With MORE than than 900 bills filed and thousands more being drafted, it will be easy for lawmakers to lose focus and waste time on frippery during the General Assembly session that starts today.
And so it helps to have an agenda, one whose approval would make a difference to the citizens of Hampton Roads and the commonwealth.
The Virginian-Pilot's editorial board devised an agenda this past fall to guide our thinking on 16 candidates for General Assembly seats. Many of the positions attracted bipartisan support from incumbents and newcomers. Many - although not all - enjoy popular support in our communities.
For those reasons, we intend to follow their progress closely in our editorials and to provide regular updates on whether the region's legislators are working for them or against them.
Here is our 2008 General Assembly agenda. Its adoption would help Virginia keep up with surging school enrollment and traffic on our roads, address emerging menaces in health, safety, immigration and lending, and make government more accountable.
- Transportation. Many legislators put their careers at risk last year to pass legislation that bolsters funding for road maintenance and construction. Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia have the opportunity to raise extra money that will stay at home for their top projects. Some tinkering with abusive driver fees is inevitable, but further efforts to massage the plan could leave Hampton Roads without the money it needs. That's a gamble the region's delegation should reject.
- Education. Lawmakers will be asked to budget an extra $1 billion over the next two years simply to maintain existing education standards. No legislative candidate argued for lowering those standards during last fall's campaign, and any effort to do so now would be deplorable. Gov. Tim Kaine's plan for a modest expansion of pre-kindergarten services to poor families is sound educationally, smart socially and prudent financially.
- Mental health. Kaine's budget outlines a sensible start toward rebuilding an effective and humane system for the mentally ill. Legislators should support his plan, but they must acknowledge that this is only the first step in a multiyear process for addressing a need overlooked far too long.
- Illegal immigration. Lawmakers should adopt measures that make it easier to arrest, prosecute and deport illegal immigrants who violate our criminal code. The Legislature should avoid measures that do the immigration work of the federal government and vilify all illegal immigrants.
- Payday lenders. The only effective way to muzzle predatory lenders is to enforce the same 36 percent annual interest rate cap that applies to banks and other financial institutions.
- Smoking ban. The science is undisputed and the health benefits clear. Smoking should be banned in restaurants. If a statewide ban fails, lawmakers should allow the cities of Hampton Roads to adopt their own.
- Gun shows. Criminals and mental patients who can't pass an instant background check should not be allowed to walk into a gun show and buy weapons. Legislators should close this loophole in state firearms laws.
- Redistricting. A bipartisan commission should be created to draw legislative and congressional districts following the 2010 census.
- Environment. The state's three citizen boards that regulate environmental matters should remain, and the panels that oversee air and water should keep the power to issue pollution permits. Shifting that authority to the director of the Department of Environmental Quality invests too much power in the hands of one person and minimizes public access to decision-makers.
- Governors. Virginians should be allowed to award talented executives with a second consecutive term in office.
- Finances. Lawmakers should adopt legislation establishing random audits of political contribution reports and requiring legislators to report how they spend their $15,000 annual expense allowances.
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Say what #3 ??
Con't....
9. Environment. I don't know about keeping the three board, how about combining all of them together to keep the cost down ?
10. Governors. Term limits are there for a reason. Hasn't Kaine done enough damage in his term already ?
11. Finances. Agreed, if it is public money received for annual expense and not wages, yes they should be accountable.
Ok, so it was a long post, but I have alot of friends who feel the same way in all the cities here in Tidewater.
Say what #2 ??
Con't...
3. Mental Health. Yes there is a problem, too bad Kaine stolen 150 million dollars from the funds that were suppose to go to road projects for this.
4. Illegal Aliens. Call it right. First, every LEGAL citizen is the Federal Government, or do you not believe in WE THE PEOPLE ? States and Federal Government should support one another, after all they are suppose to represent all of us. What would help is getting rid of illegal aliens, which in turn would help our Education costs.
5. Payday Lenders. Agreed, police those that prey on the less forunate.
6. Smoking ban. Don't like smoke, do not go in establishments that have smoking. In private enterpriese the government should not have a say, next they will tell you that you can't have that dessert that has too much fat in it, or too many carbs, after all, those are not good for you either.
7. Gun Shows. Agree to disagree on this. Only because those that are felons are already restricted from having weapons & the mental patients that have a problem should be taken care of by #3.
8. Redistricting. Following what part of the 2010 census.
9. Environment. Don't know about keeping the three boards, how abou
Say what ????
The Virginian-Pilot's editorial board devised an agenda. We isn't that special... How about just reporting the news, put your personal opinions in the commentary section. What you determine is a good agenda does not always speak for the rest of us. But let's take a moment to see what you have decided is important...
1. Transportation. Some of the legislators have been voted out because they support the HRTA, that is a good thing. You support the HRTA, but not most of the people in HR do.
2. Education. Pre-kindergarten wouldn't be needed if our school system was not broken in the first place. Public school education should be enough knowledge taught that pre-kindergarten is not needed. And besides who do you think will have to pay for this ?? Cover all or cover no one.
Con't.....
Mike Barrett
Mr. Barrett is VB's voice on that 'superbly ran " SPSA. He has no problem spending other people's money.
Substance of Pleas
Yes, I have heard the pleas from the Taxpayers Association and the North Virginia Beach Civic league. In fact, I understand a number of members postponed their spring trips to Paris in order to appear before Council to say they were being taxed out of their homes becasue of increased assessmets. Problem is, Council did exactly what they should do; they reduced the tax rate. Afterall, assessments are just one part of the equation, the tax rate is the other, and Council did cut the rate significantly. The Homestead Exemption if implemented in Virginia Beachwill reduce real estate tax revenue by $60,000,000; how will that revenue be replaced? Those who don't get the exemption will have to pay a much higher rate, and even those who do get the exemption will have to pay that much higher rate as well. In fact, if all the revenue lost to the exemption is made up through the real estate tax rate, the homeowners would pay just about the same amount of total tax as they did the year before. This is bad legislation.
Mr. Barrett, are you an English teacher?
I ask because you certainly don't have a very clear handle on finance. When a locality has seen an explosion in real estate tax revenues to the tune of 20%+ or more in the last two years (it's really higher, but that's what VB city council counted on - mine rose over 60% even WITH the tax rate cut) while the cost of services increased modestly with standard cost-of-living indexes to the tune of about 5%, there is a problem with money management. You've been caught up in the shell game that VB City Council likes to play with your money, and you're buying their whining. Wake up! They spent our money before they had it, despite pleas from hundreds of citizens that they were being taxed out of their homes. It is a sham to think that taking a 20% slice of the tax revenue will hurt services. It will only do so if Council fails to cut the pork they injected the last few years while eye-balling our pocketbooks. If they'll get a REALISTIC handle on the budget, Council can easily give us back 20% and more.
Whose opinions are these, the Pilot's?
I guess when you write the news, you can make it up, and push misguided views, as you go along... Why should the legislature support a smoking ban? Do we need more big brother and less freedom of choice? Why should the legislature further restrict gun sales? The only way to really defend oneself is self-defense. Take away our ability to defend ourselves even more, and we move one step closer to socialism! Transportation money was always allocated more heavily to Hampton Roads and northern Virginia, but our "leaders" felt that yet another layer of bureaucracy and taxes was the answer - pretty short-sighted. With the Bay's health still falling, something needs to be done to reverse the flow. Put this in the hands of one person (or one panel, not three), and let's get something done - bureaucracy stagnates progress and innovation. I could go on, but what's the point? Only when it's too late will folks realize they should have done more, but...................................... it will be TOO LATE!
Forgot One
If you are serious about your support for the initiatives, then you must oppose the passage of the Homestead Exemption. If that passes the GA, and if the voters approve it at referendum, and cities and counties impose the full 20 % exemption for owner occupied homes, then the local tax bases around the Commonwealth will lose billions of dollars, and your initiatives will be left blowing in the wind as cities and counties are left to just ponder how to pay for existing programs and services, much less new programs and services for their citizens.
"Viva la Hampton Roads!"
"Please promote what's in the best interests of Hampton Roads!!!"