do you have time to go downtown a few days a week for your job? What ever it is?

THANK YOU! Trim the fat, Get rid of the Waste! Any human that would go to a poll and vote yes and be so excited to do so for themselves--well is there a name for this kind of a person..Ridiculous. If you live long enough, the politicians will always vote us in more taxes, more taxes, and make list of what the tax will pay for, and then it doesn't, cause they spend the money on other things, they will promise after a certain time, the tax will go back down, HA! It never has! I will never vote MYSELF more TAX, Got to be the dumbest thing ever! I say AX THE TAX on 31 July!! No more taxes..Cut the salaries of the Top dogs, give back all vehicles on the local, county, Federal level..Give them NO GAS CARDS, In this economy, no out of state "CONVENTIONS" and free rooms, free food, The top officials need to clean up the excess, give up their freebies and contribute rather than take, don't even get me started, and when they write or tell these huge lies to the people, then they need to be fired and let go, and let's put a time on how many years they can serve, four at the most, The people that come up w/these taxes are usually in these jobs for years, I'm tired of the waste of my tax dollars and sick of these Tsplost taxes...Thanks for giving facts on this tax. I appreciate the time you have devoted to this, which is to inform, Thank You very much! Keep it going!

"Chris alluded to the race issue at one point." What he did was speak what a lot of people dare note say aloud. It was touchy, but needed. It was near the end of the meeting which can be seen here http://www.ajc.com/news/transportation-referendum/if-transportation-vote-fails-1478341.html?cxtype=ynews_rss

No Name,

While I AM NOT one of these people, there is a entire section of the population that does not want public transportation coming to their neck of the woods because they're afraid of who will start showing up to their back yard. And that's a shame.

If this unsubstantiated fear is even partially responsible for holding Atlanta back from progressing, it needs to be addressed... not swept under the rug as quickly as you just tried to do yourself.

The minute race is brought up during a discussion for any reason the argument is dismissed because no one wants to be "presumptuous and offensive". Just because the subject is uncomfortable does not make the basis for that argument invalid.

Don't get me wrong, all of Chris' other arguments were much, MUCH stronger. But I'm glad he spoke candidly about ALL the issues that are being discussed around water coolers in this city right now. The bottom line is that we are stuck without improving our transportation. I for one am voting YES.

I say do whatever it takes, a penny on a dollar, seems like a little money to venture on possible economic stimulus. Improving the traffic seems like a good idea. Being from the north it is almost laughable when the comparison comes up about traffic flow. Coming from a 7mile commute that use to take me 45-60 minutes, that was more dangerous than war. Bring the growth in jobs and infrastructure. Otherwise we will be paying in other ways, such as precious time. P.s I am glad i get to see my kids again moving down here, i use to have to leave before they woke in the morning and get home after the went to bed. Ohh yeah and I really miss the 17000 / year in taxes i paid to sit in traffic, and to have the elementary schools closing. Pat yourselves on the back Atlanta Metro, my sign to move was when i saw for sale sign on my elementary school. Keep your focus growth of families and keep your heart in the right place, do not trade in your values for money.

No TSPLOST here. What has me frosted is 575. We have been begging for another lane for 20 years plus. 400 has how many lanes paid for by tax$ and we are gonna have a toll lane. If TSPLOST would build another lane on 575 I will support it.

Richie, you're absolutely right. If TSPLOST were going to widen all the interstates and GA 400, then I would support it. However, TSPLOST will not widen any interstates because GDOT wants to charge a toll on any new lanes. It is called the GDOT "Managed Lanes" project that the GDOT Board, which includes Brandon Beach, unanimously approved.

If TSPLOST is approved, the money will go to the Atlanta Beltline, a MARTA maintenance bailout fund, various studies, etc... Some will go to traffic improvements but traffic won't improve. We need to widen our interstates to keep Atlanta growing. That is how we will attract companies to create jobs here. TSPLOST is throwing away our money, and we will be stuck with toll roads ("managed lanes") like on I-85. How is it that GDOT which is supposed to provide roads decided only to add toll roads? By the way, why should Atlanta have toll roads when we are a "donor region", that is, more of our gas tax is sent to other parts of Georgia than we receive.

If MARTA ridership were at record levels, then I might say that there is a demand and we should expand it. However MARTA ridership is down, and it is the least efficient transportation method. So why is more than half of TSPLOT going to mass transit when our roads are clogged. Only government would see a demand for roads and want to build something else.

I am for the TSPLOT! But here is a website where you can EDUCATE yourself and not just listen to other people....http://www.it3.ga.gov/Pages/Legislation.aspx Happy reading!

An additional penny on a dollar equates to a 16.7% increase in sales tax for Cobb County folks. Too much!

Is this supposed to be journalism? It looks like a Romney staffer attempted to record minutes from the meeting.

If the people of Atlanta are unwilling to help themselves, then I say let 'em crash. I live and work a 1/2 mile from MARTA stations and the only time I drive is the rare foray into midtown on the weekends. By smartly choosing where I live, I've got mine. If the rest of the masses decide to vote this down...I'll still have a 25 minute train ride that costs me only $95 a month. I won't be thinking about you sitting behind a long line of traffic, sucking fumes as I read a book and get home long before you.

Scott - sounds like its a win-win for you, no need to vote then, right? If using the train already works so well why do you want to spend more to fix what already works for you? Makes little sense to me.

RE: "CNBC released the results of a new survey of cities that ranks Georgia third in the country in infrastructure...I have never seen such a ridiculous, beyond-all-reason attempt to extort money from us. "

This survey has a several problems. First, it's a statewide assessment, not an assessment of metro areas. Second, it's an assessment of all forms of transportation (air, land, water), not just roads. Third, oddly, it excludes rail. Finally, as far as I can tell, CNBC didn't publish the underlying data, making the validity of their results questionable.

I'm voting against the T-SPLOST. However, that doesn't mean that I'm in denial about the congestion and air quality issues that we face. To suggest that Atlanta's business community is seeking to improve our transportation infrastructure simply to extort money from us, well, defies reality and reason.

The business community is seeking to improve our infrastructure because they know that doing so is necessary for continued growth and, therefore, good for business. The problem is that after enjoying a decade of special interest tax cut after special interest tax cut (e.g., http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/lawmakers-hand-out-tax-909820.html), they want somebody else (you and me) to make up the difference via sales taxes.

Did you actually watch the same debate I did?

Your summary of it is entirely facetious.

If this were a community with politicians of integrity I'd vote for TSPLOST in a nanosecond. As it is, however, this community (State, City, County) is little more than a nest of corrupt lizards who'd sooner give their brothers-in-law the much-needed goose than to do right by the citizen.

No, thank you.
Let these smarmy, slithering political creeps suck onions in hell for all I care.
Not one more cent.
Not one more cent.

I say almost everyday, "you can't fix stupid", so all the people that love going to the polls and smile as they vote ANOTHER tax for themselves, because they believe all the lies of the liars, make me understand. The politicians have never used the money for what they advertise, proclaim by TV ad's, etc, etc..Why is this TIME any different, just a new year and some new faces, but bottom line, its the 47th verse of the same ole' crap. When some of you get old like me, you are going to stop and think that OLD LADY was right, we are still stuck in traffic long after dark in the evenings, but ...you are going to be paying much more in taxes by then, You better think about all the taxes the Gov't at all levels of Gov't is putting on us "The People", and ask yourself why in the world would you put even more on yourselves? Don't believe the ad's, the lies...I have for years, and look where it put me, well I'll tell you, its put me paying more taxes and still the roads are CRAP, they still spend our money on ridicilous crap, and we still all sit in traffic going and a'coming, UNTIL we get some folks with PROVEN records that show they really DO what comes out of their mouth, we need to stick together and fight this junk!! I'm not just having an opinion, I have lived it for a long time, I beg you all to vote NO! and send the message to clean up the waste, we're tired of it!! ITS PAST TIME, Seriously.

Most recent proof of why you never trust or believe in corrupt, lying politicians. Alpharetta Mayor and city council put up for vote a bond referendum. The city plan that was voted on was much publicized, debated, discussed and promoted. Once the bond was voted on the ENTIRE scope, layout and plan changed. Of course that was done quickly and quietly. The politicians were hoping they could just slip this by without anyone noticing the chain sawing 65 specimen trees.
Vote no on TSPLOST - unless as Melinda says " you can't fix stupid".

Sadly, there is no real plan....just tax and spend! Vote NO on July 31st - this is the largest tax boondoogle of the decade!

If TSPLOST were going to expand MARTA to go where people want to go or are coming from, I'd support this. If it were going to add interstate lanes, I'd support it. However, I don't support an extra tax to add jogging trails, speed bumps, and more signs. We need to focus on actually improving traffic instead of each local municipality seeing this as another funding source for more pork projects.

Its a penny tax. Some are saying "taxes are being increase by this percentage or that" um, its going up a penny boo. And its really not going up, its a new tax being created for 10 years. Its a state law, another referendum has to occur to extend it past ten years. Do you realize how much of the tax revenue is not going to be paid by any of you???

With Hartsfield here, untold millions will be generated from people passing through the airport, wasting time on a layover, or passing through the city on one of the three major interstates. Atlanta's tourism industry is HUGE! Untold millions will come from non-residents who happen to buy something or pay for a service in a 10-county region.

In my hometown, we always pass every SPLOST ever to come across because we get it. This may seem silly, but we have the only Walmart in a 10+ county area. People drive an hour+ to my hometown to do all their weekly shopping for everything from clothes to groceries. For every penny we pay someone else pays one too. Last splost, we built brand new facilities for every school in the county. We've run out of things to build! Its a no-brainer WIN WIN WIN.

That's just a small city in the middle of no-where with the only Walmart around. Atlanta is the capitol of the South, a terminus for trucking and rail, and has the worlds busiest airport!! How can you ever pass up a SPLOST around here? Its FREE MONEY!!

Hey drewpy drawers, its not free money. Its OUR MONEY! Do us a favor, tear up your voter registration card...

It's only free to the recipient. It doesn't magically fall from the sky...it comes out my pocket and your pocket. I earned that money. You may not have a problem with the way they spend it, cool that's your right...but to say it's FREE money is inaccurate and ignorant.

I do have a problem with the way the spend it. I've sat in the mess created by the H.O.T. lanes...they made traffic worse for 90% of the people stuck in the "cold" lanes. The only way the HOT lanes work is for the other lanes, and all the surface streets from Gwinnett to Atlanta to be clogged up! You get the import of that, right?

They took the HOV lane away, restricted it to those with a special (and expensive) pass, and force the vast majority of commuters to squeeze into the other "cold" lanes so a small percentage of fee payers can zip on by. If too many people used the lane, then it too would become clogged. That's right...the HOT lanes, by their very design...actually make traffic WORSE

Don't even get me started on the Ga 400 toll booth lie. Suffice to say that was a slickly packaged untruth, orchestrated for the benefit of the very state organization that stands to gain a lot of "free" money from this slickly packaged untruth...

A twenty year LIE and a multi-million dollar mess that actually makes traffic WORSE...these are ideas from the very same DOT that seeks to reach in your wallet everytime you go to Wal-Mart. Think about that.

Vote NO! to T-SPLOST

So who's surprised that TSPLOST supporter Brandon Beach, GDOT board member, has the following donors to his campaign?
One notable Beach contributor includes a $2,500 contribution from Marietta-based C.W. Mathews Contracting Co.

The company was hired by the Georgia Department of Transportation to perform the new Interstate 575 interchange at Ridgewalk Parkway as well as widening the Sixes Road bridge over the interstate.

Other notable donors include Anderson, Tate & Carr P.C. at $1,000; Millard Choate, the CEO of Choate Construction, at $1,000; E.R. Snell Contractor Inc. at $1,000; E2E Benefits Services, Inc. at $1,000; Greenstone Properties at $1,000.

So why did we not just take the Federal money when it was offered to us? Now we are stuck having to pay for these things we need with a direct tax...shame on Georgia for not taking the Federal improvement money.

The proponents seem more interested in listening to those big money contractors and others who stand to make alot of money. They don't care about "untying" Atlanta...they just want a big piece of the pie.

The only way they will listen to the voters is with a NO! vote. Already, the theme has changed from trying to convince people how great this s going to be to a more ominious "vote Yes...or else!", threatening to build more toll booths and HOT lanes in the wake of a T-SPLOST failure.

So...the H.O.T. lanes, which is the DOT's most current big ticket project, is not being hailed as a big success. No kidding...the fail is so blatant that even those who dreamed it up won't attempt to hail it as a success, but as a threat. In other words, our recent ideas are so bad, if you don't trust us with new ideas (which are super and wonderful) then we will punish you by sticking to our really really bad ideas!

Yeah...that'll show is. How can anyone seriously trust these people? Vote NO!

I agree absolutely that now is not the time to raie taxes on anyone - we need less taxes, less government and stabiliy in our country right now. If Obama gets his way we are going to see HUGE tax increases. I will vote NO and am encouraging friends and family to do the same.

VOTE NO, and I am doing the same thing Jimmy Durham, I'm ENCOURAGING LOUDLY for my saine friends and my sweet family to vote NO!! C.W. Matthews of course has HUGE FLASHING SIGNS encouraging to vote YES, They need job security for all their illegals! So there you go! IF I hear ONE politician tell the truth for FOUR years and do what their mouth says', then the next time I around, I might be voting yes, but this time I'M NOT FALLING FOR THE LIES!! BEEN THERE, DONE THAT! DON'T BE DUMB AND DUMBER OUT THERE, DON'T VOTE YOURSELF A TAX!! LAST YEAR, OUR Property taxes went up, but our property taxes went down, we were and are still in a recession, our UNemployment in this state is still over 8%, What is it that people in this area don't understand? We have families STILL LOOSING THEIR HOMES AND THEIR JOBS. Two years ago, the milleage rate went up, so the politicians said, we WONT raise your taxes, that's how they got around that lie!! WE NEED TO SEND A MESSAGE THIS TIME, THAT WE ARE TIRED OF IT, IF WE DON'T, THERE IS NO END TO THIS MADNESS!! Closing firestations down this year/last year for furloughs and WE went without protection some nights is NOT the answer to saving money in this county, and AT THE SAME TIME , the BIG SHOTS were on their cushy vacations and riding around in our tax paying vehicles with our tax paying gas cards!! ENOUGH!! AS TAXPAYERS, WE DESERVE BETTER THAN TAKING MORE AWAY FROM US AND OUR FAMLIES!! DO YOURSELF A FAVOR, VOTE NO!!!

***Whoops** should have said ..PROPERTY taxes went up, but our property VALUE down

I find it "comical" that a blogger had to reach back to Hartsfield Airport to find truthful leaders raising money for the airport, so YES, FORTY plus years ago, we could listen and vote yes for things that were important for the city we love to go to baseball games, go to the "Varsity", The Fox, Atlantic Station, but on the other hand--We (my family) can't ride Marta, as its too far into the city and would serve nothing but more time to park, and then to put my family on such a nasty ride is not worth infections, virus, I bet those trainss have NOT been cleaned since the Olympics. The window's gross me out, the filth is beyond normal everyday usage, we lived in Chicago over twenty years ago for four years, my husband communted by train everyday, we NEVER felt threatened in a Train Parking Lot, or on the trains, because they were full of professional people, folks didn't play loud music, with their DRAWERS showing, and the glares, it was basically pleasant, the trains were and are OLD, but not FILTHY. So, this is what visitors see: FILTHY, SCARY, TRAINS, AND THREATNING PARKING LOTS, AND we came into the city for the Olympics, we had NO PROBLEM with traffic as they predicted, we got in and out and traffic was NOT as bad as a normal work day, and that was because most of the locals took the two weeks off, so basically you had the Olympic attendee's, and visitors but not all the local work traffic, so what is all that talk about bad traffic and etc during Olympics? CNBC=Liars.

I say again, give me FOUR YEARS OF A POLITICAN STATING WHAT HE WILL DO, AND THEN IF THEY DO IT, I MIGHT AGAIN VOTE YES FOR SOMETHING THAT IS NEEDED!! THE OLD SAYING IS , ONCE THEY DO YOUR WRONG, SHAME ON THEM, TWICE THEY DO YOU WRONG, SHAME ON YOURSELF FOR LETTING THEM!!! I HAVE VOTED YES IN THE PAST, AND FINALLY A SWITCH WENT ON AND I REALIZED I HAVE FALLEN FOR THE LIES AND ITS COSTING MY FAMILY MORE AND MORE FOR WHAT??? NOT "SNOT"..SO THIS TIME, NO, AND HELL NO!!! TOO MUCH BIG GOVERNMENT, NOT BUYING YOUR LIES GUYS THIS TIME!! YOU SHOULD ALL BE ASHAME FOR EVEN ASKING WHILE PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY, WITHOUT JOBS, AND ETC.....IT WOULD ONLY TAKE SLIMEY FOLKS TO TAKE MORE AT THIS TIME WITH GEORGIA IN ONE OF THE LAST STATES TO EVEN COME CLOSE TO A TURN AROUND WITH UNEMPLOYMENT..SLIME BALLS, DON'T ASK ME FOR MORE, WE GAVE AND WE GAVE, AND WE ARE TIRED OF GIVING...YOU (POLITICANS) SHOULD WALK AROUND WITH YOUR HEAD DOWN AT EVEN THE SUGGESTION OF TAKING MORE FROM YOUR PEOPLE FOR THINGS THAT WON'T COUNT! I GUESS TO YOU, IT WILL MEAN NEWER VEHICLES AND MORE GAS CARDS FOR YOURSELF AND OTHER'S IN GOV'T...EVERYTIME I SEE A COUNTY CAR RIDE INTO A DRIVEWAY, AND SOME INTO OTHER COUNTY DRIVEWAYS, AND I'M THINKING YOU ARE DRIVING ON MY DIME, IT TICKS ME OFF AND YOU GET A DIRTY LOOK, YEA, I'M MAD, I'M TIRED OF IT, ENOUGH-NO MORE TAXES! NO MORE TAXES! FIND THE MONEY-LIKE CITY OF ATLANTA, MILLIONS TUCKED AWAY IN BANK ACCOUNTS, FIND SOME MORE, FIX YOUR PROBLEMS, WE GIVE ENOUGH when we are in town!

I have a question for all of you who live north of Atlanta and are complaining about the commute. Did you move up there after you got your job? Because if you did, you had to know what the commute would be like. I worked with three women who lived north - Kennesaw, Canton, and Cartersville. Our office was in the Cumberland area. All three of those women lived rather close to the office when they started working there. All three moved to the outer burbs. All three of those women complained for an hour every morning when they got to work about the commute. Sure, something needs to be done about our transportation debacle, but if you willingly put yourself in that situation, don't expect sympathy.

Comments:
-We need to relieve congestion. Thats a good objective
-Am I getting this right that we would now have a 9% sales tax. Is anyone concerned about less tax revenue due to the area becoming a place to avoid shopping?
-Can someone pull the project apart and list those that are absolutely necessary to meet the objective? I can't tell. Maybe thats been done.

I don't respond to commercials that show congestion and make general statements that business leaders agree this is the way to go. Maybe it is but there are enough contradictory arguments to raise concern.

My recommendation is that the plan be redone to focus only on projects that will meet the less congestion objective only. From a funding standpoint, propose this in bite size chunks and give it priority in the general transportation budget. Identify alternate funding sources should this not be adequate other than a general sales tax.

John Wagner - You are on target. Review the pro TSPLOST site http://www.atlantaregional.com/transportation/transportation-improvement-program to understand on top of the local penny/dollar funding also comes from the State through raising the gas tax, and the Feds. As far as projects, review the list in the link and ask your self how sidewalks on McFarland Road reduces metro traffic. Depending on region, 15% to 25% of the tax money will go to local county and city govts. to spend on projects not on any list. ALL of what I'm telling you can be verified at the pro TSPLOST link. Thanks for asking the right questions.

Phil - You are obfuscating the facts. The list of projects can't be added to it can only be reduced. The money can't go for projects the citizens of the County may want after some bubblehead County Commissioner or Mayor picked stupid projects. You know like a sidewalk on Freedom Parkway. That 25% comes back and will be bonded causing more debt. Also it will cause the taxpayers to be on the hook in the future for more SPLOSTS.

Just say NO to the TSPLOST and let the legislature rethink, redraw and redesign a program that will ease traffic not repaint busses that are empty and put Wi-Fi in every empty seat. Maybe we can dump the clowns that voted for the TSPLOST to start with, even the ones that now claim they were duped into voting it in.

I looked at the list of things they were planning to do, and mostly what I saw was "widening". And a bunch of things that aren't "needs" but "wants". I live in Marietta (closer to Smyrna) and I can't even apply for jobs in Norcross or Lawrenceville because I could not get on I-285 every day. I apply for jobs in Atlanta because I can drive a short distance to a park and ride lot and hop on an express bus or I can take side roads to get downtown. We need just as much help getting from east to west and west to east as we need to get from north to south and south to north. Adding another lane to roads won't help unless they are dedicated to rapid transit vehicles, i.e. buses.

> "How are we going to afford the recurring costs, especially after the 10 year tax ends?"

Well, that's simple: GA is 49th in terms of per-capita transportation funding. The answer is to start with ridership fares and then increase state transportation funding to be more in line with the national average.

To your other point... What does a study that ranks Georgia 3rd in terms of infrastructure have to do with the metro region? The metro region is not the state of Georgia. Atlanta's infrastructure is seriously lacking for what it needs to have sustainable and smart growth.

For those arguing that the T-SPLOST won't go away, do you realize it has to be voted on again by US?

It may expire, but it wont go away. 'They' will be back in 2022 with another multi-million dollar ad campaign to convince us we need to extend the tax.

Speaking of multi-million dollar ad campaigns, the $8 million Untie Atlanta campaign is being bankrolled by a group called Citizens for Transportation Mobility...by state law, they are required to file disclosure reports 15 days before the election, listing donors and expenses...that date was July 16th. They still have not filed the required reports. Is anybody concerned by this disregard for the law? And who/ or what is on the list of donor and expenses that they apparently dont want you to see before you vote?

AMEN and that is the larger concern.

We are always told, the tax will come back down, ppssshhh..what day and year did that happen? They can put in writing that they will send me a helicopter so I can get to work on time, and have me a coffee bar on the helicopter for the rest of my work years and I STILL AIN'T voting for MYSELF A TAX. Think about it, its dumb and dumber--Just more big governement lies, more tax and nothing will happen to help commutes and road tie up's, we've been hearing this same old sing and dance for years and years, we're being lied to AGAIN, FOLKS! PLEASE DON'T DRINK THE KOOL-AID. VOTE NO!!

When our elective officials get real and make suggestions that can work, then its just another joke, and one way I know its a joke, we're having a special election to vote ourselves a special tax on a year that we will have a NATIONAL election in November, look at how much this joke is costing us as taxpayers! They could have waited four more months, but no...let's spend some more tax money in a irresponsible way, this is ridicilous having a special vote in an election year--so there you go, its crap even before the vote happens! VOTE NO TO THE LIES!! NO MORE LIES, NO MORE TAXES, NO MORE LIES, NO MORE TAXES!!! NO SPECIAL ELECTIONS TO USE OUR TAX PAYER DOLLARS UP! NOT WARRANTED AT ALL.

WHAT ARE THEY THINKING ???? Roads are and should be paid for with use taxes from gasoline, the American way for decades !!! We have the lowest taxes on gasoline in the country, yet our cost at the pumps is very similar to that of the neighboring states. cobb county wants to use this tax money for lites and a new tower at McCollum field. The new bridge in Kennesawe over CSX tracks, should be paid for by them, not us. I did not see anything to really help us. With fanfare the 2 mile "Big Shanty" connector is a road from nowhere to nowhere. A $ 26,000,00. project that now directly connects KSU to the girls soccar stadium. It can now be added on to so it will meet the NCAA requirements for division 1 football. Thus far a $ 46,000,000. project.

VOTe early !!!
Vote ofte, it is the Georgia way.

Ever hear "the Buck Stops Here"? "here" is the voting booth. And unfortunately, most potential voters are a bunch of ignorant lazy bums. Ignorant, because they don't read anything for themselves..they expect their favorite Anchorman to chew it up and place it on a silver platter. And lazy, because they leave it to the elected official to make the hard decisions for them.
But heaven forbid a few of us stand up and raise hell! we're labeled as troublemakers, tea-baggers or whatever.
We OWN the ogvenrment..we ARE the government. And we need to start getting involved.
Like buying a sandwich shop and leaving it to a pimply teen-aged kid to run..then the following month you drive by and find you're out of business. You HAVE TO GET INVOLVED!

I am keeping notes on all of the Officials Attending The Transportation Town Hall Meeting tomorrow night at 5-7pm in the Old Decatur Court house. And will be slating them to be voted against at their next election. These people have joined forces with those who are trying to buy our vote. Why else would they raise $8m to date to send out superficial flyers and Say Nothing Vote Yes Signs all over the State? Visit Jason Carter's website and go to events for a complete list of all the elected officials attending. It is a Who's Who of Mayors, Senator's, Reps, etc etc etc.

Track the ones in your district and make sure they lose their seat next time around.

Their campaign coffers next time around will be filled with donations (taxpayer money) from those same large construction companies and those benefiting from taxpayer funds. It's not unlike other illegal organizations who launder money, mafia, drug cartels and politicians.

Folks, Please don't drink the kool-Aid...If we can ONCE VOTE DOWN this robbery without a gun tax..then maybe the officials will get it, which is simply: We are tired of being told what a another penny tax will get us, and THEN IT NEVER HAPPENS! I'm sick and tired of the lies, so I still say GET RID OF THE WASTE, AND THERE WILL BE THE FUNDS YOU NEED TO JUMP START THE PROJECTS, AND MAYBE THEN, We'll all jump on the band wagon to finish it up! They NEVER even start most projects when they need more $$$$$$...and I'M MORE FURIOUS ABOUT A SPECIAL ELECTION ON AN ELECTION YEAR, WE could have voted on this in NOVEMBER--SO for those that love this, LOOK AT WHAT THIS SPECIAL ELECTION IS COSTING US TAX PAYERS!! THAT IS WASTE RIGHT UP FRONT, FOLKS!!! I'M TALKING WAITING FOUR MONTHS! This is ANOTHER REASON, I will vote NO!!! Wasting our tax dollars on a special election, What is it some of you are missing?? VOTE NO--Show them we're tired of this nonsense!! Curb the spending, CUT THE WASTE, GET RID OF SOME OF THE GOV'T SUCKERS ON ALL LEVELS!! I'll just sit in traffic and gripe some more, the tax will not help at this point! NEVER VOTE YOURSELF A TAX! That's just dumb, the officials will always find a way to tax us more, by increasing milleage rates, or property tax, it just never ends!
VOTE NO TO MORE TAXES ON 31 JULY!

BTW...The news media says the average family will spend at least 50.00 per month on the new tax, add that up--and our unemployment in this state still hovering around 9-10%...So, how does that work for those folks? I know they can find millions just like Atlanta City Jail in the last two weeks...Someone had been putting money in accounts that an audit just checked out, and there is millions, well, there is millions laying around this state too..Don't believe it, ride around, and look at all the Gov't cars that are provided with gas CARDS to boot! WHY? No one rides me around with a gas card that the tax payers money..How many millions do you all think we could save by taking all State paid cars away and gas cards?? OH, and watch some of the road crews, there will be two working, and TEN watching. You know what I do??? Stop and ask them to get to work,cause they are on my dollar, if you don't, then that's fine, I remind them everytime I see them loavering on the job, if you knew me, you would know I'm serious. I'm not rude, but I'm firm--and if they don't, I take names- what's wrong with that? i WORK 50-60 HOURS a week trying to keep our family ahead of the bills, and I don't have any problems asking a state paid employee that is standing around playing pocket pool to please get to work. Its time WE, THE GOV'T get serious, if we don't sound the bell now, who will? How will our kids/grandkids pay for all this crap?? Let's clean out the liars!

Melinda reports that the average family will pay $50/month or $600 per year in additional taxes. So how does this play out with different income families?

A family of four making $100,000 would normally pay around $4,400 in state income tax. Include this extra $600, and they'd pay around $5,000 which is a 13% tax increase.

A family of four making $500,000 would normally pay around $28,400 in state income tax. Include this extra $600, and they'd pay around $28,800 which is a 2% tax increase.

For all of the naysayers, this example shows the regressive nature of sales tax vs. income tax. Sales tax taxes the poor(er) more than the rich(er).

You guys can pick at anything or everything, it doesn't matter. LOCAL NEWS, Channel Fox 5 is the ones that made that statement on their news cast...I haven't sit down and figured out how much MORE it will cost me personally. However, ONE DOLLAR is too much with the waste that is going on in this state. I guess I am NOT smarter than a sixth grader Drewboo, thanks for pointing that out..gosh, sorry I didn't give out pertinent information for all of you to know exactly how much MORE you gotta pay! Who said 100,000 household income is poor? Not me..I mentioned that we have HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT here in Georgia STILL!!! I know this as I have close friends/family that are still looking for employment, and are worried how they will purchase kids school clothes and supplies and the last thing they need to worry about in the future is more taxes! I still stand by, this was horrible timing, since you are a whiz at math, maybe you can share how much this special election will cost us tax payers tomorrow! I'm sick of the waste and the fat of the lying politicians, if you "like" what is happening, I respect your opinion and would appreciate the same in return. I don't care for twisting my words. I WILL NEVER vote myself a tax UNLESS we get some folks that do what they say! I did see the best sign ever regarding this vote tomorrow, it simply said "DUMB AND DUMBER"! Amen...

AND DREWBOO--If I want to "cite" the internet in the future, I will...AT LEAST I wont repeat what Al Gore claimed, to be the inventor of the internet! That was and has been the best joke for years now!
2nd point: Since you say that even a middle school student can figure out the math, then why can't GROWN ADULTS figure out you are getting lied to and screwed over again?? hhhmmmm, just pondering............First time, shame on them, and 2nd time shame on us (me). I have voted YES before, I'm not about to fall in that sticky trap again!

and lastly, DrewBOO--Is that name suppose to scare me? Just for the record, it doesn't..You have a nice day, and if the tax passes, then you can jump up and down and rejoice and celebrate. I won't celebrate, but this is STILL AMERICA, and we ALL have the right to our opinions, and I wouldn't even begin to change yours. I've lived long enough to know and see that every part of Gov't, wants more and more, and basically long hours for my family. Where does it end? I'm a small business owner that is hated by big Gov't, and 25% of small business's have already closed up shop in the last 3-4 years. We can't keep going down the road of more and more taxes, anyone that owns a business knows that is a true statement. You can't tax the people more and especially during a recession, it didn't work with Carter, and it won't work now or EVER! Thank God there is still rich people, cause they are the ONES that hire during hard times, its not the poor that hire, so people should quit hating the rich folks and be thankful there is a few still around, btw..I'm not one of the rich and I ain't hiring! We don't need more tax here in the local area, we are trying to dig out of a recession that looks like might not go away anytime soon.

OKAY, HERE we go..What has the Tea Party got to do with me not wanting more tax in my life?? I'm not a member of the Tea Party, even though I should be as they are very patriotic folks. I know many "DREW'S", one is even my son's football coach and NO, we don't call him Coach Drewboo- I don't eat any of the rhetoric of any news cast, I heard passing through a room either last night or this morning getting ready for work, that it would cost blah, blah amount each month per family. YOU OR NO ONE has to tell me this is EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE TIMES--I bid jobs DAILY, I get it loud and clear! I HAVE VOTED for better roads, roads to be widened in the past, and I'M still whinning about the traffic and commutes when I've already voted myself a tax previously for a certain road to get certain improvements and they DON'T! So actually, I don't whine anymore, I GRIPE and I GRIPE LOUDLY. I'm a volunteer, and I do charitable work in my community and LOTS OF IT, so I have no idea where that statement was going, I DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE where I live, on local and State levels, that still has no bearing on not wanting more tax and a special election to get the higher tax! You are making a huge assumption about people who DON'T WON'T more tax---some of us that don't want it, do as much in our local/state area's as those that want more tax. If you don't think you are going to get taxed more as a small business owner in our future's, that's fine, I KNOW BETTER!

AND Actually some of that DON'T won't more tax are being branded some kind of villian in this referendum, and yes its disgusting. I'm no different than those that want the tax, I'm a volunteer, community worker, I do a tremendous amount of charitable work for different organizations in the local Atlanta area. So, that argument doesn't fly, that the only people that do good works are the people that want the tax--there is good people doing good things on both sides of this vote.
So, if we have heard the lies before, and we are NOW TAKING A STAND, what makes that wrong? I've never taken a stand before, and I think there is alot in the same position, we're tired of it, enough of it..Dang it, we're trying to stay afloat and its NOT the appropriate time for Georgian's TO PAY OUT MORE and its a DIS GRACE to ask our fellow Georgian's, who I remind you all that almost 10% is still unemployed in this state to give more. The un-employed in this state need to be heard and respected at this time. I feel for those families, there is some very sad stories and another area I do charitable work for, those that want to work and have been let go, or hours slashed.

I don't twist anyone's words, if they are twisted its because of the way they were written, and of course anyone can read your comments, isn't this a blog? Sorry, if I over used CAPITAL LETTERS, it seemed to get your attention which was the point. Childish remarks, please go back and read how you hinted about people who vote against have something in common with Tea Party and etc, now that's pretty childish, I never expected responses from you or anyone, I simply stated why I couldn't vote YES this time and this isn't our first rodeo on more taxes for projects that seem to never get accomplished, and again I'm mad first for having a special election four months before a Presidential election. I'm not trying to change your mind, but just stating at why I'm fed up with out of control spending/ and I merely suggest to trim the fat, and the waste. I still believe this is not the time to bring more taxes on a state/city/locally when our UNEMPLOYMENT still is on the verge of double digits, and have had not change in months. I'm not having at you or anyone, I just ask everyone to vote, its the American way, exercise your rights, but of course, I hope that most vote NO, as for me and my house, we are TAXED OUT!! You have a blessed week!

T-SPLOST went T-SPLAT. I think there was numerous reasons why: 1. 400 project is a nightmare/and lie after lie from Govenor on down as lied about what they plan to do. 2. Go by any road improvement crew, with orange vest on, and there will be 10 watching and two working. 3. People are sick and tired of picking up the "tab" of more lying politicians. Its been my point from day one, SHOW us something that has gotten completed with more tax bills from the past, they are always continually working on past projects and half the time, they are not completed. The politicans right now have red faces, but get ready by the end of the week I'm sure they are going to began to talk about how stupid all the tax payers are by voting this down, so get ready for the backlash, its coming. I called, emailed all my representatives and ask/pleaded/talked about why this is the wrong time to ask for MORE, but it fell on deaf ears, maybe they will began listening to the majority of the people in their districts, we've been too quiet too long, we are ready to fight for what is right, and taking more and more to waste is not going to work anymore. I have NEVER opposed a added penny tax over the years, and I've never complained so much over what is going on, well-those days are behind me, I have to complain and be a voice for the future. Thanks for all that exercised your right to vote!

I was reading this morning that the folks that wanted this tax to pass spent 15 million dollars on ads and etc, which alot came from private funds, the folks that didn't want this tax passed spent 15,000.00. My point is this small amount money beat big money in this case, so we can never stop fighting for the right things locally, state wise, and Nationally. Thanks to all that made a difference.