Author: Steve Haner
-
Just Give It Back and Here’s How
A joke making the rounds Wednesday had Governor Ralph Northam agreeing that Virginians did deserve a return of the windfall tax increase flowing to the state due to conformity, but we’d have to take it as Amazon Prime memberships. Don’t expect laughter if the 2019 General Assembly votes out a massive multi-year incentive package for…
-
Unprecedented Details Available on Amazon Deal
The most unprecedented thing about the state and local incentive package for Amazon announced yesterday is its transparency. Never has this much detailed information been provided to the general public immediately upon announcement, outside the protection of a non-disclosure agreement, and apparently the details will continue to flow. Virginia Economic Development Partnership President Steve Moret…
-
Grousing on a Grey and Wet Friday
“It’s the end of the world as we know it.” More than 30 years ago I told Jim Gilmore that his election as Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney was the most important Republican victory on the ballot that year, so it’s only fair to recognize that the real bell weather Tuesday was the election of a…
-
No Excuses for Chesterfield Voting Problems
I’ve been an election officer twice now, for the June primary and now for this massive mid-term election, so that makes me a real expert, right? Hardly. But I read the Richmond Times-Dispatch story about the problems Tuesday in Chesterfield County with deeper insight than I would have a year ago. Know first that after…
-
Updates: VCCS Transfers and Dominion Taxes
A Good Idea Which Is Spreading A recent announcement from the Virginia Community College System provides a nice enhancement to an earlier Bacon’s Rebellion story about the smooth transition VCCS students can make to certain Virginia public universities. A new articulation agreement has been signed with private Randolph-Macon College in Ashland. The new agreement covers transfers…
-
Taxaginia? Conformity Tax Would Be Number Four
Each of the four tax increases I discussed in this guest column for the Richmond Times-Dispatch today has a strong constituency behind it, and logical arguments in its favor. Only one is in effect now (the hospital provider taxes), and the other three are merely pending. Only one of them, amendments to the sales and…
-
Imprudent, Unreasonable, Unnecessary, Approved
The State Corporation today found as a factual matter that the two-turbine Commonwealth of Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) demonstration project 27 miles off the coast is imprudent and places unreasonable costs and risks on Dominion Energy Virginia’s ratepayers. It then approved the project citing the clear legislative mandate in an omnibus energy regulation bill passed…
-
The Forgotten Literary Fund
One of the many debates expected in the 2019 General Assembly of Virginia, which is coming at us like a freight train, will focus on school construction funding and the need for a dedicated source of revenue to repair or replace old or dilapidated local facilities. Proponents have latched onto additional sales tax revenue that…
-
Dominion Grid Plan Panned For Lacking Detail
The specific phrase is not used, but the general theme in testimony filed with the State Corporation Commission as it considers Dominion Energy’s massive grid modernization proposal is this plan is not ready for prime time. That thread runs through pre-filed testimony from the Office of the Attorney General, the staff of the State Corporation…
-
Conformity: Option on Deductions Saves $370M
If Virginia were to allow its taxpayers to keep taking itemized deductions at the state level, even though they take the new higher federal standard deduction, almost 550,000 more would be expected to itemize at the state level, Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne told state legislators Thursday. Almost 90,000 would be people who were not…
-
A New Tax Policy Principle: Harm Reduction
Despite a long tradition of taxing traditional tobacco products, Virginia should not now tax the alternative products from the same industry based on nicotine-laced heated liquids because they serve the high social purpose of harm reduction, legislators were told Tuesday. Carrie L. Wade of the R Street Institute, who never quite stated who had paid…
-
Update: SCC Hearing on Off-Shore Wind
If the State Corporation Commission holds a hearing and Bacon’s Rebellion is not there to cover it, does it make news? Well it turns out there is a transcript. Having first held a hearing to debate whether it had the authority to reject a two-turbine, $300 million off-shore wind “demonstration” facility blessed by the General…
-
Caution: These Links Will Ruin Your Sleep
A campaign pitch for an incumbent member of Congress you will not hear: You are getting $4 worth of government for every $3 you pay in taxes and fees, and the other buck is piled on as debt for your kids and grand kids to pay! You should vote me back in! The Treasury Department’s…
-
Global Climate Catastrophe (in 1501?)
Once the Viking Cruise people have your mailing and email address the marketing is relentless, and the fog from 11 hours on two legs of Lufthansa had barely lifted before the email arrived with a fabulously attractive deal on a Rhine cruise in early 2019. Ah, but I know now why the price is so…
-
When and Why Can the SCC Say No?
When the General Assembly and Governor pass a law that states a source of electricity – or even a specific power project – is in “the public interest,” what is the State Corporation Commission left to do? Does that mean the SCC must approve the project even if it turns out to be unreasonable, imprudent…