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Twelve
Republicans in Virginia’s
Senate helped pass a $2.6 billion tax
increase. Last
week, Republicans in the House of Delegates
defeated that monster and the Democrat governor’s
$1.0 billion tax increase. Now the issue goes
to closed committee meetings where the tax
masters hope the compromise between $0 and
$2.6 billion turns out to be $1.0 billion.
What
will it take to help the House negotiators
hold new taxes at "zero" in secret
committee and again in a special session in
the spring? Maybe the past can speak to the
present.
In
early 2002 the overwhelming majorities of both
parties, their lobbyists, their business
community buddies and all the media celebrated
the Transportation Tax Referendums for
Northern Virginia
and Hampton Roads. Few citizens protested as the bills
flew through the General Assembly. The war
chest for selling the tax was millions. The
polls looked good.
But,
then a terrible thing happened. Citizens and a
handful of legislators stood up against all
the politicians, the power, the money, and the
media. These nobodies did their homework on
the details. Like the opponents of Hillary
Healthcare in ‘94, they got the tax out in
the open sunlight – and it immediately began
to rot and stink. It was the wrong tax, for
the wrong plan, for the wrong unelected
regional government.
The
high-priced media campaign spun nice numbers
about how wonderful the sales tax would be.
The grassroots activists spoke the whole truth
-– from the detailed analysis -- at every
public forum. The more Virginians saw the
facts, the less they liked the tax. On the Peninsula, we “gnats’” were outspent $2.2m to $40k. Yet, the
great Transportation Tax Referendum was
soundly defeated in NoVa and crushed in
Hampton Roads.
Only
three Republicans rose to challenge the Tax
cheerleaders in ’03 primaries. Incumbents prevailed, running as
low-tax, fiscal conservatives. The voters took
their word as Virginia
gentlemen. Now, Sen. John H. Chichester,
R-Stafford (the R = Raise your tax 2.6 times
the Dems!) and his 11 little helpers in the
Virginia Senate think they’re bullet proof.
The
Virginia Tax Scam for ’04 is bigger than
’02. The peasants (voters) won’t raise
their own taxes but, when sold a bill of goods
-- “John Chichester has been a top leader in
the fight to reduce your taxes” -- it
appears they will re-elect any incumbent. Now
the pro-tax politicians are going for the
biggest tax increase in
Virginia history.
They
plan to increase income taxes with the new
progressive rates on the income tax from Karl
Marx’s Communist Manifesto (and our IRS
code) instead of a fair, flat tax. Increase
sales and gas taxes. Tax cigarette smokers.
Give a break to relieve the whole car tax and
expect the simpleton voters to kiss rings.
Talk about the schools’ “Standards of
Quality” but don’t explain what
unbelievable spending that really is. Call the
Republican Party leaders who oppose taxes
names to marginalize them. The media will
help.
If
the House of Delegates, who faces the voters
in ’05, hang tough, we will have a dramatic
budget stalemate in the spring. The governor
will “shut down” the government. It worked
for Clinton in ’95. It can work again,
right?
Except,
this is Virginia. The Good People, the citizens cited in the preamble to
our Virginia Constitution, will get the facts
sooner or later. Uh-oh.
Like,
the average family personal income will
increase about 4 percent this year.
State income, even without a tax
increase, will go up 7 percent. Gov. Mark
Warner wants to add $1 billion and Sen.
Chichester $2.6 billion on
top of 7 percent growth to the state treasury!
Let’s pretend the tax increase only costs
you, good Virginian, $10 out of pocket
expenses. Okay, what are you going to give up?
Name your personal sacrifice for more taxes.
If it is more like $1,000, then what will you
give up?
If
folks want to pay more taxes voluntarily in
Virginia
they may. How much extra have Mark Warner and
John Chichester paid? None. Yet they demand
you grow government twice as fast as your
family income. Their greed for your money
ignores the fact that taxes kill
jobs. Loss of jobs lowers tax revenues. Loss
of jobs hurts everyone’s income. They
don’t get it and they will never have to –
as long as they are unaccountable to their
party and at the polls.
This
spring every Republican Committee Chairmanship
in the Commonwealth is open for election.
Fifty-five per cent of the Good People of
Virginia vote Republican. Let them show up at
the party elections – read the notices in
the newspaper or find out online (www.vagop.com).
Those who want to increase taxes by $2.6
billion should bring a piece of yellow paper
as their issue identification. Those who want
to hold the line on taxes should bring a blue
piece of paper. Let’s see who is the
Republican Party of Virginia – the people
who are yellow or true blue to the Virginia
Republican creed.
Virginia Delegates, stand tall on no
new taxes. Republicans who raise taxes will
reap the whirlwind. The same Virginia
voters, who shouted in ’02, will speak in
the primaries and in the general election in
‘05. And for 12 dear Virginia Senators,
they’ll be back in ’07. Mark your
calendar.
--
February
16, 2003
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