COBB COUNTY, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed attended a T-SPLOST get out the vote rally in Cobb County on Tuesday. He's voting yes on a new tax to help fund billions of dollars in new road construction.
Reed joined former Gov. Roy Barnes, the mayors of Smyrna, Kennesaw and other Cobb County elected leaders to show their support for the 1 percent sales tax increase.
"I wanted to be here because I believe Cobb County really is an American success story," Reed said.
Reed wants the penny on the dollar sales tax to pass so Cobb County and rest of the metro area can continue to prosper.
"If we don't deal with this issue of traffic, we're not going to continue to be what we have been in the past," Reed said.
Reed believes the future of metro Atlanta is tied to how well traffic moves and said the improvements slated for each county are connected.
"We have a way that is honest, open and appropriate and meets the challenge of traffic that our competitors use to beat us. It will also provide investment to put people back to work," Reed said.
Barnes is from Cobb County and supports the tax.
"It's easy to be against something. It's very difficult to try to be for a solution," Barnes said.
Some in the crowd against the referendum were frustrated by what they heard.
"The Georgia voter is going to be conned by them saying this is going to relieve traffic congestion. Then I don't know what they're going to tell us. Now they're changing it to jobs," said voter Patricia Hay.
Barnes admitted the plan doesn't solve all the problems.
"Is it perfect? It is not, but it is better than what we have, and it is the first step in trying to bring in some kind of regional transportation," Barnes said.
Reed said he believes this vote is as big as bringing the Olympics to Atlanta and deciding to develop Georgia 400.
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Kasim Reed
Roy Barnes
