If you could please give a warm
welcome to Steven Lee to.

First of all how many of you
remember American Bandstand.

I mean that's a sad state part.

Dick Clark was there I was I
was I grew up in Pittsburgh.

And I came here to go to Emory but
in Pittsburgh.

They taught you how to dance.

So you know what can I tell you.

I was on American Bandstand and
I also dance last year for

the all Simers Association.

When they did Dancing With The Stars.

So.

It was a quite a treat for
an old guy like me.

I like I said I am from
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and

I came to Emory Law School.

And I was a litigator for
a number of years as a matter of fact for

about nineteen years and then my partner
was going to run for mayor of Atlanta.

And he asked me to become
his chief of staff.

Now I had never spent a day and
government before hand.

I was very naive.

I had been like a civil litigator and
I went down to City Hall.

Trying to be chief of staff
of the city of Atlanta.

Really.

In one thousand nine hundred ninety three.

With the Olympics coming in one
thousand nine hundred ninety six.

I promised the mare at the time
that I would do it for

two years through the Olympics but

within a few days of me coming down
the city hall there was a quote.

In the Atlanta Business Journal
Constitution at that time it would

have a large readership.

And the.

Says Hawks going to fly the coop
Hawks going to fly the coop so.

Merrily at me and
said This is your project.

Because of Philips Arena it was
to move to or not County and

that's where they were
thinking about going.

It would have met the death knell of
downtown and probably some of you don't

remember in the mid ninety's in the early
ninety's downtown was dying and

it was a major concern of everybody
especially with the Olympics coming.

That was my first taste of
a public private partnership that

was my first taste of it you're hearing
about it today all over the place and

really what does a public
private partnership mean.

What does it mean.

It really means the business and
government working together

to make certain that
a project is completed.

And it means it takes on many many
different shapes and sizes and

what its meaning lately is government
is taking on a lesser role and

the private sector is
taking on a GREAT of role.

And when you think about this think about
the fact that this should be a love affair

at this stage of our life of this
stage of where we are in the economy.

Public private partnerships makes
all the sense in the world.

Governments don't have money.

But what they have is land and control and
the ability to give incentives

and the private sector has money and
ingenuity.

But they need even to be
able to get their financing

the ability to say that the government
work project is going to be taken place

is coming together I'm
going to be with me.

So it should be a love affair.

And I'm.
Going to talk to you about a few of those

and they mentioned some of these projects
and I'm going to talk to you about one

a public private partnership that
you're going to see in this area.

Because everything all the big projects
that you're hearing a button Atlanta.

Are going to be in some way in some
form a public private partnership.

And the last I'm going
to talk to you about

what I think is going to ultimately
be a public private partnership.

And that is the last how many of you
have heard of the transportation

Investment Act of two thousand and ten.

Well you're going to be
hearing a lot about it.

And I'm hoping by the time
that I finish today.

You're going to want to look more
into it because it's your future.

If you intend to stay in Atlanta.

This is probably one of the most important

items that is going to be
before our voters in July.

That's going to affect all of us but

especially you all who
are going to want to stay here.

Afterwards when you graduate.

Now whenever I talk about
a public private partnership.

It always reminds me of a story.

And the story.

It goes like this there was a reverend.

And the Reverend his wife had passed and
he had to take care of his teenage son.

And he was worried about his teenage
son he is the know what was going

to become of them.

He was acting up doing different things.

So he came up with this
very ingenious idea.

And this ingenious idea
was he was going to put

a Bible money and

a bottle of whiskey
into the kid's room and

he was going to stand behind the door and
watch and he figured if the son came in.

And he took the Bible and
he was going to be all right.

He's going to be a reverend like me and
that the son came in and

he took the money he was
not going to be a reverend.

But he's going to be an entrepreneur.

He'll still be OK but
if the son comes in and takes the whiskey.

I know I got big problems.

I know I've got huge big problems.

So sure enough he lays it all out there
he goes in hides behind the closet.

Son comes home from school throws
his books on the bed looks

around the room goes and sees the Bible.

Start picking up going through it.

Puts it honors our sees the money.

Fix one can't believe it sticks is right
in this pocket sees the whiskey goes over.

Opens it up and just swigs it.

And you hear from the clause that.

My God he's going to be a politician.

Public private partnerships.

And we looted two one
in the beginning I was

the chief of staff of the city when the
Phillips Arena was was being conceived.

And think about this so that you guys
just get a little bearing on it.

We have a situation where the population
is really not coming as much to downtown.

We have a growing popular population and
it would net County.

The team at that point time
thinks about wants to go

where the population is because they're
in they have the ability to make money

they've got bad bad infrastructure.

And around that and they need you know and
they need a new arena.

City doesn't have the money
to build them a new arena.

So what.

How do you work that how do you see
how public private partnership works.

Well the city and
the hocks were able to say

here's what we'll do the city
had the land and we'll give.

The land for thirty years to
the Hawks to be able to utilize.

And the city had the ability interesting
way enough and it's of little known story.

One of the great stories that there
are all of this money that was needed for

infrastructure to change right from
the rain is now we're tech would

would would part road is or
whatever that is and

what happened was city didn't have money
for that and what happened was they raised

a car rental tax by one percent.

And they worked really hard on it.

The legislature understood
what this meant.

But the interesting thing about
it was all the car rentals

were in College Park not
in the city of Atlanta.

So in order to get the money the city
of Atlanta College Park enter into

an intergovernmental agreement which
very few people even knew about.

But for
the first years of this this this month.

This particular fund this money the extra
taxes went to the city of Atlanta to pay

off the bonds for all the infrastructure
that was going to take place.

And the Phillips and

the and the colleges are now
off the bonds and pay off.

They got the revenue and College Park
was smart enough to understand.

That if they didn't do something.

College Park was going to hurt as well.

So then the Hawks understood that
this was really important for

downtown and they understood
the city didn't have any money so.

They needed the city to bond because
they came in at a lower interest rate.

But they agreed to pay for
everything and that was an incredible.

Deal at the time for
the city of Atlanta and

they also promised at the time to
bring the hockey team which they did.

Unfortunately and promise to keep it
forever but they promised to keep it at

the time and bring one and they did so
that was a really the beginning of

understanding what it takes to make
a public private partnership and

then you take a look at the Atlantic
Station which is right next to and

think about that project think about
that project an old steel mill.

Abandoned.

Water and seen the sort of sewer problems
a brownfield who is going to fix that.

Why would you fix that up to try
to do it during the Olympics.

Nobody wanted a piece of
that nobody could get there.

Why would a developer come and say I
want to work on this particular project.

Unless there was some economic incentives
and less the public did something.

To recognize that we need to attract
development to that section how you going

to do it the mare was thoughtful
enough at the time to look and

see and really put together a task force
to look for different financing mechanisms

in because anybody take finance or
anybody heard of tax increment financing.

OK we'll we'll talk about
that just a little bit but

what the split the city had to
do was come up with a novel way

to get a developer to do this because
a developer had to put streets in.

And fix all the water in the sewer issues
and clean up the environmental issues.

And why would somebody
on new land do that and

think about at this time at the time
when this project was there.

We're at that time it was paying taxes
to the city of Atlanta Fulton County

in the school board the amount of three
hundred twenty thousand dollars total.

That was it every year.

That's what they were getting so
a developer Jacoby had a dream.

He said I can put this together and
I need help.

So we looked for
different financing techniques and

we came up with creating a tax allocation
system and a tax allocation district

around the country is known as the tax
increment financing but in Georgia.

It's a tax allegations that are too
long reasons to go into why but

that's neither here nor there.

And what that is is this ingenious.

You create a redeveloping area and
they did right around the hundred

thirty some acres of Atlantic Station and

they put in say the taxes

that are coming into
the system now stay but

any new development that comes
into this particular area.

The taxes generated from that.

Can go back into the project.

So that way if in fact when they
first built the Dillard's or

the office building those increased
taxes could go back into a special fund.

To be utilized by the developer
to put back into the project

a very big deal at
the time we have used it.

Now all over the city of Atlanta.

As a matter of fact land is used
up its allocation of bonds but

think about what this did for
the city of Atlanta.

I was told you that at the time it was
paying three hundred twenty thousand

dollars today when it's
forty five percent built out

which means it's got a ways to go.

It's producing over twenty
million dollars in taxes.

And by the time.

This is all built out and

the bonds are paid it will be producing
about forty million dollars in taxes.

But here we got the developer we
needed to take a chance we have

a city that I only had any money but they
have the incentives to be able to do this.

And so we were able to put
that together to do with

an unbeliever project whether you like it
or not whether there are good things in

the you like the restaurants
you don't like the restaurants.

It's a unbelievable.

Unbelievable example.

If what can be done when you
are working together and

I want to put one more thing in
there in order to make it work.

It was required by the federal
government that there be a bridge across

the where you see the seventeenth Street
Bridge now that bridge I would say to you

changed the way it connected the east and
west side of Atlanta like it's never been

connected in all this development that's
occurring on the west side right now is

because that bridge opened and that was
working with the state and the state

put about seventy million dollars in that
project and the city of Atlanta in the Tad

bods put about two hundred fifty
million dollars in the project.

But a drop in the bucket to what
it's really going to be producing

the ones who are now think about this.

Let's talk about the president
What projects do we.

Coming up here.

What are you hearing about hearing
about of new and football stadium

that there's a new football stadium in
bet that's going to be a public private

partnership that they're going to
put together to be able to do that.

You can bet that the Falcons are going to
put in a lot of money into that deal and

the state and the government
which doesn't have it is going to

be working something to be
able to make that work.

You hear about Fort Macpherson and for
below the two Army bases that are closing

huge economic development projects for
this particular region.

Have to be done by public for hasee no
other financing to be able to do it for

your reading about the multi-modal which
is going to be downtown a couple a year or

so ago a team was chosen to
study how this multi-modal

in the gulch can be can be
made to be a great thing.

I mean.

Do most people here support transit.

Yes or no.

Hands who supports transit

who doesn't.

Not all the hands went up but

I don't see so maybe the multi-modal

I mean is going to be a huge development
project whose heart about the beltline.

Belt Line is going to have money.

It's going to come in from a number of
different sources but you can bet they

formed a tax allocation district
around the belt want but you can bet

that that's going to have to be a public
private partnership to make it work.

And now let's talk about.

When I considered the being
the most important project

that I really want to convince you that
should be an important project for you.

Is the transportation Investment Act
of two thousand and ten.

It's called last.

What this does anybody think
that our roads are congested.

Yes or no.

Does anybody think.

That we need in this region economic
development that we need more jobs.

Is anybody does anybody
disagree with that.

Does anybody disagree with that Lana
has really the metro Atlanta really

has taken a hit and we have been

hit hard by the real stay crisis we
have been hard by a lack of jobs.

Our unemployment is higher than
most around the region the country.

Does anybody disagree that.

OK that pay attention.

The teaspoon lost is this
there is a vote in July

of this year when the primaries come.

And the vote is this the state for

the first time has been
divided into regions.

There are twelve regions.

There is one metro region consisting
of the ten County Metro region.

The Kent County Metro region is
that the cab in Colorado and go net

etc Fulton Henery and they've and
this is you have the right.

We will have the right to vote for
a penny sales tax.

To be utilized strictly for
transportation projects in our region.

In other words it won't go to
be divided around the state.

Each region has the election.

If a region wants it and they do it.

The money collected and
that sales tax in that area will be

kept in that area they're
up in one hundred and

fifty seven projects that are on a print
prove the list and what's a story is

they had a twenty member board of
regional politicians coming together and

unanimously voting on what
projects needed to get done and

they had a criteria and
the criteria was one

Can we get it moving within ten years and

to is it really going to
help relieve congestion.

And it's interesting the I said there was
unanimous agreement but there's still

there's still people complaining
about some of the projects.

Some of you do any of
you live in Cobb County.

Well you know there was a there's a
project in Cobb County that is supposed to

be rail.

That is to come down from
Cobb County to Atlantic Station and

that was one of the agreed upon projects
but apparently because of what happened

with the got the Cobb County people
don't want that project anymore and

they'd like to use it for
construction and there's going to be.

Other people don't like the fact
that the beltline is one of

the projects going to receive an awful lot
of money and the reason that they don't

want that is because they don't see the
beltline is really a congestion reliever

they see it as more as a developmental
project but this is going.

To be green.

If it's passed eight billion dollars to
the states to this to the region excuse me

in the ten years that eludes
us eight billion with a B.

and it will be divided up and

as the projects have been agreed upon and
fifteen percent of that

by the way of those monies collected
will be given back to each jurisdiction.

So that they can use it for projects that
are not necessarily funded by the lost.

So what does that mean would
means if this goes forward

even if you don't like the all the
projects think about what this means for

economic development two
hundred thousand jobs

is the first estimate of what's
going to happen if this were to pass

Think about the jobs for
the engineers who haven't been working.

Think about the jobs for the construction
industry that's been out of work for

years thirty five thousand
construction jobs predicted

in the first three or four years of this

an economic boom where we
haven't seen cranes or

anything out there in a long
time we have the ability

to have absolute a great
economic situation here.

Where there's building going all place and
that's why.

It's important you guys

you guys got to get behind this
especially if you're staying in Atlanta.

And you don't want to deal with congestion
which is only going to get worse.

There is no.

No plan B. folks if this doesn't pass
we just get more and more congested.

I don't know how many of you know this but
you when you drive a car.

The only money that goes to fixing

up your roads is some money we get from
the federal government when doing.

And the money we get from the gas tax.

But think about it.

People are driving more
efficient cars they're not

driving as much they hate the traffic
the gas tax is going down.

We don't have the money to be able to fix

this the lemma that with the state is in.

If this doesn't pass.

They we are going to see it more and
more congested and I'll tell you something

congestion doesn't do anything about
bringing businesses to this region and

that's another thing that all of you
should be thinking about as well.

How you can protests a pate and how
Porton it is that the see this area grow

and so that's why in my opinion
I wear this but very proudly.

And hope that we will see more and
more view voting because here's the deal.

There are a lot of people who
are anti-tax just anti-tax.

And this is a vote in the primary in July.

So it's not going to be huge turnout.

So it is very important that
the ones who understand

the value of what this means to our state.

The public private partnership that
will be created because believe me.

If these projects get started.

This is just a tip in the iceberg
of what will go on following that.

So.

I'm sort of passionate about it
because I have been involved in

seeing government and
private sector work for a long time.

That's what I do at my law firm and

it's interesting because I said I do in so
many different ways.

I work on baseball stadiums I
work on development projects.

I work on issues that that
are far different but

they always resolve around revolve
around the intersection of business and

government and I think all of
you as your careers take off.

Are going to see that there's a much

more of an integration in
just about everything you do.

So with that I want to open it up for
questions I think I'm on the thing and

I hope that you learn so thank

you thank you.

Hi this is really random compared to
the speech they are talking about but

when we were introduced they meant
in a project in San Diego and

I was just wondering how you
got involved in that and

how that connected as you've
done a lot of work in Atlanta.

That's a that's a good question but

it was interesting because
when I worked in the city.

I worked on the representing the city.

On the Atlantis.

I mean on the Philips Arena project when
I left and went to the private sector.

The city of Sandy Eggo called me because
they felt like I had an understanding

of government.

So that I could represent them in

their negotiations on the private
with the private sector attorney.

So I worked with this city
there in San Diego as well.

It was fascinating.

Really.
I do a couple of other baseball stadiums

to baseball stadiums are interesting or.

To me one of the more unfortunate
qualities of Atlanta is the lack of urban

planning and how spread out and
kind of there's this very large sprawl and

to me the beltline is a real key factor
that could help turn that around and I was

wondering to you like there's this there's
this pattern of a culture in Atlanta.

That doesn't really embrace those
kind of ideas and so to you what.

What do you feel like are the main.

Things in Atlanta and Georgia culture
that kind of prevents this development.

What prevents system element.

Well you know I think interesting
Lee enough I think the beltline

is going to go.

I I think the there has been a lot of.

Of.

I guess naysayers about whether this
is really a transportation project or

a development neighborhood parks and
rec project.

So there are naysayers about that.

I personally am a believer and
in the event that this particular

loss passes the the a beltline will get

about six hundred fourteen million
towards making it a reality.

So I think it will help and I think
the way they are selling it and the way

I hope it will be is there will be tying
in from the belt line to the street car.

You know that's supposed to come up
Peachtree Street there will be tie

into that.

So it really could be tied into Marta.

It could be a very successful project so

I'm hopeful that that will work but
I really am.

With the new tax.

Sounds like the government is trying to
kind of solve the problem on their own.

How does it come in with the public
government partnership here.

How is the public invested money
in really doing this rather than

go with the money the investment of the
money is that if you're taxing yourself.

You're the public is taxing
itself to put this these

transportation monies out there.

So unlike when you worked with industry
before to get projects done but

this is just taken money
through taxes to put back.

Well that's you know there are one
ways to mean that's one way in this

particular set of of of
projects that it has to happen.

Like I said in other ways sometimes the
public has a land that they might give in

the private sector finances the whole
thing I.E. you all heard about the.

What's happening around the airport
with the Porsche moving down there and

you know that's going to be.

I don't know if you all heard about
that's going be a great project Porsche

is moving their headquarters
right next to the airport.

It's going to have a track that you're
going to be able to test drive cars

around but they.

I mean there they used it
when they didn't use money.

Yes.

SCUSE ME I'M SORRY I'M OK go ahead.

That's not a huge difference
you see transit and

transportation I think ends like.

The average this is the No that.

I'm sorry I mean I'm
hearing first party and

that's OK that's there's a huge difference
between transit and transportation and

I think the average citizen
doesn't know those things.

Do you think it was a political
tactic to put a bill on daytime or

primary and how do you think that the.

How like one of the ways can
we educate the public about

transit oriented development that really
needs to happen in states Georgia.

OK.

Well.

You know.

Taking the last question first.

I think the educational process that
you will see is coming in other

words in the next couple of months with
regard to the tea splice you will see

that that is going to be highly advertised
you're going to be hearing about it.

I hope.

And you will hear more and
more people talking about it.

There is an arm of the Elana
chamber that is based for

education and
there's one base for raising.

Money and advocacy.

And you will be hearing
from the Agassi you are so

right about transit and transportation.

The.

And a lot of people don't understand is
and this is one of the big issues and

I'm glad you brought that up one of
the big issues is a lot of people.

Don't like transit or don't want transit.

But interesting Lee enough
I think a lot of people

recognize that if we're going
to get ourselves out of

the jam that we are in transit is
going to be a necessary component.

So of this T.

splice projects that have been chosen
about fifty one percent are transit.

Henri I mean when I say transit
they are rapid transit.

The other forty seven or forty eight
percent are fixing roads in congestion.

Like are you any of you live in
the area near Sandy Springs where they

were four hundred comes in the series
Springs and the end that big interchange.

Now you do.

Well you can imagine that that's one of
the targeted roads to be changed over and

that but so you're right but
a lot of people don't understand.

And that's going to be very very
important to be able to educate people

on exactly what these
projects are going to be.

Did that was that incident
answer questions.

OK Everything's political.

Everything's political.

That's for sure.

Yes several people I know that I've
talked to about the beltline in

particular have expressed concern
that it will turn to a MARTA

type management system where it serves
a very limited number of customers and

it is overly expensive for
those customers and has a limited service.

What will you do what is the plan
to keep it from falling into

that sort of management system.

You know I think that's really
premature because I don't.

I think they've really planned.

The Beltline transportation at all yet
so I don't know where you're hearing.

Those those comments but it would seem
to me that they're you know misplaced

because the believe me what's going you're
going to see happen is if anything.

Martha may loose its identity.

And come into what's called
a greater regional transportation.

And they may fall under what's
now known as ground up.

And I think I don't think you're going
to see Marta taking over any type of of.

The Beltline or anything like that but
again it's very premature because it

really hasn't been you know transportation
has really been planned yet.

Yes.

Steve you mentioned in the public
private projects that the but

the city has land incidents
basically that's or chip so

they put on the table primarily in August.

Could you give us some examples.

Perhaps of that are necessary
real slate related but

where perhaps the public or private
partnerships could be extended Were those

chips particular chips to be used to
help automate your risk create new

businesses to create jobs that way rather
than through real estate development.

Well let's think.

The privatization of any
of the services that

the city is looking to potentially
privatized fleet management being one.

Where they're thinking about going out to
try to do that which would create jobs be

more efficient potentially to do
something like that energy audits.

You know they need they need
people to come in there.

The private sector would be able
to come in there insists with an.

Gian it's that me.

You know do something.

I mean that's sort of a public private
partnership not quite the same thing.

I don't know that I'm touching on
everything that you are what do you.

Bob Wills.

Infrastructure real estate
bigger bigger projects I think.

But I think there is a smaller way.

Fulton County wanting to
privatized its medical clinics.

I mean there's a number of ways that
that's still a public private partnership.

It's just a different kind of public
private partnership and we're talking.

There.

Right well I mean you know
you know I think the A.B.A.

is trying to sit down there and
try to come up with the problem is they

don't have any funding to try to
come up with on cheaper Norse and

to assist entrepreneurs in different
things but it's very difficult.

No

one.

Right.

That is in them and

you said that you talked all the about how
it's going to be divided up into regions

and in that regions tax monies can
be spent on transportation there and

they use that are region
included Gwinnett which is huge.

So have you guys thought about any way
that you're going to you'd like which

projects you're going to do for us.

That the that went the way it was has
in this when net everybody came in.

In this region you're exactly
right when it is huge.

Fulton is huge.

We have the largest region.

No question about that.

But they all came in with the.

Their wish list of projects.

And then it was whittled down.

And so
they nobody got everything they wanted

as a matter of fact some of
the issues that still exist is for

instance the cab County
really wanted to have a line

extended Marta out on I twenty they didn't
get that they're not happy about it.

So nobody got everything they wanted.

The projects that will be
done first supposedly.

Are those that can be done the quickest.

Because they want the economic generation
of these things starting right

away but my guess is that of
a project going to take longer.

They're going to have to get the planning
and everything else for that done as well.

So the way they have it set up at
this point in time as Gretta which

is the overall potential transportation
on will take care of all

the be the overseer of
the transit projects.

And the Georgia Department of
Transportation will be the overseer of all

the road projects.

Yes.

He explained the penny's
path Marden He explained

that any tax they were
talking about the penny tax.

OK the penny tax is what we were talking
about the penny tax is a sales tax

a sales tax.

And for any so
when anything that you purchase not.

I think food is exempted.

But if you when you purchase
something there will be another penny

put on on your purchase.

On each Well if you have
fifty five dollars in in

purchases another penny will be
put on to what you previously had.

So it will be at that will be added but.

The good thing about this is and
what doesn't happen.

Usually.

Is that all of this money that is collect.

That from this penny.

Will go back into the region
the ten county region.

And they will have the use of that money
for the projects that we just discussed.

So before where it would go.

To many different places.

This is earmarked.

So that it does what it's
supposed to accomplish and

that I think is very important
in various store will.

Really you've given us
a lot of educational

different projects we can you talk
about what you actually do with M.L.A.

and what your role in these projects are.

And it's interesting question.

Thank you.
I wonder myself sometimes.

Our guys are we have
a governmental practice.

And we are we one of the few large
firms in the city that does this in

a focuses on this and this is sort of the
intersection of business and government.

And what we do and I am in the local and

state area we have a federal
government area and we have a state and

local government area and we and
I work in the state and local government.

But what I what we do is and I can
only give you an example of a project.

We are representing the people
of Port Dillon Fort Gillem

is a project now that you will
hear about it is the base

in Forest Park that has closed up and
the army is leaving.

So you can imagine Fort MacPherson
which is in the city of Atlanta and for

BRAC I mean for Galen both closed and
when this leaves

think about this all these army guys
Lee what does it do to a community.

You know all the people who
used to go to those restaurant.

And go to those shopping centers and
go to things are gone.

So now it is they basically
work out an agreement and

my job was is to assist in the many
different governmental issues

that exist in trying to
take this from the army

to the private sector to getting all
the permeating and all the tax incentives

that are necessary to make a project like
this work working with the infrastructure.

And because there are so many different
infrastructure issues that has to deal

with because I said any per many issues
that some of the developers will have or

procurement issues that they might
have all of that falls under

the the public private partnership so

I really do that in in that particular
instance in a in a baseball stadium when I

negotiate baseballs that I represent
the county and I'm trying to

give them the best deal to protect them so
that we try to transfer the risk.

From a public entity to a private entity.

Of course I'm representing the private and
the I'm trying to get public interest.

But you know that's that's
what that's what I do.

I can represent both sides and

have represented both sides I
have an understanding obviously.

Not a sin.

I would say into.

But at the same time.

It's an issue that you talk about
is is clearly important and

it's a big quality of life issue
that there are other quality of life

issues in the region like
education like health care.

No question like dealing with
in a humanitarian way with

those who are developmentally disabled and
harmed.

When they're in the States.

Care How do we prioritize what kinds
of things we're going to vote on for

this extra penny.

Tax is.

This is a better way of getting things
done then deciding what the tax will be

and then having our elected
representatives with private

partners deciding what the priorities
are for quality of life.

We know that's of obviously a very
hard question and something that we

all have to think about but
in our in our lives we are.

We all sort of have priorities.

And I guess our legal our representatives
who are now at the legislature

have set forth the priorities that they
think the people of Georgia are want.

And this particular
priority has come ahead.

Of some of the other priorities
that you've mentioned.

Now it's my feeling for that in order
to make Georgia wonderful state.

There are three critical areas
that we have to deal with

transportation being one.

But clearly if we don't do something
about our educational system.

And if we don't do something about even
water and what's going to happen on

the water and we've got many many critical
areas but this we shouldn't in my mind.

That shouldn't just dismiss
the importance of this because

this can take care of one
of the critical areas and

I think that's why we all have to
focus on this but you're right.

My God we have issues so
many different issues.

If you work in government and you see
it there are there are thousands and

all great causes.

But you're I guess said your
representatives put out certain things

that they prioritize we elect them.

And this one we shouldn't punish
because this is the first one out.

That's not on the following
question the general assembly

the legislature has the authority
to appear that Israel's next.

Why do you think delegated this to
the people through a referendum

as opposed to the sobbing in themselves.

Because it was very political.

They didn't want to be.

I mean think about it.

Our state is very anti tax.

And because of that these guys
didn't want these legislators

were saying hey we want transportation.

They had the ability to do it themselves
but they felt like if the people want it.

Then I'll put it on the ballot but

they didn't want to take
the heat to pass it themselves.

That's for sure.

So that's why they did it this way.

So my question is a bit more general.

Put a lot of emphasis on public and
private.

Cooperation and just in the corporate
sector would you deal with mergers and

acquisitions there's a culture issue.

What would you say is the greatest
issue with public private

partnership partnerships.

And why you also mentioned that
this is a more prominent thing now

having these partnerships.

Is there a reason for that is that out of
necessity Well I think first of all it's

definitely Ceci now because governments
are much restricted you know federal

large Jess where the federal government
used to shower the cities and

states with money that it stopped.

So out of necessity local governments
especially but even the federal government

has to join forces with them so
I think that's that's for sure.

What's wrong with prop public private.

If you don't clearly one of the things
that's that's has to be done R.V.

agreements have to be looked at thought
through and done correctly because you can

be giving away certain things one side of
more than the other probably government

will be taken advantage of more than the
private sector and that's very important

that the agreements are drafted and
negotiated correctly and my being.

But that's the downside.

Because governments can't be taken for
you know for a bath.

Any other questions every done to get out
you know me to say one more thing to you.

And before you go into something for
you all to remember.

I think one of the things that my career.

Demonstrates is that you don't know
where life's going to take you.

You can start off being one thing and.

Just by chance do something else and

find yourself in a absolutely different
position than you ever thought you'd be in

and I think two things that
I'm going to say to you.

One is embrace that.

Because I think it it revitalizes and
it keeps thinking and he keeps year.

You know think thinking
in different ways and

and two Don't be afraid of change.

Because you know changes
can be really good.

And three for
some of you thinking about careers.

I want to tell you that I think
spending some time in the public sector

is a wonderful way to gain insight into
what the private sector is all about.

So I and learning which I didn't do.

Interesting.
Well you know it took me a long time

before I really understood
the private the public sector but

it is a good thing for people who have
the opportunity to get involved with you

feel good about it because doing public
service work is a really good and

and heartwarming and Phil and fulfilling.

But you also learn a real lot and

it can help you in the private
sector later on down the line.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.