Let’s go back to May 2005, with Mecklenburg County debating a property tax hike. Here’s what some nut suggested instead:
The budget says property taxes must go up $71 million to fund top priorities like schools, but only after millions are spent on what everyone agrees are low priority items.
How else to explain spending $91,500 to produce The Mecklenburgers, the WTVI “info-comedy” show starring long-time Charlotte curmudgeon Bob Raiford? When did TV production become a vital government service?
And today’s Uptown paper of record reports:
Mecklenburg County is looking at whether money spent on public television station WTVI could be better spent elsewhere.
A new analysis, written by county staff, is raising questions about whether the county should continue spending more than $2 million a year on the public television station.
Actually, I think that $2 million number is low because a couple years ago the county was spending $4.5 million overall to run the TV station and buy equipment.
And this is not a done deal. Look for supporters of the station to swarm out to attack the very idea of spending scarce government dollars on actual government services.
But, like the transit tax repeal, it is nice to be even having the conversation.
