3..2..1.. On cue, the Uptown paper of record serves up a flaccid, whiny attempt to malign the half-cent transit tax repeal effort. To be frank, I knew today’s edit was coming, but I am shocked at the absurd arguments it advances. In fact, I’m not even certain anyone at the Observer has even seen the petition given what is written today.

PETITION TO REPEAL TRANSIT SALES TAX LEVIED AFTER 1998 REFERENDUM

That is what it says at the top of the petition page, not in “fine print.” There is no fine print. What “legalese” there might be is required to make the petition legal, binding, and valid.

Does the Observer have any idea how many petitions crash and burn do to invalid, imprecise language?

And then we get this slander:

Plenty of people here oppose the transit sales tax or are critical of the plans for light rail transit. If they want to start a petition drive, sign the petition or volunteer to help gather signatures, more power to them. That’s the way democracy is supposed to work.

But if the anti-transit-tax organizers are so sure their cause is a winning one, why resort to hired guns? More important, why not insist that those gathering signatures make clear it’s about the transit tax? Doing otherwise may be legal, but it’s unseemly and smacks of fraud.

Let’s see, merely paying signature gatherers — something that happens in other states all the time, states with far fewer restrictions than North Carolina on getting referenda on the ballot — smacks of fraud.

Evidently is is downright unfair for opponents of CATS’ mad $9 billion train-building spree to mount a serious, profession, legal attempt to change that policy. A policy that, despite 10 years of credible criticism, CATS and the Observer refuse to admit might be flawed.

Why resort to hired guns? Funny, that was not an issue when school bond backers dropped $300,000 in 2005. And lost. When hired gun Stan Campbell stage-managed the 2001 arena vote for the Uptown crowd. And lost. When Andrew Reyes was spreading his stolen money all over town on behalf of liberal causes. And went to jail.

But there’s more.

Want another transit tax referendum? Then sign right up.

But don’t be misled. Even if the person holding the petitions is trying to mislead you.

How in the hell did we get to “trying to mislead you?” Where is the evidence that anyone circulating petitions is trying to fool anyone?

Are psyches so fragile down on Tryon Street that when tens of thousands of local residents reject the Uptown paper of record’s slavish defense of CATS that rejection must be chalked up to confusion and deceit? Answer: Yes.

As the past week’s shoddy work has shown, as certain as Rolfe Neill’s statue standing next to the light rail tracks at ImaginOn, The Charlotte Observer will never render fair coverage of mass transit issues in this community.