Tomorrow begins the transportation special session that may or may not provide a “solution” for roads, but will decide the fate of the Virginia GOP.
The good news: The House of Delegates is holding firm against Tim Kaine’s ridiculous tax inceases, and the Senate Democrats seem determined to ditch it themselves in favor of a gas tax hike.
The bad news: It’s sure thing that Kaine will sign anything the Senate Democrats pass – if it gets out of the House.
The worse news: Republican delegates are still talking about regional tax increases; now it’s Chris Peace, who leads off his “real plan” with this (from a letter by Peace forwarded to me):
Rewrite last year’s bi-partisan transportation solution that provided the mechanism to produce about half a million dollars a day for Hampton Roads and nearly $1 million per day for Northern Virginia. This plan would direct all new funds for congestion relief.
Of course, “last year’s bi-partisan transportation solution” was the disaster known as HB3202. While Howell himself as been silent, Peace is now the third House Republican in less than two weeks to attempt a resurrection of that debacle. Something tells me they’re running interference for him.
The Republicans in Richmond have to understand something: the voters will not accept any tax increases. Election 2007 should have sent the message; the GOP convention should have sent the message. Unfortunately, conventional wisdom jammed the message each time.
Still, if Howell et al think they can sneak out of Richmond with a tax increase, they are very much mistaken.
Cross-posted to Bloggers 4 Bob Marshall 4 Speaker
June 23, 2008 at 1:49 am |
And the worst thing is that that the Republicans think it will end with just Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads getting their special regional taxes.
But they (especially Chris Peace) don’t seem to remember that just this last session someone proposed a Central Virginia Regional Authority which would have added “an additional 2 percent tax on gas, as well as new or increased fees on car registrations, inspections and repairs”.
Four counties that he represents were originally proposed as being part of the authority (Hanover, Henrico, Caroline, and New Kent Counties).
Anyone that thinks it will stop at Northern Virginia or Hampton Roads is either, a) not telling the truth; or b) is so naive that they shouldn’t be in elected office.
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-01-03-0166.html
June 23, 2008 at 2:03 am |
Actually the proposed Central Virginia Regional Authority was worst than what the Richmond Times-Dispatch orginally stated.
It included the following “fees”/taxes: “i) an annual license fee of $10; ii) an initial registration fee at the rate of 1 percent; iii) an additional inspection fee of $10; iv) the Motor Vehicle Repair Labor and Services Sales and Use Tax (“Repair Tax”) at the rate of 5 percent; v) a congestion relief grantor’s tax at the rate of $0.40 per $100; vi) the Motor Vehicle Fuel Sales Tax at the rate of 2 percent; and vii) a 2 percent daily car rental fee.”
(The RT-D story didn’t included the special grantor’s tax.)
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?081+sum+HB1573