UGA Professor: 'TSPLOST Prospects Look Dim'
Charles Bullock, Richard B. Russell Professor of Political Science at the University of Georgia, sees small chance of the initiative passing.
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Georgia Republicans' aversion to any kind of tax, and concern about riling the Tea Party, are helping to consolidate opposition to the state's one-percent sales tax referendum for transportation, UGA professor Charles Bullock said in an analysis of a recent Patch survey.
Patch's unscientific survey of about 60 state Republican activists, candidates and office holders showed overwhelming opposition to the TSPLOST referendum. Bullock, a longtime observer of Georgia politics, says that while the Tea Party didn't put up as many primary challengers to sitting Republican legislators as it had hoped, anti-tax pressure within the party remains high.
"So although tons of money is being spent to encourage voting for the T-SPLOST and the support of the Chamber of Commerce, it looks like it will go down to defeat," Bullock said in an analysis emailed to Patch. "We have the interesting phenomenon of disagreement between many GOP leaders and a group usually closely associated with the GOP (the Chamber)."
Bullock conlcuded: "With GOP leadership unwilling to step forward and reassure conservative, anti-tax voters that the projects to be funded with the T-SPLOST are meritorious, there is scant prospect for approval."
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Robert J. Nebel
2:29 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012
The referendum is a tough sell in this "anti-tax/distrust of government climate". With that fact in mind, what is the next move if TSPLOST fails? Something has to be done to alleviate congestion and maintain/improve existing infrastructure. Are more toll booths in our future? Common sense solutions are needed now.
Alex H
11:17 am on Thursday, July 19, 2012
The next step is it will go back to committee for discussion of a new project list which will come up for a new vote in two years. In the meantime, local match on all projects goes from 20% to 30% and we're likely to see short term expansion of the toll lanes.
If it fails, I see legislators sitting on their hands rather than getting a new solution out of committee. I think they will claim that they are following the will of the people who voted for "NO solution".
KellyW
11:32 am on Thursday, July 19, 2012
This election will definitely be a tight vote. However, we need to do something to alleviate the traffic congestion in the city. It is doing nothing but getting worse. If this referendum is not passed the alternatives would be more of what we currently have, hot lanes, toll roads and more options that we will not be able to vote on.