I think in 10 years — when we look back to try to figure out when Charlotte irreversibly headed toward Detroit-on-the-Catawba status — we may well decide it was the series of events which led to a $75 to 100 million property tax increase by the Mecklenburg County Commission in 2011.

Can’t really improve on the backstory supplied by Pundit House here and here, so check that out. Meanwhile, the big picture and the bottomline.

Just like how the Uptown crowd wanted a new arena and arts spaces, were rebuffed by reality and public sentiment, and had to wait a few years before they got eveything they wanted PLUS a fraudulent NASCAR Hall of Fame, so too it is with the reval windfall.

We’ve told you for years that the status quo was counting on the 2008 — then the 2010 — reval to deliver hundreds of milllions more in revenue to pay for the crazed local spending of the turn of the century. But not even repeatedly dragging that fact into the daylight, not the collapse of the Bank of Wachovic Ponzi scheme, not even Charlotte’s brief flirtation with the Tea Party movement could stop the Uptown juggernaut.

The proof — as is so often the case in Charlotte — is in broad daylight. County commissioner Bill James impolitely points it out in his “nightmare tax increase” rundown:

The school board voted to ask for $50 million with the District 6 Republican Tim Morgan (brother of Charlotte Chamber head honcho Bob Morgan) casting the deciding vote for this tsunami of a tax increase. … It makes me wonder why the Republican from District 6 (which already will have the MOST tax increases in the whole county) would vote to make the matter worse for those in his district when almost all of the money raised by giving CMS $50 million more would benefit people in other districts.

There will be those that say he is looking at the bigger picture or helping out the less fortunate. All good qualities but in the end I think it is because the Chamber wants the increase.

Ultimately, Mecklenburg County citizens can not afford what Tim Morgan, the CMS school board majority and the power elite in Charlotte are dishing out.

If you sit on your hands next week at the public hearing (19th) don’t be surprised if your property taxes go up 50%.

See, I really don’t think it matters what happens at the public hearing next week. The Uptown crowd will have it stuffed with the usual suspects and the local Tea Party movement has — for all intents and purposes — ceased to exist. There might be an effort to trim the tax hike some to appear “conservative” but with the county essentially saying it needs more cash for raises and IT, there is not much wiggle room.

As ever, hope I am wrong. And just as ever — I am usually not.

Bonus Dickweed: Tim Morgan ostensibly represents me. I am a CMS parent. I’ve sent several emails to Tim Morgan since he joined the board and never received a response.