The Uptown paper of record continued down CATS’ playsheet over the weekend by running with 40 or 50 column inches on CATS’ theory that signers to the transit tax repeal petition are being misled. An editorial taking up the argument is sure to follow.
A couple points.
One, it should clear that anti-fraud protections are built into the petition concept by virtue of the number signatures required. Fool 500 people? Yeah, maybe. Fool 50,000? That’s nuts.
Second, a little longer notion. Think back to 2005 CMS bond campaign. Now imagine it had involved a petition drive; that 50,000 signatures would have defeated the bond, kept it off the ballot. And imagine that in a matter of weeks the anti-bond side had tens of thousands of signatures.
What would have CMS said? “People are being fooled!” “They do not understand what they are signing!” And the Uptown paper of record would’ve rushed out a story based entirely on that bogus CMS assumption.
Just like the 2005 bond vote which took the Uptown crowd completely by surprise and forced CMS to find new leadership and at least start down a different path, the transit tax repeal vote of 2007 will force CATS to change.
CATS is scared and making outlandish claims because they know that their standard dog-and-pony, 20 PowerPoint gel eye-glazer will not help them now.
