The AJC,
3/31/18, “Bill could pave the way for MARTA” article credits the Georgia
Legislature for revisiting the MARTA T-SPLOST that failed by 66% in 2012 and
had a one cent sales tax increase to raise $4.5 billion for road projects that
didn’t fix our congestion and $3.5 billion for public transit expansion
subsidies.
This has
the Atlanta Regional Commission’s finger prints all over it. North Point CID
chief State Senator Brandon Beach sponsored the Bill to get $2.5 billion to
expand the MARTA train from Sandy Springs to North Point.
The MARTA
train connects the failing malls. Low ridership and low ticket prices combined
with high expansion and operating costs are built in to prevent government
public transit from becoming a self-supporting, profitable enterprise. It isn’t
smart to expand a losing proposition and increase our losses. All public
transit should be privatized to eliminate all tax subsidies and focus schedules
on commuter hours.
The Bill
adds a “special taxing district” for public transit to the unlimited powers of
counties to fleece its voters. ARC expects counties to put the additional one
cent sales tax increase on the ballot in 2019.
To help
make the issue seem less onerous, the 4 government subsidized public transit
agencies have been merged into something called “The ATL”. Also, rather than
basing the vote on a “regional” majority, each county will determine whether or
not to add this additional tax. Those counties who vote no should petition
their county council to privatize public transit in their county.
Norb
Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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