Lamar says 'yes' to SPLOST

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Tuesday, March 15. 2011

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Barnesville-Lamar County voters passed the specialnlocal option sales tax referendum by an overwhelming margin.

With all precincts reporting...

Yes (772) 75.91%

No (245) 24.09%

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#1 Anonymous on 03/15/11 at 07:52 PM

you tea partiers talk a good game, but when it comes down to it; you still vote for a tax increase.....way to go....here we go giving our money away

#1.1 We The People,., on 03/16/11 at 05:23 AM

I don't know why 25% of you people don't understand that if we don't have SPLOST, which EVERYONE who shops in Lamar County must pay, they will find a way to get the money to do what they want to do and guess where that will come from? The property owners pockets. I'm happy to be part of the 75% of the sensible people here that understand this concept.

#1.1.1 Anonymous on 03/16/11 at 03:25 PM

And when the Commissioners vote to raise property taxes, I believe no one wants to hear you complain about it. Since you have no problem with higher taxes.

#1.1.1.1 We The People... on 03/17/11 at 08:40 AM

You know what they say abot the only two certaiin things in life...YOU, my friend, can add ignorance.

#1.1.1.1.1 Anonymous on 03/17/11 at 06:22 PM

lol...you vote "yes" on taxes...yet you call someone else ignorant...i would be willing to bet you actually believe SPLOST will keep our property taxes down. geeezzz thats funny

#1.2 GM on 03/17/11 at 01:13 PM

You are an apparent moron. You make a rash statement with absolutely nothing to substantiate your comment. Why don’t you just say that you are a socialist and against freedom? Why don’t you just say that you don’t like the TEA party people? Nooooo! You are a coward hiding behind the name anonymous attempting to push buttons to get a reaction about something that you are clueless about. Why don’t you buy a big chain and head on down to the tractor pulls and ask them to help you pull your head out of that dark hole you have it plugged in to? Then purchase a set of gonads and use them to give you the intestinal fortitude to sign your name with your comment.

#1.2.1 g on 03/17/11 at 08:56 PM

I think the point #1 was trying to make was that the tea party people complain about taxes, but it seems that they didn't rally any support. With less than 10% of the registered voters coming out Tuesday. Seems if the Tea Partier's were serious, they would have gotten their people to the polls.

#1.2.1.1 GM on 03/22/11 at 12:24 PM

Perhaps. Perhaps every TEA party supporter in Lamar County did show up to vote. Perhaps too many people think the SPLOST is going to prevent their property tax from going up. Perhaps people don't understand what they vote for when they vote. We can throw caution into the wind forever. Fact is that the TEA party can cast a loud voice but they still can't cure stupid!

#1.2.2 Sheila Tolley on 03/18/11 at 05:50 PM

That is funny GM. They have big mouths but continue to blog as anonymous. Isn't that pitiful? If they all come out of the closet at once, it will cause a Blog Tsunami bigger than the one in Japan.

As I said before, Anonymous bloggers are like Dry Paint signs. Useless but good for a laugh.

Give em' Hell, GM.

#1.2.3 Anonymous on 03/20/11 at 04:21 PM

just saying that tea partiers dont mind paying taxes under a republican administation (local, state, or fed)....but dont want to pay taxes under democrats......just remember that a tax is a tax is a tax....call it what you want but it will still cost you.......tea partiers should just say they are against blacks, liberals, and yankees; and not act like they are neutral and just against tax increases....i bet before 2012 they will start again with being against gun reform and planned parenthood

#2 bobo on 03/15/11 at 09:00 PM

Thanks so much to the people who voted this tax back in. You have shown our government leaders that you don't care that they waste our tax dollars, so you want to reward them with more! I don't see how anyone in good conscience can vote themselves in a tax hike (yes I'm aware this is just to continue this screwing), yet people want to scream and whine when the commission raises the millage. You had the perfect opportunity to lower your taxes right here. You blew it!

And before anyone responds with "if we didn't vote this SPLOST back in, they will just raise our property taxes to cover it," know this: They are going to raise your property taxes regardless! Let the spending continue!

#3 Anonymous on 03/15/11 at 09:01 PM

Go! Go! Go! If you have on ground. We be happy. New fire station, new firetruck, new fire facility and equipment.

#3.1 Sheila Tolley on 03/18/11 at 03:15 PM

Measure the firetruck before you build a new firehouse. First things first.

#3.1.1 Anonymous on 03/18/11 at 04:10 PM

Sheila this is the same guy that hasn't constructed a full sentence since being on this site. I really hope someone else does the measuring.

#3.1.1.1 Sheila Tolley on 03/18/11 at 05:38 PM

When I get bored, I enjoy printing out his blogs and playing word scrabble with them. You are right, I cannot assemble a complete sentence, even using multiples of his blogs.

#4 Anonymous on 03/15/11 at 09:01 PM

Good Job.... John Bitner and SPLOST committee. A positive move for this community...

#5 g on 03/16/11 at 05:28 AM

Why did we have a vote in March on this? Probably because it wouldn't have passed on a normal election ballot.
So now when the County Commissioners want to raise property taxes all the sorry people that didn't vote need to keep their mouths shut!
Overwhelming margin?? really, what percentage of the registered voters got off their A$$ to vote?

#6 g on 03/16/11 at 05:30 AM

less than 10% of the registered voters came out.....tsk tsk

#7 GM on 03/16/11 at 05:34 AM

Everyone wants tax reform. But, we will never get it because of actions like this. Why would government reform the tax code when you people give them property tax and sales tax together. All of you people that voted for this tax and complain about not having tax reform have no room and no rights for comment. You are one of the biggest contributors to the problem and not smart enough to comprehend it.

The next time you want to complain about taxes; remember you allow it to continue.

#8 ROSE COLORED GLASSES OR HOMEGROWN TROUBLE on 03/16/11 at 08:48 AM

cant wait to see kenny and the chamber crowd partying on the party decks at the new million dollar plus park at the old summmers field that the rec could have played games on. the school board is still going to 20 mils and the county is going to raise their miledge too.hope everyone is happy, you wont be when you get your new tax bills.oh and before you say it , i might just move to hancock co.better yet , montana with the free men. maybe kenny will invite the lady on t-street that the city dosent make pay city taxes to join them at the party at the new park. whoop it up chamber buy another cold one for the bbq and blues.

#8.1 Richard Hungwell on 03/16/11 at 09:15 AM

Don't let the door hit you in the a$$!!

#8.1.1 Sheila Tolley on 03/18/11 at 05:56 PM

Keep your fantasy names to yourself.
Use Anonymous, Dick.

#8.1.1.1 Richard Hungwell on 03/19/11 at 10:15 PM

No fantasy here baby!!

#8.2 Preston Thompson on 03/16/11 at 09:35 AM

You folks don't seem to understand. So long as the bottom feeding catfish vote the way they're told, because someone else told them somethings in it for them, what do you expect? Then you have the school board chair making threats to the extent she said, "I hope the splost passes, if not well have to raise the millage rate". Those folks don't think they have personal waste. No, not them. The problem is not the splost tax, it's the school board and none of you see it.

#8.2.1 anon on 03/16/11 at 01:41 PM

And how do you propose to keep council from raising property taxes to fund the things they are getting from SPLOST. I would have gladly voted No if I could believe, even for a second, our council members would do the right thing and cancel those projects rather than just saddle the property owner with more tax. At least non-property owners have to pay a share with the sales tax.

There needs to be some way to reject SPLOST and ESPLOST (that vote is still coming for schools, this one is only for county specific waste of money) and keep the council or school board from moving tax monies to do the project.

#8.2.1.1 Anonymous on 03/17/11 at 06:16 PM

you attend meetings and voice your opposition, is how one tells the commission.

#8.3 Anonymous on 03/17/11 at 10:22 PM

I always her people fuss on here about the chamber folks and the t-street crowd. Who are you reffering to and why do you dislike them so much?

#9 Anonymous on 03/16/11 at 12:32 PM

New high school in 2015. ESPLOST $8 million in 2014. SPLOST $13 million in 2016. Any new build?

#10 M.S. on 03/16/11 at 03:07 PM

I'm ok with the SPLOST, just as long as our propery taxes aren't increased. It has been good for our community.

#11 Anonymous on 03/16/11 at 03:26 PM

HA HA Screw yall. I'll do all my shopping in Griffin. (where i work)

#11.1 Anonymous on 03/17/11 at 02:13 PM

And pay for Spalding's SPLOST.
Idiot.

#11.2 cats on 03/17/11 at 02:21 PM

Well, last time I checked, you will be paying 7% sales tax on your purchases in Griffin, just like you would here in Lamar county.
I would say "thanks for supporting your home county" but you aren't by refusing to shop local.

#11.2.1 Anonymous on 03/17/11 at 09:04 PM

I voted NO on the splost. So I will continue to vote NO when I shop in Griffin. 7% is 7% no matter where you are.

#12 cats on 03/16/11 at 03:42 PM

My understanding from a person I think is knowledgeable is that the State of Georgia will match any funds the local SPLOST raises.
Also, this comes from Wikipedia:

"Counties and school systems are required to provide an independent accountants' report, examining the way the funds were allocated and attesting to the fact that the system receiving funds managed those funds appropriately."

I guess if we think money has been misspent, we have the right to ask for the accountant's report.

#13 Anonymous on 03/16/11 at 03:43 PM

do away with the DOE/school board. I would indeed rather have splost rather than my property taxes go up. Why should I get punished for being responsible and sucessful and being a homeowner when the people that rent from S.P and other rental agencies around here get off scott free. It needs to be fair and a burden on everyone instead of the achievers. I didnt vote for this. I didnt know anything about when they were voting.

#14 Anonymous on 03/16/11 at 10:32 PM

Ha! A tax increase in a tea party stronghold voted on by tea partiers.
I suppose taxes and government spending are not so bad after all..it just depends on what your pet project is.

#14.1 Anonymous on 03/17/11 at 08:36 AM

EXPLAIN PLEASE

#14.1.1 Anonymous on 03/17/11 at 09:27 PM

tax increases and government spending are ok unless it goes to feed poor people..

#15 yellow on 03/17/11 at 12:37 AM

i voted no.enough is enough the county needs to take responsibility like everyone else if you do not have money it is time to make budget cuts not raise taxes on everyone. we who live in the rural county will never see any of this money but we will be paying for it

#16 Anonymous on 03/17/11 at 07:42 AM

OK folks just remember we have to maintain all these wonderful projects, and we are still going to have a tax increase, we have had some splost bite us before..remember the grand plans for the ag center? Now we will have a school splost vote..when is enough enough and when do we start cutting, balancing a budget

#17 Anonymous on 03/17/11 at 09:13 AM

i quess i am confused....we have had splost for several years....yet i hear all the time about increased taxes or taxes are too high....so how is extending splost going to bring down the taxes, if splost hasnt been bringing down taxes.............seems to me that it is only increasing tax..

#18 Anonymous on 03/18/11 at 07:39 AM

The Gordon kids are going to love that park. You can't go out to the rec department park during the day unless there is agame going on for fear of being mugged..we my fellow citizens are being led down the primrose path

#19 Anonymous on 03/18/11 at 01:38 PM

Do First? If you finish What you on the ground we'll be happy. New fire station.

And then new fire trucks and fire equipment. And new fire facility.

#19.1 Sheila Tolley on 03/18/11 at 06:12 PM

And fires. We need lots and lots of fires people. What if we do all this and we have no fires.

#19.1.1 Anonymous on 03/19/11 at 12:38 PM

We need new firetruck, fire equipment and gear and new facility.

But, Do first? New fire station. Finish what you on ground

#19.2 Anonymous on 03/18/11 at 09:41 PM

Are you a fireman or do you just like the pretty lights?

#19.2.1 Anonymous on 03/20/11 at 09:43 PM

Me? No. My boyfriend.

#19.2.1.1 Anonymous on 03/21/11 at 04:04 PM

so your boyfriend likes the pretty lights?

#20 Anonymous on 03/21/11 at 08:54 PM

Pretty soon UPS and FedEx will be coming to my house every day.

Buying via the internet is cheaper and easier than fooling with local merchants that never have what I want.

Pass all the sales taxes you want, my purchases will be made even more via the Net.

#20.1 Anonymous on 03/22/11 at 04:57 AM

sshhhhhhhhhh....don't say that, or the county will find a way to tax the internet sales too...maybe just a fee

#21 Anonymous on 03/22/11 at 06:05 PM

lets keep voting for different kinds of splost taxes.......now they want us to vote for t-splost tax.....and we will finally get to a 22 cent sales tax.....and we will still pay property tax and income tax........glad we live in a republican run state....

#21.1 GM on 03/23/11 at 11:54 AM

Don't be a dumb ass! Republicans have nothing to do with it. The people vote in or vote out SPLOST. And to be honest; your democrats are the main folks voting in SPLOST because they think it will give them something other than a pain in the pocket book.

#21.2 anon on 03/23/11 at 12:27 PM

Well, at least we can vote against the TSPLOST without the specter of increased property taxes. I would have liked to vote against the SPLOST but it was obvious our unresponsive local politicos were going to do the projects anyway and just further raise property taxes.

Hopefully there will be a big turnout to vote the TSPLOST down, especially since Lamar County appears to be donor area where we will get less than we pay in taxes.

Please everyone vote against TSPLOST next year and tell everyone you know to do likewise.

#22 Anonymous on 03/23/11 at 08:15 AM

People think SPLOTs are the be all and end all of free money. It is a tax, just like any other tax. Also, most things built with SPOLST money need to be maintained. That requies a yearly hit on the budget where property tax money goes.

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