Transportation Debate Analysis from Four Delegates

Let’s take a look at four Virginia Lawmakers on the Traffic debate in Richmond and see if their statements hold up or not. Comments are taken from the Washington Post Sunday, March 26, page C-4

Dave Albo: “What I want to do is impossible, which is reallocate funds,” Albo says. That leaves him open to the idea of new taxes. But he has “one non-negotiable” caveat, he “will not raise new revenue and send it to Richmond.” He also believes that, “A statewide tax increase will never, ever, ever, pass the House. Ever.”
Analysis: At least Albo thinks the status quo isn’t working. Perhaps there can be found a way to keep the revenue where it is raised and needed, but it seems there is little consensus for setting up regional traffic authorities. They are probably afraid that Richmond would wash their hands of Traffic problems because the “That’s what the regional authorities are for,” and go back to ignoring a statewide problem.

Mark Herring: “ Herring called the House plan a “Band-Aid solution” that takes general fund money that could be used for education, health care or public safety for “pay-as-you-go-capital projects,” but the Senate plan dedicates new revenue from additional taxes to transportation for the long term.”
Analysis: Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Scott Ligamfelter: Ligamfelter says that when he got back from Richmond two weeks ago, he was met by many constituents who were furious about rising property taxes. He says that he will not “sock” it to hard-working moms and dads with more taxes – not with a transfer tax on their property or another tax on their new car, or a gas tax.
Analysis. There are so many things wrong with Ligamfelter’s statements on so many levels, I doubt if I will be able to write about them all. HELLOOO – Property taxes are going up because the STATE (that especially includes Ligamfelter and the far right Republican crowd) have ignored the commonwealth’s infrastructure problems and service needs for so long and have cut the taxes that would have paid for it, that the Property taxes go up because the localities have to provide services and infrastructure. The ‘taxes he mentions are either fees that could equate with transportation user fees ( tax on new car, gas tax) or are taxes that do not effect the long term resident (transfer tax on property), which would be rolled into the mortgage and would raise revenue without having to go to the regressive property tax. Further rebuttal on the gas tax comes from his fellow delegate Dick Saslow, below.

Dick Saslow: Increasing taxes on Gas at the wholesale level will not change the price at the pump long-term. Dick shows a comparison of prices at the pump in Charlotte and Rickhmond that are nearly identical (9/10ths of a penny) and North Carolina has a gas tax 12.4 cents higher than Virginia’s gas tax. Saaslow concedes that prices would rise on the day that the tax increase took effect, but he says the market would reestablish himself in a couple of weeks.
Analysis: Dick has got me convinced. As a gas station owner, he should know.

The only question is whether ideology will get in the way of working to solve the transportation crises. Since the Republican’s control the House, I’m guessing it will.