The DeKalb Branch NAACP is opposed to the Transportation Investment Act (T-SPLOST) and urges voters to vote “No.” We oppose this referendum because it is unfair, short-sighted, racist and deceitful.The TIA is not a comprehensive plan to address traffic congestion in the metro area, but rather a hodgepodge of projects to benefit various jurisdictions.
The TIA is unfair because it calls for the citizens of Atlanta and DeKalb and Fulton counties to pay a two-cent sales tax while citizens in other jurisdictions will only pay a one-cent sales tax.
It also prohibits any TIA revenue from going to MARTA operations. It ignores the fact that MARTA is the oldest transit entity in the metro area and should be supported and considered the hub of any traffic solution.
The TIA’s covert intent is to eliminate MARTA and will result in the privatization of a new transit system and the loss of jobs for MARTA’s employees, many of whom are African-American. The state of Georgia will take over and operate MARTA if this plan succeeds.
The TIA does not call for a change in state law to enable gasoline tax revenue to be used for transportation purposes other than roads.
The TIA has a racist component in that the Regional Transportation Roundtable, which selected the T-SPLOST projects, was made up of 21 members. The current tax-paying counties, which have a sizable African-American population, had only four voting members and the current non-tax-paying counties had 17 voting members.
An I-20 East rail line would greatly benefit predominantly African-American South DeKalb, but it was voted down by the roundtable. South DeKalb is practically neglected in the list of appreciable T-SPLOST projects. South DeKalb will see no appreciable reduction in traffic congestion if the TIA passes.
The proposed TIA is deceitful in that it lists the amount of money the one-cent sales tax will generate from all of the 10 counties, but it does not list the amount of money that will be generated by the additional one cent that would be paid by the citizens of Atlanta and DeKalb and Fulton counties.
The TIA is being promoted as the solution to metro Atlanta’s traffic problem, but it is rather a continuation of the government neglect and indifference the state has rendered to metro Atlanta. Please vote no.
John Evans is president, DeKalb County NAACP.
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