To all my friends, I thank you for showing your opposition to the regional T-SPLOST.
I am part of a group called the Transportation Leadership Coalition (www.traffictruth.net) and we have called on the Governor and the Georgia General Assembly to remove the penalty for voting our conscience called for in the Transportation Investment Act of 2010 (also known as TIA or HB 277).
Within TIA, it states that any region that votes “no” is penalized, having to pay a 30 percent match on road and bridge projects.
Yes, the state thought it wise to attempt to intimidation voters to vote “yes” by threatening them with a significant penalty.
The reason you have a referendum in the first place is to allow the people to decide for themselves, without having to be intimidated.
Unbelievably, Gov. Deal has stated he is going to enforce the penalty and punish the voters for voting “no.”
This is utterly ridiculous and it is time for the Governor and Georgia General Assembly to do the right thing, immediately.
We are calling on everyone to phone, fax, or email Governor Nathan Deal,telephone 404-656-1776, fax 404-657-7332, email georgia.governor@gov.state.ga.us.
Ask Gov. Deal to use his executive influence to stop collection of the 30 percent penalty until the Georgia General Assembly reconvenes in January. That is well within his powers.
We also ask that you phone, fax, or email your state representative and state senator. Find your legislator at this site: www.legis.ga.gov.
Tell them that punishing you for voting your conscience is unacceptable. Tell them that referendums were created to let the voters decide without the intimidation or penalties. Demand that they draft legislation to remove the penalty and then completely repeal TIA (HB 277).
It’s obvious the T-SPLOST was a crooked deal because they would not have had to create penalties to intimidate voters otherwise.
Please act now. Our county, cities and towns cannot take the strain of paying a bogus penalty on our infrastructure.
Steve Brown
Fayette County Commission, Post 4
Peachtree City, Ga.
