Community Corner

GDOT Still Faltering

A Cartersville resident says the commissioner's claims the agency is on the right track and has made progress are wrong.

Dear Editor,

In a recent guest editorial, GDOT Commissioner Vance Smith claimed the agency has made “substantial achievements” in recent years and “is delivering on projects and promises.” Also, in the column – that was published in several Georgia newspapers – he claimed the agency is very much improved, completed dozens of road projects on time and below budget, and saved taxpayers millions of dollars.

Simply put; his claims are hogwash. Smith should be ashamed.

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Further, where does Smith and his staff get off claiming these achievements when we are still without a badly needed road (i.e. 411 Connector) that has been promised since the early 1960s? Instead of building the road 30 to 40 years ago – long before any opposition – his staff is now trying to ram Route D-VE through, come hell or high water (and taxes).

I also find it ironic the same agency that is claiming substantial savings for taxpayers wants to rely upon us, the taxpayer, to fund the overly expensive $272 to $280 million road. If the agency was truly interested in saving taxpayers a significant amount of money, they would find an alternate/modified route that costs nearly $200 million less and avoids the massive legal bill and headache that lies ahead.

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Contrary to Smith’s claims, GDOT remains an “unaccountable, broken, unfixable bureaucracy” and the ill-fated, costly 411 Connector is a perfect example of why this agency is still faltering.

Sincerely,

Tracy Rogers


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