RICHMOND
A group of Hampton Roads executives and lawyers is urging Attorney General Bob McDonnell to become "fully engaged" in the debate over funding for transportation.
The 19 business and civic leaders, including many who have contributed to McDonnell's campaigns, sent a letter dated May 28 to the attorney general urging him to help push a state transportation funding plan through the General Assembly when legislators reconvene in Richmond on June 23 to consider raising money for roads.
"There could be no greater testament to your leadership capabilities than to be in the forefront of addressing one of the most politically challenging issues in recent memory," they wrote in a letter obtained Friday by The Virginian-Pilot.
"We are asking that you become fully engaged in the debate and in creating a viable solution," they wrote. "We have far too much at stake to let this issue go unresolved."
Among the signatories of the letter are officials at law firms Williams Mullen P.C.; Huff, Poole & Mahoney, P.C.; and Kaufman & Canoles.
Others include executives at Armada Hoffler, William E. Wood & Associates and Sentara Healthcare.
Since 2005, those who signed the letter have contributed more than $48,000 to McDonnell, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
The bulk of political contributions from those individuals has gone to Republicans.
"We're just a group of businesspeople who know Bob and think he's a very appropriate person to be involved in this," said signer Betsy Atkinson, co-owner of Virginia Beach's Sandbridge Realty. "Maybe he can bring the parties together. We just really want some movement on this issue."
McDonnell " appreciates these leaders bringing their thoughts on the matter to his attention," said J. Tucker Martin, spokesman for the attorney general, when asked about the letter.
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine earlier this month unveiled a plan to raise about $1 billion annually from new taxes for road needs across the state.
McDonnell and some other Republicans have been vocal in their opposition to Kaine's proposal, but they have not introduced alternatives.
McDonnell, who is planning to run for governor next year, helped craft the $3 billion-plus statewide road financing plan that passed the legislature last year. It included money for regional road projects in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia to be paid for with taxes and fees collected in those areas. But the state Supreme Court ruled in February that regional authorities can't legally impose taxes to pay for those needs.
McDonnell and some Republican legislators believe their version of that plan - it called for local governments in those regions to impose taxes - would have withstood a legal challenge. Financial experts and local city officials, however, have said that cities do not have the financial capacity to take on the billions of dollars of debt needed for major regional projects.
Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com
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Of course, the underlying
Of course, the underlying message from the business leaders is show us whether you intend to do what is best for Virginia, or continue down the path of doing what party leaders demand to be done. The fact is, if you want to be Governor, and you expect to have the support of business leaders in Hampton Roads, you need to decide if you will play partisan politics on the issue of transportation, or you will lead the Commonwealth to provide increased funding for needed improvements in our infrastructure. Frankly, they know you will look absolutely silly and partisan if you turn away from the need for these improvements, for which you rallied party leaders not more than a year and half ago, and now deny those efforts in order to preserve party unity. Once and for all, you have been provided with a defining issue; party or Commonwealth. It is up to you.
RINOs won't get my vote
Any "Republican" who voted for new taxes won't be getting my vote. With "Republicans" like McDonnel and Stolle, what do we need Democrats for?
Bob McDonnell and Ken Stolle
Bob McDonnell and Ken Stolle had to eat crow on the HRTA and rightly so.
Mcd
McD has supporters???// HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Supports???????
what BOTH of his supporters urged McD to get engaged in transportation debate. The man doesn't even understand constitutional law!
Bob mcd has been fully engaged
He said the regional taxing authority was constitutional.
Funding for Transportation
I would hope that the legislature of this Commonwealth gets off their collective butts and get something going finally. If the Attorney General can help I would hope that he would. Living in Virginia Beach and commuting to Norfolk for my job really sucks. Especially when I see the construction for the rail system being done. Living by Dam Neck and knowing that the rail will really not directly benefit me really irritates me to no end. Indirectly it will, as long as people that are close to the stations actually use it. Having been stationed in the Bay area of California and in San Diego where there was rail I used it as often as possible and this is when gas was somewhat reasonable. I hate increased taxation as much as the next person, but something needs to definitely be done and our "Elected" officials are going to have to make some hard choices whether we like it our not. Our crap transportation system has already cost us the Ford Assembly plant, how much more do we need to lose before someone gets it. I retired from the Navy and stayed in beautiful Virginia Beach and have my job in Norfolk and would greatly appreciate it if our legislature would finally get the ball ro