Tuesday, July 10, 2012
© Copyright 2013
Rockdale Citizen
Rockdale resident and T-SPLOST opponent Clement Brown, right, and a man who demonstrated in favor of T-SPLOST agree to disagree at the corner of Main Street and Milstead Avenue Tuesday morning. The T-SPLOST proponent declined to give his name. About 25 T-SPLOST opponents representing various political and civic groups participated in the rally in front of the Rockale County Assembly Hall.
CONYERS -- Activists on both sides of the T-SPLOST issue took up positions on the sidewalk in front of the Rockdale County Assembly Hall on Main Street Tuesday morning to bring their message to the public.
Josie Dean, organizer of the Rockdale Think Tank, spearheaded the protest effort against the T-SPLOST referendum that will be on the July 31 ballot. Advocates for T-SPLOST from DeKalb County responded by showing up to share their support of the referendum that will impose a 1 percent sales tax for transportation projects.
The Rockdale Republican Party sent out an email Tuesday morning objecting to the fact that the DeKalb County group had arrived to demonstrate without a permit from the city. While the T-SPLOST opponents had obtained a permit to assemble, Conyers Chief Operating Officer David Spann said a city permit was not needed by either group as long as those demonstrating did not block ingress, egress, roads or sidewalks or create a substantial public safety issue.
Despite the permit dispute, T-SPLOST opponent Clement Brown said that the event went well, with about 25 people there to oppose T-SPLOST.
"We had people wave to us and say 'thank-you,'" said Brown, a former high school government teacher. "There was a great mixture in our groups of white, black, old, young. We got along just fine and said a prayer at the end and went home."
In addition to the Rockdale Think Tank, groups represented in the protest included the South Rockdale Civic Association, the DeKalb County chapter of the NAACP, and Unhappy Taxpayers and Voters of DeKalb County.
State economists predict that the T-SPLOST will generate $6.14 billion in the Atlanta Region -- which consists of Rockdale, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett and Henry counties and the city of Atlanta -- over the 10 years of the tax. Rockdale County is expected to generate $104 million in tax revenue and is slated to receive $94.3 million in road projects, making Rockdale what some would call a "donor county."
Projects on the T-SPLOST list for Rockdale are: extending Sigman Road to Hayden Quarry Road in DeKalb County; widening Sigman Road from two to four lanes between Lester Road and Dogwood Drive; constructing a non-access bridge over I-20; and widening Flat Shoals Road to four lanes between Salem and Old Salem roads.
Proponents of the T-SPLOST argue that regional projects outside a county's borders still benefit residents of that county. They point out that improvements are slated at four interstate interchanges -- Spaghetti Junction, I-75/I-85, I-285/Ga. 400 and I-285/I-20 -- which will improve traffic coming in and out of Atlanta.
More like this story
- Protest against T-SPLOST planned ( July 5, 2012 )
- Rockdale says 'no' to T-SPLOST ( July 31, 2012 )
- Voters to answer regional sales tax question on July 31 ( June 4, 2012 )
- New direction sought for transportation funding ( August 2, 2012 )
- Transportation list submitted for T-SPLOST ( March 30, 2011 )
Comments
buck 11 months, 2 weeks ago
That's great declined to give his name. I guess he was one of the hired guns..........
Elmo 11 months, 1 week ago
T-SPLOST...the obamacare of local governments. Power and wealth created on the backs of taxpayers, of the government, by the government, and for the government. Their power is derived from our silence...vote NO to this exercise in picking the taxpayers pockets...it's gone on long enough...if they can't run the government on what they already get, then, they can't run the government. They're not "leaders", they're just "spenders".
AWOL 11 months, 1 week ago
very well said.
Rob 11 months, 1 week ago
Excellent post!
trusslady 11 months, 1 week ago
obamacare? Why don't you place the blame where it really lies - with the Republicans and Steal Deal? Or does that just upset your little world too much?
Elmo 11 months, 1 week ago
Doesn't upset my world at all, trusslady. I take people, and issues on an individual basis. Obamacare is an abomination, or maybe an "obamanation". You're obviously a "groupthink" person that has bought into all of the lies spewing frm DC. I don't know what the "Steal Deal" is, and you obviously don't have the knowledge to explain it. Relying on slogans, and trademarks, is far from being well informed. Your lefty group has obviously given you the talking points, and you just follow the herd at mealtime. The only thing the Republicans are trying to "steal" is the left's ability to ruin the economy and the country. The "takers" are so busy stealing taxpayer money, partying, and dancing, they don't take the time to read every now and then to see what is actually going on. Obamacare - like T-SPLOST -is wrapped in pretty paper, with brightly colored ribbon, but that package contains the same thing I have to clean up when my dog has an "accident". Let's see what your guy has stolen...homes, retirement funds, the value of the dollar, the nations credit rating, and, don't forget JOBS. Our great-grea t-great grandchildren will be paying for his four year "pah-tay" in the White House. And you accuse the Republicans of "stealing"? Taking back something that is not yours in the first place, is not stealing. My "little world" is just fine, it's your world that will be shrinking in November.
Frustrated 11 months, 1 week ago
I just wonder who invited the Dekalb County people down here? Can you smell Oden?
AJK 11 months, 1 week ago
Depends on which DeKalb County people you're referring to. Josie Dean probably invited the anti-T-SPLOST folks, and you might be right about the pro-T-SPLOST folks.
Clark 11 months, 1 week ago
You know it's pretty pathetic when it takes people from another county entirely to petition FOR a measure that benefits the community.
AWOL 11 months, 1 week ago
Clark you cant be serious. Dekalb people are coming here to petition us to vote for this thing because they will get huge benefits. It's like when your buddy wants you go on a double date with him and his girlfriend so her ugly friend can have a date. He gets to go out with the cute one while you take one for the team. Well I'm not on the same team as Dekalb and I'm not taking one for them.
Frustrated 11 months, 1 week ago
Whats pathetic is when politicians hire or recruit people to pull stunts like this
cvinga 11 months, 1 week ago
Where can I get a "NO T- SPLOST" sign?
Elmo 11 months, 1 week ago
Post it carefully once you find one, or the signage police will cite you.
AWOL 11 months, 1 week ago
paint it on the side of your house
Rob 11 months, 1 week ago
Not easy to come by. I got mine through the Rockdale GOP
Plaincitizen 11 months, 1 week ago
I am so tired of this T-SPLOST referendum! The money will not go for these projects but rather to pay to plan these projects which is just going to create more government oversight. I don't know why people are so eager to believe the government when it claims to "untie" Atlanta with this tax. It's naive. And if the population is growing so much, won't they make up the additional revenue needed for necessary projects? Check out the fact sheet on traffictruth.net. It will tell you where the money is going and exactly how much each household will end up paying. VOTE NO!! link text
Clark 11 months, 1 week ago
Actually, the so-called "fact" sheet on traffictruth.net says nothing about where the money is going other than exactly where the T-SPLOST says its going. Having read the "fact" sheet, if anything, it's a fact sheet supporting the T-SPLOST. It says that the funds only go to planning. Well, you can't jump into construction until you know what you're constructing can you? Operations costs would have to come out of the usual taxes, but politicians and citizens are more likely to support that as it's much lower than the initial costs of a project. I won't go on (though I can if you'd like), but it seems that the traffictruth.net sit is indeed telling the truth: that the T-SPLOST stands to greatly benefit the region.
Elmo 11 months, 1 week ago
What's your whole name...Clark W. Griswold? Are you under the allusion that T-SPLOST is going to build us a "Wally World" right here in the region? Rockdale, getting only three out of 157 "projects promised by the T-SPLOST gang, stands to get 1.9 percent of the benefits of this boondoggle, and you continue to jump up and down like a junior high school cheerleader about how much this will clear the highways for you and your Family truckster to drive to Atlanta unencumbered by those pesky little people who have the audacity to think they can use the roads too? Too heck with the taxpayers, right? We will most likely find all the rides at Wally World "Closed For Repairs" when all is said and done. So, the whole deal is about "planning"? How many years of that before T-SPLOST II debuts to start the actual work? The best laid plans of mice and men usually crumble when government gets involved, and when you have several governments vying for the same pile of taxpayer money, it's disaster in the making. So, Mr. Griswold, if you're naive enough to believe in government projects, and unicorns, you should keep on believing. The rest of us will do what we have to do to have enough money left to pay the bills and buy the groceries.
Clark 11 months, 1 week ago
I don't call you names other than the one you post by, and I'd like the same respect. We're getting 4 out of 157 projects, which collectively cost $94.3 million, out of an estimated $136.7 million being contributed by the county. But that's ONLY the 4 projects that are directly in the county. $225,000,000 total is being spent on the I-20 East Transit project. If you want to contribute the entire remainder of Rockdale's overall contribution to the I-20 East project ($42.4 million), we're paying only 18.84% of the project. 80.5% of our workers leave toward other Atlanta T-SPLOST counties, most along I-20, and 56% of the people who work here comes from other Atlanta T-SPLOST counties, most along I-20. I'm not sure what you're getting at with all this talk of "Wally World" rides and wanting me to drive a truck down empty roads, but that's the opposite of what I'm trying to do. If Transit does make its way to Rockdale, or nearer Rockdale than it does now, then I'll be riding it, not driving.
Frustrated 11 months, 1 week ago
Clark, Im beginning to think you are a hired PR person for the TSPLOST movement. Surely you cant believe some of the stuff youre trying to sell.
yipcabbage 11 months, 1 week ago
You folks remember when the 400 Toll was to be taken down after paying for the road?? Well guess what......it's not down (they voted to keep it going even though the road was payed for), and, they only took out 13% of the money each year for the road (something they neglected to tell us). So you folks believe this will be done honorably?? Drink some more kool-aid folks. It won't do anything to relieve congestion, just read the proposals if you can pull yourselves away from Facebook and American Idol long enough.
superman 11 months, 1 week ago
Has any of the supporters in Rockdale even read the proposed plan. Rockdale will only get $67 million of the $7.1 billion. That's less than 1% folks! While I think everyone agrees something must be done with the traffic this isn't it.
From what I have seen there are no improvements getting to or from Atlanta. You can vote yes if in the next 10 years you'd like to park your car on I-20 sooner than you do today. Mass transit is not the answer. How about more local jobs that make people want to come to Conyers?
TIA-RO-001 - Widening of Sigman Rd, essentially creating a Conyers bypass.
TIA-RO-008 - I-20 realignment for GA-162 (Salem Rd) probably needed, but I'd rather see something done with GA-138 before.
TIA-RO-008 - Widen Flat Shoals from Old Salem to Salem Rd - Admitted, I don't travel this road daily but when I do it's always moving.
http://www.atlantaregionalroundtable.com/documents/final_report.pdf
Even though Oden's pet project is transportation it is funny how Rockdale's project numbers have RO...
Clark 11 months, 1 week ago
Actually, we're getting $94 million back, and only contributing 18.84% of the $225 million for the I-20 East project, which would drastically improve getting to and from Atlanta.
Sundance 11 months, 1 week ago
Ok since we are talking numbers I have one. Zero. I have 0% confidence in our state government that this project will be completed in time under budget. I have 0% confidence that all of this money will be spent frugally and respectfully out of deference to the hard-working folks who earned it. I have 0% confidence that none of the money will be used for bargaining chips, favors, and cronyism. I have 100% confidence that there will be much waste, inefficiency, overspending and lack of accountability with regard to these projects. Where did I get my opinions? experience. Our government should have half of their money taken away from them. They are terrible with money. Fair Tax. Fair Tax. Fair Tax.
Clark 11 months, 1 week ago
Could you please tell me which SPLOST projects have had their funds diverted to bargaining chips, favors, and cronyism? I can't seem to find any.
Sundance 11 months, 1 week ago
Clark, I have said before, I don't know anything about SPLOST with regard to details and I don't care. This government cannot be trusted with money. It may be the best plan in the world for roads and rail but they need to use existing tax dollars to pay for it in my opinion. If they say there is not enough money in the budget, they need to cut something else or save up for it over time like they should have been doing. If you have kids you know how it works. There is a time that you need to cut them off or they will never learn to budget right. and keep asking till you run out of money. Well, I am out of money for them!
Rob 11 months, 1 week ago
"The T-SPLOST proponent declined to give his name" Does that actually surprise anybody? These fools don't even know why their there. All they know is they get paid to stand around and hold those signs. Great gig if you can get it I suppose. It's not looking good for T-Splost, all the polls I've seen show an overwhelming majority claiming to vote against this. Georgian's simply can't be naive enough to vote for this. Can they?
Elmo 11 months, 1 week ago
You're right! Americans everywhere are tired of Governments raping their wallets, and the flittering the money away on pure stupidity, mostly designed to fatten the resume' of those running for reelection. Enough is enough.
Maybe they should put these T-SPLOST projects on a special referendum to see if the residents even want them. It's time to give a say-so to the ones who will be taxed to foot the bills, and not just the ones who receive the benefits.
Plaincitizen 11 months, 1 week ago
I feel that Georgians are naive enough, just because the advertising for it is compelling. People love a good visual and that commercial is perfect for it. On the other hand, from my conversations, I feel that citizens voting "no" have more so agreed to actually get out and vote than others. So maybe there is hope.
REK 11 months, 1 week ago
Rockdale County will get about a 76 percent return on anticipated revenue collections if the 1 percent sales tax is approved by voters on July 31. Rockdale County is expected to generate $104 million over the course of 10 years of the proposed sales tax and get $83 million to fund road projects.
ENOUGH SAID.
Clark 11 months, 1 week ago
You left out the $225 million for the I-20 East project. Rockdale would benefit by this even if none of our citizens used it.
Elmo 11 months, 1 week ago
I'm guessing you mean it would mean extra tourist dollars for good old' Rockdale...just how many lunch stops at cracker barrel would equal enough tax revenue to equal $225-million? Upgrades on I-20 would bring little more interstate traffic than it already does. Shoppers will probably come as far out as Stonecrest, and that's it. Oh, but you must mean the influx of "new" residents, so we can use the savings to beef up the law enforcement. Whatever you reasons for basking in the glow of T-SPLOST, they make little sense to Rockdale residents. Could it be that you're not from here? Maybe you're a regional PR man from DeKalb, just pulling your medicine wagon through our county. Yes...$225-million is a lot of hamburgers.
Frustrated 11 months, 1 week ago
Thats what Ive been thinking as well. He is spouting off too much so he MUST be getting paid to do it.
VPublicola 11 months, 1 week ago
It was obvious from the video evidence taken at this demonstration that the immigrant propronents for the TSPLOST were neither passionate nor vary active. Their evasive responses as to why they were there and whether they were paid were quite informative to a logical observer. It certainly seemed to me to support the contention they were paid to be there and, by and large, were otherwise clueless.
ECTNews 11 months, 1 week ago
The T-SPLOST is a boondoggle for Atlanta and State GA Politicians. If Republicans Democrats Blacks and Whites and rich and poor a like are opposed to the T-SPLOST then who is for it? The people for it are those naive people who think taking 160 million out of Rockdale County Economy will actually actually improve it by only getting 80 million back in new roads. Now let us do the math people. If a ten year T-SPLOST collects 180 million and it is a big if? and Rockdale County needs to build 80 million dollars worth of what should be STATE DOT projects and then in three years we need to replace 50 million dollars worth of sewer and water pipes and build a new 150 million dollar water treatment and or sewer treatement facility? Are you going to okay our sales tax to go to 9% or even 10%? We already have a School SPLOST and a local SPLOST. But the difference is ALL the money come back to Rockdale 100%! With these we built schools and roads and repaired parks and sewers and water. Why do you want to send 80 million dollars to Atlanta when we can build these roads ourselves and fix our other infrastructure problems. See the video of the protest it is better to watch them both part A and B. We also witnessed in the parking lot after the protest money changing hands from the woman who one protester told me was his supervisor. Six people got into one car and drove back to DeKalb. By the way people come to Rockdale in the mornings to come to work also. The highways are not going one way! LASTLY, there is a UN play here in our state. It is regionalization without representation. The UN has been pushing regionalization without electing those representatives for over 40 years. It is called Agenda 21. It is real and going on all over Europe, Asia, South America, and the USA. Find videos of all these things on www.EdwardCTracey.com then go to video news.
http://www.rockdalecitizen.com/users/photos/2012/jul/16/48739/
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