Channel 2 poll: Support for transportation sales tax continues to slip
Lori Geary and Channel 2 Action News have posted another poll that shows support for a transportation sales tax in metro Atlanta continuing to slip – and not just among white Republican voters anymore.
The automated poll, conducted by the Republican-oriented political service firm Rosetta Stone Communications, has a 3.1 percent margin of error. Take a look at the crosstabs here. From the Channel 2 website:
The poll, conducted July 11, found only 33 percent of metro Atlantans support the referendum while 56 percent oppose the measure. Twelve percent remain undecided.
Seventy-one percent of Republicans in metro Atlanta now oppose the referendum, but only 50 percent of Democrats support the July 31 vote. Broken down by race, 47 percent of African-American supporters favor the referendum. Sixty-seven percent of white voters oppose it.
This in the face of a resumed TV campaign.
Those supporting the sales tax point out that, in a mid-summer primary, turnout is likely to be low and thus figuring out who will actually cast a ballot becomes an imprecise science. This will be about turnout, they say.
John Garst of Rosetta Stone sent the following state via email late this afternoon:
“The moment of realization has to be setting in with the business community in Atlanta. After spending millions of dollars on this campaign and seeing poll numbers drop steadily, they need to be searching for plan B.”
The survey, which was conducted on Wednesday night, sampled 1,050 pre-screened primary voters of both parties and was weighted to accurately reflect the demographic and geographic turnout.
“Due to the nature of this issue and the confusion surrounding the polling for this referendum, I invite anyone from the public, the T-Splost campaign, nervous donors or the opposition to call me and I will explain and clarify all numbers.”
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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318 comments Add your comment
Joe
July 13th, 2012
4:06 pm
Alleas-Do you spend 100k a year? Once again do the math. It is NOT nearly the amount you think it is a year. Do you not think property taxes will rise just as much to cover this if it doesnt pass?
YeahRight
July 13th, 2012
4:07 pm
@MARTA
I guess you have something to hide.
….good day…
Eric
July 13th, 2012
4:07 pm
What does race have to do with this? People are people, and taxes are taxes. (All) the people are united in saying NO new taxes.
ALIEN
July 13th, 2012
4:07 pm
@ baron -apparently you’ve never ventured far from the rock you live under. I’ve lived in NYC,Boston and Chicago, some of the mostly heavily taxed areas in the world, and I can tell you the roads,bridges,and rest of infrastructure is falling apart despite the increases in taxes and fees. It cost $8.00 each way to cross a rusting pothole filled bridge anywhere in NYC,yeah you see all the rust etc as you move across at 1 mph, so sure taxes are the answer GEEZ!
Predatory Lender
July 13th, 2012
4:09 pm
GA Legislature. Hear me please. Stop the taxes!!! Just added a new 7% fee on the purchase and sale of all cars, now this so-called penny tax? Our state has become too expensive to live here.
Eric
July 13th, 2012
4:09 pm
Joe, when people had enough of increased property taxes and traffic, they will reasonable consider moving elsewhere, which is as it should be. Atlanta is approaching 5 million, isn’t that enough?
VoteYESforAtlanta
July 13th, 2012
4:09 pm
When all you tea partiers vote no for TSPLOST, don’t come crying to the planners and engineers about how bad your traffic problems are. The state government is actually trying – for once – to change how we think about transportation in this backwards city. You have to spend money to make money. Atlanta will lose to Charlotte and Dallas if we don’t invest now in transportation – cities that have made the tough choices and invested in their transit systems.
Georgia has the second lowest gas tax in the country, so we have to pay for our road and bridge improvements somehow. Where do y’all think this money comes from??
It’s not perfect – but there is no perfect solution. Our transit system will never be Boston or New York or DC – we’re just not the same place, we’re too big, we’re too sprawling. However, if we want Atlanta to be the best ATLANTA it can be, we need to vote yes.
ATLG8R
July 13th, 2012
4:10 pm
I truly believe folks would have voted for the T-SPLOST, had the 400 debacle not occurred.
I will vote NO on 7/31…everyone I know plans to vote NO as well. The turnout will be higher than expected, and I expect this nonsense to go down in flames….and it won’t be close.
Julie
July 13th, 2012
4:10 pm
I will not vote for the transportation sales tax because I don’t trust politicians. They can’t manage the money that they already have to work with and that’s why the vote to increase taxes.. Why should the voters think that additional tax money would be managed any better? Look at DeKalb Co for example – millions in debt and their answer is to raise taxes, lay off county employees. I bet the CEO’s and others aren’t taking a pay cut.
Bernie
July 13th, 2012
4:11 pm
For those who are not familiar with GEORGIA’s history and its “PECULIAR INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY” the issue of “RACE” goes to the very HEART of this PLAN.
If anyone tells you differently is being DISHONEST and DISINGENUOUS.
Mayor Reed is the only ATLANTA MAYOR that has had a “GOOD”working relationship with the ‘Good ole Boys” at DOME.
They are using Mayor Reed and Mayor Reed is using them to get to get this BOONDOGGLE of a TAX passed. Mayor Reed and the Corporate MASTERS of Atlanta know deep in their his hearts that trying to get a STATE FINANCIAL INVESTMENT from those RURAL GEORGIA LEGISLATORS is a exercise in a futile activity. Besides, its just too many rural Legislators to BUY OFF! for a “YES” vote.
Many of the residents in the suburban communities outside of ATLANTA share in the same sentiment as the rural legislators. ALL have rejected modest transportation improvement plans in the previous years out of “FEAR”. The “Fear” is and always has been that a open Transportation plan would allow those undesirable (AFRICAN AMERICAN) residents of ATLANTA to have unfettered access to their communities, housing, restaurants,movie theaters and GOD forbid their schools!
This is the “DILEMMA” we are TRULY faced with in regards to the T-SPLOST issue.
Joe
July 13th, 2012
4:13 pm
Eric-Maybe 5 million is enough but these projects are all over the state not just in the city. My 18 mile commute should not take 45 minutes and that is not even that big of a deal when it comes to commute times.
What the real question you should ask is when companies get tired of all the congestion and move their business elsewhere where does that leave us?
Weetamoe
July 13th, 2012
4:13 pm
One of my children voted early and said the ballot is very misleading so all those opposed need to keep informing voters how tricky these tax pushers are.
Shawn
July 13th, 2012
4:14 pm
This would be a great ideal, if you can trust the politicians to use the money for the purpose of the tax. How many times in the past has the government come up with a reason to line their pockets with fake promises? The problem here is for the government to control their spending. If they control spending, they will not have to come up with 50 reasons to raise tax. I believe citizens pay enough taxes. If we continue to listen to the politician, a couple of years from now they will have another reason to raise taxes. This is an ongoing problem. Most of the tax money does not go to the purpose of the tax. How about that bogus 911 fee on cell and landlines phones. The money was not even used to upgrade 911 centers. GOVERNMENT NEED TO CONTROL SPENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eric
July 13th, 2012
4:16 pm
Bernie, you may be right, and I support what you’re saying. In my view, SPLOST is less about race, but that people are tired of urban sprawl and increased cost of living and governments than reverse their promises and make promises they can’t keep (i.e., reduced congestion). What we need is an end to pro-business, pro-growth policies that got us into this mess to begin with.
I-85
July 13th, 2012
4:16 pm
HOT lanes need anything else to say no?
Eric
July 13th, 2012
4:18 pm
Joe, yes you make a good point, as people’s jobs are linked to the companies that are here. So if they move, then move with them or not. I agree, not an easy choice at all, very sad dilemma in fact.
diddy
July 13th, 2012
4:20 pm
If this passes, Bottles of Ciroc are on me! Take that…
BillS
July 13th, 2012
4:22 pm
Like a lot of others, I have reluctantly decide to vote against the proposal. I want desperately to do something to improve all kinds of transportation in Atlanta, but I have no more trust in the people who will carrying out these mandates. I believe they are not free of corruption and personal greed, and too many lack the skills to oversee such vast, important projects. I say this with regret, because I no longer trust the integrity of elected officials in Fulton, DeKalb and Cobb counties. I don’t know what the solution might be, but this proposal is NOT it.
Always Skeptical
July 13th, 2012
4:24 pm
Great going!!!! More jobs for North Carolina and Tennessee as they plan for the future while Georgia gets left in the dust….
Charles
July 13th, 2012
4:29 pm
This tax was a boondogle of Govener and Mayor cooked up to BLEED THE CITIZENS to feed Expecially the State of Georgia’s GENERAL FUND and DURING THE DEEP RECESSION WHEN PEOPLE ARE DOING WITHOUT ALMOST EVERYTHING! BLIND AND UTTERLY CALOUS GOVENOR & MAYOR!
Peanut gallery
July 13th, 2012
4:30 pm
The fact the 400 tolls are still up is a warning of what can happen with a “temporary” tax.
The decision to keep the tolls for additional improvements was never put to a public vote.
No way can government be trusted with a 1% sales tax where the money is piled into a gigantic slush fund.
Jerry
July 13th, 2012
4:30 pm
NO! We can’t pay more taxes. I need to feed my family. If we don’t vote this down, we will be paying more taxes forever. Do they not understand that the average people need more money, not less. How much has the government spent on commercials?
URnotUa
July 13th, 2012
4:30 pm
This thing was destined to fail the minute they hired the same cast of democrat and republican losers to sell it to the public. Until the metro area frees itself from the inbred cronyism currently running rampant, we will continue our descent to becoming the next Detroit,
KID
July 13th, 2012
4:35 pm
T-SPLOST will pass and Obama will be re-elected.
MM
July 13th, 2012
4:35 pm
I think it’s interesting that the GA-400 toll lies come up so frequently in discussion of the TSPLOST.
Republicans have always played to the lowest common denominator–our huge population of rustics–and now they’ve bitten the liars back where it hurts most. The business elites have benefited from an uninformed, easily led electorate and now this. Rough justice indeed.
When the poeple of Georgia demand good government–not necessarily less government, not necessarily TEA party underfunded government–they will begin to dig themselves out the hole they so willingly jumped into.
jv
July 13th, 2012
4:37 pm
Hooray, ever since I saw the proposed project list, I have been soooo against this..
Bernie
July 13th, 2012
4:46 pm
Eric @ 4:16 pm – The building and the financing of the MARTA system faced the same fate. However it was the FEDERAL DOLLARS and direction is what finally made it real. The majority of the Georgia Legislators and residents outside ATLANTA refused to participate in bringing this system to fruition based on the Fears, as I have previously indicated.
The Marta systems original plan called for route access to predominately “WHITE COMMUNITIES ONLY! bypassing or altogether avoiding and severely limiting areas that would allow African America ridership. It took a FEDERAL SUIT and a FEDERAL INJUNCTION to get what we have TODAY! EQUAL ACCESS!
so to accept YOUR comment is a DENIAL of HISTORY and REALITY.
Looking at this T_SPLOST proposal and the its plans, African Americans who make up a sizable voting bloc is “STILL” getting the short end of the stick. It does nothing to
improve or change their road improvements. The proposed CAMP CREEK expansion will only serve the CORPORATE MASTERS. They want to make sure they are no longer held up for a departing or an incoming flights and important corporate meetings due to Atlanta’s crazy traffic as it has happened many times before. The long term goal is to have Atlanta’s corporations to move further SOUTH to be closer to Hartsfield International Airport and has nothing to do with improving the roads of ATLANTA.
FDR
July 13th, 2012
4:46 pm
Vote YES to the Simple Lousy ONE COPPER PENNY per dollar Tax Increase to Fix and expand our roads. The people that are against the one penny tax, only have three teeth, they have a 4th grade education, still believe to this day that there’s WMD in IRAQ because Bush said so, believe that Obama caused this great recession of 2008 (although BUSH was president), listen to radio negativity like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh, support White Flight, play with Snakes at Church, and are crybaby whining 3 year olds who need their dirty dipers changes, whaaaa, whaaa. Vote YES to Untie Traffic Georgia!
Sandy Springs
July 13th, 2012
4:49 pm
Initially, I was supportive of this idea. But why should the people of Fulton and Dekalb pay the bulk of the transportation costs? MARTA is not effective as it is and if you throw a bunch of money at it, it will be even less effective as it focuses on expansion versus operating within its means. In the words of Cee-Lo “Forget You”
joe
July 13th, 2012
4:52 pm
unfortunately, after this fails, the state will push through more tolls. we’re gonna pay more eventually. only questions is by what means? at least with TSPLOST there’s list of projects that the money supposed gets spent on. when the vote doesn’t pass, they’ll set up tolls at our driveways. the tolls will be collected by private companies that pay the state. and i’m sure the politician’s hands will be greased in order to get the contracts. then the politicians will have heavier pockets and total freedom of what to do with the money, which means it will ONLY be spent on pet political projects instead of things that are really needed.
i’ve seen this play out where i’m from up in virginia before. regional sales taxes in northern virginia and hampton roads were voted down in 2002. the state then ended up negotiating contracts to put tolls on all sorts of stuff in backdoor meetings that had no public scrutiny. now the contracts are signed, the tolls will be up soon, and the special interests will be getting their money.
guess i need to move again because the whole thing is about to repeat itself here.
Gomer
July 13th, 2012
4:53 pm
We don’t need no damn taxes to build roads or trains. Just do away with all taxes, I say, and let the free market build our roads and trains.
Sink
July 13th, 2012
4:53 pm
Vote No. We do not need more roads, or more toll roads. We need a subway system that can reach all of metro Atlanta. Transportation planners need to think outside the box.
Kman
July 13th, 2012
4:54 pm
if they had just shut down the GA tolls when they said they would this thing would pass with flying colors. I grew up in Mass and it was the same deal with the Mass Pike – pay the toll till the bond is retired (should have been 1980 I think) – instead you now have a govt agency call Massport that rivals most countries in size and the taxpayers are getting SOAKED! Not gonna happen here – GA officials proved they can’t manage a simple 0.50cent toll – no way we are giving you 1%!
John Galt
July 13th, 2012
4:55 pm
The cure for the GDOT is to locate their offices in the cloverleafs of the major intersections, such as 85 and 285. Then. make sure they must arrive by 8:30 and leave no sooner than 5.
I guarantee they will figure out what needs to be fixed and for a lot less than they are getting now.
Tychus Findlay
July 13th, 2012
4:56 pm
Declining sponsorship is a greater indication of a lack of faith in the politicians to manage the funds than it is a desire to improve traffic. Once these boondoggles get in place, the funding gets misappropriated to other projects ala the GA-400 toll money.
ChooChoo
July 13th, 2012
4:57 pm
I’ll vote yes if they can get the new trolley to run up to Roswell.
BOB FROM ACCOUNT TEMPS
July 13th, 2012
4:58 pm
more millions for more studies. the voter turnout from OTP will send this tax over a cliff. we need alternatives not more road improvements in cobb. CCT is a joke but it is the only game in town.
hiram
July 13th, 2012
4:58 pm
MM
July 13th, 2012
4:35 pm
“The business elites have benefited from an uninformed, easily led electorate and now this. Rough justice indeed.”
After 8 years of of Sonny’s continuous scandals, like his dedicated tax break, sweetheart land deals, cronie appointments, working on his own empire, instead of doing his job, the still not so bright electorate elected the second act of the same play. I think that every con man in the state is now working for the state’s government, and the people are finally waking up to that reality.
Lindsey
July 13th, 2012
5:00 pm
This is just another lie in the form of a tax, just look at the GA 400 toll!!!
CarolinaGirl
July 13th, 2012
5:01 pm
No TSPLOST vote from me after that craziness they did to I-85. I’m only seldom heading up that way but love, love, love to see that lane sitting completely empty, every time. It’s like an underground protest of the DO-NOT-OCCUPY Movement.
As long as I have to pay again for something I’ve already paid for, the DOT and their brood are getting nothing from me.
Gomer
July 13th, 2012
5:01 pm
We can’t trust the gubmint to build our roads and trains. The gubmint can’t do anything right! Let the free market build our roads and trains, I say. The invisible hand will do it!
Ga Values .................. VOTE NO FOR WASTE, GRAFT & CORRUPTION
July 13th, 2012
5:03 pm
How is the $600,000,000 for the waste/belt line going to reduce congestion. Simple fact just like the airport Reed & his cronies are going to line their pockets… JUST VOTE NO>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
MarkG
July 13th, 2012
5:04 pm
These folks “polled” me a few weeks back. The first question asked was whether or not I supported the tax. When I responded “no” the rest of the “questions” were framed with all the “benefits” we would reap such as new projects and of course 250,000 jobs. Sorry, not buying the BS.
I’m with many of you, too many lies, too many failures. You want to talk to me about increasing taxes, tear down the 400 toll booths and after a few years go by, MAYBE we can talk about your inefficient, ineffective, corrupt projects. Then again, probably not.
Gomer
July 13th, 2012
5:07 pm
And another thing is these buses. I’m sick and tired of paying taxes for buses. We should let the free market provide buses if people want them. The free market can do it all. The guvmint and taxes can’t do anything.
Kramer
July 13th, 2012
5:11 pm
You don’t do this garbage during bad economic times and with bonehead in the WH wanting to raise taxes, NO THANKS!
RLM
July 13th, 2012
5:12 pm
I do not know why anyone brought up race. It looks to me like everyone has realized that both Reed and Deal are bad news and can not be trusted. No SPLOST after the debacle of 400 and paying a premium on 85 for a hov lane to improve the air. What other imaginative lies can they come up with. Telecommute is the answer anyway. We will have all these roads when people stay home to work.
Gomer
July 13th, 2012
5:15 pm
We don’t need no damn roads. Let people walk or ride a horse if they need to get someplace.
Chandra
July 13th, 2012
5:16 pm
I-85 HOT Lanes project basically killed the deal for me with the Governer Deal and the DOT, GRTA leadership. Not liffing the 400 Toll promise was another nail in the coffin for this.
Tony Betts
July 13th, 2012
5:17 pm
Not funding more empty trains. When trains become profitable, companies will build them.
td
July 13th, 2012
5:17 pm
Any program that has more then 10% going to mass transit is a no vote in my book.