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There
are three Transportation plans in Virginia’s
2006 General Assembly. Two "plans"
– Democrat Governor Kaine’s and Republican
Senator, His Lordship, Sir John Chichester’s
– call for massive tax increases of another
$2.5 billion or more. One Transportation plan,
Speaker of the House Howell’s, doesn’t
raise taxes.
"‘Right
fast," within a few weeks, the
Republicans will either vote for another tax
increase or not. It’s up to the Republicans.
Republicans are the majority in the House of
Delegates and the Senate, so the one way and
only way a tax increase can pass is if
Republicans vote for it. In 2004, Republican delegates
and senators made the Gov. Mark “I won’t
raise your taxes” Warner tax increase
happen. They passed the largest tax increase
in 400 years of Virginia history, creating a
record and growing surplus as a result.
So
far, the House of Delegates Republicans have
killed Kaine’s plan in committee. The Senate
Republicans’ tax hike still lives. When I
spoke at the York County Republican Committee
meeting last week, an aide for Sen. Marty
Williams, R-Newport News, expressed complete
surprise that Republicans were against more
taxes. She said Sen. Williams’ office
hadn’t heard from people who oppose
increased taxes.
Apparently,
Sen. Williams won’t know to oppose taxes,
unless voters tell him. Here are 10 reasons to
share with your Republican legislators why
whatever comes out of committees and
compromises shouldn’t include another
"Republican" tax increase.
1.
Virginia has a surplus. The "Sky-is-falling-
Chicken-Little" Tax increase of 2004 was
supposed to address critical infrastructure,
under-funding, necessary services problems.
Fueled by federal tax cuts, the Bush Boom has
increased Virginia's revenue the 8.2 percent
so desperately needed by Virginia's bureaucrats.
This happened before
the tax increase is taken into account.
The
tax increase has created a $1.4 billion-and-
growing revenue surplus. Spend that on
transportation, since you lack the will to
roll back the ’04 tax increase. No new
taxes.
2.
Virginia has other money. Gov.
Warner’s commission on government found over
$1 billion in efficiencies and saving in
government spending. Cut the waste and
inefficiency first. The Virginia "Standards
of Quality" are state mandates for
education that don’t improve education. The
SOQs, accounting for more than $1 billion in
spending, are a jobs program based on a
1980s-era understanding of technology and
"one size fits all" cookie-cutter
mismanagement. They are being revised, but
they are not fixed yet.
Virginia’s
government spending has doubled in 10 years.
Virginia’s family incomes have not increased
100 percent. No new taxes.
3.
Virginia has sustainable revenue.
Virginia’s revenues come from the earnings
of its People. Corporate taxes and wholesale
taxes are passed on to the consumer. The
hard work of the People create a sustainable,
competitive economy that produces revenue –
steadily and increasingly. When there is
a recession there is a decrease in taxes –
because the People make less. The
government’s money comes from the same
economy. That’s why there is a Rainy Day
fund. No new taxes.
4.
Virginia needs to set priorities. Virginia
took in more than $1 billion than it planned
to spend from ’04. Only a politician or a
bureaucrat would say there’s no surplus
because of "unfunded" needs. Every
family in Virginia has "unfunded"
needs. But, the People must earn what they
want to spend. Government just takes. How the
People make up the burden for higher taxes is
their problem. The People set priorities on
what they buy. The politicians need to make a
list of what is first, second, etc and fund
accordingly. No new taxes.
5.
Virginia doesn’t have a crisis. If a
Transportation plan is approved today, the
concrete wouldn’t start pouring for years. A
Third Crossing for Hampton Roads might not
start construction for almost 10 years – to
meet all the laws for environmental
protection, etc. The problem is painful in
NoVa and irritating in Hampton Roads and on
the Interstates, but it isn’t a crisis. The
transportation taxes from ’85 were supposed
to "fix" transportation but didn't.
A new tax won’t fix things either. No new
taxes.
6.
Virginia needs innovations. The Republican
Senators’ plan is to pour concrete -- as if
that ever solved congestion! Public-private
partnerships, tolls, tax relief for
telecommuters, etc and other innovations
should be part of the solution. No new taxes.
7.
Virginia still needs to fix VDOT. The
process, planning and execution of
transportation management remains broken.
Speaker Howell’s plan addresses these
problems without raising taxes. No new taxes.
8.
Democrats raise taxes, not Republicans.
Virginia’s Republicans shouldn’t vote with
Democrats to raise taxes. Tax and spend is a
Liberal Democrat thing. The Virginia
Republican Creed calls for lower taxes and
limited government. No new taxes.
9.
Virginia needs jobs, not taxes. Taxes kill
jobs. The Kennedy-Reagan-Bush tax cuts
started long expansions of the economy.
President Bush’s tax cuts and massive
Post-9-11 federal spending have saved
Virginia’s economy. No new taxes.
10.
Virginians expect courage. Virginians
expect elected officials to serve the People,
not special interests that donate to their
campaigns, take them on trips, etc. If the
socialists in the Main Stream Media and the
special interests howl for more money, the
Republicans are supposed to understand the
principles they claim to support in their
campaign literature – and vote properly. No
new taxes.
--
February 13, 2006
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