Last night (while I was sleeping off the effects of cold medication), Jim Bowdenwrote his second smackdown of HB6055 (i.e., HB3202 redux) in as many days:
HB 6055 is the son of Frankenstein (HB 3202) that was ruled Un-Constitutional by the Virginia Supreme Court. The arrogance of trying to stuff this bill and its Regional Government down the throats of voters – again – reveals much of what is wrong in the elected caucus of the Republican Party of Virginia. The Regional Government scam reveals the rot of political corruption like a surgeon cutting away the sores to show the cancer.
HB 6055 puts billions of dollars in the hands of the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) The con the Republican bill HB 6055 is running skips putting the money in the Un-Constitutional Hampton Roads Transit Authority but shoves it at the MPO. The MPO, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, and the Hampton Roads Transit Authority are the same people. They meet at the same time. The Republican shell game moves the new, higher taxes to the State Treasury in Richmond (as our Constitution requires) which dumps the money in a new holding account (professional thieves would use an off-shore bank), which sends the money to the MPO.
The MPO then manages the regional transportation projects for Hampton Roads/Tidewater. Unfortunately, the HR MPO has been cited as one of the worst functioning (meaning operating contrary to public law) MPOs in the Nation. The MPO is made up of appointed politicians representing the cities and counties and 4 big project advocacy representatives. HB 6055 adds more politicians.
These appointed officials will spend more than $30b. There is no oversight. No checks and balances. No separation of powers among the same body raising tolls, taking tolls, and spending tolls. That is taxation without representation – again.
Why would the Virginia GOP so blatantly ignore the lessons of last year? Jim pulls no punches:
It’s all about the money. $30 to 35 billion is too much to pass up.
The appointed officials on the Regional Government aren’t engineers. They aren’t executives who have managed billion dollar programs for profit-earning corporations. They bring absolutely no expertise – except how to spend other people’s money on pet projects – to improve transportation.
So, the logic of HB 6055 is to give $35 billion dollars to politicians to hand out in contracts. The Un-Constitutional HRTA has already spent $200k. The first $50k went to Kaufmann and Canoles for legal services. Republican State Senator Ken Stolle is a partner with Kaufmann and Canoles. You can smell the rot even if you can’t see it yet.
Since the politicians of the MPO have no clue how to manage major engineering projects they will have to hire help. This is where you can see the pus oozing.
Shaun Kenney approvingly linked to Jim’s piece already. This means we now have two major VA bloggers “switch” from pro-3202 to anti-6055 (the other is Chris Beer over at Mason Conservative). Spank that Donkey is also on board, giving us a badly needed voice in the western part of the state.
Along with the “old-timers” from last year’s fight (Jim B., myself, BVBL, etc.), we now have (at least in the blogosphere) the foundation for a statewide tax revolt.
The special session reconvenes on July 9. We have eleven days to make it clear to our legislators - no tax increases, period.
June 29, 2008 at 1:08 am |
A shell game? Mr. Bowden is too kind, this bill essentially uses the state coffers to launder money to unconstitutional authorities. What the hell happened to Bill Howell?
June 30, 2008 at 3:03 am |
Not one cent of taxpayer’s money should be ever used in the governments, civil and public servants, expense accounts to buy alcohol, wine or beer
June 30, 2008 at 3:57 pm |
[...] Several of my fellow bloggers have all chimed in with their disdain for the legislative proposals (The Right-Wing Liberal, Mason Conservative, The Write Side of My Brain, Deo Vindice), and I agree with their [...]