After 27 years the General Assembly finally made some progress towards meeting Virginia’s transportation needs. That is, if you are willing to call the oddest collection of taxes and revenue transfers ever attempted since 1619 “progress.” I call it the biggest shell game to ever come out of Richmond. Or Williamsburg.
Why can’t those we send down the James ever play it straight? Why not pass legislation that is simple and understandable? Oh, we know. There is a great fear throughout the land. No one wants to say the T-word. The word is “tax,” as in gasoline.
So governors and our legislators play games. They don’t wish to hide our roads — just hide how they are funded.
But let’s not be too hard on those we send to Richmond. In a partisan, confrontational nation split down the middle, let us be thankful whenever there are enough Democrats and Republicans to shake hands across the aisle, declare victory, go home and wait to see if Bill, as in Bolling, will run for governor along with Ken and Terry.
Yes, my friends, Virginia politics is just one never-ending circus. But, for now, let’s just focus on the GA’s big road show. Why did it take so long to come up with the dollars for a few detour signs? Why did our reps in Richmond make building roads in Virginia akin to planning the first moon shot?
To ask such questions is to not fully appreciate the legislative dance the General Assembly puts on every winter. Or maybe no one that we sent to Richmond ever stood next to a gas pump to find the answer. It’s right there! Raise the state’s 17.5 cents per gallon gas levy, a user fee — not a general tax — that has been stuck close to empty since 1987, a time when few knew or cared what mpg stood for. But that’s too simple for anyone with a law degree.
Another reason it took so long for some sanity to seep down to Richmond is Virginia’s own Dr. No, Speaker Bill Howell. The Speaker of the House of Delegates holds the state’s top job. And you thought it was the governor. House speakers block more legislative shots than a seven foot basketball center. Usually that’s good. But what I resent most is that Mr. Howell is from Stafford County and I live in Rockbridge County. My pro forma delegate is Republican Ben Cline. Yet for most key votes I am represented by the man from Stafford, not Rockbridge, who has more than 40 GOP votes in his back pocket.
So it was Governor Bob McDonnell who had to twist Speaker Bill Howell’s arm, not the other way around as has been reported, if the governor is to have a little legacy printed in Virginia’s history books.
And what happened to break the road gridlock that exists on the wrong side of the Blue Ridge? The General Assembly did what the Civil War was unable to do — break up Virginia into three parts. Cities and counties in Northern Virginia will — without a public referendum that is considered too democratic, and by the way, a loser the last time it was tried — will raise the nonfood sales tax a full one percent. Ditto for Hampton Roads. As for ReVa, Real Virginia will pay an extra 0.3 per cent sales tax when it goes shopping. And all those extra pennies, nickels and dimes will be from drivers and non-drivers alike. No new toll roads. That would be charging the user.
Please don’t ask me to explain what else the transportation overhaul will do. But I’ll try. The old retail tax on gasoline will be replaced by a new wholesale tax on the same liquid gold. Wholesale taxes, a value added tax (VAT), can be easier hidden from the public. And more revenues will be diverted from the kids (schools) and the cops (public safety). But not more than $200 million, at least not until the next transportation bill is passed. To learn more of all the devils in the details see your state senator or delegate. In the meantime, would someone email me a flow chart so I can follow the money? Just as I thought. My computer needs an upgrade.
How much money are we talking about? Who knows. Those who think they know say $880 million a year. If so, that’s less than what it cost to build a single interchange, the infamous I-95/395/495 “mixing bowl,” that has more fly overs than the Blue Angels. Nonetheless, we are told that last week’s solution will be good for generations to come. I’ll see you back here before my next seven year itch. Same subject, but more dollars. The future has a habit of arriving before we are ready to pay for it.
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