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Transportation battle coming to a head
Friction over transportation likely to plague GOPDate published: 1/31/2007 BY CHELYEN DAVIS RICHMOND--Deepening rifts over the Republican leadership's transportation compromise will come to a head in the next few days, as House members vote on the original deal and some Senate members prepare an alternative plan that likely includes a gas tax. The House Appropriations Committee is expected to vote today to approve the transportation compromise that originated with a handful of House and Senate Republican leaders. A Senate subcommittee is taking up that legislation today, as well. But other senators, who dislike the Republican compromise plan's reliance on general fund money and borrowing, are crafting an alternative, which--if it comes to fruition--may appear in the Senate Finance Committee tomorrow. Sen. John Chichester, R-Northumberland, heads that committee but was noncommittal about reports that the alternative plan includes a gas tax. "I don't know what we'll do," he said yesterday. "But nothing is better than [the compromise plan]." Other sources, however, said members of Chichester's committee are working on a transportation proposal that would include some debt, but would also apply the state sales tax to gasoline. Virginia has a 17-cents-per-gallon flat tax on gasoline, but proponents of a sales tax say it would then rise with inflation and gas prices. They also say a gas tax would ensure that people who drive on Virginia's roads--particularly those from out of state --would help pay for the roads. Taxes are anathema to many House Republicans, however, and a Senate-proposed gas tax has no guarantee of passage in the House. "Are they trying to torpedo the whole thing?" asked Del. Vince Callahan, R-McLean, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee and an architect of the House-Senate compromise plan. Callahan said he wants senators to give a chance to the compromise plan, which took months to reach, rather than shooting it down. He said he himself might support a gas tax, but his colleagues won't. "I don't think a gas tax is ever going to get out of the House," Callahan said. But Chichester, while noting that any Senate alternative plan could include any number of things and a gas tax was just one of many options, said senators should not let fear of the House prevent them from proposing solutions. "I can't judge what's going to happen to it in the House," Chichester said. "That's not what it's about."
Date published: 1/31/2007
Governor Kaine Surplus Spending did not all go with Transportation
(posted by
WeimCity
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
It seems like a major contridiction when Virginia Transportation issues are toted and yet very little of the huge surplus gains have been directed to transportation. $1 Billion plus has been made available since ex-Governor Warner's signed Virginia's LARGEST TAX INCREASE ever! Where is the obligations toward transportation? This surplus money was directed instead to pet projects other than transportation. This Commonwealth is overflowing with money - NO NEW TAXES ARE NEEDED! Priorization is better.
So What's New
(posted by
edwinking
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
So the poor Republicans can't agree on transportation funding. How many years have they been at this stalemate? Rembember the real mess during the great Gilmore days. These poor people have no clue, no idea, how to govern. They only know how to rant and rave and scream about taxes... While much of Virginia's economy strangles on the congested roada, they argue and whine but take no worthwhile action. It just proves, if more proof is needed,that the representatives of God's Own Party can't govern. So be it !
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