MARTA Tax_Sucks.Com

Below is a listing with links to all the articles on MARTA which appeared in The DISH (Dot's Information Service Hotline), as well as a letter to the editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and a proposal for South DeKalb rail service submitted to the MARTA board. This web site is being developed to provide Atlanta, DeKalb and Fulton Counties' taxpayers a voice in what happens to MARTA.

A Regional Transportation Tax

By John Burl Smith

Lamenting a $600 million shortfall, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) General Manager Nathaniel Ford declared expansion has reached a point of diminishing returns. Agreeing, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (2-24-03) outlined former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes' sleazy and illegal takeover of MARTA, the DeKalb and Fulton Counties' publicly owned transportation system. The facts show that the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) is to blame for MARTA's $600M shortfall.

Forecasting an epiphany for local leaders, the AJC outlined a new vision of equitable regional transportation funding. However, such pronouncements do not allay fears of "business as usual." Considering "business as usual," in January, Wayne Hill began "unofficial" private discussions with the "usual suspects," Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) members. On February 11, 2003, MARTA representatives met with Fulton County Commission Chairman Mike Kenn, ARC board members, developer Tad Leithead and Roswell Mayor Jere Wood. This cabal scheduled a retreat to be held the following day at Callaway Gardens. The retreat's attendees rubber-stamped the ARC's transportation decisions made at "unofficial" meetings without public comment.

The new transportation proposal includes a one-cent regional sales tax; it does not repeal the current MARTA one-cent sales tax, which is levied in DeKalb and Fulton Counties. This proposal creates still another GRTA-type board to oversee the funds.

MARTA was not mentioned in order to avoid speaking in public about the need to compensate DeKalb and Fulton residents for their many years of supporting MARTA, while people like Wayne Hill made careers opposing public transportation. Classic taxation without representation, MARTA's one-cent sales tax is the sole source of dedicated public transportation funding. DeKalb and Fulton residents pay it for everyone. Yet, no one presents their views or represents their interests in making public transportation decisions.

The history of MARTA's financial problems is well known, and this new proposal is another GRTA. First, Barnes' plan called for the 13-county region to come under GRTA's board; it was supposed to replace the ARC. Secondly, it made DeKalb and Fulton County residents solely responsible for paying MARTA's one-cent sales tax. Over their objections, Barnes claimed MARTA as the regional transportation hub, but refused to compensate DeKalb and Fulton residents, its owners. Supported by legislators, like Vernon Jones, now DeKalb CEO, Barnes assumed MARTA's purse strings, giving the state total control of all federal mass transit funds coming to Atlanta (MARTA). This allowed the state to use the MARTA tax as matching funds to qualify for public transit grants and to repay bonds. Even though it is prohibited by law from giving MARTA one cent, through GRTA's takeover, the state diverted MARTA funds to start up bus service for Clayton and Gwinnett. This created MARTA's $600M shortfall.

A slap across South DeKalb residents' faces, Barnes forced MARTA to rescind plans to build an I-20 rail line and to redirect it west to service Cobb and Douglas Counties, which do not pay the MARTA one-cent sales tax. However, the most egregious aspect of this outrageous episode is the state's refusal to compensate DeKalb and Fulton County residents for taking their publicly owed transportation system, which they supported. Other counties that are now enjoying its benefits refused to pay the MARTA tax. Adding insult to injury, under Barnes, the legislature extended the one-cent MARTA tax levied only on DeKalb and Fulton Counties until 2047.

MARTA: Fare Hike?

There is no question that south DeKalb taxpayers do not support the proposed MARTA fare increase! In The DISH survey of 1,630 south DeKalb County residents, the majority 83% opposed the MARTA proposed fare increase. Of those who use MARTA as a primary source of transportation, 49% thought the fare was already too steep. Poor people with shallow pockets, they say they have to dig deep to afford the current fare. Denied rapid rail, they are stuck with time-consuming buses. Homeowners, some 71% of the respondents, believe the MARTA sales tax should be eliminated. These taxpayers are concerned and wonder why they pay this tax, when the service it affords is given to others, who refused to approve the referendum that created MARTA. Now, with a proposed fare increase on the drawing board, MARTA's decision to raise the fare will be made by interests in Clayton, Cobb and Gwinnett Counties where the MARTA sales tax is not even imposed.

South DeKalb residents bear the greatest share of the burden of financing MARTA, yet this portion of the county has the least amount of say so in how MARTA spends tax dollars collected from county residents. This is taxation without representation. With silence from our elected representatives, MARTA officials can plan to give us buses, rather than the rail we paid for and continue to subsidize for other non-MARTA sales tax areas and nothing is said. This situation makes south DeKalb synonymous with a cash cow. Remember when cotton was king before the cotton gin? Slaves were put in the fields to till the soil and pick the cotton. Now, people's incomes from jobs are farmed like cotton; the system use fines, fees, taxes and imprisonment to suck people dry. South DeKalb residents are the obvious victims of this kind of neo-slavery.

South DeKalb residents demand rapid rail to downtown Atlanta, the same level of rapid rail service that is available leaving downtown Atlanta headed to other areas, especially northern DeKalb and Fulton Counties. South DeKalb residents oppose the MARTA proposed fare increase. Moreover, they demand the removal of the MARTA sales tax, since they have fulfilled the original referendum obligation, and the legislature illegally extended the life of this regressive tax without putting the matter before voters in a referendum.

Legislation, Letters, Route Proposal & Lawsuit

Articles on MARTA Published in The DISH