SPLOST VII is; 1) Bad Idea - Raising taxes with county unemployment at 8% and consumer spending falling is a bad idea, 2) Bad Timing - Raising taxes while inflation is spiking to 5% annually will not generate the revenues required and it is bad timing, 3) Bad Economics - Raising taxes while home foreclosures in Forsyth County rose 36% in 2011 and homeowners equity plummeted $3.7B is bad economics, 4) Bad Policy - Raising taxes to fund projects best paid for from a $88M annual county budget is bad policy, and 5) Bad Governance - SPLOST tax is a hidden tax increase by the Forsyth County Commissioners and that is the definition of bad governance.

Voshall is just looking for a platform to climb on in order to run for office. He's decided that this is going to be his cause because the Board of Commissioners have done a great job keeping Forsyth financially sound.

SPLOST was intended to fun these type of projects and overall this SPLOST has more neccessary projects like the courthouse, jail and transportation than ever before!

I wonder if Voshall has an alternative plan? So far the whining is noteworthy but lacks a solution. The taxpayers are sounding millions to put inmates in other jails. The inability to add anither judge is going to jeopardize this county's reputation among criminals of putting them in jail instead of bargaining and sending them home.

The dollars are needed and SPLOST shifts the burden to everyone that shops in the county. Voshall seems to think homeowners and businesses should pay the tab

Voshall needs a platform but I resent him using something that will hit only property owners and homeowners in the pocketbook. That's a typical politician at work. Putting his own agenda ahead of the public good.

Mike. I really must ask a question. What exactly are you talking about?

The courthouse and a jail is not necessary right now. I think he said there is a solution, fund it from county funds collected. Afterall we do send them $88M per year.

You obviously have no idea about sales taxes. Sales taxes are an increase in prices to citizens and in many cases it lowers the profitability of businesses. If businesses could raise their prices 1%, they already would have.

You confused me Mike.

Bill, you would rather the county rent jail space from other counties? You would approve of using the regular budget to build this jail? The regular budget is funded by property owners where SPLOST is spread put over anyone that shops in the county, including visitors and illegals.

No thanks, I pay enough just because I work hard and own a home and rental property. You and Steve want me to carry the burden and that sucks.

I own a business and sales tax has no bearing on my pricing or costs. Your argument there is nothing short of illogical.

Actually, REDUCING the sales tax in the county would be much more likely to attract MORE people to cross the county line to shop in Forsyth! That's just common sense. Anyone who thinks people from Fulton or Gwinnett or Dawson come to Forsyth to shop anymore than people from Forsyth shop in those counties is just deluding themselves. The county has other options to raise the money for a new jail other than SPLOST and property taxes, but they always present it as if these are the only two ways to raise money.

If you had listened to Sheriff Paxton, or done any research, you would know that the additional cost of housing inmates in other jails is only about $16/day and we're only housing about 200 outside of Forsyth. That's about $1.2M per year. And they want to spend about $45M for a new jail. That means we can house elsewhere for 37.5 years at current inmate populations. Knowing that the inmate population will grow, conservatively, it would take 20 years to spend the $45m they want for a new jailhouse. Then add the courthouse for $55M. Just to get two more courtrooms? Are you kidding me?

The issue isn't should we fund this with SPLOST or property taxes, the issue is should we be spending money on this at all in today's economic environment.

And why do those who support this reckless spending always want to impute the motives of those who oppose it? Can't you just debate the merits without making personal attacks on your opponents?

My comment has nothing to do with the SPLOST, pro or con.
My comment is based on Mr. Voshall's incorrect statement about the Health Care bill. I am 67 years old (he's not even close!) and yet he is opposed to Health Care for all and the many superb elements of our President's Health Care bill. Do what you want with the SPLOST, Mr. Voshall, but leave a good health care plan out of your rhetoric!

Voshall said Thursday that county commissioners are "trying to pull a Pelosi," comparing their attempt to pass SPLOST VII to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's attempt to pass President Barrack Obama's health care bill.

Look back and follow the SPLOST issue from earlier in the year. There were news articles describing commissioners sitting around thinking about what their "wish list" of projects might be to justify re-enforcing the SPLOST tax. Why not PLAN for needed improvements with existing funds? Why did the county not SAVE for this when they were taking in tax money hand over fist when the economy was great and the county was one of the fastest growing in the country?

And WHY can't we have an efficiency study done on where the waste is in our county government? My husband suggested it to the commissioners, gave them a contact persona at GA Tech who specializes in Six Sigma, and it has never been followed up on.

SPLOST is just another tax that will NEVER go away.

Supporting
Perpetual
Luxuries
Over
Spending
Thoughtfully

Bill,
The only reason Ii brought up the "outsourcing" of inmate housing in my argument is that the Sheriff, the GOP County Chairman, Mike Kennedy and others have all used the cost of housing inmates in other facilities as a major reason for why we need to build a new jail. I was simply trying to show that the economics to support that reason just don't fly. I agree that this is simply a money grab!

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that all economic indicators right now point to one of the worst economies most of us have ever experienced and what some of us don't understand is that it is NOT over. Let me repeat that.... IT IS NOT OVER. It also, is truly unbelievalble that in one of the largest Republican counties in this country, we have leaders who want to spend , spend , spend. This type of thinking is what got this country in the mess that we are in. I have not seen or been given the opportunity to see one bid or one study done to justify the amount of dollars that are being thrown around. Here's an article from the Gainesville times in 2008 that states they built a jail for 54 million. that houses 1,000 inmates. There is no way you can tell me that the price of a new jail today is twice as much today than it was 3 years ago. http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/archives/2313/
I also agree that there is something very fishy about holding a special election for this vote. Not only does it cost our county more money to run a special election, it is an obvious ploy to try and "sneak" something past the majority of citizens in this county. If it is such a good thing for all of the citizens of this county, then let's put it on the ballot when the majority is present.

Mr. Voshall also thinks senior citizens should forego the school tax exemption in Forsyth County.

Some of these liberal comments make me laugh... First off anyone who can agree to this SPLOST extension is completely out of sync with reality. The commissioners board WANTS YOU TO WRITE THEM A BLANK CHECK!! They have yet to define EXACTLY what its going to be used for which would prevent them from using it for things such as raises and vacations...

You do realize even the largest of jails including Dawsonvilles $50 million "prison" reaches near capacity not long after they built it? Do you not think that's going to happen here? Ted Paxton has begged the people of Forsyth County to give him a state of the art jail like the one Dawson has and we've voted no. He continues to put it on the ballot every election.. WE NEED TO KEEP VOTING NO!!! His argument is the current jail has a mold problem... Well if you kept it clean it wouldn't have a mold problem. If he would've stopped his LT and sargents from cashing in their roll over vacation days for checks of the sum of $15,000+ then that mold problem could've been taken care of.

Newer bigger hail = more employees to operate it

Sounds great right? Well those jobs will cost us $50 million... For now what he has will have to do until we can recover our local economy, lower property taxes again and start seeing black ink instead of red. Wake up people.. you're allowing our local elected GOV to run the show.. They work for us,not the other way around...

It is totally immoral, absolutely inconceivable to me that a people that call themselves a free people, living in a civilized society in a great nation and prosperous County would allow, cheer, and empower people that have no vested interest in the ownership of another man’s private property except for some claim they dream up. Why would we allow people the opportunity to vote to take from your neighbor and put debt on that family's shoulders? Just because you can pull a lever or sign a ballot does not give you the right to confiscate some other man’s private property from him?

What does it say about our society that we operate under the pretense that another man has some God-given right to something called a vote, and that vote can be used to confiscate a portion of what another man has earned?

SPLOST is immoral at its very core.