Gov. Deal Strongly Endorses TSPLOST
"As an individual, I do advocate for it. Secondly, as a governor, I am advocating for it because this is not a legislatively imposed tax. It is a tax increase that the people themselves will decide about." - Nathan Deal
With traffic creeping along the I-75/I-85 Connector below, Gov. Nathan Deal and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle stood high atop an 18-story Midtown office tower early Wednesday evening and urged Metro Atlantans to vote in favor of next month’s regional transportation penny sales tax referendum.
The pair addressed a small group of reporters atop the Atlantic Station building prior to a private fundraiser for local business leaders who are in favor of the tax’s passage.
A new Insider Advantage poll of 539 people shows that 47 percent of those asked would vote against the 10-year, one cent sales tax, with 32 percent for it and 21 percent undecided. But those numbers didn’t phase Deal, who brushed aside the notion that he was backtracking on his no-tax pledge.
“First of all, the pledge relates to new taxes that were going to be initiated by legislative action. And as you know, the only tax reform and tax changes that have been initiated since I’ve been governor have been to cut taxes,” Deal said. “Last year was a major example of that, to be able to eliminate the sales tax on energy for manufacturing, so we can create more jobs. To increase by $2,000 the couples’ exemptions on their tax returns, to eliminate the marriage tax penalty,
“Now, for those who would interpret (the pledge) that way, I have two things to say. First of all, I never signed a pledge to give away my First Amendment rights. And my First Amendment rights are to advocate whatever I see fit. And as an individual, I do advocate for it.
“Secondly, as a governor, I am advocating for it because this is not a legislatively imposed tax. It is a tax increase that the people themselves will decide about. And for those who say otherwise, it seems to me that they would take away the right of the people to express their opinions of this importance.”
See the accompanying video for more comments from Deal and Cagle concerning their endorsements of the sales tax that would pay for road and mass transit projects throughout the region.
How will you vote on July 31? Are you for or against the TSPLOST proposal?
Kristi Reed
9:23 am on Friday, June 15, 2012
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being likely to pass and 1 being no chance, how would you rate the chance TSPLOST will pass?
GregRodgers
9:38 am on Friday, June 15, 2012
We have Washington Republicans pushing tax cuts....and state politicians pushing tax increases....
Something is wrong with the Republican Picture in this country.
All the while the only folks that remain getting squeezed is the middle class.
When we are all poor and living in tents....will you then consider going after the businesses who pay nothing in taxes, cutting programs that don't work and running of welfare moochers?
Frankly....I am sick of continuing to pay for these projects especially when we paid for I-85 and now you are charging us for the use of one of those lanes.
R++ - One of the famous "Dacula Crew"
6:44 pm on Friday, June 15, 2012
Well one must be careful now because what is often heralded as “tax cuts” are routinely becoming “tax increases” in reality.
Even here in little old Gwinnett, we have trash “discounts” for seniors that will only apply to an extremely small percentage - but are actually funded by increasing charges on another class of property owners / operator, so is it REALLY a “cut” or a transfer?
(Funny that seems .... SOCIALIST!)
Governor Deal has provided an answer here worthy of Microsoft Engineering talent, in that while it’s factually correct - it's completely useless in reality.
We have brought Washington DC foolishness to our state where tax increases that he pledged NOT to support really aren’t an increase IF the PEOPLE vote for it …
So he runs around using taxpayer monies to advance the position.
So by that logic, if I vote for it - it WON”T increase my taxes at all!!
Failure in 3, 2, 1