Well, it's on.....the election, that is.
There are exactly two weeks to go (May 1st) before the referendum to approve the tax increase to fund the transit plan is concluded and votes are counted. Early voting is strong and said to be double what was expected. But no new polling has been released, so there is no indication of which side has the momentum.
Both sides of the debate are well funded and have been running a lot of ads. The arguments against generally state the plan has no money for road improvements or interstate widening and the pro-transit backers state the plan will provide jobs. There is not much 'science' being discussed either way. The anti-plan proponents rely primarily on outside, 'dark money' as the proponents of the plan have accused. So, the campaign has gotten a little nasty with Koch Brothers (anti-plan funders) firing back at those accusations.
Still, I am optimistic about the plans passage as early polls showed a significant edge for the plan. The problem with early polls is that sometimes they reflect an early coalescence of supporters around one candidate or cause and leaves little room for additional growth.
It's all about the turnout, though. And there is no news about any details regarding who is voting. So, it's anybody's guess as to who will prevail.