Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed joined Hispanic community leaders at City Hall to voice their support for the Regional Transportation Referendum.ATLANTA -
Supporters of the transportation tax made another public push for support on Thursday. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed joined Hispanic community leaders at City Hall to voice their support for the Regional Transportation Referendum.
The proposed 1 percent sales tax would generate more than $7 billion, which would be used to pay for 157 different road and transportation projects in the 10 county metro area.
Saying Atlanta is in a transportation crisis, the heads of Latino business and political groups called the referendum a vital investment.
"It's about job creation. It's about competitiveness. It's about not allowing other metro areas outside our state dictate and take away our jobs," said Jorge Fernandez of the Metro Chamber.
"What you see here today is an unbroken chain of Latino leadership coming together to support this referendum," remarked Mayor Reed. "Because they believe that we need to be in the future business."
Despite a high-profile TV campaign in support of the referendum, opponents believe they are winning the argument. Public polling has shown strong opposition to the referendum.
"What we ought to be doing is judging this on the merits, on the policy issue. And on the policy issue it's a bad deal," said State Senator Vincent Fort, (D) Atlanta.
A vote on the tax referendum is July 31. Mayor Reed and other supporters say in the end the vote margin will be close.
