Both sides on November's mass transit referendum to replace property taxes with a sales tax hike in Pinellas County are gearing up their campaigns for an against Greenlight Pinellas. We recently talked to Randal O'Toole of the libertarian Cato Institute, who claimed light rail doesn't work. Today, with the other side, WUSF's Steve Newborn talks with Arthur Guzzetti, Vice President for Policy at the trade group American Public Transportation Association.
"The ballot measure in Pinellas County will expand the coverage, largely through bus networks, but create a system out of it where you have a light rail providing a trunk, providing a spark for economic growth," says Guzzetti. "That has been the case around the country. It's not just about the mobility, but it's also about the economic growth it will spark in your community."
Opponents of November's Greenlight Pinellas initiative claim that raising sales taxes would cause people to turn away from the area and scare away businesses.
Here's Greenlight Pinellas' plans for expansion, if the referendum passes:
