The truth is that the state does pay for any student to attend any school, in zone or out of zone so really what does it matter?

As for splost, it is absolutely the only way to renovate and build, there is no local money alloted for this purpose, especially in this economic downturn. I gladly continue to pay a penny. Thank you for the opportunity.

And yet we do still receive value for them. Maybe not in everyone's eyes, and the revenues may not always be as well-spent as we would prefer, but by and large they are of benefit to the community. I certainly wouldn't state that they are always and completely a waste of our money as some other posters appear to argue.

Look at the taxes on you power bills, phone bills, cable bills -- franchise fees? Back door taxes. SPLOST money is spent without reguard to value.

Well said Jesse. Unfortunately, to our local (and national) T-B's any tax is evil and unacceptable. This is regardless of how much good those revenues do for our community.

Does this mean any tax or rate of taxation is acceptable? Of course not. But it does need to be recognized that some taxation is necessary in order for some positive local projects to be accomplished.

Nobody hates taxes more than I do. As a self-employed, property owner I clearly have the tax man bullseye on my back and it makes me more conservative each day as I watch the lunacy of State and Federal politics. But you just can't deny that a locally controlled tax like a SPLOST is a good thing. All of the public facilities in this county that we can be most proud of were paid for by SPLOST dollars. Sonoraville High School, the new Jail and Sheriff's Department, the new Fire Station at Resaca, the County rec department at Sonoraville. These are all top notch facilities that were paid for when they were built by SPLOST dollars generated by local folks and a large portion from out of town spending. If you don't believe that, ask the outlet mall folks what percentage of their sales are from outside Gordon County, or the Flying J ask them the same question. The fact of the matter is that a sales tax is the fairest tax available. The more you spend the more you pay. Furthermore, the upcoming splost for city and county government projects involves signficant projects that are joint efforts between the city of Calhoun and Gordon County. I remember a time when you could not even get those two entities to sit down in the same room together. The local rec departments hosted a division of the Dizzy Dean world series this summer. Ask our hotel owners and restaurant owners if that was a busy week for them. I know for a fact it was one of the busiest weeks of the year for them. Without those facilities we would not have had that opportunity and that money would have gone somewhere else. The projects on any splost whether for education, local government, or transportation are investments in the kinds of capital projects that allow our local businesses to put people to work, and make a better living for the people of this county. I am not saying that the SPLOST is perfect, but like America itself it may not be perfect but it sure is better than all of the other alternatives.

If you don't live in the city, the city schools should be no concern of yours.

If you live in the city, you should be very concerned.

They will not send the students back to the schools they are zoned for unless they are trouble and not a good athlethic. Now if they get arrested in the school parking lot and they are out of district and don't play any sports they will send them to the county schools but keep his brother because he is an athletic. Lets make all students attend the school they are zoned for and lets see how even all sports teams will be then.

DEFINITION OF SPLOST: Spending (Definition: Wasting Our Hard Earned Money By Sticking It Up A Hogs Butt!)

Personal (Definition: You and Me!)

Loot (Definition: Our Pay Checks!)

On (Definition: Anything Their Hearts Desire!)

Stupid (Definition: Politicians/Commissioners/Councilmen and School Boards!)

Taxes (Definition: Means Of Keeping Poor White Trash Of Not Being Able To Afford To A Decent Life!)

First, they only send the ones back to the schools they are suppose to attend if they can not play sports. For instance, the SMS baseball team last year was great and they were being called all the time trying to get them to Calhoun. They have several county students just because they can play sports. Calhoun is all about winning in athletics. I also, have a problem that the county system is good enough to pay the parents but not good enough to teach their children.

Hope its good for the majority of your athletes that won't get a scholarship or be drafted by the pros and have to rely on their EDUCATION to make a living.

actually the schools met ayp, and we got turf and we hoping for a jumbo tron. Life is good.

Who cares if the school buildings were neglected and the school failed AYP? We got artificial turf and a Jumbotron!

Anyone who thinks that any SPLOST is funded predominantly from "visitors" or non-residents is really foolish. Maybe us taxpayers need to invest in that ocean front AZ property, too.

I think if you had been in these buildings over the past five years, you would have seen that very little had been done on facility repairs and maintenance. They haven't had the funding to complete any renovations. I think it is great that the project for the new schools will be funded from SPLOST revenue that is generated mostly from visitors to our town. I'm glad they are building at the downtown site. It would not have been good to move the high school to another location. Sounds like a good plan to me. Can't wait for them to get started.

Another rediculous waste of tax dollars! I have a few questions for the cronies making these decisions. How much money was spent(WASTED) on repairs of those same buildings(new steel roofs,plumbing,electrical,etc.)just a couple of years ago? Who prospered from the recycleable (WASTED)materials (steel,copper,etc.) from these same buildings after demolition? What other wasteful plans might we expect a select few to prosper at our expence of course in the near future? Heres a thought stupid,just a thought, maybe none.We could make do until we see some realistic signs of local economic recovery.We are doing ok without those buildings now anyway, so why not wait until things are better financially? If we are overcrowded send the kids to the schools their suppose to be attending anyway (Gordon Central, Sonoraville, Dalton, Model, Rome, Adairsville, Old Mexico, Guatemaula,etc).How much stupidity are we expected to continue tolerating? Do you really think you'll ever be re-elected? For your information,I HOPE NOT AND I THINK NOT BECAUSE YOUR FOOLS WHO WON'T REALIZE THAT WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD THIS WASTEFULNESS!STOP SPENDING STUPID!SSS-SSS-SSS-SSS-SSS--SSS-STOP SPENDING STUPID-SSS-SSS-SSS-SSS-SSS