Live in Dacula ... Pay for Atlanta II

If you live in Dacula but want to pay for Atlanta's traffic woes, well, hold on to your wallets, the powers that be are back again with a promise of better roads. YES, we can be a part of the failing Marta system. We can just vote YES to jumping on the MARTA buswagon now known as the TSPLOST. That YES vote will raise our taxes one penny. EVERYTIME we buy for the rest of our lives, here in Gwinnett, we will pay an additional one cent. We once were taxed at 5 percent, then we added SPLOST’s 1 percent, and now we are asked to tax ourselves again bringing us up to 7 percent. God only asks for 10 percent. We are getting close to the Holy Land!  

This new 1 percent tax would be added to our already in place taxes required by law such as our property tax/school tax, state income tax, federal income tax, city tax, ad valorem tax, capital gains tax, estate/death tax, gasoline tax, air flight tax, 911 tax, intangible tax, transfer tax, toll road tax, hunting tax, fishing tax, license fee tax, numerous phone taxes, and of course state and county sales tax. SO HEY! What is one more tax? In this economy we all can afford another lifetime tax. WOW, that tea tax, up in Boston, is looking really good right now!   

How did we in Dacula become involved in the quagmire that is the MARTA System? Why are we being asked to “save” the failing Atlanta MARTA system? If TSPLOST passes, only 15 percent of the funds collected will go to local jurisdictions to use on any transportation project we chose. Thanks for the “come on” to get us on board! When looking at the other nine counties involved, it is clear that Gwinnett will be the one of the major contributor to this project. Why should give away 85 percent or our collected resources to other communities?  Why should we prop up other communities when we have our own problems right here in Gwinnett.  Would we not fair better with 100 percent of the collected taxed revenue instead of only 15 percent? We each moved to Gwinnett becuase of the amenities and standard of life. We considered the tax rates and benefits of the other communities and then moved here. Why should we now take on the baggage of the City of Atanta or the needs of a town 50 miles away? Even Sandy Springs opted out of the failing system. How did we get here? How did we become involved in this tax scheme? 

Per the promotional material for the TSPLOST, “The Transportation Investment Act of 2010 created the opportunity for residents to vote on a penny sales tax to support transportation improvements throughout the Atlanta region. All funds raised will stay in the 10-county region and can be used to support a wide range of projects that would combat congestion. The Transportation Investment Act calls for the formation of a Regional Roundtable, made up of county commissioners and mayors from all counties. Projects to be considered for funding by the referendum have been submitted by local governments throughout the region. Georgia Department of Transportation’s Planning Director considers these submissions as he creates and delivers an unconstrained list to the Roundtable. With input from residents, the Roundtable will work through the summer and fall of 2011 to select a list of regionally significant, priority transportation projects that could realistically be funded with the sales tax revenue over a 10-year period. The list will include transit, roads, safety, pedestrian and bike improvements and technology updates and will be finalized in October 2011. In July 2012, residents will decide whether or not to approve a penny sales tax to support these projects.” 

WOW! Can you say, "The government taketh from Gwinnett and the government giveth to Atlanta!”  I appreciate our county leaders wanting to PLAY with the big boys of Atlanta but, 15 percent ... COME ON!!! Open thine eyes! We can do better by keeping 100 percent of the funds within the confines of Gwinnett.   

We have not even seen the ballot yet and millions of dollars and hours that could have been used for road improvements, is now being spent on promotional programs to get voting citizens to tax ourselves! The ballots have not even been printed, the votes have not even been counted, the decorations for the victory celebrations have not been paid for as of yet but, the cities have already been notified as to which of their pet project will be considered if they can get their voting citizens on board the new tax bus! Talk about a carrot on a stick!! 

So what do we do. Are we happy with voting ourselves a tax hike on EVERYTHING WE BUY FROM NOW ON AND GIVING IT TO THE ATLANTA AREA AS WE WAIT FOR OUR PIECE OF THE PIE LIKE WE WAITED FOR 15 YEARS FOR OUR DACULA LIBRARY?  Or can we just sit this one out for another 10 years. History shows us we will be the last one to recieve the benefits of this program. Let’s reduce this to the ridiculous ... My average spending is about $3,000 per month at 1 percent is $30. $30 x 12 = $360. $360 over 10 years equals $3,600. Buy two cars costing  $25,000 during that 10 year period and that adds another $500 making my tax responsibility around $4,100 additional dollars subtracted from my standard of living. Well, lets add an additional cost of living increase because we all know inflation is about to hit the big fan when CHINA say NO to our request for more money! Add to that the daily increasing payments to ride on the bus, cable car, or toll lane and what do we have? Wait now, we will all need to buy a bike to ride from here to Athens on the proposed bike trail, don’t cha know! We all KNOW  that that one percent for TSPLOST will GO AWAY RIGHT AFTER the 20-year-old SPLOST TAX GOES AWAY!  

In my view the need for SPLOST is dead. It was a tax that has served it’s purpose.  Can we not be brave and let it end due to current economical times? Our roads can not handle more traffic, our schools can’t take more students. Our communities are overbuilt so let’s take a break and let nature catch up to reality. Why not end SPLOST and replace it with the TSPLOST 1 percent tax request?  I am against the way our leaders are shoving this tax on us as if we are too ignorant to vote with their mandate for us. Do you have a mind to vote - either way? Do you vote? Will we vote NO on the TSPLOST? If we do not pass it this time, the roundtable leaders will just continue to spend millions more to get it back on the ballot again and again just like they did years ago when SPLOST would not go away. Just saying!