What’s Plan B if T-SPLOST fails here, passes elsewhere?
The claim by proponents of the T-SPLOST that there is “no Plan B” — no alternative to the proposed 1 percent increase in the sales tax and the $6.1 billion in regional transportation projects it would build — has always struck me as silly.
Is there another plan already prepared and waiting in the wings should voters reject the tax in July? Probably not. In that sense, the “no Plan B” talk rings true. But surely no one believes local and state officials would just quit trying to speed up the construction of new roads and mass transit. A second option would emerge, probably sooner than later.
That said, there is one real nightmare scenario for those who would have to create a Plan B: The tax fails in metro Atlanta, but passes elsewhere.
We in metro Atlanta tend not to think about the tax referendum outside our 10-county region. But the rest of the state is divided into 11 other T-SPLOST regions, and the tax might very well pass in some of them.
Legislators discussed the reverse case — that the tax would pass in metro Atlanta and nowhere else — before passing the Transportation Investment Act two years ago. But I never heard anyone consider that traffic-choked Atlanta might turn it down while other regions embraced it.
For argument’s sake, let’s say voters in the three regions comprising Augusta, Columbus and Savannah approve the tax. Those regions represent a quarter of Georgia’s 159 counties and one-sixth of the state’s population.
What alternative could then be taken at the state level? For example, it would be seemingly impossible for the state to raise the motor fuel tax only in counties that rejected the T-SPLOST. It’d also be exceedingly unpopular in those counties, and probably counterproductive: Counties slapped with a higher gas tax would likely bleed some fuel sales, and thus revenues, to unaffected counties.
Counties that approved the tax would not watch idly if the state tried to raise another tax on everyone, just to take care of Atlanta. And they almost certainly would raise heck to make sure regions that rejected the tax were assessed the penalties in the law. Among the poison pills for a “no” vote: requiring locals to match 30 percent of state transportation spending rather than 10 percent.
Those penalties also would seem to prevent the state from simply devoting more funds to transportation in metro Atlanta. Complain all you want that the Legislature tries to control MARTA without contributing to its budget, but there are even longer odds of that changing if the T-SPLOST fails.
So, the likeliest Plan B is a do-over for Plan A. That would be a re-vote on a regional tax, probably with a revamped project list, in 2014; that’s when the tax, by law, would next be allowed on the ballot.
And I must say I’m torn about that prospect — although I’m certain it frightens those state officials who support the tax now and would be in the unenviable position of supporting it a second time while running for re-election (cough, cough, Gov. Nathan Deal).
My main hesitation toward the T-SPLOST is that the project list isn’t focused enough on our region’s worst traffic congestion, and that voting “yes” this summer will use up one of our precious few options for improving transportation. A two-year delay is worthwhile if it means we get it right.
But then, I’m not sure why we’d trust the same people to create a better list next time.
In fact, trust is shaping up to be a big factor in this referendum. But that will have to wait for another column.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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160 comments Add your comment
Will the last Democrat in Georgia please turn off the lights?.....
May 19th, 2012
7:57 am
Ayn Rant
May 19th, 2012
6:54 am
“The Asian “fare box” recovery figures include operating costs only; capital costs, including construction, acquisition, and upgrade are paid directly by municipal and national taxes without a lot of political hassle.”
The Asian countries mention are all also either super densely-populated socialist countries or countries with a very-heavy socialist element to them where extensive horizontal road building and widening are not really all that much of an option transportation or land-wise like in the U.S., where there is a really strong libertarian tradition that must be honored when considering transportation options.
“Rapid, reliable rail transit is as essential to urban areas as veins and arteries are to the human body.”
That is something that we are just starting to realize and recognize here in Atlanta and Georgia after a few decades of crushing growth have turned many of our major roads into parking lots at rush hour.
The question is how are we going to fund that rapid, reliable transit?
Are we going to sit around and wait until the end of time for a seemingly disinterested state legislature and corrupt bureaucracy to raise everyone’s taxes to the level of a business-adverse state in the Northeast?
Or are we going to come with a creative and innovate way to MUCH SOONER fund, build and make operational the infrastructure that we seem to be so desperately in need of?
Will the last Democrat in Georgia please turn off the lights?.....
May 19th, 2012
8:04 am
Lil’ Barry Bailout (Unexpectedly Revised Downward…Again)
May 19th, 2012
7:43 am
“Roads are essentially 100% funded by users through gas taxes, including both capital and operating expenses………….There is no non-parasite-maintenance-based reason transit should be any different.User pays.”
Exactly.
Users pay for roads, users should pay for transit.
User fees, NOT increasingly heavy but yet still limited tax subsidies, should be the dominant source of funding for transit.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Unexpectedly Revised Downward...Again)
May 19th, 2012
8:11 am
Prove that the transit system we HAVE can break even on its own without taxpayer subsidies and then we’ll talk about doing more transit.
Will the last Democrat in Georgia please turn off the lights?.....
May 19th, 2012
8:20 am
Lil’ Barry Bailout (Unexpectedly Revised Downward…Again)
May 19th, 2012
8:11 am
“Prove that the transit system we HAVE can break even on its own without taxpayer subsidies and then we’ll talk about doing more transit.”
That’s a really good challenge. I don’t think that anyone around these parts really cares enough to take you up on it anytime soon, but it is still a really good challenge to issue and have out there, at least conceptually.
The Fresh Prince of Bill Ayers
May 19th, 2012
8:40 am
Plan B: S-O-C-I-A-L-I-S-M…!!!!
…..Check it out Beavis..heh heh.. Europe is imploding financially…yeah yeah… heh heh we need Socialism here.
My dog is smarter than the dawg in here!
Lil' Barry Bailout (Unexpectedly Revised Downward...Again)
May 19th, 2012
8:43 am
That’s right, last Democrat. The transit experts designed MARTA and put trains and buses where they had the best chance for the highest ridership, and it’s a failure. Even the low-hanging fruit isn’t working out. It might, if they charged what was required to continue building and operating an efficient, safe system.
Let the users pay. Let the market speak. Right now, it’s saying “build more roads”.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Unexpectedly Revised Downward...Again)
May 19th, 2012
8:57 am
Wow…MARTA fares only cover one third of operating expenses (and none of the capital expenses).
Time to triple or quadruple fares.
Now with Ten Percent Fewer Calories
May 19th, 2012
9:07 am
Roads are expensive. We don’t need roads. We need tax cuts.
GDRLA
May 19th, 2012
9:10 am
I am originally from the Central Florida area (Orlando/Tampa) – I go there often to visit – FLA officials seem to have it right – Orlando (mostly) & other areas have an extensive network of TOLL Roads – those who choose (like me after several years of delay) pay to use the road – I have one of the SunPass Transponders on my vehicles which I take to the area – & if I choose to not pay I can spend a couple of additional hours of travel time going down Highway 441, US 27, or otherwise harking back to those good ole days of the fifties when it took my Dad 2 days to get to Atlanta from Tampa…Why can’t GA follow the ‘best practices’ of other states, regions, & authorities instead of continually trying to recreate the wheel?
Rafe Hollister
May 19th, 2012
9:11 am
Have you ever thought what good the 16B dollars the Oblama regime had wasted on their green energy folly, could have done for improving our roads? Talking about p***ing your resources away.
Now with Ten Percent Fewer Calories
May 19th, 2012
9:14 am
Have you ever thought about what good the trillion dollars the Bushwhacker klan had wasted on their Iraq war for oil folly, could have done for improving our roads? Talk about trickling down the resources.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Unexpectedly Revised Downward...Again)
May 19th, 2012
9:20 am
Have you ever thought about what good the trillion dollars [Our President Bush spent successfully prosecuting the war on terror and paving the way for 11 years without significant attacks against US assets] could have done for improving our roads?
————-
No.
Now with Ten Percent Fewer Calories
May 19th, 2012
9:24 am
When will gas taxes and tolls be increased enough to fully cover the cost of just constructing the roads. Currently, gas taxes only cover about half the cost and new sales taxes do nothing but continue the trend to subsidize the cost of road construction. Increase the gas tax to cover the full cost of road construction. And also never elect another Bushwhacker or one of his klan because all they do is blow tax dollars fighting worthless wars for the benefit of their male Saudi lovers.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Unexpectedly Revised Downward...Again)
May 19th, 2012
9:29 am
When will gas taxes and tolls be increased enough to fully cover the cost of just constructing the roads.
——————–
1932.
Now with Ten Percent Fewer Calories
May 19th, 2012
9:31 am
Have you ever thought about why the Bushwhacker klan chose to ignore our President Clinton and his administration’s warnings to be on the watch for attacks from bin Laden and why the Bushwhacker klan let our great country be attacked by a Saudi family member and then did not even go after the Saudi’s at all?
Lil' Barry Bailout (Unexpectedly Revised Downward...Again)
May 19th, 2012
9:33 am
Have you ever thought about why Clinton ignored his own warnings and allowed bin Laden to operate freely, without fear of the U.S., and turned down the Sudan’s offer to deliver bin Laden to U.S. custody?
atlmom
May 19th, 2012
9:37 am
how about all that land that is used for parking? what a waste…wouldn’t it be better if there was something else there?
Now with Ten Percent Fewer Calories
May 19th, 2012
9:46 am
Thank God our great President Obama was elected. He saved us from the absolute failure that was the Bushwhacker and our great President Obama took out the man that the Bushwhacker had been warned about, bin Laden.
killerj
May 19th, 2012
10:00 am
After watching for 30+ years wasting millions of dollars on I-285 from the Federal Government(not to mention certain co. & people who benefit from it) you would be a fool to raise something you would never see go back down, not to mention in less than 5 years will be asking for more,you have a state that can,t even manage education let alone transportation,”VOTE NO”,lets go to plan “C”,private busisness to make it right.
td
May 19th, 2012
10:05 am
Now with Ten Percent Fewer Calories
May 19th, 2012
9:46 am
Obama sure did take out Osama (only good thing he has done in 3 1/2 years in office). He did not know enough about the military so he continued the Bush doctrine and followed the Bush plan in Iraq for Afg. and doubled the number of troops.
carlosgvv
May 19th, 2012
10:24 am
If any of you think the Georgia politicians will honestly spend this tax money on highway projects, and not on pet pork projects, then, by all means, vote yes.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
May 19th, 2012
10:31 am
Praise Allah our great Idiot Klown Obozo was elected. He saved us from the absolute failure that was 5% unemployment, measly $300 billion deficits, and smaller numbers of parasites on the dole.
Now with Ten Percent Fewer Calories
May 19th, 2012
10:47 am
Gasoline taxes and motor vehicle taxes only covered 0.9 percent of the expenditures used for roads in Georgia in 2008. When will people that use the roads start paying for their roads instead of pawning the costs off on others. And thank God that the Bushwhacker and his klan can no longer do this great country any more harm. Georgie the Bushwhacker will go down in history as the worst excuse for a Supreme courst selected leader in history. Right next to Ronnie Bonzo Raygun. What a loser.
sirwinston
May 19th, 2012
11:06 am
True in all comments but the the real facts are….GDOT are not running out of money. They want to make everyone pay for their continuing mistakes they are making again and again. Look at the Toll-Road G-400, already paid for but they keep making you pay to drive on it in so many different ways using all of the recent things they have put into affect; however, none of it is working. To end this, it is time they start using all of the stockpile of money they are not telling us about….when that is used, then come up with a good, workable and reasonable Plan-B, C or D. The highways and byways being built goes right back into the grady curve and eveyone is trapped! So stop asking the citizen of Georiga to pay more and more with all of the SPLOST you all keep coming up with!
Lil' Barry Bailout (Unexpectedly Revised Downward...Again)
May 19th, 2012
11:20 am
“Gasoline taxes and motor vehicle taxes only covered 0.9 percent of the expenditures used for roads in Georgia in 2008″
————————-
Bull.
Georgia collected $921 million in gas taxes in 2011 and the budget for the entire DOT was $682 million.
The Fresh Prince of Bill Ayers
May 19th, 2012
11:20 am
And thank God that the Bushwhacker and his klan can no longer do this great country any more harm
President Pumpernickel has done nothing but whine and campaign for 3 1/2 years. What a loser.
Dusty
May 19th, 2012
11:32 am
Ten percent Fewer calories and even lesser amounts of intelligence, @ 10:47
PLease pack up your poison pen paid persistent propaganda for political purposes and move along. We know who is president now and he is the one making mistakes and piling on debt. President Obama!!
Every time you post, one of the half dozen Democrats in Georgia decides to vote for Romney. You will probably be the last man standing. Enjoy!
Rafe Hollister
May 19th, 2012
11:35 am
If it was not for Bushwacker, Oblamer would be unable to speak; not a bad idea actually. He can’t begin a sentence without mentioning Bush and what he inherited.
Now with Ten Percent Fewer Calories
May 19th, 2012
11:39 am
Dusty,
Say pretty please. You Bushwhacker tool.
zeke
May 19th, 2012
11:45 am
Hopefully voters in the Atlanta area will show at least some little intelligence and vote no on this socialist third world plan boondoggle! All marta related plans and other rail/mass transit plans including beltline and trolley must be dropped! They will do nothing to reduce congestion! Instead, the outer loop along with several direct route by passes need to be the plan! Very limited access on each, with the idea to route traffic away from the city that needs not to be in the city! Ban all commercial vehicles that have no destination in the city from coming in and force them to use the loop or a bypass to get around the city! AND ENFORCE IT WITH STIFF FINES AND PENALTIES! THAT WILL AT LEAST HELP SOLVE THE CONGESTION!
Blueprint for Plan B
May 19th, 2012
12:05 pm
There is a blueprint for Plan B — and it should be acted upon BEFORE Plan A fails:
http://www.north-x-northwest.com
Dusty
May 19th, 2012
12:22 pm
Now with 10 % less @11:39
Please, my pretty, go away. You Obama oddity!
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
May 19th, 2012
12:35 pm
What Plan B might look like depends on how badly the referendum fails. If it’s close, tweaks based on certain area’s votes will be made. If it’s a wipeout, then the plan likely gets scrapped and something more rational goes before the voters in 2014.
Now with Ten Percent Fewer Calories
May 19th, 2012
12:36 pm
Georgia collected $921 million in gas taxes in 2011 and the budget for the entire DOT was $682 million.
Bull yourself. Georgia collected $366,344,100 in 2010 from its 7.5 cent per gallon tax. And your number said nothing about the percentage of road construction, design, maintenance, etc., cost in the state of Georgia that is covered by fuel tax so double bull on your bull.
Now with Ten Percent Fewer Calories
May 19th, 2012
12:37 pm
Please, my pretty, go away.
No. Say pretty please, you Bushwhacker tool.
Now with Ten Percent Fewer Calories
May 19th, 2012
12:40 pm
Just say no to sales taxes to pay for any roads. And say no to property taxes to pay for roads. And say no to income taxes to pay for roads. Let the true cost of roads be covered by the fuel and motor vehicle taxes as it should be and just like what is expected of public transportation. It’s the fair thing to do.
ScottNATL
May 19th, 2012
1:00 pm
Let me start by saying I work from home, but I’m voting yes…here are some simple reasons why…
1. MARTA avg weekly ridership is 400,000 trips (this does not include other county transit agencies). If the sales tax does not pass, the 50/50 stays in place, there will be draconian cuts to MARTA. If 2% of those riders are forced back in cars…thats 8,000 people per DAY added to the commute. If you think traffic is bad now…vote no and add about 30mins to your commute if you have one. Thats a lot of extra gas you’ll be buying…more than that 1 cent sales tax I’m willing to bet. I for one was amazed that the regional leaders could agree on a list in the first place and for that they deserve a lot of credit
ScottNATL
May 19th, 2012
1:05 pm
@killerj The only way this tax could go past 10 yrs is for a vote to be taken exactly like this one to approve it…try again (or check politifact GA which rated it as false)
show me kid
May 19th, 2012
1:07 pm
There are examples all over town where the Govt has wasted money on projects that do not relieve traffic congestion. Transportation projects should be fundeed by the users, not by a sales tax, especially with all of the out of state people who come through here and use our roads
Dave
May 19th, 2012
1:21 pm
You are exactly right at the end of the column. The “list” of scattershot projects is not a regional plan and the folks that put it together and would administer the projects aren’t trustworthy – the reasons I’ll be voting no.
Ben
May 19th, 2012
1:36 pm
I just came from the monthly NAACP meeting with 2 Dekalb County commissioners attending who were exhorting those in attendance to vote no. Also the local Tea Party headed by a lady named Debbie Dooley is allying itself with the NAACP to tell it’s members to vote no(for a different reason, though).
Aquagirl
May 19th, 2012
1:45 pm
Bull yourself. Georgia collected $366,344,100 in 2010 from its 7.5 cent per gallon tax. And your number said nothing about the percentage of road construction, design, maintenance, etc., cost in the state of Georgia that is covered by fuel tax
Li’ Barry apparently only drives on Georgia highways, which are the only roads fully funded by GDOT. GDOT also gets Federal funds for some projects. The Federal gas tax does not cover the Federal DOT budget either. Roads are built and maintained by a pretty complex funding system.
Simply put, roads are not paid for by users. The idea you cover your user fee every time you gas up is bull.
Rafe Hollister
May 19th, 2012
2:13 pm
@killerj The only way this tax could go past 10 yrs is for a vote to be taken exactly like this one to approve it…try again (or check politifact GA which rated it as false)
All those folks driving GA 400 and paying a toll would cry FOUL. Promises from a political body are like teats on a boar hog, totally useless. One legislature can not command another to follow its bidding.
Dusty
May 19th, 2012
2:14 pm
Bull fighting is not the way to go.
phillip
May 19th, 2012
2:33 pm
I wonder what the odds are of this ‘failing’ in every single county? I’m certainly voting against it. I voted against the regular SPLOST vote last November in Troup County. It barely passed. I can’t imagine this ridiculous vote passing in Troup, and certainly can’t imagine it passing in Meriwether, Harris, Coweta, and Fayette. I could be wrong.
The Hidden Benefits of Sales Taxes
May 19th, 2012
2:40 pm
But Caterpillar will be relying on an upcoming transportation sales tax vote to fund improvements to U.S. Highway 441, the road the company will use to ship products to the Savannah port.
“That Transportation Investment Act is critical in making Georgia competitive,” Caterpillar CEO Doug Oberhelman said at a Feb. 17 press conference announcing the plant. “We’ll work for it, from all of our employees’ perspective here in Georgia to help get that passed here this summer.”
If Northeast Georgia voters approve the 1 percent tax, it will pay to widen 441 to four lanes between Madison and Eatonton. The other remaining two-lane stretch, between Watkinsville and Madison, can’t be widened because of federal environmental and archaeological regulations, according to state DOT Planning Director Todd Long.
Will the last Democrat in Georgia please turn off the lights?.....
May 19th, 2012
2:50 pm
Tiberius – Banned from Bookman’s and proud of it!
May 19th, 2012
12:35 pm
“What Plan B might look like depends on how badly the referendum fails. If it’s close, tweaks based on certain area’s votes will be made. If it’s a wipeout, then the plan likely gets scrapped and something more rational goes before the voters in 2014.”
I don’t know, I kind of agree with Wingfield’s assertion that Governor Deal is not going to want to have to support a tax increase while running for re-election in a heated Republican primary in which he is more than likely to receive a stiff challenge from the very conservative big government and tax-averse right side of his party.
I get the feeling that if this T-SPLOST referendum fails, whether by a small margin or by landslide, that there will not be another list put before the public again, nor should there be.
By putting these transportation decisions before voters, the State Legislature has basically punted back to us the voters the tasks of a job that we elected, hired and pay THEM to do.
Rafe Hollister
May 19th, 2012
3:14 pm
A wide road through Putnam county and Eatonton will do no good, unless you can get rid of the speed traps. I think that county, as well as others (insert your favorite) depend mainly on fines for their existence.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
May 19th, 2012
3:26 pm
Quibble over the exact numbers all you will, but the knucklehead who claimed Georgia’s gas tax only covered 0.9% of what we spend on roads is full of…
Bull.
The Hidden Benefits of Sales Taxes
May 19th, 2012
3:35 pm
I see a knucklehead that claims to know how much the gas tax covers but has nothing but a Lil’ bull to back it up. Very Lil’ bull.