Like his hair line, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s tragic
transportation bill was passed along party lines in the Virginia House of
Delegates’ Finance Committee on Wednesday with a 14-8 vote[1].
Among other things, the bill spells the end of Virginia’s 17.5 cents per gallon
gas tax while raising the state sales tax to 5.8% from 5%.
In addition, McDonnell’s transportation bill would increase
fees for vehicle registration and sustain the 17.5 cent tax on diesel fuel. McDonnell’s
bill would also increase the amount of Virginia’s sales tax that goes towards transportation
from 5 cents to 75 cents over the course of five years. Apparently McDonnell
also believes in raising taxes like his Democratic counterparts; say it ain’t
so!
McDonnell’s transportation bill, however, has more holes
than the sun has sunspots and Virginia Sen. Chap Petersen was once again one of
the more forceful opponents of McDonnell’s transportation bill.[2]
Petersen said, “Eliminating the gas tax paid by highway
users and raising taxes on all other Virginians to pave our roads makes no
sense. Indeed, eliminating our traditional road funding because cars are more
efficient makes about as much sense as canceling your child’s college fund because
tuition keeps rising.”[3]
Ouch, someone pull the scolding iron off of McDonnell’s transportation plan!
And just so you know that Sen. Petersen isn’t all talk
without the walk, Petersen has offered his own plan, SB 855.[4]
In it, Petersen would increase the tax on gas up to 27.5 cents per gallon.
According to Sen. Petersen, this tax alone would raise $500 million a year for
transportation projects,[5]
making it just enough money to overcome Virginia’s chronic and monumental budgetary
‘hiccups’ on transportation projects (will construction on I-95 ever be
completed?).
If there is anything innovative or inspiring about McDonnell’s
transportation…well, there isn’t. The biggest flaw of McDonnell’s
transportation bill is the one pointed out by Sen. Petersen: why pass a bill
that attempts to reduce vehicles on the roads by increasing the sales tax? Yes,
McDonnell’s bill would raise revenue, hoorah for him. But it WOULDN’T
disincentivize unnecessary travel (e.g., co-workers living in the same
neighborhood with the same work schedule driving separately to work).
Isn’t the biggest solution to Virginia’s traffic woes to cut
down on (wait for it) traffic!
[1] http://fairfaxcity.patch.com/articles/mcdonnells-transportation-bill-moves-forward-05d5ef58
[2] http://bluevirginia.us/diary/8616/chap-sums-up-the-absurdity-of-mcdonnells-transportation-monstrosity
[3] http://fairfaxcity.patch.com/articles/mcdonnells-transportation-bill-moves-forward-05d5ef58
[4] http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?131+sum+SB855
[5] http://oxroadsouth.com/2012/11/transportation-bills-take-shape-for-13/
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