Christina NuckolsBack in 2005, candidate Tim Kaine confessed it wasn't his life's mission to be Virginia's next transportation governor. Given the legislative shenanigans in Richmond last week, there's a good chance that appellation will still be available when he leaves office in January 2010.
Few state lawmakers will be eager to vote for new tax increases next year, when all 100 delegates are up for election, and Kaine will have little leverage to win support for a road-building plan as his term winds down.
But somebody's eventually got to take on this monster mind-boggler, and one of the three men lined up to run for governor next year will clearly have to come up with a solution or spend four years trying.
Sen. Creigh Deeds, Del. Brian Moran and Attorney General Bob McDonnell have each spent at least 13 years in state government, so their positions on a variety of transportation issues are well-known.
Moran is the only candidate so far to announce his own plan; the Fairfax Democrat favors a 1 percent statewide sales tax.
"You can't run for governor without some specific proposal about how to address what I believe is the most pressing infrastructure need we have today," he said.
He is taking a risk few political candidates dare by kicking off his campaign with a call for a tax increase. If Moran wins his party's nomination and the election, he could claim a mandate, something Kaine was never able to do. Kaine promised as a candidate to offer a transportation plan but provided no details until after his election.
Deeds, a Bath County Democrat, voted for legislation this year that would raise the gas tax one cent per gallon every year for six years. That measure was killed in the House of Delegates.
Deeds said he would produce a different plan if he were governor, but he'll spend plenty of time next year explaining why he supported a gas tax hike with fuel at $4 per gallon. He expects that vote to be a liability even during the nomination battle with Moran.
"Democrats don't like paying more taxes anymore than anybody else," he said.
McDonnell, the likely Republican nominee, helped devise last year's transportation plan, much of which was ruled unconstitutional because taxes were imposed by an unelected regional authority. McDonnell wanted to force local governments to adopt the taxes, which would have significantly reduced the revenues generated.
Now McDonnell is calling for an audit of the Virginia Department of Transportation, the eighth such review in seven years. He wants auditors to first examine whether existing revenues are adequate to cover maintenance needs.
He apparently has an inkling they'll confirm that more money is needed. He published a proposal in the Richmond Times-Dispatch last month saying the maintenance review should be completed by January 2009 and "any documented shortage must be fixed by the General Assembly with no excuses and no delay."
In other words, he wants legislators to fix the problem before the next governor is elected. Lawmakers didn't fall for that one, though. They delayed action on the audit for at least a year. That guarantees when a future audit unearths bad news, legislators will be knocking on the door of the executive mansion looking for suggestions from the new guy.
Christina Nuckols is an editorial writer for The Virginian-Pilot. Reach her at (804) 697-1562 or christina. nuckols@pilotonline.com.
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Well yes, of course, you
Well yes, of course, you have consistently maintained that we do not have a transportation problem, yet I beleive you represent a significant minority view. When this article was followed up with a list of bridges and culverts in bad condition, and with the knowledge that bridges have been abandoned instead of being fixed, and with over 260 road projects cancelled in cities and counties of Virginia, you may insist we don't have a crisis but apparently, your definition of crisis is pretty extreme. If the HRBT springs a leak and collapses into the channel, is that a crisis?
Well sir, you guys seem to
Well sir, you guys seem to have the impression that the sky is falling because taxes weren't increased. I just don't believe that it is as bad as you are making it out to be.
Well, based on the recent
Well, based on the recent lack of performance by the majority in the House of Delegates, it is clear that they do not accept their obligation to deal with one of the basic responsibiliites of the Commonwealth. Afterall, the first public works project of our first Congress was the Cape Henry light, a navigation aid to assist in the transport of goods and citizens. Our House is an embarrassment in their celebration of inaction, inactivity, and denial. Today's headline about the condition of our bridges and culverts is just a further indictment of their complete disregard for public safety and their intrasigence in the face of evidence of the effect of their dismantling of a once proud transportation system.
Mr. Barrett writes "Perhaps
Mr. Barrett writes "Perhaps we should just do away with the Commonwealth and rely on regional government."
I think I am going to be sick.
RE: Mark Warner Democrat
"When does government support the people? "Of the people, by the people, and for the pople". Does any democrat understand those words?"
How much does Bush understand about all of that? How much do you understand about the current spending of Bush and our current deficit?
Mark Warner Democrat
Democrats raise taxes. Developers love democrats. Democrats love developers.
When does government support the people? "Of the people, by the people, and for the pople". Does any democrat understand those words?
Before you raise taxes, cut spending. How hard is that to understand?
important to keep in mind
It's important to keep in mind the Republi-con words for taxes is cuts and fees.
Less Cars not more lanes.
When are our representatives going to realize that more lanes will not solve our local problems. Given that none of the projects listed will decrease commuter traffic the only reasonable answer is to remove cars from the roads. Either offer encentives or penalties to force businesses to have their employees work from home or work 3 or 4 10-12 hour days.
republicans are not anti-tax zealots,,,,, really!
Republicans love taxes. They love new fees and tolls. They just want to pretend they are not the ones raising them. The republicans' only solution was to pass an unconstitutional taxing authority to do their dirty work for them.
Mark Warner Democrat
Well, thousands of republicans will support Democrat Mark Warner in the Senate race, and yes, he did raise taxes, but only after his predecessor left the Commonwealth with a budget deficit, an obligation to pay localities $1.2 Billion for the lost revenue from the car tax debacle, and warnings from all the rating agencies that if the Commonwealth did not raise additional revenue, it would lose its coveted bond rating. So yes, Warner raised taxes. Was it a responsible course of action? Most Virginians seem to agree it was, because he left office with the highest approval rating of any Governor, and Virginians replaced him with another Democrat. And frankly, the next Governor will have to raise taxes and fees for transportation as well, because it has only taken a bit more than a decade for the Commonwealth to go from having an excellent transportation system to having a dangerous and ineff
No, Not blind, smart...
That is why the citizens vote against every democrat tax increase. The citizens realize that the democrat way of thinking is to constantly raise taxes, and provide for more development to increase profit. The GA needs to understand the government is not profit based. The GA is not elected to provide for developers and business, but "of the people, for the people, and by the people". These words scare politicans. Some do seem to think that the developer staffed MPO and HRPDC provides the only solution. Fortunatly there are some that understand the democrat tax/spend adgenda is not the smartest way to run the state, and the MPO and HRPDC is a joke.
Granted, neither branch of state government has offered any acceptable solution, so maybe it's time to clean house, get rid of them all, and start over.
Is everyone blind?
If not,then why does the GA not see that new pavement is only a small part of the solution. The existing roads are used horribly ineffectively by drivers talking on cell phones and a multitude of other distractive actions. If the GA would ban cell phone use, there would be a huge improvement in traffic flow. If the approaches to tunnels and bridges were turned into "no distraction zones" with significant penalties for any type driving that disrupts smooth flow, including failure to keep up with the prevailing traffic flow, there would be a significant reduction in back-ups. These are low cost, but very beneficial actions that would bear near immediate results. If the GA can't see this, then we need to get some sighted representatives.
Well, motor vehicle fuel
Well, motor vehicle fuel taxes have not been increased since 1986. I challenge any of the "no tax increase" posters to identify an item they use that has not gone up in price since 1986. Fact is, our support in terms of purchasing power keeps dropping, and that is why our transportation system has been in a steady state of decline for over a decade. That just about coincides with the ascendancy of anti tax republicans who are to the right of Atilla the Hun and for whom the total collapse of our transportation system would not be sufficient cause to support a tax increase for maintenance and repair. If it were not so serious in its impact for all of us it would be comical. Do we need a bridge collapse to spur them to action? The closure of a bridge in Suffolk was certainly not sufficient cause. Perhaps we should just do away with the Commonwealth and rely on regional government.
5005??
Is that when transportation will be fixed? Does the pilot do any proof reading?
It's amazing how some just constantly blame the GOP for not wanting to raise taxes. Basically it appears that democrats must love to be taxed constantly and without any regard to excessive spending. I for one think the GA needs to cut spending before they raise taxes. But I am not a democrat, so therefore I am an anti-tax zealot as some have called me. Neither the house or the senate has done anything beneficial, and both are to blame equally.
must be nice
So VA can be irresponsible with our money because they can always ask for more. Maybe it'll work if I tell my boss that since prices are up it's his responsibility to finance my additional costs. Doesn't matter that I haven't saved, that I haven't planned, that I used money that I intended for something I needed to buy something I simply wanted. Demanding more money is much easier than having discipline.
Business must be getting bad. If we don't get increased highway capacity soon we will be unable to continue our growth. Then the people that depend on rental/lease income for their livelihood will sure be in a pickle! What will these poor local businessmen do if their rental units are sitting empty in this bad economy?
Save the wealthy, increase road capacity now!
jmo
Yes, in all due respect,
Yes, in all due respect, both sides are not to blame. The Governor's plan met the basic requirements, and so did Saslaw's plan. So to those who think that in the interest of fairness, they have to parcel it out equally, that is not the case. Fact is, we can have a republican majority in the House of Delegates, or we can have an effective transportation system; we can't have both. Even editorial writers in the western portions of the Commonwealth are saying that as well. Morgan Griffith may find out that he has overplayed his hand. As long as the House remains in its current hands with Griffith as the majority leader and Bill Howell as the Speaker, there will be no statewide, comprehensive action on transportation. The truth is these and other House members are not republican, they are radically libertarian. They would just as soon dismantle the Commonwealth than pass a tax increase. Replace them, transportation will get done. It really is that simple.
Must be 5008.
Must be 5008.
proof readers wanted!
"Back in 5005, candidate Tim Kaine confessed it wasn't his life's mission to be Virginia's next transportation governor. Given the legislative shenanigans in Richmond last week, there's a good chance that appellation will still be available when he leaves office in January 2010."
5005?
jmo
The next Governor
The next Governor will not be a Republican and certainly not McD who has the same mentality as the other Repubs of doing nothing like the 9th audit he wants. The man doesn't even know the Constitution. Moran has a plan, that's more than the other 2 candidates. The biggest problem is no Governor can fix the problems in our State when they are only allowed to serve one term. Governors should be allowed to run for re-election and let the people decide who the next Governor will be.