“We recognize taxes when we see them”
By D.J. McGuire | Thursday, September 9th, 2010 | Policy
That was the response of Delegate Brenda Pogge (R-York County) to the McDonnell Administration’s assertion that no tax increases are in his ABC privatization plan. Much of the Washington Post‘s coverage of the rollout centered on Republican anger about the tax increases.
None of it should surprise. However, it also gives me cause for optimism. The more grief McDonnell gets from within the GOP, the more likely the tax increases go away, leaving a clean get-the-government-out-of-the-liquor-business bill.
The House GOP, including Speaker Bill Howell, has seen this movie before. They remember how sickness and rage turned into sweetness and light when they took tax hikes out of their transportation plan two summers ago.
Now the question becomes: can the House Republicans save the McDonnell Administration from itself?
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Former candidate for Board of Supervisors in Spotsylvania, current blogger, economics teacher, and long-rumored windbag. There are two causes closest to the heart: steering the country away from the social democratic nonsense that is sinking Europe, and convincing the rest of the "rightosphere" that the NBA really is a joy to watch.
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8 Responses to "“We recognize taxes when we see them”"
[...] Cross-posted to BD Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)A tax increase? Is he &%*!^%*# kidding me?!Bob McDonnell: tax hiker (UPDATED – still a tax hiker)Thank you, Walter StoschBiden’s Response to McCain Tax Lie Gets More Coverage Than the Lie [...]
Now we know why Governor McDonnell began his PR and Promotion campaign before he released the study and the analysis of the business case. Fact is, the business case just did not work, so he needed to come up with new and different taxes to make his plan work.
Well, that creates other issues, and one has to ask, why bother? Fact is, the sale of the ABC operation, and a one time infusion of revenue for one or two transportation projects are about as alike as oil and water.
There is no nexus to transportation, and in fact, we need to deal realistically with the deterioration of our transportation infrastructure, which now exceeds $8,000,000,000, with increase in taxes and fees related to the use of the roads, tunnels, bridges, and highways. To do otherwise is simply to confuse the issue, an art the Governor seems to have mastered.
I think we’ve had enough analysis of the coverage of the roll-out. How about looking at the actual proposal itself?
Mike, we saw your comment the first time on DJ’s original post, and then you cut and pasted it again over here. Why do you have to keep torturing us with this drivel? Saying it again and again won’t make it true or convince the undead that you have a valid argument.
Good point Tim J, so let me summarize. The Governor proposes we privatize in order to receive less money each year so the Legislature gets to make more cuts in local government services. That about sums it up.
Oh yes, all this for a one time infusion of perhaps $500 M to be split up for transportation improvements around the Commonwealth, the proverbial drop in the bucket.
This proposal is so absurd as to make one wonder what promises the Governor had made before he realized that he could not make the business case.
Mike, wake up!
Virginia Retail Merchants Association Endorses ABC Privatization Plan
Richmond, VA: The Virginia Retail Merchants Association announced today that it is formally endorsing Governor McDonnell’s plan to privatize ABC stores in the Commonwealth and issued the following statement:
“Our retail members have extensive experience selling alcoholic beverage products in a responsible manner. VRMA believes that the retail sale of all products is best served by the private sector, which will allow the government to focus on other core services. It is clear that the government sale of alcohol is a decades-old policy that needs to change. To that end, we support the plan announced this week by the administration to privatize ABC stores in the Commonwealth. We also support the dedication of up-front revenue to transportation. While this initiative is only one piece of a long-term solution to transportation funding, we should not turn our backs on $500 million in revenue that can help relieve congestion across the Commonwealth. ABC stores should be privatized as a matter of principle because there is no compelling policy reason to distinguish sales of distilled spirits from other alcohol products.”
Wow, that’s a surprise. Sort of like the Governor’s Commission on Restructuring, composed mostly of CEO’s recommending that the BPOL tax, the Machinery and Tool Tax, and the Corporate Income Tax all be abolished. Do you see just a bit of self serving in these recommendations? “Don’t tax me, tax the guy behind the tree.”
Tim: This isn’t happening. If McDonnell doesn’t have Pogge, he isn’t going to have enough votes to get it out of the House, much less the Senate. I don’t see ANY Republican lawmakers rallying to the governor’s standard on this one. The most any of them will say is “I’ll keep an open mind.”
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