As with the 2012
T-SPLOST, current legislative efforts on transportation are collapsing due to a
significant lack of trust from taxpayers statewide.
In 2012, T-SPLOST
proved the $7 billion would do little for traffic congestion relief, so it was
rebranded as a jobs creator. This time around, government tells us we have a
maintenance crisis, a message largely absent in the 2012 TSPLOST commercials.
Special interests from
business sectors like real estate and construction say following their whims is
the morally right way — difficult to swallow after the “too big to fail”
bailouts, trillion-dollar stimulus packages and questionable spending that pummeled
our economy.
A transportation study
committee member told critics to keep their mouths shut and an Atlanta business
leader pushing the $98 million Atlanta Streetcar boondoggle said, “To those who
doubt the value of this project, well frankly, we didn’t build it for you,” but
they used our taxpayer dollars, $48 million federal and at least $6 million
regional, to pay for it.
The new promise of a
“revenue-neutral” billion-dollar increase in transportation spending is false
on many levels. Conservative Rep. David Stoner pulled his name from HB 170,
saying it is a “$500 million tax increase.” Moreover, it’s the state playing a
political funding shell game.
Go ahead, convert the
sale tax on fuel to excise tax without harming local governments and
public schools, add a fee for electric vehicles and use all state tax on motor
fuel for roads and bridges. Clean up the state budget and find more funding for
road maintenance.
The state Legislature
needs to work to eliminate the federal role in gas tax collection since the
interstate highway system was officially completed in 1992. Federal
transportation dollars come with significant financial strings attached,
escalating the cost of road projects. We need to collect it all in-state.
Use modern toll road
technology on mega-projects like I-285 North. Incentivize cloud telecommuting.
Make state employees use transit by restricting parking.
Be pragmatic on mass
transit. Affluent riders on buses with Wi-Fi have to pay more than $5 to $7 round-trip
on Xpress Bus. Why are taxpayers in Vidalia, Blue Ridge and Albany paying for
corporate employees in Atlanta to go to work? MARTA fares are too low.
Expanding rail transit
has no basis. We cannot afford to maintain what we have and we are not remotely
close to the population densities required. Metro Atlanta is too large and the
population too spread out to justify rail expansion.
Most of all, build
trust with the constituents, be accountable and be inclusive with planning.
Steve
Brown is a Fayette County commissioner.
Source: AJC 3/1/15
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