Sonny Perdue, John Lewis tangle over transportation
Gov. Sonny Perdue and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, Georgia’s longest-serving member of Congress are having words over who’s at fault for the state’s transportation dilemma.
Last week, the Obama administration awarded Florida $1.25 billion for a high-speed rail project. North Carolina was handed $525 million.
And Georgia received $750,000.
On Friday evening, Lori Geary of WSB-TV rolled tape in which Lewis was asked why Georgia deserved such pocket change.
“It’s the fault of the leadership in this state,” Lewis said. “We’re so far behind.”
Told of the congressman’s comments, Perdue spokesman Bert Brantley replied with an e-mail that included this:
It’s so funny to me that Congressman Lewis and Congressman Scott are blaming Republicans, when it’s the Democrats that control the White House, the Congress and the agencies making these grants. Too bad they couldn’t use their influence to help our case.
The Governor has seen effective implementation of high speed rail first hand in both Europe and Asia. That’s one reason he’s been so enthusiastic about his support for high speed rail…
High-speed rail is obviously very expensive and we have extensive transportation needs and limited funding. The funding that we have now is essentially already tied up in currently planned projects and maintenance and operations. Governor Perdue has proposed additional transportation funding and high speed rail will be eligible to compete for those new funds as they are approved by the Legislature and the voters.
The jab was not appreciated by Lewis, who issued a rebuttal at 11 p.m. Friday:
“It is a shame and a disgrace that someone in Governor Sonny Perdue’s office would take a cheap partisan shot on an issue that means so much to the people of Georgia. Transportation should be at the top of every elected official’s agenda in Atlanta, and it has been a major focus for me throughout my entire tenure in Congress.
“I have brought back hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to help solve Georgia’s transportation problems over the years, only to have millions left unused by the state…
“More recently, partly due to my influence and the power of the Democratic majority, the Georgia Department of Transportation was a top recipient of stimulus dollars. GDOT alone received nearly $572 million in stimulus funding, without any Republican support from our delegation and in spite of criticism by the governor. Yet the state only allocates $2 million in its upcoming budget to MARTA, a vital transportation resource which is $160 million in debt….
“I have said for years that Georgia needs a comprehensive, regional transportation plan to solve our problems. That is not the responsibility of any federal authority, but it rests squarely on the shoulders of the governor. While Georgia dawdles, other states like Florida and North Carolina are seizing opportunities to use transportation as a means to draw big business, opportunity, and jobs to their states. Georgia is not in the running because it does not have a plan.
“I have done my part and will continue to bring federal money home to the people of Atlanta. Now it is time for other responsible officials to do theirs.”
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107 comments Add your comment
Rob
February 1st, 2010
12:57 pm
Well, there’s a first time for everything…
I completely agree with John Lewis.
State Employee
February 1st, 2010
1:02 pm
John Lewis is correct and thanks for finally speaking. Maybe we can one day get leadership in GA that is willing to put forth a plan on transportation, besides their last term in office. Thanks Sonny for doing nothing in office except visit other countries that have great plans and transportation systems in place and coming home and spending $5M with Dick Anderon’s buddy ($2.5m twice on a study that we already knew the answers to). Once again Sonny screws us all and then blames someone else as he is holding the stick…..
Cutty
February 1st, 2010
1:08 pm
Right, blame the democrats for the last year. Even though there was a republican president and majority in Congress much of the last decade.
LF
February 1st, 2010
1:09 pm
Sorry Sonny needs to get with the program.
Sorry Sonny has been deleting money for commuter rail for several years.
I also agree with Rep. John Lewis.
Tricky
February 1st, 2010
1:17 pm
I completely agree with whoever wrote that for Congressman Lewis. Any Georgian that has a pulse knows that Perdue has been AWOL on transportation during his tenure. The State under his watch has completely tied MARTA’s hand to be able use more of their own revenue the way they see fit. And has given them almost zero in state funding. The only concern he has for traffic period is to enact that inane “SuperSpeeders” revenue plan that he dream t up.
LMartin
February 1st, 2010
1:21 pm
When you look up the word “moran” in the dictionary, there’s a picture of Sonny Purdue who is king of the Georgia obstructionists. We need Georgia to move forward and not get left behind due to knuckle-draggers like Purdue, Isakson, and Chambliss.
professional skeptic
February 1st, 2010
1:22 pm
Thank you, Representative Lewis, for beginning to shine the harsh light of day on the roaches in charge of Georgia’s transportation mess. Let’s keep it up! Our state politicians have dropped the ball on rail transit and made absolutely NO progress in the last eight years.
Georgia received a pittance in federal funding for high speed rail last week, and the blame lies squarely on the shoulders of Georgia’s sorry collection of elected yokels, chuckleheads, jokers and clowns, and their various appointed cronies. Rather than being forthright with Georgians– rather than owning up to their years of complacency and inaction– they try to shift the blame to others. How very typical of Georgia Conservatives.
harrison
February 1st, 2010
1:24 pm
Not only did Perdue do absolutely nothing about transportation in the past 7 years, he took the plans and ideas that Barnes has put forward and threw them out the door without even considering them. He did this with everything Barnes did. Perdue is a moron.
OTP
February 1st, 2010
1:28 pm
Only in Atlanta could an idiot not know that it is “moron” not “moran”. LMartin one must question who in fact is the knuckle dragging species. That is simply too funny when you expose yourself.
OTP
February 1st, 2010
1:31 pm
At least harrison knows it is not “moran”.
CrazyInGA
February 1st, 2010
1:31 pm
Sonny must be completely out of his mine. He’s been in office for a very long time and transportation has never been at the top of his priority list. He’s proven over and over again to be completely against helping MARTA. Instead of complaining, Sonny should have been in there trying to do something about it; but he wasn’t showing any interest at all.
CrazyInGA
February 1st, 2010
1:32 pm
OTP – just for you it is “MIND”.
John
February 1st, 2010
1:33 pm
What a lump.
criff
February 1st, 2010
1:35 pm
I’m a Republican and I agree with John Lewis on this one. Instead of riding high speed rail in Europe and Asia on a taxpayer-paid vacation, Sonny ought to be riding up or down I-75 at 5:00 p.m. and see what it’s like for us common folk.
Road Scholar
February 1st, 2010
1:36 pm
LMartin: Before you call someone a moron, please learn how to spell it!
OK Gov Perdue…what have you done to deserve any additional transportation funding for any mode, let alone transit or high speed rail? How many Maglev studies does it take to get the state to fund somthing resembling intercity, intracity, regional or high speed transit? Repeatedly you have pulled the plug on Atlanta to Macon/Griffin rail implementation.
We need people with vision in the Capitol, esp the governor. The new leadership is beginning to see the light, but it will take new investments…taxes… to secure that dream. Sonny can’t see past his wallet.
Base
February 1st, 2010
1:36 pm
The bottom line is Sonny and the slime bucket legislature have done nothing for transportation in metro Atlanta but say no. Build roads is the way of Georgia.
German accent
February 1st, 2010
1:40 pm
Like with most issues – except promoting fishing, and just-for-me tax breaks – Gov. Puredoo has done exactly zilch on transportation. While the zoned-referendum proposal has merit, it’s eight years tardy. Sonny Puredoo has been the biggest do-nothing in recent history. Bore Frank Harris shines in comparison.
Keith
February 1st, 2010
1:41 pm
Congressman Lewis, Georgians send more federal gasoline taxes to Washington than Georgia receives back. We are a donor state. If you were doing your job, you would be fighting to ensure that we receive our overall fair share instead of having our dollars spent to build roads in New York.
rodger
February 1st, 2010
1:41 pm
Sonny Perdue, once again shows how out of touch he is.
rodger
February 1st, 2010
1:42 pm
Enter your comments here
German accent
February 1st, 2010
1:43 pm
I hope we are not going to replace a do-nothing clown with Oxenstein. He will be active … he will actively destroy the state to a degree currently unimaginable.
Elmo C. Grogan
February 1st, 2010
1:44 pm
Look up “moran” in the dictionary? No irony there, huh?
Mr. Grumpy
February 1st, 2010
1:44 pm
Leave it up to Perdue to let his two-bit mouthpiece, Bert Brantley, make a fool of himself again with such a stupid response. They just don’t get it, do they? Bert, do you remember the little battle over DOT for the last 3 to 4 years and who was going to run it between your boss and Glenn “Romeo” Richardson, former and disgraced Republican Speaker of the House? What kind of plan does your boss have, Bert? What web site is it on so we can all go and look at it. None! Nada! Wake up, Bert and smell the coffee, you dolt, you. Congressman Lewis hit the nail squarely on the head. We didn’t get any money because the Governor and the Republicans who run the DOT and the rest of state government can’t develop or articulate a plan because they have no vision and don’t care what happens to transportation in this state. The Georgia Republican leadership can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. Your boss has had 8 years to develop a comprehensive transportation plan for Georgia and he either can’t do it or doesn’t want to do it. Which one is it, Bert? And you get paid to defend him, Bert.
David
February 1st, 2010
1:44 pm
Perdue is a liar, Lewis is absolutely right. Perdue ran as an anti-transportation governor.
German accent
February 1st, 2010
1:49 pm
Not surprising that Mr. Brantley is no more astute than former spokesSatan McLagan.
Bob V
February 1st, 2010
1:49 pm
I certainly hope Georgia has not made a Birmingham-like choice about high-speed rail. Decades ago Birmingham let Atlanta take the lead in aviation. Are we the next… Birmingham?
Ryan
February 1st, 2010
1:52 pm
Purdue is pathetic and this statement is coming from a republican. I can’t wait until he is out of office.
Mr. Grumpy
February 1st, 2010
1:52 pm
Hey, Keith. You’re not paying attention. Congressman Lewis indicated that he has brought millions and millions of dollars back to his Atlanta district, but your Perdue administration has let the money lapse and hasn’t developed a plan to show the need for a need for any money. How much money for transportation have the vast majority of Republican congressman and Republican US Senators (Chambliss and Isakson) brought back to Georgia. You’re just having a problem trying to figure out who is at fault. Look in the dictionary for the word “Republican” and then ask how much money came back to Georgia when Republicans had the White House for the last 8 years before Obama took office.
Grant Park
February 1st, 2010
1:55 pm
Lewis is right…on this issue. Perdue gutted and undermined long term transporation plans in Georgia.
Base
February 1st, 2010
1:55 pm
The video shows how out of touch Vance Smith is with transportation.GDOT has a high speed plan no feasibility studies are needed except matching funds for the fed funds to begin implementation.
Civil Engineer in GA
February 1st, 2010
1:56 pm
Saying that Perdue hasn’t done anything for GA transportation isn’t exactly correct. In 2004 he started the Governor’s Road Improvement Program (GRIP) which was supposed to do in 6 years what would have taken 18. As an engineer in the industry, I know for a fact that many of these projects still haven’t been constructed. A lot of them were in rural GA where there was no warrant for them. And the debt on this program has brought our DOT to a financial halt, where incoming funds barely pay for maintenance and debt service. Saying that Perdue hasn’t done anything good for GA transportation is more accurate.
I agree that the problem is with the state legislature and the lack of leadership in developing a new finance mechanism. This state is next to last in per capita spending on transportation. The funds generated from the gas tax have to be distributed evenly among the congressional districts. Part of the gas tax goes into the general fund. It is time to put that money towards transit. Or just abolish the gas tax and implement a statewide sales tax that can be used on transportation or transit and on projects that bring businesses to Atlanta.
http://www.georgia.gov/00/press/detail/0,2668,78006749_92321069_92359324,00.html
Road Scholar
February 1st, 2010
1:59 pm
Keith, we are all donor states since the max retun on each dollar sent to DC is 95 cents for any state. It used to be much worse, but Ga gets 92 cents on the dollar based on the last Transportation bill. Of course this does not include earmarks which some do not come out of the budgeted amount; tsome come off the top. The remaining money goes toward running the USDOT.
Mike
February 1st, 2010
2:03 pm
Repulicans are all a bunch of stuped morans.
Sally
February 1st, 2010
2:05 pm
I agree with John Lewis 100%. I would agree with him 1000% if that were possible. Perdue and the do nothing Republicans in state government have damaged this state on transportation issues (and many others). You don’t have to be Einstein to figure that out.
fsg
February 1st, 2010
2:08 pm
so are Democrats…
allen981
February 1st, 2010
2:08 pm
Why do we need high speed rail? It’s an exotic, vastly expensive technology that has more curb appeal than real value. Yes, you can go from London to Paris in 3 hours. Great. But it will cost you – check it – more than a plane ticket.
Atlanta does not have the population base to support these trains, plain and simple. We’ve got the world’s greatest airport; let’s use it.
d.
February 1st, 2010
2:11 pm
I love trains
d.
February 1st, 2010
2:16 pm
I love big trains and little trains. Trains that have cabooses-just liike Sonny Perdues big butt and mouth
Madison
February 1st, 2010
2:16 pm
Judging from the comments it look like all democrats are plane ill lead i rets. For the Republicans that translates to “plain illiterates”.
Moran
February 1st, 2010
2:17 pm
Moran is the ironic way to spell moron. It is what is known as an internet meme.
example” “Get a brain! Morans”
I imagine the posters spelled it that way on purpose, probably to see how many uppity folks corrected it.
Base
February 1st, 2010
2:18 pm
Fast Forward the Sonny plan was a flop from the get go.No metro improvement.So much for Sonny and transportation.
B. Bunny
February 1st, 2010
2:19 pm
Sonny Perdue is a maroon!
Cereal Killer
February 1st, 2010
2:27 pm
I for one am glad that Sonny Perdue is using his last year in office to address this very important issue. Don’t you people understand, it just wasn’t important in years past. We just have not had these traffic problems for the last seven years. For the record, I am being sarcastic.
S
February 1st, 2010
2:28 pm
Gawd help Georgia from the likes of another Clueless, self serving Gov as Perdue has been. What has he accomplished during his 8 years for the state. Zilch, Nada, nothing except take the whole state to the brink. His Republican clueless cronies are the same, like peas in a pod. Bunch of self serving hypocrite’s. All their butts should be voted out for taking all of us down the road to ruin. The clueless Insurance commissioner running for Governor is just another self serving Republican that will finish the Job of ruination, that Sonny didn’t have time to do. We have lost millions and millions of dollars for this state because of Georgia’s clueless Republican administration, thanks a bunch you clueless wonders…
Big Daddy
February 1st, 2010
2:32 pm
I know how to solve our transportation problems; MARTA should move its headquarters to 5 Points and all of it’s employees, including management, should be forced to ride MARTA during rush hour. I guarantee you that MARTA would change overnight. Secondly, state officials should be forced to give up their parking spacings near the capitol and be forced to ride MARTA… during rush hour.
BPJ
February 1st, 2010
2:33 pm
Well, allen981, what’s really expensive is a new runway or new airport, which is what we’ll need with a modern rail network. For middle-distance trips (e.g., Charlotte, Chattanooga, Birmingham), rail makes sense (it doesn’t have to be the European style superfast trains, just 100 mph or so). Take some of those mid-distance flight off the runways, and we increase our airport capacity.
Besides, the great, immediate need in metro Atlanta is commuter rail and MARTA expansion. This should be supported even by people who never ride transit, as it takes cars off the road and out of YOUR way!
BPJ
February 1st, 2010
2:37 pm
oops, sorry, that was supposed to read, “what we’ll need withOUT a modern rail network”. Too much caffeine.
TarHeelBred bleeds TarHeelBlue
February 1st, 2010
2:38 pm
OUCH! That one really hurt! I agree with “Civil Engineer in GA” that Governor Sonny-Do-Nothing hasn’t exactly been stellar about building and maintaining the road network while hampering GDOT with lots more debt and nothing much to really show for it. With that being said, I don’t think that is enough support out in the rest of Georgia OTP for any new taxes, even for something as critical as transportation, especially in the current economic and political environment of tea parties, tax revolts and high unemployment.
I think that the wisest course of action in the current economic and political climate in red-state Georgia would be to propose funding any new transportation projects with bonds paid back through user-fees in the form of bus/train fares and tolls high enough to cover the cost of repayment in a relatively short period of time. Tax increases just aren’t going to happen anytime soon in the Georgia General Assembly especially with the Republican-dominated legislature feeling the heat over the expansion of government, high taxes, debt and bloated budget deficits. Republican legislators, especially OTP, are feeling more political pressure than ever from their base on the right to actually go the other way and cut taxes lower so if a tax increase for transportation hasn’t happened by now it probably ain’t gonna happen. User-fees aren’t very popular in their own right, but they’re not as wildly unpopular with the “silent majority” of statewide voters as is the concept of new or expanded taxes which would be perceived by most Georgian voters OTP as being to fund modes of transportation that are perceived by many statewide voters to be experimental luxuries for a bunch of ITP yankees, liberals and transplants. User-fee funding might help to give state legislators some much-needed political cover to act on transportation issues plaguing the metro area in a toxic anti-tax political climate in the gold dome.
DouglasCarroll
February 1st, 2010
2:39 pm
I guess Im lost in that Im not really a fan of Congressman Lewis nor Sonny Perdue – however Im difficult to think of ANYTHING substantial & lasting that Sonny Perdue has done as Governor. Okay, okay – the flag. Anything else? Its unfortunate that our political leaders lack a clear vision of what the future can be. They are so fearful of making an unpopular decision or vote – that they will cave into the the loudest group at the expense of the state. I hope our next Governor has a vision of what Georgia can achieve AND make the necessary tough decisions to do something our state has lacked for the past 8 years – LEADERSHIP!!!
Big Pappa
February 1st, 2010
2:40 pm
I agree. I had an opportunity to ride the rails in Europe and it was a great way to get around. It was convenient and inexpensive. It was better than M-A-R-T-A – Making All Riders Tired and Aggravated.
ATL Scouser
February 1st, 2010
2:41 pm
by Civil Engineer in GA
February 1st, 2010
1:56 pm
“Saying that Perdue hasn’t done anything for GA transportation isn’t exactly correct. In 2004 he started the Governor’s Road Improvement Program (GRIP) which was supposed to do in 6 years what would have taken 18.”
It was actually implemented by Governor Harris in 1989.
http://www.dot.state.ga.us/informationcenter/programs/roadimprovement/GRIP/Pages/default.aspx
Of course Purdue was going to see GRIP through given the fact that:
a)It was a roads initiative
b)Rural Georgia benefitted
Now I’m not arguing against the merits of the GRIP project, but I strongly feel that it was irresponsible to embark on that program at the peril of Atlanta’s deteriorating transportation system due to rapid population growth and insufficient tax dollars. Purdue merely chose to emulate Nero and play his banjo while Rome burned.
Big Pappa
February 1st, 2010
2:43 pm
I could be wrong, but I thought the flag issue was handled by Roy Barnes.
DannyX
February 1st, 2010
2:45 pm
“It’s so funny to me that Congressman Lewis and Congressman Scott are blaming Republicans, when it’s the Democrats that control the White House, the Congress and the agencies making these grants. Too bad they couldn’t use their influence to help our case.”
Obama’s current Secretary of Transportation is a Republican. Funny.
Bert's A Baffoon
February 1st, 2010
2:45 pm
Civil Engineer in Georgia:
You are off a bit on your facts. The GRIP program was started in 1992 by Joe Frank Harris and was intended to take 3,500 miles of 2-lane state roads and turn them into 4-lane divided highways. It was supposed to be a 10-year program but some 18 years later, only about 55% of the work is complete. Sonny’s plan in 2004 was Fast Forward, which sought to do 18 years worth of projects in only 6 years. It was an assortment of projects, some good, but mostly bad like millions for ramp meters, etc. Sonny’s accelerating 18 years of work into 6 WITHOUT any new funding, IS EXACTLY what has caused the financial mess at GDOT.
So you were correct in one aspect … Sonny hasn’t done anything GOOD for transportation. In fact, unless you are a bass fisherman or a close personal friend with land in Houston County, Sonny hasn’t done a damn thing for this state except to move us backwards about 20 years. Did anyone notice the action the Federal Court took against Georgia last Friday relative to the state mental hospitals? Another gigantic Sonny Perdue screw-up that is costing this state millions!
And Bert Brantley, what a bloated joke you are. You once worked at GDOT and you know for a fact that Sonny has tried to kill every rail projects in this state. Go have another donut big boy!
JG
February 1st, 2010
2:47 pm
Wow! I am writing this day on my calendar: I actually agree with John Lewis! The highlight of all the arguments is of course the comment of “When you look up the word “moran” in the dictionary…”. Good thing Puerto Rico does not count or we might be 51st in education! As for the transportation issue, let’s make sure we focus on the fact the problems are in metro Atlanta and not throughout the state. The Governor does have some input but the Mayor’s of the local towns should be held accountable as well. The government might be working on some creative solutions but the only items that seem to get published are the rail option. We have proven with Marta that we have a gap here in running rail mass transit effectively and should not automatically assume funding more of the same would help cure the ills of the roadways here.
I’ll see you all on 285 or 85 doing a speedy 7 mph! Don’t be Morans on the Road!
senator
February 1st, 2010
2:47 pm
democrats are liars!!
Tricky
February 1st, 2010
2:50 pm
Yeah I would be hard pressed to find one substantial policy that Perdue has enacted to help with transportation. It has just been more and more government intrusion. But lets just take a look at some highlights:
He got a great deal on land that he bought for himself in Houston County
We are still near the bottom in education, we only moved up once during his tenure
Georgia has the highest failures of banks in the country,
Superspeeders revenue plan
and,
folks lets not forget not letting the people vote on Sunday sales, aren’t you just a wee bit tired of the government telling you that you are not capable of making your own decisions?
But at least the rain prayer worked.
The Party of No Idea's
February 1st, 2010
2:51 pm
Once again the party of NO (no idea’s)strikes agin. Sonny Perdue and the republican party governs through hate and racial prejudices. They are the reason the economy is in poor shape and record number of job loses. Eron, World Com,Heath South,Iraq War,hurrican katrina(broken leeves) all happened on bush’s watch. The Republican party has no answers or ideas they just say no. The republican party turns down stimilus money from washington at the expense of being ignorant and racist. Life happens in cycles come November things will change. Remember Elmer Fudge ran his campaign on a devisive issue (Confederate Flag)
What a dumb base he has…..
Jefferson
February 1st, 2010
2:51 pm
The party of NO strikes again. This is what you get when you elected the “R’s” to say No to everything. Well No soup for you.
ras404
February 1st, 2010
2:52 pm
funny how you think Perdue has been AWOL. It’s just he that he listens to Georgia voters – not Atlanta voters only – and Georgia does not want to foot the bill for MARTA!!!!!
It is an embarrasment. They can’t even keep the elevators working, let alone run the trains and buses on time. All they want is a “Bottomless Checkbook”.
ras404
February 1st, 2010
2:53 pm
Funny how you think Perdue has been AWOL. It’s just he that he listens to Georgia voters – not Atlanta voters only – and Georgia does not want to foot the bill for MARTA!!!!!
It is an embarrassment. They can’t even keep the elevators working, let alone run the trains and buses on time. All they want is a “Bottomless Checkbook”.
Nathan Deal
February 1st, 2010
2:54 pm
Dam Sonny, I could have got some of that money too.
d.
February 1st, 2010
2:56 pm
Does this mean I don’t get a train for Christmas–Perdue you grinch. He could have borrowed the money again from the AGRiBank in Perry-to help match the funds. What was it 20,000,000? Did he ever pay that off–oh better yet I think his land deal in Florida could benefit him-maybe he gets achoo train on his land down there. I am just going to go fishing….there is more money in fish then jobs with rail.
Just Wondering
February 1st, 2010
2:58 pm
How is high speed going to help Atlanta? Other than downtown & midtown there are no sidewalks. So you are going to get off the train and walk in the street?
Sorry, the only hope for this area is to lose population.
Otherwise the quality of life will continue to just go down hill.
Where the state has dropped the ball over the years is not developing other metro areas in the state. It’s Atlanta and nothing else. Georgia is a joke when compared to the metro areas in a state like Tennessee.
And don’t even talk about NC or Florida>
Barbara Cade
February 1st, 2010
2:59 pm
At this point I am ashamed to say I am from Georgia. With “leaders” like the governor we have not had a chance of being a part of a forward thinking state. Our education system is a mess and it shows because only educated people have the vision to plan wisely for our state and execute those plans. I blame Reopublicans and Democrates as well for failing the people of Georgia. We should have been building rapid rail all over the state 10 to 15 years ago! The “bubbas” rule our state.
Silent Majority
February 1st, 2010
3:02 pm
John Lewis = poster child for term limits.
Sonny Purdue = worst governor in my lifetime, and I remember George Busbee.
d.
February 1st, 2010
3:05 pm
there metro areas in Tenn? Go figure
DannyX
February 1st, 2010
3:06 pm
Labor strife, horrible mismanagement, staggering debt, employees caught in drug stings, bad service rankings, and a crew that just risked the lives of all its passengers.
MARTA? No. Delta Airlines.
Delta Airlines is showered with tax gifts from the State. Praised for the work they do. The jobs they provide. Their service to mankind.
Delta could easily be mocked as much as MARTA. MARTA however is a big political football. Both sides play the game. When the games stop the whole region becomes better.
But that would require leadership.
BPJ
February 1st, 2010
3:18 pm
Just Wondering, upon leaving the train station Downtown, you would have the same three options you have upon leaving the airport: taxi, MARTA, or rent a car. Yes, major train stations have all three.
d
February 1st, 2010
3:27 pm
Sitting on the dock of the bay (go fishing of course) watching the train roll away then I watch it roll away again.
Lewis spars with Perdue on transportation inaction… and Lewis wins | Fresh Loaf
February 1st, 2010
3:28 pm
[...] Galloway brings to our attention a transportation-related tussle between Gov. Sonny Perdue and Congressman John Lewis over [...]
Mike
February 1st, 2010
3:39 pm
We need to be more like Europe, Republicans are morans.
E-Roll
February 1st, 2010
3:51 pm
allen981, right now you can get a round trip ticket from London to Paris for 69 pounds, let me know where you can get a lower airline ticket.
allen981
February 1st, 2010
3:55 pm
100 MPH trains to replace planes…that’s what the guy said. For how many people????
That’s the key – no one will ride the damn train! With stops, I can drive to Charlotte faster than a train, even at 100 MPH. Point to point, there aren’t 500 people a day going from Atlanta to Charlotte.
Atlanta has so much air capacity now, it doesn’t need more. And, with 60 percent of the air traffic in Atlanta simply changing planes, maybe we don’t need to be a hub anymore.
Atlanta had a rail network to anywhere and everywhere as recently as 50 years ago. It died a slow, painful, costly death. Why? It could not compete with planes, primarily.
Here’s a solution for all you 100 MPH train zealots: let’s build a system of dedicated bus lanes to anywhere and everywhere for say, $2 billion, instead of trains that cost $50 billion or more. Let ‘em run at 90 MPH or so, unimpeded. Same speed, same benefits, right? You won’t get 50 people a day on a bus, so why build the $50 billion train?
WHY???????
LF
February 1st, 2010
3:56 pm
Guess what? There is over $80,000,000, from the feds (Bush), for a commuter rail line between Atlanta and Lovejoy that the DOT has NOT BEEN USED!!!!! THE MONEY IS STILL THERE!!!
Sorry Sonny, please resign.
TarHeelBred bleeds TarHeelBlue
February 1st, 2010
4:04 pm
Mike: I don’t think that Georgia needs to be more like Europe, but Georgia does need to invest alot more in all modes of transportation (rail, roads, etc) than it does now and it needs to come up with more creative ways to do it than just another new tax. We need to come up with a uniquely American solution to a uniquely American problem, but any potential solutions and problem-solving of course needs strong leadership which is, unfortunately, something that we are sorely lacking right now.
Hoping4Rail
February 1st, 2010
4:21 pm
“allen981″, its has been clearly proven over and over again that mile-for-mile passenger rail transport is much more cost effective with much greater success than highway building. What is REALLY expensive, and you can ask the Europeans this, is not having high speed rail service when your neighbor 250 miles away does. …And Georgians are about to find this out first hand! The effects will begin to be felt long before the work is done.
tc
February 1st, 2010
4:22 pm
with credits to snl killer bees “we don’t need not stinkin rails…………to go fish”
TarHeelBred bleeds TarHeelBlue
February 1st, 2010
4:37 pm
Allen981: If Atlanta chooses to relinquish its status as a hub because of lack of vision and a willingness to execute that vision then cities like Charlotte and Nashville will gladly take the place of Atlanta as the Capital of the Southeast. Charlotte and Nashville have been openly envious of Atlanta’s elevated status as a potential world capital for quite sometime and with the current state of the airline industry who says that air travel will remain the dominant mode of travel, especially over moderate distances. The only reason that Atlanta now enjoys a seemingly elevated status as an international city and the Capital of the Southeast is because the area leaders of the past had the vision and the foresight to invest in a mode of transportation in air travel that was not yet popular but was just beginning to come on starting back in the 1920’s when Mayor Hartsfield convinced the City Council to lease an abandoned race track in Hapeville, an abandoned racetrack that is now the world’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The big deal with the grants awarded to North Carolina and Florida are that these are our direct economic competitors who have the vision and foresight to realize that American society is not going to necessarily continue to be a car-dependent society centered on auto-dependent development with only air travel alone for long-distance trips. Just like Birmingham and Alabama did not realize that the Southeast would not continue to be an isolated segregated provincial society and lost out on the opportunity of a lifetime of the international air-hub to more visionary business and political leadership in Atlanta who looked far enough ahead to see that, Georgia must be able to see far enough ahead to see that rail travel and rail-oriented development are going to be alot more dominant in the future and they must be willing to invest in the modes are increasingly attractive to high-paying employers looking to locate in areas that are highly accessible to all modes of transportation (road, rail, bus, bike, etc). Also keep-in-mind that investment in high-speed rail doesn’t just mean investment passenger rail alone, but also investment in high-speed freight rail such as to connect Atlanta with the Port of Savannah, which is now one of the busiest deep sea ports on the planet.
mike
February 1st, 2010
6:47 pm
Well Sonny did go for a ride in the GSP helicopter. The misuse of funds in the DOT did allow for some hanky paky between vendors, DOT leadership and some eventually got married after all the fooling around. He did set a precedent that when there are hurricanes, the state will cancel classes in schools so the middle Ga farmers have enough fuel to get there wares to market. Our students will be well fed but just dumb. He did nothing at all about the water in Lake Lanier. Oh he did push that Go Fish pork barrel through and then bought property next door. But I guess we can blame this all on the democrats.
Chris
February 1st, 2010
8:04 pm
Ras404 nailed it! The rest of Georgia doesn’t want to pay for the inept management of MARTA. Why should my taxes go up so MARTA can be bailed out. Why should ANY taxes be increased when politicians from both parties have demonstrated that they are far less than good stewards of OUR money?
TarHeelBred bleeds TarHeelBlue
February 1st, 2010
8:46 pm
Chris: The inept management of MARTA is a reflection of the inept management that is pervasive at the state (state of Georgia), county (Fulton and Dekalb) and city (city of Atlanta) levels of government. The problems at MARTA are an obvious extension and result of the dysfunction of the different separate levels of government that are supposed to have a hand in the management of that agency. For an agency like MARTA to get its act together, there needs to be strong leadership from each of the levels above it that should ideally have a hand in its competent management and that kind of leadership just doesn’t exist right now. Each of the levels of government that I have just named off, in addition to the federal level, are wildly dysfunctional and incompetent at this point.
vuduchld
February 1st, 2010
9:04 pm
I lived in Atlanta 22 years up until 6 months ago and frankly, I felt the money they got was too much. Really, Georgia should not have gotten one penny of this money because they have shown zero interest in soving their trafic issues. Why keep throwing good money after bad in a state with inept, incompetent politicians. The state cast it’s lot with the devil long ago by filling the roads with asphalt. I get sick and tired of people saying that Atlanta and Georgia should get money because of their pedigree. This state should get NOTHING until tthese bums politicians are thrown out of office and replaced with people with REAL common sense.
It’s time to grow up, the party is long over. Georgia, get your act together. Then and only then should you be considered for these programs.
shirley
February 1st, 2010
9:09 pm
Transportation Secretary LaHood made it quite clear to everyone within earshot and who was listening, “Georgia needs to get its act together”. LaHood was the guest of the Metro Chamber and Atlanta Regional Commission a few months ago and he answered a question about Georgia’s competitive position for ARRA high speed rail funding. His comments weren’t sugar coated or unclear. The good news is our neighbors North Carolina and Florida will get connected. How far behind can we be? Hopefully, not far.
Dave
February 1st, 2010
9:41 pm
Oh yes, let’s build a network of dedicated buses, that break down, get stuck in traffic, and pollute the air. Not to mention that they can’t carry anywhere near the number of people that trains can. People don’t ride trains? Then tell me why Amtrak sets ridership records just about every year, and why commuter and light rail has been a success everywhere it’s been tried? Now, while I don’t want the US to continue its slide into European Marxist Socialism, I do think it’s high time to stop paying lip service to passenger rail. These same anti-rail people are going to be screaming bloody murder in a few years, when it takes them two hours to go ten miles on a 40-lane “expressway.”
Across the Border
February 1st, 2010
10:25 pm
They don’t know that they don’t know! What a shame GDOT is stuck 20 years behind neighboring states in planning and implementing. Even Alabama gets things right once in a while. To the south, however, good planning, impact fee “collections” and just plain good common sense has proven time and time again that if you prepare well, you will fare well. Georgia needs some commuter rail lines instead of trails to help folks become less dependent on gas guzzling SUVs. If they could pay $5 for a safer ride and enjoy this great newspaper at the same time, some might even give up driving all together and start biking on weekends!! Wouldn’t that be a great deal for the air in hot lanta?
Jokes All Around
February 1st, 2010
11:02 pm
I agree with neither. Sonny spends his “last 15 minutes” in office and suddenly he’s a supporter – joke! but lets not let the Congressman off so easy, big whup..you’ve spent years giving away millions and millions of tax dollars. Here’s and idea congressman, show some leadership and make our money count for something. I would be bulletproof too if I could just write bad checks to everyone who comes asking.
Once a Republican
February 2nd, 2010
4:44 am
Purdue is a pig. At last count he was awarded three pieces of property throughout the Southeast aldong with a multimillion dollar loan that no one can explain. Every Republican in GA is concerned with one thing . . . how much money or land can they steal from the people of GA. Slowly but surley the truth is coming out.
Don
February 2nd, 2010
9:30 am
How about some facts? The money for HSR just awarded REQUIRED that the submitted proposals have a few things. One, that all the NEPA/EIS work was complete. Two, that the state had shown a commitment to passenger rail project that spanned state administrations. GA failed miserably at both of these, so we lose.
To whoever said that there weren’t 500 people a day who would ride Atlanta to Charlotte. He was right. The number is more like 2000-3000 riders a day. He could look it up, if he cared to. (www.sehsr.org.)
Intown Lib
February 2nd, 2010
9:49 am
Stick it to ‘em John! Our leadership has FAILED us for decades but, most miserably under Republican leadership for the last 8 years.
Don
February 2nd, 2010
9:51 am
It’s not FAILED leadership. It’s NO leadership. There’s a difference….
d.
February 2nd, 2010
10:11 am
Even if we did get a train, they wouldn’t let us drink on Sundays on it. We don’t have a transportation problem-just lower the speed limit to 5mph. If some one goes twenty then super fine them. We need the trauma money. Then when there is an accident, the person can leave the hospital room and send them a tax for using the bed. Gotta luv Georgia, lived here all my life, it used to be boring, now its a comedy show at the Dome. I set back and let the fireworks begin.
d.
February 2nd, 2010
10:18 am
No train, just think of the pennies people will save by not putting them on the tracks and watching the train flatten them. See having no rail can save really us pennies.
Reid in EAV
February 2nd, 2010
12:33 pm
Mark me down as another conservative who’s not a fan of Sonny for precisely this reason. (Granted, as an intown conservative I love such non-fashionable things as transit and density, but…)
By any measure, partisan or nonpartisan, do-nothing Sonny has been a disaster. How many billions of federal dollars have we squandered or missed on his watch? Someone needs to add it up.
I will be voting for whichever gubernatorial candidate seems to Get It on these issues. It’s not Oxendine, who’d love to build a new freeway in my backyard. In fact, at this point, I’m likely voting for Barnes.
BigAppleGeorgiaPeach
February 2nd, 2010
2:41 pm
For many years I ‘rode the rails’ (e.g., suburban commuter trains, subways, taxis, and buses into and out of the Port Authority between New Jersey and New York City, etc.). The only way a major metropolis ‘works’ is to have consistent, high-quality public transportation. If Atlanta doesn’t ‘get it together’, we’ll experience the worst kind of grid-lock one day and be sorry we ever even thought we could compete with other major metro areas!
ProgressivePeach.com
February 2nd, 2010
3:25 pm
Sonny POWNED!
John Lewis, the other half of the story
February 2nd, 2010
3:58 pm
The Rest of The Story,
All federal dollars come with guidelines, stipulations, demands, rules, regulations etc etc
Sometimes these make NO SENSE for the state or our needs. So John tell the whole story
because your ignorant demorat supporters deserve all the facts not just your idiotic
chest thumping.
JR
February 2nd, 2010
5:43 pm
I love that it all amounts to whining and complaining from both sides. And everyone commenting on this article.
NC and FL (and many other states) already have taken the initiative in planning and trying to get updated transportation. Here in GA, things are a little slower to evolve. NC has a stellar transport system in place/in development. The problem here (this goes for pretty much everything in GA/ATL) is that since we have the busiest airport, a huge city, tons of based companies, etc., we just say ‘well that’s great…look at what we have,’ without actually trying to improve on it.
Instead of trying to assign blame, why doesn’t everyone shut up and find a solution. That’s why we didn’t get the money. Because their spending too much time talking.
LaHood rips Georgia on high-speed rail | Cynthia Tucker
February 3rd, 2010
10:46 am
[...] colleague Jim Galloway has noted that Sonny Perdue and John Lewis have pointed fingers at each other for the state’s poor showing: Gov. Sonny Perdue and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, Georgia’s [...]
Daedalus
February 3rd, 2010
10:59 am
Its funny that Perdue blames Obama and John Lewis for Georgia’s dismal showing in competing for federal rail funds. GOP partisans claim its all about politics — but how does that explain Florida — with a GOP governor and legislature getting $1.25 billion out of the $8 billion in available grants?
Its not about politics, its about who is ready to build. Gov Bush in Florida was a leader in building a passenger rail system in Florida. Governor Christ followed up on Bush’s plans. Environmental studies are finished; right-of-way has been acquired; a plan for funding the ongoing operation is in place. Ditto for NC.
But Georgia? Nothing. GDOT has some nifty maps, but nothing else. GDOT’s passenger rail office was just dinged by the feds for mis-spending what little grant money GDOT gets from the feds for rail. And why should USDOT give Perdue and GDOT more $$ for rail when it hasn’t even touched the $80 million appropriated to build the multi-modal station and start the line to Macon?
That would be throwing good money after bad. I agree that assigning blame isn’t productive — but unless we acknowledge our mistakes, or at least a lack of a plan, we aren’t going to move on rail transportation.
Last year Portland, Oregon won several hundred million in grants to open up over 50 new streetcar stations. All of the streetcars will be built in metro Portland. Why? Because the state saw that there were no domestic manufacturers of streetcars in the US and also saw that there would be a growing demand for them. The state of Oregon helped a private company develop the capacity to build streetcars — this translated into high-paying jobs and tax revenue for the state.
That would never happen under Sonny Perdue or the current crop of GOP candidates for governor.
Let’s face it, y’all need to learn to enjoy your car because traffic relief isn’t on its way.
DirtyDawg
February 3rd, 2010
11:12 am
The man that was making progress on transportation was turned out of office back in ‘02 through lying, cheating and Diebold. Don’t know how much of what Roy Barnes started has been obliterated – probably all – but you can be sure nothing more has been done to build on it. The sooner this peckerwood – Perdue – is sent packing the sooner we will show anybody that’s paying attention that Georgia is trying to regain her senses. It may take a while to overturn the two Senate seats and all those idiotic – and, indeed, moranic – Republican-held Congressional seats, but at least we’ll have a Governor to be proud of instead of a laughing stock (just ask him how much he embarrassed the State on that official visit to Ireland – he won’t know, but ask him anyway).
And, yes, for those that haven’t been paying attention – Get a brain! Morans – is a classic. Of course since it never appeared on FauxNews you probably never saw it.
People Power
February 3rd, 2010
4:03 pm
When the Republican leaning Georgia Chamber of Commerce points out that the Republican controlled Georgia State Government, with help for their Republican strong Federal delegation, was able to increase the tax burden on Georgia’s businesses from 38% in 2002 to 43% in 2007, all before the Democrats regained any control in Washington, then perhaps its time to let the FACTS speak for themselves. It’s time for the voters to change back to a Democratic controlled state legislature and a Democratic Georgia Governor and insist they get Georgia moving in the right direction again!
You can see what the President of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce had to say about taxes on Georgia’s businesses, here:
http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/01/12/newscolumn1.html
It’s time for change again and it’s time for the voters to hold elected officials fully accountable. Get rid of GERRYMANDERING, which the dictionary calls; “to manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class.” And also enforce ethics laws that cover “conflicts of interest” by those holding public office, with real jail time for violating their public trust. How about a little Truth and Justice for a change.
Michael
February 5th, 2010
4:02 pm
The USA is just keeping federal funds out of the dump trucks and pavers of Purdue/Republican cronies. We literally have gorgeous roads to nowhere in southwest Georgia. Sure it creates jobs but lots of money too going to said cronies. If a black guy were ever elected governor I’m sure that would be investigated immediately and arrest warrants issued.
Hypocrits belong in church and run rampant in GOPGA! « Left on Lanier
February 8th, 2010
8:20 am
[...] February 8, 2010 Hypocrits belong in church and run rampant in GOPGA! Posted by bluedogdemocrat under Uncategorized | Tags: Bert Brantley, GOParanoid, John Lewis, Sonny Perdue | Leave a Comment Apparently, the GOParanoid are upset that they didn’t get enough high-speed rail money, and t… [...]
CliffATL
February 21st, 2010
1:36 pm
Not sure if this will get a proper reading – but here goes. Representative Lewis is 100% correct; however, he should be more specific about what is lacking in Georgia’s rail plans. If you don’t know what you are doing wrong – you are bound to repeat it over and over again.
Talk, plans, and maps will do nothing to get Georgia federal dollars to build any rail system. There must be dedicated funding for rail transportation in this state. Without North Carolina and Florida will continue to increase their transportation lead over Georgia!
See more details at: http://www.examiner.com/x-25727-Atlanta-Metro-Transportation-Examiner~y2010m2d1-Confusion–Bringing-High-Speed-Rail-to-Georgia
Karl
February 22nd, 2010
2:01 pm
Sadly, we live in a state that for whatever reason, has been openly hostile to the idea of public transportation, for decades. Legislators that go happily overseas to wonder at foreign systems, come home to vote against public tranportation for our state. Public-transportationwise, Georgia is a barren landscape upon which the seed for public transportation can find no purchase.
Local News Roundup « MARTA Rocks!
May 11th, 2010
6:41 pm
[...] 31st, Maria Saporta covered grassroots initiatives for transit in Georgia. Hope? I hope so. Because nothing new seems to be happening with the state leaders. The <a [...]