HAMPTON
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine on Thursday delivered his now-familiar pitch to prop up Virginia's flagging transportation system to an audience that offered mixed opinions about his ideas.
Kaine had little trouble convincing Hampton resident John Muir Jr. about what needs to be done.
"I am willing to do almost anything to get the roads fixed," said Muir, a production supervisor for a local shipyard. "I don't mind paying higher taxes if they will use the money to fix the roads."
Others in the audience of about 150 were not so sure.
Ben Marchi, who represented a group calling itself Americans for Prosperity, an anti-tax group from the Charlottesville area, said Virginia was wasting money on promotions such as lottery tickets that could be better spent on transportation.
Such programs, he said, indicated the state's inability to set priorities.
"No new taxes," he said.
David Lyons, a police officer from Smithfield, said Virginia will never be able to build enough highways or crossings in Hampton Roads to meet its needs.
"You could build 20 lanes across Hampton Roads and there would still not be enough room," Lyons said.
Virginians need to make better choices about where they live, he said.
Kaine's presentation at the Hampton Convention Center was the latest in his new round of town hall meetings intended to build support for his plan, which calls for raising auto sales taxes, auto registration fees and titling fees for statewide needs.
He also wants the General Assembly to increase the Hampton Roads sales tax by a penny to help finance a series of local projects that were supposed to have been paid for by regional taxes.
The governor is also calling for an increase in the grantor's tax - the tax people pay when selling property - by 25 cents per $100 of value to help finance transit and train service.
Kaine went through the litany of problems troubling Virginia's road financing process, including the state's habit of using highway construction money to finance maintenance needs.
He also pointed out that Virginia has about 20,000 bridges and that about 8 percent of them are structurally deficient. One day they will need to be replaced, he said.
He told the audience that the congestion trouble in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads is just like a tax because it forces people to sit in traffic and burn gasoline that is becoming increasingly expensive.
Congestion is also a threat to people who are in need of urgent health care, he said. "The difference between five minutes and seven minutes can be a matter between life or death," he said.
Tom Holden, (757) 446-2331, tom.holden@pilotonline.com
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Another business lobbyist pushes wrong plan
Mike Barrett and Ira Igacola were heavily involved in the rejected YES Campaing in 2002. Yet, here they are - still pushing the same flawed MPO plan that doesn't really offer us any meaningful congestion relief. Just some angry losers from the rejected YES Campaign. Mr. Flynn is a member of the winning kNOw campaign. The citizen-lead kNOw campaign was massively out spent by Mike and Ira's YES Campaign, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't fool the voters of our region.
Another anti tax zealot who
Another anti tax zealot who is retired and mad, and who won't get over it. Time for the Legislature to ignore the rantings and ravings of the anti tax crowd and do what is right for Virginia. It is so easy to rant against a plan, yet for all the rantings, no one has come close to putting forth a different plan that could garner the unanimous support of the 16 political jurisdictions, the Commonwealth, the General Assembly, and the Federal Highway administration. Why? Because the MPO plan is a good plan, its meets VDOT and FHA criteria for cost effectiveness, and it has been approved for funding. It uses PPVs, electronic tolling, and it is resource constrained if we adopt the Governor's plan. Mr. Flynn and his ilk offer just one statement: that is, heck no. Frankly, that is a formula for more congestion, more lost productivity, more disruption of family life, and a faster slide into re-balkanization and oblivion as a major metropolitan area.
M Barrett's Take on HR Transportation.
Same skewed, inaccurate, pro business, shaft the locals message over the past 6-7 years. Upgrading the Port of Virginia's roads is a wonderful idea (no vilification), and is the responsibility of the commonwealth of Virginia. Citizens who object to having their pockets picked are hardly anti-tax zealots. The MPO (HRPDC...they are the same principals) has hardly been the bastion of free discussion open to public input over the past 10 to 15 years.
It is the incessant return to the rejected Art Collins/Fraim/Frank regional taxation scheme the angers the unfairly targeted local cities and counties that angers us.
The Governor has made a good
The Governor has made a good faith effort to devise the most cost efficient method to reduce impediments to getting into and out of Hampton roads, and as a corollary, improving state funding for the construction of local roads in the cities/counties of Hampton Roads. That is what is at stake, and if recent public hearings are any indication, the delegates have gotten the message that they must act or they won't remain in office. The message of anti tax zealots, who will say and do anything to stop the Legislature from acting, has finally worn thin, and the constant vilification of the port, of businesses who testify to the problems caused by congestion and delay, and of the MPO for devising an objective, scientific, data driven and expert devised plan, has finally been exposed for what it really is; that is, denial, delay, and obfuscation, the cost of which has been $4,500,000,000. Time to act.
VDOT
I know VDOT is working because I see 3 supervisors standing around supervising 1 worker filling in a pothole.
That part was easy Rosebud
NOW tell me what is spent on roads VDOT road construction road maintenace road repairs bridge inspections and repairs/maintenance and by the way I was looking for dollar amounts collected from the whole and how it is being spent on road construction and maintenance and how much would go to mass transet..most of the taxes you listed dont fund trasportation....one would think with all the taxes you listed why our government cant get the gob done with extra money left over..it would be easier to understand if we were told we collected this amount and the cost to maintain and improve things cost this much..but were not were only being told we need more..were given more today then yesterday but seeing less...whats up...befor I give more tell me where what I am given is going...government vehicals,government travels,government meetings, government parties,government pay,government benifets,government raises(its almost time again) break it down for me its my money
How does Government take YOUR money?
Accounts Receivable Tax, Alcohol Tax, Alternative Minimum Tax, Airline Ticket tax, Airline Itinerary Segment Tax ($3 per segment), Airline Security Tax ($2.50, Amusement Tax (Virginia), Ammunition Tax, Arrows (yes as in bow and arrow) Tax, VA Boat Passenger Tax ($3.00), Building Permit Tax, Cable Television User Taxes,Capital Gains Tax,Car Rental Tax,
CDL license Tax (a Truck Driver tax),Cigarette Tax Federal, Cigarette Tax Stat, Cigarette Tax Local,Corporate Income Tax, Court Fines(indirect taxes),Dog License Tax, Dividend Tax,Estate tax,Federal Income Tax,Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA),Fishing License Tax,Food License Tax
Fuel permit tax, Gasoline Tax(Federal),Gasoline Tax (State),Gasoline Tax (Local),Gas Guzzler, or SUV tax,Handgun Tax,Highway Tax,Hotel Tax, Hunting License Tax, Import Tax Bicycle-10%Import Tax –Infant Formula 18%
Import tax Flashlights-18% Import tax Girdles & Panty Hose-24% Import Tax Brooms-32% Import Tax Cotton hammocks 15%,Import Tax Table Linens 12%
Import Tax Peanut Butter 143%, Import Tax Telephones 8%,Import Tax Plastic School Supplies- 8%, Import Taxes Frozen Blackberries-11%
Import Taxes- (The list goes on and on and on,)Inheritance Tax, Inte
New Taxes
This is exactley what you get when you vote Democrat; new/higher taxes with a bunch of excuses. If the Virginia Political landscape would bring in a private auditing firm, you'll find millions of dollars in taxpayers money being wasted. You'll probably find contracts awarded to political activist groups that lobby those in power. I'm sure that will be a big surprise.
Look at Norfolk's light rail. Why would you start in downtown Norfolk? Why not the naval base? Yes, John-Q-Public, vote Democrat and this is exactley what you get.
DEMS - GO ALONG WITH GOV. KAINE
Get ready because this becomes the norm if you put one of those "Dems" into the White House - You think that you are paying alot of taxes right now - it is alot more to come! Besides why ask for worse than we already have - we will be living under the umbrella of this Adminstration for quite awhile to come -
Hay Pilot and Tom Holden
hay it sure would be nice to see just what is collected from us tax payers and just what it is spent on especially on the bridges is maintenace money being spent else where?? with no maintenance being done or did I read the artical wrong..it sure would put this raod funding in prospective HELP PILOT HELP I drive 64 264 464 164 664 daily and I dont see maintenance I only see construction at battlefield and 64 Whats up VDOT even the bridges and tunnels no inspecting no cleaning I have seen sweepers once and the flood gates will be tested soon but no maintenance I no every one is seeing more and more pot holes and I no most maintenance happens at night but if there was maintenance I think I would see improvement :/
transportation
Transportation investment requires long range thinking and a strong dose of unselfishness on the part of our citizens. Best of luck finding lower taxed States .... At the "end of the day" there is no free lunch... We simply have to invest in our infrastructure, our economic future and quality of life depend on it...
Tax Tax !
1 child left at home and the wife has a few more years for a full 30 year retirement from uncle Sam. Once these two items are solved I think I will be selling my business or just closing because we have already decided that the taxes under Colonial rule were less than they are now so it's take our hard earned $$$ to another state.
Everyone should spend 1 hour one day and total all the taxes you pay in a year and I mean all of them and you will be shocked at the total.
Federal income, State Income, Social Security, medicaid, Real Estate, Personal Property, Sales, Meal, Phone, Electric, Gas, Alcohol & Tobacco,
DMV, etc etc etc etc etc.
It's time for a revolution, a FLAT TAX revolution.
Most people think the sole reason American companies move production overseas is labor costs, wrong! How about Microsoft in Israel? No tax for 3 years then a flat tax of 10% or less thereafter.
WAKE UP PEOPLE!
Pay them for us
Mr. Muir, please pay our taxes for us. Employees at MMC
If they didnt go on a
If they didnt go on a spending spree the last time the dems raised the sales tax 18% then we would have money. NOw they want to raise it a full 1% againand add several new taxes. Once this passes they will spend pass that income and ask for more.
Thier are states with NO income tax that have sales taxes less then ours.
Fire the bums.