I’m accustomed to the print media making silly points or simply missing them, but the StarNews has finally simply stepped into the netherworld of absurd logic. Their editorial today has the silly title of “Which Tax Will It Be?” making the assumption that there needs to be a new real estate transfer tax or higher property taxes. I simply can’t make this kind of stuff up, nobody would believe it. Here’s their point:

Now you know who most North Carolina state senators represent. It isn’t property taxpayers. If it were, a majority of the Honorables would let local voters decide whether to increase a tiny one-time tax on land sales to pay for the schools, sewers, water systems, law enforcement and other basic services that growth requires. The most likely alternative to that tax on property sales is higher property taxes – taxes that every property owner pays every year, whether or not he or she benefits significantly from growth.

Now, what they OMIT to tell you is that the senate budget increases spending by over 7% and the House budget increases spending by 7.6%. Now, if you’re increasing spending by that amount maybe you have a spending problem. And when growth occurs, it doesn’t occur in a vacuum. New people spend money on property taxes, sales taxes, income taxes and the StarNews acts like all these newcomers simply arrive and suck up services. It is truly a shame that the print media lacks fundamental economic understanding

Have counties stopped funding non-profits? Are they funding convention/civic centers? Are they giving away millions in incentives? Have they implemented performance management programs? Have they competitively sourced their services? In short, have they attempted to focus on core services?

Doesn’t it ever occur to them that there’s more to government than simply looking for more revenue? Save some money because we’re spending ourselves out of people’s ability to pay for it.