March Madness   The GOP transportation plan isn't just bad policy, it's bad politics. Republicans are fast losing credibility as the party of low taxes and small government.   The most unpredictable basketball tournament, fueled by the passion of youth, follows the historical Ides, the time of foulest betrayal, to close a month noted for ending the opposite of how it began. It’s all March Madness.   This March Virginia’s Republicans mimic the madness in their own competition with themselves. No one knows if they will end the month as lions or sacrificial lambs. In either case, Republicans are starting the month with a lot of hot wind.   The groundwork was laid almost a half a year ago. Republican Speaker of House Bill Howell, Attorney General Bob McDonnell and selected senators and delegates met secretly to create a "compromise" transportation deal for Virginia. They knew the Democrats had a winning political issue for the General Assembly elections in November 2007 if the Republicans did nothing on transportation. The Republicans had to do something. Something beats nothing. The problem was getting something past His Lordship Sir John Chichester and his tax-and-spend Republicans in the Senate.   "Something" had to include more money, higher taxes -- just don't call anything a "statewide" tax. Not the higher fees, not the fines, not the assorted regional revenues. Furthermore, push the responsibility for raising the new tax revenues onto the cities and counties. That way the Republicans can shade the truth and say they didn’t raise taxes.   RINOs can point to more money, more money, more money - even as the cash surplus continues to flood from 2004’s largest tax increase in Virginia history. Throw in some borrowing which violates the spirit of the Virginia Constitution, by not facing the voters as bonds, and add less than one per cent of the General Fund to complete the funding. Assemble some land use reform and shift the burden and some funding for roads from the Commonwealth to the cities and counties.  The particulars may be flawed, but imperfection is the expected price of legislative compromise. Finally, in the act, where cynicism triumphs over good governance, re-create the Frankenstein of old regional plans for NoVa and Hampton Roads. Especially for my home here in Tidewater.   The compromise is dubious politics, and it's terrible policy. Even according to the analysis of those who support the taxes, congestion will continue to increase. After 20 years of construction delays, accidents and death there will be more congestion across Hampton Roads. Telling The People otherwise -– there's no way to sugar coat this -– is a lie.   It's a lie, too, about "regional authorities". Whence cometh Regional Government for the fourth time? Rejected by ’98 Constitutional Amendment, ’02 Transportation Tax Scam Referendum, and ’05 votes against Jerry Kilgore’s regionalism, the Republicans in the General Assembly are going to cram an unwanted idea down the voters’ throats.   Super cynically, General Assembly Republicans rely on seven Democrat-controlled cities and counties to vote in an unelected, unaccountable, un-separated powers Regional Government for all 13 localities. How shrewd: Create a new level of government and structure the governance so that it's dominated by Democrats. Then hand over $209 million in fun money from Year One – more in following years.   Republicans betray the principles in their Virginia Republican Creed by raising taxes – even as revenues and spending skyrocket – and expanding, not limiting, government against the will of The People.   Republicans do so with the intent of turning their plan into a political shield that protects Republicans in the fall General Assembly elections. The fearful panic of losing the majority in the legislature and the redistricting power after the 2010 census is palpable. The Republicans are sweating fear of the voters.   Enter the new Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, and former Republican National Committee chairman: Ed Gillespie. Ed ran the table faster than a Newark pool shark in his native New Jersey to pick up the coronation election. He is hustling to get a State Central Committee (SCC) vote at the 24 March meeting to support the Republican caucus’ Transportation abortion. He may win, but the vote won’t be unanimous. I’ll vote against it.   To maintain any semblance of consistency, voting in favor of the GOP transportation plan would require repealing prior SCC resolutions containing language to the effect:   ...that lower taxes create more jobs and more prosperity.   ...that higher taxes destroy jobs.   ...that higher taxes fall most heavily on Virginia's small businesses which create the most new jobs.   ...that Virginians recently rejected in referenda an earlier scheme to raise taxes.   ...that Republicans win most elections because Virginians believe in promises made, promises kept.    ...that Virginia's government can and should live within its means.   ...that a fair tax system is one which creates jobs and prosperity, not one that destroys both.   (This last statement, about Gov. Mark Warner's 04 Tax increase, was ignored by Republicans in the General Assembly who voted for what, at that time, was the largest tax increase in Virginia history.)   Chairman Gillespie authorized a commercial blaming Democrat Governor Kaine using the name of the RPV, but without a vote of the Executive Committee – to the best of my knowledge – and, certainly without the approval of the SCC.   Which leads to ultimate insanity of the "stra-teg-ery": Republicans can run "conservative" Republicans for city and county governments to stop the tax increases and regional government passed by the Republican majority in the General Assembly. Please read that again - s-l-o-w-l-y. Except the voters in Virginia aren’t that stupid. Conservatives aren’t that passive. Conservatives across Virginia who have donated real money or motivated serious advocacy groups are going to meet (probably on the same day as the SCC). The object of their attention will be the Republicans: the Caucus and the RPV.   The Republican Caucus is bleeding Republican voters from the base – again. At some point excessive bleeding is fatal to the Party. Challengers to Republican incumbents must file by April 13th. The primaries close June 12th. If too few good men and women can stand in the breach, then what to do? Unfund the GOP for 07? For 08? Start a new political Party?   Virginia’s March Madness may turn the political status quo on its head. It’s such a fickle month. March 2007 may be, like many historical Aprils, a month of grave decisions.   -- March 5, 2007