The total picture is out of control. One example....because of federal regulation and environmental standards, the sewer and water bills are spinning out of control. They used to be a mild annoyance to be paid every quarter. Now they’re escalating, every year, with no end in sight. Add to that local budgets for road repair. Around here, almost all the state allocated money goes to questionable new projects. Meanwhile, roads and bridges crumble.
Yes, government is constantly making lies to us. "It's just a temporary tax!" - until they keep extending it and then make it permanent. That's what they're doing in San Mateo county just south of SF. They got foolish voters to vote in a sales tax increase (I think 3/4s of a percent) because it's temporary for a few years to get over a budget "crisis". Now that time is almost up, they're seeking to make it permanent. Meanwhile, the funds raised were diverted to other pet projects.
Primary examples are the local bridges here. The tolls were supposed to be temporary to pay for construction. They were raised over and over and the tolls diverted. Then they ask voters for more money in order to fix things that were supposed to be maintained under the tolls. For example, the GG Bridge bought ferries and buses which became a big expense, as well as other projects unrelated to bridge maintenance. Tolls for the SF/Oakland Bay Bridge were diverted to build roads and bridges elsewhere, instead of being there to fix the Bay Bridge, for which they went to the taxpayers for more money. The promise of a temporary toll was a lie. And the tolls are constantly increased because they are "necessary" to fix outstanding maintenance problems, problems that should have been covered by old toll collections.
Government taxation, spending, and waste are indeed out of control.