Cagle on transportation: If the House would only bend to his will, everything would be fine
On Monday, after the state Senate passed — for a second time — its proposal for a regional sales tax for transportation, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle did something unusual.
He began passing out a glossy, high-production flyer declaring that “Transportation relief is in sight.”
The operative subhead: “All it takes is an agree.”
The latter phrase is Capitol-speak. One vote by the House, conceding to the Senate position, would end a two-year debate over increased funding for traffic congestion, the lieutenant is saying.
Download a copy of the flyer here. It’s being distributed to those with an interest in transportation — i.e., the state’s business community, many of whom blame Cagle for the Senate’s failure to pass something similar last year.
Senate contacts are also trying to pressure the opposite chamber by pointing to a House Policy Committee summary of priorities, published last September.
Under transportation, this was first on the list:
“Pass legislation which allows voters in the regions around the state to craft their transportation improvement plans, in concert with the state DOT and as demanded by local citizens, to be funded by citizen-approved SPLOST referendums with sunset provisions.”
Which is precisely what the Senate bill does. The House changed direction in November, heading toward a statewide sales tax, and hasn’t looked back.
House members we’ve talked to said they find such tactics presumptive, and counterproductive. We’ll see. If nothing else, should all collapse, Cagle has pointed an early finger at the House as the guilty party.
On Monday, in a press conference that preceded the flyer, Cagle may have more impact than many are admitting, though perhaps not in the way the lieutenant governor intended.
Yes, Cagle advised House Speaker Glenn Richardson to adopt the Senate position on a regional T-SPLOST. But no one really expects that to work.
Rather, the underlying message from Cagle was that the sales tax measure should be moved to a conference committee — and never mind Perdue’s priority on reorganizing the state’s many transit agencies.
This morning, perhaps wondering if he were about to be cut out of a pending deal, the governor held a three-hour staff meeting to chart out the revival of his initiative.
A meeting with Richardson was on the governor’s afternoon agenda. The House Transportation Committee on Wednesday is to pass out — vastly changed — the governor’s reorganization bill.
We’re hearing some talk of a package deal that gives everyone something, even Democrats. Move a single bill to conference — which one hardly matters. Then the sales tax, governance — and MARTA funding — all become part of a midnight-hour solution.
It’s not the best way to legislate, but apparently it’s our way.
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22 comments Add your comment
Jeff
March 24th, 2009
7:48 pm
The Senate plan is the correct one. There is no reason to force Albany to pay for Atlanta’s traffic issues, and there is no reason to force Kennesaw to pay for paving Cairo’s dirt roads.
Will
March 24th, 2009
8:01 pm
Agreed. We should be able to fund better transit solutions. Other areas can bond together to form inter-county pacts, and it’s not like state funding will disappear entirely. Rural areas will still be able to get funding.
Also, please note Cagle’s awful grammatical mistake under his picture, where it says “Voter’s Decide.” What is my decide?
ML
March 24th, 2009
8:11 pm
Who REALLY wins with the governance overhaul?
Nick
March 24th, 2009
8:12 pm
When will Republicans wake up and speak out against the House’s obstructionism on transportation?
We ran on the platform of tackling the big problems facing our state, smaller government, and lower taxes. House Republicans are effectively undermining each.
Georgians are upset by our inaction on one of Georgia’s most visible and frustrating problems, the House transportation plan puts more power, not less, under the gold dome, and bafflingly they’re all advocating for the state’s largest tax increase.
At this rate, we deserve to lose the majority…
Jeff
March 24th, 2009
9:28 pm
Nick,
I, for one, am here to make sure you do lose the majority. And even more importantly, the Governor’s Mansion. http://www.VoteMonds.com
Just Curious
March 24th, 2009
10:42 pm
What would Rush do?
Mack
March 24th, 2009
11:40 pm
Rush would pop a pill….or two.
GoOx
March 25th, 2009
7:28 am
I said it in an earlier post. Casey killed the same bill last year. His Lack of leadership has set back any efforts to improve transportaion in this sate by years.
We need my man Ox.
Will Jones - Atlanta
March 25th, 2009
8:43 am
Any one around Atlanta pushing for more pavement is in the pocket of the road construction industry: seeking to enrich themselves off The Georgia Taxpayer.
Driving around 285 so smoothly and quickly is a miracle given to us like the blood pumping through each of our body’s veins. All of us going about our business in a productive, cooperative effort, with only the occasional dust-up or tragedy.
“A bird does not fall from a tree but G-d knows it.”
Life in Metro Atlanta, and the Peach State, is better than anywhere else. Our great roads, transportation, and destininations, make it so.
With indirection and corruption The People’s Commonwealth will continue to be defiled until Righteousness is re-established, by us, in The Land…starting with the public trial, conviction, execution and expropriation of Bush and Cheney, and their profiteers and accomplices, for 9/11.
Jeffersonian Exegesis http://theamericanfundament.blogspot.com
Bob
March 25th, 2009
10:29 am
Wow Will, you’re a crackhead. I’m not sure if I’ve ever ‘driven’ around 285, most of the time I park on it, then moove up a couple of feet and park again. Our transportation sucks and it needs help.
Why is anyone in favor of this tax increase? Raise the gas tax.
They should finish freedom parkway, it was a good idea and would alleviate lots of traffic downtown.
Someone get these republicans out of the state congress, tax increases are unwelcome here. Did they forget their campaign promises?
JC
March 25th, 2009
10:34 am
Cagle got into gov’t to line his pockets, like the rest of the party leadership. Now with the economy so bad, these guys are trying desperately to figure out various devious angles to channel the federal stimulus money into their own pockets. They are all (failing) bankers, (ex)real estate “tycoons” and (bankrupt) road builders. They recognize a perfect set-up for hijacking $$$ intended for all Georgians.
Ben
March 25th, 2009
10:38 am
Fact is, we need a transportation solution now. This regional approach is what the Senate and House both agreed to last summer and fall. Most importantly, it’s the only funding method that Georgia voters will agree to. We’re merely an “agree” away from being able to declare victory.
GoOx
March 25th, 2009
11:13 am
Ben,
Cagle killed the agreement last session, now he’s behind it. Typical Cagle trying to have things both ways on issues.
Vote for my man Ox, the guy with all the conservative answers.
Ben
March 25th, 2009
11:45 am
I’m less concerned about who gets the credit and the intricacies of the back story — I’m more concerned about Republicans making progress on transportation.
Republicans in the House: Georgians need this problem fixed! Please AGREE.
GoOx
March 25th, 2009
12:23 pm
I agree that the problem needs to be fixed.
Cagle set us back at least two years. Before the session he promised a transportation bill would be passed in the first week. Then he waffled and said he was waiting for Get Moving Georgia to tell him what the bill should be. Now he’s back to a bill he killed last year. The guy is clueless and should pull out of the Gov’s race now.
Elect my man Ox a true Regan Republican.
chris
March 25th, 2009
1:14 pm
Hey Goox – Why would you want this man to be governor after his comments about Sunday Liquor Sales? Wasn’t he the talibaptist who stated that people shouldn’t be allowed to vote on sunday liquor sales because it was against his religion? Sounds like a repeat of that nut case we have in office now. very scary!!
Greg Worthington
March 25th, 2009
1:15 pm
Good to have GoOx and JC of the Oxendine campaign with us today and actively blogging.
No doubt, it looks like Cagle is trying keep himself out from the firing squad if something doesn’t happen. Political play or not, at least he is doing something about it and has ideas. It’s a great step.
Greg
P.S. – JC: Can you explain how Cagle and the “party leadership” is going to line their pockets with the stimulus money? I’d love to hear a well thought out plausible situation where they could profit personally from it.
JBOY
March 25th, 2009
1:21 pm
Hey Cagle: Do you know where to find sympathy in the dictionary???
Between sh-t & syphillis.. I hope the house wins! They can tell when they are being taken “snipe” huntin with Sonny, but hopefully Sonny-n-Cagle will be left holdin the bag. The DOT has been underfunded for well let’s see ummm 20 years or better. Wonder what’s wrong witht he DOT? Everybody has an opinion aan a a-hole.
Camden Debutante
March 25th, 2009
1:31 pm
Not sure how you deduct that Greg, is everyone who types a post in favor of a candidate a staffer? If so, how does Cagle have so many staffers.
Patricia
Will Jones - Atlanta
March 25th, 2009
2:28 pm
“Bob” – I drive a quarter of the Perimeter twice a day: M-F each morning during Rush Hour – 0715-0815 – and PM during the evening rush two or three times a week. Westbound PM across “the top” is often slow but steady after 5, but in the morning it is almost always moving well…a small price to pay for living and working in the best city in the world. Which construction company do you work for, Liar?
JC
March 25th, 2009
6:33 pm
If the DOT gets millions/billions in federal funds for road & transportation projects, whoever heads the DOT (Casey Cagle’s appointee if Cagle is elected governor–and if Perdue’s scheme for changing the way the DOT membership is selected) will be the driver’s seat to dole out millions/billions to his favored contractor/road builder/etc. buddies.
Ga redneck
March 25th, 2009
6:47 pm
So all th lt and speaker want is donations to see who to sale out to, The Gov has been bought and paid for and got his tax breaks and appointments for his buddys and partners and forced land to be sold to enrich his poke, and he did oust veteans from a home and get his Fishing tournaments for $20 mil, nearly enough to pay his business loan., why dont all politians have to donate money they have extorted from their contributors