No Free Lunch in Pinellas County

When lawmakers were debating the merits of huge, unfunded property tax cuts last year, the big unknown was how already-strapped local governments would respond to these cuts. Panglossians sniffed that locals would "cut the fat" from their budgets, while clearer-eyed observers predicted that-- as in other states at other times-- much of the property tax loss would be made up by hiking user fees and non-property taxes.

As the St. Petersburg Times reports today, Pinellas County is starting to answer this question. Increasing fares from $1.50 to $1.75 looks to be part of the answer-- chalk one point up for the clearer-eyed observers. But the transit authority is also talking about cutting service:

At least 22 routes could be modified. In some cases, entire routes may be eliminated. Others will experience a decrease in frequency, [PSTA spokesman Bob] Lasher said.

So, chalk one up for the Panglossians-- if, that is, these were "wasteful" bus routes. But wait a minute-- is that really why they're cutting the routes?"

We want to figure out how we can affect the smallest amount of people," [Lasher] said.

In other words, they're not cutting the fat-- they're just cutting out the least vital organs.

In the end, the Panglossians probably won't even notice that the "government waste" they hoped to get rid of doesn't seem to be there to cut. After all, they're probably not depending on the bus routes that will be eliminated.