Comments on: BOB MARSHALL FOR U.S. SENATE — LIFE, LIBERTY, PROPERTY http://citizentom.com/2008/02/20/bob-marshall-for-us-senate-life-liberty-property/ Conservative commentary from Gainesville, Virginia Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:12:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Citizen Tom http://citizentom.com/2008/02/20/bob-marshall-for-us-senate-life-liberty-property/#comment-12559 Citizen Tom Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:36:03 +0000 http://citizentom.wordpress.com/?p=849#comment-12559 J. Tyler Ballance - I am glad you like most of Marshall's positions. With respect to taxes and lock boxes, I think Marshall's point is that our taxes are already high enough. The intent of the lock box is address a problem in spending priorities. Currently, the General Assembly is unwilling to adjust its spending priorities towards transportation. Instead, our legislators keep using our transportion problems as an excuse to incrementally raise our taxes. Then they spend the money they raise on other purposes. That is deceitful. I suggest you consider the old adage about boiling a frog. If you put a frog in a pot of water and raise the heat slowly, the frog will be cooked before it knows it. While that $15 annual tax may not seem like much, it would not be the only tax you would be paying. Before you are cooked, you might want to check the temperature of the water. Is it not getting a little warm? J. Tyler Ballance – I am glad you like most of Marshall’s positions.

With respect to taxes and lock boxes, I think Marshall’s point is that our taxes are already high enough. The intent of the lock box is address a problem in spending priorities. Currently, the General Assembly is unwilling to adjust its spending priorities towards transportation. Instead, our legislators keep using our transportion problems as an excuse to incrementally raise our taxes. Then they spend the money they raise on other purposes. That is deceitful.

I suggest you consider the old adage about boiling a frog. If you put a frog in a pot of water and raise the heat slowly, the frog will be cooked before it knows it. While that $15 annual tax may not seem like much, it would not be the only tax you would be paying. Before you are cooked, you might want to check the temperature of the water. Is it not getting a little warm?

]]> By: J. Tyler Ballance http://citizentom.com/2008/02/20/bob-marshall-for-us-senate-life-liberty-property/#comment-12558 J. Tyler Ballance Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:21:04 +0000 http://citizentom.wordpress.com/?p=849#comment-12558 I like most of these positions taken by Bob Marshall. I do not support the concept of "lock-boxes" for various funds. The lock-box concept, just like its dumber cousin, the "No Tax Pledge" ties the hands of our duly elected Representatives. If an elected official raids a budget line to fund some other priority, then that official (or his entire Party) is accountable in the next election for his judgment. I support the gas tax increase because it will only cost the typical driver $15 annually at its full five cent per gallon implementation. The gas tax should also mean the end of the RTAs and will also mean that our law enforcement will not be acting as revenue agents for "abuser fees" or other scheme that turns our police against the People. While it is certainly the duty of the Assembly to name the programs that shall benefit from any new tax increase, it would be irresponsible to pretend that any official has a crystal ball to view the future. For example, should we have an outbreak of disease, or a string of hurricanes, or some other calamity, our budget lines should be adjusted to respond to the emerging needs and a reprioritization of past plans should rightfully be made. Lock-boxes and No Tax Pledges take away the ability of legislators to use the full range of well reasoned responses to the challenges that we face. By the way, because so many of our Assemblymen had signed the, "No Tax Pledge" they came up with those stupid "abuser fees" and the RTAs, even though most of them would admit privately that the gas tax increase was the simplest, most fair way to reach the revenue target needed to address our transportation issues. I like most of these positions taken by Bob Marshall. I do not support the concept of “lock-boxes” for various funds. The lock-box concept, just like its dumber cousin, the “No Tax Pledge” ties the hands of our duly elected Representatives. If an elected official raids a budget line to fund some other priority, then that official (or his entire Party) is accountable in the next election for his judgment.

I support the gas tax increase because it will only cost the typical driver $15 annually at its full five cent per gallon implementation. The gas tax should also mean the end of the RTAs and will also mean that our law enforcement will not be acting as revenue agents for “abuser fees” or other scheme that turns our police against the People.

While it is certainly the duty of the Assembly to name the programs that shall benefit from any new tax increase, it would be irresponsible to pretend that any official has a crystal ball to view the future. For example, should we have an outbreak of disease, or a string of hurricanes, or some other calamity, our budget lines should be adjusted to respond to the emerging needs and a reprioritization of past plans should rightfully be made.

Lock-boxes and No Tax Pledges take away the ability of legislators to use the full range of well reasoned responses to the challenges that we face.

By the way, because so many of our Assemblymen had signed the, “No Tax Pledge” they came up with those stupid “abuser fees” and the RTAs, even though most of them would admit privately that the gas tax increase was the simplest, most fair way to reach the revenue target needed to address our transportation issues.

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