TSPLOST--another tax increase, and still the voters do not try to hold politicians and bureaucrats accountable for the tax dollars already lost to fraud, waste and abuse. Transportation in Georgia has long been a convenient medium for corruption. I'll vote against it, while all the PTA members and homeowners associations blather on about how "good" it will be for "our community and our schools." Folks, you need to wake up and see that "Government is NEVER the best solution, but its always the EASIEST."

Yeah, the TSPLOT that blocked a lane on 85 sucked. Let's be honest, TSPLOT needs to be voted down; they have yet to show responsibility with that money. Vote no on TSPLOT July 31st.

No surprise at the moment that Fulton and DeKalb are showing the most support. Both sides have a lot of work ahead of them. It will be tough in the summer months.

The HOT lane on I85 and the freeway merge lights are two of the latest boondoggles. I rarely see the lights on any more and when they are, they back up traffic. These guys haven't proven that they can manage our money responsibly. Why should we give them more.

Novel idea.....everyone who longs for the mass transit of New York, moves back to New York. Problem solved.

Mr. Nebel,
Just wondering what avenues you have gone through to accurately research this issue? Have you called to interview any local traffic engineering firms or government agencies regarding the specifics of the referendum or merely based your facts off of the media? Below are some additional information sites to research...I would hope you have already exhausted these resources when writing the article.
As far as where your tax dollars would go, the projects that would be funded by this referendum are clearly laid out. You can go to the Connect Georgia website below and click on the interactive maps to find the specific projects which are slated for your area.
www.untieatlanta.com
https://www.facebook.com/UntieAtlanta/info
www.connectgeorgia2012.com
https://www.facebook.com/ConnectGeorgia?sk=wall
Thank you for your time.

Let's not forget the Ga 400 toll that was supposed to be removed after 10 years. That was a T-SPLOST promise too...how can they seriously expect people to trust them with more tax money after blatently lying about that?

I'm with everyone else here. NO gets my vote.

“The express lanes, buses and rail to NOWHERE” and that don’t have any source of maintenance funding for the long term…

Yes one must LOVE it because we need yet ANOTHER layer of DOT to manage it all too. SRTA isn’t enough, Local governments aren’t enough, the mighty DOT isn’t enough, we absolutely NEED MORE people we can’t reach, to give rosy estimates that won’t come true based on projections that are incomplete, ALL overseen by an “organization” at the Gold Dome that claims to not need any ethics reform at all - because that’s the realm of liberals and fools…

Don’t vote for this because it’s the ONLY choice you have (it’s not) hold your nose and select the NO tab on the voter screen or early voting ballot. We DESSERVE more than a one option response on an RFQ with such a far reaching impact as this. (Hopefully, Gwinnett will follow that advice on another ONE option wonder they have on their table right now)

Because if it were really THAT good, there wouldn’t have been a NEED to fund a 6 Million plus on indoctrination Err EDUCATION campaign to sell this…

But if we order before midnight on July 31, we’ll get a free set of Kinzu knives AND a Tee Shirt!!! ( Or free beer if you work at a phone bank at one county’s Chamber of Commerce)

Me, I only work for a Guinness, because it’s BRILLANT!

The people of North Fulton need to understand the issues surrounding TSPLOST given most did not understand what was as stake with the earlier "ESPLOST". The entire area was bamboozled by the proponents of ESPLOST including threats of property tax hikes if not passed.

Even now we are hearing the dire consequences of not giving the government more money and resources to spend. There is no evidence anywhere that this money will be spent effectively...to the contrary there is ample evidence it will wasted. As mentioned before it will be very difficult to get rid of if passed.

When will we learn that we should be in control of our government not the other way around. We need to start by telling these folks that we control our resources and they will not have funds in perpetuity to waste.

@lydia The post is to start the discussion--not meant to take a position. The Untie sites are quite informative. Thank you for supplying the URLs.

The idea of appropriating additional funds for any government agency is nauseating.

No government body has, for at least 10 years, shown any ability to manage what they have and spend it wisely. In fact, we should be calling for 10% cuts across all agencies at the federal, state and county levels, just like most of us have had to deal with in our own personal budgeting.

My mantra has always been: Never, ever vote yes on ANY tax. They must prove they can manage what they already have before we give them more. And no tax is ever temporary.

Why is it every time they are going build or improve a road, because of growth we need a new tax. Growth brings in more taxes. I just bought my new auto tags and paid a lot in ad valorem tax. More cars more tax. I and many people believe that a 1% additional tax will cost us $200.00 plus a year. Vote NO.

@Mr. Nebel, My apologies. Although the wording of your post appeared semi-neutral, the (3) images that were included seemed to clearly sway to the "no" position. I merely wanted to know if any research had been performed prior to this article being written. I enjoy reading The Patch as one of many news sources but to present such a "hot" topic, even only as a discussion point, without researching both sides of an issue seems to not follow the typical unbiased journalistic approach. The referendum needs to be clearly explained to readers (or at least resources presented) so that they might make an informed decision based on facts. I've noticed many people are only educated on the past SPLOST efforts, not the current one up for vote; this is an entirely different ballgame that is being handled and presented differently than previous versions.

It's strange how some people demand a story tell them what to think. The author (Robert Nebel) did a good job of creating an article to generate a discussion without putting his opinion in the article. Nothing wrong with that. Besides if he takes any position he is just going to get ripped from one side or the other because that is what unfortunately happens with a lot of Patch.com articles. It's liberals that want someone to tell them what to think anyway. Free thinkers can make up their own minds.

Lydia
Ahem.. It’s NOT a different ballgame at all. (Granting the exception that there is a 6 Million dollar EDUCATION campaign this time) No program exists in a vacuum and must be judged to some extent by the factors that will influence it as a whole during its REAL expected lifetime - forever.

IT is a tax increase if approved; it will expand a government that already believes at the state level there are NO ethics issues and all is just dandy. So we will get MORE of the same types that DON’T have to respond to the Public at Large, remember the Hot Lane meetings? Regions have some really big buck studies included. Do we really have to pay for the study of the study of the studies?

The DOT has released a report that attempts to quantify the benefit of a reduced commute time of a breathtaking 8 Minutes – 8 minutes. Now with some number crunching provided by a few proponents over at Peach pundits, that means a return of about 200.00 to average taxpayers…

So the eight minute figure may be the very best guesstimate, or it may really be 4 or 6 minutes. So we, in the best case, may get a wash with no gain at all but most likely a loss. This is where we include the disclaimer that:
“Past performance is no guarantee of future returns, but provided for analysis only.”

Oh heck NO ! ................Sanitized for your protection .

UPCCA will be holding an informational program on TSLPOST on June 25, 7:30 p.m.at the Christ the King Lutheran Church. Details will be announced shortly.

I wonder how important Clark Howard's endorsement will be? http://clatl.com/freshloaf/archives/2012/05/21/clark-howard-endorses-transportation-tax

Hmmm, well I'd pay $200 per year for an 8 minute reduction in commute time. That's about 1600 minutes, or 26 hours, of saved time for me. As I make more than $8 per hour, that would actually be worth it (obviously :)).

I just need them to prove that they would actually save me 8 minutes on my commute time. And with all of the construction prior to getting there, I would imagine for a few years I'd get rewarded with INCREASED commute time.

And let's be honest, expanding anything up here near Peachtree Corners would not be CLOSE to on the agenda. It's a bad deal for us.

Both my wife and I are voting NO on it also. If we did not have the "Hot Lanes" I might of been for it. But as far as I am concerned, by installing those and double charging us, they can use that money to build there roads.

At the end of the 2012-13 school year, the No Child Left Behind funding for school transfers will come to an end. That will mean thousands of students who will not be bringing in a check for their parents to drive them across the county. Sounds to me like our traffic will be getting better in a year regardless of whether or not T-SPLOST passes. Let's vote NO and watch them explain how things improve without the "extra" 1%. Remember, in DeKalb, we are already paying a 1% transportation sales tax AND a 1% education sales tax. If you aren't willing to pay extra for a HOT Lane to speed you along, then you have your answer - the TSPLOST isn't your cup of "T" nor mine!

If this is such a good idea why is the GADOT paying for advertising space on the airwaves and other outlets to try to get us to vote yes? Here in this house it will be voted NO!!!!. The HOT lanes are causing the back up on 85, and now they want to expand them to 75 and 575? The DOT must think we are dummies.

The failure is the lack of meaningful rapid transit options. Waiting for the Gwinnett bus is straight out of Green Acres (if its tewsday then im a reckinin it be hear round supper time). It is obvious the plantation mentality is still alive as shown by the comment above about going back to NY if you want mass transit (just kidding...lock your doors now!....there really are masses of inner city residents just waiting to get on the rail line to come out here and wreck havoc...lock up your daughters). Until the goobers quit trying to fine tune the hiway system and come up with a system that gets people out of their cars...i vote no

Even as Conservative as I am, I usually vote for TSPLOSTs, but this time will be different. The HOT lanes are one reason, what a complete cluster those are. But the main reason is our government's complete inability to spend their money responsibly. The fact that we can't meet a budget and we're pushing forward with a new Falcon's stadium just astounds me. We spend money we don't have, and then ask taxpayers for more. All we do when we OK these extra spending measures from us is to encourage the overspending the government already does. JMHO.....

Most people don't realize it, but GDOT collect just under $1.0 billion per year in a combination of fuel excise and sales taxes. They just another billion. One third of that $1.0 billion goes to pay interest on the loans they used to buy up land for the Northern Arc, another for debt payments, and on 1/3 remaining for roads. They rely on the feds to give them our money. Another tidbit. Mordor on the Potomac takes $1.0 billion in federal fuel excise from this state, but only returns $800 million. We donate to other places for their roads.

Karsten - Sorry if I made some typos. I have DROID fingers.

This year GDOT will collect just under $1.0 billion (~$963 M) from excise taxes levied on the fuel depots and a 7.5 cent sales tax at the pump. This is called the MUFT or Multi Use Fuel Tax. The average tax per gallon of fuel is 22.5cents. The federal highway trust fund fuel excise tax is 18.5cents per gallon and that generate nearly $1.0 billion per year. The federal tax goes to Mordor on the Potomac to be laundered in the Highway Trust Fund and re distributed for bridges to nowhere or where ever an earmark can be found. The federal excise tax was used to fund the construction of the Eisenhower Interstate System (I -75/I-85/I-285/I-95 etc) The issue is all of those roads were completed in 1992. That money has just been used as political favors. Now of the $963 million collected by GDOT with MUFT 1/3 goes to pay interest on the loans GDOT used to buy land for the Northern Arc. Remember in the early 2000's there was this grandiose plan to bulldoze subdivision in Cherokee and Forsyth to run big road from Cartersville to Lawrenceville. The outrage was so fierce they scrapped it, Sonny Perdue ran on that platform in 2002. Another 1/3 goes for Bond/Debt principal and interest payments, and the remaining 1/3 is used to maintain roads. Hopefully that was clearer.

Well, the Untie Atlanta site gives information to people. That's nice, and worth review just as additional information. Don't read it for the "spin".

But, what's really at issue is getting the projects done. So much of the money will be spent on studies and reviews dealing with alternative commute options that will require tons more for actual implementation. So few of the projects actually will help the typical commuter. I mean who really thinks sidewalks on Lawrenceville Hwy from Hood Rd to Hillcrest Road will make it easier for cars to blow through Lilburn?

Vote how you want to vote, but know either way the outcome will be the same.

Yes vote results in 5-10 years of increased construction and finger pointing

No vote results in status quo and finger pointing and saying "this would have been better if people had voted themselves a tax to pay for a study to be done of how to improve traffic"

And the Jobs number...well...how many did the "shovel ready" projects give us from the federal assistance program? That's about as many as you can expect now.

The major problem is the inept oversight from GDOT, Local Governments, and State Government. Prove to us that you're using the current tax collected funds to benefit these projects before you hold your hand out for more sized money by raising taxes again.

My recent Atlanta Business Chronicle included a special section touting the virtues of this bill. Of course, their editorial board and guest columnist love the idea. I did a little digging - approximately 50% of the tax would go towards "transit" (MARTA and the beltway). Fulton and DeKalb residents do like this tax since a majority of it will be used inside the perimeter. Those elitist know what is best for us suburbanites.
Vote no for this monstrosity.

80% of the money goes to Fulton and Atlanta. Vote NO!

Here's a source for more information that just released a somewhat interesting report:
(Georgia Public Policy Foundation)

http://www.georgiapolicy.org/pub/transportation/120523IATSPLOSTFINAL.pdf

@Paul
Yes, I agree with Phatnate's assertion that one side or the other will "rip" you for taking a position. I do not endorse the view on the liberals.

I will vote against TSPLOST. It needs to encompass whole state not just a few counties. Much money will be spent on projects in Atlanta which means mandatory participation by "approved" minorities (politically connected) and prevailing wages (payoff to the unions for their votes). This adds at leasty 25% to the cost and if the taxpayers of Atlanta are happy with this, fine and dandy. I don't wany my DeKalb tax dollars be used to support public corruption in Atlanta.

TSPLOST? A bailout for MARTA. TIA-M-001 t0 TIA-M-014 MARTA State of Good Repair and Station Enhancements (Consolidated) are projects on the TSPLOST constrained projects list in the amount of $600,000,000. million dollars. This amount includes the upgrade of existing escalators in existing MARTA rail stations. Upkeep and maintenance of escalators in the rail stations throughout the rail system should have been MARTA's responsibility from day one. During the course of one month, I will have traveled on most all of our interstate network in Metro Atlanra. I have yet to see anyone commuting on an escalator. MARTA? Another public transit boondoggle being fed by taxpayer dollars in the way of ongoing subsidies.

For those of you thinking about voting for the TSPOST take a look at Yahoo's home page. They list the top ten cities with the worst commute times. Atlanta is not even in the top 10. Beware of more taxation!!!

Anybody that uses American Patriot, instead of their name, isn't one. You made up my mind, I'll be for the huge, unbelievable, horrible, monster tax that might help the drive downtown or put extra cars on the marta.

There was an article or editorial in the AJC recently that confirms American Patriots point. Most commuting problems atre causd by people living a long way from the job. Studies show that the time added by congestion is minor compared to the total travel time. That is a location problem rather than a transportation problem.

I agree with Erick Erickson: "I believe the Georgia Department of Transportation is an unrepentant cesspool of greed and corruption used by lawmakers and other politicians to buy friends and win influence. Every few years, a new report comes out that GDOT has underfunded projects, unaccounted for demands for money, and is otherwise in disarray. The few times our politicians have sought to clean up the cesspool they have sent in reformers who have been defeated, smeared and tossed out with their reputation in tatters only to be replaced by good old boys who have perpetuated the system."

Do you trust them?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfiuVHxJJhY

Judging from the majority of comments, TSPLOST's passage does not look good at the moment. There are definitely many problems that people have with TSPLOST in this forum. Still, there are a myriad of traffic issues. What ought to be done to alleviate or solve the traffic woes? Transit only? More and wider roads? Time the lights better? Tax incentives to ride scooters? Do nothing?

I would like to know what other avenues,( no pun intended), were considered to reduce traffic and improve air quality.
For example, New Jersey actually had meetings with their major employers, Prudential, etc., to discuss this topic. Some of the results of those meetings were staggered work hours, so not everyone was on the road at the same time.
They also increased van pooling for their employees.

@Jerry Indeed employers becoming more proactive and perhaps coordinating with each other on staggered hours, van pools, telecommuting etc.-would be the cheapest avenue.
On another note, should the public or private sector be responsible for dealing with this situation?

Go to www.traffictruth.net and get the facts.
T-SPLOST will not correct the traffic problems. WHile the "establishments' swears this will help traffic, read the fine print. So much of the money allocated for the "projects" actually only cover the cost of a road study. Do you really think you should be paying for Atlanta's parks and a toy train down Peachtree Street. You know how much better traffic flows when there are no school buses during the summer? The T-SPLOST will add more buses to our roads. The entire plan is based on YOU changing your behavior and giving up your car and catching a bus. It matters not that it will cost your family budget more to pay for the 1 cent sales tax plus the cost of a bus ticket. Your car insurance will not go down, your car payment will not go down. You're just adding more dollars to your strained budget while the folks who conduct studies and construction companies make a killing.

For exammple The initial 10-year tax will only raise enough for studies, surveys, and
initial-phase completion of projects in some instances.
EXAMPLE:• TIA-GW-031 for the I-85N corridor states that the $95 million project
pays for studies and reviews with “possible initial right-of-way
acquisition and construction elements”. Construction completion
unknown; “funds will be used throughout the 2013 – 2022 timeframe.”
The project construction is not currently planned.

There is no identified source for on-going operation.
Taxes will double

If Georgia wants to clear up traffic in Atlanta, recruit businesses to move to the country, like Catterpillar, Baxter Labs, etc. Then no more jams. I don't understand why anyone would vote to tax themselves and give it to incompetent agencies. Mr. Cain, they must think we are stupid! TSPLOST is the largest tax increase in Georgia history. Like the government supported "The City of New Orleans" from Chicago to the coast, this tax will never go away. Vote no to TSPLOST on July 31, 2012.

Mike...it really is THAT obvious how terrible of an idea this is. Bad projects paid for in a bad way. It's BAD SQUARED.

My post got deleted due to the word "as nine"... so sorry for that terrible use of profanity, I didn't know that word was on the ban list.

Commute time to where?????

What an (insert one of the following synonyms below to replace my bad word in this space:
"absurd, foolish, balmy, brainless, bubbleheaded, cockeyed, crackpot, crazy, cuckoo, daffy, daft, dippy, dotty, fatuous, featherheaded, fool, half-baked, harebrained, half-witted, inept, insane, jerky, kooky (also kookie), loony (also looney), lunatic, lunkheaded, mad, nonsensical, nutty, preposterous, sappy, screwball, senseless, silly, simpleminded, stupid, tomfool, unwise, wacky (also whacky), weak-minded, witless, zany... but I thought my word made more sense.")
statement about saving me 8 minutes of commute time. Do they think everyone goes downtown to work or something? And how would you figure that anyway?

Typical rhetoric again...
VOTE NO

Acid-9 indeed. NO vote intended !

While I am unalterably opposed to TSPLOST in its current form, what are we going to do when Obama and his energy czar succeed in getting gasoline to $7 a gallon? I don't have any faith in our state legislature to solve anything and DOT couldn't pour water out of a boot with the instructions printed on the heel.

Question is how many of our friends and neighbors, will take out the time July 31st to go out and VOTE!

Well it looks like the 8 minute savings figure is disappearing fast...

YouTube
http://trk.cp20.com/Tracking/t.c?SUyo-UQy7-olVP87

T-SPLOST Cheerleader Admits on Tape That No Reduction in Commute Time Will Occur "The average commute time really won't change a lot."
- Mike Alexander, Modeler/Planner with the Atlanta Regional
Commission

We all want an improved transportation system. However, spending 7 billion to install a 19th century bus system will not improve traffic. Did you read the projects? How will an unpatrolled thug run in Atlanta help Paulding County? How will a "Lexus" bus service for the good people in the Emory area, help Cobb County? It would be smarter and more efficient for each county to adopt their own T-SPLOST and keep the proceeds, thus developing their own projects based on the needs of their citizens. Do you really want to give Atlanta and MARTA more money so they can hire more city workers? Think about it - your corner of the world is sucking exhaust, but for ten years, while traffic continues to manifest into a debacle, your tax dollars are going to pay for a toy train down the middle of Peachtree street because one of our elected official saw it in another country or state and thought it would be fun to install in Atlanta.
Want to attract business to Georgia? Build something cool that people WANT to ride - like mag-lev trains, flyovers, moving sidewalks. With T-SPLOST, there will be an unelected board of political appointees taking your dollars and deciding, without repercussions, where to send the money. You can't even fire them. For ten long, agonizing, traffic weary years, you will be forced to invest without any payback. Bad investment! Who pays after ten years? Perpetual tax!
IF this is the best plan they can come up with, we need new leaders.

Jay Bookman has a blog post out on this issue:

http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2012/05/30/why-the-july-t-splost-may-be-in-trouble/

Loganville is in Gwinnett & Walton County. Walton is in Region 5, it has no MARTA, it has no "Hot Lanes",by law this issue must be voted on in 10 years if it is to be extended. Metro Atlanta has an entirely different plan than the other 11 Regions.

To see the specific projects in Walton county go to pages 101 to 110 of this website: http://www.velag.org/5_northeast-invlist.pdf There will be additional projects approved by the Seven cities and unincorporated Walton County

Walton County is projected to recieve in excess of 14.4 million dollars per year for the 10 years. Does anyone see any way to raise the similar funds?

Thanks for clarifying that Commissioner. That is where Loganville's split personality gets a little confusing.

All of us need to understand that the TIA vote on July 31, 2012 is a statewide vote involving the entire state in 12 regions. Each region has it's own list of needs and projects that address those needs for each of the regions.

What we REALLY need to understand is that the "lists of projects" are nothing more than colorful, shiny bobbles to capture the fancies of the voters for just a little while …

The SOLE intent is to get the tax passed for now and for the next 40 YEARS because the stated GOAL will NEVER be reached and every ten years the sky will fall if not renewed ...

HEY State - SELL the GO Fish Center then we can talk OK?

HEY State - BACK Away from funding the stadium downtown so the City of Atlanta can fix it’s water problems FIRST…

HEY State - How about you Gold Domers START spending taxes/ fees for the purposes the taxes/fees were collected to start with???

THEN maybe we should talk AFTER you drop the push for yet another layer of government that is comprised of unelected, unreachable STAFF.

If the GDOT can't handle it - FIX it FIRST. THEN ask for monies OK?

Jimmy Wilbanks told it right but what he left out is only the regions that pass the issue get the funds the rest get $0.00 It is possible for Region 5 to pass and the other 11 fail. You must look at your Region on its own needs and merits. This is the FIRST time that each county put in for its projects based on its own needs and the FIRST time voters from a Region decided their own fate and were not subject to a Statewid package.

Please be informed and then vote, don't just listen to the AJC or other sources.

It is your choice Please vote on July 31st so your local elected officials know what your wish is regarding transportation

1st indication that you aren't hearing truth is when one claims something will fail IF the tax is NOT passed.

The comment above concerning Tech is valid and I'm sure we could get "Bipartisan Support" if UGA is tapped also. (Go Yellowjackets!)

One of the talking points used to harass us into voting for this cash giveaway is that it will help our children. Why on earth would we want to vote to indebt our children for a 19th century bus system when they will be living in the 22nd century? The construction will take place during the next 20 years and our children will be paying for the upkeep for the rest of their lives. It’s inconceivable for me to vote YES to financially imprison my child to perpetual taxes for the sake of saving MARTA.
If you want traffic relief, you divide and conquer - stop concentrating the traffic on I75 and I 85. There should be two new interstates built; one coming out of South Carolina that will divert south bound traffic through the open fields of counties like Madison. Reconnect the traffic South of Macon. Coming from Alabama, another interstate that loops south of Atlanta leading to South Carolina. Pumping more cars through Atlanta has proven to be an abject failure.
The Untie Atlanta sites are filled with promise and propaganda. I don’t trust what they are selling. They have proven you can’t trust what they say. Wasn’t 100% of HOPE money supposed to support education? Wasn’t the 400 toll supposed to go away after ten years? When one’s actions and words don’t match, one of them is fibbing.

In speaking with folks pushing the Beltline, the only way congestion will improve is if we all GET OUT OF OUR CARS AND TAKE THE BUS. MARTA reported a 22% reduction in ridership in 2011. Every county that has a bus service could add additional routes to their metal wagons right now, but they have elected not to because their models show that people will not ride the bus. It's impractical and costly. So there will be only minimal traffic relief with the T-SPLOST. If you vote YES to T-SPLOST, you are throwing your money away. A new plan will appear once the officials understand that we will no longer settle for second best. Who would have thought – the Republicans party would be responsible for the biggest tax increase in Georgia.

Has anyone noticed that when the AJC does an article on the TSPLOST, the "pro" side is in the Sunday paper - the one with 2.3 million readers? The "opposed" side is in the Monday or Tuesday paper. Their bias is coming through. Let's say the vote passes and the plan fails. Wonder if the AJC will show the least bit of concern for having steered the people of Atlanta down the wrong path.
I think if these political and business leaders want the 19th century bus system, they should be willing to guarantee their paychecks against any loses that will ensue. Any cost overruns, any empty buses, and long-term maintenance - let them guarantee their salaries against the project.

If the T SPOPST does not help fund the widening of HWY 20 from Peachtree Ind Blvd to 400 I will not vote for the T spost vote on july 31....if it does, I may consider voting for it.

If we kept the funds form the 1 cent sales tax in Gwinnett County, we could improve numerous other roads rather than sending our dollars to Atlanta to build their new thug run. Gwinnett should have their own TSPLOST so we can widen roads, build fly-overs, roundabouts and a mag lev train if we want to. We should not be forced to send out dollars to Atlanta.

I agree with Finch, the voters in Atlanta elected their leaders so they should have to pay for their corruption, not those of us in other counties.

Bill Evelyn - I consider the fact that the regions are so small is a good reason to vate against it. Why should Forsyth and Gwinnett be in different regions?

@John Doe
The following is a link to the TSPLOST project list: http://tinyurl.com/7vmetyp Also, the AJC has been doing a series on TSPLOST: http://tinyurl.com/7nwj376

From Cheese to TSPLOST is really understandable for this legislature. I doubt very seriously if they could pour water out of a boot with instructions printed on the heel.

Vote "NO" July 31! Just say "NO" to jobs. Everyone know that Obama is the only person who can create jobs, who are we to come up with a plan that would actually work?

Let's just ask the federal government for money to maintain our roads, there's no waste there. What could possibly be more efficient than getting transportation funding from the federal government? The 15-20 year plan for projects seems to be very efficient.

The easiest fix is a $2-3 per gallon state road tax on fuel. They can fund projects with that money, people will start taking public transportation since fuel is so expensive.. Problem solved. ;-)

Another thought as we decide how to vote for road improvement.

"Slower traffic keep right"
"Allow traffic to merge"
"Obey the rules of the road"
"Engage in defensive driving"
Do any of these 'suggestions' ring a bell? I have driven all over the country, and the level of driver ability has dropped drastically. It is not just the cell phones and GPS units. There is such a difference between operating a vehicle and driving. Yes, I use my phone in the car. I have a hands-free unit on my sun visor that is wirelessly connected to my radio. My phone is also my GPS, so I can get directions throught my radio while I am driving. I don't read, answer e-mails, text or shave while I am driving. And I keep both hands on the wheel as much as possible. I am not better than anyone else, this is the way I was trained to drive.

Courtious, attentive and trained drivers will go farther than all the money and lanes we can build. Let's change the laws and build infrastructure. If the politicians don't spend the money correctly, we can always get new ones.

Teach people how to drive, outlaw handheld communication devices while driving and increase fines for violations. Enforce the law. Then we wont have traffic issues, and we wont need to give any more money to the government to fix them. Do you know why the I85 express lane doesn't work? Because people are afraid to drive the speed limit. I have seen 5 accidents cause by people getting into the express lane, by driving over the solid line, into the path of another vehicle.

Laws don't work because people dont care. Then the government does what they do best, throw more money at the problem. The root cause of traffic congestion in Gwinnett County is untrained, apathetic drivers.

One of my passions is driving and I will be writing a blog post about this. Thanks Jim for bringing this up.

NGW, I would be happy to do what I can to help make this a reality. I look forward to reading your blog!

Robert, aren't the police officers already on the roads?