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Cagle on transportation sales tax: ‘I commit to you to fight to the bitter end’

5:57 pm April 3, 2009, by jgalloway

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle just staked much of the rest of the last day of the Legislature on a deal for a transportation sales tax.

At 5:01 p.m., the lieutenant governor gaveled his chamber to a dead silence, and urged his members to take a 90-minute break to lobby their colleagues in the House, to unstick a deadlock on the issue. He hustled to his downstairs office to work the phones.

See the very related post below. Said Cagle:

”If we want funding that’s going to insure the prosperity of this state for transportation, we’ve got to do it — now’s the time. I commit to you to fight to the bitter end. I know each of you feel just as strongly as I do. Now’s the time.

“I want you to go ask your House members: Do they want to solve transportation? Do they want to get MARTA out of the fix that they’re in? Because now’s the time, the time is running out. We need to act. We need to act now. We stand in recess.”

Dozens of lobbyists for and members of Get Georgia Moving, the coalition pressing for the sales tax — in any form — are now gathered at the roped-off entrance to the House, trying to add their own pressure.

But we did spot one Department of Transportation board member on the Senate side, doing his best to kill S.B. 200, the governor’s bill to reorganize the state Department of Transportation.

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6 comments Add your comment

Mike123

April 3rd, 2009
6:24 pm

Good economic strategy, raise taxes in a severe recession. That will help attract employers and help businesses in the state.

The taxpayers pay $19B/yr and yet that is not enough for Lt.Gov. Cagle. Government needs to do what Georgians are forced to do, live within our means. I may want a new house because its small but that will have to wait until I’m better off economically. That is what the state should do as well.

The Legislators who vote for this Cagle’s foolish and economicall damaging tax increase will be remembered come election time.

Capitol Crony

April 3rd, 2009
6:24 pm

Im hearing one of the DOT Board Members is trying to trade projects for a vote against SB200. Is that legal? NO name just that he was from outside Atlanta,west Ga. I think.This whole mess is starting to smell real bad.

Career Highway guy

April 3rd, 2009
6:28 pm

what most People don’t realize is that if the Senates version Passes an area Cabal of counties can create a Tax District that only serves Those Counties & no others. such as all Counties that Have Major Interstate running Through them then only those counties would get the Tax Money & the other areas would be screwed because of the Tax dollars flowing through on the Interstatesfrom travelers

Disgusted

April 3rd, 2009
7:28 pm

Mike123 – raising taxes in a severe recession isn’t fun, but the State of Georgia will continue to lose jobs to other states that have better/far superior transportation systems. Pick your poison, but we’ve been losing jobs left and right to this problem – a one-cent sales tax increase is not going to change your life.

Can't Believe it

April 3rd, 2009
8:14 pm

Whaaaaaat. Another Cagle quote without him using the phrase “Moving Forward”. How’d that happen?

Mike123

April 3rd, 2009
9:33 pm

We are losing jobs to other states because our taxes are too high and our government regulations to onerous. Here in Cobb County, we pay 1% sales tax for schools and another 1% for road on top of the 4% from the state. These taxes seem to be renewed every time even though they are presented as a temporary measure. Here in Cobb, the School District is especially sleazy as they schedule the votes in a special election knowing that most taxpayers won’t be able to take the time to vote against it. The tax wouldn’t pass during a primary or the general election.

Of the money to be spent, a very small portion is going to go to asphalt on the ground. Most of it will be wasted on marta and similar social engineering projects. It will be wasted on meter lights, environmental studies, bike paths, and pretty median strips. It will be wasted on a bloated bureacracy that generates work for itself. If we redirected the money spent on these non-road endeavors, we would have plenty to build ample roads throughout GA.

Cagle and crew has a choice …… reduce the cost of building roads with deregulation or raise taxes. Cagle and crew love big government so they choose a tax increase.