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DEL.ICIO.USTransportation to be addressed early and forcefully, Cagle promises
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle said Monday that a package to fix metro Atlanta’s traffic congestion and build new roads in rural Georgia will be one of the first issues addressed when the Legislature convenes in January.
“I’m going to introduce it during the first week,” Cagle said — adding the caveat that it would require Senate and House leaders, and Gov. Sonny Perdue, to reach a near-consensus on the package beforehand.
The lieutenant governor said he thinks an agreement could be reached “within the next several weeks.”
Cagle made his remarks before speaking to a gathering of nearly 400 business and transportation leaders called together by the group Get Georgia Moving, for the purpose of building momentum in the Capitol.
On Monday, it was this gathering — not the two leftover campaigns for the U.S. Senate — that provided the biggest show of political force in the state.
The theme of the afternoon was a very pointed question: “Do We Have the Political Will?” Last year, an attempt to pass an optional sales tax for regional transportation projects failed by three votes in the Senate — after it was entangled in multi-issue negotiations between the House and Senate.
Cagle emphasized that he didn’t want to see this happen again. “There’s nothing more important than transportation to our state,” Cagle said. “The thing that is hold us back more often than not is the issue of transportation.”
Cagle said some changes had been made in what was offered last year. Two popular votes would be required — a 2010 constitutional referendum, then a local vote by the counties involved, after projects for spending have been identified.
Transportation is very closely tied to the building 2010 race for governor, and Cagle is a likely Republican candidate. “I think we need some good strong leadership in the state, particularly around transportation,” Cagle said.
Cobb County Commission Chairman Sam Olens, who is also studying a GOP campaign for governor, was in the audience.
Passing what many will call a tax increase in the middle of a horrendous economic downturn could give some lawmakers pause — as it did last year. But Cagle framed the effort as an economic stimulus that could produce 230,000 jobs. You’re likely to hear more about that.
Neither House Speaker Glenn Richardson nor Gov. Sonny Perdue were present, but several legislative leaders, both Democratic and Republican, showed up — as did Gene Evans, commissioner of the state Department of Transportation. She emphasized that Georgia has underfunded transportation needs for the last 22 years.
UPDATE: After Cagle left, a three-man panel addressing the politics of transportation had their say — state Sen. Doug Stoner (D-Smyrna), House Transportation Chairman Vance Smith (R-Pine Mountain) and state Rep. Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus). (State Sen. Tommy Williams of Lyons, set to become Senate president pro tem, was to have evened out the partisanship, but was held up.)
Stoner had this observation: The transportation issue in the state Capitol has thus far remained non-partisan. But it won’t stay that way forever. “The job of the majority party is to govern. If we do not solve this in the next year, it will be a big issue in the [2010] elections.”
Smith was asked if what kind of package could be expected to come out of the General Assembly this year. Smith said he didn’t like predicting the future, but raised the possibility that transportation advocates might have to accept something less than all parties involve think is necessary.
That drew an interesting response from Smyre, who chairs the House Democratic Caucus. Smyre said a proposal to permit local communities to levy a transportation sales tax is the most feasible thing to pass muster — it fell only a few votes short in the 2008 session. Anything else, Smyre said, and everyone will have to start over. From scratch.
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Comments
By Joeventures
November 24, 2008 2:15 PM | Link to this
Gene Evans? :-D
By howard
November 24, 2008 2:48 PM | Link to this
typical cagle. he will give us bold leadership by waiting around to see what the gov and speaker do.
wake up guys. he sold you a pile of bs last year. he’s only going to do it again this year.
lightweight.
By Patrick
November 24, 2008 3:41 PM | Link to this
Oh yeah, the regional sales tax bill that Cagle Exercises let fail by 3 votes? Lotta confidence in him getting this settled this year…hah. Don’t even get me started on loud-mouth Vincent Fort who didnt even vote on that bill. An Atlanta legislator letting that sort of issue slip off his radar is inexcusable…..I guess he’s too busy showboating/getting handcuffed at Grady for free publicity
By The Snark
November 24, 2008 3:55 PM | Link to this
The job of the majority party is to govern? What sort of nonsense is that? The job of the majority party is to cut taxes and keep us all entertained and riled up about stuff that has nothing to do with governing!
By rukidding
November 24, 2008 4:46 PM | Link to this
Howard said it all.
How are they going to fund transportation, work on the tax code, and balance a huge budget deficit? Cagle will be himself, sit on the fence on every issue, then point the finger at the other guy. He couldn’t even run a bike race, how does he think he’s qualified to run the state.
By G5
December 20, 2008 3:09 AM | Link to this
All of you bone heads whose comments precede mine are clueless. Transportation is important. I will give the Lt. Gov. the benefit of the doubt. In time we will know if Cagle will become a despot or is, much like the former Gov. Barnes. Complete wannabe despot through and through.