transfer tax

NC Realtor astroturf popped up yesterday in Gates County with no pretense of a local organization:

Meanwhile Ashe County Commissioners have decided to put the Transfer Tax to a referendum on May 6th according to the Jefferson Post

They're baaaack, realtor astroturf in Orange County:

This time it's Orange County.

Orange County residents have been on the receiving end of dubious push poll telephone calls recently, described by one recipient as:

...what may very well be the most egregious violation of research ethics I have ever experienced.

Why all the fuss? Tuesday evening, February 5th, at 7.30pm, the Orange County Board of Commissioners, at its regular meeting, will a public hearing regarding a Local Revenue Options Referendum. The purpose of the hearing is "to solicit opinion from voters regarding which, or both, of two local revenue options should be placed on a May 2008 referendum for voter consideration." In other words, they are trying to decide between a 1/4% sales tax or a 0.4% transfer tax increase, to pay for growth.

The Chatham County N.C. Board of Commissioners has addressed the need for more money for schools by increasing the school impact fees from $2,900 to $3,500, the maximum amount allowed.

If you're not familiar with Lyme Disease, you need to be. Because an epidemic broke out last night right here in the Old North State. In an orgy of greed sponsored by the North Carolina Association of Realtors, the Home Ticks spent upwards of $7 per vote to interfere in local elections, burrowing into the heart of North Carolina municipalities in an unprecedented display of crass self interest. They successfully undermined every local government Transfer Tax initiative, putting infrastructure at risk and increasing the pressure to raise property taxes throughout the state.

Make no mistake, the Ticks will stop at nothing to preserve their profits. You see, transfer taxes are a Trojan Horse that would wake up homeowners to the absurdity of their sacred 6% commissions.

(Updated with tags. Again.)

At the rate of spending revealed so far it appears that the NC Association of Realtors (NCAR) and the NC Home Builders Association have committed to spend at least $400,000 each in fake grassroots efforts to defeat the transfer tax in the 16 counties holding a referendum on the issue. Contributions from affiliated realtor groups could bring the total projected state budget close to $1,000,000 for local astroturf committees alone. This in addition to state level lobbying expenditures by NCAR of $938,787

Here's an update from Johnston ($74,386) and Harnett ($45,425) counties via Stop The NC Home Ticks:
 
 

This weekend I recounted for the readers of this fine establishment my shocking discovery that the Johnston County Commissioners might actually have, as the astroturf group JCPOATT asserts, a spending problem.

In my diary I railed against bonds and the $29 million in interest charges JoCo Tax payers are paying as a result of our addiction to them. :) It's not that I hate bonds. I like them just fine. They are very useful, yes, even beneficial, when they're used judiciously.

What I don't like is the over use of bonds.

Bastards.

I got my second glossy colored 8.5x11 mailer this week from the Home Ticks Johnston County Property Owners Against Transfer Taxes. It says,

Johnston County doesn't have a revenue problem -- it has a spending problem.

"Hmmm", I thought. No time to waste!
I'd better look into this thing, post haste!!

Actually, I had a snarky suspicion that the only problem here was the Home Ticks Johnston County Property Owners Against Transfer Taxes honesty problem. Keep reading to find out where that question led me next ...

Some people may wonder about my apparent obsession with NC Realtors. It's really very simple. Political corruption is rooted in the large amounts of money injected into the political process. NC Realtors have injected the largest amounts of money. They've also targeted an issue I care about, sustainable growth and, the local government funding options required to provide for it. Roll a few pet peeves into one and you have Stop The NC Home Ticks.

The North Carolina real estate industry has a little secret that may get a little sunshine, or not. The Bonus Round

When your gas tank hits empty it usually means you have about 8% of your tank capacity left, enough to get you to a gas station allowing for a few diversions. If you kept your tank at "empty" all the time you couldn't get very far without totally running out of fuel and couldn't take care of much business. It would be imprudent. Even cash strapped drivers put an extra $5 or $10 worth of gas in the tank to make sure there's a cushion to get to work, take care of the kids and,run errands.

The John Locke Foundation wants North Carolina counties to run on empty.

Faced with a drought of public support for its high profile opposition to the transfer tax the NC Association of Realtors (NCAR) has replaced the withered remains of the "Stop The NC Home Tax" website. With newly installed Astroturf at the same address called "Vote No on the Home Tax", hoping to fool county voters into thinking it is a real grassroots movement, the website has scrubbed all references to NCAR. In its place is a roster of newly formed "Local Committees" to provide cover for the real involvement of the realtors' group.

If the referendum on the transfer tax here in Durham County had been held among speakers at the Commissioners meeting, it would have been a rout. The Realtors showed up, but transfer tax supporters were here in much, much bigger numbers.