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
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
July 31st, 2012
8:24 pm
T-Splat!
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
July 31st, 2012
8:25 pm
Don’t know whether it’s the SoS website, or the county itself, but Forsyth County is completely dark as far as returns go thus far.
They’re going to contribute a great deal to the regional totals up in this neck of the woods. Three very hotly contested commission races and a contentious sheriff’s race this year in Forsyth.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
July 31st, 2012
8:26 pm
They could build 80 lanes on I75 north, some moron will still try to cross all of them a quarter of a mile before their exit.
Numbers-R-US
July 31st, 2012
8:29 pm
They could build 80 lanes on I75 north, some moron will still try to cross all of them a quarter of a mile before their exit.
Those I can deal with. It’s the ones that turn around and head back to the exit they missed that get me.
iggy
July 31st, 2012
8:36 pm
As Jerry Lee would say “WHOOOLLLE lotta spankin goin on!!”
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
July 31st, 2012
8:36 pm
My goodness, there are a couple of total babes in the seats at Target field tonight. What, is it tourist season in Minnesota? Did the ice finally thaw?
Ooops, I’m off topic
Del
July 31st, 2012
8:38 pm
Has Kyle’s blog been shut down again?
Del
July 31st, 2012
8:39 pm
Great, it appears not.
TruthBe
July 31st, 2012
8:40 pm
VOTE NO !!!! This is a slash fund for politicians and their special interest donors. Only 40% goes towards road work. And MARTA gets most of that. Gov. Deal said we need this15% tax increase for Georgia. Well if this Racist Communist President Obama would stop giving away our hard earn tax money to the enemy thru Hillary Clinton’s State Department. Almost Four Billion Dollars to the PLO, Hamas, Hezbullah, and the Muslim Brotherhood thus far. If we would stop building up our enemies and the rest of the world just MAYBE we will have enough money to fix America.
td
July 31st, 2012
8:40 pm
Looks like Savannah voters want more roads but the rest of the state appears to be NO votes.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
July 31st, 2012
8:40 pm
Looks like Hall County is voting down TSPLOST. Supporters were really hoping they’d come through for the GA Mountains region.
JamVet
July 31st, 2012
8:43 pm
And that is the sweet irony of the situation in the metro area.
Who pays the price for this situation?
The government hating faux conservatives who absolutely waste hundreds of hours every year in that grinding, endless, maddening, stop and go gridlock traffic every working morning and evening of their lives.
Until the end of time, amen.
Sucks to be all of those commuters in Woodstock, Acworth, Kennesaw, Marietta, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Milton, John’s Creek, Suwanee, Duluth, Lawrenceville, etc. I guess…
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
July 31st, 2012
8:43 pm
Have you ever driven to Savannah? It’s like traveling through the Sahara. I thought I was gonna die. Or never get there, one. They should move that sucka closer to the rest of the world.
Piedmont South from North Georgia
July 31st, 2012
8:47 pm
I Report
_______
No worries. In about a hundred years the ocean will rise 100 feet. Savanna will be 80 miles or more closer.
Del
July 31st, 2012
8:48 pm
Looks like TSplost may be in the toilet.
td
July 31st, 2012
8:48 pm
I Report ,
I love the drive down I-16. It is straight with not a great deal of traffic. Cruse control on and get to catch up on good music. Very relaxing.
iggy
July 31st, 2012
8:48 pm
Interstate 16 is kinda fun. I hooked in with a band of about 9 autos and we were rolling until two little girls in a Mazda got to the front of the pack. I followed them to Macon cruising between 90 and 100 mph!!
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
July 31st, 2012
8:51 pm
TSPLOST is down 75% – 25% in Forsyth with a mix of precincts in.
Bruno
July 31st, 2012
8:52 pm
Looks like T-SPLOST is going down in flames.
I invite josef, Del or anyone interested to read my summary of the latest chapter of a course PB and I are taking called “From Jesus to Constantine”. That chapter is entitled “The Beginning of Jewish-Christian Relations”.
http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/courses/course_detail.aspx?cid=6577
td
July 31st, 2012
8:53 pm
Looks like Columbus and Albany now wants more roads. No one lives there and their rush hour is like Saturday night on 285. I have no idea why they want more roads.
iggy
July 31st, 2012
8:53 pm
WIth TSplat going TSplat and instead of biting his nails, Mayor Reed has probably already chomped down an entire box of yellow crayola crayons.
Bruno
July 31st, 2012
8:53 pm
Summary is in the thread below. Comments are welcome, especially from the Christians here. Thanks, and good night.
Del
July 31st, 2012
8:55 pm
I love Savannah and Tybee Island. It’s an easy drive from Atlanta. I also love Destin,Florida a somewhat more difficult drive, but isn’t Georgia great? This is God’s country.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
July 31st, 2012
8:55 pm
You’d better have a strong bladder driving down the wasteland known as I-16. No trees to hide behind if you don’t.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
July 31st, 2012
8:56 pm
16 is ate up with state troopers.
Dorothea Quincy
July 31st, 2012
8:56 pm
Support your local Chick – Fil – A on April 1st on Chick – Fil – A appreciation day.
Bruno
July 31st, 2012
8:58 pm
Looks like Columbus and Albany now wants more roads.
Whoa–The early results were the exact opposite.Still less than 10% of the precincts reporting, however.
I believe that it will be all-or-none for the whole state, no?? Various regions can’t vote themselves in or out, can they??
As I’ve stated numerous times, our roads are good down here, and traffic is minimal. What may be driving the “yes” vote are all of the grading/hauling contractors who are out of work right now. One of my clients, a hauling contractor, says there has been a big push among themselves. Since it is likely that a small percentage of the voters will turn out, their voice may be heard disproportionately.
JamVet
July 31st, 2012
8:58 pm
You cons crack me up.
OF COURSE, this thing never was gonna pass. It never had the first chance. I L’dMAO when it was first run up the flagpole.
You guys would vote against having lifeboats on the Titanic if they cost you a penny.
Enjoy your evening.
(And the gridlock…)
Ray
July 31st, 2012
8:58 pm
Hope the percentages hold up, as they will send a message that the public is demanding better governance and stewardship.
Slapped Down Again
July 31st, 2012
8:59 pm
Bruno
Left you a message downstairs
iggy
July 31st, 2012
9:00 pm
I calculate the Yes votes need Approx 90,200 votes just to get to 50% and thats with the No votes remaining as is.
Awwww…..OUCH!
Del
July 31st, 2012
9:01 pm
I see Leminy Snicket has migrated over to Kyles blog.
getalife
July 31st, 2012
9:02 pm
Our Speed limit is 75 when I drive to Dallas .
RC (R--apoi)
July 31st, 2012
9:04 pm
Well, I ain’t seem a beatdown like this since Ziggy Zickafoose mouthed off to the big guy up at Billy Bob’s. By the time that one was over you could of used Ziggy for a door stop.
We told you we didn’t want this bunch of boondoggles and you put it on the ballot anyway. Now we showed you we didn’t want it. What’s next—you going to charge the extra sales tax anyway?
I guess all those pro-Tsplost people are going to show up at their fancy digs and moan about how backward we all are. I expect the fine French wine will taste a little sour tonight.
td
July 31st, 2012
9:04 pm
Bruno
July 31st, 2012
8:58 pm
Looks like Columbus and Albany now wants more roads.
Whoa–The early results were the exact opposite.Still less than 10% of the precincts reporting, however.
I believe that it will be all-or-none for the whole state, no?? Various regions can’t vote themselves in or out, can they??
I may be wrong but it is my understanding that each regional vote is separate with different projects and they vote to just tax items inside that region or not tax the region.
Del
July 31st, 2012
9:05 pm
Androids driving at high speed is a clear and present danger on our highways.
Honest Abe
July 31st, 2012
9:05 pm
I hope the T-SPLOST burns in Hell with Ted Kennedy, Adolf Hitler, Joe Paterno…
… and all the CNN-loving Chick-fil-A Haters.
Yes, Really.
iggy
July 31st, 2012
9:07 pm
LMAO Abe!
Slapped Down Again
July 31st, 2012
9:07 pm
Honest Abe
Hope you are not showing your Christian side at this moment?
Maybe you are back sliding at this time.
Jesus be with you
Bless your heart
Del
July 31st, 2012
9:09 pm
Remember y’all, tomorrow is Chick-fil-A appreciation day, so buy many for family and friends.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
July 31st, 2012
9:09 pm
Half of Forsyth’s precincts are in and TSPLOST is still going down 75% – 25%.
Del
July 31st, 2012
9:12 pm
G’nite all…Taps.
Slapped Down Again
July 31st, 2012
9:13 pm
Honest Abe
Changing names, but the styles the same
tick, tick, tick
TruthBe
July 31st, 2012
9:14 pm
JamVet Bookman’s boy wonder, No WE are tired of the tax and wasteful spending from your good buddies downtown Atlanta. Maybe you could ask your boss Obama if he could spare the change from the Feds to fix the Atlanta Traffic problems. If you could convince Obama from giving away all our hard earned tax money to his terrorist friends the Muslim Brotherhood, PLO, Hamas, and Hezbullah. Obama and Hillary Clinton have given these Muslim Brotherhood folks almost 4 BILLION DOLLARS so far. By the way these are the same terrorist groups that are killing our Soldiers and Civilians. Not to mention 260 million tax dollars this week to his campaign donors.
Kyle Wingfield
July 31st, 2012
9:15 pm
td @ 9:04: You are correct: Each of the 12 regions is holding its own referendum. If they pass it down in Albany, they get it down in Albany, whatever happens everywhere else.
The only effect elsewhere will be to narrow the options of the Legislature to try different approaches to adding infrastructure in the places that vote it down. Which is why I still think we’ll see a re-vote in a couple of years. As far as I know, every other city/region in other states that has tried this approach voted it down the first time, only to approve it the next go-around.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
July 31st, 2012
9:17 pm
Jesus wasn’t a gay baiter, Slapped, just sayin…
Slapped Down Again
July 31st, 2012
9:22 pm
Kyle
I voted no because I do not think there was sufficient coordination and few too many pet projects, not because I do not think the region needs infrastructure improvements.
With that said, are there any studies regarding the Dallas and Charlotte infrastructure improvements they have worked on in the last 10 or so year in terms of new businesses relocating.
I know that might be a difficult study because companies relocate and expand for various reasons.
I’m sure their Chamber of Commerce would say it helped, but is there any studies that were not done by orgs directly tied to either of those cities?
Slapped Down Again
July 31st, 2012
9:22 pm
I report
What? Save your hate for someone else. Move along
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
July 31st, 2012
9:27 pm
How sheepish is Savannah and surrounding environs going to feel tomorrow if TSPLOST goes down in flames everywhere but there.
JamVet
July 31st, 2012
9:29 pm
Boy wonder?
I was serving this country when someone was still changing your dirty diapers, Truthmeat.
I see a common refrain that some people did not like the projects that were selected.
I feel confident that NO project anywhere, at any time would ever meet with the approval of moat of these folks.
Unless all of the money went to widen their driveway and the streets in their subdivision. And the roads that took them to their nearest Walmart.
THAT is the primary reason that metro wide projects will never, ever, ever pass anymore.
Most people are far too self-obsessed and self-absorbed…
iggy
July 31st, 2012
9:29 pm
Atlanta 6% precincts reporting? Guess they need time to forge a couple of last minute ballots.
Jenn
July 31st, 2012
9:33 pm
JamVet, your comments assume other voters aren’t bothered by the congestion. Of course they are. However, unlike some who refuse to apply logic to the situation, most people realize this tax would never have helped relieve the problem. It would be money down the toilet and only directed to special interests & the pockets of business and political cronies. You also insult those OTP as if they are idiots, and as if Intowners all agree with you. We don’t. A lot of us have the same concerns as the voters in the suburbs, and we voted no right along with them. Your rhetoric of insults and more insults is as empty as this transportation “plan”. How about offering some intelligent solutions that would actually benefit people instead of condescendingly attempting to ram a laughable plan down our throats.
Marci Trout
July 31st, 2012
9:37 pm
Join our family in support of Chick – Fil – A Wednesday.
Slapped Down Again
July 31st, 2012
9:40 pm
Heck between the rally tomorrow and kiss in on the 3rd, Chickfila will be booming this week.
Common Sense
July 31st, 2012
9:40 pm
TSPLOST is dead in the water. Tax payers are tired of the irresponsible spending of our politicians. We don’t trust the government with our tax dollars on another big spending program.
Slapped Down Again
July 31st, 2012
9:42 pm
Majority of the same politicians who backed the TSPLOST will be voted back in…………. That is Democrat and Republican
JamVet
July 31st, 2012
9:43 pm
JamVet, your comments assume other voters aren’t bothered by the congestion.
What a strange assumption on your part.
How could they NOT be?
Have you eve seen the miles long back up at the four river crossings from Cherokee, Cobb, Milton and Forsythe every morning and evening, Monday through Friday?
I don’t know how long you have lived in this area, but I moved here in 1979, just as the MARTA system was being born. And when I watched with my own eyes, how the rubes in those counties shot themselves in the feet, for the most insane and backwards of reasons, I knew even then, that they were hopelessly screwed.
And the scenario I described earlier is merely the fruits of their hyper-parochial labor.
The funny part is how they desperately try to convince themselves that it tastes sweet.
Wake up. There are ZERO improvements that they will ever allow. Not if they cost them one red cent.
Smaller government, doncha know…
gary
July 31st, 2012
9:44 pm
is it true that if 1 area approves they all pass? i thought i heard that.
Kyle Wingfield
July 31st, 2012
9:46 pm
gary @ 9:44: No. Each of the 12 regions is holding a standalone vote. Augusta’s vote will not affect Atlanta, and vice versa.
Within each region, however, a county could reject the tax but still have to apply it, if the overall region approves it. So, Cherokee County could vote it down, but it would still take effect there if the entire metro Atlanta region passes it.
Gimme Gimme Gimme
July 31st, 2012
9:50 pm
Maybe we could rename 400 “Chic-fil-A highway” and if enough people boycott the road then the traffic on 400 will improve.
iggy
July 31st, 2012
9:51 pm
“I don’t know how long you have lived in this area, but I moved here in 1979, just as the MARTA system was being born”
Ahem…that would be 1971. If memory serves the Marta choo choo train line was under construction during 1974.
td
July 31st, 2012
9:52 pm
JamVet
July 31st, 2012
9:43 pm
JamVet, your comments assume other voters aren’t bothered by the congestion.
What a strange assumption on your part.
Have you eve seen the miles long back up at the four river crossings from Cherokee, Cobb, Milton and Forsythe every morning and evening, Monday through Friday?
And there was nothing in the list of projects that would solve that problem more then 5 minutes a day.
iggy
July 31st, 2012
9:53 pm
TSPLOST Referendum – 5-Northeast Georgia – Ballot Issue
July 31, 2012 – 09:48PM ET
Georgia – 122 of 171 Precincts Reporting – 71%
Name Votes Vote %
No 46,407 64%
Yes 26,483 36%
ITS OVER.
iggy
July 31st, 2012
9:54 pm
TSPLOST Referendum – 4-Three Rivers – Ballot Issue
July 31, 2012 – 09:48PM ET
Georgia – 101 of 147 Precincts Reporting – 69%
Name Votes Vote %
No 36,761 69%
Yes 16,497 31%
ITS OVER.
iggy
July 31st, 2012
9:55 pm
TSPLOST Referendum – 2-Georgia Mountains – Ballot Issue
July 31, 2012 – 09:48PM ET
Georgia – 93 of 152 Precincts Reporting – 61%
Name Votes Vote %
No 61,821 76%
Yes 19,980 24%
WAY OVER!
iggy
July 31st, 2012
9:55 pm
TSPLOST Referendum – 1-Northwest Georgia – Ballot Issue
July 31, 2012 – 09:45PM ET
Georgia – 90 of 200 Precincts Reporting – 45%
Name Votes Vote %
No 54,442 66%
Yes 28,164 34%
ITS OVER.
Gimme Gimme Gimme
July 31st, 2012
9:56 pm
Runoffs in the 9th District. Rats
I was hoping to get rid of all those MARTHA signs we have up here. These signs are getting bigger every election and they are awful to look at.
Jm
July 31st, 2012
9:56 pm
Kyle, I gotta say, not taking a pro tsplost, or a no tsplost position was pretty weak
Even if you’re conflicted, take a stand man
iggy
July 31st, 2012
9:57 pm
TSPLOST Referendum – 10-Southwest Georgia – Ballot Issue
July 31, 2012 – 09:51PM ET
Georgia – 117 of 165 Precincts Reporting – 71%
Name Votes Vote %
No 25,171 56%
Yes 19,778 44%
And yes, OVER.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
July 31st, 2012
9:58 pm
Cruz slaughters Dewhurst in Texas. Go Tea Party! And Rove’s famous map showing Texas in the “leaning column”.
Bad news for Obama, it is leaning alright, leaning and falling in on him.
G Mare
July 31st, 2012
9:59 pm
Kam, you are right. Each of us votes for our own self interest. I voted NO because I am on a fixed income AND I do not trust the politicians to spend the money in OUR best interest.
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
July 31st, 2012
9:59 pm
JamVet: Most people are far too self-obsessed and self-absorbed…
—————————–
Aren’t the libtards always bashing Americans for not voting their own self interest?
Which is it libtards? Are we supposed to vote our self interest, or not?
Gimme Gimme Gimme
July 31st, 2012
9:59 pm
We have arrived in a position that we have things that need to be done or fixed in this country but voter’s have lost all faith in the politician’s to be good steward’s of their money.
td
July 31st, 2012
10:00 pm
OK, Savannah, Columbus and the I-16 corridor wants to tax themselves more for roads. Why? They have no traffic now. Anyone have a guess?
iggy
July 31st, 2012
10:00 pm
“I was hoping to get rid of all those MARTHA signs we have up here. These signs are getting bigger every election and they are awful to look at.”
Thinks thats bad…lucky you dont have to see those silly busses and choo choo trains with overpaid and equally incompetent employees, everyday.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
July 31st, 2012
10:00 pm
iggy
Thanks for the regional updates!
Gimme Gimme Gimme
July 31st, 2012
10:01 pm
At the same time as my post I see G Mare is an example of my point.
Slapped Down Again
July 31st, 2012
10:02 pm
Rafe
That Rove map shows a climb for Romney even with Texas
Just saying
Gimme Gimme Gimme
July 31st, 2012
10:02 pm
iggy – “Thinks thats bad…lucky you dont have to see those silly busses and choo choo trains with overpaid and equally incompetent employees, everyday.”
I consider myself lucky that Martha doesn’t put her picture on her signs.
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:02 pm
Kyle, don’t complain about traffic in the future
When you could’ve helped, you did nothing
Eat up your traffic Atlanta , you love it!
Morons
iggy
July 31st, 2012
10:02 pm
YW my friend.
iggy
July 31st, 2012
10:04 pm
http://www.ajc.com/news/tsplost-results-1483968.html
Gimme Gimme Gimme
July 31st, 2012
10:05 pm
I would be interested if we held a nation wide SPLOST to raise revenue for jobs program based on infrastructure if it would pass or not.
iggy
July 31st, 2012
10:05 pm
http://www.wsbtv.com also has results.
Slapped Down Again
July 31st, 2012
10:05 pm
Jm
Guess you haven’t seen the results. KW is a good writer, but not going to swing an election. His “flock” of regulars is only so large.
td
July 31st, 2012
10:06 pm
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:02 pm
If this had been passed in metro Atlanta can you tell me how much of a 1:15 commute from Acworth to Atlanta or from Sugar Hill to Atlanta would have been reduced?
Tap Out
July 31st, 2012
10:09 pm
Construction workers put away your equipment and tools…no jobs or projects here….this is a red state…we bow to the Grover no tax pledge….regardless. Folks, you may not like Dem’s, but they are better for the middle class.
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:09 pm
Slapped
Just another apathetic non-voice is what Kyle is.
I don’t care if he has three readers, he has no guts
Td
I can tell you how long it will take without tsplost: longer. Much longer. Enjoy it
Slapped Down Again
July 31st, 2012
10:12 pm
Jm
I hear you tough guy.
Kyle Wingfield
July 31st, 2012
10:13 pm
Jm @ 10:02: Right. After all, we only had a vote on this list so that we could rubber-stamp what our betters wanted us to have.
Slapped @ 10:05: I’m not at all going to claim to have driven tonight’s results. But if you measure influence by blog comments, you don’t understand how this works.
Gimme Gimme Gimme
July 31st, 2012
10:13 pm
Tap Out-
The citizens voted, deal with it.
Slapped Down Again
July 31st, 2012
10:16 pm
Kyle
Wasn’t knocking your blog and the number of people you reach. I’m fully aware that many more people read than blog. Basically saying that if you were adamant about wanting the TSPOLST, I doubt that would have changed the results.
No offense, but it is loosing pretty bad in and around the metro area.
iggy
July 31st, 2012
10:16 pm
“can tell you how long it will take without tsplost: longer. Much longer. Enjoy it”
If I recall correctly the minutes drive time would be equal to a few minutes as in < 5. That may not be exactly on the mark, however, Reed and his cronies were on V103 and one estimate was between 1 to 1.5 minutes saved. As in 1.5 not 15.
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:16 pm
Kyle
“After all, we only had a vote on this list so that we could rubber-stamp what our betters wanted us to have.”
I’m pretty sure I said nothing of the sort
You could’ve taken a stand. I don’t know what your position is because you didn’t
But I hope you enjoy the congestion because a non- vote is almost the same as a no vote
Kyle Wingfield
July 31st, 2012
10:18 pm
Slapped @ 10:16: I’ll agree with that. This was a mediocre list promoted by a fairly mediocre campaign at an inopportune time.
oldfart
July 31st, 2012
10:19 pm
Uh, Tap Out, a Republican legislature and Governor gave us this carp. Pay attention. It was presented as a bi-partisan trough however.
Chris
July 31st, 2012
10:20 pm
In the meantime Charlotte gets all the Federal transportation “matching” dollars in the SE region because of NO local commitment in Atlanta!!!
RC (R--apoi)
July 31st, 2012
10:20 pm
Well, looks like we’re finally going to be rid of that silly tag after jm’s name. A mite bitter, ain’t he?
td
July 31st, 2012
10:20 pm
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:09 pm
$10 billion for less then 5 minutes improvement. Not worth it and the reason I voted NO. More then 40% of the money went to MARTA and the beltline so there was my second NO.
Traffic will not get worse if all you supporters claims of people not moving to the area. Are you telling us you supporters were lying about this issue?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
July 31st, 2012
10:21 pm
That Coillins / Zoller runoff is going to be ugly.
And Jm? You’re opinion is just not that important.
Kyle Wingfield
July 31st, 2012
10:21 pm
Jm @ 10:16: I wrote in my print column last Thursday that I was voting “no.” That column drew heavily on this blog post a couple of days beforehand, so I didn’t reprint it here. But, given what I’d written in print and online about the tax for the past several months, I have a hard time believing anyone thought I might have voted for it.
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:21 pm
Kyle Wingfield
July 31st, 2012
10:18 pm
Slapped @ 10:16: I’ll agree with that. This was a mediocre list promoted by a fairly mediocre campaign at an inopportune time.
LinkReport this comment
Future list, if there ever is a future list, won’t look much different
Suck it up Atlanta
Enjoy the traffic jams
Don’t make any time sensitive commitments
Cause you can’t keep them
Have fun
BW
July 31st, 2012
10:21 pm
Kyle
What do you think of the vote totals to date in Regions 7,8,and 9 on T-SPLOST? If those margins hold, you could have quite a story to write tomorrow along with the bloodbath in our region….more importantly what’s next.
Slapped Down Again
July 31st, 2012
10:22 pm
Kyle
I mentioned early about not voting for it and asked if you knew anything in regards to Dallas and Charlotte.
Seems that many Republican politicians wanted it, but didn’t want to be seen as favoring a tax hike so there was a luke warm campaign.
Not putting it all on Republicans, because I am sure many Democrats voted against it as well, however they pretty much run things on the state level.
Chris Sanchez
July 31st, 2012
10:22 pm
In the Atlanta region, it looks pretty obvious that T-SPLOST will be defeated this evening. Maybe this will be a wake up call for supporters that it will take more than advertising and endorsements to get a tax increase pushed through. It will have to actually accomplish what it is supposed to before it will find enough support to pass.
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:23 pm
Kyle
Well good to know you took a stand, I wouldn’t guess you’d vote for it but didn’t know for sure
Enjoy the congestion
No whining
Slapped Down Again
July 31st, 2012
10:24 pm
Jm
You seem angry. If you no longer live here then you do not have to worry about it either way.
Maybe you have friends and family in the metro area, but it shouldn’t impact your daily life.
Why the anger?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
July 31st, 2012
10:24 pm
“In the meantime Charlotte gets all the Federal transportation “matching” dollars in the SE region because of NO local commitment in Atlanta!!!”
There is nothing to stop the legislature from doing their job and coming up with a plan that doesn’t cost as much, and they get to vote for themselves – you know, the way it is supposed to be?
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:24 pm
“It will have to actually accomplish what it is supposed to before it will find enough support to pass.”
Pipe dreams
Atlanta is a third rate city going forward
td
July 31st, 2012
10:25 pm
Chris
July 31st, 2012
10:20 pm
So? If you like Charlotte so much then can we expect you to be moving soon? It will cut down on my traffic.
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:27 pm
Slapped
I just think Atlantans are stupid
And I used to be one
Whew, glad I’m out
It takes me 15 to 17 minutes to drive to work every day, 8 miles a day
In the 380 days I’ve lived here, I haven’t hit a traffic jam yet
Suck it up Atlanta
The green grass is elsewhere and it truly is greener
I do have friends and family in the Atl still, I fell bad for them
Boy Atlanta sux
td
July 31st, 2012
10:28 pm
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:24 pm
“It will have to actually accomplish what it is supposed to before it will find enough support to pass.”
Pipe dreams
Atlanta is a third rate city going forward
Then why are you staying in such a “third rate city”?
Kyle Wingfield
July 31st, 2012
10:28 pm
BW @ 10:21: I wrote about this scenario a while back. I think that line of thinking still stands: With their hands tied, state officials will have few choices besides letting regions vote on a different list. They might concede and allow counties to form their own regions rather than forcing them into combinations that in many cases made no sense (the Northwest Georgia region is a case in point).
But Plan B in other cities whose first referendums failed has been to vote again later. I expect that what we’ll see here, too.
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:29 pm
Tiberius 10:24
You’re asking politicians to be more responsible than the voters
Hilarious
td
July 31st, 2012
10:29 pm
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:27 pm
You moved and are still whining? Enjoy your new life and break the connection with Atlanta.
Old Timer
July 31st, 2012
10:29 pm
I’m very glad I work from home, telecommuting full-time. No GA politician hoping for reelection will ever vote for any kind of tax increase for transportation improvements, and the populace won’t either. I’ll be watching the traffic jams on TV. Be sure to wave to the copters as they hover overhead.
iggy
July 31st, 2012
10:30 pm
TSplost is DOA in all regions except Atlanta where the forged ballots have yet to come in.
Downforthecount
July 31st, 2012
10:31 pm
Well it appears that the Tsplost will fail in 9 of 12 regions, and the margin of defeat is significant. A Plan B probably won’t go anywhere either unless there are some serious reforms at GDOT. In a lot of recent press it was noted that the public really doesn’t trust GDOT, and unless that changes even a Plan B in two years probably won’t be any better.
iggy
July 31st, 2012
10:31 pm
“Atlanta is a third rate city going forward”
Atlanta has been a third rate city for some 12 or so years.
Brosephus™
July 31st, 2012
10:31 pm
This was a mediocre list promoted by a fairly mediocre campaign at an inopportune time.
The list was absolutely horrible. There was nothing on that list that would do much to improve traffic in the metro area. The way to cut commute times is to remove cars from the road, not just widen/build more roads.
I voted no on this, and it had little to do with the contents of the plan. I think the plan, as a whole, stinks. However, I find it more insulting that people who actively campaigned to do a job simply refused to do what would be best for the economy of the state. Instead, they choose to do what’s right/best for ideological purity. Metro Atlanta might end up with only 10 useable bridges and 5 roads in the future, but by golly, the tax rate will still be real low.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
July 31st, 2012
10:31 pm
It’s their job, Jm. I know. I used to be one of them.
getalife
July 31st, 2012
10:32 pm
cons voting against the gop on a tax and capping lobbyist gifts?
Change.
Kyle Wingfield
July 31st, 2012
10:33 pm
Slapped @ 10:22: I’m not super-familiar with what happened in those cities, only that similar taxes have failed in other cities and later been approved. I actually think that’s a pretty natural process, because voters tend not to focus in detail on things like 157-item transportation project lists … until they have a 157-item transportation project list put in front of them. The public feedback once a list exists is bound to be qualitatively (and probably quantitatively) different from any pre-list feedback.
I’m also not sure the campaign was lukewarm as much as misguided. Late in the game, they were running ads about Ronald Reagan, as if all they needed to do was convince suburban Republicans that paying for infrastructure is OK. They missed the point of the opposition, which was not saying “no” to any new infrastructure, but “no” to this particular list of infrastructure. Granted, in the last two weeks there was nothing they could do about the list. But they weren’t even trying to defend the specific items that were unpopular.
John Glover
July 31st, 2012
10:33 pm
Really, this is the best you guys can come up with. Why don’t you just say, that because corporate america is shipping all our jobs overseas, there will be no need for roads. This was not a competition, it used to be called progress. Good by to all that. Ike would say take my name down. 22 Trillion dollars of corporate profits overseas and we vote down a penny tax. If not us, who do you think will build our roads?
td
July 31st, 2012
10:34 pm
Old Timer
July 31st, 2012
10:29 pm
“I’m very glad I work from home, telecommuting full-time.”
And this is the real answer to our traffic problems. More then half the workers that get on the road every morning could telework. It is time for companies to wake up and governments to give incentives to do so.
How many of the Federal and state workers that drive downtown everyday could work from home?
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:35 pm
TX
I live where I have
No income taxes
No traffic
Better weather
And a beach
Atl blows on most sensible metrics
Tiberius
State legislature will never pass a spending bill that relieves congestion in Atlanta
Enjoy the traffic
iggy
July 31st, 2012
10:37 pm
TSPLOST Referendum – 3-Atlanta – Ballot Issue
July 31, 2012 – 10:31PM ET
Georgia – 445 of 1077 Precincts Reporting – 41%
Name Votes Vote %
No 246,341 65%
Yes 131,745 35%
Getting close to the point of no return, if not already.
*FLUSH*
ank
July 31st, 2012
10:38 pm
kyle, what happens for the next 4 yrs? no changes, right. that doesnt seem like a good idea
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:38 pm
Kyle 10:33
New list if there is one will be 90% same as old list
Love your car lane neighbors
They too love traffic
Atl
The city full of a bunch of maroons
ank
July 31st, 2012
10:39 pm
kyle, im curious why you think in 4 yrs, with this type of electorate, a tax of any kind might pass next go round
JamVet
July 31st, 2012
10:39 pm
BB, to your point why would I care about your conservatard caused gridlock problems?
But here’s to you forking over $100 a week to BP, Shell, etc to keep the gas guzzler filled.
And while I’m having my second cup of coffee, I’ll be thinking about you cons trying desperately to get across the river and to work in less than 55 minutes.
Not…
td
July 31st, 2012
10:39 pm
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:35 pm
TX
The great state that just overwhelmingly about to send a full fledged Tea Party patriot to the US Senate. Love that state.
iggy
July 31st, 2012
10:40 pm
“I’m very glad I work from home, telecommuting full-time.”
Same here. Telecommuting is the answer. Zero drive time, less pollution, less road usage damage, much less stress having to interact dialy with cabbages spewing sewage from their pieholes, less gasoline usage…the list goes on and on.
oldfart
July 31st, 2012
10:40 pm
I assume you moved under a bridge out there Jm. Nice trolling.
Kyle Wingfield
July 31st, 2012
10:41 pm
Jm: Who — besides you — is whining?
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:41 pm
Iggy
Yep
Atl is flushing itself down the toilet too
Numbers-R-US
July 31st, 2012
10:42 pm
This wasn’t about the list for Republicans. It was about the tax.
Fred ™
July 31st, 2012
10:43 pm
WOO HOO. Glad you are still up and posting Kyle. Just got home from a long day working the polls and I can’t wait to scroll back and read what all you meat heads have been saying about the elections
I can’t believe it. All this time I THOUGHT I was pretty up to date on politics and such but they went and redistricted me and I never knew. Took me out of the 4th District and put me in the 6th where i’m stuck with that dipstick Tom Price. That arrogant fool cares so little about his new fangled jerry mandered district that he didn’t even bother to campaign. i SO know that Cobb County snob is going to do anything for us here in Dekalb……..
Well let me read before I say anything else.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
July 31st, 2012
10:43 pm
Two odd points: AmVet complains earlier about conservative blogs degenerating into name calling, yet later uses the term “conservatard”.
And Jm getting so worked up about a vote that doesn’t concern him in the least.
Unless he’s a paving contractor now out of a paycheck.
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:44 pm
Charlotte, Nashville, Dallas thank you for your no vote and appreciate the jobs for their city
Kyle, I’m not whining, I’m just point out Atlantan stupidity
And I know you whine when you’re trying to get down Peachtree during the holidays in buckhead, or during some random traffic jam that Atlanta always has, which is pretty much 24-7 now
Enjoy it.
Old Timer
July 31st, 2012
10:45 pm
How many of the Federal and state workers that drive downtown everyday could work from home?
My guess is about 75%. Notice what happens to traffic on federal holidays not observed by a lot of businesses. Traffic is cut just about in half. But the failure to adopt telecommuting is not solely the fault of CEOs. No, there are too many mid-level managers charged with supervising human beings but unwilling to do the work and planning required to handle telecommuting employees. And just about all of these managers have absolutely zero trust in their subordinates. Such supervisors exist in government as well as in private enterprise. My advice is not to hang your hat on telecommuting as a traffic solution.
KW
July 31st, 2012
10:45 pm
So when does this mythical narrowing to single digits supposed to occur? seems like the spread will remain huge, which should challenge the viewpoint of a lot of people. This is a wake up call.
iggy
July 31st, 2012
10:45 pm
http://www.ajc.com/news/tsplost-results-1483968.html
Check this link. Look at these numbers…Tsplost has been smashed!!!
Kyle Wingfield
July 31st, 2012
10:46 pm
ank @ 10:39: First, I’m not convinced it will take four years. There’s no statutory reason it should, but possibly political ones. Then again, there are political reasons for acting sooner than that.
Second, you have the leaders of the Atlanta Tea Party Patriots calling for, among other Plan B measures, higher gas taxes. This was not about “tax” vs. “no tax.” It was about “this list” vs. “not this list.” Anyone who doubts that will not, I hope, be in a position of working on Plan B — because if they are, Plan B will fail, too.
ank
July 31st, 2012
10:50 pm
but kyle, how many yrs did it take to get to this point!?! by my count, 4!
native
July 31st, 2012
10:50 pm
I voted yes, because it seemed like the only way to make things better. You know what? Things aren’t so bad intown, Have fun.
Jm
July 31st, 2012
10:50 pm
“higher gas taxes”
And why the f should the rest of the state pay a higher gas tax when certain parts already voted to pay for their infrastructure with tsplost
Higher gas tax is DOA
Brosephus™
July 31st, 2012
10:53 pm
How many of the Federal and state workers that drive downtown everyday could work from home?
My guess is about 75%. Notice what happens to traffic on federal holidays not observed by a lot of businesses. Traffic is cut just about in half.
The questions you need to ask yourself in response to your 75% estimate are:
#1 How much of that percentage does work that requires secure networks?
#2 How much extra are you willing to pay to have secure network connections installed in the homes of those telecommuters?
#3 How much do you entrust those workers to handle sensitive/classified information from their homes?
and so on, and on. Telecommuting sounds good on the fed level, and there is actually programs in place to identify and increase telecommuting options. There are many jobs, however, where the benefit of less travel might not be worth the investment for maintaining security.
http://www.telework.gov/
td
July 31st, 2012
10:55 pm
Kyle Wingfield
July 31st, 2012
10:46 pm
The problem Kyle will be to put together a “list” that will satisfy both Cobb, Gwinn, North Fulton as well as Dekalb, Atlanta and Clayton. The first three counties will never vote for more MARTA and the last three counties will not vote for anything that does not include at least 50% MARTA.
BW
July 31st, 2012
10:57 pm
Kyle
Yes I remember that column…I expected every other region to reject it but Atlanta….I could tell it was too polarizing of any issue in the last few days among all demographics to have a chance. Which regions would counties form that wouldn’t further exacerbate the ITP-OTP tensions? Obviously DeKalb and Atlanta want a better return on their penny for MARTA and as far as I can tell most of Cobb, north Fulton, and most of Gwinnett will not approve anything that smacks of shoring up MARTA as it exists currently. I don’t know what the final answer is but I don’t think this region’s politicians have any kind of spine to do what is necessary to provide a transparent and logical way forward. Someone mentioned that the fuel tax would need to be raised $0.25 a gallon to provide the same revenue as T-SPLOST (can’t completely vouch for that)…I don’t see that happening at least at that level but I can guarantee that if our leaders are serious about the problem it will have to be seriously discussed and gulp these Tea Partiers will actually have to put up a plan that doesn’t include depopulating the region.
Bruno
July 31st, 2012
10:57 pm
In the River Valley District, about 42,000 people voted on the issue, representing 88% of the precincts. Columbus alone has around 300,000 residents in the metro area, along with another 100,000 or so in the metro Albany area. In other words, less than 10% of the residents were allowed to determine the fate for the whole region. Pathetic.
iggy
July 31st, 2012
10:57 pm
Good night and good riddance, tsplost.
AH HAAHHAAA!!!
Fred ™
July 31st, 2012
10:58 pm
I was hopeful about T-Splost goign down when I tallied the results at my precinct. It was something like 386- 331. We had 717 voters today and that doesn’t count the early voters. Considering my precinct is about 2200 I figure total we had over 1100 that’s a really damn good turn out for a primary, I’m going to try to find the final numbers later.. I was really proud of my fellow citizens. One family was there with their newly turned 18 year old daughter so she could vote. I told her I personally fought for HER right to vote as an American lol and that John Lewis and MLK fought for her right to vote as a black women when I was a child. I’d tell you her father took a picture of her at the voting machine except it’s against the law to take photo’s in the voting area. If he DID do it, I had my back turned or maybe was in the bathroom………
Another guy was there with his 15 or 16 year old daughter and was showing HER how to vote. Another guy was voting for the first time as a naturalized citizen. Stuff like that gives me a woody. Voting is our most sacred duty as Americans and I love it when folks vote. I don’t care who or WHAT they vote for, as long as they get out there and vote.
Good jobs Atlantans for getting out there and voting.
Oh and Jm? You are as annoying as ever. You don;t live here so we don’t care what you think lol.
Kyle Wingfield
July 31st, 2012
10:59 pm
KW @ 10:45: Well, I was expecting larger numbers of “yes” votes from Clayton, DeKalb and Fulton. So far, it’s trailing in all three. About 40+ percent of precincts still have yet to report, many of them in those counties. So we’ll still have to see.
Jm
July 31st, 2012
11:00 pm
“Plan B will fail, too.”
Plan b = plan a
Assuming plan b loses as you suggest, there’s o point
So give up now and stop wasting people’s time
If people are too stupid to help themselves, then they deserve their misery
Darwin at his best
Enjoy your stupidity Atlanta
You deserve it
Kyle Wingfield
July 31st, 2012
11:00 pm
ank @ 10:50: Well, if you count from the time the TIA passed in April 2010 to today, it’s been 2 years and 3 months. And much of the preliminary work that had to be done the first time — who’s on the roundtable, etc. — has already been done.
Bruno
July 31st, 2012
11:01 pm
Brosephus–PB and I will be coming through the airport on Aug 14 in the AM. We’ll look you up if you’re around.
Kyle Wingfield
July 31st, 2012
11:01 pm
td @ 10:55: That’s why I expect we’ll see a couple of sub-regions if there’s another vote.
oldfart
July 31st, 2012
11:03 pm
It will be at least 4 years because this legislation will have to either be completely overhauled or the State Constitution will have to be amended to allow these “special districts” to levy taxes. The counties that don’t like the way their “special district” went in this thing will all be taking it to court. All of the counties in districts that did not approve this will now be paying a 30% match rather than a 10% one on road improvement grants. Road improvement grants are where 15-20% of the motor fuel taxes are applied and should not fall under the purview of an unrelated SPLOST vote.
Plain and simple the State Constitution only allows for 3 different entities to levy taxes: the state itself, counties and cities. There is no provision for counties to be grouped in a manner that other counties can determine another counties fate other than statewide.
moonbat bettty
July 31st, 2012
11:05 pm
Jm, do you have a dog in this fight?
Just curious…
Kyle Wingfield
July 31st, 2012
11:05 pm
oldfart @ 11:03: That’s why I think we’ll see the self-selecting sub-regions. Avoids the constitutional question completely.
T-lost
July 31st, 2012
11:05 pm
I feel so sorry for Mayor Reed tonight. I’m sure he made so many promises to campaign donors and friends about how much money he could funnel in their direction once T-Splost passes. Now, what will he do?
Well, maybe it will snow alot this winter and he can give out another million or two for road clearing to his friends. And maybe he can cancel all vendor contracts in the airport and around the city.
I apologize if I’m gloating tonight, but (Mayor Reed) this is what happens when your unethical behavior catches up to you! Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey…Good-bye!!!!
Jm
July 31st, 2012
11:08 pm
Atlanta is more backwards than middle Georgia
Too funny
Fred ™
July 31st, 2012
11:10 pm
Did you typo an extra t MB betty or is that an imposter? If it’s you, then Hey, (hey to you too Bruno and Brocephus) if it’s not then stone the imposter lol.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIaORknS1Dk
Jm
July 31st, 2012
11:11 pm
Moonbat
Yeah. Im a native Atlantan.
Seeing my hometown elect to flush itself down the toilet is pretty sickening.
I know what it means for Atlanta. Fewer jobs, more misery, fewer businesses. Sad day for Atlanta.
After middle GA passed this, no way is the legislature gonna help Atlanta out.
Their view will be: you made your bed, sleep in it
I have to agree
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
July 31st, 2012
11:12 pm
I think Jm is a paving contractor who just lost out on a big payday.
No other reason for him to have this reaction.
Brosephus™
July 31st, 2012
11:13 pm
Bruno
I’ll be there somewhere.
—————
Fred
My almost 4 year old was completely hyped about going to vote. She’s been with me at ever election since she was born in ‘08. There are a few of the poll workers who are still there, and they would think something was wrong if she wasn’t with me.
JamVet
July 31st, 2012
11:13 pm
Tibs, are you a libtard?
Or just a lover of libtards?
LOL…
Federal Worker
July 31st, 2012
11:13 pm
The questions you need to ask yourself in response to your 75% estimate are:
#1 How much of that percentage does work that requires secure networks?
#2 How much extra are you willing to pay to have secure network connections installed in the homes of those telecommuters?
#3 How much do you entrust those workers to handle sensitive/classified information from their homes?
I handle sensitive information about 80% of the time in my telecommutiing. I’m logged in every weekday and some weekends and nights to my agency’s e-mail and other applications, as well as to my desktop.
I don’t have to pay extra for the security. I’m hooked up via my agency’s IT staff to a secure server. I use a secure network requiring both a password and a passcode. Alternatively, I can access the server via my SmartCard, which only I possess. My agency actually saves money because it doesn’t have to pay for a desktop PC and a telephone for me (I use my personal equipment) and it doesn’t need to scrounge for office space to be paid for by the taxpayer. Need I point out that the federal administration is ;putting heavy pressure on federal administrators to implement telecommuting programs? Such programs not only save expensive office space but they also increase productivity when employees aren’t distracted by every loudmouth who wants to drop by the office to chat.
If, after all the background checks and on-the-job exposure, I’m not to be entrusted to handle the sensitive or classified information from my home, in the same way I would handle it at an office, then I’m unfit for my job and I ought to be fired. Moreover, lots of federal employees who do not regularly telecommute perform their work from home at night or on weekends. If there’s a meeting, I can attend via my telephone and a passcode.
It’s a new world, Bro. While employees of the border patrol and immigration authorities need to be on location, most federal employees could qualify for telecommuting.
Jm
July 31st, 2012
11:17 pm
This thing lost 2-1 (at this point)
No way is someone going to try a new list
Atlanta is screwed
Oh well. It was good while it lasted.
Don’t complain about your home values either you deadbeat, highest bank failure rate, 3rd highest mortgage default rate area
Evacuate now if you’re smart
Fred ™
July 31st, 2012
11:18 pm
Brocephus: I’ve been working this poll for almost 10 years. First as an EPC clerk and forthe last several years as the manager. I’ve watched kids grow up there as well. i mentioned to one lady today that her daughter (who was a toddler when I started) was now older than she was. It’s great to see families come out and vote. I think parents set the example (duh) when they bring their children.
Jm
July 31st, 2012
11:18 pm
Tib 11:12
Keep telling yourself that
moonbat betty
July 31st, 2012
11:18 pm
Fred, not an imposter.
I can’t type. It really messes you up when switching from Apple to others, etc.
Don’t know all the Monty’s but this has always been my favorite.
(and I don’t care if anyone thinks it is lame
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcxKIJTb3Hg
JamVet
July 31st, 2012
11:20 pm
Okey doky, enjoy another hellish commute in the morning all of you so-called conservatives.
I’m sleeping in and commuting across the hallway to my office.
And remember to keep that road rage under control and to treat your fellow gridlockers with kindness and respect!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4yxX4kmtPk
moonbat betty
July 31st, 2012
11:20 pm
That’s cool Jm.
Unfortunately, Atlanta has a lot of big fish to fry.
Jm
July 31st, 2012
11:21 pm
Charlottes hiring
So is Dallas
Nashvilles growing
Good for them
Jm
July 31st, 2012
11:22 pm
Good night Atlanta
Literally
Fred ™
July 31st, 2012
11:23 pm
Don’t worry JM. Your mom told me she hasn’t rented out your spot in the basement yet. You can always come home.
Betty: I like thta one too.
“Cover me”
“With WHAT?”
oldfart
July 31st, 2012
11:25 pm
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
moonbat betty
July 31st, 2012
11:25 pm
Hey Jam, haven’t you heard???
All the white collars live inside the perimeter and ride their bikes everywhere (and utilize MARTA).
Problem solved.
Brosephus™
July 31st, 2012
11:26 pm
While employees of the border patrol and immigration authorities need to be on location, most federal employees could qualify for telecommuting.
I’d say many, but not most. There’s quite a few groups that have to physically be on location. Those groups also have support personnel that have to be there with them to do their job. I’m well aware of telecommuting on the fed level. We have some people who telecommute part time, but there are days/times when they physically have to be onsite to perform their duties.
Rod
July 31st, 2012
11:26 pm
Lobbyist will just find another way to go over they’re 100.00 gifts and that GOP rep said there is no need we have strong disclosure laws but yet citizens overwhelmingly voted YES so now he should know they are not strong enough what a crook he just wants to keep scratching the backs of his big donor buddies I hope he voted out when his name is on the poll he proved he was crook with that statement right there
Hillbilly D
July 31st, 2012
11:28 pm
For T-Splost by region go to this link
http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/GA/40378/94455/en/summary.html
Start on page 102.
The $100 limit for lobbyist is ahead 87.03% to 12.97% with 117 of 159 counties reporting.
Bruno
July 31st, 2012
11:31 pm
Looks like a done deal down here in Columbus. 10% of the citizens just stuck us with a 10 year tax increase. Yet, everywhere I drive, the roads are just fine. I have to believe the out-of-work grading/paving/hauling contractors somehow got all of their friends to vote it in.
Hillbilly D
July 31st, 2012
11:33 pm
I think those results I gave for the $100 limit may be only from the Republican side. The results seem to be similar on the Democratic side, too.
Bruno
July 31st, 2012
11:34 pm
Back at ya, Freeway JamVet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3U1QXIxHoM
Bruno
July 31st, 2012
11:35 pm
I think those results I gave for the $100 limit may be only from the Republican side. The results seem to be similar on the Democratic side, too.
HD–I believe that was a “Republican-Only” initiative for whatever reason.
Hillbilly D
July 31st, 2012
11:41 pm
Bruno
There was a Democratic version of that question as well. It’s running 71.88% for the limit. So looks like that issue is a slam dunk regardless of party. Now let’s see if they do anything about it.
Hillbilly D
July 31st, 2012
11:42 pm
10% of the citizens just stuck us with a 10 year tax increase.
That’s why SPLOST votes are usually held in summer; they count on low turnout and getting the yes people out.
Bruno
July 31st, 2012
11:44 pm
In local news, my buddy John Pezold upset Kip Smith for the House seat. I guess that DUI that Kip got last January didn’t help him much. The Pezolds own all of the McDonald’s among other businesses down our way.
Bruno
July 31st, 2012
11:45 pm
There was a Democratic version of that question as well. It’s running 71.88% for the limit. So looks like that issue is a slam dunk regardless of party. Now let’s see if they do anything about it.
The only shocker there is that it didn’t pass 100% to 0%.
G Mare
July 31st, 2012
11:47 pm
GIMMEx3@ 10:05, yeah, I would vote for a splost for jobs. My son-in-law was laid off from a good job in a banking/investment company. It took him a year to find another job, and he has a college degree & many years of experience in that field. Point being that it took him a YEAR to find a job, so what about those who are STILL out of work who DON’T HAVE his talent & experience? We so need to put ALL of our people, our fellow citizens, back to work.
Bruno
July 31st, 2012
11:49 pm
Great link you provided HD. I’m not sure if I should be surprised, but the “Right to Life” amendment for fetuses is leading 2:1.
Bruno
July 31st, 2012
11:51 pm
The casino gambling initiative is running neck and neck. A coin-toss, if you will.
rod
July 31st, 2012
11:51 pm
@Hillbilly they better do something about it but they probably wont or will leave a loophole like they have in the disclosure law now in the current law lobbyist just listed they’re gifts as other on the statement and we had no strong office to investigate because they were under funded go figure a bill would do better BUT it should be 0 if you ask me still good old boy cronyism at its best and Republicans are majority so lets see what they will do
Bruno
July 31st, 2012
11:53 pm
GIMMEx3@ 10:05, yeah, I would vote for a splost for jobs.
GMare–If only it were that simple, then we could all work for the government and have jobs. 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. Nothing magical about it.
moonbat betty
July 31st, 2012
11:54 pm
Too easy, but here you go Jm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juQz_i2mxEk
oldfart
July 31st, 2012
11:55 pm
If they really felt the TSPLOST was in the right (correct, just, proper, you know what I mean), then it should have been in the general election and with more appropriate wording. Perfuming the pig did not help their cause.
Just checked out the other races and for the most part incumbents can get re-elected at least within their own party regardless. Amusing that the Clayton County Sheriff’s race will likely have a runoff including Victor Hill and his 37 indictments from his previous tenure in that post.
Hillbilly D
July 31st, 2012
11:56 pm
Republicans are majority so lets see what they will do
My guess would be the same thing the Democrats did when they were in the majority, nothing. I think if they aren’t going to limit gifts, at least take their per diem away. If the lobbyists are going to pick up the tab, let ‘em pick up the whole tab.
My guess is that you are probably on the right track, though, they’ll pass some feel good bill that has more holes than a fly flap.
BW
July 31st, 2012
11:57 pm
According to Galloway….Gov Deal will all but make himself the final arbiter of all transportation dollars spent in this state…this will be interesting.
http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2012/07/31/nathan-deals-plan-b-governor-intends-to-step-into-transportation-vacuum/?cxntfid=blogs_political_insider_jim_galloway
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.
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
8:23 am
OUTSIDE the perimeter, where the air is clean, you can leave your door open without fear of a home invasion
wow, denial much?
GT
August 1st, 2012
8:24 am
This was a statement to the character of local politicians, both city and state. The voters don’t trust you with their money. Not because you spend too much of it, but because at best they’re are poor managers and at worse they are crooks. Until this state elects some real leaders starting with honesty and working toward intelligent two years or one hundred years the results will be the same. We are looking for a divorce from the crooks that run this joint.
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
8:25 am
Remember when the TSPLOST vote was going to be close?
Nope.
(Unless you’re the type who believes polling that’s sponsored by a side with an ax to grind.)
harlow
August 1st, 2012
8:28 am
WHY IS IT THAT OTHER MAJOR CITIES HAVE RAPID RAIL LINES AND THIS MAJOR WANT TO BE REGION CANNOT SMELL THE COFFEE MARTA RAIL LINE IS YOUR ONLY ONLY ONLY ANSWER. WHAT ARE U PEOPLE SCARE OF. I HOPE IS NOT….
Jm
August 1st, 2012
8:32 am
“It’s on to Plan B”
Tsplost was plan B
Good luck folks. Enjoy the traffic
Gary
August 1st, 2012
8:32 am
I have a challenge for the supporters. Prove to me MARTA can improve. It is a simple challenge for such a small rail system. Run the trains on a schedule. A to the minute schedule. No delays no excuses. I want to know that when I get there at 10:06 the train will arrive at 10:07 if that is what time it is supposed to get there. Pretty simple. Seems to work everyday in Japan and Singapore. We are not India with power issues. A simple schedule. If the trains fail to meet it, FIRE someone at MARTA! It is not a jobs program for the city. It is a transit system. If the people there can’t run a schedule hire someone who can. You do this one small improvement and you may gain some trust. It is something you can sell.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 1st, 2012
8:32 am
If you have to shout to make your point, maybe that point wasn’t such a good one in the first place . . .
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 1st, 2012
8:32 am
They started widening my road last week. Hopefully South Hall County will see much more road love from Nathan!
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
8:33 am
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 suppose that’s true of some. But a lot of people are simply stuck with awful commutes (not necessarily OTP-ITP, of course) because they’ve needed to change jobs, but can’t financially justify selling their home and moving closer to their new gig.
I don’t see that situation changing any time soon either.
Thomas
August 1st, 2012
8:33 am
Breaking news-
Romney favored by 49 points in recent poll of white folks who eat at Chik fil A and drive an SUV.
Backup T Splost plan has the state in an offshore partnership named Sunnytoll Omega LLC- it may take years to find out the true owners- whereby Ga 400 can only be accessed by those who buy $20 of lottery tickets a week.
Sick of Progs
August 1st, 2012
8:34 am
Hmmm, state income tax, 7-8 percent sales tax, ad-valorum tax…When is enough? This is the taxpayers holding irresponible politicians feet to the fire. Spend our dollars wisely or get the f@#k out of our pockets.
Jm
August 1st, 2012
8:35 am
“What voters dismissed was a bottom-up list of $8 billion in road and rail projects created by local elected leaders
.
The Plan B that staggered out of the governor’s office will be its polar opposite: Dramatically smaller, paid for with shrinking funds, and highly centralized. Projects will be hand-picked by a governor who intends to squeeze every penny available.
And no matter what others might say today, don’t look for a sequel to the TSPLOST referendum. A second vote has no place in the governor’s Plan B.”
Translation: there is no plan b, or plan c
Have fun morons
harlow
August 1st, 2012
8:35 am
TSPOLST VERUS MARTA SOME THINGS MUCH CHANGE.ROADS VERUSES MARTA NOT EVEN CLOSE ANYMORE!
GT
August 1st, 2012
8:37 am
Atlanta is a fallen city. It being left out of the intro of NBC Olympics speaks volumes. We spent billions to be a showcase for the world and a decade later we are a backwater mess. And it is just not the city it is the state. Where are the Billy Paynes, Zell Millers, Robert Woodruffs, Ivan Allens…
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
August 1st, 2012
8:37 am
stands for decibels: wow, denial much?
——
Nope.
Leave the bubble, sfd. We’re not all surrounded by filth, sloth, and other detritus of the failed Obozo regime.
@@
August 1st, 2012
8:38 am
Amusing that the Clayton County Sheriff’s race will likely have a runoff including Victor Hill and his 37 indictments from his previous tenure in that post.
Not funny in the least!
What is wrong with these voters?
I can only speculate that they thrive on drama.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 1st, 2012
8:39 am
Boy, Jm is really upset he’s not going to get that large paving contract he hoped for this morning.
1961_Xer
August 1st, 2012
8:41 am
What I don’t get is how Hall/Forsyth (in NW) and Fulton/Dekalb could vote down a referendum that would have spent the lion’s share of dollars in those counties?
Gimme Gimme Gimme
August 1st, 2012
8:42 am
Tib – “Boy, Jm is really upset he’s not going to get that large paving contract he hoped for this morning.”
Your giving him to much credit, he is the guy who hold the Stop/Slow sign.
Thomas
August 1st, 2012
8:43 am
Have fun morons? Really?
Ok- when does summer end so the are forced back to school-
What is next- you suck? My dad can beat up your dad?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 1st, 2012
8:45 am
“What I don’t get is how Hall/Forsyth (in NW) and Fulton/Dekalb could vote down a referendum that would have spent the lion’s share of dollars in those counties?”
I think I can speak for Forsyth County, 1961. We’re SPLOST’ed out up here. Just had our SPLOST7 shoved down our throats in a special election earlier this year, and it really soured the populace on SPLOSTs in general. Only passed by a few votes as well, which REALLY ticked off some folks.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
August 1st, 2012
8:46 am
Too funny, Gimme!
JDW
August 1st, 2012
8:47 am
Alrighty then, Georgia voters have once again proved why we are at the bottom of the list in most everything. Plan B? Rule by Raw Deal…I especially like this part from the Governor’s office…
“metro Atlanta residents could also find themselves enduring pot holes and worse for the sake of better roads around the Port of Savannah”
http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2012/07/31/nathan-deals-plan-b-governor-intends-to-step-into-transportation-vacuum
BTW have you noticed that ole Raw Deal, that crafty devil, has been packing the Port Authority with cronies…the same Port Authority that has big sway over about 8% of Georgia’s GDP…financial problems what financial problems!
As for jobs…not so much welcome to a 5-10 year wet blanket, but that’s ok that pitter patter you hear is the sound of the young software engineers and other knowledge workers beating a trail for greener pastures. You do realize all that will extend to housing prices in a region where a 4% monthly gain doesn’t even get you off the bottom of the list.
All you Party of No proponents might want to look up this term…Pyrrhic Victory
tiredofIT
August 1st, 2012
8:48 am
” failed Obozo regime.”
Who was it that started two unfunded wars and tax cuts?
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
8:48 am
Pretty simple. Seems to work everyday in Japan and Singapore.
Yeah, why can’t we magically transform ourselves into either a tiny city-state or a totally different parliamentarian government?
(I’m sorry for the snark, people, but jeez.)
1961_Xer
August 1st, 2012
8:48 am
I suppose that’s true of some. But a lot of people are simply stuck with awful commutes (not necessarily OTP-ITP, of course) because they’ve needed to change jobs, but can’t financially justify selling their home and moving closer to their new gig.
THAT is me. At the start of the recession, I lived 20 minutes from where I worked, and I telecommunted 3 out of 5 days a week. I lost my job in Jan 2009. Nine months later, I took the only job I could find… 50 miles from my door. I cannot sell my house because it is underwater by about $20k.
The transit-bigots would blame my situation on me. I blame my situation on the economy/recession. I would move in an instant if I could sell my home. Since that is an impossibility, I have to make do with what I have to work with… a 50 mile each way drive. To hear the transit bigots talk about how selfish I am and hear them say , “tough sh**, you bought a house there now choke on the freeway” is not helpful. They pass judgment without fully realizing that I did everything right, and still got screwed.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
August 1st, 2012
8:48 am
wow, someone has been authorized to speak for an entire county of diverse people. Papers please!
Common Sense
August 1st, 2012
8:48 am
Another big tax waste voted down – common sense prevails!
Red Dawn
August 1st, 2012
8:50 am
Looks like the T-Party gave T-SPLAT the old heave-ho off the dock too. Someone nudge Obama to run on a platform of raising taxes with unaccounted for spending, please. That will essentially seal his fate…not that he’s looking great as we cross the less than 100 day mark to V-Day II for America again. Counter to what the descendant of America’s “first slave” (wasn’t that a laugh) has said on progress being made, quarterly GDP growth of sub-2% numbers is not cutting it with Americans…well those 50% of Americans that actually pay income taxes and know what’s really going on anyway (which certainly rules out anyone getting their “news” from the Obama water-carrying MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, and the New York Times).
Anyway back to T-SPLAT: if Georgia can’t make it on state income taxes that Florida and many other states do NOT have that are doing just fine (looking at you, Texas), then raising sales tax sure as hell won’t do any good anyway. How about all those empty MARTA buses driving around in north Fulton? Anyone know where all that GA400 toll revenue went? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Deal? Obama?
Common Sense
August 1st, 2012
8:51 am
1st unfunded wars were way before you were born sonny – probably by a big spending taxer…. Vietnam.
kayaker 71
August 1st, 2012
8:53 am
“The Tea Party is dead”.
Debbie Wasserman Shultz
Chair, DNC
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
8:53 am
The transit-bigots would blame my situation on me.
I appreciate your story (not altogether different from mine, actually, except for the underwater home part–and you have LOTS of company there, obviously) but…I’m sorry, “transit-bigots?”
Could you explain who these people might be?
Red Dawn
August 1st, 2012
8:53 am
“Who was it that started two unfunded wars and tax cuts?”
1) Democrats voted for authority for both wars (and they were funded) in Congress.
2) Democrats voted for the Bush tax cuts – that’s how it’s supposed to work…going through Congress first (Obama doesn’t like going through Congress these days).
3) And just so you know brainiac, circling back to #1, the cost of Iraq TO DATE since its start in 2003 has been about the same as that failed $850 billion stimulus bill passed back in 2009 that was supposed to have prevented unemployment from going above 8% and create all those wonderful shovel ready jobs and green energy jobs
mary Jean
August 1st, 2012
8:53 am
Get out and support your neighborhood Chick – Fil – A today on Chick – Fil – A appreciation day.
No More Money
August 1st, 2012
8:54 am
Boom Boom out go the lights! People in Ga arent as dumb as they thought we were, huh?
Keep Up the Good Fight!
August 1st, 2012
8:55 am
“first slave”
What was that show with Art Linkletter? Kids say the darnedest things? 
Keep Up the Good Fight!
August 1st, 2012
8:57 am
was supposed to have prevented unemployment from going above 8%
Repeating a lie will not make it true no matter how many times you repeat it.
Numbers-R-US
August 1st, 2012
9:00 am
Don’t worry folks. Caterpillar will still get its transportation infrastructure that it required in order to divert some of its business here.
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
9:01 am
“first slave”
Well, the first documented American slave, apparently.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/obama-descended-documented-african-slave-america-researchers-article-1.1125136
(It doesn’t make Red Dawn’s rationalization for why those terrible Democrats shoulda stopped the GOP before they invaded again any less cowardly, of course.)
Numbers-R-US
August 1st, 2012
9:02 am
Red Dawn needs to lay off the revisionist history.
independent thinker
August 1st, 2012
9:03 am
Glad to see the party of No is alive and well in Georgia with daily prayer sessions bowing of the sheep to Grover Norquist.. Let’s all celebrate their accomplishments particularly if they close down the postal system this week due to lack of funding.
kayaker 71
August 1st, 2012
9:03 am
Keep, 8:57,
Then why the hell was it funded if not to provide jobs? Over 8% unemployment for the last 42 STRAIGHT months, more like 12-13% if you count everyone. In the black community, it’s over 40% for black youth between 18 and 25 and nearly 14% or the rest. That’s what you call real progress, Keep, and it only cost us 850B dollars.
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
9:03 am
Red Dawn needs to lay off the revisionist history.
naw, I think we should take his postings in the spirit of that campy Reaganite movie he’s chosen as a screen handle.
St Simons - we're on Island time
August 1st, 2012
9:04 am
best decision we evah made. evah.
T-Splat means something totally different down heah.
Sea turtle causeway crossing season ends today. Traffic should
clear up. I hope the turtles got the memo, or can read the signs.
middle of the road
August 1st, 2012
9:04 am
The AJC headlines says the “TSPLOST defeat was a TEa-Party win”. I beg to differ. There were a LOT more than just Tea Partiers who voted against the bill, for alot of different reasons. Some voted against it because it didn’t have enough transit, some because it had too much. But a LOT of people (not just Tea-Partiers) voted against it because they would not trust govenment – mailnly because of the Ga 400 debacle.
captguitarman
August 1st, 2012
9:06 am
I didn’t vote for one incumbent – every challenger got my vote. If no challenger, no vote cast for that office. If we are ever going to get out of this mess, the people need to send a message to those who govern. This will be even more true in the fall. As bad a president as Obama has been, in way over his head from the start, both Houses of the United States Congress have been a complete and total disgrace. Yes, there is a leadership vacuum, and since nature abhors a vaccum, they are usually filled — but not by the leaders of this Congress. And now they will be gone for their “August” break which is actually 6 weeks, so it’s reallhy an Augusut-September break, but it’s not called that for obvious political reasons. A very small thing, but one that speaks volumes about the cynical, entrenched culture in Washington, where the people are no longer feared, and the economy is exploding with unprecedented government expansion. They don’t even know there is a recession in the rest of the nation.
And T-Splost? Now those good ol boys jes doin bidness under the Dome will have to shoulder their responsibilties as elected representatives of the people, and deal with this transportation mess that is killing the goose that laid the golden egg — and not hide behind a referendum like politicians whose only concern is keeping their seat, and enjoying all the perqs of office, of course. We will not grow out way out of this mess because companies will not relocate here any more just because its a nice place to live. No company wants its employees spending useless and wasted time sitting in traffic hours upon end week after week. But, don’t bet your ranch.
Thomas Heyward Jr.
August 1st, 2012
9:06 am
As a matter of principle………..all of the Corps and individual proponents of the Tspolst should “donate” their estimated tax increase.
.
Make check payable to Georgia DOT.
Every little bit will help to ensure that that Trolley car to the aquarium and other great mass transit ideas will come to fruition.
middle of the road
August 1st, 2012
9:08 am
Stands for Decibels – “wow, denial much?”
I will be glad to take air readings up here north of Canton and compare them to inside the perimeter – I am sure they will prove there is more pollution down there in Atlanta. also, I leave my door open all the time when I am home. Can you do that in SE Atlanta? Why do the condos at Atlantic station have codes to get into them? Security against the criminals. How many Ga. Tech students get robbed each month – AT GUNPOINT?!
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
9:10 am
And I know it’s asking a lot, but I’ll do it just once, here at Kyle’s joint, and be done with it.
Just stop with the “failed stimulus” nonsense.
Had McCain won in 2008, he would’ve been facing the same meltdown, and he would’ve almost certainly pushed for a similar economic stimulus (a mix of spending and tax cuts/credits to those who would spend that money), and it would’ve been uncontroversial, because that’s what sane leaders of prosperous nations do. They prevent their nation’s economies from going under. They plug in the holes the best they can by printing money.
If you don’t like it, invent a WAYBAC machine that can transport you back to some prehistoric hunter-gatherer society where you’d be happier.
middle of the road
August 1st, 2012
9:11 am
“We will not grow out way out of this mess because companies will not relocate here any more just because its a nice place to live. No company wants its employees spending useless and wasted time sitting in traffic hours upon end week after week.”
Nice place to live? Are you talking about Atlanta?
Companies should NOT relocate to Atlanta – it is too crowded, too much crime, schools suck.
Businesses should relocate to the suburbs – like Caterpillar is doing, like Toyo Tires did. Leave Atlanta in its own filth.
Gimme Gimme Gimme
August 1st, 2012
9:11 am
Red Dawn@8:53
100% true although some have convinced themselves otherwise. Kind of like how they pretend Obama didn’t really extend the Bush tax cuts.
kayaker 71
August 1st, 2012
9:15 am
If companies do relocate their employees to Atlanta, they need to supply each one of them with a new Glock 23 with a laser sight, especially if they send their kids to GA Tech. Same is true for Macon.
Numbers-R-US
August 1st, 2012
9:16 am
I know better than to leave my door open at night out here in the wilderness. Black bears and coyotes and other animals will invite themselves in and rob you blind. Then there are the insects and the snakes and the rodents and the dust and the humidity and the heat. Why on earth would anyone leave their door open.
independent thinker
August 1st, 2012
9:16 am
I voted No after watching the proponents trot out Andy Young to bring out Black voters for T-
Splost. This is the guy as mayor who pushed for the presidential parkway in the early eighties saying it would increase property values around it. But suburbanites who have no crime, no school problems, no mass transit and keep their doors open 24/7 will remain in their surreal bubble and choke on the traffic-Kinda makes me kind of happy since I live intown and commute on Marta.. By the way what’s up with that heroin explosion in Cherokee county- Marta riders make it up there?
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
9:18 am
I will be glad to take air readings up here north of Canton
NORTH of Canton?
Yeah, I imagine the air is better when you’re hell and gone from where a viable suburban community exists, sure. For those who are within reach of civilization it might be a different story.
independent thinker
August 1st, 2012
9:20 am
Hey Middle of the Road – glad to see you suburbanites live in a surreal bubble-no crime, no pollution,perfect schools, no minority politicians , no traffic prolems and no criminals rifding mass transit. What’s up with that heroin explosion in Cherokee County? Marta riders make it up there too?
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
9:20 am
And just so it’s clear, I’m well OTP myself, and those suburban communities face the same air quality and crime issues that folks ITP face. which was the point I was making, earlier.
Jose
August 1st, 2012
9:32 am
woke up this morning………….. took me 2x as long to drive to work…….. then found out my job had left atlanta so i was out of work…….
guess the PRO T-SPLOST people were right
Jose
August 1st, 2012
9:36 am
now its time for metro atlanta to make a list of what the problems are and what are the solutions to choose from
was told on Roswell Rd that travel time between the river and 285 was reduced by 5 minutes when they changed the patterns of the stop lights……..
not every solution is a TRILLION $ capital project
ragnar danneskjold
August 1st, 2012
9:36 am
I am disappointed the T-SPLOST vote was so close. We need to work harder to educate the remaining 37%.
yuzeyurbrane
August 1st, 2012
9:40 am
Kyle, always go with your gut. I don’t want to gloat too much but I did predict T-Splost would go down big.
MiltonMan
August 1st, 2012
9:41 am
Sucks to be all of those commuters in Woodstock, Acworth, Kennesaw, Marietta, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Milton, John’s Creek, Suwanee, Duluth, Lawrenceville, etc. I guess…
Alpharetta/Milton doing very well for thanks for your concern.
New high school – check; new subdivisions – check; continue decay of Fulton County – check; telecommuting options – double check; and best of all: few, very few democrats – double check
GT
August 1st, 2012
9:45 am
Chick – Fil – A more positive press, man you just don’t get it do you? The federal government doesn’t make you a failure it all starts at home with yourselves. But fine keep shooting yourselves in the head, the results will stay the same no matter how loud you get.
MiltonMan
August 1st, 2012
9:46 am
“And just so it’s clear, I’m well OTP myself, and those suburban communities face the same air quality and crime issues that folks ITP face. which was the point I was making, earlier.”
Crime is rampant here? I guess “Protected by Smith & Wesson” signage out front or the rescued killer Cavalier keeps them away.
Just Say No to New Taxes
August 1st, 2012
9:50 am
splat goes the tax, like a bug on the windshield! I luv this democracy thing, lets vote on some more stuff: eliminate the entire property tax, limit state income tax to no more than 1%, and fire 80% of government workers!! Make it so…….
Jose
August 1st, 2012
9:55 am
hey where are all those tax loving libs that are usually on here?
are they stuck in traffic?
Kramer
August 1st, 2012
9:55 am
This is another example of the majority of people do not trust government to spend our money wisely. This was not because of the Tea Party ( who I support ). This was citizens of every color and every political belief saying no. Lets hope this flows over into November and we can get the drunken sailor out of the White House.
Big D
August 1st, 2012
10:01 am
We the people said the government has enough of our money. We said to our elected “representatives”, you must budget and live within “our” means as we do.
Big D
August 1st, 2012
10:06 am
Today is “suppoert Chick-fil-A day”. I will lunch at Chick-fil-A today to show support of freedom of speech.
Numbers-R-US
August 1st, 2012
10:07 am
Up here in NE Georgia, the vote was very clear. Republicans said NO to more taxes. They didn’t vote based on the project list. How could they if they don’t even know what is on the project list. They also voted the current crop of state and federal level Republicans into office based on their promise to Grover to not raise taxes. Even the locals running for office make sure they talk about either not raising taxes if they are new to politics or else they brag about how they have not raised taxes if they are incumbents.
Thomas
August 1st, 2012
10:08 am
MiltonMan- you forgot a few important stats- N Fulton schools- Alpharetta HS, Milton HS, Northview are superior to schools in the NEast and are on par with private schools in Atlanta and they are 40% minority.
SlickRick
August 1st, 2012
10:09 am
Awesome. Conservatives cutting off their noses to spite their faces, all because they’re smart enough to read a three letter word.
Kyle Wingfield
August 1st, 2012
10:10 am
Logic was never intended: You’ve been reinstated. Stick to the rules. Your next suspension will be a lot longer than a week.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 1st, 2012
10:11 am
WASHINGTON — In a long-shot victory that could help define the conservative tilt of the Senate, tea-party-backed Ted Cruz defeated an establishment Republican on Tuesday in the hard-fought GOP primary runoff in Texas.
They keep writing us off and we keep taking them out.
Piedmont South from North Georgia
August 1st, 2012
10:11 am
I bet the developers who are building those new high rise apartments downtown are happy this morning.
Thomas
August 1st, 2012
10:12 am
At Alpharetta High School, students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® coursework and exams. The AP® participation rate at Alpharetta High School is 69 percent. The student body makeup is 51 percent male and 49 percent female, and the total minority enrollment is 43 percent. Alpharetta High School is 1 of 17 high schools in the Fulton County…
Jose
August 1st, 2012
10:21 am
i see that the white racist tea party must have put on disguises and used illegal id’s to replace voters in CofATL, Dekalb and Fulton and vote NO on t-splost
Up Up and Away
August 1st, 2012
10:25 am
Jose @ 10:21
Is there a point you are attempting to make or is that all the substance you could muster?
Hmmmmmm
August 1st, 2012
10:25 am
Thanks for the comment Big D…. Explain that to AmVet… He is either totally ignorant or he lives under a rock…
Big D
August 1st, 2012
10:27 am
The solution to Metro traffic and to environmental contamination caused by that traffic, and the wasted energy and time caused by sitting in traffic, will not be improved by more roads or mass transits. Making access to downtown Atlanta easier will omly lead to more people going there and furthering the need for more taxes to pay to transport the new people downtown. The solution is simple. Do nothing. As conditions worsen business will eventually wake up and relocate to the suburbs where facilities are cheaper and workers will accept lower pay for the convenience of employment near their homes. The increased infrastructure cost to the suburbs will be significantly less than anything done in Atlanta.
Up Up and Away
August 1st, 2012
10:33 am
Big D
What major city has done that and how has it worked out for the metro area?
USMC
August 1st, 2012
10:33 am
This was NOT a “Tea Party” victory.
The answer to last night’s T-SPLAT loss is very simple.
If you have a track record of IRRESPONSIBILITY, common sense dictates that you are not equipped to handle MORE.
If your child can’t take responsibility for the pet rock they already have, you surly won’t give them a Saint Bernard and expect them to take responsibility for it.
The city of Atlanta is investing MILLIONS of tax payer dollars to install a street car from Centennial Park to the MLK center. What a waste.
If they were serious about “transportation”, why didn’t they run the street car down PEACHTREE from downtown to Buckhead where everyday people could utilize it for work, etc.?
And…. MARTA….. need I say more??
I demand to see Cheesy Grits Birth Certificate- Long Form Please
August 1st, 2012
10:33 am
Today is “suppoert Chick-fil-A day”. I will lunch at Chick-fil-A today to show support of freedom of speech.
Man have they got you guys. When does the next phony war on Christmas start.
They press a button and you Christians start spending money. And they laugh all the way to the bank.
Numbers-R-US
August 1st, 2012
10:33 am
– In House District 117, Republican incumbent Doug McKillip of Athens (49.56 percent), who switched parties in 2010, has apparently lost to challenger Regina Quick (50.44 percent) by a mere 66 votes.
State Democrats had urged their voters to cross over into the GOP primary to punish McKillip. One observer told us that one sign of the crossover: In the March GOP presidential primary, Clarke County turned out only 1,900 Republican voters. On Tuesday, almost 3,200 GOP ballots were cast.
McKillip won the other three counties in the district, but it wasn’t enough enough to offset a major loss in Clarke.
Let us hope that narrow margin holds. McKillip deserves to go down. Good job, voters.
Piedmont South from North Georgia
August 1st, 2012
10:34 am
Big D
August 1st, 2012
10:27 am
____
I disagree. I think there will be more people living and working downtown. Less sprawl.
The trouble with putting jobs in the surburbs is getting the workers to their jobs. They all can’t move to be close to their job. Answer is central location of jobs and living units. And restaurants and parks.
Numbers-R-US
August 1st, 2012
10:36 am
Man have they got you guys. When does the next phony war on Christmas start.
I wonder when Chick-Fil-A and the NRA will link up. A free chicken sandwich with the purchase of a new glock. A free pass to the firing range with the purchase of a regular fry. The profitable possibilites are endless.
Steve
August 1st, 2012
10:37 am
Although we are still stuck in the dark ages here in Georgia, things are looking up nationally:
The Quinnipiac University/CBS News/New York Times polls showed Obama leading his Republican challenger Mitt Romney in Florida 51%-45%, in Ohio 50%-44%, and in Pennsylvania 53%-42%.
Up Up and Away
August 1st, 2012
10:37 am
I see Jm is still distraught from last night. Hopefully he hasn’t been so impacted mentally and emotionally that he requires professional assistance.
Our thoughts are with you JM.
iggy
August 1st, 2012
10:37 am
“Businesses should relocate to the suburbs – like Caterpillar is doing, like Toyo Tires did. Leave Atlanta in its own filth.”
Absolutely!!
1961_Xer
August 1st, 2012
10:37 am
Had McCain won in 2008, he would’ve been facing the same meltdown, and he would’ve almost certainly pushed for a similar economic stimulus (a mix of spending and tax cuts/credits to those who would spend that money), and it would’ve been uncontroversial, because that’s what sane leaders of prosperous nations do. They prevent their nation’s economies from going under. They plug in the holes the best they can by printing money.
To be fair, this is probably true. But the projects that the money was spent on would have been completely different. For example, infrastructure spending was just 3% of the stimulus money ($20 billion). That $800billion stimulus could have purchased the best infrastructure (Roads, bridges, power, transit… EVERYTHING) in the world. Instead, the vast majority of it was spent on Democrat pipe dreams. That essentially doomed any further stimulus bills from getting through Congress.
Now, Obama has no footing when he wants to take about “investments” in our infrastructure. He has no footing when he wants to take about hiring teachers and first responders. He has no footing when he talks about “investments” in the Green economy. He squandered that political capitol when he allowed Democrat interests to dominate the first stimulus.
McCain would have passed a stimulus, but it’s anyone’s guess as to where the money would have gone. I’m guessing MUCH more would have gone to infrastructure.
@@
August 1st, 2012
10:37 am
Obama Supporters Barraged With Pleas for Cash
In the meantime, the result is a Democratic campaign that is trying to portray the sitting president as a financial underdog whose ability to stay in the White House depends on the largess of his army of everyday supporters.
“My upcoming birthday next week could be the last one I celebrate as President of the United States, but that’s not up to me — it’s up to you,” Mr. Obama said to his supporters in an e-mail late last week.
Accompanying the e-mail was a link to donate in exchange for a chance to attend his “birthday get-together” in August.
Has he no shame? I’m so embarrassed for him.
Steve
August 1st, 2012
10:38 am
“Do nothing.”
Wow…is this what a Georgia edumacation produces?? Good God.
Hillbilly D
August 1st, 2012
10:38 am
these are the same people that refused to build a MARTA station at the Braves stadium
It’s my understanding that the reason there is no MARTA line to Turner Field is that the Braves didn’t want it because it would cut into their parking revenue.
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
10:39 am
@@
How is that working out in the projected Electoral College?
USMC
August 1st, 2012
10:39 am
“They press a button and you Christians start spending money. And they laugh all the way to the bank.”
LOL! What a joke. Let me guess…. SOCIALIST who lacks diversity… and common sense.
I demand to see Cheesy Grits Birth Certificate- Long Form Please
August 1st, 2012
10:40 am
Steve the race for the White House is all over but for the crying.
No way this country elects Cheesy Grits.
With Bill Clinton on board the Obama campaign its
Game. Set. Match.
Wonder why the Dems can use former Presidents but you sure dont see the Bush’s around
Hmmmmmmmm
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
10:40 am
Instead, the vast majority of it was spent on Democrat pipe dreams.
Unless you can document this and define what you mean by “vast majority” and “pipe dream”, I’m gonna have to call BS on that one.
Steve
August 1st, 2012
10:41 am
The South will continue to shoot itself in the foot and not move forward, but the rest of the nation will. Thankfully.
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
10:42 am
@@
This from Karl Rove. No fan of Obama
http://www.rove.com/election
shnirt
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
10:42 am
and you can feel free to point to specific projects that fall into the “pipe dream” category here.
http://www.recovery.gov/Pages/default.aspx
Numbers-R-US
August 1st, 2012
10:43 am
Why would any of you think that Caterpillar or Toyo or any major manufacturing business would want to put a plant in a major city such as Atlanta. I could see them on the outskirts of some place like Macon or Athens or Columbus, a city large enough to provide the necessary workers, etc., but that’s about as close to Atlanta as they should care to be.
So so so
August 1st, 2012
10:44 am
“Let me guess…. SOCIALIST who lacks diversity”
Well not sure how many socialists will be at the Republican convention, but we know one thing, it will be short on diversity
Just saying, but do carry on with the blather
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
10:45 am
It’s my understanding that the reason there is no MARTA line to Turner Field is that the Braves didn’t want it because it would cut into their parking revenue.
If true, I’ll officially push forward my “consider allowing myself to do the Chop” milestone another five years.
larry
August 1st, 2012
10:45 am
How could they if they don’t even know what is on the project list.
Actually, i live in NE Georgia, and i knew what was on the project list. It isn’t my fault that voters are uneducated. Now , comes plan B, where we have to kiss up to the Governor to get anything built now. Nice move , Repubs. Pretty soon, this state will be where y’all want it to be.
The message was sent loud and clear to companies that were considering locating here. Sure, we’ve heard about the Catipillar’s and Baxter’s . But what about the companies that are bypassing us everyday because we have decided not to fund education , and now we don’t want to fund infrastructure. And to those of you who say the state must live within its means Dont forget, the state has to pay for things , those things cost money and are subject to inflationary pressures just like the things we buy. So , for those of you who voted no, i hope y’all like potholes , because they are coming to a road near you. Real quickly.
iggy
August 1st, 2012
10:48 am
All these pro-tax increase sheeple. Unbelievable.
@@
August 1st, 2012
10:48 am
Never:
Choose a different target for your snipe hunt.
I’ve never been one to make predictions.
So so so
August 1st, 2012
10:49 am
“All these pro-tax increase sheeple. Unbelievable.”
Did you vote for Deal?
iggy
August 1st, 2012
10:49 am
Perhaps now with all the lost jobs for GA/Atlanta, many of you whiners could jump State lines, which would assist in solving the traffic problems.
CYA!
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
10:50 am
@@
Doesn’t matter whether you make them or not. Even many conservative pundits do not have your boy Romney winning
shnirt
Obama is over
August 1st, 2012
10:50 am
If you live in the city of Atlanta, all you have to do to understand the defeat of T-SPLOST is open your monthly water bill. Years of cronyism, incompetence, and the blame game have resulted in Atlanta having the highest water/sewer rates in the country. Unfortunately, the need for transportation improvements is not going away, but the fundamental mistrust of city government has been confirmed by the citizens of Atlanta. I wonder if the Mayor regrets his appearance on “Meet The Press” preaching Obama’s tax the rich mantra? Brookhaven approving becoming its own city is further proof. People are simply no longer willing to give elected officials open checkbooks at taxpayer expense so that they can give above market contracts to special interest groups in exchange for campaign contributions. Obama is in the process of learning this concept the hard way.There is a limit to how much patience Americans have for elected officials’ lack of progress.
USMC
August 1st, 2012
10:51 am
MARTA is a DISASTER and they have the arrogance to demand more MONEY??? LOL!
Just like my parentS used to say,”take care of what you ALREADY have, THEN we can discuss getting you a (fill in the blank).”
Wake up folks, throwing Billions of taxpayer dollars into the fire isn’t going to fix anything.
Local politicians need to go back to the drawing board and increase the quality/efficiency with what they already have, then let’s talk.
How about FOCUSING on MARTA and get rid of the RACIST politics and ineptitude for starters.
This LOSS is to be blamed on the politicians.
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
10:52 am
iggy
I voted No, but why are you suggesting people leave the state?
I doubt you like Obama, but I am sure you have no plans to leave the country.
But keep up the nothingness
Hillbilly D
August 1st, 2012
10:53 am
For general info, there is a such thing as a snipe. I haven’t seen one since I was a teenager, though. They’re pretty rare in these parts now.
http://www.birds-of-north-america.net/wilson-s-snipe.html
Big D
August 1st, 2012
10:53 am
Piedmont South from North Georgia
Thanks for your comment. You are over looking the fact that the present traffic problems are caused by “getting the workers to their jobs” as you said. Those workers are presently living in the suburbs. The Atlanta area population shows more people living in the suburbs than live inside of the perimeter. BTW, there are plenty of very good resturants and parks in the suburbs along with public transportation and bicycle paths and walking trails. You know, the quality of life amenities people in the city dream of.
Steve
August 1st, 2012
10:55 am
There is a reason why the South falls behind the rest of this Nation on so many levels – education, infant mortality, clean air, transit, roads… it’s because we make so many back-assed decisions based on ignorance, prejudice, fear of change, and who knows what else.
Don’t complain that Atlanta traffic sucks or MARTA goes nowhere. Instead, vote in people who have a clue instead of corrupt idiots.
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
10:55 am
“The Atlanta area population shows more people living in the suburbs than live inside of the perimeter”
Isn’t that the case for many of the larger cities across the country?
@@
August 1st, 2012
10:55 am
Never:
Romney’s not my boy.
Tell me…do you consider Obama “your boy”?
SCHNIRT!!!!
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
10:57 am
@@
I voted for Hillary, but nice try.
double and triple SHNIRT
iggy
August 1st, 2012
10:58 am
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
10:52 am
Was merely a viable solution to the traffic mess.
Splost vs Obama? Apples and oranges my friend.
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
11:00 am
iggy
Did you vote for Deal?
iggy
August 1st, 2012
11:01 am
Vote for Deal? No. Voted for neither.
Erwin's cat
August 1st, 2012
11:02 am
Deal’s approval rating in GA is 57%
SlickRick
August 1st, 2012
11:02 am
Never can tell – Nice one. @@ can’t see the forest for the trees, so blinded by hate is she.
I liked your schnirtey conclusion, by the way. Good on ‘ya.
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
11:03 am
iggy
Thanks for the reply. I asked because you said something about “pro tax sheeple”, yet the state government is run by Republicans and a good many came out in favor of the TSPOLST.
Back Seater
August 1st, 2012
11:04 am
Wonder why the Dems can use former Presidents but you sure dont see the Bush’s around
Oh I don’t know, it’s kinda like Gore and Kerry didn’t want Clinton on the trail with them…………
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
11:05 am
Erwin
Who is arguing Deal’s approval rating? I’m just merely saying that many on these blogs voted Deal and the Republicans who supported the TSPOLST. And they will vote for them again.
Their choice, but cry to the right people.
Randy G
August 1st, 2012
11:06 am
They can remove their ugly yard signs from every street corner now – all of ‘em!
Lu Green
August 1st, 2012
11:06 am
I own property in North Georgia as well as California. When learning Ga History as a child we were
taught Atlanta grew because of railroads not water. Guess what? Most large cities are developed around water, transportation is good but if you have no water you are limited. Atlanta is overgrown
but your city officials refuse to notice. You can no longer make plans to add jobs because even coke
doesnt have enough water. The Indians who used canoes say who controls transportation controls the world Got that from Seattle as they were introducing a new monster ferry.to Puget Sound. Lets see, New York, Washington, Savannah, Maimi, Chicago, San Fran, Los Angeles, San Diego, even Texas has a hugh aquafier to support large cities. Atlanta as well as Las Vegas have to look to the Tennessee
River and Colorado River and hope they will share , well what if they dont……That is why Chattanooga is growing providing automoblie industry water, Dalton grew because of water so could control color
and wash the carpet. If this country is to survive simple facts can no longer be ignored. Limit all these
building permits. Cordially, LU
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
11:07 am
bloggers, not blogs…..
excuse me
heck that goes for the voting population as whole, not just the bloggers
Hmmmmmm
August 1st, 2012
11:07 am
@larry
You of all people shouldn’t be calling people uneducated…. First of all, for a Tax to get voted down this bad, both Democrats and Repubs voted against this idiotic tax. Secondly, Georgia spends more money on education than most states in the Union! and for what, I do not know! Please just get yourself some HELP! Maybe you and Amvet can split the cost….
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
11:08 am
Randy G
Amen
Sick of Progs
August 1st, 2012
11:09 am
Businesses are flocking to California for high taxes and congestion! Schnirt
Big D
August 1st, 2012
11:11 am
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
10:55 am
“The Atlanta area population shows more people living in the suburbs than live inside of the perimeter”
Isn’t that the case for many of the larger cities across the country?
You are correct but you did not discover some hidden truth known only to you. The comment was made as evidence of the need for business to relocate to the suburbs rather than the inner city thereby diminishing the need for tax payer funding of transportation projects which only benefit inner city busness. If you own a business not dependant on retail consumers wouldn’t you locate that business where the workers are, where the over head is cheaper, etc.? My point is that improving transportation to the inner city only increases the need to provide more and more transportation to the inner city. I say stop the cycle. It is simple. If business needs better transportation let them pay for it.
Ray
August 1st, 2012
11:11 am
Sixty seven to thirty three percent, the message was sent. Voters were clearly informed (thanks, Kyle). Let’s see if they have learned anything. Hint: a sleeker campaign is not the answer.
iggy
August 1st, 2012
11:13 am
“Atlanta is overgrown but your city officials refuse to notice. You can no longer make plans to add jobs because even coke doesnt have enough water”
Excellent point. Atlanta is way overgrown.
Normal Free...Pro Human Rights Thug...And liking it!
August 1st, 2012
11:13 am
Big D
August 1st, 2012
10:06 am
Today is “suppoert Chick-fil-A day”. I will lunch at Chick-fil-A today to show support of freedom of speech.
————————————–
And I will continue to boycott them to show support for equal rights for ALL individuals.
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
11:13 am
Hmmmmmmmmmm
Instead of obsessing over Amvet (if you love him, just tell him) you might want to look up a few facts before the usual running at the mouth you display.
GA is the 9th most populated state and ranks 9th in total education spending.
So what was that you were saying?
bwhahahahahahah
Finn McCool (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
August 1st, 2012
11:16 am
What skeletons are in Romney’s tax filings?
Hmmmmmm
August 1st, 2012
11:18 am
@ Never can tell…
Thanks for making my point…. Top Ten in education spending… and what was your point… Maybe you can share the cost of finding some good counseling as well…
iggy
August 1st, 2012
11:18 am
No one at Chick fil a is denying rights to anyone and I would imagine Chick fil a has many gay employees.
Would all individuals not have an equal right to freedom of expression, thinking etc.?
Oh now I see…if YOU state its ok then eveyone should fall into line.
Thanks for the clarification. Michael Stipe would love your mentality.
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
11:18 am
Big D @ 11:11
Thanks for the reply. But that is not going to happen. You will get some businesses that will relocate to the burbs as you said, but some will skip the metro Atlanta area altogether.
Of course the reasons will not be just because of TSPLOST but Atlanta seems to be loosing its edge already. We used to be 1st tier to Dallas, Charlotte and Nashville. Those cities seem to have invested more in infrastructure. Coincidence? I don’t know.
I voted against TSPOLST because of what I saw as too pet projects
getalife
August 1st, 2012
11:20 am
will robme did not pay any taxes for 10 years.
They should file charges on this felon.
USMC
August 1st, 2012
11:20 am
Why can’t the city of Atlanta simply SYNCHRONIZE THE TRAFFIC LIGHTS???? For Starters…
(that would indicate to intelligent voters that you are serious about improving the quality of transportation in the Metro area)
Then move onto CLEANING HOUSE at MARTA and increasing the efficiency/quality, etc.
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
11:21 am
Hmmmmmmmm
Brains are not your style. I’m sure there is waste, however the spending coincides with the population. That is not a coincidence. What state has more population and spends less?
Is it a prerequisite that you cry and obsess over AmVet regardless of what blog name you are using?
USMC
August 1st, 2012
11:22 am
“will robme did not pay any taxes for 10 years.”
Neither have you Getalife! LOL!
Normal Free...Pro Human Rights Thug...And liking it!
August 1st, 2012
11:22 am
Iggi,
For your 1116…
http://lolcats.icanhascheezburger.com/2012/07/31/funny-cat-pictures-in-slow-mo-too/
@@
August 1st, 2012
11:23 am
Well just goes to show…
Never can tell:
I voted for Hillary in the primary, hoping I could vote for her in the general.
I DID NOT vote for Nathan Deal.
Hillbilly:
I was using snipe as a verb.
snipe: to attack a person or a person’s work with petulant or snide criticism, especially anonymously or from a safe distance.
Had my fill of those <———– next door. Their sole purpose was to lay in wait. Ladies in waiting, if you will.
larry
August 1st, 2012
11:23 am
@ Hmmmmmmm…………., I called people uneducated because the poster said the tax was voted down ,but they did not know what was on the projects list. I live in NE Georgia , our county unemployment rate is above 9%. I knew what was on the projects list and how it would benefit our county.
Just to vote something down blindly without knowing the pros and cons doesnt benefit everyone. And now, guess what, we better be nice to Nathan, because now he controls what gets built and what doesnt. But y’all did it to yourself.
getalife
August 1st, 2012
11:24 am
USMC,
I am not running for President and paid all my taxes.
will robme is a felon.
Hillbilly D
August 1st, 2012
11:24 am
Excellent point. Atlanta is way overgrown.
And yet they keep talking about expanding (Metro area not just the city) and bringing in 3 million more people in the coming decades. Until Metro Atlanta and North Georgia figures out something to base their economy on, other than wide open development, the traffic and water problems will only get worse. It’s taken 40 years or more to get where we are today and it’ll take a long time to right the ship, if that ever happens.
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
11:25 am
@@
You would probably be he last person who wants to talking about “sniping”.
Maybe not today, but you do it on a regular basis.
Hypocrite much?
SHNIRT
Sick of Progs
August 1st, 2012
11:26 am
getalife
August 1st, 2012
11:20 am
will robme did not pay any taxes for 10 years.
They should file charges on this felon.
They should file charges on Jeff Immelt for shipping jobs overseas and G.E. not paying taxes last year. Oh, wait, who’s Job Czar is he??
St Simons - we're on Island time
August 1st, 2012
11:26 am
Is Mark Hatfield gone? hallelujah jaysus chicken samwich!
Ditto Benedict McKillip
And I see for Bill Heath, its InGawdWeTrust, for all others, its a runoff heh
like my uncle said, swing the hammer, Cant hit but one nail at the time
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
11:27 am
HillBilly D
Good point on the water issue. I think that is as important or more so than the infrastructure issue.
getalife
August 1st, 2012
11:28 am
Sick of,
Same ole con deflection.
Are you going to vote for a felon that paid no taxes for 10 years?
Are you that brainwashed?
Rockerbabe
August 1st, 2012
11:29 am
Whell, yes whell, you white folks on the north side of town, you Tea Party idiots can just sit in your traffic jams and stew! I live on the east side of town and life is a lot better when you folks do not come over here for anything!. NOTHING and I mean NOTHING will ever make the TP folks happy other than a return to the 1950s and 1960s. When I retire in about 5 years, I will be heading back up north were folks are reasonable and sane and see beyond their own front yards. If the folks here in Atlanta want progress, then your are going to have to vote the TP and GOP out of office.
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
11:30 am
Michael Stipe would love your mentality.
can someone translate this into English?
Last I checked, Mr. Stipe was a fabulously well-off retired rock star who can do more or less whatever he likes. I’m not sure what that has to do with the discussion at hand, though.
Big D
August 1st, 2012
11:31 am
“Wonder why the Dems can use former Presidents but you sure dont see the Bush’s around”
The above statement is so funny it is hard to believe it was seriously offered Obama is in such bad shape, he has to rely on a disbarred former president, (the only one in history) admitted perjurer and womanizer who disgraced the oval office with his shenanigans or Jimmy Carter whose only claim to fame now is, with Obama in the White House, Jimmy is no longer the worst president in our history. Even by comparison with those two, Obama comes out looking like the doofus he is. Here is the prime proof of the stupidity of our present white house is that both Clinton and Obama’s speech is scheduled for opening of NFL football opposite Cowboys and Giants on TV. Want to bet on who will be watching Laurel and Hardy?
Hillbilly D
August 1st, 2012
11:33 am
Lu Green’s point is an excellent one. The vast majority of large cities in the world evolved from villages that grew up around waterways, water being the most important element to sustain life. Atlanta and some other cities didn’t and that’s part of their problem. They were built on a foundation of shifting sand, so to speak.
getalife
August 1st, 2012
11:35 am
“GA voters revolt, crush $7.2 billion transportation tax…” drudgey.
Good job voters, you made drudgey..
Hillbilly D
August 1st, 2012
11:35 am
I will be heading back up north were folks are reasonable and sane and see beyond their own front yards.
Like the sizeable number of folks in NYC who didn’t want the Mosque near (relatively speaking) Ground Zero?
md
August 1st, 2012
11:37 am
“It’s my understanding that the reason there is no MARTA line to Turner Field is that the Braves didn’t want it because it would cut into their parking revenue.”
And in a testament to how lazy our society is getting, the Ga St station is not that far of a walk……but fat america is fat for a reason…………
@@
August 1st, 2012
11:37 am
Never:
I hit AmVet and Kamchak over here…never on their <—–own turf. Call it payback.
I do not, however, go hunting for them.
USMC
August 1st, 2012
11:37 am
“I am not running for President and paid all my taxes.
will robme is a felon.”
felon???LOL! I think you need to put the pipe down and come up for some air, Getalife.
Hmmmmmm
August 1st, 2012
11:38 am
@Never can tell….
I forgot that I was talking to a Liberal Elite… Sorry, I bow before your great intellect…. LOL. Some people never learn…
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
11:38 am
@@
Play semantics all you like. Again, you are the last blogger that needs to bring up “sniping”.
getalife
August 1st, 2012
11:39 am
USMC,
He is hiding his papers. Fact.
getalife
August 1st, 2012
11:40 am
md,
Most cons are fat and lazy.
Agreed.
larry
August 1st, 2012
11:41 am
“I am not running for President and paid all my taxes.
will robme is a felon.”
I will reserve judgement on whether he’s a felon or not, but I feel like he is hiding something. If it was going to give him an advantage , he would have released them back in the primaries.
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
11:41 am
Obama is in such bad shape, he has to rely on a disbarred former president,
oh please.
Save for a relatively brief spell during his first term, a majority of actual Americans approved of Clinton as President, and Republican efforts to remove him from office only made Americans appreciate him more.
If Obama weren’t using this campaign resource — who just happens to be the Secretary of State’s husband — to his advantage, he’d be guilty of political malpractice.
iggy
August 1st, 2012
11:42 am
“I will be heading back up north were folks are reasonable and sane and see beyond their own front yards.”
Thats the best news I ve heard all day. Buh Bye!
getalife
August 1st, 2012
11:43 am
Reid said his Bain contact told him will robme paid no taxes for 10 years.
I believe Reid is telling the truth.
md
August 1st, 2012
11:43 am
“Are you going to vote for a felon that paid no taxes for 10 years?”
And that my friends is how a lie gets legs………..
USMC
August 1st, 2012
11:43 am
The city of Atlanta CAN’T even manage the SYNCHRONIZATION of it’s own traffic lights. SAD!
How is it going to take part in managing BILLION$ of tax payer dollars???
It’s not just the city of Atlanta, the state and county municipalities, errr politicians are in the same predicament. Make the most of what you have already, THEN let’s take on a larger project.
Tealiban Party
August 1st, 2012
11:44 am
Anyone else see the irony of the Tea Party having their results party at Hudson Grill midtown?
Debbie Dooley and the fest of her minions should stay in the burbs, rally at their local Applebee’s, and stop cloggin the intown streets!!!!!
Jose
August 1st, 2012
11:45 am
it would make me happy if the yankee libs that always THREATEN to head back up NORTH would keep their word……….. but they never do
SIGH
i guess when they realize that the lib ways up NORTH that forced them to come down here will COST them………… they decide to stay
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
11:46 am
If it was going to give him an advantage , he would have released them back in the primaries.
or, as some have speculated, he might’ve waited until the news story had built up a serious head of steam–say, just a few weeks ago?–and released the information and said “happy now? I’m clean as a whistle, not that it was ever any of your business, really.”
As it stands, he must realize that there’s nothing to be gained by succumbing to these demands, and he figures it will have largely blown over as an issue to swing voters in November.
stands for decibels
August 1st, 2012
11:47 am
L-O-S-T SHEETZ.
md
August 1st, 2012
11:47 am
“And I will continue to boycott them to show support for equal rights for ALL individuals.”
Isn’t boycotting them indicating a lack of equal rights for ALL individuals??
I’m a heathen, but I see no problem with them expressing their beliefs as long as they do not withhold service to all individuals……..and last I checked, they serve anyone that walks through the door.
In my opinion, boycotting is doing the exact same thing that one is supposedly against…….
Jose
August 1st, 2012
11:47 am
ANYONE SEE THE IRONY THAT A MAJORITY VOTED NO IN CITY OF ATLANTA, DEKALB AND FULTON
THE AREAS WHERE THE TEA PARTY HAS NO FOOTHOLD
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
11:47 am
Heck if my choices were Applebees, Chilis or Ruby Tuesdays…….. I would go to Hudson Grill as well
Can’t say I blame them one bit
Numbers-R-US
August 1st, 2012
11:48 am
I heard Romney got nicknamed Mitt the Twit while overseas. If that is true, then that is not a good sign for Mitt’s diplomacy skills.
USMC
August 1st, 2012
11:49 am
He is hiding his papers. Fact.
Kind of like Obama hides his college transcripts, college papers and Birth Certificate for THREE years.
We still have never seen ANY of Obama’s transcripts from college, etc. Not that I care, he is unqualified regardless.
Getalife you are being played for a fool by the DemocRats. Try developing some critical thinking skills instead of barking the Socialist party line like a Seal at the Circus.
USMC
August 1st, 2012
11:52 am
“I heard Romney got nicknamed Mitt the Twit while overseas. If that is true, then that is not a good sign for Mitt’s diplomacy skills.”
Nothing that Mitt said or did has come close the Enormous Blunder that Obama made recently while in Poland… “Polish Death Camps” instead of “Nazi Death Camps”… What a Buffoon.
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
11:52 am
Yeah getalife
Why bark your line, when you can be just as blind as USMC and bark the same tired line from the other side.
Two peas in a pod
md
August 1st, 2012
11:52 am
“I will be heading back up north were folks are reasonable and sane and see beyond their own front yards.”
Are the reasonable ones the ones that are still up there or the ones that moved to the south to escape the weather and taxes??
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
11:53 am
Too funny that USMC, as he marches to the right wing talking point beat, calls out others for doing the same.
USMC…. you too funny
iggy
August 1st, 2012
11:56 am
“The city of Atlanta CAN’T even manage the SYNCHRONIZATION of it’s own traffic lights. SAD!”
Then there are the crooks at Watershed MisManagement and the parking ticket debacle. Whatever happened to ShirleyGirls “donate to the homeless, cash boxes?”
Piedmont South from North Georgia
August 1st, 2012
11:58 am
Mittt the Twitt
what a fitt.
I demand to see Cheesy Grits Birth Certificate- Long Form Please
August 1st, 2012
11:59 am
Romney did pay some taxes.
Just not very much.
The rich have learned how to game the system ( Cayman Islands, Swiss bank accounts ) so they pay very little in taxes.
Romney knows the America people would be shocked at how little he paid in taxes. It would be the last nail in his election coffin.
Thats the real reason he doesnt want those returns out there.
Besides he needed that extra money to put that car elevator in his house.
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
12:03 pm
Cheesy Grits
I agree. It isn’t the point that he didn’t pay any taxes or did anything illegal. With all of his investment income, his rate is probably pretty low compared to the “middle class”. Of course he isn’t the only wealthy individual with his kind of rates, but he is running for President and doesn’t want to give Obama any more ammo.
I demand to see Cheesy Grits Birth Certificate- Long Form Please
August 1st, 2012
12:03 pm
Are the reasonable ones the ones that are still up there or the ones that moved to the south to escape the weather and taxes??
Most of them moved south because its so easy to excel down here.
Everything is so cheap here and they know they can do well.
There isn’t much competition in the workplace. I mean look at the education level of most Georgians.
This state actually voted for Newt Gingrich for president.
That says it all.
Jose
August 1st, 2012
12:03 pm
next we need to ENCOURAGE CA, WA, OR and the NORTHEAST………..
to pass and implement high speed rail………. 90% tax rate on the rich………. gay marriage……… etc
then ENCOURAGE all those living in GA that agree with it that they should move to those states…………. its a win win……… they can live in a state in which their beliefs match their government
kind of the POINT of our country
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
12:06 pm
“kind of the POINT of our country”
Wrong. 100% incorrect.
People are free to voice their disagreements via protest, votes, etc. That goes for all sides. May not change anything, but it is your right.
So you again are wrong.
You are batting exactly ZERO.
Jose
August 1st, 2012
12:06 pm
we will never be HOMO in this country
HOMOGENEOUS that is
I demand to see Cheesy Grits Birth Certificate- Long Form Please
August 1st, 2012
12:08 pm
Romney explains ‘culture’ remark, blames media for bad press
Classic Republican move. Right out of the playbook.
When they step in it blame the “liberal” media
In other words the media they dont control. Like Fox.
Gary
August 1st, 2012
12:14 pm
Atlanta is a wannabe city. This place thinks it’s a international city and that’s a joke. The state defeated the “tsplost” bill and there ain’t no sidewalks down here!!!!! 49th in the country in literacy, No#1 in the country in under age prostitution and a 19/20th century mentality. Atlanta is a “moron factory!!!!!” No progressive thinking at all. Don’t believe the HYPE!!!!!!!!!!
Jose
August 1st, 2012
12:17 pm
GARY
feel free to go to hartsfield-jackson international airport and fly one way to a place where their values agree with yours
its the beauty of this country
you are free to choose where you want to live
Never can tell
August 1st, 2012
12:20 pm
Jose
And if he chooses to live here, that is his business.
But thanks for letting him know
bwahhahahahah
Phineas
August 1st, 2012
12:25 pm
How depressing for Atlanta and for Georgia. I think we are now officially about 4-5 years into a long downward slide for Atlanta and for Georgia. Atlanta’s stature compared to other major American cities has taken a hit the last few years, and now that trend is likely to continue. It’s too bad after Atlanta had things on such a good upswing following the 1996 Olympics.
Jose
August 1st, 2012
12:30 pm
the chicken littles need to stay away from chic-fil-a
md
August 1st, 2012
12:38 pm
“49th in the country in literacy”
One might want to work on one’s literacy by reading the link below…..which shows atl ranked #4.
http://books.usatoday.com/bookbuzz/post/2012-01-25/washington-dc-is-ranked-the-most-literate-city-in-the-usa/612047/1
@@
August 1st, 2012
12:48 pm
Never:
Were you one of my targets? Are you posting under another name? You seem to be taking this personally.
Whatever…
Anyhoo! I can’t attest to any school districts other than my own. We’ve struggled…no doubt about that.
A friend of mine is a teller at a nearby bank. A young woman…24 according to my friend…had recently opened her first bank account. Comes in with a check asking how to sign it. My friend tells her to sign as it appears on the check. The young woman signed “As it appears on the check.”
Life skills are essential. For some, education needs to start there.
fair and balanced
August 1st, 2012
12:54 pm
Hey right wing anti TSPLOSTERS -Can you get rid of the gasoline tax next? It only goes to unnecessary projects and cronyism. It would boost the economy and put more people on the road . then lets work on those property taxes going to pay for a bunch of left wing commie public school beurocrats and teachers.
Taipei Personality
August 1st, 2012
1:37 pm
apparently f&b did not get memo that TSPLOST failed ITP as well…how many right-wingers there? most of us sane voters would not mind potential tax increases, if the government can use what they get wisely first, and prove it. of course, if they do that, they probably won’t really need more!
shaborn
August 2nd, 2012
10:14 am
This is really sad how can ppl be so ignorant ? What was wrong in having your city,state rise to other major cities & states ? The rail ways would have helped ppl get jobs get to jobs far away which would be cost effective… Then the toll road is so sad how do they charge you a certain amount at this time of day or next day different from the day before ? Now I know when on the Jersey turnpike or GW bridge or entering the Holland Tunnel the rate is the same every day & we have public transit to go up & down no toll changing @ 8am then 5pm…. So sad that ppl want to place blame on why the state or city is not doing better but the idiots voted no so the blame lies with in self not Obama not your Sentate,