Do You Feel Pressured to Support TSPLOST?

Our subject matter for today's Midtown Patch question of the day involves next month's transportation referendum vote.

It’s no secret that most municipalities are urging a "yes" vote on TSPLOST. Without it, local governments are going to have to look at other ways to raise funds for traffic and transportation projects. But did you know local chambers of commerce and even businesses have been recruited to do the same thing?

According to Jim Galloway, political insider for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, more than 400 businesses, including some of metro Atlanta’s largest, have signed on to turn out extra voters who have been given a firm understanding of the importance of a “yes” vote on July 31. Sam Williams, president and CEO of Metro Atlanta Chamber, which is reportedly coordinating the turnout effort, has said the effort is even bigger than the Tea Party.

Of the 2.3 million registered voters in the 10-county metro Atlanta area covered by the sales tax referendum, Galloway estimated that only 350,000 voters are expected to cast their ballot. He added that most voters expected to turn out for the primary will be Republican.

"Not a deck stacked for passage of a new sales tax," he wrote. However, the voters who turn out at the behest of their employers may behave more like moderate voters, which could make a difference in a close contest.

Do you feel the pressure yet? How do you feel about such a large, coordinated effort to get you to check "yes" for TSPLOST on July 31?