The CATS anti-transit tax repeal propaganda effort swings to one of the Uptown paper of record’s community columnists, Frank Koconis, today. In sum, Frank writes op-ed columns as well as I port databases.
In detail, Koconis immediately goes wrong by implying that it is run-of-mill activity for a half-cent sales tax to supply $70 million a year for the exclusive use of a transit system. It is not. Charlotte is the only city in North Carolina with such a set-up, one that costs every resident of Mecklenburg County about $60 per year.
Koconis also treats it as a revelation that this revenue funds CATS massive bus system. Yes — yes it does. From that Koconis — like CATS — wants to argue that repealing the transit tax is therefore an illegitimate means to stop CATS’ $9 billion mass transit, light-rail building plan. No — no it is not.
Repealing the transit tax is the only option left if Charlotte is going to recover a ration transit and transportation plan. CATS could, if it wanted to, operate its current level of bus service without the half-cent tax, but that would involve things like bringing operating costs in line with bus systems across the rest of the state. CATS does not what to do that, so it pretends that loss of the half-cent would mean loss of the bus system.
This is the same in-for-a-penny, in-for-a-pound blackmail routine CATS has found so effective with the Charlotte city council. Well, the repeal effort is calling CATS’ bluff. If CATS’ contribution to Charlotte’s ongoing transportation debate is a pledge to be irresponsible then so be it.
Next Koconis slides into the next gloom-and-doom scenario offered by CATS — that in the event of repeal, it will have to shut down the South Blvd. line and repay the feds some $300 million it took to build it. This is a very interesting line of argument. For one, it admits that the operating cost of the South Blvd. line will be far greater than CATS has advertised. Besides, CATS would still continue to collect tax for the rest of the 2007 fiscal year — a consolation prize worth tens of millions of dollars. Not even CATS is incompetent enough to immediately squander those funds in such a way that it costs itself $300 million in federal matching funds.
Again, only a petulant and irresponsible bureaucracy could possibly argue this point. And not that it matters to CATS, absolutely no one in favor of repeal is arguing that the South Blvd. line be shut down and sold for scrap. We view it as a $463 million done-deal that will be a permanent feature of Charlotte’s landscape — until the Uptown crowd grows weary of it. (See also Trolley, New Old Coliseum, Cityfair.)
Oh, and the light rail line does not, in fact, run to Pineville, as Koconis says. The last stop is inside 485.
That’s his last error of fact. He does go on about the the need of everybody to help everybody and somehow giving CATS $70 million a year to do absolutely anything it wants to with the money is part of that. Thanks, now back to server-farm, Frank.
The truly funny thing is that these are really the best arguments CATS can muster against repeal. Various blackmail threats and a promise to fail. It is like watching a three-year-old throw a fit when you tell them it is time to give up the Sippy Cups.
Public policy by tantrum never ends well. CATS needs a good spanking come November.
