A sad day not so much that it passed, which I will be holding the BOE to the task to keep everything on the list that they promised to be accomplished, but its more sad that only 40,000 plus of registered voters showed up to vote, and they could have through early voting and etc. Like everything else in the county only the few really care, and this vote proved that once again. So frustrating that people won't get off their thrones and go cast their vote one way or the other. COBB BOE we are watching every move, every word, every trip, every lunch/dinner and everything else you do, nothing you do THIS time is going to get slid under the table, no more, we're holding you ALL accountable. Enjoy the ride, its going to be a watchful one!

Laus Deo :-) http://WDJW.net/LausDeo :-)

I voted. And as a parent of two school age children here in Cobb, I am glad it passed. A small sacrifice for our children.

It is truly the FIRST DAY OF SPRING in Cobb County! Let the growth begin!! The seeds of the future are our children: S-P-L-O-S-T: Support, Protection, Leadership, Opportunities, Stretch, & Trust them to lead us into a productive future. If nothing else, we must teach them to "vote their conscience." When the vote is over, they must be able to say one of two things: "I HELPED!" or "I TRIED." This is the attitude of winners--our children won yesterday, it is truly the FIRST DAY OF SPRING in Cobb County! Let the growth begin!!

When the school district wants to push something down our throat they quietly have an election . If I was not in an area where I voted I would not have known of this election. So now I will be more aware of these sneaky election by being more involved

Over half of the YES votes probably came from Cobb County and Marietta School employees. With Cobb having over 13,000 and Marietta with 1,200 it just shows that these 2 boards cannot manage their property tax money they get. The only way it passed is that they did not have the vote in a primary or general election. Sneaking it in and having that be the only item on the ballot is not right. They should not be able to have a special election on tax issues.

Also they say that they want to use the money for education and schools, then why is Marietta building a football field and arts centers and Cobb are replacing schools that all they really need it to remodel the ones they have. And the "Taj Mahal" they are building are not necessary. Take a look at Mableton Elementary. What a waste of money that young students do not need.

PERSPECTIVE, ELECTION, & THE CHILDREN. Sometimes things start out for one reason and end up for the better. There could be merit to what you are saying; I choose to focus on the end result. Our children need a chance. However, I got there, I am glad I did. "God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." Genesis 50:20

Kids were better educated in the days of a one room schoolhouse. Do your children a favor and get them out of the hands of government bureaucrats who don't care if a high school graduate knows how to balance a checkbook.

Do it for the kids! The kids need it! The poor kids...
What will be the first county in the U.S. to admit the way we teach our kids is ludicrous? We treat them like they a product on a manufacturing line. Age 5 - Kindergarten. Work on them for a 180 days then moved them to the next work center - 1st grade. For 18 years they go from work station to work station (i.e., grade to grade) in 25-30 person batches. Stupid. What about the kids who could learn faster and graduate at 16, 15 or even 14 years? Wouldn't that free up a lot more room for others? Who says they even need to go to a building to learn? What about the internet & e-books? And don't get me started on the difference between the way boys & girls learn. School for most boys - especially elementary school is pure torture....
The most disappointing thing to me about this tax passing is that all I hear about is how we need more brick & mortar resources "for the kids". No one ever talks about creating a new, better and cost effective way to teach "the kids".
And if I say, "what about allowing some of us tax payers to keep our resources for ourselves?", I'll be labeled greedy or, at least, "not for the kids".

It is a sad day in Cobb County as we wake to yet more taxes. When we have the opportunity to erase a government hand in our wallets we must take the opportunity to get rid of it. I am frankly shocked Cobb voters allowed passage of an ongoing tax, when it is NOT needed. The teachers union plays dirty and they intimidate uneducated voters into believing this is a good thing. I see that Jay Cunningham of Superior Plumbing was a supporter, I certainly won't be using them any more for service! Wake up people and quit being driven by the government. Learn to live life on your own and stop being dependent on government for everything.

I proudly voted no to this wasteful and unfair tax, it has never been about quality education. I will continue to vote no for future Splosh because there is not accountability for our money. Definitely a sneaky March vote and when it is sneaky then they are asking for our money to spend wastefully(They revealed an 80 million or more debt in Jan. if Splosh was so sucessful there would be no debt). They are taking our money for their means.

It's funny how it's ok to spend all the tax dollars in fluent areas, but when tax dollars go to less fortunate areas now it's wasteful. I see your schools have all the bells and wistles, now that we want the bells and wistles, it's a problem. You should of spoke up way before splost.

I voted no, the problem is management, not money. The waste of this administration is unbelievable. Look at the staff to teacher ratios. I will continue to vote NO and will not use the security services of LOUD-what a joke!

Great! Now lets convince CCSD Board to taking substantive steps to address the educational outcome disparities that exist and place the Career Academy where it is needed the most.

I am glad SPLOST passed. I am glad some people see SPLOST as an investment in the future of our community and our children and in many ways a necessary investment in infrastructure that was not addressed properly for more than a decade. It does bring me great shame to read all the selfish comments about how the SPLOST is so "wasteful", and how it's such a tremendous burden on taxpayers. I feel there is a lost generation in Cobb County who worship the dollar and wouldn't let facts, compassion, or reason part them from a dime for anyone's benefit, even their own. The reality is, the school system is already being underfunded from the state. They are failing to fund the schools per student according to their own state sanctioned formula. When we have teachers providing their own copy paper at the end of the year because there is no money for it, how exactly do you propose we fund million dollar projects to upgrade schools that can no longer hold the growth of their student populations? It is asinine and shortsighted to be arguing these kids should go with out, or even worse that we should be using bonds and paying interest to vulture capitalists instead of funding our schools upfront and outright through initiatives like SPLOST. There is also the reality that Cobb County, despite our additional 2% in special option sales taxes which brought the sales tax to 6% our sales tax is still more than 3% below the national average. You get what you pay for.

I agree with all the people who said that they voted No on the E splost. I also voted No. I agree with Mr Lamberton who pointed out that the election needs to be placed on the Nov ballot. I only see a big waste of money: $30,000 to hold a special election for one issue and the greedy government's devious way of getting it passed. Wake up taxpayers we have been had again by our government.....

WHAT IS SAD is NOT SO MUCH IT PASSED, but that ONLY a dab over 40,000 registered voters voted yesterday in this county. Not MANY care at all, and they spent over $300,000.00 FOR the special vote yesterday, so our tax money was even wasted, they could have waited til a regular vote, or why not last November? That was ONLY four months ago/ Then people will ask me where is the waste, we don't see it? People see and HEAR what they only want to see and HEAR. I heard, I read the long list of "WANTS", not needs, and now its our responsibility to make this BOE keep the big promises they made, and I for one will be watching and holding their feet to the ground, you can bet on that, and you other NO voters, I want to hear the same. Its a game, scare the people, tell them their property taxes are going up, or we're going to have to go to bonds, or the elder will give up their reduced property tax provision, I'm sick of scare tactics, we get enough of that from the Federal level. It is, what it is, and there was no landslide, there was no big majority, it was hardly a vote with 40,000 something voters, again sad times.

Trish, it wasn't just 30,000.00 it was THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND..Way too much of course, they COULD CARE LESS!!

We put more NOW than ever in history into each student's education in this county, but yet the numbers still suck on the education, department. So, its going to take more than money obviously to fix the serious, education, problems in this county, and until people in administration positions acknowledge that, we're toast. Good Luck with that LONG LIST, I want tell you "I told you so", you'll be able to see first hand how it will not get done, and then in 2018, they will want more AGAIN, and some of the same stuff will be on that same ole' long list. I've lived here too long, and I've seen it over and over and over, NOW they do get "some" of the stuff done, but they should put out an acceptable list, instead they put out a list for all the people to see and believe in, and many of you will be very disappointed again when your child's school doesn't get touched, don't be surprised and don't say, you were not told, you are being told, all those things will NOT happen, prepare yourself!

57% Yes. Eat it Tea Party.

No one wants to live in your Mississippi-style utopian society of ignorant fatties.

Tea Party? Didn't know they had a vote here, interesting. So everyone in Mississippi is fat? I'm calling some folks that live there and ask them if that's true. Actually, Georgia is 1/2 step ahead of Mississippi in education, pretty sad, considering we spend FOUR times the tax money per student here, so why is that? 57% is not much of a big deal, So you win the vote, then you start slinging ugly names/ ugly statements, really, that's they way you roll? You will see what you get for the buck, some that voted yes are now on a tear to spend some of that on teacher's salaries, so you will find out how much on that long list gets accomplished, now I'm going to set back and watch the show, see how all the LIBERALS fight it out, I'm assuming since some called us no voters Tea Party people, never joined them, never been to a rally, maybe its time, since the other's think highly enough of them to call them out constantly, must be something to that tea party bunch, think I'll check it out, I'll get back to you on that one, or if you know more about them, maybe you can tell us. Its not nice to sterotype people just because they live in another state of the south, you must not be from around here, cause that isn't a very nice Southern thing to do.

Why do people get on a blog where for the most part, people speak in educated and non-attitude tones, and then here comes ONE that has to put people down, call them names, and on and on. Is this what people refer to as low self-esteem? They won the vote, but then start ugliness in every statement, what is wrong w/people, can't they ever be happy? I guess not. I feel very offended, cause I have family in Mississippi that are not fat, and they are very educated. They cannot help they have alot of poor, uneducated people in that state, not everyone can be as fortunate as other's, so they have to deal and work w/what they have. They went to Mississippi State and are very gifted teachers, so I appreciate the ugliness to disappear, no one on this blog has said such offensive stuff, and there is NO reason to began it now. Thanks to all.

I think its sad that only 40,000 plus citizens decided to take the time to vote, sad indeed, no reason to GLOAT in that, and there was no landslide, alot of people I know couldn't take time off to vote, didn't care cause they have no job and feel like Cobb is letting them slide, just for spending tax money on a special election, they feel pretty defeated, I have four members in my extended family that have been out of work for a year, and things of this nature just infuriate them while so many are hurting, and we have schools in this county that have almost 100% free meals, cause their parents cannot afford the lunches, but we are worried about the "want" list, and we have forgotten too long about the "needs" of alot of our students. Priorities would be a good thing. Its done, Its over, now we must make the BOE accountable the few of us that took the time.

with all due (Romans 13:8) love (1 Corinthians 13) shares that the $300,000.00 price tag for the Ed-SPLOST referendum included a week of county-wide early voting which does effectively publicize what happened yesterday so that the low turn-out did not happen because of secrecy but rather because of voter apathy. The beauty of our electoral system here in the U.S. is that it can't be stopped by apathy. Laus Deo --> http://HeartMDPhD.com/LausDeo :-)

Together we can create better legislation for local education funding. Fund the Educators 1st. LIKE the developing FACEBOOK effort at https://www.facebook.com/EducationFundingPetition
-Fund Learning Objectives over Buildings
-Engage Citizens with a November Ballot on SPLOST Votes
-Prioritize Projects Based on Community Needs
-Hold the System Accountable for Wasteful Spending and Mis-managed Project Timelines

Byron R. "My public Cobb County educated kids" How many do you have? I went to ONE school 1-12th grade in West Cobb. I did fine, even though we didn't have A.C. in most of the buildings, and we stomped through the mud puddles going to classes, but we survived. To think its a GREAT thing that only a few thousand even voted is shameful, no matter who you are affliated with. Time will tell as usual what the real outcome will be, we'll be watching and waiting, so I would make my words sweet and digestible in case you have to chew on them, being a pompous, rude person doesn't make you right, either. I KNOW you are not from these parts, the few Southerners that are still here, don't take kindly to folks calling other's names just because they don't agree, boy, you need to learn some respect, and sweet TEA is a great thing, don't knock it. When I went to school in Cobb County, anyone with such a different last name wouldn't have made it 30 minutes, someone would have whipped your behind the barn just because, be glad you arrived later in life, anyone that is as rude as you always on these blogs would have NEVER been tolerated, you are very smug, rude, inconsiderate, hateful, cynical, ALWAYS right, you think your opinion is the only opinion, I respect all other opinions, I'm writing this to WARN all other bloggers, they won't forget your name, I haven't, cause you have been on these blogs before spewing HATE, no different this day. Praying for your attitude. ~Blessings.

Watch the Superior Plumbing folks get contracts after contracts, Byron, you put something about the tea party, and the back patting, tea drinking, good ole' boys in the same post, --well, with Superior Plumbing being a huge contributor to this SPLOST, what is the words you would use to describe them? I believe you are alittle confused on who is the back patting, scratch my back, and I'll scratch your's, Tea Party folks are all about education first and foremost. What you described is what is happening in Cobb, so you must be against the SPLOST or you are very confused, which is it? Look, I don't know the person(s) that voted for/against/or whatever if they are part of tea party or the progressive (new name for liberal party) party, and in saying that, who cares? Its really weird how you try to tie tea party people folks in being the ones that voted no, how do you come to that rationale'? I haven't read anything that leads to that kind of thinking, or is this what you say? Why don't you give articles, facts, statements that say this? You must be a Tea Party person in drag, as you sure do write a lot of things about those people. I've never seen them do anything wrong, but hold signs, that's not against the law as far as I know. Fact: the ones I know are very patriotic, what is wrong w/that? This is America. I just ponder as to why you have such great HATE for a group of people and slam everyone that doesn't agree w/you. Smile, you might like it.

Well, if you don't have any kids or grandkids in school, you probably don't care to pay tax on something you will see no benefit for. I didn't vote simply because, after being unemployed for awhile now, I don't have a lot of money to spend and, therefore, don't spend a lot. And my mother doesn't pay school tax on her property tax bill, so I guess they are making up for it by the continued tax. I graduated from Osborne High School in 1971. I didn't particularly like the building then, so I am glad they are replacing it, although the area demographics have changed dramatically and I can only hope the students appreciate the fact that they matter so much that they will get a new school. I still don't know why the City of Marietta needs $407,000+ for their driver's education cars for the next four or five years. Some of the costs are absolutely ridiculous. But, there again, I didn't vote, so this is all I will say. I hope the kids appreciate this.

I am opposed at this tax and move now to boycott Cobb county, I will drive the extra mile to do all my shopping, gas spending, etc outside the county and ask anybody to do the same there is more than one way to skin a cat!

Great. It passed. Now let's shift focus and realize it's time for Cobb school board to get its operational spending under control, stop those in-state conventions, etc.

Anyone who doesn't think they should help with schools' capital expenditures because they don't have kids in school are deadbeats. The schools help your land value but you would rather not contribute to that increase in land value. You can't have your cake and eat it too. It's like a deadbeat wishing they could live somewhere but not being willing to get a job and/or pay for it.

It is not legal in the state of GA to fund capital expenditures except with bonds and taxes. Would you rather it hit your property taxes? Some people would foreclose in that case.

Don't call people on this blog deadbeats, if you were out of work, you might not be so quick to jump, and then to lecture someone because they used religious tones, if you don't like it, you don't have to read it, I wouldn't use scripture on here, but its still America, and then we have some of the rudest people calling other's names cause they don't vote the same as them, so I would rather read religious overtones than to read rude and cynical words. You and Byron are top notch at slamming other's on the patch every chance you get, its time to grow up and at least pretend they you are an adult even if you are not. You wanted the yes votes, and you got them, so be happy about that at least. People are never happy no matter what the outcome is in anything. I'm not happy with the vote, but I haven't called other's names or been rude, its the American way, there was a vote and it is what it is. Take care and chill out alittle bit, be happy, life is short.

is reminded by the Holy Spirit ( http://HeartMDPhD.com/SpiritusSancti indwelling in his mind that as much if not more revenue from the Ed-SPLOST is generated by Cobb visitors than by Cobb residents. Truth is simply reality, which non-believers here really hate. All believing (John 3:16) friends (and even non-believing enemies) here are invited to attend Emory's **free** Global Health and Humanitarian Summit ( http://GHHS2013.org ) next month to learn how our successful efforts here are part of much larger and unstoppable global humanitarian movement that is unlike anything the world has ever seen before. Laus Deo (Psalm 117*) --> http://HeartMDPhD.com/LausDeo :-)

Another point toward Brian: After sleeping last night and re-reading your rude post where you call people "deadbeats" if they don't contribute to capital expenditures makes my blood boil. My grandmother is 96 years old, my grandparents paid taxes for over 50 years, her land value has gone down the tubes because of this economy and SHE IS NO DEADBEAT, my grandparents worked in fields and did hard labor in their life, something you wouldn't even begin to know about, and she has Great, great, grandchildren, and NO she shouldn't contribute to any future generations, she paid her part, and there is other situations similar, so for you to get on a blog and make such a ignorant statement is just that, ignorant. I have wrote before there is many people in this county out of work, or have had their hours slashed/or have had to take jobs that pay a lot less money, another reason we should help take the financial woes of them, instead of adding/or maintaining in this economy. Usually more taxes is not the way to get an economy moving. History has proved that, so before you get on here and spew all your HATE, you need to grow up, when you step on toes of people I love, I'm coming after you, so its not ALL dead beats, just because people don't agree w/your opinion DOES not give you the right to dis-respect them, SERIOUSLY, who do you think you are? You need to take some classes in Respect 101, coat your words with sugar instead of vinegar and you can get a lot more in return.

Bureacrats will always say they need more money and they will always use the "for the children" excuse. Handing money to bureacrats wil not result in better educated children. If there was any legitmacy to the need, then it would not have to be done through a special election.

HearDoc Andrew-I'm not dis-agreeing, but you never know what the (administration over the money) might decide to do w/it. There is no gurantees, and its not always been appropriately used, remember these are politicians of sorts. I will "TRY" to be positive, we'll wait and see, unless you are on the committee and know something we don't know, if so..feel free to share, otherwise, we hope and pray for the best and for the best for the children, but I'm not holding my breath!

Brian, You just talk in blah, blah, circles, YES you did and DO personal attacks, and for that reason ALONE, I have read and re-read your post about dead beats, if that ain't calling people names cause they don't agree w/you, then what is it? You TRY to use big words to twist what you say, you may fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time. Just break it down and quit trying to impress folks. As I said, before you have been rude, cynical and put other's down if they don't agree w/your opinion, I don't agree w/you, doesn't make me wrong, and maybe I'm not 100% right either, but I have enough integrity to admit it at least. Again, you would be taken seriously if you didn't have such a bad attitude about other people's points. I read ALL responses, and I'm not here to make friends necessarily either, but I'm also not on here to make enemies, and obviously you are not a politician, as they usually tell people what they want to hear until they get elected. I have never ask anyone to sugar coat anything, go ahead and say what you think that's fine, but its the tone and hatefulness that makes you seem so angry about every subject put up for discussions, I didn't know it was the "Brian" hour, I thought it was discussions from everyone to be able to interject different thoughts and opinions, Guess I didn't get the memo, where we have to agree with each other.