Sine Die recap: Transportation, MARTA funding fails
April 4, 2009 at 2:49 pm by Thomas Wheatley in NewsIn other words, nothing was accomplished.
Last night, Scott Henry and I embedded ourselves in the Gold Dome, risking life and limb to chronicle the final night of the legislative session. Thanks to the House press box’s Internet service acting screwy, we weren’t able to offer you minute-by-minute updates on the shenanigans.
That might’ve been a good thing. If you’re a fan of transit and getting around, you would’ve been disappointed with the news.
Despite piss-poor travel times and a mountain of studies that show the state needs more cash to build roads, bridges and transit, the General Assembly — for the second straight year — failed to pass a transportation funding bill. The Metro Chamber’s Sam Williams pointed the blame at the state’s “lack of leadership.”
The bill that would’ve allowed MARTA to have control over the one-cent sales tax in Atlanta, Fulton County and DeKalb County — its main source of funding — to fund daily operations? Failed. MARTA officials, who looked like they were at a wake after they heard the news, said drastic cuts to bus and train service were on the way. Veteran lobbyists called the move “irresponsible.”
Yet the lawmakers still had something to smile about, and as is the tradition, tossed shredded paper in the air as Speaker Glenn Richardson and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle gaveled the legislative session to a close at midnight. CL shutterbug Joeff Davis noted it earlier — lawmakers made a mess that someone else will now have to clean up.
We’re gonna let this one soak in and pore over what passed and what failed. More to come later.
April 4th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
The GA legislature is a farce, a joke, and embarassment, a disgrace. The list could go on and on. Let’s get rid of all of them and start over. We could elect any elementary school class from anywhere in the State and be better off.
April 6th, 2009 at 8:27 am
The Georgia Legislature accomplishes nothing. They refuse to show any leadership on any issues of importance! Its really sad, and this state will continue to suffer. We need new leadership.