So Where Do You Stand on TSPLOST?
There is a strong move by proponents of the July 31 Transportation Special Local Sales Tax referendum to drum up support for the measure, but not everybody is convinced. So where do you stand?
Wherever you turn there are attempts to educate voters on the importance of voting "Yes," on the Transportation Special Option Local Sales Tax. But not everyone is convinced. Voters will get to decide whether or not they support the measure in a referendum on July 31.
Established by the Transportation Investment Act of 2010 splitting Georgia into 12 separate transporation regions, the vote will give each of the regions the choice of wether or not to impose a 1 percent sales tax for a 10 year period. The funds will be raised to to fund certain specific transportation projects already proposed.
Detailed information as well as the specific projcts for each region can be found here.
Supporters of voting Yes on the TSPLOST referendum give the following as some of the reasons to do so.
- Traffic in much of the state is gridlocked and transportation upgrades are desperately needed.
- The traffic and transportation projects will bring much needed jobs to Georgia.
- Releasing the traffic gridlock will attract employers, bringing more much needed jobs to the state.
Opponents say citizens are taxed too much already - that its just another way for government agencies to raise revenue. Many point to broken promises in the past, like the 400 toll road. After the agreed 10-year period of collecting tolls to cover the cost of the roadway, the toll was renewed instead of being dropped as was agreed at the outset. Opponents don't believe the TSPLOST will go away after 10 years either.
So where do you stand on the July 31 TSPLOST referendum?
Yes, it is something that needs to be approved or No, we're taxed enough already.
Taxus Moore
7:09 pm on Friday, May 11, 2012
Vote "NO" for the taxportation referendum:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqi3uO8Amvs
Rebecca McCarthy
8:18 pm on Friday, May 11, 2012
Why do you feel this way? I'm interested....
North Georgia Weather
9:02 pm on Friday, May 11, 2012
No
David
10:42 pm on Friday, May 11, 2012
NO. Reason: Several but the last T in TSPLOST is the main reason.
Athens Mama
6:11 pm on Saturday, May 12, 2012
I think that the idea of SPLOST and the TSPLOST is good. Unfortunately, the big dogs are the ones that get the contracts on these big projects, and they bleed money. Their concern is not getting the job done well, and quickly, just doing it for as long as possible so that they can make as much money as possible. Primary example: HT Edwards Building renovation project.
Jonboy
11:31 am on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
NO NO NO, I give the county too much tax money now as it is, I have several commercial buildings that cost me an arm and a leg to feed with the property tax bill. How can they possibly ask us to vote yes when they just went up on our mil rate costing us more money for property tax on buildings that I can’t even rent because of the managing of the government over the past several years. Barrow county has the worst roads in the state and when they repair them they are worse then they where before. I haven’t seen where my tax money has gone to any roads or improvements’ so I believe they would misappropriate these funds as well, If the county needs money maybe they should sell some of the land or industrial buildings they decided to buy several years ago that are sitting empty costing us money.
Michael
11:53 am on Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Did you know that the TSPLOST has a part in it that says any region that does not pass the TSPLOST will face a cut in the matching transportation funds from the state? Really, since when can the government punish us for not voting how "they" think we should. You think this tax will be over in 10 years? I guranantee they wiill come back and say they need another ten years of the tax to complete the projects. I'm voting NO.
Dave Ballard
8:05 am on Monday, June 25, 2012
I've voted "NO" on every SPLOST option that's come down the line for the simple fact that we are Taxed Enough Already. (And now you know where the TEA Party got it's name from.)
Either it's important enough to fit into the going budget, or it isn't. Period.
Dave Ballard
8:07 am on Monday, June 25, 2012
Aaaargh! == "Its," not "it's."
*head!desk*
Doug Clark
12:27 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2012
I am opposed for two reasons. One, it does not address the real source of traffic congestion which is the interstates. Listen to the traffic reports and you will know that 90% of the problems are either on the interstates or on feeder roads backed up by problems on the interstates. With the improvements to the Port of Savannah it will only get worse. Have you seen the bumper-to-bumper semis on I-75, particularly at the intersection with I-20?
Second, funding this grab bag of miscellaneous projects with a sales tax is a bad idea. Why can't the governor and the legislature have the backbone to increase the gas tax to bring it more in line with every other state? We continue to hear that consumer spending is the key to economic recovery. To impose another sales tax is like shooting ourselves in the foot.
This is a once in a decade opportunity. Please don't waste it on a collection of pet projects that are not likely to do anything to improve the problem. This idea needs to go back to the drawing board.