Citizens flocked to the courthouse Monday night to hear more about the controversial TSPLOST (Transportation Special Local Option Sales Tax) referendum. The referendum will appear on the July 31st ballot and is also known by its legislative name, TIA (Transportation Investment Act). Organized and facilitated by Commission Chair J.C. Sanford, the event was presented as an informational session. Regional Planning Director David M. Howerin and Principal Planner David K. Kenemer Jr. from the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission were also present to answer questions.

Attendees spent the first half hour of the meeting reviewing material regarding the referendum and the legislation brought by the NGRC representatives. The remainder of the meeting was public commentary, where citizens, after familiarizing themselves with the material asked questions to the NGRC representatives and Chairman Sanford about the TPSLOST and TIA.

When the question and answer period began, John Williamson was the first to issue a series of comments regarding the referendum. He said his first response to the TSPLOST legislation was emotional.

“I don’t like to be blackmailed,”

he said. He explained that, if passed, regions that do not pass the legislation will get less funding from the state for road projects.

“Currently,”

he said,

“the state provides 90 percent of the cost for maintaining our local roads. The state’s share will decrease to 70 percent—that’s 20 percent less—in the regions that do not pass this tax.”

Williamson noted that this will significantly increase the burden on local government. He also called the 25 percent discretionary spending allocated to county governments a “slush fund.” According to the legislation, this 25 percent can be used for a variety of transportation projects, including roads. However, Williamson pointed out that, although this money can be used for transportation, it remains unallocated. Ultimately, though, his main grievance with the legislation is that it is a tax.

“Our neighbor to the north, Tennessee, has no income tax, but it does have a 9.25 percent sales tax, “ Williamson said, “If we pass the TSPLOST, we will have only a one percent or one in quarter percent lower sales tax than Tennessee, but, we’ll still have an income tax. Where would you move your business if you wanted to attract employees?”

He also said that some TIA projects will not receive funding until five years into the tax, which could leave unfinished projects pending by the time the tax comes up for renewal.

“And you know how that goes,”

he said, implying that the tax will perpetuate beyond the first ten years. During a previous presentation in Fannin County, GDOT Assistant Transportation Administrator Radney Simpson said that

“The writers of the bill do not anticipate that,”

meaning leaving incomplete projects in the ten year span.

Gilmer citizen Howard Rogers said he was vehemently opposed to any additional taxes, adding that the problem is spending, not revenue, while Elaine Owen, from Fannin County asked why motor fuel and diesel fuel were exempted. Kenemer, Howerin, and Sanford could not answer the question, saying only that the legislation was written to exempt those items. Next at the podium was Gilmer County Republican Party Chairman George McClellan, calling the literature presented at the meeting propaganda. McClellan agreed with Rogers, saying that citizens are taxed enough and the government needs to cut spending. He also associated the regional commissions set up for the TSPLOST with Agenda 21, the George Soros plan for Global Socialism, where property rights are forfeited to the government, among other relinquishments of liberty. Joene DePlancke also mentioned Agenda 21. She said that projects allowed under the 25 percent discretionary spending allotted to local governments sounded like Agenda 21 projects, projects such as bike lanes, bridges, bus and rail transit systems, freight and passenger rails, pedestrian facilities, ports roads and terminals.

“Gilmer County,”

she said,

“has no use for these items…we’re desperate for police and fire and things of that nature.”

Ed Painter from Whitefield County (part of region one) brought to light some other aspects of the referendum. He warned the tax can pass even if one county has more votes for the tax than all the other counties in the region combined. He also said that if citizens in the region vote for the tax, each individual county will help pay for the 105 projects in the region. Mrs. DePlancke helped to clarify the point when she highlighted that Gilmer County only has three projects that equal a total cost of $31, 199,757–according to the fact sheet presented at the meeting—while the expected revenue for the region is over one billion dollars. Painter said that Gilmer county will help pay for the other 102 projects in the region. Painter was also concerned about the $370 million for projects, which the GDOT says will be funded from other sources. He said no guarantees were given that all projects will have funding. In the end, Painter called the TIA Georgia’s Obamacare, because every time he reads it he finds something new. He said he finds nothing good about the bill.

One citizen commented that the NWGRC representatives were not helpful in answering her questions, reaffirming the no-trust-for-government theme of the evening, which doubtless is evocative of the times.