Way to go Bob Marshall (and Chris Beer)

After I bang on against the manufacturer’s tax hike that was snuck into the Virginia budget, Delegate Bob Marshall proposes a constitutional amendment to prevent that sort of thing, cites that very tax as his justification . . .

. . . and I miss it.

Self-fail.

Thankfully, Chris Beer (Mason Conservative) did not.  He slaps up Marshall’s missive (excerpted here):

Barack Obama is now facing Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli in federal court because my HB 10, the “Healthcare Freedom Act,” passed in Virginia this year.  Its purpose is to protect you from having to buy Obama approved “backroom deal” health insurance policies or face jail and heavy fines.

But today I am writing to you because similar tactics were used to slip almost $130 million in new fees and business tax credit cuts into Virginia’s budget at the last minute with little discussion or visibility.

. . .

The Virginia Manufacturers Association called the tax credit elimination a business income tax increase and said cutting the business tax credit would cost Virginia companies $105 million in profits by 2014, and 6,400 jobs in the next two years.

My 19 years in the Virginia General Assembly tell me that the $130 million this year will double and triple next year and the year after unless you and I, “we the people,” say no!

. . .

I’m drawing a line right here against allowing Washington tax extortion tactics to continue in Richmond.  But I need help from you and other Virginians to pass a permanent fix to stop Richmond lawmakers from slipping fee and tax increases into the budget.  

The only remedy is to pass a Constitutional Amendment in the 2011 Assembly session barring this practice.  Here is my “Taxpayer Protection Constitutional Amendment,” H. J. R. 496 which I introduced today, July 19.

“Any law that appropriates funds shall not contain any provision that imposes, continues, increases, or revives any tax, fee, or fine, nor shall any such law contain any provision that reduces or eliminates any credit, deduction, or exemption associated with any tax, fee, or fine.” 

Virginia citizens need this Amendment to block secret tax hikes from passing as part of the Virginia Budget.  No other legal means can prevent this.

Nicely done, Bob (and Chris).  Nicely done.

Cross-posted to VV

On Bob Marshall’s response (so far)

Delegate Marshall had a two-part response to the reaction over his comments (including mine, although I doubt he was responding directly to me).  Riley has the details, but in essence, Marshall stood behind the “nature’s revenge” comment, then put out a statement that ended with this:

Nevertheless, I regret any misimpression my poorly chosen words may have created as to my deep commitment to fighting for these vulnerable children and their families.

Now, to be fair, when Marshall discussed his “nature’s revenge” comments, his truly egregious comment (“There’s a special punishment Christians would suggest”) did not come up.

As I mentioned yesterday, the “nature’s revenge” thing bothered me a lot less than most.  In the absence of God’s intervention (either directly or through the wisdom imparted to us), nature can be very, very cruel.  It was the “special punishment” line that stunned and disappointed me so much.  Based on the chronology of these two reactions from Marshall, I think (and hope) that it is the “special punishment” line that he regrets.

As a former candidate and a current blogger, I know the danger of a disconnect between mind, ears, and tongue.  Thankfully, when I had them as a candidate, I was in a position to fix the problem in seconds and with minimal damage.  As a blogger, sometimes it took longer to correct the mistakes, but usually I could do it quickly with little damage.

Bob Marshall wasn’t so lucky this time, but we all have moments when we look back and think to ourselves, “I said what?!?!?“

Still, it would have just been easier to say, “Whoops!  I’m sorry I said that.  It’s not what I meant, and I’ll be more careful with my words next time.”  It would also help if he confirmed which words he “regrets” saying.

Cross-posted to VV

An open letter to Delegate Bob Marshall

Dear Bob,

It hurts to write this, but write it I must.

I was one of your first supporters in your U.S. Senate bid two years ago.  I defended you from the moronic sludge thrown at you by Democrats (and sadly, a few Republicans) about your record.  I took to this blog to give badly needed context to the attacks aimed at you over your Love Canal comments (note to readers, if you’re asking why I capitalized Love Canal, read this).

This is why I am so confused and disappointed at the comments attributed to you in the Staunton News-Leader.

To wit, there are two comments where you are quoted that, for obvious reasons, have gotten the most attention.  Here’s the first:

The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps has increased dramatically. Why? Because when you abort the first born of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children.

Of course, you can see why that would upset a number of people.  Oddly enough, this wasn’t the quote that bothered me the most.  Nature can be very, very cruel, in ways we don’t anticipate.  Hobbes didn’t call the state of nature “nasty, brutish, and short” for nothing.

It was the second quote attributed to you that bothered me (emphasis added):

In the Old Testament, the first born of every being, animal and man, was dedicated to the Lord. There’s a special punishment Christians would suggest.

Come again?  I find it very hard to believe Christians “suggest” the Lord inflicts punishment upon children for the sins of their parents.  As I understand it (and I admit I am no theologian), the only sin we inherited was Original Sin.  Full Stop.

There are so many ways this statement troubles; the general inference that disabled children are somehow punishments handed down by the Lord is the one that has generated the most heat (here‘s one of the gentler exmaples, and like JR, I disagree with that inference strongly), but there are others that – I hope – you will answer with something akin to you-know-I-really-didn’t-think-that-through.

• Are we to assume that the Lord values first-born children more than subsequent ones?  Is he less upset if a second-, third-, or later conceived child is murdered in the womb than the first-born?
• Do the opinions of the parents count for nothing?  Can a mother or father repent?  Or is this the one sin whose punishment not only affects innocents, but is also irreversible?
• Assuming the initial statement you made is true (and usually, you research these things well enough to ensure that), is this really something we should tout in such a manner?  Would it not be better to describe it as an unfortunate effect that should be combatted to the best of our ability by the medical community?  As I recall, several in the pro-life community have noted some correlation between abortion and breast cancer (note to readers: correlation does not imply causality, so take it easy), but I know of no respectable person who claimed the suffering of breast cancer as a proper pennance or atonement.

Bear in mind, this comes from one of your longest admirers in the blogosphere.  Please, tell me that this admiration and energy was not in vain.

Cross-posted to VV

The fate of the leaders, two years later

As Election 2009 kicks into high gear, I must confess that I am pleased to see where the Republican Party is today.  The GOP has rescued itself from the HB3202 millstone, and re-established itself as the party of lower taxes and limited government in Virginia.  Sure, the GOP received a heaven-sent opportunity when the Supreme Court tossed out the taxes in HB3202, but opportunities can be squandered (and very often have been); the Republican Party of Virginia instead seized that opportunity and saved itself.

That said, we should still remember those brave few who stood for what’s right in 2007.  For those who have forgotten, there were four who stood tall against HB3202 and all of the other tax-hike schemes of John Chichester and his RINO clique (including the Warner tax hike of 2004).  These four were Mark Cole, Jeff Frederick, Tom Gear, and Bob Marshall.

As it happens, Frederick is retiring.  Cole, meanwhile, has no opposition, and thus is assured another term.  Therefore, I will focus on Marshall and Gear.  The former is once again up against not just a Democrat, but an entire left-wing apparatus determined to bring him down.  He has fought them off nine times since 1991, but that does not guarantee a tenth.  He deserves the help of every Northern Virginia Republican; heck, as the fellow who brought the suit against HB3202 to the State Supremes, he deserves the support of every Republican, if no every Virginian.

I’m guessing Gear is not as well known, but he has been with the taxpayer every time.  This year, Gear not only faces a Democrat, but also an ex-Republican “Independent” named Gordon Helsel.  Now, I don’t know Helsel, who is currently the Mayor of Poquoson, but Gear has earned another term with his principled opposition to tax increases and runaway government spending, period.

So, if you can help out either of these Delegates, please do.  If you can managed to help both, fantastic.  Just (WARNING: self-absorbed bleg imminent) be sure in your travels back and forth to spend some time in Spotsylvania.

From the Desk of Bob Marshall

The man who should be Speaker had this to say about the transportation session (including the abomination known as HB6055):

Can Virginia fix transportation without raising taxes? Yes, but unless you contact House of Delegates members before July 9 you may be facing higher taxes and fees, not just from Democrats who want higher auto, sales, real property and gas taxes, but from Republicans too!

 

Tax/fee increases are in the Republican Transportation Bill, H.B. 6055 pushed by Republican Speaker Bill Howell. 

 

The bill authorizes Northern Virginia counties and cities to increase the sales tax on home and commercial property sales (grantor’s tax) of an additional $0.40 cents per $100 of the sale price.  Last year the Assembly authorized No VA localities to impose an additional tax on commercial real estate of $0.25 per $100 for roads and transit.    

 

This tax can never be rescinded by the local governments as long as there is any outstanding debt for Northern Virginia projects funded by this tax!

 

While HB 6055 provides that funds raised in No. VA are to be spent only for No VA transportation projects, it may be diverted to other uses and areas of Virginia “as may be required by any other law.”   HB 6055 also adds $100 to the cost of a new driver’s license. 

 

Hampton Roads residents will pay $20 more for a registration fee and $20 more for inspection fees.  HB 6055 authorizes a real estate tax increase on all property of $0.10 cents per $100.   It diverts up to $250 million in yet to be collected taxes from business and individuals in the cargo container business to Hampton Roads transportation projects.

 

With Virginia families facing falling home prices, increased real property taxes, skyrocketing gas and food prices, an 18% electric rate hike for Dominion, a 6.4% monthly increase in natural gas prices, almost five decades of federal deficit spending, and a devalued dollar, the General Assembly should not raise taxes and fees. 

 

If we say yes to a tax increase again, what happens when the next “crisis” happens a few years from now?  Enough is enough.  Taxpayers are not bottomless ATM machines.

 

Rather than raise taxes, the legislature should support changing work schedules, use toll and fare supported transportation bonds, set up bio-fuel capture centers in Virginia, make state government more efficient and spend the savings on roads and transit.

 

Here are some practical non-tax transportation proposals:  

 

HJR 6007:  Lock up the Transportation Trust Fund so transportation dollars are not diverted for other means.  More than $1.2 Billion has been diverted has been diverted to non-transportation uses over the last 18 years. This must stop.

 

HB 6030:  Fund major transportation projects using bonds paid by tolls or rider fares, i.e., Hampton Roads Bridge tunnel expansion, I-81 truck improvements (trucks pay tolls),  Tri-County –Prince William-Fairfax-Loudoun– Connector, expand commuter rail in No VA to Haymarket, buy more Metro Subway rail cars, etc. 

 

HB 6049: Allow naming rights in exchange for corporations and individuals paying for building roads and other transportation projects, just as is done for stadiums and school buildings.

 

Implement the 2002 Wilder Commission efficiency recommendations that were projected to currently save $1.1 Billion annually without reducing services.

 

Allocate a greater portion of state revenue to transportation.  Out of a 2-year budget of roughly $79 Billion, surely a greater percent could be allocated for transportation.

 

HB 6031: Require all tractor trailers (VA and out of state) to pay for a per mile road maintenance and damage charge which is now passed on to other Virginia drivers.

 

HB 6032:  Set up a permanent state oversight Commission, similar to the federal cost cutting BRAC Commission, to evaluate whether state holdings should be sold, identify duplicate programs, and cut unnecessary overhead while maintaining the same level of services.

 

HJR 6011: Stop burning food!  Request a waiver from the federal ethanol mandate.  Ethanol results in less miles per gallon and increases food prices from diversion of food to fuel.  (Speaker Bill Howell publically announced I would have all of 30 seconds—literally–to present this measure to his Rules Committee!)

 

HJR 6008:  Assess methane resources now being wasted in Virginia which could be converted to fuel for cars/trucks.

 

Unfortunately, despite Rule 37 of the House of Delegates which provides that: “The Clerk shall, under the direction of the Speaker, refer all such original papers (i.e. bills) to the proper committee…”  Nearly all bills introduced into the special session that would reduce expenses and use the money saved for roads and transit have been referred to the House Rules Committee, Chaired by Speaker Bill Howell, so he can kill them. 

 

See
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?083+com+H20N01
for all bills referred to the House Rules committee for the special transportation session.  For Delegate Marshall’s bills see
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?083+mbr+H57C
.

 

To find out how to contact your state delegate and senator (or learn who they are) go to:

http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform

Cross-posted to Bloggers 4 Bob Marshall 4 Speaker

Day Four: Appalling (UPDATED)

Well, that didn’t take long.  Mere hours after my latest warning about what Bill Howell would do, Phillip Hamilton goes out and proves me right (Washington Post):

House Republican leaders are expected to move ahead today with a proposal to reestablish regional transportation plans in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, setting up a potential split within the GOP caucus.

Del. Phillip A. Hamilton (R-Newport News) said his proposal, which is expected to be embraced by the House leadership after it is heard by a committee today, will include a mix of state-imposed and locally enacted taxes, a concession for GOP leaders who previously had ruled out state-imposed taxes.

In Northern Virginia, the plan calls for a 2 percent rental car tax, a $5 a night hotel tax and a 40 cent grantors tax. There would also be a $100 initial vehicle registration fee. All of the money raised would stay in Northern Virginia to build roads.

“All along, we have said we are willing to address the regional components,” said Hamilton, noting all the new taxes in Hampton Roads would be state imposed.

Here we go again.

The bill itself (HB 6055, co-sponsored by Dave Albo) would do the following (read it and weep):

• Impose a rental car tax (2%) on Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads
• “Allow” localities in Northern Virginia to impose a grantor’s tax (0.4%), but once imposed, it can never be repealed so long as the NVTA is building something in the locality (and the NVTA gets all the dough)
• “Allow” localities in Northern Virginia to impose transient occupancy tax (2%), but once imposed, it can never be repealed so long as the NVTA is building something in the locality (and the NVTA gets all the dough)
• Allow localities in  Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads to impose a real estate tax (0.25% in NoVA, 0.1% in HR)
• Any localities in Northern Virginia that refuse to impose the fees get no NVTA road projects (just like HB3202 last year, it puts a gun to the head of the localities)
• Allows all other localities with a population over 500,000 – or any jurisdiction bordering it, or any city with a population of 265,000 to impose a local income tax (pursuant to a referendum)

That’s just the taxes.  Get a load of where the money goes (besides for “transportation”).

• The NVTA can be “an advocate for the transportation needs of Northern Virginia before the state and federal governments,” in other words, they can use taxpayer money to lobby for more taxpayer money
• The funding in Hampton Roads will be determined by the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Planning Organization (another appointed group).  In other words, Hampton Roads trades one regional government for another.

In short, Hamilton and Albo brought back HB3202 – and worse.

In response, Bill Howell sent it out of his Rules Committee and on to the floor by 10-5 vote (all eight Republicans back the monstrosity).

To make matters worse, Howell also had the Senate multi-tax disaster sent to the floor on an 11-4 vote (once again, all eight Republicans voted aye).

Meanwhile, all of Bob Marshall’s bills to reduce spending (and Jeff Frederick’s bill to download local roads) are still buried in committee.

Simply put, this is appalling.  Bill Howell has revealed himself to be a weak, cowardly, tax-hiking cipher (again).  If there was ever any doubt about the need for new leadership in the House of Delegates, that doubt is gone.

Cross-posted to Bloggers 4 Bob Marshall 4 Speaker

Bill Howell’s plans, and the GOP’s choice

The House of Delegates (or, to be more precise, the House Rules Committee) will take up the multifaceted tax increase (including the hidden, secret ones) passed by the Senate Democrats last night.  Odds are, the bill will die, which would be a good thing.  That’s not the end of the story though.

Amidst the whirl and rush over the Senate bill, people are beginning to notice that the House GOP has (publicly, at least) presented nothing.  As the session drags on, the calls for the House to show “leadership” will continue to grow.  I’d normally, start ripping MSM and the Democrats for this (they’ll be making said calls), but for my certain belief that Speaker Bill Howell has anticipated this all along – and is merely waiting to spring the return of HB3202 as his “compromise” solution.

Why do I say this?  Simple; every other option to fund transportation has been quietly killed by Speaker Howell.

To see what I mean, take a look at the bills presented by Delegate Bob Marshall (LIS).  He has a measure to implement the Wilder Commission’s recommendations for efficiencies in government (HJ 6061), a bill to find efficiencies in the Transportation Department (HB 6032), and one near and dear to my heart, a bill that closes the door on adding subdivision streets to the maintenance grid (HB 6041).  They all share two things in common: they can hold down the cost of government in order to enable existing transportation needs to be met, and they are all languishing in Bill Howell’s House Rules Committee.  Bills 6061 and 6041(the better two, IMHO) haven’t even made it to a Rules Committee docket.

In other words, Howell is buring any alternative to tax increases. To me, that’s simply more evidence that he has his own tax increase waiting in the wings.  I’m not alone either (DC Examiner):

(University of Mary Washington Professor Stephen J.) Farnsworth expected any compromise to be centered on a patch for Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, the two regions that won millions of dollars in new transportation funding last year only to see the mechanism for collecting those taxes thrown out by the Virginia Supreme Court in February.

Lest anyone forget, none other than Attorney General and presumtive GOP gubernatorial nominee Bob McDonnell told the Washington Post, “I think the regional fixes are doable.”

So while the attention will be on the Senate bill today, I’m guessing the time will come when Howell will ask the Republican Delegates to swallow some form of tax increase.  Then the Delegates will have to ask themselves: Who is more important to them, their Speaker or their voters?

Cross-posted to Bloggers 4 Bob Marshall 4 Speaker

Welcome to the general election, Barry

The Audacity of Hype is has been getting a taste of what a real campaign is like (as opposed to the coronation MSM is insisting he’ll have).  It actually started last week, when he decided to come to Northern Virginia to bask in the adoration of the region’s lefties.

There was only one problem: Barry went to Bristow, which is in Bob Marshall country.  So he shouldn’t be too surprised about the underwhelming turnout (Virginia Virtucon) – Democrats have been imagining thousands of lefty voters in Marshall’s district for years, only see them disappear on Election Day.

Meanwhile, John McCain has fired what could (and should) be the line of the campaign (VV again):

Sen. Obama says that I’m running for a Bush’s third terms.  It seems to me he’s running for Jimmy Carter’s second.

Nicely done, John; nicely done.

Why the Virginia Republican convention MAY matter

I always write with trepidation when I have to differ with Jim Bowden, even slightly (as is the case here), but here goes.

Jim has a blog post on the GOP Convention, and why it matters in his view:

The nomination of Gov. Jim Gilmore as candidate for the U.S. Senate and the election of Del. Jeff Frederick to Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia may not seem really revolutionary. Yet, it is as clear a choice, not an echo, as what candidate Ronald Reagan presented to The People in 1980. It ‘s as sharp a contrast of solutions as Newt Gingrich contracted with America in 1994. It’s the important issues to citizens that Jim Gilmore defined in ‘No Car Tax’ and Jeff Frederick defended against HB 3202 with its punishing taxes and unconstitutional regional governments. It’s all based on a shared and uncompromising, unapologetic, unsurpassed understanding of Conservative principles.

I’d love to agree with this; I really would, but I can’t – at least, not yet.

It’s in Jim’s next paragraph that the reason why I’m holding back is revealed:

It’s the end of politicians running on the Virginia Republican Creed and governing as tax and spend Democrats. It’s the end of Republican tax hikes. It’s the end of Republican special interest spending – like Congressional pork fat-filled earmarks. It’s the restoration of the brand label “Republican” to provide a “Republican” product. Republican will mean Conservative in content as well as limited-government Libertarian in fact. It’s making elected Republicans accountable to all Virginians through the Republican Party. It’s about trust.

Will it really be “the end of Republican tax hikes”?  From what I hear, we’ll see another one of those in this month’s special session on transportation.  However, the special session itself could be the moment that ratifies everything Jim has written – if Frederick and Gilmore are prepared to stop a tax hike.

This may seem odd to ask Gilmore – a candidate for federal office - to stop a state tax hike, but his would-be predecessor (John Warner) has always been willing to stick his neck out for tax increases (he backed both the tax referenda of 2002 and the hideous HB3202 last year).  So Gilmore certainly has a precedent for speaking out.  Moreover, given that Bob Marshall will be fighting all tax increases in the House of Delegates, Gilmore – by joining him- can make it clear to all Virginians that the tax-hikers in the GOP are the exception, rather than the rule.

As RPV Chairman, Jeff Frederick can have an even greater impact.  Much as GOP unit chairmen can have an influence on Supervisors, Frederick can have at least some sway with the delegates.  He can certainly make it clear that the party is shifting in a low-tax direction, away from Howell et al.

If Gilmore and Frederick are ready to take a risk and cross swords with Howell and his ilk (perhaps they could even consider backing a change in leadership), then the convention that nominated them can indeed be the epochal moment Jim thinks it is.

However, if they stay silent in the face of higher taxes (or worse, meekly sign on), then all of the momentum from Frederick’s win will be lost, and Gilmore will be in big trouble (if he actually backs a tax hike, he’ll get deservedly waxed in November).

We will see what happens over the summer, which will certainly  be a pivotal moment for all Virginia Republicans.

Another original Gilmore bloggers supports Bob Marshall for Speaker

Just last week, I launched the Bloggers 4 Bob Marshall 4 Speaker blog.  I was pleased to see (and note) that at least one blogger who was a longtime supporter of Jim Gilmore’s senate campaign (Jim Bowden) had signed on.

Well, today, none other than Spank That Donkey – the lead Gilmore blogger for nearly a year – has signed up for the campaign for Change in Richmond.

Welcome, STD!