"Of course NC has better roads,
Submitted by Carolyn R on Tue, 07/08/2008 at 5:25 pm.
we are all up there driving on your roads.

I can't join you in commending NC for their tax plan. We have a Democrat controlled State government and it is killing us."

How so? Is it the incredibly lower taxes?

So far it looks like there's only one potential RINO --- Stolle?
All the rest must be republicans in good standing who approved the supposed largest tax increase in VA's history.

I got my info from Bacon's Rebellion. I couldn't find your article...but I'll concede to your numbers...

we are all up there driving on your roads.

I can't join you in commending NC for their tax plan. We have a Democrat controlled State government and it is killing us.

"While most Senate Republicans favored tax increases, the House GOP leadership vehemently opposed the idea. The agreement was a crushing defeat for Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford."

"His control of the 100-member House was shaken two weeks ago when 17 moderate Republicans united with 35 Democrats to endorse tax hikes."

"The tax hike plan was approved by a 31-8 vote in the Senate, and a 52-45 tally in the House."

"If it were not for the governor, no deal," said Del. Lionell Spruill Sr., D-Chesapeake."

There's no reason for the people of Virginia to believe members of the General Assembly will ever stop asking for more of their money." Del. John A. Cosgrove, R-Chesapeake."

"This is the tax increase for this generation," said Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, who was a key negotiator for the compromise. "It will probably be the last one for another 25 years."

The budget passed the senate by a vote of 32-5 and was approved by the house 65-30. Pretty solid numbers. More than a "handful" of republicans voted for the measure.

Great argument, Stevenh. Very thoughtful and compelling. I would define John Q. Public as the average citizen who performs their civic duties while ensuring that they alone make the lifestyle that fits within reason and does not expect the handout. I would put John Q. right in the middle of your examples. People like you and me who contribute to our society through the hard work ethic and the premise that we design and manage our own destiny.
But we also realize the need for government in a limited capacity to promote (not provide) for the general welfare (and that doesn’t mean the entitlement check received by the lazy). I believe that if there is enough in the government coffers to provide some type of enhancement resource, then I’m okay with that. But when real needs that effect the society as a whole (not just a segment) arise, it’s time to get back to the business of fiscal responsibility.

Therein lies the problem – exactly who is John Q. Public? Is he the able bodied worker who chooses not to work or works minimum wages all the while generating numerous children he can’t afford and then needs “help”? Is he the responsible person who has worked hard and made good decisions and is able to make ends meet so long as government doesn’t bleed him dry of his earnings? Is he the well to do person who can afford most things? He is probably somewhere among the first two which begs the question, how much responsibility is government and how much is the individual? This country was founded on the belief that life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness were all that was guaranteed – that your own fame and fortune was dependent upon your own efforts and decisions. Sadly we’ve moved to a society that believes fame and fortune is dependent upon government.

Just name the RINOs of that largest tax hike if they truly existed.

I think that the bottom line here is that Ms. Huey accuses the GOP of gridlock. Well, the same can be said about the democrats. Both parties are so entrenched in political end-fighting that nothing gets done for the benefit of the people they are SUPPOSED to represent. And even we, the people, get so caught up in our “team cheerleading” that we forget the actual issue. We just want to see “our side” win. Well, who is our side? I say it’s us. Drop the political manipulation and name-calling and think as a reasonable person should think.
I know I rail against tax increases. But I really don’t mind a tax increase if it actually goes directly to where it is supposed to go instead of being diverted to some representatives pet project. When it get diverted, well, the only alternative to meeting the need is to tax more, and more, and more, and more. Get off your party bandwagons and see things as John Q. Public

Name the supposed RINOs, then and now.

There are a group of Republians who are out to see if we can do everything with nothing.

I notice that in several threads you state that Warner's tax increase was approved by the GOP General Assembly. That is not exactly true.

Though there was a GOP majority at the time, Warner's tax cut was passed by ALL of the Democrats along with a handful of RINO's (one of whom being the guy I ran against last fall).

The great majority of Republicans voted against the tax increase but could not prevail against the combined Dems and the turncoat Republicans.

The so-called largest tax increase in Va's history was accepted as the answer by the republican majority legislature that approved it. Funny how the republicans thought it to be the answer.

"The point is, us so-called "anti-taxers" think the government has MORE than enough money to take care of infrastructure and ought to butt out of many facets of our lives."

I'm not sure where you got the idea that I was pro government and pro taxation because my posts have clearly not indicated that.

I read many more articles than the WSJ and I know that opeds are not fact but they are usually based upon facts that the author has used to draw a conclusion that the reader must either agree or disagree in whole or in part.

I perused the PEW website and quite frankly, it doesn’t surprise me that they would say Warner is the best thing since sliced bread. They are a liberal org that professes to be non-partisan. So I looked up the last eight years of campaign finance contributions by executives working there. Surprise – the donations went to democrats. It appears that you should also do some more reading before touting an organization’s report card.

That aside, the point I was making was that the democrats tout tax increases as the answer to every finance problem. Warner pushed to raise taxes and now Kaine is doing the same thing. At the national level, Obama and the democratic congress has already s

Democrats and Republicans are two wings on the same bird. Massive amounts of money will be spent on each parties wants and whims regardless of who is in the majority. The difference is that democrats tax and spend and republicans borrow and spend. Oh third party, where art thou?

Sadly many people get their info from only opinion pieces and opinion spewers. As for Phrog, I agree with your basic tenet that taxpayers want govt accountability and lower taxes. But the situation is not as simple as you make it out to be. Businesses will usually cut expenses and raise prices when times get tough. Govt has to raise taxes when it needs to balance its budget. Going broke is not what a govt can do. The questions are as follows: how much have costs gone up to run govt (and it does just like for individuals and businesses); what expenses can be cut but yet fulfill all the legal statutes; where can additional funds be attained; what is the cost of debt for capital projects now and in the future; what needs to be held in account for "rainy days"; what needs to be done to maintain a healthy bond rating, etc. It just may be that cutting taxes (income) is the fiscally irresponsible thing to to do. I

Attack the messenger because you can't argue against the message. I just read the piece and it basically says that Warner insisted he wouldn't raise taxes while he campaigned and then the minute he got into office he embarked on a successful effort to implement the largest tax increase in Virginia's history - his ONLY accomplishment while in office. The point is, us so-called "anti-taxers" think the government has MORE than enough money to take care of infrastructure and ought to butt out of many facets of our lives.

The article you cite is an editorial, which is essentially a 2005 hit piece. BTW, the Pew Charitable Trust listed Warner as one of the best governors in the country. You should do more reading on Warner and the tax increase which passed. You should first start with the final vote tally, read articles that the ratings agency published before and after, and some other articles on the Warner administration that are not op-eds. Opinion pieces do not constitute facts.

Sorry, I wasn't trying to hijack this thread, I was illustrating partisan hypocrisy.

jmo

yes, democrats approved action for Iraq, but it was based off of cherry-picked faulty intelligence. If you are going to blame them for the vote, then you better have the guts to blame the administration for essentially lying to congress.

At least republicans are so embarrassed by bush's colossal blunder in Iraq that they are trying to blame the Democrats.

I think what you mean, though, was that most Democrats supported the war, right along with the republican majority.

The president lied and fooled a lot of people about WMDs and Iraq's role in 9/11 - Democrats and republicans.

The only notable exception was Barak Obama, who, not surprisingly, will be our next president.

It is a FACT, not opinion, that the Iraq war was democrat approved. But the president and republicans continue to get blamed for everything that goes wrong.

Just another example of partisan politics and people like you who want things both ways.

jmo

The WSJ is more than a wee bit right wing on their opinion pages. It is a FACT, not opinion, that that tax increase was republican approved.

Here's all you need to know about Warner and HIS tax increase.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/cc/?id=110007025

is that they want to constantly increase our taxes for non essential pet projects that have nothing to do with the upgrading or maintenance of our infrastructure. I do not mind paying my fair share or even an increase to my fair share of taxes if they spend it on where it's needed. Every "local democrat" wants to be a gold shovel ribbon cutter for a new hotel or motel and finance all the un-needed projects with our tax money. In this type of economic climate, I have a problem with that. Taxes could remain low, if local politicians give up their dreams of grandeur and stop trying to make our beautiful City of Chesapeake like New York or Chicago. Almost every project that comes before our council has nothing to do with upgrading or improving our infrastructure. There is over 500 million dollars of unfunded infrastructural related projects that have been pushed aside for the Bell Harbor type nonsens

Republican approved as steveh neglects to mention.

Ms Huey and Mr. Twine, any tax increase resistance is NOT only a republican mentality. It is a reasonable tax-payers mentality. Most tax payers know that there is a limit on how much the government can tax us. Look, it's as easy as managing your own personal budget. You know you won't get a pay increase from your employer to fund that new project you need to get done. So, what do you do? You revisit your personal budget, prioritize your spending, and if need be, you cut spending in other "non critical" areas.
All that the reasonable tax-payer wants is accountability and responsibility in how our government manages the money we give them.
I am sick and tired of the democrat mentality that if they don't have enough money that they think they have a bottomless pocket in the tax-payers. Stop taxing us to death and be more responsible with spending. That is all this reasonable tax-payer asks.

None of this comentary seems to suggest how we are going to pay for the new roads and road repair and maintenance other than the old worn out mantra about "cut wasteful spending" and figuring out how to get someone else to pay for it. We all know what the problem is. We must all agree on a reasonable solution. Since we all benefit from good roads, we all need to help pay for them and the gas tax is the best way to spread the cost among us. These tolls and private roads are not the answer. Adding a tax to a home sale is another grab at cash like taxing an inheritance. These "no tax" Republicans are nothing but obstructionists.