Song of the Day: Farina - Copas de Vino

New singer.  The "next Shakira"?  Love the vibe in her music.

Copas de Vino - Farina [Video Oficial]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIV3WusvaRw

Government Sucks

Okay, I need to vent today.  Government sucks.  What a bunch of scammers.  Braves stadium deal rammed through, screw the taxpayers.  And now another "Ed-SPLOST" here in Cobb County, Georgia.  Bunch of fake, pretend conservatives.  They make me sick.

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?
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When  enrollment  trends  flattened  after  2008,  the  District's needs  shifted  toward  revitalization  of  outdated  facilities.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

There is absolutely nothing "special purpose" about this spending.  This is all spending that should be part of a normal operating budget.

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.