What follows are excerpts from three email newsletters that I received. All these newsletters came out February 2, 2007 and provide on a very interesting and somewhat disappointing report of what is going on in the General Assembly, particularly the Senate. Senator John Chichester and Senator Russ Potts need to be replaced! These two clowns are Republicans?
This is from Lt. Gov Bill Bolling in the ”The Bolling Report.”
In the House of Delegates the Committee on Appropriations has approved the Republican transportation plan and the bill is currently pending final action on the floor of the House of Delegates. The Committee vote was 18-4, with every Republican on the Committee voting for the compromise bill. This vote indicates that the legislation should have little trouble clearing the full House of Delegates this week.
However, the Senate’s Committee on Finance has rejected the Republican transportation plan. Led by Senator John Chichester and Senator Russ Potts, the Committee voted for an alternative bill that would increase the gas tax statewide and the sales tax in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. The Chichester/Potts bill would also include several of the other statewide and regional fee increases that were included in the Republican compromise.
Needless to say, I am very disappointed by the Senate Finance Committee’s actions. While I am not totally satisfied with the Republican compromise plan, and would like to see it changed in several ways prior to passage; the Chichester/Potts alternative takes us back to the failed policies of the past. The approach they have recommended suffers from many deficiencies.
First, the Chichester/Potts bill would increase the state gas tax by 10 cents a gallon. The people of Virginia do not support higher gas taxes. In addition, the bill raises the sales tax in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, even though voters in these regions of the state overwhelmingly rejected similar proposals in 2002. The voters expect their wishes to be honored, not ignored.
Second, the Committee’s refusal to use existing general fund revenues to help increase transportation funding is disappointing. State spending has increased significantly in the past few years, and we can transfer some of these revenues to transportation without jeopardizing funding for other government programs. This should be done before we ask the people of Virginia to pay higher taxes.
Third, the Chichester/Potts proposal stands absolutely no chance of passage in the House of Delegates. By passing this bill the Senate Finance Committee has significantly reduced our chances of getting anything done on transportation this year. If no agreement can be reached, the responsibility for that impasse will rest squarely on the shoulders of those who rejected the compromise plan to stand on the side of higher taxes.
The Chichester/Potts bill will be considered on the floor of the Senate this week. Where will the debate go from here? Only time will tell, but one thing is clear – if we want to make any meaningful progress on transportation this year the Chichester/Potts bill must be defeated and a more reasonable approach must be adopted in its place.
Senator Ken Cuccinelli had this to say in the “The Cuccinelli Compass.”
Chichester and Potts Pound GOP
Thursday night I sat through a four and a half hour Senate Finance Committee meeting. It was surreal. Chichester and Potts took a baseball bat to the Republican Party.It was the committee meeting where the bill that was similar to the House of Delegates Republicans’ compromise transportation package was presented. While I had not yet been convinced to support this bill, it was clearly the Republican attempt at a compromise.
So what happened? Senators Chichester and Potts led an ambush of the bill, explicitly working with the Democrats on the committee to torpedo the Republican compromise, even though they and their Democrat allies virtually admitted that their alternative bill had no chance in the House of Delegates because of its massive tax increases. They intentionally played right into the Democrats’ hands – the same Democrats who want no package so they can try to run against the GOP candidates for “not doing anything” (read: ‘those dirty Republicans won’t raise taxes enough!’).
It has been years since there was as much cooperation, if not yet agreement, among Republicans both within the Senate GOP caucus and House Republicans. Frankly, it has been as constructive a session in terms of GOP cooperation as I remember. This was a pleasant change. Oh well. That’s done. And you can send Senators Chichester and Potts a thank you note for that.
Amazingly, as Potts presented his substitute bill, he turned and declared that he was “in touch with the pulse of the people” as he put forward a bill that sought to impose the exact same sales tax increases in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads that had been defeated overwhelmingly by the voters in those areas in the respective referenda. In touch with the pulse of the people?
So now the nascent GOP compromise has been killed by Chichester, Potts, Quayle and others and their big tax hike bill is out on the floor. On Monday, I expect there will be some parliamentary questions about Potts’ substitute bill. we’ll see how that comes out!
Finally, here is what Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter had to say in the “The Lingamfelter Report.”
This has been yet another busy week for us in Richmond. Unfortunately, the Senate is once again firmly affixed to higher taxes. That said, the House is resolved to continue to work for a plan to unlock the gridlock. It would be very helpful if all of you could notify your senator: and tell them to follow the House’s lead in resolving this manner. Here is how you can contact your senator http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform. Tell them to work with the House and not push a huge tax hike down your throats at a time of record surplus.
Meanwhile on transportation, my HB 2314 was reported to the full House for consideration. It provides for imposition and collection of tolls for use of certain Interstate Highway System components in Virginia. As you may know, the Congress has empowered the US Department of Transportation to work with states that come up with novel approaches to use tolling on existing interstates to relieve congestion. The tolls (almost 60% from out-of-state travelers) would be used to improve and expand existing interstates once the General Assembly approves projects the state may want to implement. No tolls can be imposed unless the General Assembly approves the plan first.
There is no better transportation solution we can expect from the General Assembly than toll roads. Please support HB 2314. You can track HB 2314 at this link.
