Virginia Democrats manage to make the Republicans look good

The Republicans in the Virginia legislature seem determined to annoy, enrage, and insult the voters of northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.  Of course, the Democrats would do worse - forcing the entire state to swallow a tax hike - but at least they would be smart enough to avoid the pitfalls of regional government that incensed so many in these regions.

Or at least that’s what I thought until this evening, when the Democratic majority in the state senate unveiled its plan (Washington Post):

Senate Democratic leaders said Thursday they want a statewide increase in the wholesale gasoline and car titling tax as well as new regional taxes in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads to raise money for transportation.

. . .

Under the Senate plan, which was delivered to House Republican leaders Thursday morning, those regions would see a half-cent increase in the sales tax, a tax of 40 cents for each $100 of assessed value on the sale of a home, and a $5-a-night tax on hotel rooms.

. . .

As part of the effort to salvage the regional taxing authorities, Senate Democrats are also pushing for a statewide solution to pay for an estimated $400 million deficit in the part of the budget used to repair and maintain roads.

To solve that, Senate Democrats are suggesting a 3 percent increase in the wholesale gas tax over three years as well as a 0.5 percent increase in the car titling tax.

In other words, the Senate Democrats want to force upon NoVa and HR the very sales tax increase that they rejected in 2002.  It is an unbelievable slap in the face to the voters in those regions.  Not even the Republicans (who are going still stuck on their put-the-gun-to-local-officials-to-hike-taxes plan) have planned something that egregious.

Richmond Republicans may have upset the NoVa and HR voters, but the Democrats’ plan is far worse to them, and imposes taxes on everyone else to boot.  As impossible as it seemed just yesterday, Richmond’s Democrats have made the weak, tax-hiking GOP leadership look better by comparison.

For those of us who don’t want any tax increase, the best bet may very well be the special session I feared; at the very least it woul bring a cooling-off period and give Virginians the chance to let their elected officials know they do not want a tax hike.