I had no idea there was an election coming up, and then I saw one or two signs last week talking about the Education SPLOST, vote yes for our kids or some such crap.
Ed-SPLOST V
Why do we still need SPLOST?There is absolutely nothing "special purpose" about this spending. This is all spending that should be part of a normal operating budget.
Because Cobb's learning environments and infrastructure require ongoing maintenance and to continue providing the most effective instructional resources for Cobb students.
Ed-SPLOST I (1999-2003) and Ed-SPLOST II (2004-2008) were responsive to years of rapid population growth, providing for construction of 21 new schools, 1,982 new classrooms and funding a myriad of capital improvements.
When enrollment trends flattened after 2008, the District's needs shifted toward revitalization of outdated facilities. Many Cobb schools are more than 40 years old and have inadequate space and resources to best serve students.
Ed-SPLOST III (2009-2013) and Ed-SPLOST IV (2014-2018) focused on giving new life to existing facilities, replacing some of the oldest and least efficient school buildings and refreshing the District's technology resources and
infrastructure.
Ed-SPLOST V (2019-2023) will concentrate on construction of new classrooms with the goal of housing approximately 2000 new students projected to enter the District within the next five years. Ed-SPLOST V will also continue to focus on modernizing the District’s older schools and facilities
Furthermore, how is it "special purpose" funding if it has been going on continuously since 1998?
Worst of all is the timing. This shows beyond a doubt how dishonest they are. This SPLOST is supposed to start in 2019. 2 0 1 9!!! So why pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to hold a special election now, in early 2017??? Why not hold it during an election when there are other races and questions on the ballot, in the Fall? Why? Because they don't want anyone to know about it, and they have succeeded. When I went to vote this morning (advance voting) there was only me and one other person voting. The place was empty. Way different from waiting in a line outside the building during the presidential election, and the least people I have ever seen in a voting facility. This is a disgrace.
More about how they lie to us about SPLOST:
Cobb school board calls for Education-SPLOST vote after tense meeting, by Mary Kate McGowan
Note that they are choosing to spend the extra $40 million above and beyond what they said they "needed" for their "special purpose" tax. This shows once again that there is nothing special purpose about it. They are mismanaging their facilities and they expect the taxpayers to pay for it.
I also found out that my blue MARTA cards are expiring. I was told when I got my first blue card that I'd never need another one, value would never be lost. What a bunch of fucking liars.
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