Politics & Government
Is the TSPLOST Ballot Language Biased?
The preamble TSPLOST ballot question is being criticized for its possible bias. What do you think?
In less than a month, Georgians will head to the to vote on all 14 U.S. House seats, two Public Service Commission seats, state Senate and House seats, state and local judges, district attorneys, and various local elections.
They’ll also be taking on an issue that is, in fact, statewide, though from our viewpoint in Cobb, it seems like it only matters to those in metro Atlanta.
The Transportation Investment Act of 2010, or TSPLOST, splits up Georgia into 12 regions, each of which will be voting July 31 on whether to raise their sales tax by 1 percent for 10 years to fund a list of agreed upon transportation projects.
Find out what's happening in East Cobbwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
How one region votes won’t affect the taxes of another; however, if one county in a region, like Cobb in metro Atlanta, votes it down, the others could push the tax through with enough yes votes.
If approved by the 10 metro Atlanta counties, the tax is expected to bring in about $7.22 billion over 10 years to go toward $8.5 billion in projects.
Find out what's happening in East Cobbwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Of the amount raised, $6.14 billion will go to 157 regional projects, while the rest (15 percent) will be given to local governments based on population and road mileage.
The wording for the TSPLOST that will appear on the ballot for every Georgia voter is:
“Provides for local transportation projects to create jobs and reduce traffic congestion with citizen oversight.
Shall Cobb County's transportation system and the transportation network in this region and the state be improved by providing for a 1 percent special district transportation sales and use tax for the purpose of transportation projects and programs for a period of ten years?”
At , commission chairman candidate and retired East Cobb businessman Larry Savage took issue with the wording of the ballot question -- in particular the preamble, or the first sentence italicized above -- saying it broke objectivity and attempted to sway voters toward the tax.
Incumbent Chairman Tim Lee and a spokesman for Secretary of State Brian Kemp said the wording matches up with the proposed tax in a Marietta Daily Journal article.
But we want to know what you think.
Is the TSPLOST ballot language appropriate? Why or why not? Tell us in the comments below.
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