Below are the proposed Constitutional Amendments which will be seen on the ballot. I am interested to hear anyones input as it relates to these amendments. 1. Allows for competitive contracts to be enforced in Georgia courts. Question: What does this mean and how will affect the citizenry? 2. Adds $10 tag fee on private passenger vehicles to fund statewide trauma care expansion. I understand this amendment and remain undecided as to how I will vote. As a former medic, I understand the purpose and value of quality trauma care within golden hour. As a taxpayer, I have some concerns about the funding scheme. 3. Allows the state to execute multiyear contracts for long-term transportation projects. Looks good but looks can be deceiving… 4. Allows the state to execute multiyear contracts for projects to improve energy efficiency and conservation. Again…looks good, but looks can be deceiving… 5. Allows owners of industrial zoned property to choose to remove the industrial designation from their property. Question: What does this mean and how will affect the citizenry?
The GA League of Women Voters provided this PDF file on the pro & cons about constitutional amendments on the November ballot. It's worth reading and I'm sure it'll help.
I just started back working for the hospital, in the ER, and they are pushing that trauma care amendment. Handing out flyers to all new employees. Or, at least, making the flyers and information available. I thought it sounded like a great idea, but figured there had to be a catch. Yup, increased tag fees. Maybe if they quit taking care of illegals for free, we could afford the upgrades without having the taxpayers foot the bill.
Please read the language of the amendments in their entirety, not just th eone or twoline synopsis'. Links to them have been posted on this forum a few times.
The "super speeder" law was supposed to generate enough money to fund more/upgraded trauma centers and was passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov Purdue. It failed, and now they want to keep it in place and raise my taxes by another $20 a year (2 cars). Not just no, but HELL NO!
I'm voting no to them all. The problem with No. 2, an amendment to fund something, if it passes the legislature will use amendments to fund more and more things. If trauma centers are that important then let the legislature find a way to fund them from the general fund. I'm voting hell no. Never, not ever, vote for a tax, especially one with no end.(heck how much are they spending on the TV ads to get us to vote for it?...and hey who is paying for the ads?) And number 5 just effects 2 counties. The problem I have with it is in the 50's the well connected landowners asked for and got there property protected from city taxes. Now their heirs are paying the price and can't sell it or develop it without city water/sewer. If this one passes will they be on the hook for 60 years of city taxes?
#1 will make more employee "noncompete" contracts enforceable in GA. #3 and #4 will allow to the state to execute long term contracts BEFORE knowing where the funds will come from.
#1 will drive me out of my field despite doing what I've been doing for 3 different companies and I have no "trade secrets" to compete with. IOW, I've spent 10 years learning a trade and if this passes, once I leave my current employer, I can never do what I know again. I'm just labor, I'm not going into business to compete with and take away customers from my current employer. I just want to repair what I know how to repair.
We need an amendment to require economics taught every other year starting in the 6th grade. Anyone who has read a basic economics text could tell the super speeder would fail. I'm trying to figure out when trauma care became such a big issue in GA. Don't we have anything else to worry about?
GA has one of the highest death rates among trauma victims, and has fewer trauma centers per capita than most other states our size. IIRC, there is no level 1 trauma center in GA that is south of Macon.
FIFY My wife reports that they're also strongly pushing the trauma care issue at her hospital. I'd rather see the money coming from reductions in the number of non-critical patients who are never going to pay, but seek their care in the ER. The ads I've heard made me think that there would be more hospitals being built so that trauma centers would be more widely available. As I understand it now, this would only increase funding to each hospital, based on the recommendations of an appointed committee. I'll probably vote no. If they want money from drivers for trauma care, make it voluntary. Sell a trauma care tag and target the funds where they are needed. Also, why should drivers be the ones footing the bill? Are drivers the only people who use trauma centers?
Well we don't want that! Quick raise taxes so we will not be the lowest in number of trauma centers. Once these are built then we can raise taxes again to do something else all the other states are doing. When will it stop? Will we soon just raise taxes because we have a lower tax rate than another state? We need to realize that a human life does have a value and it is way less than what we spend to "save one more life". A human is worth the present value of all future income (income from welfare does not count).
Did I ever say to raise taxes to build one. I'll acknowledge that more are desperately needed. It's a shame that someone who is seriously injured in South Georgia has to be flown/driven to Macon, Atlanta or Jacksonville before they can get life saving medical attention. I do not feel though that our tax dollars should be used to foot the bill. They should be privately funded, for profit hospitals.
He'll no to all!! I am sick and tired of the f.ing tricks of the liberals. They are dishonest or idiots. No compromise. EVER!
Amendment 1: Do a little research, find out who is supporting this....big business. Sure, passing this amendment may bring jobs to Georgia, but at what eventual cost to the individual? Amendment 2: Trauma centers are important to me....I ride a motorcycle, I may need a trauma center someday. But if the government controls the funds to build them, then whats to say the trauma centers won't be built in the middle of a peanut field in nowhere Georgia that's owned by a "connected" farmer that would like to retire? If there's a need for trauma centers, let the private sector build them. Amendments 3 & 4: I see the potential for (unending) tax increases with these amendments. Amendment 5: I seem to remember a case (I think it was in New York) where the property owners were allowed to rezone their industrial property. A few years later apartments were built on the property. I few more years later people were getting sick, turns out the property was a waste dump when is was industrial property. Does anybody else remember this? If passed could this happen in Georgia? At this point, I'm a "NO" vote on all five amendments.