T-SPLOST falls in metro Atlanta; several incumbents unseated
UPDATE at 12:16 p.m.: My colleagues on the news side have now called the referendum as well, declaring T-SPLOST defeated in metro Atlanta. It’s on to Plan B. The one thing I can say with certainty: There will be a Plan B.
That’s it for tonight. More to come Wednesday.
UPDATE at 11:55 p.m.: At least four incumbent House members were defeated Tuesday by challengers:
- Charlice Byrd, R-Woodstock, lost 53-47 to Michael Caldwell;
- Steve Davis, R-McDonough, lost 65-35 to Dale Rutledge;
- Doug McKillip, an Athenian who went from being a member of the House Democratic leadership to a Republican who this year sponsored the so-called fetal pain anti-abortion bill, lost 50.4-49.6 to Regina Quick;
- Keith Heard, D-Athens, lost 55-45 to Spencer Frye.
In addition, there are two districts where House Democratic incumbents were paired against each other. Pat Gardner had a 63-37 lead over Rashad Taylor, while Simone Bell led Ralph Long 57-43.
And another six House incumbents were in real trouble: Judy Manning, R-Marietta; Yasmin Neal, D-Jonesboro; Glenn Baker, D-Jonesboro; Kip Smith, R-Columbus; and Jason Spencer, R-Woodbine, all were trailing late Tuesday night, and Pam Dickerson, D-Conyers, was headed for a runoff against Sharon Sawyer.
UPDATE at 11:30 p.m.: My prediction of a single-digit loss for metro Atlanta’s T-SPLOST is looking shaky. With two-thirds of the region’s precincts reporting, the tax is trailing by a whopping 18 28 percentage points, 64-36 (sorry, late-night math — KW). We shall see what the final margin is, but I feel safe in saying the tax has been defeated.
In other news, it would appear state Sen. Jack Murphy survived a tough primary challenge. Other endangered Senate incumbents (see previous update) were still having to sweat it out. Sens. Miriam Paris and Bill Heath, and probably Gail Davenport as well, appeared headed for runoffs.
UPDATE at 10:10 p.m.: A few incumbent state senators appear to be in some trouble tonight. With the caveat that it’s still early, with important parts of these districts still to report, the nervous ones tonight are:
- Majority Whip Cecil Station, R-Macon, who trails challenger Spencer Price 51-49 at the moment;
- Johnny Grant, R-Milledgeville, who trails Burt Jones 53-47;
- Miriam Paris, D-Macon, who trails former state Rep. David Lucas 48-47 (with a third candidate taking a handful of votes);
- Jack Murphy, R-Cumming, who has drawn criticism for remaining chairman of the Senate Banking Committee while being sued by the FDIC, leads Steve Voshall 50.2-49.8;
- Bill Heath, R-Bremen, a.k.a. the man who put longtime Speaker Tom Murphy out of politics, leads Bill Carruth 45-42 in another three-man race;
- Gail Davenport, D-Jonesboro, is trailing former state Sen. Gail Buckner 48-37 in a three-person race;
UPDATE at 9:44 p.m.: In congressional races, we appear to be headed to runoffs in a couple of GOP primaries.
In the newly created 9th District centered on Hall and Forsyth counties, state Rep. Doug Collins has 42 percent of the vote and radio talk-show host Martha Zoller 41 percent. There still are a number of counties still to fully report in that large, Northeast Georgia district.
In the 12th, which Republicans redrew last year to be much more favorable to their party against incumbent Democrat John Barrow, state Rep. Lee Anderson has an early lead in a four-way race. But the Augusta area, home to two of the challengers, has yet to report most of its results.
We might also see a Republican runoff in the 2nd, although incumbent Democrat Sanford Bishop is much safer in his redrawn district than he was in 2010, when he barely held onto his office. Whoever emerges from the GOP side is unlikely to give him nearly as tough a run this year.
Neither Hank Johnson (D) nor Phil Gingrey (R) nor Lynn Westmoreland (R), the only incumbents to face more than one primary challenger, seems likely to end up in a runoff. (Note: I left Westmoreland off that list originally. — KW)
UPDATE at 9:30 p.m.: Two and a half hours after the polls closed, we still don’t have a ton of clarity about how T-SPLOST is faring in metro Atlanta. That’s because Clayton, DeKalb and Fulton counties are just beginning to report the bulk of their returns. When they do, the 66-34 lead for the “no” vote will narrow considerably. I still look for disapproval of the sales-tax hike by single digits.
That said, the nightmare scenario for state officials seems to be unfolding: Metro Atlanta, for whom the T-SPLOST was created, will vote it down while it passes in other regions, tying the hands of state lawmakers in coming up with Plan B. The tax is currently ahead in the regions surrounding Augusta and Columbus, along with the one in rural southeast-central (ish) Georgia stretching from Wrightsville to Jesup. I still think the only option will be for another vote within a couple of years.
ORIGINAL POST:
Tonight — or early Wednesday morning — we’ll learn the fate not only of the T-SPLOST in metro Atlanta and 11 other regions around the state. We’ll also find out the winners in a number of elections for Congress and the statehouse, whether other races are going to runoffs, and how the ballot measures fared in the Democratic and GOP primaries.
I’ll update this post as the evening wears on. You can get results here.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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456 comments Add your comment
Brosephus™
July 31st, 2012
11:57 pm
The bottom line is that the 1% the govt will be applying to road work, is 1% less that people will be spending in the private sector.
Not entirely true. Most road work is contracted out to private sector companies, so the majority of that money ends right back in the private sector. The only difference is that the money is funneled through the government to the road builders. As it stands now, there is no mechanism in place for people to pool money together to build their own road system.
That said, it’s way past my bed time. This vote ended up just about where I thought it would, so now I’ll go become one with my pillow.
G Mare
July 31st, 2012
11:58 pm
Must say, I wish that gambling thing had been on the Dem ballot. I’d have voted yes. I do love to gamble.
Kyle Wingfield
July 31st, 2012
11:59 pm
Bruno @ 11:44: That lead for Pezold is pretty narrow, and Muscogee isn’t all the way in yet. I wouldn’t celebrate just yet.
Breyawna
August 1st, 2012
12:00 am
Watched Mayor Reed presiding over the pity party on the late news a few minutes ago. He thinks we (voters) simply need to be better educated on the wonderful attributes of T-SPLOST and that there should be another vote for us to amend the error of our ways. He came across a bit arrogant, to be expected I suppose when you’ve backed the wrong horse.
Kyle Wingfield
August 1st, 2012
12:09 am
BW @ 11:57: As Galloway alludes in his column, the legislators will have something to say about that — if they want to. They have to appropriate the money, after all. But as he also alludes, they might be perfectly happy to pass it off to him. It will be interesting to see.
Hillbilly D
August 1st, 2012
12:10 am
Kyle
Bet you a Co-Cola that if Deal takes over the road building, South Hall will get all of it’s projects.
Fred ™
August 1st, 2012
12:10 am
G Mare
July 31st, 2012
11:58 pm
Must say, I wish that gambling thing had been on the Dem ballot. I’d have voted yes. I do love to gamble.
++++++++++++++++++++
Yeah Gmare, but Gov’t “gambling’ has odds that would get regular betting joints tossed in jail.
G Mare
August 1st, 2012
12:10 am
Bruno@11:53, sorry, I don’t understand your reply to my post. Well, it is late & I need a refill.
Bruno
August 1st, 2012
12:11 am
Bruno @ 11:44: That lead for Pezold is pretty narrow, and Muscogee isn’t all the way in yet. I wouldn’t celebrate just yet.
Oops–Didn’t mean to call it too early. I’m not in John’s district, so couldn’t help him out with a vote. I live on the poor side of town.
The most significant race for me personally is a local judge race. The incumbent has been a thorn in the side of my business for a while. That one is going to a runoff.
intown resident
August 1st, 2012
12:14 am
I hope all you suburban commuters choke on the traffic- you deserve it. Grow up and pay tolls to offset the cost of your cushy ride God forbid you should ride on a bus or train with the little people.
Or you could move into the city and walk or bicycle to work.I can;t believe you Norquist sheep complained about a fifty cent toll when you pay over six bucks in tolls to get into NYC. Shame on all of you.
Fred ™
August 1st, 2012
12:15 am
Hillbilly D
August 1st, 2012
12:10 am
Kyle
Bet you a Co-Cola that if Deal takes over the road building, South Hall will get all of it’s projects.
+++++++++++++++++++++
This is EXACTLY why Nathan Steal got elected. Once he quit his federal Congress seat he HAD to be elected so he could steal from the state to pay off his debts.
Ray
August 1st, 2012
12:18 am
Yaaayy! We’re losers!!! Yaaayyyy!!!
moonbat betty
August 1st, 2012
12:19 am
Funny thing is, Deal will probably turn out to be one of the better Gov.s for GA in the last 100 years.
Hillbilly D
August 1st, 2012
12:19 am
you pay over six bucks in tolls to get into NYC.
I haven’t even been to NYC since 1968.
Fred
Don’t worry about ol’ Nathan. He’s going to have his Congressional pension and his state pension (not sure if legislator and Governor is one pension or two). He’s gonna be just fine, financially.
He’s already appointed damn near everybody I know in Gainesville to some post of some kind. If somebody got left off the list, they ain’t one of the cool kids.
Hillbilly D
August 1st, 2012
12:20 am
Betty
You know the only Governor in recent memory who left office with a lower net worth than he went in with?
Bruno
August 1st, 2012
12:21 am
Bruno@11:53, sorry, I don’t understand your reply to my post. Well, it is late & I need a refill.
Let me rephrase then, GMare. The new jobs paid for by T-SPLOST will be funded by a 1 cent increase in sales tax. That 1 cent going to new taxes is 1 cent less that people can spend in the private sector, such as for food, clothes and entertainment. As such, the new jobs created in the government sector will (theoretically) be offset by jobs lost in the private sector since folks will have less money available to spend.
Brosephus’s theory, also known as Keynesian Economics, is that the government money will end up back in the private sector, such that there won’t be any corresponding loss of private sector jobs. There’s no hard evidence as to which theory is correct, so folks have to rely on their intuition. Personally, I don’t think that “make-work” jobs funded by increasing taxes is the answer.
Hope that clears things up a bit.
Kyle Wingfield
August 1st, 2012
12:21 am
All right, everyone. I’m turning in for the night. Commenting is going into moderation, after a much later night than we’ve had lately — thanks to everyone for keeping it civil. See y’all in the morning (but not too early…)
Fred ™
August 1st, 2012
12:22 am
HBD: Zell Miller?
Hillbilly D
August 1st, 2012
12:23 am
Kyle
At your age, an all-nighter should be no problem.
moonbat betty
August 1st, 2012
12:23 am
intown:
fine.
I’ve been ITP and traffic is 10X worse than anywhere else. It is ridiculous.
I dare you to take a rafting trip south of the ATL.
No wonder you ride a bike, it moves faster than the gridlock that is ITP!
Bruno
August 1st, 2012
12:23 am
Thanks again for the extended hours, Kyle.
Piedmont South from North Georgia
August 1st, 2012
12:25 am
G Mare
August 1st, 2012
12:10 am
_____
Don’t try to understand it. It indicates a complete lack of understanding of our economic system. Just pass it by and drop it in file 13.
kaitlinc
August 1st, 2012
12:39 am
To all you newnicks and young ones: Newsflash—traffic has sucked in metro Atlanta since at least the 1970’s when we came here. Half the revenues were to be spent on MARTA and non-road items, and the people in the cars on 285, 85, and 75 will NEVER give up their cars for MARTA. Have you ever tried rush hour in Washington, DC, where the loop is always full of orange garbage cans and cones? Or Los Angeles? Or New York, where the drivers are just much more rude? Atlanta isn’t really that bad. The reason this went down is because we are sick to death of the government holding out its hand for money and then wasting money we needed in this economy to feed, clothe, and educate our kids. And, by the way, why are we still paying tolls on GA 400?
Darrel
August 1st, 2012
12:44 am
Is anyone surprised, really? The people are tired of taxes and tired of Taxicrats! The economy is down politicians wether you realize it or not and we can’t afford another tax of any form! If “Plan B” requires any tax increases, bet your bottom dollar the NEXT governor’s party affiliation will start with the letter “D”! The current fiasco was a mixture of smoke and mirrors, anyway and the vast majority of it went to only ONE area! People are actually getting smarter and the politicians should be aware of that fact!
ChazInAtl
August 1st, 2012
12:48 am
Plan B – Raise the tolls on GA 400 and all express lanes!
KW
August 1st, 2012
1:16 am
This campaign was in large part about honesty and trust. Have the voters been dealt with honestly and do the voters trust Georgia to manage 8 billion in transportation projects. I personally felt insulted when I was told that this was our LAST CHANCE, that there was no plan B, that I was an idiot for not supporting it. It also sounded like an Obama infomercial talking about the stimulative effect and the jobs added and how we should move “Forward” which also happens to be Obama’s 2012 motto. Transportation studies of the projects said that in many instances there would be no noticeable improvements. Let’s not forget about our leaders breaking their pledge on the GA-400 toll when it was “renewed”. Not to mention, what are the odds that a massive MARTA expansion would come in on time and within BUDGET? Remember, these are the same people that refused to build a MARTA station at the Braves stadium AND made an unemployed, uneducated welfare woman the chairman of the Board of Directors. So NO TRUST there.
MikeB
August 1st, 2012
1:24 am
T-SPLOST? No way…. Not until Georgians see some indication that the revenues already being collected are being effectively put to use in transportation projects…….. Metrics people… Govt. Needs to be run like a high performing business before I would be willing to vote for any form of T-SPLOST.
Jimmy Jones Jr (Kennesaw)
August 1st, 2012
5:51 am
From Ed Baker (Atlanta Business Cronicle Publisher) last night and I quote:
“Ed Baker warned that he was keeping a list of Republican lawmakers who opposed the TSPLOST tax increase and that they would be held accountable in a different way than before for undermining it”.
Freedom of the press works both ways big man. Please cancel my subscription to your publication immediately!
Jimmy Jones Jr.
Kennesaw GA
Woodstock
August 1st, 2012
5:55 am
Glad to see that $15,000 from Atlanta’s Republican suburbs can thrash $8,600,000 from Atlanat’s Democratic lobbyist.
Lilburn
August 1st, 2012
5:58 am
Hope Chris Leinberger now knows that Atlanta is NOT Washington DC’s “little sister”. No matter how hard you hood wink us down here!
weetamoe
August 1st, 2012
6:01 am
Mayor Reed and Guv Deal were not understood by the voters because….oh, wait, that’s Jay Carney’s excuse. Looks like Jeff Dickerson will have to find another line of work. Now will someone reveal the source of the 8 mill or so that went into pushing this thing?
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
6:05 am
Suck it up Atlanta
Enjoy the traffic jams
Don’t make any time sensitive commitments
Cause you can’t keep them
Have fun
But, you know, freedom.
Switch hitter
August 1st, 2012
6:06 am
I’m a Democrat but I trust Nathan Deal because of what he did with the 400 toll! Glad to hear he will step up to the plate and address Atlanta’s traffic issues in the future. I will vote for any future TSPLOST he heads up. I will never vote for any future TSPLOST that affiliates with hood winker’s Ed Baker, Chris Leinberger and Tad Leithead.
Chris
August 1st, 2012
7:03 am
First, we must fix Georgia’s political infrastructure.
For more info: stateintegrity.org/georgia
Bud Wiser
August 1st, 2012
7:08 am
Tis a lovely morning with Tsplost becoming its own road carrion.
The ultimate truth is that people no longer trust govt, any govt, to spend new tax revenues the way they say they will, or to reduce or eliminate revenues, ala Ga 400 toll booths.
You can only lie so long before even the thickest of voters see what’s going on.
The Ga 400 toll booth lie was not the first, or the worst, however; I give you this as evidence of what politicians will and have always done:
Many of you have probably heard of the 1889 Johnstown Flood, one of the worst natural disasters in United States history. What you may not know, however, is that another great flood hit Johnstown in March 1936, a flood that is still taxing Pennsylvania alcohol sales.
Originally created to channel emergency relief funds to victims of the Johnstown Flood, the Johnstown Flood Tax is a 10 percent temporary tax that was placed on the sale of all alcohol in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It was only supposed to last a few years to raise the $41 million necessary to rebuild the community – an effort that was achieved by the end of 1942.Nearly 70 years later, that tax is still in place and now stands at 18 percent (before the statewide 6% sales tax is tacked on).
middle of the road
August 1st, 2012
7:24 am
“I hope all you suburban commuters choke on the traffic- you deserve it.”
And I hope all you in-town urbanites love your high-crime, expensive, low-quality school system, crowded, lifestyle. When the traffic gets so bad, the suburban commuters will find jobs closer to where they live. OUTSIDE the perimeter, where the air is clean, you can leave your door open without fear of a home invasion, where the local public school is top-ranked, and where your child can have a REAL back yard to play in.
middle of the road
August 1st, 2012
7:26 am
So much for the city of Atlanta asking for us suburbs to support their subsidizing the poor who ride MARTA. and building the Beltline for the elite.
David vs. Goliath and David won (of course, we had Sonny Perdue on our side, he gave David that special rock).
Divide and Conquer
August 1st, 2012
7:27 am
Good morning ATL.
Happy TSPLOST got crushed and Chic-Fil-A Appreciation Day!
middle of the road
August 1st, 2012
7:34 am
Intown Resident – I enjoy my 12-minute commute now to a job in a business OUTSIDE of Atlanta. If businesses would LEAVE Atlanta and relocate out where people ACTUALLY live, there would not be this congestion. Caterpillar, Kia, and Toyo Tires already have figured it out. Come on, Coca-Cola and the rest of you. People don’t WANT to live in Atlanta, why do you think they live in the suburbs and COMMUTE in. It is worth it to them to spend three hours a day in their car so they don’t have to live in-town.
I am not a “Norquist sheep” turning down every tax increase. I believe the gas tax SHOULD go up (moderately) since it is decreasing every year in real buying power. But then you couldn’t use the gas tax for MARTA or the BELTLINE, could you? That is why you wanted TSPLOST – to finance your pet projects at the expense of the suburbs.
Old timer
August 1st, 2012
7:43 am
And on another election note…Victor Hill came in second in Clayton County……unbelievable! What is wrong with these voters?
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
August 1st, 2012
7:52 am
Remember when the TSPLOST vote was going to be close?
Until Americans voted.
We will likewise fix Obozo’s jobs problem, deficit disaster, and welfare explosion in November.
Vote American.
Jeffrey
August 1st, 2012
7:58 am
So the tea party sent a message to the people they elected? That about sums it up, one step forward two steps back. Where can I find the results of the charter school referendum? Can’t find it here or in the paper.
tiredofIT
August 1st, 2012
8:01 am
Now lets see if the businesses that wanted this actually leave Georgia, I hope so.
Don't Tread
August 1st, 2012
8:04 am
Defeated, as it should be. But I’m not holding my breath wating for the cronyism and corruption to be cleaned out of government.
laurie
August 1st, 2012
8:05 am
Glad to see some of the incumbants get the boot, but not enough. Now, when we need some real leadership to push for a viable plan B to attack transporation, we are going to get the same old crap from politicans like Chip Rogers, who thinks he can get another TSPLOST to pass if it has more road construction and less mass transit. Folks, we are not going to get what we need until all the career elected officals are thrown out.
Kyle Wingfield
August 1st, 2012
8:06 am
Jeffrey: The charter school referendum — the binding one, for a constitutional amendment — isn’t on the ballot until November. Georgia Democrats had a ballot question about charter schools yesterday, presumably to drum up opposition to the real vote in November. The anti-state-chartered-schools position won, 56-44.
Thomas Heyward Jr.
August 1st, 2012
8:12 am
Despite the scary fact that roughly one quarter of the Georgia population will be conned into voting for either big government candidate Obama/Romney in November…………..there is still hope.
.
Good job Georgia.
.
Ron Paul or Gary Johnson in November.
Win your country back.
Taipei Personality
August 1st, 2012
8:13 am
For those that think that conservatives are somehow more condoning of ethics violations, the statewide vote totals indicate otherwise: On Republican ballots, the votes for limiting gifts were 87% Yes, compared to only 72% Yes for Democrat ballots. The wording was different of course, but both were self-explanatory. As were the results overall – we just don’t trust these jerks…period!
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
8:14 am
The reason this went down is because we are sick to death of the government holding out its hand for money and then wasting money we needed in this economy to feed, clothe, and educate our kids.
as Hemingway put it–”isn’t it pretty to think so?”
I’ll say it again–this was the best of the lousy deals being offered, and kicking the can down the road only ensures that this metro area will become less desirable to businesses and to residents in the future.
Decline. It’s what’s for dinner!
Peadawg
August 1st, 2012
8:20 am
“The reason this went down is because we are sick to death of the government holding out its hand for money and then wasting money we needed in this economy to feed, clothe, and educate our kids.”
Amen. Gov’t needs to earn our trust first before we give them more money.