My contention is that neither the benefits or costs associated with T-SPLOST, the transportation special purpose loca option sales tax, had anything to do with how voters felt and why it failed. Nor did things like how the dollars would be spent or who would manage the process. In fact, nothing truly important mattered. T-SPLOST lost because of its name.
There have been few worse names than T-SPLOST. It sounds like one of the countries that resulted when the Soviet Union split up. It sounds like one of those streets in New Orleans that you can never pronounce. I think I have actually seen it as the driverās name in a New York cab. Or it could be what the doctor prescribed for my uncleās rash. The word āLOSTā actually makes up more than half the name! In short, it is a really bad name.
Names can be important. If you heard that a guyās name was Irving Cohen, wouldnāt you picture someone different than if his name was Prescott Farnsworth III? āAquamarineā and āflaxā sound so much better than āblueā and ātan.ā āDistressed leatherā and ādistressed furnitureā sound so much better than āold leatherā and āold furniture.ā Would you rather spend a week in āThe Land of Lincolnā or āAmericaās Playground?ā Iād lay odds 99 percent of the public doesnāt understand what āorganicā means, but put it in front of other words like lettuce or baby powder and listen to the cash registers ring.
Names can be especially important in matters associated with political issues. āSocial Securityā is a much better name than āpaycheck reduction program.ā Who can argue with āthe war on drugsā or āaffirmative action?ā Youāve got to give Newt Gingrich credit for āContract with Americaā and Richard Nixon for āthe silent majority.ā In fact, many of Nixonās top guys, including Bob Haldeman, were ex-advertising agency executives. Now there is a man who understood that sizzle was so much more impactful than substance. Whoever came up with āsenior citizensā to replace āold peopleā deserves a medal.
Most politicians now understand that any really meaningful aspects of a program are irrelevant, and that facts and details should be ignored. What voters really want is something that sounds positive and good, something they want to be associated with, something that has a good name.
If you want people to be in favor of a government or political program, then the name must include words that no one can criticize. Some of these are āprotection,ā āchildren,ā āsave,ā āhealthy,ā āfuture,ā āskinnyā and āBetty White.ā One thing is certain: nowhere on that list will you see T-SPLOST.
Joel Babbit is CEO of Mother Nature Network MNN, an environmental website.
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