Monday, Virginia Legislators will gather in Richmond to kick the tires on Virginia’s transportation system. This week has been a flurry of activity of public hearings, press releases, filed legislation, and Gov. Tim “have I done anything yet?” Kaine trying to be a shorter Mark Warner and make his legacy by raising taxes.
It’s getting crazy!
Del. Glenn Oder has his sights fixed on VDOT and his HB 6005 requires an independent audit of VDOT. Who could oppose that?
“But at a time when the state’s transportation program faces financial peril, Virginia can’t afford to dismiss bold ideas for helping balance the books. (Virginian Pilot editorial December 15, 2005)”
We’ll see what they write about the notion now.
Sen. John Miller, hot off an election victory where he barely edged out anti-tax Tricia Stall, holds a town meeting tonight at 7 PM in the Music and Theater Hall at Ferguson Center for the Arts at Christopher Newport University. “I want to hear my constituents’ views on Virginia’s transportation issues,” says Miller, who in the same press release quickly adds “It is critical the General Assembly find a dedicated and sustainable source of revenue statewide.”
Nice to have your mind made up, and then asking your constituents’ views, eh?
Gov. Kaine, who called this happy gathering together, wants a billion dollar tax increase, something he promised to veto when he was “candidate” Tim Kaine unless a lock box protected transportation revenue. Del. Glenn Oder has a bill to do exactly that, HJ 6001, which might just pass the Senate for the first time in history.
Saslaw thinks raising gas taxes is the key, something Kaine opposes. House Republicans like reprioritizing existing revenue, and Sen. Stolle proposed that the port revenue help directly pay the bills for the roads that help ports.
Kaine is not insisting the legislature adopt his exact proposal but is demanding passage of a broad-based tax package. He is pledging to campaign against the 2009 reelection of any Republican delegate who stands in his way.(Virginian Pilot)
Demanding? Tim Kaine is “DEMANDING” a tax increase?
My good friends, if Tim Kaine “demanded” a tax increase when he was running for governor, we’d be talking to Governor Kilgore right now.
Kaine’s going to run around Virginia and say “I wanted to raise taxes, and those Republicans stopped me.” Voters will smile, shake his hand, and then say “thank God” and re-elect the Republican that didn’t raise taxes.
Monday will be interesting as we watch all these “fiscally conservative” Democrats who were newly elected months ago rush to Richmond to raise taxes. It’s easy to say you won’t. It’s not easy after you have.
Tax increasers have problems. Saslaw talking about increasing the price of gas is living in a fool’s paradise. Kaine wanting to slap higher taxes on home sales while the housing market is on life-support is downright silly.
Democrats for higher taxes have to say that every dollar of existing revenue is spent on things more important than transportation, but transportation is important enough to require more taxes from the people. That logical inconsistency is at the heart of the transportation deadlock. It’s either important or it’s not. It can’t be both.
Sen. Miller should get an earful tonight, both from the organized proponents for better roads, and from the anti-folks who don’t know where new taxes are going to come from, and maybe more discussion about which roads need to be built, and whom they really benefit.
