An Opinion by the Valdosta Tea Party, Oppose the Gas Tax & Why

Oppose the gas tax now, here’s why:The new transportation bill (HB 170) proposed in Georgia is a bad deal for taxpayers. They want over a billion dollars more, but try to tell us it’s not a tax increase. It reeks of corporate welfare. There’s not even a project list for us to see – where’s the accountability? The GDOT has a history of bookkeeping mismanagement – how can we trust them?

The Georgia Constitution requires that all gas taxes be used for roads, but this bill attempts to redefine “transportation purposes” to include public transit, rails, and seaports too. In Georgia, public transit is not financially viable, MARTA stays bankrupt. Public transit is a black hole for taxpayers – period. Seaports and rail are privately held business ventures.

Here’s where the cronyism comes into play.

Even though 9 of 12 regions rejected the onerous T-SPLOST tax two years ago, the law still provides for a Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank to facilitate Public/Private/Partnerships [read: Corporate Cronyism]. The terrible T-SPLOST law of 2012 was conceived and heavily promoted by the Chambers of Commerce. Large corporations that would profit from the projects, donated millions to promote the passage of the T-SPLOST tax referendum. But the Tea Party-led opposition foiled their plans.

So, in 2014, the Georgia legislature created The Joint Study Committee on Critical Transportation Infrastructure Funding. Of the 16 members on the Committee, three are Chamber of Commerce officials.

One highlight of their plan includes “Recapitalize the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank so that a revolving, self-sustaining, loan/grant fund is created to incentivize governments, authorities, CIDs and other entities to provide matching funds for local construction of projects.”[emphasis added]

”Other entities” are those Public/Private/Partnerships of large corporations that get those juicy no-bid contracts and loans through the Infrastructure Bank. Taxpayers get stuck with any losses, while the private corporations get the profits – hence Public/Private.

Can you imagine how much fun the cronies would have with this? We imagine it would be very easy to hide money and contracts using this bank. A taxpayer-supported loan/grant fund for unelected boards and “authorities” just doesn’t pass the smell test.

The bank’s board is where the POWER lies.

Section 5-1 of the bill states, “’Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank Act,’ is amended by revising subsection (b) of Code Section 32-10-127, relating to loans and other financial assistance and the determination of eligible projects, as follows: “(b) The board shall determine which projects are eligible projects and then select from
among the eligible projects qualified projects.” What audacity!

Local governments are outraged with the bill because it stops them from levying local gas taxes for local projects. It looks like every single transportation project would depend on the small power-elite at the Infrastructure Bank. I’m stunned at the audacity.

Opportunity for All, Favoritism to None!

The American free enterprise system is being corrupted before our eyes. Many of the elected legislators have been corrupted by the large construction companies’ campaign donations. The new ones we elect, who try to stop the corruption, are shunned as extremists. It looks like it is going to be up to voters and taxpayers to stop the madness. Please make your voice heard. Contact the entire delegation representing our area.

Diane Cox
Valdosta Tea Party