No doubt, the statement puts a value judgement on an unknown outcome

Here's what one Smyrna-Vinings Patch Facebook fan had to say: The people who think that's biased probably want it to be worded: "Should the government steal a 1% sales tax, therefore killing jobs, in order to wastefully construct a transportation network that will allow undesirables to invade your neighborhood?"

I guess you could want the tax but be undecided on whether there will be actual improvement...then what do you vote? haha

As a TSPLOST supporter I’m a little dismayed at your bias in reporting this issue. You know good and well that the issue is with the preamble to the ballot question and if you don’t know that then you should not be writing this article. This is the kind of bias that will turn people away from voting for TSPLOST. Please stop it! People want the perception of a fair vote and you make it look like we’re trying to pull the wool over the voter’s eyes.

I don't believe it's biased. I believe some of the reporters on TSPLOST are. It is correct. Even though the extent to which traffic congestion relief will be attained can be argued, and the number of jobs won't be overwhelming, I think it is accurate and will become even more accurate as population density increases and transit becomes more urgent. Examples of traffic congestion reduction are Windy Hill / Cobb Parkway Intersection and many other throughout the county. This will also give people more access to Cobb County's first rail transit spot in Cumberland. I am sorry that you people in N. Cobb may not find it useful, however the highest population density is in the Smyrna/Cumberland area, and it is useful for us. Plus, your complaining was part of the reason the Town Center rail stop was removed.

I think the problem is more that people are verbally spreading FUD about TSPLOST and taxes (sales, not property taxes!) and people who want Cobb to remain suburban but can't face reality that it's becoming urban and there is no plan of how to handle the extra people as development becomes vertical. Have vision to understand that Cumberland is getting slaughtered by other competing areas with transit, and getting compared now to other non-transit areas like Windward Parkway instead of areas like the perimeter.

I believe the referendum should be given multiple pages to fully describe what plans there are in Cobb County to give full details. But the preamble isn't biased.

I'd like to add that people against TSPLOST wouldn't be happy unless the preamble attacked it. That doesn't seem realistic, does it? If it weren't considered positive by those who worked hard to draft it, would it be in the referendum at all?

They say the tax will disappear in 10 years just like the toll booths did on 400. RIGHT!!!

This is legally called the Transportation Improvement Act. It is not a SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) and it is not a TSPLOST (Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) and therefore the legal oversight, though weak, that is given to SPLOST does not apply. The rules and the law are different.

Since the preamble calls it a TSPLOST and not TIA, this is reason enough to invalidate this election.

I was shocked and saddened to see such bias today when voting. I had not seen or heard about reports of the Tsplost ballot question bias prior to voting. Not just the preamble, but the question itself. "Improving" to me is an opinion. I was on the fence about my vote, but the wording tipped me over. Like Chris Long said, it implied you were just evil if you didn't vote yes. Suggestion - next time it should be very factual and unbiased. "1% sales tax to go toward mass transit projects to connect metro Atlanta."