Bacon's Rebellion

The Washington Post reported today the passage of Del. Albo’s, R-Fairfax, bill (HB 1564) to impose new fines on speeders and reckless drivers. (“VA Delegates Add Fines for Driving Errors.”)

Actually, it appears that the Post has it wrong, It’s HB 1563 that was voted out of the appropriations committee. This bill was sponsored by Del. Tom Rust, R-Herndon, and it’s very similar to the original Albo bill which was rolled into the Rust bill.

Both Albo and Rust are saying that this Bill will raise more than $100 million annually, money that is desperately needed for transportation improvements. (This bill is part of Speaker Bill Howell’s, R-Fredericksburg, bigger plan to raise money for transportation improvements.)

Yet the Impact Statement filed by VDOT estimated that at best the Albo tax would raise $24 million. Obviously, Rust’s version is more onerous on drivers, because VDOT estimates that Rust’s bill could raise between $67 and $72 million annually—still way short of the original predictions.

Let’s make no mistake about this. This is a bad piece of legislation! (See: Why Not a Ticket for Tax Abuse?). This is also a regressive tax that will hurt minorities and the poor who can least afford to pay such penalties. Is the GOP in Virginia really trying to build new highways on the backs of the poor?

With as much political substance as splooge — that creamy white stuff inside a Twinkie — my favorite state Senator, Emmett “Taximaximus” Hanger, has backed off his legislation to stop negotiations between VDOT and STAR Solutions to expand I-81. He presented the bill to the subcommittee, but chose not to put it to a vote.



Hanger said, “Sometimes you can accomplish more in Richmond if you don’t force your hand.”



Other notable Hangeroos:

~ “What I wanted to do is start a dialogue.”

~ “It’s like catching a fast train. You don’t catch it right away, first you slow it down.”

~ “Obviously, we started a conversation.”



Poppycock! Mr. Do-Nothing been singing the same old, tired tune about changing the state song for nine years.



What’s the real deal with Hanger’s withdrawal of the anti-Haliburton controlled Star Solution legislation, perhaps, a cushy 2008 White House appointment in the makings?



Conceivably, Emmett Hanger appointed as U.S. Secretary of Paradoxical Fees and Regulations … and his taxing buddy, Russ Potts, appointed as the Head of the Federal Bureau of Ex-Sports Announcers.



Hmm … It’s fourth and long for Shenandoah Valley residents.

After 40 years of relentless culling, I’ve accumulated a very modest libary of ‘keeper’ books. Few, if any of them, have any intrinsic value, being mostly bought on the cheap–some for pennies. But I’ve never catalogued, or even sorted them in any way, until today. My report: 403 works of literature (some multiple copies); 126 science/practical/culinary; 107 history; 61 reference; 39 biographies and 22 philosophy/religion. Dead last on my shelves? Politics–at 16 volumes. Go figure.

Says John Behan at www.vaconservative.com: “Allen pushes Senate peers for apology over lynchings.” This is an interesting article. Says Behan: “Three days into Black History Month,U. S. Sen. George F. Allen of Virginia renewed efforts Thursday to have the Senate formally aplolgize for its failure to move against a wave of lynchings that swept the South and much of the rest of the country from the 1880s until the 1960s.”

That seems reasonable enough. But read the fine print. Read the comments on this one.

From ‘Anonymous’: Wonder if Sen. Allen will publicly repudiate the Confederate Nathan Bedford Forrest, one of his heroes, his son’s namesake, and founder of the Klan?”

As in THE Klan? Well, I looked it up. Sure enough, the Confederate cavalry officer did, in fact, found THE Klan. In fairness, though, apparently he repudiated it not long afterwards. He was a whiz-bang horse officer, though. Doesn’t seem to be any debate about that.

From: “The Jaded JD”: “Not a surprising move from a United States Senator positioning himself for a run for the presidency in 2008. I wonder whether the effort will work for those of us who remember the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s front-page article by Jeff Schapiro on November 1, 2000, entitled “Allen Lambasted About Civil Rights.”

From ‘NovaKev72’: “Allen is in full CYA mode. I think the biggest obstacle for Allen should be the outrageous Confederate History Month proclamation he made during office. He went well beyond any bromides about “honoring heritage” into basically connecting his supposed fight against the federal government with the CSA’s.”

My advice? Senator Allen needs to get himself a good horse. It’s going to take a good one to put the distance he’s going to need between the Stars and Bars and where he needs to be.

I tried to engage the Blue Dog, Steven Sisson, after his Bacon’s Rebellion column on campaign contributions, but the dog wasn’t hunting just then. I’m going to try again.

Howard Dean is poised to become the face of the Democratic Party. Two major political observers, Mickey Kaus and David Brooks, are seeing a connection between Democratic positioning on the issues and the fundraising Dean pioneered. As Brooks explains,

Many Republicans are mystified as to why the Democrats, having lost another election, are about to name Howard Dean as party chairman and have allowed Barbara Boxer and Ted Kennedy to emerge unchallenged as the loudest foreign policy voices.

The answer, as Mickey Kaus observes in Slate, is that the party is following the money. The energy and the dough are in the MoveOn.org wing, which is not even a wing of the party, but the head and the wallet. Only the most passionate and liberal voices can stir up this network of online donors from the educated class.

My question to the Blue Dog is how Tim Kaine maintains his “centrist” credentials in the 2005 gubernatorial race when he’s getting so much money from a Democratic Party financed on the left? If he disavows the liberal wing that controls the purse strings, does he risk alienating them?

Bark at me, Blue Dog.

With no web presence, publications like the Richmond Free Press are rarely acknowledged in the blogosphere. The RFP serves the African-American community in the City of Richmond.

In the latest edition, staff writer Jeremy M. Lazarus reports that the Legislative Black Caucus celebrated killing a bill that would have merged the Department of Minority Business Enterprise (DMBE) with the Department of Business Assistance (DBA). Del. Dwight Jones (D-Richmond), chair of the caucus, said killing the bill had been their “main objective” in an effort to, according to Lazarus, “promote economic justice for black businesses.”

I believe any neutral management consultant worth his or her salt would recommend a merger of the two organizations. There is considerable duplication of effort and DBA is strong in one area–financial controls–where DMBE has consistently had problems. There would be service benefits to business clients, too. Nonetheless, the symbolism of having their “own” agency and support from Governor Warner for maintaining DMBE’s “independence” apparently overcame any efficiency and service argument.

Another article, this one by staff writer Skeeter Faulk, describes Sen. George Allen’s commitment to naming the new Federal courthouse in downtown Richmond for Spottswood W. Robinson III, a noted NAACP lawyer and federal judge. Robinson worked with Thurgood Marshall on Brown v. Board of Education. Faulk finds the nomination a “surprise” in light of Allen’s past, when he “embraced and glorified the Confederate flag and its sympathizers.” Faulk chalks the naming up to Allen’s presidential ambitions.

It’s tough to be a Republican when it comes to the African-American community. Do nothing and you confirm their worst suspicions; do something and it arouses a different kind of suspicion.

What is the value of state-owned intellectual property (patents, copyrights, etc.) in Virginia? Is there a repository of this data somewhere? Approximately how much income does it produce in a year? Where is the accounting of it?

If one wants to understand why METRO is not meeting its potential as shaper of functional human settlement patterns or why citizens have not given METRO a dedicated source of revenue, look no farther that the story in today’s The Washington Post.

In February of 2005 METRO announced that as of 1 July it is reducing the number of staff who have a car provided and free parking from 135 to 49.

How could this condition be allowed to exist by the Chief Executive, the Board or a janitor when service is being cut and fares raised? The fact that it does exist indicates a culture that is oblivious to its mission.

Renowned UVA political scientist Larry Sabato this morning announced a $1,000,000 cash gift to the University of Virginia. The gift, payable over three years, is the largest ever given the university by an active faculty member, according to UVA President John Casteen. Sabato has written 23 books. Some of them have been read!

Mostly lifted from the Associated Press

California is spending $350 million in stem cell research, so Virginia might as well get into the act. That’s the logic of state Sen. Russell Potts, R-Winchester, for appopriating $1 million in state funds for stem cell research. (See Senate Bill No. 1194).

Well, that’s not the only reason he gave. How’s this for a hard-nosed justification for spending tax dollars?

“Whereas, following a tragic injury, Christopher Reeve demonstrated great courage and strength and served as a heroic example to other paralyzed individuals to the world.”

By all means, let us appropriate state dollars to honor Christopher Reeve, an actor with no discernible affiliation to Virginia whatsoever (other than the fact that his horse riding accident occurred here). Astoundingly, the senate Educate and Health Committee approved the measure.

Funding medical research is normally a function of the federal government. When the Commonwealth has funded university R&D in the past, the purpose has been to build upon existing academic “centers of excellence” that might attract more out-of-state research dollars and lead to the spin-off of promising new business enterprises. Here are the questions I would like to pose to the free-spending senator. Are there any existing centers of excellence conducting stem cell research in Virginia? What is the likelihood that Virginia’s $1 million contribution can be leveraged into additional federal R&D grants? What is the likelihood that any scientific discoveries resulting from such research will be commercialized here in Virginia?

Perhaps there are sound economic development-related reasons for backing this initiative. But none of them appeared in the preamble to Mr. Potts’ bill. This strikes me as just another feel-good measure that will squander more tax dollars, as Mr. Potts is so inclined to do. If there are sound reasons to support this research, someone please let me know. I am happy to stand corrected.

In justifying a $1 million state subsidy for stem cell research, state Sen. Russell Potts, R-Winchester, indirectly invoked the moral authority of Ronald Reagan. “If [stem cell research] is all right for Nancy Reagan and her family … it’s all right for me.” (As reported by Richmond Times-Dispatch writer Jeff E. Schapiro.)

It is touching to hear such reverence for the opinion of Nancy Reagan, who supports stem cell research as a potential cure for the Alzheimer’s Disease that crippled and killed her husband. I wonder if Mr. Potts feels the same deep-seated respect for other sentiments that Nancy Reagan might hold, especially those she shared with her husband, including his opposition to increasing taxes and government spending.

I don’t recall Mr. Potts having cited the moral authority of either Nancy or Ronald Reagan in defense of his fiscal philosophy as practiced here in Virginia. Indeed, Mr. Potts’ legislative record is the antithesis of everything that Ronald Reagan–and his wife– stood for. As documented by Bacon’s Rebellion columnist Phillip Rodokanakis (“And the Winner Is….”, Jan. 31, 2005), Potts not only supported last year’s tax increase in Virginia, the biggest in state history, he lent his name to legislation that would have increased state spending by more than $2 billion — more than any other member of the General Assembly.

Say what you want, Mr. Potts, spend what you want. But keep Ronald Reagan out of it.

In response to the soaring property values in his Arlington District and all of Northern Virginia, Del. Bob Brink (D) has proposed an amendment to the Virginia constitution allowing a “homestead” exemption. HJ 820

Authorizes the General Assembly to enact legislation that will permit localities to exempt from property taxes up to the first $100,000 of value of real estate designed for continuous habitation, owned and occupied by the same individuals as their dwelling.

Brink argues this will give homeowners relief and equalize the tax burden between residential and commercial property.

The House of Delegates may have killed legislation to clean up air pollution earlier today, but the House leadership has put forth a plan to put more money into cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. According to a press release from the Speaker’s office:

Virginia House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) today announced a major financial commitment – $50 million annually for the next 10 years – to the Water Quality Improvement Fund (WQIF). It would be the largest infusion of dollars to the WQIF since its inception in 1997. House Republicans will include an amendment to the 2004-2006 Budget that will dedicate $50 million from general funds to the WQIF, with priority being given to those “point source” water and waste-water treatment plants whose current discharges most exceed proposed environmental regulations to ensure that the worst dischargers will be cleaned-up first.



Fifty million bucks a year — that ain’t chopped liver. Let’s see how the state Senate and the Governor’s office handle this one!

Voting 17-5 this morning, a House of Delegates committee killed legislation that would have required the owners of 15 coal fired power plants in Virginia to drastically reduce emissions. EPA studies indicate that power plant emissions are responsible for 1000 deaths, 140,000 lost work days and 23,700 asthma attacks annually in Virginia, according to reports by the Associated Press. The power companies in Virginia are already facing EPA emissions reductions not as stringent as those proposed by Delegate Jack Reid (R-Henrico). Tommy Hudson, president of the Virginia Coal Association, said passage of Reid’s bill would put 6.5 million tons of coal and 1000 Virginia jobs at risk, resulting in devastating economic consequences for southwest Virginia.

In an otherwise predictable Washington Post editorial skewering of the Republican House of Delegates car tax proposal is this surprising line:

There’s a fair argument to be had about how much of this year’s unanticipated revenue to spend, return to taxpayers or put in reserve.