Opinion by George McClellan:When the State of Georgia tells us they need a billion more dollars but won’t raise it with higher taxes, stand by for a …well, can you figure it out. A couple of years ago, the state sought to collect that sum by extortion using the guise of a “TSplost” referendum as the mechanism. Counties were told that if their constituents voted for the tax, the county’s matching funds would be limited to 10%. If they did not vote for the TSplost the matching funds would be 30%.

Political activists in the Tea party smelled a rat, rallied the voters throughout the state and defeated the TSplost, with the exception of one or two counties who did buy in. Now, Gilmer county is paying 30% as is every other county in Georgia who declined the States offer. Gilmer county has no excess funds, has trimmed itself down to the bare necessities but still manages to press on despite the monetary restrictions imposed upon it. Presently, gasoline is taxed at 7 cents to the dollar. The county gets three cents and the state takes 4 cents.

Once again the shadow of the TSplost looms on the horizon. In the Georgia assembly is soon to be introduced HB 170, that allows the State to take all 7 cents of a county’s gas taxes, including from the county’s school districts. That will deprive our county of the revenue we need to repair our roads but worse, allows each county to make up the loss by increasing taxes by 3 cents without the required referendum. The timing of imposing this outrage has to do with the previous Splost tax of any given entity. For Gilmer, another six years will pass before another Splost vote will be required and the state seizes all fuel tax. For other counties the danger is more imminent.

Chris Clark, President and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, approves the plan. Our Governor also agrees: “The release of a transportation bill is a positive step forward in the process of delivering for Georgians the transportation improvements we desperately need,”… and: “There’s still a long way to go as the plan winds through the General Assembly, but we now have a starting point and something to build on. We know what our challenges are – they are well documented – and we’re now working toward the solutions”. “I am committed this year to passing legislation that will provide for Georgia the transportation infrastructure it needs to keep our people and goods moving efficiently throughout the state for the next generation.” The Governor failed to mention anything about it being “to save the children.” Oh my!

So how is it to be funded? Well, of course, politicians have the answer. Here’s the plan: funnel $1 billion to the needs of transportation (they say) by eliminating a fuel, not the fuel, sales tax, to be replaced by an excise tax of 29.2 cents per gallon. Those pesky electric car drivers will also feel the bite with new fees. They can’t be allowed to go Green without paying for it.

The House study committee, which includes our own beloved Senator Steve Gooch, think that $200 million dollars is squirreled away somewhere in the General Fund, that could be used. I trust that he is right. Of that 4 cents per gallon of gas tax the State keeps, 3 cents goes into the coffers of the Dept. of Transportation and the last one cent goes into the general fund. Sen Gooch is looking for that one cent or, 200 million dollars.

Lets look now at that excise tax replacement. At 29.2 cents per gallon, at current prices, it more than doubles the tax. The less we drive the more that the tax will be increased. It will be instructive to see if the fees on commercial alternate fuel use vehicles apply to natural gas vehicles, or just to electric vehicles used by single tax payers. The state should audit every department first to find the funds they are looking for. Remember, freedom is the goal, the Constitution is the way. Noe, go get ‘em! (31 Jan 2015)