Editor’s note: In an editorial on June 3 we asked readers to give us their comments on the July 31 vote on T-SPLOST, a regional sales tax increase to pay for a long list of transportation projects in the 10-county Three Rivers region of West Georgia. Here is the first sampling of readers comments:

— No more taxes. No more regulations. No more lies. Are you foolish and greedy politicians listening? No more. We are getting so Orwellian it’s frightening.

— If this thing passes, then we deserve what we get ... more irresponsible spending. Remember, you will lose your right to have an opinion as soon as you vote yes. Are you willing to do that for 10 years?

— I think they would not have to worry about it passing, if they would not waste the money they spend now.

— I guess my conservative neighbors are going to have to stop talking about “tax and spend liberals” if this tax passes. This will be approved by a group of voters that is made up of at least 70 percent conservatives.

— Raising taxes in a stalled economy is not the way to encourage growth and development. If this passes, you can bet government will spend “in anticipation of revenue,” and that means increased debt for the people. Then in the next economic crunch (and there will always be another one), government will want to raise taxes again because of bond obligations. I will not vote to entrap further the public coffers with debt, especially for counties other than our own.

— Our leaders always argue that growth requires more money, which I totally accept. However, that does not justify the increase in percentage-based taxes. Inflation and an increased spending population automatically increases revenues without needing to increase the size of the pie slice the state requires.

— The current (gasoline) tax in Georgia on a gallon of regular fuel is 47.8 cents, with 18.4 cents of that federal tax. That leaves 29.4 cents the state is receiving. Just think about the gallons sold in this state in a single day. Based on 100,000 gallons a day, and I’m sure it’s more, that equates to over $10 million a year.

— I just can’t vote for it, our state gave Delta Airlines millions in tax breaks so it could buy an oil refinery in another state. We gave KIA millions so it could hire citizens from Alabama. No, enough is enough — no more corporate welfare for me.

— Vote no on any tax and you will be safe.

— This one cent per dollar equals a 14 percent increase in sales tax.

— Remember when we had a 3 percent sales tax and no county sales tax? Then we had a 3 percent state and 1 percent Local Option Sales Tax. Then we had a 4 percent state sales tax and 1 percent county LOST. Then we added a 1 percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax to the 4 percent state sales tax and the 1 percent county LOST. We added a 1 percent Education Special Purpose Sales Tax. Now they want you to add another 1 percent for transportation, and never mind the sales tax and fuel tax on gas has gone up. Government and termites never get enough. Don’t forget the income tax and Social Security tax. What do you have left to spend? Can you afford another tax?

— This is not going to help us in Coweta a bit.

— I will vote no to T-SPLOST because it is a regional vote, not a county vote. We will be paying for other counties that may not have the income but have the votes. This is taxation without representation.

— I am for improving infrastructure, but this is not the best way to do this. This was rammed through by the GOP leadership. This is the most regressive tax in Georgia’s history. If Georgia is seeking to have real tax reform, the last thing you want to do is place a regressive tax on single-parent families and the elderly on fixed incomes. The projects will not be finished within 10 years, and the last four audits of GDOT should be enough to make one shudder. This tax is all wrong in so many ways.

— I can’t wait until a real need is here and the different SPLOSTs will total a dime or so by then. Why not live within our means now?

— We need to generate money to improve and maintain our transportation infrastructure. This T-SPLOST seems to be the best way to do it. I’d rather pay a sales tax that I have more control over via my consumption.

— Money used for roadway improvements should be obtained from taxes on gasoline and tires, not from general taxes such as proposed by this T-SPLOST. I might vote for a tax on those items if I could be assured the money would be used for roads, but I will not vote for this tax.

— Nothing on this boondoggle wish list is a real need. Please stop perpetuating that fallacy that SPLOST and ESPLOST are not new taxes. They are new, because the old ones — by definition — expired.