The Atlanta Regional Transportation Referendum, Voters Should Vote Yes - Research Paper Example

Module In The Atlanta Regional Transportation Referendum, Voters Should Vote Yes According to the government’s Department of Transport website, the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (T-SPLOST) is geared towards raising funds for transportation improvement in the Atlanta region. Consequently, the scheme aims at levying a one percent tax on sales within the region as a source for the desired funding (Donsky 7). Therefore, such an issue regarding public funding must be subjected to a public referendum forum in which the local public should be involved in the decision making process.

This implies that the voters may either be compelled to vote in the affirmative or against the proposed Act. Consequently, if enacted by the local public into law, T-SPLOST would raise over 18 billion dollars in a spell of 10 years. Therefore, based on the region’s current state of infrastructure, in the Atlanta Regional Transportation Referendum, voters should vote yes. First, T-SPLOST would result in the creation of job opportunities to the Atlanta people. These job opportunities would result from the construction programs to be undertaken in the expansion of the regional infrastructure.

Since the region is marred by traffic congestion owing to limitations in its infrastructural capacity, the region is already losing jobs and opportunities to other cities. Therefore, the region has to come up with ways of opening up opportunities and creation of jobs for the residents. Consequently, enactment of the proposed T-SPLOST Act would aid in creating and significantly increasing the regional job opportunities. In addition, T-SPLOST would also result in the undertaking of various infrastructural development projects which would, in turn, open up the region to numerous job opportunities.

Therefore, approval of the T-SPLOST program by the local residents would result in massive improvement of the transportation industry; hence facilitating economic growth and creation of jobs. Secondly, the region of Atlanta spends less per capita income on development of its transportation sector as compared to other regions. This implies that other regions have employed multiple funding sources which are geared towards boosting their infrastructure investment with regard to transportation. However, with respect to the Atlanta region, its transportation infrastructure funding is mainly dependent on its motor fuel tax.

Consequently, this motor fuel tax does not bring sufficient funding in regards to the infrastructural development projects. Moreover, with the embracing of more fuel efficient vehicles, the returns are bound to remain insignificant. Consequently, this explains the reason as to why the region lags behind in regards to infrastructural development (Donsky 4). Therefore, it is perfectly in order for Atlanta’s locals to vote in the affirmative with regard to the T-SPLOST Act. This is because the project will result in increased funding towards regional infrastructural development (Blum 15).

Consequently, this will result in increased per capita income spending on infrastructural expansion, thus, resulting in increased job opportunities. Lastly, despite Atlanta’s growing economy and increasing population, the region has failed to make significant investments with regard to infrastructural developments. Consequently, the region is faced with an economic catastrophe. This is owed to its inability to support the huge demand for improved and efficient infrastructure. Consequently, it is in order for the locals to support T-SPLOST in the referendum process for purposes of regional economic expansion.

The public can, thus, be assured that the funds raised from the tax increments will be fully utilized in infrastructural developments in the region (Donsky 5). This is owed to the fact that the implementation process is bound by law from diverting funds realized by T-SPLOST to other unrelated projects. Consequently, such occurrences would be unlawful, thus, warranting legal action. The public will hold the management accountable with regard to the implementation process of the funds realized (Donsky and Birmes 15).

In addition, the regional expansion proposals were arrived at following recommendations from 21 county commissioners representing the needs of each county. Thus, T-SPLOST is best placed to improve and expand the region’s infrastructural system, thereby resulting in increased opportunities for the locals. Consequently, the system offers a perfect solution to the region’s looming economic quagmire. CONCLUSION It is evident that the region of Atlanta faces numerous economic and demographic challenges owing to its limited infrastructural system.

Therefore, this has necessitated the establishment of a development scheme that attempts to resolve the region’s issues in regards to infrastructural development. T-SPLOST program offers a platform through which the region’s infrastructural issues could be addressed. However, in order to be enacted into law, the program must be subjected to a referendum process involving the locals. As a result, there have been varied views with regard to the referendum process. However, since there is a unanimous need for a solution to the region’s infrastructural crisis, locals should vote for the T-SPLOST Act in the referendum.

This will not only create a platform for infrastructural development but also result in the creation of jobs and numerous opportunities for Atlanta. Works Cited "2012 Transportation Referendum." GDOT. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 July 2012. Blum, Paul. Rising Stars. Belmont, Calif.: McGraw-Hill, 2007. Print. Donsky, Paul, & Morris Birmes. "MARTA back on track after derailment." Atlanta Journal Constitution 31.3 (2006): 15. Print. Donsky, Paul. "MARTA Plugs Gap in New Station Gates." Atlanta Journal-Constitution: p. 4. 14.10 (2006): 4. Print. Donsky, Paul.

“Atlanta council plans special meeting for vote on MARTA tax." Atlanta Journal Constitution 18.11 (2007): 5. Print. Donsky, Paul. "MARTA wins tax extension: Next stop could be new bus, rail lines." Atlanta Journal-Constitution 23.2 (2008): 7. Print.