Why Vote NO on T-SPLOST

1.      The election process allows no opt-out by counties who do not want the tax.  If 51% of the voters in your region vote for the tax, then all counties in your region will be subjected to the tax, regardless of how your county voted.
 
2.      This election process (no opt-out) violates the concept of “Home Rule” in the Georgia State Constitution.  Under Home Rule, one county cannot bind another county to a tax (see #1 above).
 
3.      Many counties outside of the metro Atlanta region are donor
counties under this tax, i.e., taxpayers in your county will pay out more in taxes than the county gets back.
 
4.      The project lists assembled by the Regional Roundtables (RRT) are nothing more than “wish lists” of projects put together by local politicians.  Projects on the lists were never subjected to a comparative analysis to determine which projects give the most benefit for the money spent.
 
5.      25% (15% in metro Atlanta region) of the tax monies collected in each region are skimmed off and given to the local politicians to be spent however they see fit, thereby buying their support for the tax.
 
6.      In the Atlanta region, 55% of the tax dollars are to be spent on
public transportation projects and 45% on roads.  Public transit carries only 5% of passenger miles traveled while roads carry 95%.
 
7.      In 2010, MARTA booked an operational loss of $520M.  Fare revenues covered only 17.5% of total operating costs.  A $2.50 ride on MARTA actually costs $14.37.  Every time a person boards MARTA and pays the $2.50 fare, someone else (you the taxpayer) is paying $11.87 in subsidy for that person to ride.
 
8.      34% of the T-SPLOST tax funds in the Atlanta Region are to be spent on projects that we know up front will have absolutely no impact whatsoever on reducing traffic congestion.  This is a waste of taxpayer dollars.
 
9.      Supporters of this new 1% sales tax include: State politicians,
local politicians (bought off by the up-front 15-25% rake-off of tax
dollars), and coalitions of contractors (MAVEN and Untie Atlanta) who will profit from the building of new roads and transit projects.
 
10.  We are told that the tax is “only a penny” (NOT) – it is a 1% sales tax on almost everything you buy, for a minimum of ten years (about $66 per month for the average family of four).
 
11.  We are told that the tax is for only 10 years, but some of the
projects don’t start construction until 2040.  How will those projects be paid for?  Will the politicians come back to voters in 10 years asking us to extend this self-imposed tax for another 10 years?  Will this become the “Forever tax”?
 
12.  Politicians are trying to “fix” the election in favor of the tax.
 
a.       The transportation referendum was put on the primary election
ballot – lower voter turnout for primary elections makes it easier for
supporters of the tax to get the tax approved.
 
b.      15-25% of the tax dollars are skimmed off and given to local
politicians to buy their support for this new sales tax.

 c.       Governor Deal has promised to campaign for any local elected

politician who will support the T-SPLOST tax.
 
d.      Sec of State Kemp has placed a supportive preamble on the TIA referendum ballot.  No other ballot issue has such a preamble.  A legal challenge has been raised.
 
13.  T-SPLOST is a wasteful tax pushed at a time when the economy is in bad shape.
 
If you want more information on which to base your decision on the vote, go to traffictruth.net.

Source:  Jane & Billy Wise