Why the July T-splost may be in trouble
Take two dogs and toss them each a fresh bone. What happens next?
If the dogs get along well, they’ll sit there contentedly, gnawing away. But in other cases the dogs will eye each other warily, each one suspicious that the other one got the better, meatier bone. That often ends in trouble.
And it’s not just true of dogs. That example of canine dynamics also helps to illustrate why the transportation sales-tax referendum scheduled for July 31 may be in trouble. Too many constituencies have their own unique if contradictory reasons for opposing it. Black, white, Republican, Democratic, suburban, urban, liberal, conservative — arguments are available for each group to justify saying no.
Some complain that the project list is too heavy on transit, others that transit is given short shrift. People in the suburbs complain that Fulton and DeKalb counties get too much of the investment, while Fulton and DeKalb residents complain that they aren’t given full credit for the one-penny sales tax they already pay for MARTA.
MARTA is itself a focus of divisiveness. Either it’s getting too much money or getting too little. The only thing that both sides seem to agree upon is that it’s cause enough to vote no. All in all, voters of various descriptions seem bothered by a nagging suspicion that somebody somewhere out there may be getting a better deal than they are. And among people as among dogs, that’s a pretty powerful driver of behavior.
In response, however, I’d offer three points:
1.) What’s the alternative?
On the left, the Sierra Club argues that this proposal should be voted down because subsequent transportation proposals will contain more financial support for transit projects. Unfortunately, that assertion contradicts everything I see on the Georgia political scene. In communities such as Cobb County, for example, repudiation of this proposal will be interpreted as a blanket voter repudiation of mass transit in general, and if that happens no Cobb politician will be willing to challenge that “consensus” again for a decade or longer.
Conversely, the Tea Party and its supporters argue that our transportation woes can be fixed without additional government funds. The fact that the Georgia economy is more reliant on efficient transportation than that of most other states, and that we rank 49th in per capita transportation spending, doesn’t seem to bother them.
Instead of taxpayer subsidies, they argue, private enterprise can be enlisted to build our transportation system through projects such as optional toll lanes. That approach ignores a specific reality — even privately financed toll lanes require hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars — and a more general rule: Transportation infrastructure does not support itself and except in rare cases cannot come close to generating a profit. It is a worthwhile investment because of all the other things that it makes possible, from economic development to family road trips to the quick and easy passage of a fire truck to your doorstep when needed.
2.) Transportation is a regionwide challenge that requires a regionwide solution. Refusing to fund it out of fear that your neighbor may benefit more than you will is a short-sighted and ultimately destructive attitude, because as the region goes, so goes your job, so goes your property value and so goes your quality of life. We’re all in this together.
3.) In most cases, the argument that somebody else will benefit more than you will simply isn’t true. Elected public officials from throughout the region voted unanimously for the project list because they studied it closely and negotiated hard, and all of them came away believing the final product was fair.
But if you’re still skeptical — and skepticism is a good thing — take advantage of a “Wireside Chat” conducted by the Atlanta Regional Commission over the next two weeks. (See http://www.metroatlantatransportationreferendum.com/wireside/ for more detail.) Each of the 12 briefing sessions will focus on a narrow geographic area, offering an in-depth review of the projects slated for construction in your area. You’ll also be able to ask questions.
In the end, you may still be nagged by the thought that the “other side” is getting a bigger bone. But the alternative will be no bones for anybody, at least for several more years.
– Jay Bookman
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197 comments Add your comment
USMC
May 30th, 2012
9:23 am
What a Buffoon!
‘IGNORANCE AND INCOMPETENCE’…’INSULTS 38 MILLION POLES’…
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-30/polish-premier-demands-u-s-response-to-obama-death-camp-remark.html
Adam
May 30th, 2012
9:24 am
stands @ 9:02: I realize I may not have properly thanked you for bringing that article up before.
That was AWESOME!
Brosephus™
May 30th, 2012
9:25 am
how many suppliers went to Baldwin County, Alabama instead of West Point, Ga.?
Zero. Baldwin County, Alabama is the area of Alabama between the Eastern shore of Mobile Bay and the Western end of the Florida Panhandle. Kia suppliers are located in Lee County (Auburn-Opelika) and Chambers County (Valley-Cusetta-Lafayette).
——————————
josef
I’d take 75N. At least there’s 6 lanes in each direction as opposed to 6 lanes total.
JohnnyReb
May 30th, 2012
9:25 am
stands for decibels
May 30th, 2012
8:46 am
Turn MARTA over to the new authority and rename it.
oooh oooh….
FERGIT-HELL RAIL?
_____________________
Yep, turn it over to a regional authority and rename it. That is reality if you want change. There is too much opposition to MARTA, right or wrong, to expect acceptance as-is. You can either make the change or wait several generations for all the opposition to die.
josef
May 30th, 2012
9:26 am
SFD
The arc was one of three unconnected issues that got people in a dither against Barnes. I’m not sure which of the three it was that cost him the election, but in all three he miscalculated the numbers.
I'm a liberal and believe everything I read and nothing the other side comes up with...cause we're smart and they are not
May 30th, 2012
9:27 am
Yep, smartest in guy in the room this Obama fellow. Just ask Poland LOL. Teleprompter must of had a bulb burned out.
Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)
May 30th, 2012
9:27 am
Well, why don’t you libruls just get together and pool your money and buy a car for Those People to use when they come up here to steal my flat screen? Don’t make me pay extra taxes so these downtown thugs can have a free ride to and from their robbery.
Besides, you know good and well that somebody’s going to make alot of money from all these projects. Else we wouldn’t have all these TV ads for the T-Splost. I never saw any county commission voting for millions of bucks for an advertizing budget, so those ads are being paid for by people that stand to make a fortune.
And when I saw the project list I saw they skipped right over a new exit and entrance ramp from GA 400 so I wouldn’t need to drive 12 extra miles to get to a trailer I can see from the road.
I’m Taxed Enough Already and sick and tired of letting the Gays and Those People and the other downtown hippies get their hand on my wallet. Bunch of Commies! Vote No on this boondoggle.
Have a good Hump Day everybody.
stands for decibels
May 30th, 2012
9:27 am
Don’t be too chicken to read the whole thing now
How about this–if jm can’t be bothered reading the whole thing (it is quite long) there’s an eloquent defense by my favorite potty-mouthed DFH here.
http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2012/05/chris-hayes-and-heroes-nearly-every.html
but if he doesn’t see either of these, I want to put this quote from the Atlantic out there:
thanks to the Schlichters and Hustons of the world, and the Fox News folks who put their segment on the controversy together, a lot of military families were told on Memorial Day weekend that some smug liberal elitist at MSNBC thinks the troops “are all knuckle dragging, murderous, bigots that just want to shoot someone,” to quote one Hayes critic. There’s no getting around it. The people who demagogued and egregiously misrepresented Hayes caused far more upset to military families than his actual remarks, especially in context, ever could.
Yet no one is outraged by their behavior, or calling on them to apologize.
Why is that?
stands for decibels
May 30th, 2012
9:29 am
must of had a bulb burned out
yep, nothing says “I am smrt! I am so smrt! S-M-R-T!” like writing “must of” instead of, you know, English.
anyway, gotta focus on the producin’. later gators. don’t lay any of that Commie rail while I’m away.
Dave
May 30th, 2012
9:30 am
JM, at 9:21, no. I’d just want an agreement, which isn’t going to happen that the money would go to regional solutions, not say bike lanes in downtown whatever. I don’t think we are ready for regional planning for much of anything. Until we are, why spend money on a crazy quilt of local projects?
josef
May 30th, 2012
9:30 am
BROSEPHUS
Well, there is that! And you beat me to the Baldwin County one!
godless heathen
May 30th, 2012
9:30 am
Mitt’s missing record in Massachusetts reflects the fact that he treated that executive office as a launching pad for his presidential ambitions
Do Obama supporters really want to go there?
U.S. Navy
May 30th, 2012
9:31 am
The impact of the ‘Latino vote’ beyond Texas
CNN) – By now, it has been established that Latino voters are a diverse group and a crucial electorate that will help determine the next president of the United States.
But here is what’s new to know about the impact of Latino voters: It will be felt in places one might not expect.
“Moving beyond the Southwest and Florida, Latino voters can also influence the election results in ‘nontraditional’ states like North Carolina, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia, ” said Matt Barreto, co-founder of Latino Decisions, a polling firm. “Those states have had substantial growth in the Latino population and among voters, based on our analysis of census data and statewide voter rolls.”
Florida-based political analyst Charles Garcia noted earlier this year that in North Carolina, the number of registered Hispanic voters has almost doubled to more than 130,000 since the last presidential election.
“President Obama won North Carolina in 2008 by 14,000 votes,” Garcia said. “In 2008 there were 68,000 registered Latino voters, and a whopping 84% of them participated in the election.”
Polling experts say this shift will affect the 2012 election.
A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Telemundo poll found 61% of Latino registered voters’ choice for president was Barack Obama, and 27% choose former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/28/round-up-how-the-latino-vote-is-changing/?hpt=hp_t2
I'm a liberal and believe everything I read and nothing the other side comes up with...cause we're smart and they are not
May 30th, 2012
9:31 am
anything to deflect.
Grasshopper
May 30th, 2012
9:31 am
This plan might have a better chance if it were more than an extra tax to maintan roads. Read the list – paving jobs, lighting enhancements and traffic control? That is what the taxes we already pay should go to. Raise the gas tax if there is not enough money for it. But don’t vote yourself a new tax to fix things we are already taxed to fix.
If the TSPLOST were concentrated on NEW road construction and NEW public transportation alternatives, it might have a better chance with me. But millions to synch traffic lights? Come on…where is the vision?
ragnar danneskjold
May 30th, 2012
9:32 am
As an opponent of the T-SPLOST, I address the three arguments:
(1) What is the alternative to increasing taxes and spending more on roads and the MARTA boondoggle? Move as much government as possible out of Atlanta. There is no compelling need to put the state bureaucracy in the northern part of Georgia – it would be arguably more sensitive to the needs of all Georgians if located closer to Macon. Similarly, there is a large Federal bureaucracy in Atlanta, and almost none of it is located near the airport that is so essential to most of that gaggle of overlords – a Federal ghetto in Clayton County would alleviate much of the congestion in the area. (If you doubt, drive the interstates through the downtown gulch on Presidents’s Day or Columbus Day, and see if there is any need to keep your speed below 95 mph.) Government is the problem, and simply moving the government would solve it.
(2) Congestion is a region-wide problem. Sorta, but the causes of congestion are almost exclusively local. By way of example, more MARTA money would do nothing to enhance efficient people moving – the automobile is perhaps the only device so-capable. Other than mismatch of residences and business destinations, there is almost nothing causing the congestion. Much of that requires individual resolution outside the control of government, except for the government ghetto argument I offer above.
(3) “Elected public officials from throughout the region voted unanimously for the project list because they studied it closely and negotiated hard, and all of them came away believing the final product was fair.” Right, like I would cede my own judgment to that of an overlord. If there were no measurable history of corruption in the Metro area, that might be a facially sound argument.
Jm
May 30th, 2012
9:32 am
Jd
Because they’re not on the hook for the stupidity, you the taxpayer are
Adam 9:21 –
it is now 9:32nevermind not worth itThe Fallen
May 30th, 2012
9:33 am
Why is the answer always more taxes? There is plenty of revenue, CUT the waste, streamline operations, eliminate redundancies and prioritize projects that will be the most beneficial to the long term prosperity of the region. Over $50 million in pet projects in a supplemental budget alone. I am all for HEAVILY investing in regional transportation, but I am not for funding through supplemental tax increases. If this is truly a priority for the region, then find the capital in the resources they have. Once the waste has been removed and proven, then we can discuss increasing the revenue side. This is like anything other budgetary issue, there are two knobs, costs and revenue. I ask again, why do politicians and liberals always only reach for the revenue one?
Jay, I am aware you are an advocate of cost cutting and revenue increases, but I don’t see that from you on this issue. Also you are a huge proponent of both in conjunction. I am simply suggesting that we work on costs side of things first and get an accurate picture of current state.
I'm a liberal and believe everything I read and nothing the other side comes up with...cause we're smart and they are not
May 30th, 2012
9:33 am
U S Navy……………you think the Latino vote will be the only segment to “show up” at the polls?
I'm a liberal and believe everything I read and nothing the other side comes up with...cause we're smart and they are not
May 30th, 2012
9:35 am
Ralph Reed say’s there are 47 million Christians who didn’t vote in 08. Maybe HALF of them show up.
jj
May 30th, 2012
9:35 am
I have read through the list and there is more pork than on an Iowa farm. I am Republican and a fiscal conservative but I would have NO problem supporting all $6bb going into a real transportation fix. And I don’t care about the law not allowing Marta to get the cash….change the law.
Something for everyone…..
Up 75 to Wade Green
up 400 to Windward
West on 20 to Douglasville
East on 20 to Conyers
South on 75 to Griffin
South on 85 to Peachtree cith
There you have it, something for everyone, every region equal
And finally a linked transportation system, just like the real cities.
(and sorry Jay if my view doesn’t fit your opinion of all Republicans)
josef
May 30th, 2012
9:36 am
Okay, the Obama “gaffe.” The Polish people are, naturally, sensitive about this, and understandably so. However, speaking strictly as the linguist here. what happens when you interpret what has no specific connotation from another language, say English, into Polish carries a subtlety with it that leaves open this type of misunderstanding. For us English speakers, “Polish Concentration Camps” just the same as, say French countryside, can be just the location. Translated into Polish, however, there is a strong distinction between the adjectival “Polish” and the locative-substantive “in Poland.”
This is a gaffe any of us could make and one that the interpreter should have caught since s/he should know better.
Remember when Jimmy Carter said (via the interpreter) that he would like to F the Polish people?
jm
May 30th, 2012
9:37 am
uh oh
Former Alabama Rep. Artur Davis announced Tuesday that he’s cutting ties with the Democratic Party, and said that he’s considering a future bid for Congress as a Republican.
Davis, who for a time had been considered a rising star in the Democratic Party, wrote a message on his website confirming that he is switching parties.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0512/76846.html#ixzz1wMNYpti7
Tales from the Script
May 30th, 2012
9:38 am
What a buffoon!
IGNORANCE AND INCOMPETENCE! Romney gets sidelined in Texas by none other than the biggest birther buffoon of all times–The Donald! HAHAHAHAHA!
Granny Godzilla - Union Thugette
May 30th, 2012
9:39 am
godless heathen
May 30th, 2012
9:30 am
Mitt’s missing record in Massachusetts reflects the fact that he treated that executive office as a launching pad for his presidential ambitions
Do Obama supporters really want to go there?
(strong) Is there some particular reason you are afraid for us to?(/strong)
Cause we ARE going there.
barking frog
May 30th, 2012
9:39 am
Obama has lost the
ignorant Polish vote.
Jm
May 30th, 2012
9:40 am
Granny has bad HTML syntax
JohnnyReb
May 30th, 2012
9:41 am
josef – love that Obama – Carter comparison.
Brosephus™
May 30th, 2012
9:41 am
josef
I just couldn’t let that outlandish statement go without response.
Brosephus™
May 30th, 2012
9:42 am
jm
Davis cut those ties a long time ago. I guess he just needed to make an official statement.
Adam
May 30th, 2012
9:42 am
anything to deflect.
Glad you found your mirror
I'm a liberal and believe everything I read and nothing the other side comes up with...cause we're smart and they are not
May 30th, 2012
9:43 am
josef……………I’m sure in your fair mind you would give George W. the same “pass”? Geez.
St Simons - we're on Island time
May 30th, 2012
9:43 am
would it be too much to ask to please fix the worst traffic on planet earth
before you(we) have a disaster, and nobody can get out?
“…we’re all in this together.” —Learn this the easy way, ’cause it really
sucks to learn it the hard way.
Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")
May 30th, 2012
9:43 am
stands for decibels – “oooh ooooh let me guess: Harness the mighty power of the marketplace’s Invisible Handjob?”
Jay – can’t we have some level of decency here?
Adam
May 30th, 2012
9:44 am
josef……………I’m sure in your fair mind you would give George W. the same “pass”? Geez.
We DID. Lots of times. That dude was a gaffe factory.
Granny Godzilla - Union Thugette
May 30th, 2012
9:44 am
Jm
sometimes the granny fingers work…..sometimes they don’t.
just damn
Brosephus™
May 30th, 2012
9:44 am
This is a gaffe any of us could make and one that the interpreter should have caught since s/he should know better.
B…b…b…b…but Obama is the Messiah. He is not supposed to make any gaffe. He’s supposed to walk on water and heal economies with a single breath.
//hot steaming pile of sarcasm//
I'm a liberal and believe everything I read and nothing the other side comes up with...cause we're smart and they are not
May 30th, 2012
9:45 am
Adam…………..reading you on here I had you figured to be an adult.
skipper
May 30th, 2012
9:46 am
The Sierra Club??????? When their “opinion” (if I may step out on a limb) factors into the equation, the conversation slides downhill a little……………..
Brosephus™
May 30th, 2012
9:47 am
Mitt’s missing record in Massachusetts reflects the fact that he treated that executive office as a launching pad for his presidential ambitions
Do Obama supporters really want to go there?
Chiming in as somebody who really doesn’t give a damn, I’d say that scrubbing and removing hardrives and any other evidence is far more egregious than simply having records sealed. Hell, at least the records are still there to be examined if the urgent need requires such.
I'm a liberal and believe everything I read and nothing the other side comes up with...cause we're smart and they are not
May 30th, 2012
9:47 am
Any good news for Obama lately…………. I don’t read the leftist sites, but how about his other minions like NBC, ABC etc……
Tales from the Script
May 30th, 2012
9:49 am
I was thinking about opening up a string of bicycle/Segway rental shops in the medians along I-75 and I-85. They’d be an addendum to the HERO units and would travel to where needed the most.
Don't Forget
May 30th, 2012
9:50 am
At least part of the problem is that “all roads lead to Atlanta” whether you want to go there or not. That’s not an “outer perimeter” suggestion but there needs to be a better way to move accross Georgia without going through Atlanta and right now there isn’t one.
Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")
May 30th, 2012
9:52 am
Don’t Forget@9:50
Spot on.
Only in the BAMA
May 30th, 2012
9:53 am
Brosephus™
May 30th, 2012
9:42 am
I agree with you 100%.
Artur Davis, who is currently serving out his term as a member of Congress for Alabama’s Seventh District, lost big to Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks. Sparks got 62% of the Democratic primary vote for governor, versus 38%, of the vote for Davis.
Davis’ support from black voters was lower than expected, although some observers were not surprised. For one, Davis failed to court the support of Alabama’s main black political organizations, and got endorsements from none of them. Those groups gave their support to Sparks.
http://allotherpersons.wordpress.com/2010/06/03/artur-davis-loses-big-in-primary-election-for-alabama-governor/
jm
May 30th, 2012
9:54 am
“That’s not an “outer perimeter” suggestion”
but an outer perimeter would be a good solution (if limited access and adjacent growth restrictions were incorporated)
godless heathen
May 30th, 2012
9:54 am
GG: “Cause we ARE going there.”
Well go ahead so everyone can be reminded about Obama’s record in the US Senate and his purpose for being there. (Present)
St Simons - we're on Island time
May 30th, 2012
9:54 am
the answer is golf carts – it works here, man.
think about it
Erwin's cat
May 30th, 2012
9:55 am
vote NO on T-SPLOST’s
Brosephus™
May 30th, 2012
9:55 am
there needs to be a better way to move accross Georgia without going through Atlanta and right now there isn’t one.
You just have to take the scenic route.
Jm
May 30th, 2012
9:55 am
Granny
Poop happens
josef
May 30th, 2012
9:58 am
I’m Liberal
Many is the time I rose to George Bush’s defense and I’ve ruffled many a feather with my defense of Sarah Palin’s supposed gaffe with “I can see Russia…”
JohnnyReb…
One of the hardest jobs in the profession is simultaneous interpreting. There are some gaffes such as the one Carter’s interpreter made, that ARE inexcusable, but there are others, such as this one, that are one of those “oops” moments which, unfortunately, are played out on the world stage.
Talk to any of us in the field, and you’ll get a nice little collection of personal gaffes…
I made the mistake of telling the Israeli ambassador to Costa Rica that I found his wife a hottie! Luckily Spanish was not his native language either and he knew what I meant to say and how I made the mistake. But the native speakers present gasped!
Oscar
May 30th, 2012
9:58 am
I will probably vote no. Can’t see building more roads and highways and no to another perimeter outside the one we have now. I agree with the Seirra Club. Hold out for more rail. Even if it takes longer to get it done.
Oscar
May 30th, 2012
10:01 am
there needs to be a better way to move accross Georgia without going through Atlanta and right now there isn’t one.
_______
There is never a better way than the best way that exists at any given point in time. Drive from Augusta to Columbus through Macon is not bad. Lots of nice small towns and pine trees to admire.
Steve
May 30th, 2012
10:05 am
So, let’s do what’s working for other cities. Let’s learn from their success. Imagine that.It is possible, but it does mean changing out mindsets and evolving.
Granny Godzilla - Union Thugette
May 30th, 2012
10:06 am
Godless heathen
his purpose? Yo mean this stuff?
Below I summarize Senator Obama’s legislative record in the US Senate.
First I list the bills he sponsored that have become law.
Next I summarize the bills that he has sponsored or cosponsored since he became a US Senator in 2005.
I have only included major pieces of legislation and have not summarized continuing resolutions or naming post offices, for example.
His record suggests several priorities and the bills he supports address many of our most pressing problems.
Most of his legislative effort has been in the area of Energy Efficiency and Climate Change (25 bills), health care (21 bills) and public health (20 bills), consumer protection/labor (14 bills), the needs of Veterans and the Armed Forces (13 bills), Congressional Ethics and Accountability (12 bills), Foreign Policy (10 bills) Voting and Elections (9 bills), Education (7 bills), Hurricane Katrina Relief (6), the Environment (5 bills), Homeland Security (4 bills), and discrimination (4 bills).
Of the 15 bills Senator Obama sponsored or co-sponsored in 2005-7 that became law:
Two addressed foreign policy:
Promote relief, security and democracy in the Congo (2125)
Develop democratic institutions in areas under Palestinian control (2370).
Three addressed public health:
Improve mine safety (2803)
Increased breast cancer funding (597)
Reduce preterm delivery and complications, reduce infant mortality (707).
Two addressed openness and accountability in government:
Strengthening the Freedom of Information Act (2488)
Full disclosure of all entities receiving federal funds (2590)
Two addressed national security
Extend Terrorist Risk Insurance (467)
Amend the Patriot Act (2167)
One addressed the needs of the Armed Forces
Wave passport fees to visit graves, attend memorials/funerals of veterans abroad (1184).
Of the 570 bills Senator Obama introduced into the Senate during the 109th and 110th Congress (Senate Bill numbers are in parentheses), they can be summarized as follows:
25 addressed Energy Efficiency and Climate Change
Suspend royalty relief for oil and gas (115)
Reduce dependence on oil; use of alternative energy sources (133)
Increase fuel economy standards for cars (767, 768)
Auto industry incentives for fuel efficient vehicles (1151)
Reduce green house gas emissions (1324)
Establish at NSF a climate change education program (1389)
Increase renewable content of gasoline (2202)
Energy emergency relief for small businesses and farms (269)
Strategic gasoline and fuel reserves (1794)
Alternative diesel standards (3554)
Coal to liquid fuel promotion (3623)
Renewable diesel standards (1920)
Reducing global warming pollution from vehicles (2555)
Fuel security and consumer choice (1994, 2025)
Alternative energy refueling system (2614)
Climate change education (1389)
Low income energy assistance (2405)
Oil savings targets (339)
Fuel economy reform (3694)
Plug-in electric drive vehicles (1617)
Nuclear release notice (2348)
Passenger rail investment (294)
Energy relief for low income families (2405)
21 addressed Health Care
Drug re-importation (334)
Health information technology (1262, 1418)
Discount drug prices (2347)
Health care associated infections (2278)
Hospital quality report cards (692, 1824)
Medical error disclosure and compensation (1784)
Emergency medical care and response (1873)
Stem cell research (5)
Medical Malpractice insurance (1525)
Health centers renewal (901, 3771)
Children’s health insurance (401)
Home health care (2061)
Medicare independent living (2103)
Microbicides for HIV/AIDS (823)
Ovarian cancer biomarker research (2569)
Gynological cancers (1172)
Access to personalized medicine through use of human genome (976)
Paralysis research and care (1183)
20 addressed Public Health:
Violence against women (1197)
Biodefense and pandemic preparedness and response (1821, 1880)
Viral influenza control (969)
End homelessness (1518)
Reduce STDs/unintended pregnancy (1790)
Smoking prevention and tobacco control (625)
Minority health improvement and disparity elimination (4024)
Nutrition and physical education in schools (2066)
Health impact assessments (1067, 2506)
Healthy communities (1068)
Combat methamphetamines (2071)
Paid sick leave (910)
Prohibit mercury sales (833, 1818)
Prohibit sale of lead products (1306, 2132)
Lead exposure in children (1811, 2132)
14 address Consumer Protection/Labor
Stop unfair labor practices (842)
Fair minimum wage (2, 1062, 2725, 3829)
Internet freedom (2917)
Credit card safety (2411)
Media ownership (2332)
Protecting taxpayer privacy (2484)
Working family child assistance (218)
Habeus Corpus Restoration (185)
Bankruptcy protection for employees and retirees (2092)
FAA fair labor management dispute resolution (2201)
Working families flexibility (2419).
13 addressed the Needs of Veterans and the Armed Forces:
Improve Benefits (117)
Suicide prevention (479)
Needs of homeless veterans (1180)
Homes for veterans (1084)
GI Bill enhancement (43)
Military job protection
Dignity in care for wounded vets (713)
Housing assistance for low income veterans (1084)
Military children in public schools (2151)
Military eye injury research and care (1999)
Research physical/mental health needs from Iraq War (1271)
Proper administration of discharge for personality disorder (1817, 1885)
Security of personal data of veterans (3592)
12 addressed Congressional Ethics and Accountability
Lobbying and ethics reform (230)
Stop fraud (2280)
Legislative transparency and accountability (525)
Open government (2180, 2488)
Restoring fiscal discipline (10)
Transparency and integrity in earmarks (2261)
Accountability of conference committee deliberations and reports (2179)
Federal funding accountability and transparency (2590)
Accountability and oversight for private security functions under Federal
contract (674)
Accountability for contractors and personnel under federal contracts
(2147) Resctrictions awarding government contracts (2519)
10 addressed Foreign Policy:
Iraq war de-escalation (313)
US policy for Iraq (433),
Divestiture from Iran (1430)
Sudan divestment authorization (831)
Millennium Development Goals (2433)
Multilateral debt relief (1320)
Development bank reform (1129)
Nuclear nonproliferation (3131,977,2224).
9 address Voting/Elections
Prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections (453)
Voter access to polls and services in Federal elections (737)
Voter intimidation and deceptive practices (1975)
Senate campaign disclosure parity (185)
Require reporting for bundled campaign contributions (2030)
Election jamming prevention (4102)
Campaign disclosure parity (223)
Presidential funding (2412)
Integrity of electronic voting systems (1487)
11 addressed Education
Increase access of low income African Americans to higher education (1513)
Establish teaching residency programs (1574)
Increase early intervention services (2111)
Middle school curriculum improvements (2227)
Public database of scholarships, fellowships and financial aid (2428)
Summer learning programs (116)
TANF financial education promotion (924)
Higher education (1642)
Build capacity at community colleges (379)
Campus law enforcement in emergencies (1228)
Support for teachers (2060).
6 addressed Hurrican Katrina
Hurricane Katrina recovery (2319)
Emergency relief (1637)
Bankruptcy relief and community protection (1647)
Working family tax relief (2257)
Fair wages for recovery workers (1749)
Gulf coast infrastructure redevelopment (1836)
5 addressed the Environment
Drinking water security (218, 1426)
Water resources development (728)
Waste water treatment (1995)
Combat illegal logging (1930)
Spent nuclear fuel tracking and Acountability (1194)
Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act (Introduced in Senate)[S.726.IS ]
4 addressed Discrimination
Claims for civil class action based on discrimination (1989)
Domestic partnership benefits (2521)
Unresolved civil rights crimes (535)
Equality or two parent families (2286)
4 addressed Homeland Security
Judicial review of FISA orders (2369)
National emergency family locator (1630)
Amend US Patriot Act (2167)
Chemical security and safety (2486)
H/T Daily Kos and http://www.Thomas.gov
Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")
May 30th, 2012
10:07 am
“There is never a better way than the best way that exists at any given point in time. Drive from Augusta to Columbus through Macon is not bad. Lots of nice small towns and pine trees to admire.”
People are actually trying to get somewhere and not look at pine tree’s.
Oscar
May 30th, 2012
10:08 am
So, let’s do what’s working for other cities. Let’s learn from their success. Imagine that.It is possible, but it does mean changing out mindsets and evolving.
_____
Looks to me like the most successful cities are the ones that rely on the most rail. Worst examples are those that went heavily into roads and have to rely on cars and buses.
Brosephus™
May 30th, 2012
10:09 am
Drive from Augusta to Columbus through Macon is not bad.
Columbus to Chattanooga can be done by Hwy 27 through Bremen. Pretty good road too, and you get to go through Rome and Chickamauga. Likewise, one can go from Chattanooga to Tallahasse, FL without hitting Atlanta using the same highway.
Oscar
May 30th, 2012
10:10 am
People are actually trying to get somewhere and not look at pine tree’s.
————
The times I have crossed Georgia east – west I hardly saw any traffic. Where would you put a road, or just four lanes the ones that are already there.
josef
May 30th, 2012
10:12 am
STEVE
“People are actually trying to get somewhere and not look at pine tree’s”
Which is a good part of the problem, imauo.
Do we arrive earlier with nerves frayed and a bad attitude, or do we arrive later with more relaxed and in a better mood?
Oblama
May 30th, 2012
10:12 am
We need mass transit to send the illegal alien, drug pushing, violent thugs back where they belong. Just in : Citizens leaving New York State in droves. Over 3.4 million have left New York State in the last 6 years. Reason given? High taxes and over regulation. Where are they going? Places like Florida. Isn’t high taxes and over regulation Oblama’s platform and didn’t they vote for him? Yes but, but, but – they didn’t vote for high taxes on THEM…… it was supposed to be on every one else. Definition of a liberal: I’m going to save the world with YOUR money.
Soothsayer
May 30th, 2012
10:13 am
Fresh sheets
josef
May 30th, 2012
10:14 am
BROSEPHUS
Many is the time when we commuted to Floyd Country that we opted for 27…especially when 75 N was already gridlocked…
Oscar
May 30th, 2012
10:14 am
Isn’t high taxes and over regulation Oblama’s platform and didn’t they vote for him?
________
High taxes and over regulation was not Obama’s platform.
The Thin Guy
May 30th, 2012
10:14 am
T-whatever has definitely affected me. I have turned off the recorder on my phone so I don’t have to listen to advocates and opponents. No way I’m going to the poles to vote about another tax. Stuff poor Jay Bookman can’t use.
http://sites.google.com/site/barackobamajokes/
Steve
May 30th, 2012
10:18 am
Oblama – Florida is already turning into NJ/NY with palm trees, high traffic, high taxes, high insurance…
Steve - USA (I support "None Of The Above")
May 30th, 2012
10:20 am
“Do we arrive earlier with nerves frayed and a bad attitude, or do we arrive later with more relaxed and in a better mood?”
Let me play at this game:
“Do we arrive later worn out and tired to the extent we may cause an accident and kill some crippled children?”
godless heathen
May 30th, 2012
10:21 am
Granny,
Right off the The Daily Kos website.
He bailed on the voters of Illinois after only 1/2 a 6 year term. Quitter.
Nuff said.
josef
May 30th, 2012
10:24 am
Steve
Don’t get in such a hurry, take time to stop and smell the roses…
**********************
Upstairs now, looks like fun…
Don't Forget
May 30th, 2012
10:31 am
Josef,
Do we arrive earlier with nerves frayed and a bad attitude, or do we arrive later with more relaxed and in a better mood?
That depends on whether you miss a turn you needed to take and wind up somewhere you didn’t want to go. Yeah I guess I should go ahead and get a GPS but still……. lol
Granny Godzilla - Union Thugette
May 30th, 2012
10:35 am
godless heathen
tee hee hee
and http://www.thomas.gov
bring on the debate over records big fella….we are SOOOO ready
Markos frightens the weak to be sure, nuff said.
Dot-ty
May 30th, 2012
10:35 am
“Altogether the project list includes $463 million for roads and bridges; $45 million for freight, logistics and aviation; $27 million for safety and traffic operations; $11 million for bicycle and pedestrian projects; $8 million for planning and management; and $7 million for public transit”
Including a major widening of GA 96, at $41 million, the road leading from former Gov. Perdue’s business to I-16.
Attribution: Macon Telegraph
Dot-ty
May 30th, 2012
10:44 am
$7 million for transit vs. $463 million for roads and bridges.
I can see where transit advocates might feel they are coming up a bit short.
However road builders & developers will be pleased with a return to the happy days of yesteryear when millions flowed into their pockets, without a whole lot of scrutiny.
Dave
May 30th, 2012
11:13 am
Does anyone believe this tax will ever go away? It will be just like the 400 tolls. As Herman would say……”they think we are stupid”…..VOTE NO
Adam
May 30th, 2012
11:27 am
Adam…………..reading you on here I had you figured to be an adult.
That’s totally funny cuz, like, reading YOU on here I thought the exact opposite of you.
Quayvon
May 30th, 2012
11:27 am
The most important player in the July 31 T-splost referendum – in most Georgia elections for that matter – is the person who programs the computers to count the votes on our touch screen/no-paper-trail voting machines.
No TSPLOST
May 30th, 2012
12:47 pm
http://www.spencer4georgia.com/vote-no-on-t-splost/
G Mare 71(PLEASE VOTE NO ON TSPLOST)
May 30th, 2012
1:22 pm
I am voting NO because I am on a fixed income. And because the last one here in Cobb was used to widen sidewalks very few ever use.
Rabbit
May 30th, 2012
2:36 pm
Solutions may be hard to come by. The almost 7 hour road closing on I-75 Saturday shows those sitting for 4 and 5 hours without any detour plans or directions that the state and region are a long way from understanding or remembering how Georgia (Atlanta in particular) became the bright star of the south.
Without comprehensive transportation planning, including crisis response, Charlotte, Chattanooga and Birmingham will forge ahead. (okay, probably not Birmingham)
Slip
May 30th, 2012
2:40 pm
for the Cobb guy who worries money will go to sidewalks: It may seem a waste, but from the state perspective, it is more money. The way it works is the Federal Government will match some of this money, but only if ADA (disabilities act) is met in area of improvement. So, sidewalks are simply the cost of getting Federal matching money.
Eric
May 30th, 2012
4:30 pm
Vote NO.
Hokey47
May 30th, 2012
8:46 pm
How can I vote for this when I just got my Dekalb property tax assesment and it went up 10%? I don’t have a vote on the property tax, I certainly have a vote on the T-SPLOT.
Morning Reads for Wednesday, May 30
May 30th, 2012
9:00 pm
[...] Can the citizens of metro Atlanta vote with a regional mindset? [...]
progressive conservative?!
May 31st, 2012
6:59 am
I thought all taxes need to be progressive? You know, if you make more you get taxed more. Liberals are supporting this non-progressive tax (turns out hey love all taxes). Poor people will be paying a larger portion of their income on this tax than wealthy people. Let hear the liberals defend that!
stoptsplost
May 31st, 2012
3:10 pm
VOTE “NO” on TSPLOST on July 31, 2012
NO NEW TAXES – this is a new tax that has never existed before. DON’T VOTE A NEW TAX ON YOURSELF.
INCREASES THE SALES TAX ON FOOD, electricity and other essentials to build new roads. Ups sales taxes from 7 to 8 % for TEN years. No effect on gas tax or other transportation related activities.
ONLY 1/4 OF TAX COLLECTED IS RETURNED to the county. The rest goes to GDOT to build roads around the region mostly in urban, and not rural areas.
UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Creates a new level of government between the State and the County: Regional Transportational Authority that is not accountable to the People.
To help stop the TSPLOST go to http://www.StopTSPLOST2012.com
BrittanyUnderwwod82
May 31st, 2012
4:21 pm
I’m voting Yes and I’m trying to get all my friends to vote Yes! After a recent visit to Chicago this Memorial Day weekend and from my numerous visits to New York it just amazes me that Atlanta is just as great a city as they are but we are lacking severely in the transportation arena. We HAVE to put some money into our transit system if we expect to be on par with other major cities.
Mama Says
May 31st, 2012
8:27 pm
I am voting no but not because I am conservative.
As a voter I contacted a local elected official about the projects on the list. As a practical matter we can pave every inch of ground for a 40 mile radius around Atlanta. But when we do and traffic becomes lighter more people will drive. More people will move here and more companies will relocate. In 20 years the paved space will be packed and we will be yelling about transportation.
Anyway I asked this commissioner why we cannot focus on lite rail ( kinda like the Disney monorail ) and connect all south side cities instead of simply widening the roads we have and building accesses to them.
The answer I got reflects the entire problem. I was told that the cost would not reflect the benefit and usage and that drivers just need more room. Now I ask you, in this age of progressive thinking why can’t we get a politician to think like they are in the 21 st century ?
Of course we see no benefit. When we do not allow a modern thought to emerge in favor of the same old same old we defeat ourselves.
As long as politicians think wider roads will fix the problem, while they are beating a path to more and more growth at the same time we will always have to widen the roads. Lite rail requires adding more cars, which do you think will be cheaper in the long run.
Vote no on backward leadership, until they can spend our money and think at the same time
Ben The Independent
June 1st, 2012
9:56 am
Jay, you keep your negative attitude going. I thought you might be for TSPLOST but you even appose that. Do you really dislike the Atlanta region so much?
Jay
June 1st, 2012
9:58 am
Ben, I’m thinking that a remedial reading course may be in your future.
Mark from atlanta
June 1st, 2012
5:30 pm
Jay, you will not win many converts by comparing the Tsplost opponents to dogs.
John
June 3rd, 2012
7:52 am
I will not be voting for anything that raises my taxes Period!!!!
DawgDad
June 4th, 2012
12:41 pm
“Too many constituencies have their own unique if contradictory reasons for opposing it. Black, white, Republican, Democratic, suburban, urban, liberal, conservative — arguments are available for each group to justify saying no.”
Hmmm. Concern over the “other dog getting the bigger bone” would be a COMMON (not unique and contradictory) reason for opposing the tax. The only way for a tax initiative like this to carry the day is to provide compelling benefits to a majority of voters. This one does not, and the downside is the 10-year tax will crowd out far more attractive proposals, likely forever.
Why the July T-splost May be in Trouble
June 4th, 2012
4:55 pm
[...] http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2012/05/30/why-the-july-t-splost-may-be-in-trouble/?cxntfid=bl... [...]
trudy
June 5th, 2012
1:38 pm
every time i have to sit at one of those ramp stoplight configurations i realize how stupidly they can spend money… give them more? not a chance
Mike
June 5th, 2012
5:13 pm
The northern suburbs, such as Alpharetta and Kennesaw, came into being as a result of people who left Atlanta when Maynard Jackson was elected mayor. Now, these same people who have created their own traffic mess and want nothing to do with Atlanta want the biggest piece of the T-SPLOST pie.
Mike
June 5th, 2012
5:19 pm
We cannot pave our way out of this mess. I travel 285, 75 & 85 five days a week in an effor to avoid the heaviest traffic. Two of the worst jams on 285 occur at its widest points, Ashford-Dunwoody and 400. Until we fix this mess good-paying jobs will not be brought here; if you lose your job be prepared to do a nationwide job search and look at the possibility of having to move. My wife frequents estate sales; used to be for people who have deceased, but now these sales are being conducted for people who are moving out of the COUNTRY to either follow a job or to find work.