Questions on Tuesday’s Ballot

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, July 27, 2012
By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim. The Primary Election next Tuesday determines which candidates will run in November and whether we’ll pay more taxes for decades to come. For months, we’ve heard about the new tax and we’ll hear more, but Dalton’s Mayor David Pennington brought out some very important points we should remember. So, I’ll paraphrase his comments in one paragraph.

The transportation tax will immediately take 1.5 billion dollars out of Georgia’s economy where most of the growth since 2009 has been in low wage jobs; 20 percent of Georgians earn at least 25 percent LESS than they did in 2008 and ten percent work for minimum wage – twice the national average. No doubt, Mayor Pennington remembers when Dalton was a major carpet manufacturing center and destination of consumers looking for great carpet at wonderful prices!

Another hard fact you might not have heard is this: the tax is NOT set to expire in ten years. It can be extended DURING the first ten years, AFTER the first ten years and could become an indefinite tax to fund maintenance and operation “for at least 20 years,” as the new law says.

It’s a new one percent sales and use tax that applies to EVERYTHING we buy and EVERY SERVICE we use. The only exemption from that tax is fuel for jet planes or off-road heavy-duty equipment or public mass transit or public highways or manufacturing of resale goods. 52 percent of the revenue is dedicated to mass transit, which five percent of the population uses. Since transit train cars aren’t made in Georgia or the U.S., they’re likely to be bought from France, Germany or Japan to benefit their economies. Is that where the new jobs will be?

If the tax question gets a majority YES vote, we’ll be burdened with another tax for decades. So, we need to vote NO on that, for sure! As for the other questions on the ballot, they won’t create new laws, but legislators want to know whether you’ll support bills they want to introduce. By answering those questions, you’re simply expressing your opinion.

Democrat ballot questions are about charter schools, gifts to legislators, tax credits, and Georgia products. Republican ballot questions are about casino gambling, gifts to legislators, gun licenses, voter registration and a constitutional amendment about life. The full text of those questions and a list of candidates in your area are on sample ballots that are available at public libraries or on public bulletin boards and online at your county website.

Before you vote next Tuesday, check out the candidates for Congress, the Superior Court, the Georgia House and Senate, the Public Service Commission and your local officials. Then, vote FOR the best candidates and AGAINST the new tax! For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.