The L-O-S-T in T-SPLOST refers to public trust
There’s a saying for politicians and for those of us who cover them: The voters are always right. While we’re bound to be subjected to a round or two of recriminations about who’s to blame for the absolute debacle that was the metro Atlanta T-SPLOST campaign, pay attention to those who show signs of understanding and accepting that saying. They’re the ones who will be most likely to find the way forward from here.
For my part, here’s what I think the voters were saying in their 63-37 defeat of the $7.2 billion tax.
The political class has lost our trust.
If that sounds obvious, consider that it’s also a puzzling situation, given that many of the same people who voted overwhelmingly against the T-SPLOST have been voting in large numbers to elect the same Republican politicians who gave us the T-SPLOST. I think there’s a pretty clear explanation: This is the consequence of having a one-party state.
Georgia has been a one-party state for pretty much 140 years now. The first 130 years, it was a one-party state ruled by Democrats. The past 10 years, it’s been a one-party state ruled by Republicans and Democrats-turned-Republicans. (Note: I am referring here only to the party holding the levers at the state level, not municipal or federal offices.) For most of those 140 years, there has been very little credible, effective opposition from the minority party. I’m sure it was worse for the Republicans at times between Reconstruction and Sonny Perdue’s watershed win in 2002, but the situation is pretty bleak right now for Georgia Democrats. And that means Georgia Republicans feel very little electoral heat, which leads them to act in a very insular way.
That’s played out no more clearly than in their attitude toward ethics: If legislators are wise, they’ll recognize that the lack of public trust on display in the T-SPLOST vote means they can’t very well ignore the support of 87 percent of GOP voters for a lengthening of the proverbial arm separating lobbyists from legislators. If I heard one voter say he thought T-SPLOST was all about rewarding political contributors and allies, I heard it from dozens of voters. Legislators cannot go too far in trying to improve the negative public perception around our lawmaking process.
Geographically, at least as it relates to the T-SPLOST, you can locate the center of that lack of trust along the Ga. 400 corridor. Perdue arguably lost Tuesday’s tax vote two years ago when he reneged on the longstanding promise to end the toll when the original bonds were paid off. An opinion poll conducted for the AJC, published last weekend, showed the 400 toll extension was a factor for 55 percent of voters — and that 64 percent of voters doubted the T-SPLOST would end when promised and be limited to the projects on the list.
Nathan Deal obviously thought he could show some good faith by announcing recently that the tolls would come down by the end of next year, fulfilling one of his campaign promises. But the AJC’s opinion poll showed the maneuver actually made voters less likely to vote for the T-SPLOST by a net 6 percentage points. The reason, in my view, is that it sends a signal that state government decides when and how to make these decisions on purely political considerations. Bad political considerations, it now appears.
There are a couple of ways for elected officials to show they understand this message. First and foremost, they must demonstrate clearly that all available transportation money is being spent as wisely and efficiently as possible.
That means showing transportation spending really is a priority for the state. All revenues from the motor fuel tax should be directed to transportation; currently, part of it goes to the general fund. When the inflation-driven formula for the motor fuel tax dictates that the rate should rise to keep spending level in real terms, state government should let it rise. Where money can be cut from lesser priorities and redirected to transportation infrastructure, it should be cut and redirected.
As for efficiency, the state needs to be much more transparent about which projects are priorities based on pure cost-benefit analysis, and begin spending the money we do have on the highest-rated projects. If that means re-examining the wisdom of balancing spending based on congressional districts — they might be equal in population, but they aren’t necessarily equal in terms of transportation needs — so be it.
The money I’ve talked about so far would probably be skewed toward roads rather than mass transit, if only because a constitutional amendment allowing gas-tax revenues to fund transit looks like a sure loser. Transit should be addressed in a two-step manner: First, create a truly regional (if not state-run) governance structure for mass transit in metro Atlanta that incorporates MARTA and the other transit agencies. Second, allow voters beyond Fulton and DeKalb to vote in a referendum to participate in the system, with specific descriptions of the infrastructure and services that would come with it. If they want to join, let them join the same way Fulton and DeKalb joined MARTA.
If some of that sounds like baby steps, well, that’s because they are. One of these days, the people who run our government — at the local, state and federal levels — are going to realize a little modesty on their part would go a long way toward re-establishing the public trust they’ve clearly lost.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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1,018 comments Add your comment
Logic was never intended for libs
August 1st, 2012
4:45 pm
“but then when you follow it with “Christians not so much…”
Ok, so please point to all the killings of gays by Christians, josef.
@@
August 1st, 2012
4:45 pm
josef:
You know I likes ‘ya…just not as much as before. Why?
You didn’t defend my right to free speech next door.
Eat a Peach
August 1st, 2012
4:46 pm
Logic: you asked, so shall ye recieve
Go look up the Family Research Council. Chickfila through their nonprofit Winshape donates to them.
I will get you started
“…one of the primary goals of the homosexual rights movement is to abolish all age of consent laws and to eventually recognize pedophiles as the ‘prophets’ of a new sexual order.” – “Homosexual Activists Work to Normalize Sex With Boys,” FRC publication, July 1999, http://www.frc.org/misc/bl057.pdf
Erwin's cat
August 1st, 2012
4:46 pm
JHM see my 4:44
Eat a Peach
August 1st, 2012
4:46 pm
Where is the love?
Same-sex ‘marriage’ threatens not only the integrity of the marital definition but also religious freedom.” – http://www.frc.org/fampol/fp96bhs.html
Steve-USA
August 1st, 2012
4:47 pm
Peasdawg – “The bottom line is that none of us are perfect. The good that the Cathys have done for the community far, far outweighs any harm.”
You must be a Joe Paterno/Penn State fan. Just sayin….
*********************************************************************************
Yeah…..because they are so similar.
Absurd Post of the Day….We have a winner, winner, chicken dinner!
Logic was never intended for libs
August 1st, 2012
4:47 pm
“Go look up the Family Research Council. Chickfila through their nonprofit Winshape donates to them.”
I’m not seeing “the hate,” Peach. You guys/gals on the left are always quick to scream HATE and RACISM at the drop of a hat.
Keep trying.
Eat a Peach
August 1st, 2012
4:47 pm
Logic
Where you able to find where I said the Cathy’s or Chickfila “hated” anyone as you asserted?
Don’t be a liar, You posted it
Joe Mama
August 1st, 2012
4:47 pm
Peadawg — “So why the sudden outrage?”
If anyone’s engaged in “sudden outrage,” I’d say its the people who are bum-rushing the CFA drive-throughs and the people who are doing the PDAs outside the restaurants.
I haven’t called Mr. Cathy any names, haven’t wished any misfortune upon him or his company, I posted the sad news about the death in his company last week and expressed my sympathies and I’ve wished several posters enjoyable meals at CFA. So I’m not sure where you’re seeing “outrage” on my part. My wife and I simply stopped going to CFA. That’s all.
“That’s what I still don’t understand.”
I’ve explained this to you more than once, but I’ll do it again. So long as Mr. Cathy’s views stayed his own, I was willing to overlook them in the hope and belief that he wasn’t translating them into action with his business. However, when he made it clear that his personal principles were the *guiding* principles for his business and that the business *acted* on them (specifically, supporting groups that are working to deny gay couples their civil rights), that was it for me.
Cathy’s views haven’t been a secret. The fact that he ran his business in accordance with them — including supporting groups trying to infringe others’ civil rights — were. Now they’re not.
“None of this is actual new news.”
Admittedly, it may be a fine distinction, but it is a distinction nonetheless.
Logic was never intended for libs
August 1st, 2012
4:48 pm
“Same-sex ‘marriage’ threatens not only the integrity of the marital definition but also religious freedom.”
Yep, it does.
Tom(Independent Viet Vet USAF)
August 1st, 2012
4:48 pm
Bottom line is that CFA employs black, white, brown, straight, gay or bi-sexual types. They serve with respect all above listed types also. Their business has the most respectful, polite, professional young people in the industry! Free speech is the issue here and the left is once again on the wrong side! How could the good people of Chicago elect such an idiot as Rahm? I guess money can buy an elected office in some places!
Stephenson Billings
August 1st, 2012
4:49 pm
“No, those in gwinnett were also 1% of every dollar. The sales tax rate goes up by 1% for the time period specified, then it returns to the old rate (unless more was added in the interim).”
Oh, so Gwinnett’s “real” sales tax is only 5%? Every receipt I get has a sales tax of 6%.
Joe Mama
August 1st, 2012
4:49 pm
Bruno — “Actually, I’m not making any deal out of it at all.”
As regards my position, I think you are. You may of course, disagree with that.
USMC
August 1st, 2012
4:50 pm
“Interesting analysis, Kyle. Now can you correct all the “Tea Party Win” stuff in the AJC? Lots of us voted against the T-Splost for reasons that have nothing to do with the Tea Party.”–Jean
Thank You Jean! What a joke the mainstream media is!
It was NOT a Tea Party “victory”. Voters had many different reasons, but I think it came down to “What have the politicians done with what they already have?” Right people?
The city of Atlanta can’t even synchronize the traffic lights and MARTA absolutely sucks.
So message to politicians:
Show responsibility with what you already have…
THEN let’s talk about BILLION DOLLAR projects.
Case Closed.
Eat a Peach
August 1st, 2012
4:50 pm
Logic
Again, you LIED as usual and asserted that I said the Cathys hated people
Where is that post?
You are a known liar, name calling and someone who puts words in others mouths to make it seem they said something they didn’t.
It wont be long
tick, tick, tick
Thulsa Doom
August 1st, 2012
4:51 pm
“Well, you are certainly welcome to try to persuade me to your way of thinking,”
No chance of that Joe. You’ve got your mind already made up and I’ld have a better chance of getting a tick off a hound than convincing you. Your wife’s statement says or at the very least strongly suggests that Mr. Cathy’s view is based on hate. Is that something you can prove? You can’t peer into his mind or heart and prove that.
Christians aren’t taught to “hate” gays just because they are gay but rather that their lifestyle is in conflict with biblical scripture. Love the sinner. Hate the sin. To simply chalk it up as hate for no other reason than that you simply decided it to be so is a very weak argument. Seems to me that most of the real judgementalism and the real hate lies with people who simply decide to throw out the hate mantra against religious people who view homosexuality as being in conflict with their religious beliefs.
Logic was never intended for libs
August 1st, 2012
4:51 pm
“Again, you LIED as usual and asserted that I said the Cathys hated people”
?
“You are a known liar, name calling and someone who puts words in others mouths to make it seem they said something they didn’t.”
Then again, I never called anyone a name, Peach. Keep trying.
Miss Know it All
August 1st, 2012
4:52 pm
No need to slander some one’s food quality just because you disagree with their beliefs. T-SPLOST had it’s seeds hatched before Nathan Deal came in to office. Atlanta can ta themselves if they want it – I want better schools more than T-SPLOST and that’s where I want my ta money sent.
Joe Mama
August 1st, 2012
4:52 pm
Logic — “You brought up the Catholic Church when it has NOTHING to do with Chicfila.”
Bruno brought up the notion of the good that CFA has done outweighing the bad. I pointed out that the Catholic Church tried the same argument in several of the child molestation trials of priests. Given that the RCC has done *far* more good than CFA could ever hope to do, I don’t think CFA’s use of that argument draws much water.
“I was dead on with my statement.”
No, you were pretty far off base, but think whatever you want.
Logic was never intended for libs
August 1st, 2012
4:52 pm
Whenever conservatives disagree with Obama, the left cries racism.
Whenever conservatives vote against gay marriage, the left cries hate speech.
JamVet
August 1st, 2012
4:53 pm
Like I said, left wingers are so full of hate.
Says the serially banned sock puppet of many names who is incapable of stopping himself from his childish antics and incessant need for negative attention. His very other post is some variation of ,”HEY EVERYBODY, LOOK AT ME!”
“Learn to be an adult.”
Word.
Sooner of later, Kyle is going to get absolutely sick of this guy and send him permanently to the blogging land of nod, to the east of Eden…
Logic was never intended for libs
August 1st, 2012
4:53 pm
“I pointed out that the Catholic Church tried the same argument in several of the child molestation trials of priests.”
And I pointed out, twice now, that that has nothing to do with Chicfila.
Thulsa Doom
August 1st, 2012
4:53 pm
josef,
Look on the bright side. The gays always have the coolest and hippest bars to go to and will always have the Christians beat in that regard. Backstreet and Club Anytime come to mind when I think of my running days years back.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 1st, 2012
4:54 pm
If Chick-A-fila appreciation day has JamVet all foamy, then it was a total success!
Eat mor chiken!
Logic was never intended for libs
August 1st, 2012
4:55 pm
“Says the serially banned sock puppet”
More personal attacks.
“Kyle is going to get absolutely sick of this guy and send him permanently to the blogging land of nod”
Only if I break his rules. Otherwise, not gonna happen.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
August 1st, 2012
4:55 pm
That was the first time in my life that I heard chicken was bad for you, by the way.
Joe Mama
August 1st, 2012
4:55 pm
E. Cat — “JHM see my 4:44″
I see it, but I’m not sure what comment you’re looking for from me. That was matter that I quoted from King Roy. Those weren’t my words.
Logic was never intended for libs
August 1st, 2012
4:56 pm
“If Chick-A-fila appreciation day has JamVet all foamy, then it was a total success!”
Yep, and the more he name calls and throws out personal attacks, the more we see.
Thulsa Doom
August 1st, 2012
4:56 pm
Peadawg — “So why the sudden outrage?”
People get outraged on the blog? Say it aint so.
USMC
August 1st, 2012
4:57 pm
So, am I supposed to boycott every business that believes in REDEFINING marriage???
NO! I can respectfully disagree with the owners’ opinion/politics and still frequent the business.
Grow up people.
Logic was never intended for libs
August 1st, 2012
4:57 pm
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin…
I always love it when ZamVet tries to act “holier than thou” and yet whenever I venture over to Bookman’s blog, I notice that he constantly calls other people names etc.
josef
August 1st, 2012
4:58 pm
@ @
When? I keep going to your defense there…every chance I get…! You’re one of my heroes…for real…
THULSA, et al
I would posit that preaching damnation to hell fire eternal a pretty nasty attitude…and NO, not all Christians do it and not all brands preach it…but a lot, including Cathy’s do…jus trying to keep it in perspective…
ERWIN’S CAT
Not to draw to thin of a line here, but there is the whole “code word for” thing at work here, so the Cajun two-step with the term “traditional marriage” is, imauo, parsing a bit too Bookmanishly…
Madge From Accounting
August 1st, 2012
4:58 pm
I keep noticing that you never back any of your claims up with links/facts yet you continue to divert away.
IOW – “I know you are, but what am I?”
A PeeWee Herman Moment………..
Logic was never intended for libs
August 1st, 2012
4:59 pm
Madge From Accounting = name changer. Peach? getalife? Keep?
JDW
August 1st, 2012
4:59 pm
@”Logic”…
Logic was never intended for libs
August 1st, 2012
5:00 pm
Well, I’m out for a while. Have fun, folks!
Tom(Independent Viet Vet USAF)
August 1st, 2012
5:00 pm
Joe Mama@4:47 – I’m curious, what groups does his business support that tries to infringe on others civil rights? Maybe I’m incorrect but wasn’t it the lame-stream media that coerced the statement from Mr Cathey? This is the first statement about relationships I’ve ever heard from the CFA family! Sorry to hear about you not wanting to visit CFA anymore but that is your right, I respect that. Are you taking your business to Popeye’s or Church’s now? They are all good for me, and I do not care about their personal views, just provide good serve with respect!!
Logic was never intended for libs
August 1st, 2012
5:01 pm
“@”Logic””
OH DARN!!!!! You got me with all those sophomoric emoticons!!!!!
Guinivere
August 1st, 2012
5:01 pm
I’m a member of Lesbians for Chick – Fil – A…… no problem with them or their opinion. Stay home if you wish but not me. Not going to let the “kiss in ” radicals control me because I am an independent woman that actually has brain enough to think for myself.. I do my kissing respectfully in private where it belongs.
Joe Mama
August 1st, 2012
5:01 pm
Doom — “Your wife’s statement says or at the very least strongly suggests that Mr. Cathy’s view is based on hate. Is that something you can prove? You can’t peer into his mind or heart and prove that.”
Well, I can’t peer into the hearts and minds of the people who were trying to deny African-Americans their civir rights back in the 50s and 60s, but given the firehosings, the dogs, the church bombings and the beatings, I feel pretty safe in defining attempts to infringe upon a group’s civil rights as hatred for the members of that group.
You are, of course, free to disagree with that definition.
“Christians aren’t taught to “hate” gays just because they are gay but rather that their lifestyle is in conflict with biblical scripture. Love the sinner. Hate the sin.”
Do you think that infringing on the civil rights of gay Americans falls under loving the sinners or under hating their sin?
“To simply chalk it up as hate for no other reason than that you simply decided it to be so is a very weak argument.”
Dude, *you yourself* just made half of your position about hate. Love sinners, hate sin.
“Seems to me that most of the real judgementalism and the real hate lies with people who simply decide to throw out the hate mantra against religious people who view homosexuality as being in conflict with their religious beliefs.”
Believing it is one thing. Donating large sums to groups who are trying to deny civil rights to people is quite another thing,
Erwin's cat
August 1st, 2012
5:01 pm
Joe…sorry, my bad…sometimes it’s hard to tell who is quoting who…
I’m just trying to point out that Cathy said he supported traditional marriage…so I’m not sure where all the anti this and anti that comes from
pogo
August 1st, 2012
5:04 pm
sorry about the duplication. Having computer and connectivity problems and I am typing on two machines. You ain’t that damned good josef!
As for T-Slpost, the losers in my region voted it in. Most of my regions denizens are so dependent upon government dollars for either their jobs or their entitlement checks they will vote for any tax increase that comes by just to keep the free money coming in. They think this was free for them but they were fooled. This one will cost them just like everybody else for everything they buy (except food because many of them are on foodstamps).
For far too many Americans the mental association between tax increase and free entitlement money has become way too predominant. That association is exactly what the democrats have fostered and nutured for decades and that Obama continues to nuture and they have been pretty much successful. The problem is, the money has ran out and the taxes are not coming in because there are no jobs or industry or any hopes of these things. America has come to the sorry state wherein it is now eating itself because of it’s deficit and the entitlement minded political philosophy of the liberal democrats. They can tax the rich to maintain current spending levels (not to pay down the deficit, just to maintain entitlements) but that won’t even make a dent in the deficit and anybody that says it will is a liar, including Obama (who is a liar). After that, there isn’t much left to try but out and out government confiscation of personnal and corporate property and assets and that would only sustain the entitlement beast for a ver, very small while at current spending levels. A couple of years at most and after that, there is nothing left but revolution and anarchy.
Piedmont South from North Georgia
August 1st, 2012
5:05 pm
Let me get this straight.
Chick serves gay chickens, or doesn’t. And how do you tell. Is he against serving gay chickens and is that what this is about. Or is it that he does serve gay chickens.
the red herring
August 1st, 2012
5:05 pm
raise the gas tax and especially the tax on diesel to pay for road improvements. raise the tag and licensing fees on large trucks also. the damage to our highways and roads are coming from heavy trucks and overloaded trucks. 100s of cars could travel a section of paved road for a 100 years without damaging it but a heavy (overloaded) truck will break up the paving and crush it within 5 years—don’t think so? just look at intersections that are traveled by these trucks regularly or go to counties where industries such as mining are large parts of the economies—those counties roads get messed up within a few years of being resurfaced. still it is almost a moot point as the truck companies will raise their rates and the price of goods they haul will be raised to pay for it so in the end it all comes back to the consumer/taxpayer. T Splost like the splosts for education would never die. let marta/mass transit pay it’s own way or close it–it’s a classic example of you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it swim…. AJC should show or list the counties in georgia where tsplost passed—everybody doesn’t live in atlanta. kyle–good thoughts.
USMC
August 1st, 2012
5:05 pm
GODFATHER RAUM EMANUAL UNDER FIRE FOR DISCRIMINATING AGAINST CHICK-FIL-A…
http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/watercooler/2012/aug/1/picket-chicago-gop-file-human-rights-complaint-aga/
What a fool! LOL!
Barrak Obama and Chik-fil-a held the SAME EXACT opinion on the idea of so called “same sex” marriage when Dear Leader Obama entered office before Obama “EVOLVED”. Hilarious!
Erwin's cat
August 1st, 2012
5:05 pm
josef I get that…sorta…I don’t really see it, but as sensitive to it as…others
so if Cathy came out in support of gay marriage, would you consider that code for “against” traditional marriage?
Bookmanishly…LOL
josef
August 1st, 2012
5:07 pm
What I find so funny in all this is that mine and Unmentionable’s relationship is about as traditional as you can get…
35 + years forsaking all others til death do us part, raised three wonderful kids, tonight doing the monthly “you put HOW much on that card this month,” pillow talk is more often”you need to mow the yard” than whispering of sweet nothings…
USMC
August 1st, 2012
5:07 pm
Keep fighting the Strawman (Chik-fil-a), Dems…
Meanwhile, Obama Supporters Barraged With Pleas for Cash…
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/obama-supporters-barraged-with-pleas-for-cash/
tick tock, tick tock…
Pee Wee Herman
August 1st, 2012
5:07 pm
Why has my name been brought in conjunction with this Chick – Fil – A subject. Leave mo OUT – one stupid thing in my life was enough and I am reformed. No kiss in for me.
Rose
August 1st, 2012
5:08 pm
Just the sheer number of comment pages on this blog alone tells you how most people feel about TSPLOST. And you don’t have to be a member of the Tea Party, the Sierra Club or any club to have an opinion about something. As I live in Fulton, I’m already paying, along with Dekalb, for Grady and MARTA. Enough for me.