As I write this on Thursday, I don't know what will happen in the legislature to the bill that is at the top of Durham city and county leaders' wish list this year.

The bill would allow Durham County voters to decide in November whether to impose a penny-per-dollar tax on most restaurant meals and drinks.

Durham voters -- at least the faithful liberals who take part in every local election -- tend to be quite willing to tax themselves. But the economy stinks now and it will still stink on Nov. 4. Bad time to try for a new tax.

Brief civics lesson: Local governments in North Carolina get lots of supervision from three nannies in Raleigh. A constitutionally weak governor shares power with the top dogs in the House and Senate. None of those guys shares power with local governments. To do much of anything, city councils and county boards must raise their hands and say "Pretty please?"

One thing they absolutely cannot do is anything creative in the way of taxation. If they need money, they can raise property taxes. For almost anything else, they need the nannies' OK.

On Wednesday, the meals-tax bill was killed and revived several times over in the Senate. That kind of mischief is always afoot in Raleigh when the lawmakers are itching to get out of town.

Still, I question whether this bill is worth going to the mat for.

The November election will not be one of those low-key, low-turnout local affairs. John McCain and Barack Obama are sure to draw a record turnout, and those faithful liberals will be sharing polling places with thousands of less-frequent voters. No telling what those folks will do.