Why Editorial Boards Are Wrong on Transportation
By D.J. Spiker | Sunday, October 25th, 2009 | PoliticsRepeated criticism of Bob McDonnell’s transportation plan ring hollow with savvy Republicans, who understand exactly the situation with the Commonwealth. Fact of the matter is 60% of Virginians do not agree with a tax increase to pay for transportation. 75% of editorial boards, however, do. (ballpark estimate) These editorial boards, WaPo, Virginia-Pilot and others repeatedly attack Bob McDonnell’s transportation plan as hopeless or dead on arrival as Deeds like to spout repeatedly. Largely they equate this criticism to ‘recycled ideas’ already rejected by the General Assembly. Basing their criticism on this logic is flat-out wrong.
Bob McDonnell is on pace to win with not only a majority of Virginian voters, but also a mandate with added seats in the House. With an overwhelming victory with a tremendously popular governor, the House will have no alternatives but to pursue Bob’s plan. The Senate may attempt to hold up transportation action, but to do so will almost certainly result in 2011 swinging back to a Republican majority if they choose to do so.
Editorial boards are right, voters are fed up with traffic and lack of progress on that front. Any attempts by a Democratic Senate to block bi-partisan efforts to solve it, specifically Bob McDonnell’s plans, will be met with ridicule from voters. Commonwealth voters are prepared to elect Bob McDonnell in a landslide in nine days, any inaction on transportation will not be tolerated. Which only magnifies why Deeds approach (I refuse to call it a plan) is doomed to fail far worse than Bob’s. Additional procrastination, waiting until after election to assemble a coalition to start talking about we might be able to do puts any action on transportation years out. This is another reason Deeds approach fails to resonate with voters; in addition to tax increases, nothing would be done for years, while Bob lists goals to attack from the moment he is sworn in.
Editorial boards have failed to take into consideration that in addition to Bob McDonnell’s election, he’ll have an additional four to eight House of Delegate members to back his legislation, which will assuredly pass in this environment. We have no alternatives at this point, thanks to Mark Warner and Tim Kaine’s policies which Deeds vows to continue.
More inaction on transportation? No wonder Bob McDonnell is winning this one going away, no matter what the liberals on the Washington Post and Virginian-Pilot editorial boards wish.
Tags:
Contribute for Conservatism!
Share this post
About the author
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right...entrenched on the right as a member of the Establishment, proudly tattooed member of the Republican Party, bartender by trade serving both sides the libations needed to continue the debate and discourse. College student, ten years late, majoring in Public Policy and Administration with an eye to serving the conservative and Republican movement in the public or private sector. ducit amor patriae You can find D.J.on facebook, Twitter, or contact via email at gosport.conservative@gmail.com. You can find D.J.on facebook, Twitter, or contact via email at gosport.conservative@gmail.com.
Comments
10 Responses to "Why Editorial Boards Are Wrong on Transportation"
The Pilot’s editorial board wants bipartisanship in everything except membership on the editorial board.
First off, let me thank J.R. for allowing me to express my voice on his blog. I am not going to attempt to offer unwarranted praise, but point out just worthy of praise he is by allowing me to continue to speak.
Savvy Republicans? How about the savvy Republicans who are going to take McDonnell to court if his transportation plan goes through?
McDonnell served as Attorney General when the last attempt within our Commonwealth passed both the Legislature and received the signature of the Governor. I do not think that proposal faced serious opposition from the trucking industry, however it was taken to court and ruled unconstitutional.
But the red headed step children (trucking industry) within the Republican Party is going to oppose much of McDonnell’s transportation plan. Many truckers are going to vote for McDonnell because as a group truckers do tend to be rather conservative. We too must vote for the lesser of two evils. (I voted for Deeds. I am not as conservative as most truck drivers.)
Why is it that it is considered great to be pro-business until the business you voice support for is the evil trucking industry? I think it is appropriate that I previously commented we are the red headed step child of the business coalition. This is especially appropriate since I personally am a red head.
Please be assured that if McDonnell attempts to push forth his transportation plan he is going to face opposition from the trucking industry. We will probably win our case at the federal level with the with-holding of approval at that level for much of what he proposes. Barring that, we will take it to the courts and the courts have displayed sympathies towards what we will be arguing.
McDonnell has a very specific transportation plan that very specifically is not going to happen. While his viewpoint on this issue should be heard, it does not serve as true leadership on a reasonable path forward.
When you get around to actually telling anyone what about Bob McDonnell’s transportation plan you’re claiming is unconstitutional or for what reason the trucking industry is planning to file lawsuits, will you let us know?
I thought I said it in my last post.
McDonnell’s plan is unconstitutional because he will impose a toll at the state line but allow any users of the corridor tolled who do not come from out of state to travel toll free. Actually the trucking industry’s argument will be more complicated then this, however we will start with the simplest arguments that even the simpleton should understand.
Why should McD be worried about truckers? Much like the ghost ships anchored off Singapore, most of the nation’s trucks lie empty and forgotten in Iowa cornfields. You have no clout in a realm where even pennies on the sidewalk are scooped up to continue paying for past fiscal follies.
No, McD will continue his pig headed trip down a dead end road, thinking he knows exactly where his Virginia passengers want to go without even asking for directions. But it would be wise to consider one important statistic. Savvy Republicans are the ones who knew to get out of the car.
Who brings that toilet paper to the grocery store you still depend on?
Thank God most of us truck drivers still think that every citizen still deserves a voice in where we go. If us truck drivers ever aligned together (what happened to Jimmy Hoffa?) our leader would possess more power then the elected President.
We are not demanding a commanding voice, but still we are asking that our voice be heard.
LittleDavid, a valid point is made with the truckers, but after Virginia receives permission from the feds to place tolls on the borders (this is one aspect of the plan that receives little attention, not sure it would stick or not in the final package) that’s pretty much ballgame. If there are restrictions placed as you say then that’s a different set of issues.
Darrell, I didn’t pull the 60% number out of my @$$, be assured that Bob has done his own polling and focus groups as well as the public polling done early this week. He asked for directions, heard the majority and is giving us exactly what we’re asking for. The only dead-end road is the last eight years of zero transportation initiatives and solutions.
Fact is Virginians don’t want a tax increase, period. They can’t afford it. But rest assured those tax increases are coming, from all points of the fiscal compass. McD would have us think transportation is a special deity exempt from the state’s economic laws of coercion, as if past lessons were forgotten. You can call them fees, tolls or any other incantation your high priests care to invoke to election eve’s Full Moon, the result is still the same. When the rubber meets the road in January, Virginians will be watchful of which branch of the GOP shows up in Richmond. Pick the wrong one and the RPV’s near death experience could be permanent.
I disagree, but will accept your logic as honest if you concede House Republicans will receive ridicule from the voters in 2010 for their opposition to such things as health care reform.
I get the feeling you won’t write a piece making the same argument.
GoSport,
Google Pennsylvania Act 44 and see what happened to Pennsylvania’s attempt to place a new toll on I80 through Pennsylvania. This attempt is not dead but the feds have already indicated approval is not forthcoming. Please note that this proposal was more likely to receive approval then McDonnell’s proposal because the tolls would not have been placed only at the state line but tolls would have been placed all along the corridor.
Please note that if we want to talk of a more expansive definition of what it is to be pro-business when it comes to transportation funding, the national COC (Chamber of Commerce) also supports fuel taxes as being preferable to tolls. I will acknowledge that the COC is more open to public-private partnerships then what the trucking industry is. My viewpoint is that public-private partnerships are paid for through tolls and thus are inefficient, while the COC seems to think tolls are OK as long as they are collected by private businesses (go figure).
I will note that Creigh Deeds’ position seems to more closely mirror the national COC position then the trucking industry’s position. He has often commented favorably about public-private partnerships.
Leave your response
The comments section is for meaningful discussion. Readers are reminded to post comments that are germane to the article and write in a common language that steers clear of personal attacks and/or vulgarities.
Please take a moment to review our comment policy.