Focus | No car tax, but yes, local income tax?
Kaine gets heat for controversial proposed switch
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
Goodbye, No Car Tax. Hello, New Local Income Tax.
Tim Kaine didn’t exactly say it that way, but that was the sum effect.
“Let’s keep the promise. Let’s get rid of the car tax on personal vehicles completely, but do it the right way,” Kaine said in his budget message to state lawmakers today in Richmond that accompanied his proposed 2010-2012 state budget.
The “right way,” in the form of a proposed 1 percent income-tax surcharge that would go to local governments in exchange for their agreement to eliminate the car tax, has raised quite the ruckus, and on both sides of the political aisle, too.
“Hell no. Not for this Democrat,” Northern Virginia Democratic State Sen. Chap Petersen wrote on his blog after the presentation from Kaine. Read more
Focus | A move toward equity
Kaine proposes employee-benefits policy change
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
The Kaine administration, in a sort of last act as its final days count down, has proposed a change in state policy that would allow state employees to choose between covering a spouse or an “otherwise qualfied adult” on their employee plus one health-care policies.
The policy could be on its way to becoming a political hotbutton with the conservative Family Foundation of Virginia trying to whip up opposition to what it perceives an attempt to run an end-around to the marriage amendment passed in 2006 on the one side and the gay civil-rights lobby Equality Virginia and leaders at public colleges and universities across the Commonwealth leading the charge in the direction of change on the other.
The review period for the proposed change could aid in putting the issue on track to political-controversy status, because the policy will in the end need to gain the approval of the gubernatorial administration of Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell, a social-conservative Republican for whom the matter could be an important bellwether. Read more
Charter schools, when explained, get support
VCU survey shows most know little about charter-school concept
Staff Report
News Tips: freepress2@ntelos.net
Virginia residents are not well informed about charter schools but a majority support them when charter school programs are explained, according to a new statewide survey conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University.
The Commonwealth Education Poll finds only 8 percent say they have heard or read a lot about them, 27 percent have read or heard some, and the majority of 64 percent have heard or read nothing or not too much about charter schools. When a charter school program is described, a 56 percent majority favors a charter school program, while 26 percent oppose and 18 percent are undecided. Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell made increasing the number of charter schools in Virginia one of his key proposals for education. Read more
Bolling earns job-czar appointment
Staff Report
www.ltgov.virginia.gov
Virginia Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell announced tody that Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling will serve in his Cabinet as Virginia’s Chief Jobs Creation Officer.
“Bill Bolling is about to become the busiest lieutenant governor in America,” said McDonnell, confirming that Bolling will also chair his Job Creation and Economic Opportunity Task Force and the Job Creation Work Group, an internal working group of Cabinet secretaries and agency heads. Read more
McDonnell announces first round of staff hires
Staff Report
News Tips: freepress2@ntelos.net
Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell announced the first appointments in his incoming gubernatorial administration today during a late-morning press conference at the State Capitol.
McDonnell named two longtime senior staff members in the Office of the Attorney General, Martin Kent and Marla Decker, to serve as his Chief of Staff and Secretary of Public Safety, respectively. He announced that he would reappoint the Commonwealth’s current Secretary of Finance, Ric Brown, to the same position. Read more
Focus | ‘One governor at a time’
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
With AFP Video
“Obviously, there’s only one governor,” and Tim Kaine is the governor of Virginia through early January, and it’s up to Kaine and his staff to put together a proposed budget for the 2010-2012 biennium.
Kaine told VirginiaPoliticsToday.com that he met last week with Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell to get McDonnell’s input on the new state budget, but ultimately it’s his call as to what he will hand over to the General Assembly for review. Read more
Not as bad as next year
Posted by afp on December 7, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Column by David Reynolds
Columns, letters: freepress2@ntelos.net
The picture is bad everywhere, for some places worse than others. Revenues will continue to be down and our budget pains will remain. Read more
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