Cutting Waste, Improving Services, advancing Cobb County, & More
Choosing a candidate based on their platform and practical plans, rather than symbolism and personal relationships, is crucial for effective governance. While charisma and connections can be compelling, it is the substantive issues and proposed solutions that truly shape our future. A candidate’s platform provides a clearer picture of how they plan to address key concerns such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure, ensuring that decisions are made with a view toward sustainable progress rather than transient appeals.
This approach also facilitates accountability, allowing voters to assess whether elected officials deliver on their promises. Although personal relationships and public image play roles in politics, they should complement a thorough evaluation of a candidate’s policies. Ultimately, prioritizing platforms and plans ensures informed voting that leads to meaningful and effective leadership.
In this article, we delve into a snippet of my conversation with Cobb County Commissioner Chair Candidate Kay Morgan. Morgan is a passionate candidate running for Cobb County Commissioner Chair in Georgia. Kay shares her vision for the county, addressing critical issues such as wasteful spending and how it can be curbed to better utilize taxpayer money. We also delve into her perspectives on the current chair’s performance, exploring areas of agreement and contention. Race relations in Cobb County are another significant topic, with Kay offering insights into fostering a more inclusive community. Additionally, Kay outlines practical strategies for decreasing taxes while simultaneously enhancing county services. Her innovative ideas and commitment to effective governance make this an enlightening conversation for all Cobb County residents and anyone interested in local politics.
Welcome to Candid{ate} Conversations, a unique platform for candid discussions with elected officials and individuals striving to be elected. We embark on insightful conversations that explore the challenges, aspirations, and visions of political leaders and aspiring candidates. Whether you prefer to listen to podcasts or read about our discussions, we aim to provide valuable insights into the political landscape, policies, and the people driving change in our communities and nation.
[Below, you’ll find an edited snippet from our conversation, streamlined for clarity and ease of reading. This excerpt is taken from various parts of the discussion, not necessarily from the beginning.]
Enjoy!
Kay Morgan: I mean, we’re talking about the single mom buying diapers. We’re talking about the elderly splitting their pills, just trying to stretch them and make them work. There are so many implications this can have, meanwhile, this money has real oversight. Four billion is tagged for infrastructure and buses—billions for buses. The other seven billion, they call it flexible, and at some point, it could roll back into the general fund from what I understand after researching the IMPS plus legislation in Georgia.
Janelle King: What does that mean?
Kay Morgan: It could potentially roll back funding for other pet projects. There’s some wonderful things in it, like trails and transportation spots with cover. So…
Janelle King: 30 years
Kay Morgan: What they’re trying to do, basically, is bring in more and more buses. These are gas-powered buses. They want to build bus stations. They say it’s going to provide opportunities. Here’s what it’s actually going to provide: more congestion. In the first five years, we’re going to see nothing but that.
Kay Morgan: It’s going to be all planning and land acquisition and all that. So, for five years, we’re going to be paying this extra money without seeing any results. And then they are supposed to start…
Kay Morgan: Building roads is essential, but consider the example of the California bullet train. Initially projected to be a $10 billion project about 20 years ago, it received funding yet still didn’t get off the ground. A few years later, Obama provided another $3 billion, and then Trump added another $3 billion. Despite this, only five miles of track have been built in the middle of the desert, and the project’s cost has ballooned to $100 billion. My concern is that we could give them 30 years and significant funds without seeing meaningful results. Additionally, the majority of traffic passing through Cobb is coming from Cherokee and Paulding. These commuters are unlikely to park their cars, get on a bus, and head downtown, thereby increasing their commute times significantly.
Kay Morgan: If we were as densely populated as New York City or Chicago, a transit system would probably work really well because there would be enough bus stops and enough people using it. However, even when I attended the Atlanta Regional Commission meeting, where they had to approve the transit proposal to go on the ballot, they didn’t endorse it. Although they met all the legal requirements to put it on the ballot, they were scaling back their transit system. They were literally cutting one of their Express routes from about 50 routes to eight because they only had 39 riders. Additionally, our ridership at transportation.com is down 67% since 2013.
Kay Morgan: The nation’s trends are declining, which indicates that this type of system isn’t the solution to our mobility challenges. We need to sit down and find a system that is right for our particular situation.
Kay Morgan: If someone’s dream is to have this in place, it’s essentially a pet project, and I understand that it’s a perceived need and…
Kay Morgan: But every single year, transportation undergoes changes. Even if we spend billions of dollars on buses, we’re still stuck. It’s hard-coded in.
Janelle King: So, essentially, what I’m hearing is that this is a tax everyone will have to pay for 30 years, intended for future projects that will increase transportation options in Cobb County. These are options that we don’t necessarily need…
I hope you’ve enjoyed this snippet of my discussion with Kay Morgan. To hear the entire interview, please click on the link below. https://youtu.be/TlzvSs_iNoQ
