A
Simple Solution
Here
is an easy way to resolve Virginia's political
stand-off over transportation funding: Empower
local governments to enact the same taxes that the
Supreme Court invalidated regionally.
Let’s
stop the arguing and get the transportation issue
settled.
The
unintended consequences of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s
suggested transportation “fix” could well be
that nothing happens at all. That would delay
needed transportation projects in Hampton Roads
and
Northern Virginia
to the detriment of all.
Gov.
Kaine seems to have missed the simple
transportation fix that was right in front of him.
The
state Supreme Court only invalidated the taxes
imposed by unelected transportation authorities in
Northern Virginia of about $400 million a year and
in Hampton Roads of about $200 million annually.
Last year’s transportation “victory” by the
General Assembly combined new funding of about
$1.2 billion along with a $3 billion state bond
issue for a total package of $4.2 billion.
Only about 14 percent of that total new
transportation funding was invalidated by the
Court. But it is a critical 14 percent since it
has denied
Northern Virginia
more than $1 million a day in new transportation
funds and about $600,000 a day in Hampton Roads.
When
the governor changed the final transportation bill
and took new taxing authority away from the Boards
of Supervisors and City Councils and gave it to
unelected regional transportation authorities, he
created what ended up to an unconstitutional way
to raise funds.
An
easy fix would be simply to patch the mistake that
the Supreme Court highlighted and give elected
local governments the authority to raise the same
taxes and fees that the original bill provided.
The Court said this would work.
But
these locally elected governments don’t want
that responsibility.
That is why Fairfax Chairman Gerry Connelly
urged the governor to change the bill a year ago.
That unwillingness to take a leadership
role to resolve the transportation congestion
nightmare puts Chairman Connolly at the top of the
list of those who caused this problem.
The
various constituencies who agreed to have their
taxes raised a year ago in order to resolve the
congestion mess are still ready today.
The General Assembly merely needs to change
the current law to give authority to raise the
agreed-upon taxes to the local elected governing
bodies. If
these taxes were approved, money would begin to
flow rapidly and congestion relief could be seen
within a year.
This
simple and rational way to resolve the
transportation problem would mean the special
session would only last a couple of hours.
The governor could sign the bill the same
day and transportation funds would flow in the
matter of weeks.
If
our elected “leaders” at the state and local
level refuse to take the responsibility of voting
on a transportation solution, then let the
citizens vote this fall.
I
don’t like government by referendum but this
transportation stand-off needs to come to an end.
This year’s presidential election could find the
largest percentage of Americans voting since 1960.
Many expect 80 percent or more of the
voters in
Northern Virginia
and Hampton Roads to vote this November.
These folks would be happy to also vote on
whether to raise taxes to reduce traffic
congestion.
Cutting
the Gordian Knot of transportation funding is not
difficult. But it seems that those who could
resolve this issue would rather see this tiresome
battle continue and the finger pointing go on and
on. Will the
voters remember those who stand in the way of a
solution when they vote next year?
Time will tell.
--
May 19, 2008
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