Or maybe lies.
First, hiking water and sewer rates by 7 percent is a tax hike in that it is government fee that you cannot escape paying. It also comes out of the same taxpayer pocket as property taxes and contributes to an increase in the cost of living for Charlotte.
But here is a bigger fib. It is a flat-out lie that the city of Charlotte needs to plan on finding $73 million in replacement revenue in the event the half-cent transit tax is repealed. Here is why, and it has nothing to do with CATS or any wasteful spending.
State law provides that the half-cent will be collected for the rest of the fiscal year even if repealed. That means the city will have six months and $36 million to come up with a new plan.
I know government can be both slow and expensive, but that seems like a pretty good consolation prize. If anyone wants to argue otherwise, then that is yet more proof that we are in serious financial trouble and need blow things up and start over.
Before the lies get any bigger.
