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John Chichester does it his own way Date published: 1/25/2004
D aniel Chichester says the only person his brother John ever truly obeyed was their mother. Otherwise, John Chichester--also known as state Sen. Chichester, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chichester and Senate President Pro Tempore Chichester--has always marched to his own drummer. That could explain why he's now a Republican proposing a tax-increase plan even larger than the Democratic governor's. "All through his political career, he has said what he believed and let the chips fall where they may. He's always had that streak of independence," said Daniel, the Stafford County commonwealth's attorney and the youngest of the three Chichester boys. "He's very open-minded. He'll listen to you, but then he's going to do what he thinks is right." These days, what's "right" for Chichester is a tax package that would generate an extra $2.5 billion a year in state revenues by increasing the gas, sales and cigarette taxes as well as income taxes for the state's wealthiest residents. Chichester's package also reduces taxes on food and personal vehicles, and raises income-tax deductions for lower- and middle-income families. Chichester is fairly representative of the form of Republicanism that rules the Senate, and many of his fellow senators are likely to support his tax plan, at least in part. But House Republicans are by and large leery of tax hikes. Many of them have signed pledges swearing they won't vote for a tax increase. They've been elected on those promises. And they're not looking kindly on Sen. Chichester right now. But Chichester, 66, doesn't care. He's already got 26 other senators to co-sponsor his tax package. Even those who hate his current position on taxes acknowledge that he truly believes raising revenues is the only way to right Virginia's messy finances. "There is no question at all that he is completely sincere about it, and my guess is he's in his last term," said University of Virginia political analyst Larry Sabato. "He doesn't have to worry about the right wing of the Republican Party anymore. He's got a solid majority in the state Senate. He's in a good position to do what he thinks is right." Chichester also believes it's his responsibility as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee to do it.
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