Thursday, June 26, 2008

Souffle

The Virginia Senate passed a gas tax increase that is a dead duck in the House of Delegates. The House is ready to kill the governor's transportation bill. In this game of chicken, they now burn some gas and go home until next week (which will be a short holiday week). 
The Senate bill would increase the gas tax by 1 cent per year over the next 6 years. It also increases the auto sales tax (3% to 3.5%) and the sales tax (5% to 5.25%) but decrease the sales tax on food (2.5% to 2%). There would also be regional fees for NOVA and Hampton Roads.
Assembly leaders were hardly clucking over their accomplishments so far. Senate Minority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr. (R-James City) said, "We have been trying to do the impossible." Senate Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax), who introduced the gas tax bill noted, "The House is doing its thing. The governor is doing his thing, the Senate Democrats are doing their thing."
The Senate vote was along party lines.
CCC supports increasing the gas tax since it would fall on in-state and out-of-state motorists alike. CCC also supports decreasing the sales tax on food purchased in grocery stores - a very regressive tax. A "chicken in every pot" and all that!
While trolling the Richmond Times-Dispatch's coverage of the General Assembly, I came upon this tongue-in-cheek comment on a way to raise funds and lay more pavement.  But, it may not work as hoped - according to reports, a Nevada business is offering gas cards to stimulate its business which has gone soft due to rising gas prices.
Cluck. Cluck. 

7 comments:

Lemon.Lyman said...

CCC supports increasing one tax and decreasing another, way to go. If we spend less on gas (which is the hope of alternate fuels, and other methods) it'll end up as a zero sum game. Terrific.

Why doesn't CCC support raising taxes on the top 1% of earners? You think all of NoVa is going to move to Southern Maryland?

Someone's a real policy chicken.

Belle Rose said...

Finally some relevant mash. Yep, I do support raising one, cutting the other. Guess your perspective depends on whose ox is getting gored.

Users should pay for roads. Use more, pay more. Straightforward. VA's gas tax is one of the lowest. Want to use more but pay less? Buy an efficient car-it has other desirable consequences, but I admit will reduce revenues. Hence the increase in title tax. On food, my objection is more moral than economic.

You'd think "Lyman" would understand politics is the art of the possible, not the science of the perfect. Whatever funding eventually emerges will be an imperfect compromise (hence Saslaw's small concession to the anti-tax House).

Don't want to tax you NOVAites to MD; we like cash cows like you.

Anonymous said...

Jesus, Belle! Do all you valley people attack folks with similar and yet slighty differing opinions? No wonder your party is going to crap.

Progressive said...

Did I miss something???? Who's party is going to crap?

Belle Rose said...

passing thru.... kind of like too much corn on the cob.

Only responding with on-point comment to l.l's attack. You know how roosters guard their turf.

Anonymous said...

Belle, guard your turf all you want, but seriously... you need to stop pecking the crap out of folks from the same cloth. Really. It makes the dems, not to mention yourself, look highly xenophobic.

I'm not one of ya'lls, but its ridiculous for you to chew out eachother.

Anonymous said...

passing through,
"chewing out"? where do you see that? Belle's making some pretty good arguments, and doing it respectfully, unlike LL.