Here’s the TV ad released by the RPV to blackmail Gov. Kaine into signing the Transportation Compromise bill (AKA: Bill Howell’s Tax Increase). For a party that preaches accountability and responsibility, the many half-truths and lies in this ad are simply abhoring.
RPV Propaganda
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10 responses to “RPV Propaganda”
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I note in virtually every paper this morning the reports that Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William will not sign on to proposed NoVa Regional tax increases in the GA Bill and that Kaine believes that without changes to that and other aspects of the bill that it will be a no go.
One of the sticking points is the provision that requires NoVa localities to Plan and Construct Secondary Roads but VDOT will pay for them.
This aspect is overshaddowed by the taxaction dust-up but if one thinks about this…
what it does is put in the localities’s hands both land-use and transportation decisions – which I view as a “good” thing but the localities are saying they want no part of it, in part because they don’t believe VDOT will have “enough money” (without more revenues) to fund the roads that would be planned.
“Enough” is the operative word.
Localities could “plan” as many roads as they wished – as they do now but then the ball would be in their court as to how many of their “planned” roads could actually be funded by VDOT – leaving open the possibility that the roads that VDOT cannot fund will obviously have to find other revenue sources.
I don’t think the average non-wonk person will see this for what I think it is – which is the localities not really wanting their land-use decisions connected to consequential transportation needs caused by the land-use decisions.
In other words, what the localities want – is to continue to approve development at whatever extent and rate that like and continue to let VDOT hold the bag in terms of trying to respond to the transportation needs that are the direct result of the locality’s land-use decisions.
So.. it should also come as no suprise that the localities and regions don’t want to raise taxes for their own needs but want Kaine to put higher taxes on RoVa to fund their road needs.
Kaine is proving to be much more savy and adept about successful political tip toeing through dangerous waters so we all wait to see what the Gov has in mind to propose to NoVa that might be acceptable – not only to NoVa but to RoVa .. and by extension a majority of their reps in the GA.
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This morning’s Washington Post
reported about the radio-television
campaign the Virginia GOP has launched to put heat on Gov. Tim
Kaine by voters in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads to sign the so-called compromise transportation just approved by the recently concluded General Assembly session along party lines.It also reports that Speaker William J. Howell, R-Delegate,
Stafford County, will hold a
press conference tomorrow in
Richmond to attack the governor’s
positions relative to this bill
and he will speak before the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce
late in the day about this matter.Speaker Howell has made no effort
to publicly discuss with voters
in his district how his package will help that district which
has some of the worst traffic in
Virginia.He has been asked to publish a full page ad in the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star about this subject and to hold a public meeting about the matter.
He has not responded to these requests.
It appears he has more interest in
being the leader of Virginia GOP
conservatives and than helping the
residents of his district solve their awful transportation problems. -
The ad is shameful because of the deception.
I don’t know about NoVa,but the compromise of principles plan actually INCREASES congested miles in Tidewater/Hampton Roads.
Never lie to the voters.
That used to be a distinction between Republicans and Democrats. Two Democrat candidates ran for Governor promising not to raise taxes. But, of course, they were Democrats so I wasn’t shocked when their ‘truth’ changed. I am shocked that the RPV (I’m on State Central Committee, RPV and we didn’t vote to spend this money) would do this.
Shabby politics. Disgraceful behavior. More fitting for New Jersey than Virginia.
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Pretty cute. I like the way the narrator says,”No statewide tax increase”, while the text on the screen says, “no tax increase.”
Right… no tax increase except for a $1 billion or so in state and regional taxes, fees, penalties, fines etc. The GOP plan conjures billions of new dollars for roads without increasing anyone’s taxes at all!
The GOP lambasts Gov. Kaine for going back on his word about tax increases, but you have to give Kaine credit for this: He did attach qualifiers during his campaign. He said, no more money for roads until constitutional safeguards had been put into place to protect the Transportation Trust Fund. Yeah, he went back on his qualifier, but anyone who was listening knew that he wanted to raise taxes for roads eventually. But how about the Republicans who signed no-tax pledges? It’s a “Read My Lips — No New Taxes” moment. If you can’t trust Republicans not to fight tax increases, what are they good for?
This whole worthless debate could be short-stopped if we made the paradigm shift to a user/beneficiaries-pays system. (1) Charge drivers a mileage-based fee to fund road maintenance. (2) Fund construction of major new bridges and highways only if they pay for themselves through tolls. (3) Allocate scarce highway capacity through congestion tolls, and reinvest the “profit” into road/transit/operational improvements in the corridors from where the money came. (4) Fund transit development through Community Development Authorities and Tax Increment Financing. And (5) fund “economic development” projects — Coalfield Expressway, Third Crossing — through the General Fund.
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Hmmm, a mileage based fee? That would be the gas tax — which is actually based on mileage and vehicle weight (and that is logical, because heavier vehicles do more damage to the road surface.) Some ideas that have been around for 80 years still work. That is the true conservative approach.
The absolute bankruptcy of the House Republican position is becoming evident. They said they could fix this without raising taxes, and they raised taxes without really fixing a thing. They are begging for a governor’s veto — the meanest thing Kaine could do is sign this turkey and then when the local governments spike it, the blame will land where it belongs.
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J Bacon: Very concise answer. Do you have any documents on the ins and outs (taxing and legal authority) for Community Development Authorities and Tax Increment Financing?
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If the brutal communist dictator of Venezuela can run ads about his oil-for-revolution grant progam in American cities, with Americans on air praising the proto-Stalinist for his compassion, then why should this upset me? No difference. Truth and honor died in American politics a long time ago. No one with a shred of decency can even walk into RPV after this, let alone send them money.
The heart of the Republican Party was the business community, small and large, and this bill really stings them with the proposed commercial real estate tax surcharges in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. Tell those people there is no tax increase in the bill, I doubledamn dare ya. In Hampton Roads they have agreed to a major expasion of the sales tax to a service (auto repair work). And the seller of a $300,000 house will notice that additional $1,200 that disappears from their payout at closing.
Liars. They are just liars.
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JAB, Here’s a column I wrote laying out the case for CDAs and TIFs as a source of funding for transportation: “CDAs, TIFs and TDAs.”
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JB(Bacon) – thanks for the repost on CDA/TIFS. I was away on vacation when it was first published.
You made a good point in the article about whether new buyers of properties with CDAs might feel that they are be treated unfairly because previous buyers did not have the special tax.
But I I’m not so sure that new buyers will even notice and besides they can always say no and go buy something that does not have the extra tax.
Folks have complained about the Commercial Real Estate tax in this budget bill.
I don’t know the underlying logic but could it be to have all commercial real estate .. essentially pay a psuedo-version of the CDA type arrangement?
If that IS the logic then it could be that this tax is appropriate.
Everyone pays the commercial tax to be used for maintenance of existing roads and new developoment with CDAs would pay for adding new infrastructure to offset the traffic from new commercial.
In the end – Commercial does not really “pay” this tax – they incorporate it into the retail prices of their goods and services and those who use the commercial facilities essentially pay for the infrastructre probably at a rate of fractions of penny on the dollar.
As long as all commercial has to pay it would not present a competitive advantage or disadvantage to businesses neither locally or regionally…. and probably not even statewide or nationally.
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CDAs and TIFs are great tools if they aren’t abused. I don’t understand why transfer of development rights programs are not used more as well. Together, they could bring about real land use reform
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