Needed: A Transit Tax ‘Surge’
Monday, October 29th, 2007
By Chris Fitzsimon
Ultimate goal: A fare-free transit system
By John Grooms
The arguments go around and around in the transit tax debate, but neither side is offering voters a compelling vision of its eventual goals. Some of the strongest pro-transit advocates have a vision of a first-rate, mass transit/in-city development plan, but those views have been conspicuously muted in favor of simplistic sloganeering such as "Keep Mecklenburg Moving."
The pro-repeal group’s vision is even fuzzier. Aside from their "we’re crowded and we want more roads" mantra, the only underlying philosophy I’ve detected in the repealers’ arguments is that they are against taxes and government planning — libertarian talking points that no doubt made more sense in the 18th century.
Arguments for both sides have been muddled (e.g., WBT’s attack dogs), condescending (the Observer’s Mary Schulken), or just plain bizarre (County Commissioner Dan Bishop’s claim that light rail is an attempt to force people to give up their homes and yards). Lots of fireworks, but little light.
The pro-repeal side of the debate includes a coalition of the anti-taxers and libertarians, plus suburbanites who are fed up with traffic congestion and want more money spent on roads, and those who think light rail is merely, as one WBT whiz put it, "those stupid trains." Other repealers seem to have never heard of, much less been to, cities where light rail and streetcars are routine, efficient modes of transportation; those are the folks who think the idea of riding anywhere in the city on a train is "weird." (more…)
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