I have to agree with Jimmy, public transportation will never match the speed, versatility, and comfort that my automobile has. Throw in the fact that I would probably have to drive to get to it so I'm in the car already... plus public transportation rarely goes where I want to go. The concept of the automobile will be one that will be slow to go away. It's been ingrained in our blood for a century now with no let up in sight. While the propulsion that powers a car might change, there will still be cars and cars will be the preferred mode of transportation for many generations to come. It will be the free market system that changes what we drive, not government funded public transportation.

No thank you, please save my tax dollars.

Dacula Weather, thank YOU for your comments. Same were well thought out and expressed. You know and I know that rail transit systems would require ongoing taxpayer subsidies to fund their ongoing operating & maintenance expenses. I am anxiously awaiting the ten county transportation district project list that we will vote on in 2012. If same proposes a "serious chunk" of money for rail projects, whether they be passenger rail, commuter rail, heavy rail (MARTA), light rail (streetcars) I will vote NO. FYI, a free enterprise market driven investor owned public transportation system put bread on our table for the 26 years that I lived at home. My daddy never had the "luxury" (tongue in cheek) of receiving state and Federal grants and subsidies. His system's assets were eventually sold to the city which now operates the transit system and keeps same propped up via government grants and subsidies (taxpayer funded of course) much like the Gwinnett Transit Sysyem is propped up ongoing. BTW, entitlements, grants, and subsidies will be a forthcoming commentary. If we do not get a handle on same at the Federal, state, and local levels of government, we will go bankrupt. Once again, appreciate YOUR well thought out comments.

P.S. Is better weather ahead?

Mr. Orr,

Thank you for putting your thoughts in print. You have hit the "Nail on the head".

I hope you are also opposed to the comercialization on the airport.

Mr. Miller, I am OPPOSED to the privatization of Briscoe Field if same includes expansion for the purpose of commercial airline traffic.

Mr. Orr,
You have presented a fine editorial. I’d like to offer the following thoughts for consideration.

‘"I pay, so you can ride" scenario.’ I believe there are a number of government services / programs that exist, for which we pay, but may or may not utilize. I pay for fire stations and those professional men and women who work there. Fortunately, I’ve never had to utilize their services, but I am glad to know they’re there if needed. Federal, state and local $s are used to maintain our highways, and I certainly do not drive on all of them, but I am glad to know they’re there if needed.

“…rail will take cars off of our highways…” I do not utilize the Gwinnett LOCAL buses, but I do use the Express buses that go to downtown ATL. Take a few minutes and visit the parking lots of the (1) I-985 & GA-20; or (2) Discover Mills busses. You will find these lots are overflowing and the buses in use are packed. You may not utilize the buses, but they’re there if needed. I guess if rail is built, I would probably use it to travel to downtown ATL from Dacula, and I think you would find the parking lots full for that as well.

There will always be people who want to drive their own car, even to areas served directly by the Gwinnett Transit Express busses or indirectly via buses and MARTA. That’s the beauty of our freedom society, you can choose. Aren’t these services built / supported by the whole of society, for the good of society?

Mr. Graves, I also pay for fire stations and the professional men and women who staff our protective services. I don't mind it one bit and count it a privilege to do so. After all, building, operating, & maintaining public works infrastructure and providing for public safety represents what the core vlaues of local government is about. I am well familiar with the Express Bus parking lots that you speak of. Two weeks ago I rode by the parking lot at I-985 & S.R. 20. Was it full? Absolutely not. If you read my article closely, you should have surmised that same is directed toward rail projects. I am a roads & bridges man. I will look for solid GADOT projects on the 1% TSPLOST project list that I will vote on in 2012. Although if Express Bus service is part of the TSPLOST, even though I would continue to subsidize your ride, it would be the lesser of the evils as Express Bus service would not require near the taxpayer funded subsidies that rail transit would require to "prop up" their ongong O & M costs. FYI, the number of cars that Express Bus service takes off of the interstate is not even a factor in this equation. It's like trying to compare apples and oranges. Translated, this means that the number of vehicles Express Bus service takes off I-85 daily is not even worthy of consideration. Improve the existing roadway infrastructure in our ten county regional transportation district and traffic will move efficiently.

Great points Mr. Orr
TSPLOST as well as SPLOST is a form of Government welfare. The funds and intentions are never truly used for what they are intended for and projects rarely meet estimated budgets.
The problem in Gwinnett, State and other local governments do not want to admit is the average daily commute in Atlanta per the Clean Air Campaign estimates is 39 miles or 19.5 miles one way. So most people who live in Gwinnett work in Gwinnett.
So why do we need MARTA service to Gwinnett when most people who live here work here, especially when MARTA does not come even close to breaking even?
Questions voters should ask elected officials for example is why do you widen Gravel Springs Road over 85 and put new bridges in and not put exit and entrance ramps in to relieve traffic from 85 at Hamilton Mill Road and 20? This is a waste of tax payer’s money! I have asked this question to County officials who said it takes the state 10 years to make a decision on putting exit ramps in so we cannot do the ramps now. So our elected officials keep making stupid decisions and excuses.
Where are our State elected officials? Vote it down and make elected officials do their job they were elected to do!
RS Lawrenceville

Mr. Schneider, I appreciate your comments. You make some excellent points. I suppose the bottom line is that we have got to stop wasting taxpayer dollars. Same (waste) generates the need for more taxpayer dollars. It is strange that the special committee former Governor Sonny Perdue appointed to study the tax structure in Georgia looked only at the revenue side of the shop. Were they told not to look at expenses? I don't know. What I do know is that if local, state, and Federal governments would look at tax dollars being appropriated for entitlements, grants, and subsidies, and reduce same, the amount of tax dollars to run government would be greatly reduced and taxes would be lower as a result. To compliment your comments, I refer to subsidies to fund rail transit boonedoggles. AMTRAK (Nationalized Rail Passenger Service) is a good example. Socialism at it's worse. If you are ever in the vicinity of Brookwood Station when AMTRAK rolls through, observe the passenger cars. Small number of passengers. Reminds me of our loacal Gwinnett Transit buses running around at or near empty.

Great column. We haven't even started to collect the TSPLOST and the politicians are trying to figure out how to spend it. One point to consider before you vote for the TSPLOST; the new tax will only pay for construction, the district will have to cover maintenance and operating expense. Vote no July 1012

Our politicians have learned what the marketing industry has known for a long time. If you put enough BS something, making it sound good enough the public will bite like a fish after a worm. If it doesn't work the first time keep bring it up and some time you'll sneak it by those who are busy trying to make a living and don't have time to monitor every minute of our "REPRESENTATIVES" time. After all they are going to represent us, right??? This rail thing has come up every year, in some form, for at least the last 15 years. Just like the airport expansion. When the expansion was turned down about 5 or more years ago, it was stated that the issue would not be brought up again. Guess what!!!

ES Lawrenceville

I have lived in Gwinnett County for over 35 years. I remember when the "powers that be" came to our PTA board & said we needed to push for the SPLO T money so we could get better schools & a library for Dacula. It can be voted on every year so WE can stop the taxes, we will decide when we no longer want the tax to be collected. Well each year they present a proposal that has just enough of improvements for each area of the county so that everyone will say,"YES KEEP TAXING ME PLEASE!" The building boom is OVER! Gwinnett does not need to continue to build! We have vacancy shops&FC homes everywhere. To get out of this mess, we need for EVERY government agency to make a 30% deduction. YES 30% for the next 5 years. If in 5 years
the agency is still in business then you have learned to cut waste, streamline the jobs, put your resources where they will produce the highest benefits, &hire only necessary trained employees(not ones that play on the internet all day &still expect to take home an 8 hours per day paycheck!) So when we are ALL taking a cut then no one can say HEY YOU ARE DISCRIMINATING against theHANDICAP_WOMEN_BLACK__ CHILDREN_ MILITARY_ HEALTHCARE__OLD & so on. PEOPLE wake up! Things have changed! Our leaders should only be those who can see 5 years from now! For those who are still in the spend spend spend & I'VE GOT MINE -you try to get your mentality--they must GO! Wake up and Vote for the 30/5 candidate! I will be taking contributions for my campaign!

I recently got a phone call from a telemarketer asking how did I prefer to pay for the new rail system. I was given 4 options;TSPLOT, rider fees, increase of gas by 15% or one I an not remember. I said NO TO ALL OF THEM. I said our country and county needed to understand that at this time in our history we need to stop spending until we get our debt paid off. PAID OFF not just under control. But she continued which ONE would you like? I repeated I do not LIKE any of them. If you have space on your paper please write in this, I DO NOT WANT TO PAY ANY MORE TAX IN ANY WAY FOR ANY THING UNTIL OUR DEBT IS PAIF OFF! "I don't have space for that comment!" and she hung up! I guess I did not say what her group wanted to hear. Even as our country and county have no money to spend we continue to spend away!!! WAKE UP! The problem is that our citizens are still spending even whey THEY can not afford to so they like the MISERY LOVES COMPANY mentality. As long as they are spending away I guess I can keep spending! Look at China, forget learning Spanish because China will own this country without a single shot being fired. You can not serve two masters and right now we are serving our selfish wants and China is laughing at us. Vote for the 30/5 candidates! Lets get our county and country back into a healthy view of living!

Cynthia Montgomery, I don't know who you are but you have just made my day. Please read my article on "Time to Slash Grants and Subsidies." Our newly elected GOP Congress can crow all they want to about cutting spending by $100 billion dollars but as compared to our national debt, it is like a flea taking on an elephant in a fist fight. Read the article and you will understand why that until our elected members of Congress have the spine to start cuttung grants and subsidies, including argricultural subsidies, there will be no tax relief for the American taxpayers. Same thing for our state and local governments. Matter of fact, I have asked my state representatives to give me the number of grants and subsidy programs administered by state government and the departments and/or agencies who administer same. Haven't heard nary a word. Once again, thank you for your comments.

JIMMY, I am a 54 year old citizen that has raised 3 educated, job holding, tax paying, election voting citizens. I am educated far beyond my intelligence. I go to church each Sunday. I am a REALTOR who say IT coming before I even knew what IT was. (How? Developers quit buying great priced land a year before the bottom fell out and Gwinnett County did not buy land they wanted 6 months earlier for park land). I have cried with persons loosing their homes because they lost their jobs. I have seen whole families move in the their parents who are in the late 70's -they lost their high paying jobs also. I have seen real estate offices shrink from 400 agents to 90 agents. I have been married for 31 years. I have seen the hard working, body broken men of GM,who gave up pay raised for benefits they realized they would need when they retired to only see them go up in smoke because out of control health care cost can not longer be factored into anyone's benefit negotiations . I have seen schools go from places of learning to places of free for all because the government says a teacher should have 30 student whom have abilities that range from upper level thinking students to crack and pot babies that CAN NOT FOCUS! So the other students learning time is taken up with the teacher trying to maintain classroom decorum. YET I am a woman who believes our best years are right over the mountain if we have leaders to push ahead & crest the rise with solid solutions. I am an AMERICAN!

Foremost, there isn't a highway out there that has been subsidized by the federal government. I think the matter of funding public transit also is decided when one has a populace that understand the full list of benefits public transit can offer. You are right Jimmy that Dacula residents will not find the proposed transit as helpful as the communities nearest to the proposed line, but remember we are not the only residents in this county with 800,000 folks. Consider this: when new rapid rail service takes cars off the road, that would mean less car accidents, less time traveled for truly everyone, and less stormwater drain management. These are also things we have to consider when building public transit as well. Also we have to think about 10 to 30 years from now. We must all agree that people are going to need more options eventually as our population grows (and even doubles!). Also, public transit proposals are really centered around commuter traffic, therefore, I dislike your example about traveling inside Dacula. That's an unreasonable assessment of how Gwinett's proposed rapid rail line would help Dacula.

@Charles Orgbon. You are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine. Whether you dislike my example or not is immaterial to me. Read those who support my opinion and I believe you will find that most agree with me.

The cost outweigh the benefits Charles. It's been proven over and over. While there might be some areas that would benefit, it's not up to the rest of us to subsidize their mode of transportation. Cars offer more flexibility for people and that's what most prefer. There are times when I'll take a train downtown, but it's rare, and the only reason for doing that is lack of parking. I personally would prefer to drive everywhere I go. Where in Atlanta do I need to go where I would need or want to take public transportation except for downtown once in a blue moon?

Same could be said about Gas a hol ,solar ,battery . The market is not even close to support these other forms of fuel and thats with Government subsidies attached . I agree with the other posts about the true value to the average citizen . Now , if i was a business owner it would be a great deal because parking lots are prime real estate and bringing mass people to me is a no brainer especially when i reap the benefits but dont have to incurr the brunt of the cost . I would love to go green until i puked flowers and have a people mover that actually took you to somewhere other than a mall or stadium . TSPLOST is the beginning of a conversation , not a answer . I will voe NO . This is a classic case of reverse welfare.

vote No that is .