BLEG TO ALL READERS: Help Pass HB829 (reversing the Hampton Roads piece of the transportation tax hike of 2007)
Yesterday, the Senate Transportation Committee buried SB676, a bill to abolish the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority. The HRTA was one of the two regional governments created by HB3202 (the transportation tax hike of 2007). The Senate committe vote was 10-4 to bury SB676.
Members of the Hall of Shame: Yvonne Miller, Henry Marsh, John C. Watkins, Frank Wagner, Harry Blevins, Creigh Deeds (isn’t he running for something?), Ryan McDougle (my %*$@*$&*! state senator), Patsy Ticer, and Chap Petersen (John Miller, the bill’s sponsor, also voted to bury the bill, which was likely a parliamentary procedure allowing him to call for reconsideration later).
Edd Houck abstained - way to take a risk there, Edd.
The Good Four: Stephen Newman, Phil Puckett (caveat: He wants to raise our gas taxes), Ken Cuccinelli (rebuilding the bridges he burned last year over HB3202), and this author’s favorite State Senator - the indomitable Ralph Smith.
Now, on to the point in the title: there is still one more chance to kill the HRTA - Tom Gear is offering his own bill to wipe the HRTA out., HB829. It has yet to be taken up by the House Transportation Committee, but one can only guess what Bill Howell et al want to do with this.
So, that’s where we (Jim Bowden, his fellow Hampton Roads taxpayers, and I) need your help. Below is a list of the House Committee Members:
Del. Joe May (R-33) co-Chair, Del. Glenn Oder (R-94) co-Chair, Del. Mamye BaCote (D-95), Del. Bob Brink (D-48), Del. Bill Carrico (R-5), Del. John Cosgrove (R-78), Del. Adam Ebbin (D-49), Del. Bill Fralin (R-17), Del. Jeff Frederick (R-52), Del. Tom Gear (R-91), Del. Tim Hugo (R-40), Del. Dwight Jones (D-70), Del. Manoli Loupassi (R-68), Del. Dave Marsden (D-41), Del. Paul Nichols (D-51), Del. Tom Rust (R-86), Del. Chris Saxman (R-20), Del. Ed Scott (R-30), Del. Robert Tata (R-85), Del. David Toscano (D-57), Del. Shannon Valentine (D-23), Del. Jeion Ward (D-92)
More than a few of them have statewide ambitions (Frederick is running for state chairman; Saxman is a likely candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 2009). They should be made aware that voters will remember what they did on this bill.
As for Mr. McDougle, I need to have some words with him.
