Bacon's Rebellion

Challengers Face Uphill Struggle

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by

James A. Bacon
in

Warren Fiske of the Virginian-Pilot has a good summary of the six Republican primary challenges to delegates who voted for 2004 tax increase. The bottom line is that only one challenge, that to Gary Reese of Fairfax, seems to have much of a chance.

Fiske avoids the Larry Sabato ritual(and the “Not Larry Sabato” opportunity) by going deeper into his rolodex:

Much of the anti-tax debate may have shifted away from the incumbents, according to Robert Holsworth, a political scientist at Virginia Commonwealth University. Last year’s controversy centered on raising state taxes. This year, Holsworth said, most of the concern is focused on curbing steep increases in local real estate tax bills that are levied by local governments.

“The real estate tax is what’s slapping people in the face,” he said.

A lot of stars have to align for any kind of anti-incumbent or anti-tax mood to infect the public. While there are pockets of discontent, I just don’t think this is the year.

Norm over at One Man’s Trash offers some anti-tax fodder that might help the stars align.

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  1. Paul Avatar
    Paul

    There may be an anti-tax sentiment, but it’s at the local level, where it rightfully should be. Localities control real estate taxes. Voters can vote the bums out (and SHOULD, and WILL). Those taxes have doubled in the past decade.

    A penny on sales tax, a few pennies on cigarette taxes, a few more dollars on deeds? Yeah. That’ll get people steamed. HA!

    Guess what folks? We’ll see more pennies in the near future (most likely in the gas tax). If Kilgore is elected, he and his pro-tax Republican buddies won’t waste a second giving encouraging the creation of regional taxing authorities (see: developers serving on boards) that will bring all sorts of tax hikes. My guess? The referendum section of the plan is taken out by the Senate and we just get unelected regional authorities taxing at will.

  2. Jason Kenney Avatar
    Jason Kenney

    The slant of the article is appalling and why they didn’t even bother to talk to the candidates is beyond me. “Hey, let’s talk to the PACs and Lobbyists and ignore the people who are actually getting this thing done!” And I think there are a lot more to the VCAP challengers than Craddock.

  3. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    You’d like to think so. But no. That’s it. Rest are a bunch of jokes.

  4. Jason Kenney Avatar
    Jason Kenney

    Anon, you can’t make a statement like that without backing it up. Oprison’s weathered the petition storm and is still giving May fits, Kenney’s got solid backing throughout the 54th, has a good crew putting in hard work behind him and is raising money from the District, unlike his opponent, and Jarvis is solid against Scott. The ONLY things going for the incumbents is money and potential crossover votes, otherwise, you may see four VCAP upsets this June.

  5. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    yeah they’ve all got solid support. definitely. lock totally. dudd.

  6. Jason Kenney Avatar
    Jason Kenney

    Sigh. Again, why do you think the rest of them are jokes? Back your statements up.

  7. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    money raised. platform. the popularity of the incumbents. the bad publicity lately. the lack of much groundswell against the tax increases. the focus on property taxes instead of sales taxes. the leadership for virginia money that will continue to flow in. the youth of the challengers.

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