Bacon's Rebellion

Morse on Fire

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by

James A. Bacon
in

When we last saw Gordon Morse in the Washington Post, he was calling Jerry Kilgore a “cracker.” Today, he’s blasting smart growth advocates and anti-taxers in the transportation debate. Of Governor-elect Tim Kaine, “he of the many town meetings,” Morse says, Kaine, “eventually will have to open his mouth. It better be good.”

I’m sure my colleague Steve Haner will take Morse to task for implying criticism of the Governor-elect.

Of the strain of “smart growth” thought that frequents these pages, Morse is dismissive:

Much better, according to the smarts, is to “cluster,” “telecommute” or “levitate” or something. They tell you this in great earnestness, then get in their cars and drive to their 8,000-square-foot suburban enclaves located in a field with a dozen other similar homes just south of Lovettsville.

As we all know, however, it’s the other group that really chaps Morse’s backside:

Then, there’s the “no taxes” bunch, which has gained substantial, though arguably disproportionate, representation in the Virginia political mix. They hold on to their “no tax increases” stance the way a soap company holds on to a favorite slogan. It’s their brand. They’d like to reduce road congestion ever so much but they don’t want to get tagged with the bill.

If Virginia doesn’t get a whole lot of new tax money going into transportation soon, I fear for Mr. Morse’s health.

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7 responses to “Morse on Fire”

  1. Ray Hyde Avatar
    Ray Hyde

    Morse, the Smart Growth bunch, the New Urbanist theorists, the Chicken Little Environmentalists, the Zero Population Growth evangelists, the No Tax dreamers, the Pave Everything promoters, the Anti-Auto authoritarians, the No Growth negativists, the Anti-Mobility activists, and those who think we can Solve our Problems for Free with New Technology have all overstated the case for their particular silver bullet.

    Morse is correct in saying that Kaine has not put forward a plan. That being the case, we may as well sit tight until Kaine finishes interviewing all of the above before he comes to a conclusion that he has probably already made.

    If it turns out to be a bad conclusion, at least he doesn’t have to worry about getting re-elected.

    One thing in the article rang a bell. Kaine thinks that the idea of linking land use to transportation is an idea whose time has come. He thinks local officials should be allowed to deny construction permits if there is insufficient transportation. The anti-growth crowd will immediately extend this idea to all infrastructure, but that is another matter. The question that came to mind is how “long” is the link between construction and transportation?

    Those who study travel budgets think that 45 minutes is a kind of mental boundary, beyond which people are increasingly unlikely to travel, unless the beneits are large. Front Royal is about 45 minutes from the logjam in Gainesville. Does this mean that we are going to restrict growth to areas that are at least 45 minutes away from the nearest logjam? 30 minutes? 15?

    Are we going to make you put your place of work on your building application so we can measure the transportation “link”? What if you later change jobs, or your company moves??

    This is an idea whose time has come – to be thrown in the trash. However, I’ll hold off my criticism until I see Kaine’s “plan”.

  2. Steve Haner Avatar
    Steve Haner

    Gordon stays in a fairly perpetual state of frenzy — it’s his muse. I would say to Morse what I have said to you, Will — keep your powder dry and enjoy the holidays. I don’t understand people who live for the unending, perpetural, 365- 24-7 campaign. I don’t have the energy anymore. At least Morse has the excuse that he is getting paid.

  3. Will Vehrs Avatar
    Will Vehrs

    Steve, once this comment is complete, I will take your advice and keep my “powder dry.” I’m sure your group and others with a much more vested interest in transportation than myself are busy influencing the proposals that will emerge from this delicate process, so I understand your position.

    I would only say, in this my swan song on the subject, that I am simply surprised that a Lt. Gov who has had four years to gauge the state mood and the possible options on transportation is spending so much of his valuable transition time on these public meetings where it is all being rehashed again. I would have expected, and would not have made a peep about it, that Gov. elect Kaine would be crafting legislation and strategy with his team and influential legislators, essentially out of the public eye. He’d unveil his plans beginning with his inaugural speech and we’d debate it and he’d sell it from there on out.

    Since he is having these meetings for competing interests to make their cases, essentially he is continuing the 24/7, 365 day campaign, not me, but apparently my view is a minority of one amidst the boffo reviews for SRO town halls.

    So, as an unpaid blogger with no excuse, Happy Holidays and may everyone’s transportation wishes come true.

  4. Norman Avatar
    Norman

    Will, whenever anyone tosses the phrase “keep your powder dry” my way, it tells me they would prefer you to open fire only when it’s too late to do any good (if ever).

    Like you, I also fear for Morse’s health. He’s one adjective away from critical mass.

  5. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    And here I am thinking I toned it down too much.

    Gordon Morse

  6. Not Larry Sabato Avatar
    Not Larry Sabato

    This pisses me off. Steve Haner, these issues are up for discussion in ONE month, and many of us feel that Will Vehrs is a voice that needs to be heard.

    Will, I am going to be very upset if you keep your powder dry.

    And Mr. Morse, try to calm down before your next column. 🙂

  7. vasportsmen Avatar
    vasportsmen

    I was among Kaine’s biggest critics during the campaign (especially on the issue of gun rights) but I have to admit I am an advocate of the “smarth growth” approach.

    As a resident of Chesterfield for over thirty years, I have seen the rapid growth and the problems (ie traffic, over crowded schools) that have come with that growth. I remember the numerous bond referendums to build more schools because of the over crowding due to unchecked growth and the lack of planning associated with that growth.

    As a sportsmen, I am increasingly concerned about the amount of “green space” and prime hunting land that is falling prey to developers and the fact that wildlife are forced to encroach on residential land causing unwanted contact (i.e. auto collisions) with humans. Put simply, this Commonwealth needs a growth strategy that not only works to continue to see that Virginia is “Open for Business” but also recognizes we cannot continue at the pace of the past without turning all of our suburban areas into a repeat of what has occurred in Fairfax County.

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