134,000 in tele-town hall for transportation tax

In the region's largest public outreach effort ever, 134,000 people took part in telephone town halls about a proposed regional sales tax for transportation, according to the Atlanta Regional Commission.  The people, called randomly at home phones in the 10-county Atlanta region, stayed on the phone for an average of 10 minutes, to hear local elected officials answer questions about the tax.

In 2012, voters in a referendum will consider a list of projects and a 1 percent sales tax to fund them. A group of those officials is in the process of reducing a $22.9 billion wish list to an affordable list of $6.1 billion.  Staff are to suggest $11.5 billion in cuts by July 7.