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Simply taxing working Virginians is no transportation solution

As Gov. Kaine himself noted: We can't tax our way out of traffic. So how come only the House Republicans seem to agree?

Date published: 9/6/2006

FOR VIRGINIA'S General Assembly, transportation has eclipsed all other issues this year. For the last several years, the discussion of how the commonwealth should best address its current and future needs for roads and transit has dominated the public-policy debate in Richmond. The debate over transportation continues today, as the General Assembly prepares to resume its special session in the weeks ahead.

Because the debate over transportation improvements degenerated into a dispute over new and higher taxes, a resolution has been elusive. Recently, an independent public opinion survey of Virginians by Mason-Dixon Research offers legislators insight and guidance. According to the August 2006 poll, residents overwhelmingly expect lawmakers to improve Virginia's transportation network without raising taxes.

To some, this result seemed contradictory. Those advocating higher taxes maintain daily commutes cannot be shortened without increased revenues offsetting the expense.

Regrettably, the governor and his Senate allies have asserted that increasing taxes is the only way to improve transportation.

Encouragingly, the public appears to have wisely rejected this assertion.

The insistence of Virginians that transportation improvements be accomplished without raising taxes does not indicate residents expect something for nothing. It instead demonstrates an understanding that revenue alone will not reduce daily commutes.

Further, it instructs lawmakers that their constituents expect more from the ample funds already provided to government.

While Governor Kaine and the Virginia Senate have focused almost exclusively on increasing taxes to address transportation, Republicans in the House of Delegates have advanced a comprehensive approach. By implementing innovative solutions to improve the performance and accountability of VDOT, to better coordinating land use, to redirecting current revenues to transportation, to advancing opportunities for increased private-sector involvement, we can alleviate gridlock and reduce congestion.

Over the last few years, VDOT has made much of being "on time and on budget" with its projects. While this should be expected of any government agency, touting it as accomplishment only reinforces the public's already low expectations of government.

The focus of VDOT should be redirected--with a new emphasis on how effectively the priorities and projects it selects reduce the time spent commuting by residents.

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Date published: 9/6/2006