Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2008 > April > 01 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USSenate back-pedals from regional transportation tax
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
New material added at 12:30 p.m.
The state Senate appears to be backing away from a ballot measure that would permit groups of counties — such as metro Atlanta — to levy a one-cent sales tax for transportation.
S.R. 845 is now in conference committee. Late Monday, negotiators for the Senate proposed a stripped-down version, which would ask voters whether the General Assembly should be authorized to levy a sales tax for transportation — a power it already has.
Mike Kenn, with Georgians for Better Transportation, in a circle of puzzled transportation lobbyists on Tuesday. Elissa Eubanks/AJC
See the new Senate proposal here.
A second meeting will be held at 2 p.m. today in Room 216 of the state Capitol.
Jeff Mullis of Chickamauga, chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, called the new Senate position “T-SPLOST Lite” and said it would allow the General Assembly to address the details — such as regional taxation zones — next year.
In a non-election year.
But what has transportation enthusiasts concerned is that the new Senate version does less than the one passed by that chamber weeks ago. Which means someone has developed cold feet, or that Gov. Sonny Perdue has made his influence felt — even though he’s a dozen time zones away.
Proponents of S.R. 845 were worried enough to put us in touch with Joe Leonard, chairman and CEO of AirTran — chairman of the transportation committee for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
Leonard and other business leaders met with Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle on Monday to discuss the shift. Leonard wouldn’t divulge what was said, but it’s clear that he’s worried.
“I don’t know who’s driving it over in the Senate, but the conference meeting did not go well from our perspective,” he said. “To lose that momentum at this point would be very, very sad for people who live in Georgia. There’s such an explosive growth in Georgia, and the funding is very, very inadequate, as I think is apparent — certainly if you sit in Atlanta traffic.”
Leonard spoke of an opportunity on the verge of being lost.
“We think it’s very fair to the voters to be specific about what their voting on, and not have a constitutional amendment that’s very much watered down and very vague as to what people are voting on,” he said. “And who knows what the next Legislature is going to look like? Who knows what their attitude’s going to be?”
Leonard supposes that some lawmakers are taking Perdue’s objections to heart. “The governor’s very much against this, and I presume that’s having some affect,” he said.
What about Cagle? “It’s interesting, because we wouldn’t be where we are if Casey hadn’t provided us with incredible leadership to get us to where we are. To see it kind of falling the way it is — what happened yesterday was a bit disappointing. Hopefully, we can get that turned around,” Leonard said.
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
Comments
By Still Looking
April 1, 2008 1:03 PM | Link to this
There are three critical issues for Georgia: water, transportation and education. Neither the general asembly nor the governor has lifted a finger to address these matters. Shame on them! Next time your wasting hours in traffic, remember what your elected state leadsers have done - NOTHING!
By BuzzfanŽ
April 1, 2008 3:39 PM | Link to this
$ $
HOORAY for Senator Renee Unterman!!
Per today’s article re: the bill (HB 1061) to legalize the internet sale of wine in Georgia, she says (in support), “We have received literally thousands of e-mails from constituents who are consumers who want to do what is practiced in 37 other states. Georgians are overwhelmingly asking to be allowed greater consumer access.”
Now, Senator, if you change 37 to 47, you can say the same for the proposed legislation to allow local referenda on Sunday package sales, currently part of SB 454…..right? Right?
Hello? Is this thing on? Where’d she go?
Senator?
$ $
By tom ga hunter
April 1, 2008 3:50 PM | Link to this
follow the money
By Get rid of the pork
April 1, 2008 5:04 PM | Link to this
A penny here, a penny there. Everyone wants to add a penny to the bottom line. Whether it is schooling for other peoples kids, sewer repairs or road improvements, it all adds up. Why not get rid of the pork? The city is broke and Boondoggle Shirley wants to build self cleaning toilets for the homeless at over $100,000 each, put streetcars on Peachtree St. and build a bike trail around the city on the old rail lines. Still there is no talk of privatizing the airport which could generate millions in income to offset our property taxes. Boondoggle Shirley and Delta put the squelch on that idea years ago. Thanks for the good work Shirley.