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Deeds criticized on transportation Date published: 9/29/2009
BY CHELYEN DAVIS Republicans yesterday continued their criticism of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds' willingness to raise taxes for transportation, and called on other Democratic candidates to say whether they agree or not. House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford, and other Republicans held a conference call with reporters to discuss Deeds' comments on transportation revenues. Deeds has said he'd be open to raising certain taxes, including the gas tax, to fund road improvements. The statement, made last week in a Washington Post op-ed, came as little surprise. Deeds has supported gas tax increases in past years as the General Assembly wrangled over how to come up with new revenue for transportation, although the op-ed was more specific than his previous campaign statements. Howell has regularly opposed raising the gas tax. Yesterday he called it "a very regressive tax which impacts people who can least afford to pay it the most." The gas tax has remained a flat 17.5 cents per gallon since 1986. Howell said the current recession makes this an even worse time to raise the gas tax. He said getting another $1 billion in revenue, a figure Deeds has mentioned, would require raising the tax about 20 cents a gallon. "I just think it's the wrong message to be sending, it's the wrong economic policy," Howell said. The Republican candidate for governor, Bob McDonnell, has a long list of things he'd do to funnel more money into transportation, without raising taxes. Democrats point out that some of McDonnell's proposals are rehashes of ideas that have failed in the legislature in the past. Howell said that may be so, but that McDonnell's plan is specific and Deeds' is not. "Some of [McDonnell's proposals] haven't met with success in past General Assemblies, although I must say several of Bob's proposals have passed in the House to be killed in the Senate," Howell said. "Hopefully we'll be able to work some sort of coalition this time to come up with approval of that." One such McDonnell proposal is privatizing state-run ABC stores. Howell said he'd have to see a bill but hinted that he'd support it, as long as the bill restricted "liquor stores on every corner with big garish neon lights."
they refuse to face the realities of transportation funding.
one time money from the state liquor stores to address a
longer term structural deficit is not a real answer. Neither is
taking money from education & law enforcement. The only
way to get more money for transportation is higher taxes -
that's the fundamental reality that the Republicans will not
admit and do not have the courage to address and instead
sneak around with various and sundry "fees" which are
every bit a tax as a gas tax.
The gas tax is regressive? What about the liscense and registration fees that keep going up? Aren't those regressive as well. But you don't see the republicans standing up against that regressive tax.
Bill Howell, the lawyer, whose plan to solve transportation problems was found to be unconstitutional is criticizing Deed's plan ????
Blitzburg maybe you ought to consider a car with a smaller gas tank.....34 gallons !!!!
I agree with Howell that a gas tax increase would be regressive. In order to accommodate both his objections to such a measure and the urgent need to repair our transportation infrastructure, I'd like to suggest a progressive income tax increase on those who make over $250,000 annually.
Deeds wants me to pay an extra $6.80 per fill up!!!!!! for my truck. C'mon Virginia you can't elect this left wing tax collector
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