I strongly urge readers not to miss David Bass’s piece over at CJO today about how Triangle transit backers plan to market their grandiose choo-choo train system and related tax hikes:
Members have suggested funding sources such as a half-cent sales tax increase, a doubling of the current vehicle registration fee, and tax increment financing to handle the project?s estimated $2 billion price tag. In addition, the commission hopes to capture state and federal funding to supplement local revenue sources.
The recommendations are double the size of an $810 million transit project backed by the Triangle Transit Authority that fell through in 2006 after the federal government refused to offer funds.
Despite the TTA failure, none of the commission members raised objections during the Feb. 29 meeting to the more-extensive plan put forth in the commission?s recommendations. Instead, much of the debate centered on how best commission members could sell the plan to government leaders and the public at large.
?We?re all going to be ambassadors for convincing people that the sales tax increase is a good thing,? said Mike Shiflett, a member of the Durham Inter-Neighborhood Council. ?Transit benefits everyone: students, the poor, developers, and non-transit users.?
Wow, everybody wins! It’s just like when hooligans break windows and make our economy grow! I am so excited! Can you tell?!!!
