Latest group opposing transportation tax was born in a Cobb County gun shop

Just one day after the Sierra Club announced it was urging members to reject the regional transportation tax, we learn of a new group that's itching to defeat the July 31 ballot measure.

Meet Transportation Leadership Coalition LLC, or Traffic Truth, an "all-volunteer organization" united "in the belief that the state can do a much better job of transportation planning than passing the largest tax hike in Georgia history and spending the money on politically favored rail projects, trapping us into a tax situation that will continue forever." That's a mouthful.

According to the group's press release issued yesterday (and which we've pasted after the jump), TLC was formed after 75 grassroots activists met at an "Adventure Outdoors in Marietta" to discuss the ballot measure. The group says it plans to "educate the public" with its website, email, and social media about the tax and the various claims of groups supporting the measure - some of which, TLC argues, are using taxpayer dollars to sell

The group says the rail projects that would be funded by the tax won't relieve traffic congestion,, that the more expensive projects would require "billions more" to complete than what was allocated, and that, contrary to talking points, "there is a 'Plan B.'"

Though some of the names listed on the press release have worked with metro Atlanta tea party groups in the past or describe themselves on Facebook as conservative, no other coalition members' names are listed.

A spokeswoman from Untie Atlanta, the business community's PR campaign to sway voters to pass the tax, told CL via email last night:

There was opposition to MARTA in the '60s; there was even opposition to building the biggest airport in the Southeast. We expected the opposition. But we'd be the size of Birmingham if metro Atlantans hadn't rejected the opposition's stance on MARTA and the airport. And we'll keep our competitive edge and create thousands more jobs if voters say "yes" and again reject the opposition's stance.

The "Transportation Leadership Coalition" is urging people to vote "no" to jobs, "no" to $19 billion in new income, "no" to making our region competitive with others, and an unbelievable "no" to more productivity and time spent with families instead of sitting snarled in traffic jams.

They're also voting "yes" for a tax - a congestion tax - now at $924 a year per commuter - that will only rise if our region fails to come together to address its biggest problem.

Every time we've faced big problems, we've risen to the occasion and met them with big solutions. This referendum is just the start of what the voters and our leaders are capable of accomplishing when we put our personal interests to the side and do what's best for the region.

TLC's full release after the jump.