Bacon's Rebellion

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House and Senate to Announce Transportation Deal

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by

James A. Bacon
in

The Virginian-Pilot is reporting that the leadership of the state Senate and House of Delegates have agreed to a compromise transportation plan that will include a combination of tolls and fee increases. The $2 billion package calls for issuing bonds and redirecting revenue from the General Fund. Additionally, the package calls for regional plans for Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. The Hampton Roads plan would include $200 million a year for local projects, funded by an increase in the real estate for most businesses.

Details of the announcement will be forthcoming around 4 p.m. today.

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3 responses to “House and Senate to Announce Transportation Deal”

  1. Reid Greenmun Avatar
    Reid Greenmun

    This is mostly a good thing except:

    1. All-apointed Regional Authorities are not required.

    2. All-apointed Regional Authorities are bad government.

    3. BEFORE taxes are raised a plan should be placed on the table, debated, agreed to, with firm committments to what roads and mass transit we will receive – when. Blank checks are bad government.

  2. Larry Gross Avatar
    Larry Gross

    Both NoVa and HR will be given the ability to hold referenda.

    That part is good because in the end – it should be the folks in those regions who pay for upgrades – not the poor smucks in Farmville and Salem, et al.

    But I wonder about what happened with the 2002 Referenda and how they went down … and how the new “plan” will play out and/or end up any differently.

    If the folks who eventually head up these efforts get perceived as

    “take it or leave it…. approve the referenda .. .and then leave us alone to decide how to spend the money”

    I see a repeat performance.

    If the business community and developers end up in decision-making roles…. and the public finds out…
    …. results … ditto.. down hard

    I think the public will be suspicious and I don’t think at all that referenda will be widely embraced unless there is an honest public process…

    This is one of those things.. that when you tell the folks in charge of promoting the referenda .. of the risks of not being up front with the public… some of them will ignore it…push their own agenda.. and watch the referenda go down in flames… and then blame it on others…

  3. James Atticus Bowden Avatar
    James Atticus Bowden

    Look forward to seeing the details.

    Another referendum on regional government?

    A referendum on every tax increase?

    A referendum on what?

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