Well, well.
We got us a ball game here. The Observer/WCNC poll confirms that the repeal of the half-cent is a 50-50 proposition. That is despite a solid five months of unrelenting propaganda from CATS, city government, the Chamber, and — of course — the Uptown paper of record.
I’ll take that. Even in the face of upcoming million-dollar ad campaign which will no doubt spread further falsehoods about CATS’ $9 billion transit plan. The campaign will have — out of necessity — lie about the plan’s impact on congestion and, indirectly, air quality. That lie will be exposed. They’ll lie some. Be exposed more. Game over.
Bonus Observation: Why did The Charlotte Observer mislead African Americans in Charlotte about the half-cent? How else to explain black respondents supporting the half-cent at lower rates than white respondents? Were we not told for weeks and weeks by the paper back in March and April that there was a disconnect between the “white Republicans” who supported the repeal (not true, BTW, I’m not a Republican) and all the African Americans who signed the petition? Where did that go?
In truth, of course, it was always deeply insulting to imply that local black residents did not understand the issue and were being “misled” on the transit tax. But now that insult is compounded by hypocrisy. Big frickin’ surprise.
