Why Iryna Zarutska 's Death Means No To The Transit Tax

Charlotte City Council and the Mecklenburg County Commision want you to approve a 13.33% increase in our local sales tax. Of course they will say "it's only a penny" but over the course of a year it could cost you hundreds of dollars.

Plus, if you need to make repairs on your home or property the additional costs added to the price of materials in Mecklenburg County could be in the thousands.

Taxation is theft and taxation without accountability is the worst kind of theft.

City leaders want the money to fund transportation in Charlotte the majority of the money for Light Rail.

The plan as it stands is poorly conceived and without any guardrails and zero accountability.

Honor System

Charlotte's Lynx operates on the "Honor System" you buy a ticket ride to your stop and exit the train yet hundreds ride daily for free.

And there is no plan to enforce fare payment.

Decarlos Brown was riding for free when he murdered Iryna Zarutska.

It's an open secret that fares aren't enforced on the Blue Line says local news station WSOC TV.

Charlotte's LYNX system is not self-funded. It relies on a mix of local, state, and federal funding, with only a small portion of its revenue coming from fares. 

Which explains why they don't care if you ride for free.

But it creates a safety gap because people who don't adhere to the "honor system" are by and large criminals and in the case of Iryan Zartska killers. 

The system's funding sources include:

Local sales tax: In 1998, Mecklenburg County voters approved a half-cent sales tax to help finance public transportation.

Federal grants: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has provided significant funding for LYNX projects through programs like the Capital Investment Grant Program. For example, the FTA covered half the cost of the Blue Line Extension.

State funding: The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) provides state-level financial support for transit projects.

Loans: The LYNX system has also received loans, such as the $180 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the Blue Line Extension. 

The Bottom line is they don't care that Decarlos Brown didn't pay a fare in fact Brown has most likely never paid a fare.

Why fare enforcement is important?

Filtering out disorder:

People who routinely evade fares are more likely to engage in other behaviors, from minor disruptions to serious crimes like harassment, vandalism, or violence. 

Improving safety perception:

Consistent enforcement helps create a safer and more comfortable environment for paying passengers, deterring those who would make the system uncomfortable or unsafe. 

Proactive crime prevention:

Fare enforcement can act as a proactive measure to identify and intercept individuals who are already using the system for criminal activity, rather than just checking for payment. 

Examples and evidence:

SEPTA:

Officials at Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) have stated that when fare evasion enforcement is increased, rates of crime and disorder on the system consistently decrease. 

Metro (D.C. and LA):

Officials in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles have noted a link between fare evasion and violent crime on their systems. 

Federal studies:

A federal study mentioned by WSOC TV indicates an overlap between unpaid fares and increased crime on transit. 

With all this money going to transportation why is there is no plan to improve security?

CATS tells local news media that they don't know if Decarlos Brown purchased a ticket when was on board and murdered Iryna. 

But had there been a system in place to enforce compliance we all know this girl would not have been murdered.

Yet CATS leadership say enforcement doesn't inherently screen for weapons or address criminal tendencies directly.

In fact CATS Director Brent Cagle is drinking the same deflection Kool-Aid as Vi Lyles

“On this night, I think that while the outcome is horrific, it’s terrible, the system, the processes, they all functioned as they should have on that night,” Cagle said. “Now, I think, knowing what we know now, there may have been other opportunities for this, for this person to have got the help they needed, or to, you know, not been where they weren’t at night. But on this night, I believe that processes worked.”

CATS even goes as far as to say everything was successful.

“I want to talk about the things that were successful that night,” CATS Security Director told the local news. “The 911 call went in. And then the response from the call coming in six minutes, this person was in police custody.”

Clearly from the Mayor on down, City of Charlotte management is tone deaf and they clearly are not reading the room.

This fall we all need to send a strong message of NO!

NO we don't appreciate City Leadership's response to this girl's death and NO we are not going to pay for more of the same mismanagement with our tax dollars! 

NO funding of Light Rail until city leaders get there house in order!

The bottom line had CATS been a better steward of our tax dollars Iryna Zarutska would be alive today and the tax increase of 13.33 percent would not be needed.