The Times-Dispatch op-ed section has been doing a better job in the past year of highlighting issues in its own back yard than in any of the 20 years I’ve been reading it. The emphasis on state/local issues was evident Sunday with the publication of four columns on the transportation debate. Columns were written by Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer, House Speaker William J. Howell, Sen. Ken Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, and Del. Brian Moran, D-Alexandria.

Most of the commentary was familiar to anyone who has been following the transportation debate closely, but Homer’s commentary was perhaps the most “newsworthy.” The metaphorical ball is in Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s court now, and Homer has done the best job that I have seen of articulating the governor’s current thoughts at a level of detail that transcends sound bites and newspaper quotes.

According to Homer, the governor sees three major flaws in the GOP transportation bill, two of which are debatable, but one of which seems indisputable.

First, the bill diverts revenue from the General Fund to transportation, taking money from school children and “our aging parents and grandparents.” Translation: The Governor doesn’t want to put any brakes on the full-throttle expansion of government spending in Virginia, and he’s willing to raise taxes to keep it growing. Sorry, I’m not convinced.

Second, the bill doesn’t provide relief now. Writes Homer regarding the GOP proposal to issue bonds as part of the funding package: “The promise of $2.5 billion in badly needed funds for highway, rail, and transit improvements will not happen until late in 2008, if ever. Virginians who are stuck in traffic or seeking a better quality of life need and deserve relief now.” That’s a semi-legitimate point. What Homer doesn’t acknowledge is that dumping more money into road and transit projects in the absence of land use reform will make congestion relief ephemeral at best.

But Homer is dead on about a third point:

The bill assumes that 21 local governments in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads will enact 16 regional taxes and fees on everything from commercial real-estate and home sales to auto repairs and gasoline.

Local officials in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads have said they won’t enact the bill as it stands now. If the bill does not work for these communities, these transportation revenues simply will not be available to Hampton Roads or Northern Virginia.

But Homer hints that Gov. Kaine is not dogmatic. Kaine clearly hopes to amend the bill to fix what he regards as its flaws. What we don’t know yet is which of the flaws the Governor is willing to live with and which ones he will go to the mats to change.