True leadership is planning the cost of what you sow beforehand. Sadly, our local governments lack competent financial planning. They're now reporting "unexpected" property tax rate increases exceeding 10 percent.

The few recent political candidates who spoke about municipal financial mismanagement were ridiculed by every local politically oriented organization and the local media. As one who spoke out against the local government Ponzi scheme of imbalanced residential development, I take no satisfaction in being prescient. Every single "feels good sounds good" politician responsible for the current financial mess has been elected despite our best efforts to tell about their "economic voodoo."

The smug, systematic exclusion of "non-local" commercial and retail businesses by local politicians from southern Orange County has raised your taxes. Almost two years ago, I asked the commissioners, "Why ignore an N.C. State study showing net negative cash flow every time a county residence opens?" (Translation: Your taxes rise every time a new housing unit is approved.) I've yet to receive an answer.

We are addicted not only to oil, but to constant, partially unfunded residential growth. This pyramid Ponzi scheme is founded on a simple truth. Only by growing fast enough can we delay the true cost of current growth. If we had to pay for future municipal infrastructure before allowing development, the situation would reveal itself instantly. Showing a growth addiction, Hillsborough Town Manager Peterson says, "The fact is we just haven't had any growth [and] we haven't had any development approved and that exacerbates the situation."

Where do you think the $200,000,000 debt for Chapelboro schools came from? It didn't come from outer space. It came from commissioners and local town leaders approving net negative residential housing, one unit at a time, without financial impact accounting. Your local politicians created the current fiscal mess, the same financial whizzes who favored a transfer tax you voted down 2-to-1. (Curiously, you weren't told about the 38 percent drop in Orange County housing sales, a 38 percent prospective transfer tax revenue drop, until just after the May 6 vote. That's the cost of a cozy local media-politician alliance.)

Why did Currituck County (which has a transfer tax) recently seek a $12,000 impact fee on new residential development? Our government finance crisis is not one of just "high expectations of services." It's one of giveaways to local residential developers, steady suppliers of political campaign monies. Residential developers create municipal capital burden and walk away with profits. You pay that burden through higher taxes. Where are your profits?

Here's yet another question. With a fully burdened impact fee on residential housing units (including apartments), would we face a $200,000,000 tax debt to pay? No. A fully burdened impact fee would've amortized new residential municipal capital costs on those who created the need.

Now, here's the inconvenient truth for many complaining about local taxes. A majority elected those bringing this financial circus to town. (If you didn't vote, you've no right to complain.) Many support every local political organization that shills for "feels good sounds good" candidates. Can you name one such endorser that forecast the current tax situation in the last two election cycles? There aren't any.

"Feels good sounds good" politics is expensive. Employing financially clueless pals doesn't help.

Here's another Cassandra warning. Carrboro is tripping down the Chapel Hill debt road. The Board of Aldermen applauds itself for only increasing the tax rate 5 percent next year. These nonprofit, tax-exempt financial whizzes forgot to check the "credit cards." The fiscal 2009 budget appropriates $546,904 in fund-balance reserves, on top of last year's $582,553 appropriation. Town debt payments will increase from $1,473,925 this year to $1,777,173 next year, to $2,400,404 the year after. This year's debt payments (which increased 14 percent from last year) will increase 20 percent next year and 35 percent on top of that for fiscal 2010. Carrboro town debt payments will almost double (86 percent) in just three years.

Acts have consequences. Carrboro was supposed to pay $50,000 for a sidewalk on Hanna Street required because of the approval of the Pacifica development. As of the new budget, Carrboro will have paid more than $284,000 for this small stretch of concrete. Carrboro only missed the mark by almost 500 percent.

Elect fools, get folly. Chapel Hill hired a full-time, $63,000-per-year public arts administrator who oversees 50 works of public art. Chapel Hill, with a university program in fine arts and plenty of fine-arts graduate students, can't hire a part-time employee to "administer" those 50 works.

As you sow, so shall you reap."