Do You Feel Pressured to Support TSPLOST?

Without a doubt, the upcoming transportation referendum has been a hot topic throughout metro Atlanta.

It’s no secret that most municipalities are urging "yes" votes on TSPLOST. Without it, officials 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. Most voters expected to turn out for the primary will be Republican, he added.

"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.