Sen. Doug Stoner is author of bipartisan legislation to create the Georgia Taxpayer Receipt, a user-friendly, online mechanism for taxpayers to see how the state is spending their tax dollars. Specifically, the Georgia Taxpayer Receipt allows any taxpayer to quickly break out their taxes paid into the government programs where the money is being spent. Click here to try it out.
The legislation is SB 322 was favorably reported by the Senate Government Oversight Committee and awaits a vote by the full Senate.
Taxpayer Receipt Act clears Senate committee
The Georgia Taxpayer Receipt Act (SB 322), authored by Sen. Doug Stoner (D-Smyrna), has moved out of the Senate Government Oversight committee and heads now to the Senate Rules Committee. The movement signals a bipartisan understanding that citizens want greater transparency from government. Click here or the image at left for Sen. Stoner's video presentation.
Mounting citizen frustration with national partisan politics is something Stoner believe turns off voters and he said Georgia deserves better.
"Citizens entrust their elected officials to represent them openly, honestly and to find better ways to engage them in the process. Over the years, I have operated by this set of values. I am very pleased that the committee favorably passed out the bi-partisan Georgia Taxpayer Receipt Act of 2012," said Stoner. "I authored and introduced this bill with the support of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in order to promote transparency by creating a Web site where any taxpayer can enter their state tax payments from the previous year and easily see how those funds are being spent."
The Web site will organize more than 40 budget line items into eight categories such as education, health and human services, corrections, and debt service. The Department of Revenue will be responsible each year for organizing budget line items by category and submit their proposal to the Senate Government Oversight and House Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight Committees for their approval. The cost to the state to set up the site would be nearly nonexistent since we would use existing IT personnel.
Stoner has created a sample site that demonstrates how the system could be set up. The sample Web site can be viewed at www.dougstoner.com. Click on the Georgia Taxpayer Receipt icon.
The Taxpayer Receipt Act is part of an ongoing effort to bring government closer to the people in a way that makes sense and removes barriers to access.
Too often, citizens feel distant from their government and the people they elect to represent them.
By creating a clear and up-to-date depiction of the state budget we are greatly improving government transparency of the budgeting process as well as creating a method for taxpayers to determine themselves if the state government is responsibly using their tax dollars, he said.
Stoner said voters have said loudly and clearly they want government that works. They want a responsive government and they want to know those they elect to govern will make the sort of decisions necessary to keep taxes low and services as high as possible.
"I have listened to those concerns and the Taxpayers' Receipt is one of several proposals I have put forward this year to be certain that we fix government so it works for everyone," Stoner said
"I am also pleased that my colleague, Republican Sen. Judson Hill of Marietta joined with me in this effort to push forward this initiative. The Georgia Taxpayer Receipt passed out of committee with bi-partisan support. The bill moves now to Senate Rules."
Sen. Stoner to host Town Hall meeting Feb. 2
State Sen. Doug Stoner (D-Smyrna) will host a Town Hall meeting Thursday, Feb. 2, at 6:30 p.m. in the Media Center of Morris Brandon Elementary in Buckhead. The address is 2741 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30327, at the corner of Howell Mill and West Wesley roads. Please plan to attend for a discussion of current legislative issues.
Sen. Stoner to co-host Cobb transportation forum Thursday in Smyrna
Smyrna, Ga. – Sen. Doug Stoner (D-Smyrna) in conjunction with Representatives Stacey Evans (D-Smyrna) and David Wilkerson (D-Austell) of the Cobb County delegation, will hold a forum to explore the various initiatives and projects contained in the proposed regional transportation project list.
“As a long time proponent of cutting edge transportation, I am excited to explore with our constituents the details of the Transportation Investment Act draft project list that has been initiated by the region. Critical to the region’s ability to attract businesses and jobs to our area is the reduction of gridlock and transportation planning,” said Stoner. “Too often we hear of companies choosing to locate in other southeastern states because of our lack of transportation planning. Now, we have an opportunity to address this issue head on.”
The transportation forum will be held Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Brawner Hall, Taylor-Brawner Park, 3180 Atlanta Road, SE, Smyrna.
Mayor Mark Matthews of Kennesaw and Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee will also be attending the form along with Faye DiMassimo, the Director of Cobb DOT, who will provide a presentation on the Transportation Investment Act project list. Residents will be able to ask questions about the projects and provide input.
For more information contact Karla Johnson, 404-463-2518.
Sen. Stoner receives 2011 Environmental Leadership Award
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Sen. Doug Stoner receives the 2011 Environmental Leadership Award from Rob Teilhet, executive director of Georgia Conservation Voters.
Sen. Stoner to co-host Town Hall meeting May 3
Please join state Sen. Doug Stoner and state Rep. Stacey Evans for a post-legislative session Town Hall meeting Tuesday, May 3, at 7 p.m. at the Smyrna Community Center.
Statement of Sen. Doug Stoner on tax bill
April 8, 2011
Senate Democrats have grave concerns about the latest incarnation of so-called tax “reform” legislation proposed by Republicans on the special joint tax committee. With only three days left in the current session, Democrats appointed to the committee have been excluded from all discussions regarding the legislation, so we are reacting to media reports of the most recent round of changes to the bill.
Senate Democrats will not support a tax bill that would result in a $200 million to $300 million hole in the state budget. This proposal is no longer revenue neutral, and the difference would have to be made up elsewhere in the budget. How many more Georgia State Patrol Troopers will have to be furloughed in the Republicans’ new plan? How many more GBI crime labs will be shut down? How many additional millions in education funding will be cut from our local schools?
Let me repeat, Senate Democrats will not support a tax bill that further jeopardizes public safety and public education in our state.
We will also oppose any scheme that shifts the tax burden to middle and working class families. According to a Georgia Budget & Policy Institute analysis, more than 46 percent of the income tax cut in this proposal would go to those making more than $500,000 a year (0.6 percent of all filers), at an average tax break of nearly $11,000.
Meanwhile, those making $100,000 or less (89 percent of all filers) would, on average, realize an income tax cut of no more than $42 – which would be quickly surpassed by new taxes on communications and satellite TV service, individual vehicle transactions and auto repair labor, which would in turn cause higher car insurance premiums.
This is not tax reform. It’s simply another Republican shell game that proposes to take more money out of Georgia households during some of the toughest economic times in our state’s history. Overwhelmingly, our constituents oppose such a scheme, and they are letting us know about it.
Senate Democrats remember well the adage all of us heard from our mothers when we were children, one that Senate Republicans have apparently forgotten: just because your friends jump off a cliff doesn’t mean you have to do the same.
Sen. Stoner participates in Smyrna groundbreaking
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February 8, 2011
Sen. Doug Stoner (second from left) joins other officials in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Crossings at Four Corners shopping center, to be anchored by a Kroger supermarket, in Smyrna. (Photo by Laura Moon/Marietta Daily Journal)
Smyrna town hall focuses on education
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By Michael Packer
Smyrna-Vinings Patch
February 4, 2011 The topic of education took center stage at a Thursday night town hall meeting hosted by Sen. Doug Stoner and Rep. Stacey Evans.
Stoner (D-Smyrna) is serving his fourth term in the Georgia State Senate, representing South Cobb County from Senate District 6. Evans (D-Smyrna) was elected to the State House last November and represents parts of Smyrna, Marietta and Vinings.
Held at the Smyrna Community Center, the sparsely attended event nonetheless was filled with informative discussion.
“This is just the first of many conversations we are going to have,” said Evans.
And while several issues were discussed, education seemed to be what most of those in attendance came to get answers about. According to Stoner, 56-perent of the state budget is spent on education, which includes kindergarten through college, as well as technical schools.
He explained that since the governor has ordered no more serious budget cuts for K-12, some elected officials have been trying to come up with creative money saving solutions. One freshman representative, he said, recommended a 10-percent cut in the prison system. This decrease in funds, however, means the state would have to close three prisons.
Stoner said that while closing three prisons is not a smart move at the moment, he acknowledged that too much money is spent in the prison system as a whole. He explained that while $34,000 is spent on each inmate per year, only about $6,000 per year is spent on a child in the education system.
“Georgia has the fifth largest prison population in the country,” he said. “One out of 13 people here are in a prison.”
Evans and Stoner were also asked their opinion about the possibility of teacher “report cards” being made public. While Evans said she had yet to see that piece of legislation, she seemed to think that the idea might not be for the best.
“We need an effective way to evaluate our teachers but we have to be fair about it,” she said.
Added Stoner, “It sounds good for a headline but we have to use judgment. The last thing we want to do is put the scarlet letter on someone.”
When asked later about why they felt that so many parents were choosing to place their children in private school, both Evans and Stoner agreed class size seems to be the main issue.
Stoner said that even though his children are enrolled in a private school, he doesn’t put blame on the school system. While he opted for the smaller class sizes that private school offers, he said that parents should choose a private school wisely. He said he questions the validity of some operating outside of the metro-Atlanta area.
“They are called segregation schools down south,” he said.
Evans stated that smaller class sizes would help, but that every school district is different and that government officials should not try to put a mandate on how many students are allowed in a classroom.
“We should leave that up to the professionals,” she said
Transient students were another problem discussed at the meeting. Many students come and go, transferring from one school to another, each year. According to information shared at the meeting, many of these children are raised by single mothers, who move in and out of numerous apartments based on the first month of free rent that is often times offered. Transient students can drastically effect the performance evaluations that each school receives.
Cobb County District 2 Commissioner Bob Ott was at the meeting and confirmed the commission had recently eliminated free rent offered by apartment complexes in his district.
“You have to fix the area around the school,” he said. “The problem is not in the building.”
Evans went on to explain that fixing the education system comes down to making smart decisions.
“We don’t want to punish all the good school systems and we don’t want to always be operating in crisis mode,” she said.
When asked what is being done to keep teachers fresh, Evans said that the current evaluations do a good job. Stoner, however, said that he would like to see teachers have less paperwork to fill out. This, he reasoned, would take stress off of teachers and help them perform better in the classroom.
Imagine International Academy students visit the Capitol
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Students from Imagine International Academy in Smyrna visited the Capitol last week. Sen. Stoner welcomed Chastity Feggins, Alanix McKenzie and Devin Hart, along with Regional Director Carmen Hurst, to the Senate chamber.
District 6
P.O. Box 1781
Smyrna, GA 30081
Phone: 770.436.0699
Fax: 770.436.0699
Email: doug.stoner@senate.ga.gov
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