Meck Deck goes off after Charlotte Area Transit finally admits that the countywide half-cent sales tax is an inadequate source to pay for its commuter rail plan, something that’s been obvious for quite some time.
But one paragraph (featuring guest star Antiplanner) shows why the Vote Yes for Property Tax Relief isn’t exactly truth in advertising:
Not to put too personal a spin on this, but I resent being lied to these past 18 months or so. I resent being smirked at and treated like an idiot for pointing out the perfectly obvious. And I was not alone. Smart Growth critic Randall O’Toole came to Charlotte and told all comers that CATS would be back asking for more money if the half-cent were not repealed and a new transit plan adopted.
OK, we’re not voting to repeal the sales tax, as they were down in Charlotte, we’re voting to add a quarter-cent sales tax. And it doesn’t hinge on a massive project like light rail, just (supposedly) servicing the school bond debt that we put on ourselves back in May. But you get the idea: No matter how much money we give government, they always come back asking for more. So if you think approving the sales tax will lower your property tax, think again.
With all this in mind, Greensboro’s Cecil Carpenter asks how many politicians actually keep their promises.