Repeated 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.
