The oppostion to TSPLOST goes way beyond the "Tea Party, talk radio, Fox News, Internet thing". Don't confine those who are opposed to such a narrow band.

It looks like wendy has removed this article from the east Cobb patch and replaced it with a gibberish version. Props removed.

Can the folks who run the Roswell patch takeover running the e Cobb patch

Mr. Arena, you are correct. There are so many things wrong with this referendum. Where do I start? 1. Regional Government Committees staffed by non-elected real estate developers feathering their own nests at the expense of GA citizens. 2. No traffic relief, by the ARC's own admission. 3. Robbing us to pay for badly managed MARTA (used by less than 5% of the population. 4. Forcing counties that do not vote for this tax, to pay for it anyway if the surrounding counties vote for it.....I can go on and on. We say, NO, NO, NO. Force the legislators to do their jobs, and come up with a list that actually does solve our traffic problems. The graft and corruption is unbelievable. Is this an episode of "The Sopranos?"

Mit, this blog post is still on East Cobb Patch.

Look at who is supporting this legislation… This is another scam to separate the taxpayers from their money to support the “Good Ole’ Boy Network” promoted by the lobbyists who are like cockroaches under the Gold Dome…

http://media.ethics.ga.gov/search/Campaign/Campaign_ByContributions_RFR.aspx?NameID=7075&FilerID=NC2010000025&CDRID=67779&Name=Citizens%20for%20Transportation%20Mobility,%20Inc&Year=2012&Report=December%2031st%20-%20Special%20Election

Look at how misleading the language is on the ballot… Vote NO!

The only candidate for district 96 (Norcross and Duluth) who is openly opposed to T-SPLOST is Mark Gorman. Vote NO to T-SPLOST

Thank you for this post. I suspected as much and looked it up before I
went to vote early. They must think we are morans...If you ask me I
know who the morans are.

The average citizen will rightly think the local allocated transportation dollars will be used for road widening, road re-surfacing, road re-construction, and traffic signal synchronization, all things that would help with traffic congestion. Unfortunately, the government defines the following as transportation projects on top of the road items mentioned above (purchase/development of pocket parks, sidewalks, bike lanes, greenways and road beautification). Are these the types of projects we really want our transportation dollars to be used for when the road surfaces in neighborhoods are crumbling, when we sit at an intersection for 25 minutes trying to get through a traffic signal, when we look at the sidewalks and never are able to count more than 5 people using them as we drive from one end of the city to the other? We will be asked in 10 years to renew the TSPLOST (just like the ESPLOST) because the government has become dependent on this tax and without extension transportation will suffer (because the existing transportation dollars have been reallocated to other areas of government).
Shame on us if we approve the referendum and later discover that traffic wasn’t improved. This is a very predictable outcome.

Companies are choosing other regions and states instead of Georgia. Millennials (our future) want livable, walkable communities and many freely choose to NOT have a motor vehicle as a primary means of transportation. So of course they look to cities and regions that offer this infrastructure today. They're also referred to as the "Creative Class". Think Silicon Valley, Seattle, Portland, Raleigh-Durham Technology Triangle, etc.

Our region has underinvested in transportation infrastructure for decades, and it is an impediment to creating jobs and a threat to our quality of life.

The project list was passed unanimously by a regional roundtable using the following criteria: reducing traffic congestion, creating jobs, and improving quality of life. It is supported by leaders of every political stripe and from every corner of our region. This is unprecedented regional cooperation that is essential for our region to prosper.

If the vote fails, it will be even more difficult in the future to achieve the kind of cooperation that is essential if Atlanta is going to thrive, or even function.

There is not any better option that will present itself in the foreseeable future, and we cannot afford to do nothing. Other cities are leaving us in the dust with infrastructure improvements and with job creation.

For the facts, please go to: http://www.atlantaregionalroundtable.com/index.html

For the local 15% spend, it would prove a 60% increase in Dunwoody's annual Public Works Capitol Improvement Budget, presently at $2M per year. Out of the $2M, only $400k is received from GDOT via the motor vehicle fuel tax. The balance comes from items such as property, business taxes and HOST proceeds. Each day we have people driving on Mt Vernon that live outside of Dunwoody. Yet, as a Dunwoody resident I am expected to pay out of my property tax and our general funds to "improve" Mt Vernon so these folks from Gwinnett and Fulton can get to work? With the TSPLOST, we act like a REGION, work together and pay together. Recognizing that yes, Mt Vernon is a legitimate regional corridor that should receive funding by users from throughout the region. Police Chief Grogan wants to hire five more police officers to help keep our city safe. Should we just spend even less on our roads to do so? http://www.neighbornewspapers.com/view/full_story/19564401/article-Dunwoody-forum-eyes-T-SPLOST?instance=dunwoody

Unlike toll booths, the penny tax will be in place for ten years or until the funding level is reached, whichever comes first. By law, the tax cannot be extended unless approved by voters. Georgia is ranked the 49th state in the nation in per capita transportation funding. Georgia hasn’t changed the Motor Vehicle Fuel tax since the 1970s. The current revenue structure is based on gallons of fuel purchased. Vehicles are more fuel efficient, drivers are driving shorter distances, and inflation has increased the cost to repair and maintain our transportation infrastructure. Exemptions from the tax include: motor fuel; jet fuel; off-road fuel for heavy-duty, farm, or agricultural equipment; locomotive fuel; public mass transit fuel; the sale or use of energy used in manufacturing or processing tangible goods; and, building and construction materials. In addition, the tax is only levied on the first $5,000 of any transaction involving the sale or lease of a motor vehicle.

The discretionary 15% funding can be spent on any new or existing airports, bike lanes, bridges, bus and rail mass transit systems, freight and passenger rail, pedestrian facilities, ports, roads, terminals, and all activities and structures useful and related to providing, operating, and maintaining the same. The dollars can also be spent as a local match for state or federal funding. This chart can be found at http://www.atlantaregionalroundtable.com/documents/discretionary_Money.pdf.

I know for a fact (personal experience) that international business people routinely "call in at 3am" to conduct business. If they think it's important enough. But nice try.

Voting NO, and sadly, I live less than a mile from one of the elected officials who drew this up. I agree 100%, it stinks of corruption, unbalanced spending, failure to address the real problem (TRAFFIC congestion, not more wasted funds on public transportation which most of us rarely use) and connections to lobbyists and developers who will financially benefit (ala Roy Barnes and his buds from the Northern ARC days). I am also REALLY ticked off about the BS of how it will "create jobs." Nonsense! For whom, the Mexican immigrants who toil for the road builders and are paid less than a comparable LEGAL American resident? Ever take a look at the group as a whole working at a road construction site?! No more status quo and government the way it has always been! Let's start by NOT re-electing the same 'ole same 'ole! Vote all of 'em (or most of 'em) OUT!

Joe Seconder, our problems can be traced to the EPA who has BLOCKED funding for our roads for decades because we could not meet air quality standards. You can point your finger at that and combine it with a State Legislature (whether Democrat OR Republican) that has spent money on roads in much less populated areas of Georgia...but not Atlanta Face it, we are not liked at all among the rural folk of this State. They do not care about our traffic problems. Their comfort (road improvements) come first. If those in charge would wake up and realize we HAVE to create another interstate by-pass or even a toll road) around Atlanta, nothing will change. People WILL NOT take public transportation to and from work in Atlanta. Period. You can squarely point to NOT FEELING SAFE. Period. I know the truth hurts, but time for a little honesty here.

I say if the burbs want to be stuck in the past then let them. Let Fulton and Dekalb support MARTA the right way. I wouldn't even be against paying 3 cent for MARTA (1 1/2 cent for operations, 1 cent for maitainence, and 1/2 cent just for MARTA reserves). And we (locals not the state) should determine if that needs to change, meaning if we need to add more money to operations or more to reserves, etc). Lets build a great transit system of heavy and light rail with streetcars, BRT, and more frequent bus service.

Also, I'm for charging out of county people to park at stations and also are for tolls for those coming from outside of Fulton and Dekalb to drive on our streets. I would due away with the Breeze system and make those that want to transfer pay full fare to ride MARTA from the other systems.

i hour left to shove marta back where it belongs....i voted NOOOOOOOO!!!

I know where I'd like to shove marta..

Chick Fil A on Roswell Road in front of Lowes packed out the wazoo..both drive thrus, all seats in restaurant and order lines 4-5 deep...awesome!! A few more weeks of boycott and CFA should be able to DOUBLE their support for traditional family groups!!!

Record crowds at Chick-FIL-A...I bet Larry Welsh is enjoying his third sandwich of the day!!

Reporting live from dwood cfa. Crowds are huge. You r ock cfa!

chick fil a dunwoody manager said they had 6300 customers today! went pack to get wife some nuggets and was still full at 9:15!!!