SPLOSTs, SPLOSTs and more SPLOSTs, revenue generators beloved of politicians and their will accomplices, Chambers of Commerce.

The latest is a need to change the SPLOST law in order to allow governments to maintain the white elephants built with SPLOST revenue. This change would allow counties and municipalities to keep operational, worthless SPLOST projects,

Hall Countians should remember SPLOST 1 which was dedicated to roads, streets and bridges, ran approximately 2½ years and had to be the most successful of all SPLOSTs. The came a succession of SPLOSTs and the county budget skyrocketed.

Don't forget education SPLOSTs dedicated to construction or paying off bonds for earlier construction. The objective was to build desperately needed schools and recondition old schools, we were told. But with construction covered, the school systems are now able to pay for the hordes of administrators, counselors and other nonteaching positions the state mandates. At last count, the state of Georgia had on its payroll more than 100 nonteaching clerks and administrators earning in excess of $100,00 per year.

Now comes the T-SPLOST. This 1 percent is said to pay for transportation needs for all of Georgia, but its real purpose is to build another rapid transit system to serve Atlanta. The proponents say each of the 12 Georgia districts will get back all of the money collected in that district. Don't believe it; the law says otherwise.

We have a chance to defeat T-SPLOST in July 2012. Why send billions more to the GDOT, which just trashed $50 million on a now scrapped toll road plan?

Soon sales taxes will take nearly 10 percent of your disposable income. It is time to just say "no" to any new or renewing SPLOSTs. We also must vote "no" to the constitutional amendment that would allow SPLOST revenue to be used for maintenance.

Bruce Hallowell
Clarkesville