While I agree that the federal funding of transportation/ infrastructure is broken, I don't see any real solutions offered up by Mr. Orski. Furthermore, it seems logical to me that there must be some federal involvement in coordinating interstate projects, etc... The gas tax is clearly inadequate, but incurring a flat toll also seems unfair. Those who use the roads the most and inflict the most wear and tear, should pay the most. A flat toll only covers half of that formula. The weight of the vehicle should also be factored in.

@Ross: FYI - Chicago is not a state.

Considering the rates they charge, they should be worried!

"With the highest corporate tax rate in the world at 35 percent, the United States is at risk of becoming uncompetitive in the international marketplace."

What Peter Rush, CEO of The Kellen Company, conveniently neglects to mention is that due to tax breaks and the ability to claim income in other countries, the corportate tax rate and the amount of corporate tax that is actually paid are very different. In fact, some corporations end up paying no US corporate taxes at all.

Other than that ommision, it's a well written article in which he makes some very good points.

If the Republican party is truly for "individual liberty and limited, constitutional government" and truly believes that "that people make better decisions than government", then Republicans would be pro- choice and pro-gay marriage.

What I don't understand is why they put the entrance to the plant on Atlanta highway to begin with. I would assume that this plant will have a lot of trucks coming and going. Most of those trucks will probably be coming and going from 316 or 78. The shortest route to the plant entrance from 316 (and visa versa) is now through Bogart which can't really handle large trucks and neither can Atlanta highway. Why didn't they put entrance on 78? From a traffic perspective, that would have made a lot more sense.

@athensroadmaster: You're right, but apparently you haven't been by there lately because they just recently installed a traffic light at that intersection. I find it interesting that that dangerous intersection has been badly in need of a traffic light for years, yet it was only installed because of the Catepillar plant.

Now that we have a better understanding of how things work in the GA legislature, what can we do about it?

Was she an inspector for the USDA or the FDA? Those are completely different agencies with completely different jurisdictions. The reporter and/ or the police report are terribly confused.

"But it really does a disservice to the fact that people who ride MARTA as a matter of necessity and people who would like to ride MARTA as a matter of choice universally look to systems like Washington, D.C., and New York and Boston and Chicago and say, 'Wow, we'd like to have something more like that.''

So true! Atlanta will never be a world class city until it has a world class mass transit system.

@skull: You're right. I neglected to account for sales tax that I paid when I bought it. Duh! The new law is supposed to eliminate all local taxes too. I'm feeling a lot better about it now. Thanks!

For 2013, the new tax will be 6.5% rising to 7% in 2015. It eventually could climb as high as 9 percent of the vehicle’s worth.

@skull: The sales tax is supposed to be increased each year for the next few years and it's hard to predict depreciation with accuracy so I think it's impossible to calculate precisely. But I usually buy a new or late model car and keep it for years, then sell it. So I did calculations based on my last car which I bought new in 2007. I calculated the sales tax on that amount that I would pay this year vs.how much it's depreciated over the past 6 years and the cumulative total of how much I paid based on that declining value each year. I still had not broken even at six years. The sales tax was more expensive. So then I attempted to predict how much it will depreciate in the future and what the birthday tax on that amount would be. I estimated that it would take more than ten years to just break even on the sales tax. But today's cars cost more and the sales tax will rise each year. I'm bummed about the end of the birthday tax! .

@skull: The only way time I can see that the new rules will be a benefit to some drivers is for those that keep there cars a long time, perhaps ten years or more. But if I have that wrong, please enlighten me.

"He pulled another rabbit out of his hat earlier in the session when he defused what was predicted to be the most contentious issue of the session, extension of the hospital Medicaid tax. Here, the main objections were from members of his own party, the staunch conservatives who vowed to oppose any tax increase, even if it would require brutal cuts to government services to make up the $700 million void the expiring tax would leave. Deal’s solution was legislation to have appointees levy the tax instead of the politicians."

That's an interesting piece of legislation. It seems the Georgia legislature continues to be very creative in finding creative ways to raise taxes while denying that they did so. The end of the so called birthday tax is another good example of a subtle tax increase.

What ever happened to letting the free market economy work? Why the heck are GA Power customers being forced to pay for the construction costs, in advance, for a privately owned company's property? I'll tell you why. The Georgia Legislature are a bunch of hypocritical crooks! Vote the bums out!

Good article. So called ant-tax Republicans in Georgia continue to invent discreet schemes to raise taxes while denying that they did so. It's deceitful and dishonest. When people "complain about government, this is precisely the kind of smoke-and-mirrors practice they have in mind." Indeed!

@snarkydude: My paycheck went down too. But that's primarily because there was a consensus from both parties to let the Social Security payroll tax expire. Anyone who didn't see that coming is blind. And taxes in Georgia are going up too, just in more discreet ways. But at least my federal income taxes aren't going up... for now.

@snarkydude: And income tax increases for middle and lower classes is an example of where Obama refused to compromise.

@snarkydude: Income taxes are a good example of where Obama has compromised. He agreed to raise the income limit of those subject to the expiring tax cuts. According to those on the extreme left, in doing so he gave up too much!

@Historically-funny: The answer to your question is simple. Birth control is a LOT cheaper than health care for pregnancies (which is covered). It's a benefit to everyone for them to provide this coverage. So while I completely agree with your previous comments about way to many people having children, etc... I view this situation from a different perspective. These people want to force insurance companies not to provide birth control coverage so it's not available to their employees who want it.

@snarkydude: Thanks for the info.

@snarkydude: From your extreme right wing point of view, that may seem to be true. However, from the view point of those on the extreme left, he has given away the farm. So while I agree that there are problems on both sides of the aisle, Obama is just a slightly left of center moderate.

The daily gun violence continues with no reasonable solutions in sight.

And if you're anti-abortion, it's hypocritical to be against insurance coverage for birth control.

By the way, covering birth control actually reduces insurance costs for both employers and employees.