Speaker Howell and the Smithfield Lady...
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
In a move that surprises no one in Virginia, the Senate and House proposed two very different budgets this past Sunday. Speaker Bill Howell of Stafford wasted no time in applying "lipstick to the pig" that his chamber submitted.
Howell called the House proposal a "balanced, well-constructed state budget," he then went to justify fixing the transportation crisis in Northern and Eastern Virginia and sticking the bill on the whole state.
According to the Roanoke Times, "The House Appropriations Committee's plan would increase transportation funding by $1.2 billion over the same period, relying on a combination of revenue from the state's general operating fund and increased fines for driving violations. Roughly half of the transportation spending in the House budget is a one-time payment from the state's general fund, some of which is diverted from items in Warner's proposed budget."
This is a serious diversion from the system where transportation and education funds are kept separate.
The Washington Post aslo highlights the House budget proposal and some of the politically targeted items they cut.
But they cut spending for many of the smaller programs that Warner had started, including many he is using as evidence of his success in what could become a bid for the presidency.Democratic caucus chairman, Brian Moran said, "not because of objective analysis but merely [because of] a political reaction."
The GOP eliminated $409,000 for a Warner program that uses NASCAR imagery to encourage adults to finish high school. They deleted $4.37 million to help poor youths pay for Advanced Placement tests. They cut $143,000 for Warner's program to train principals to be "turn-around specialists" in troubled schools. And they cut $6 million that would have paid for bonuses to encourage teachers to work in difficult schools.They cut $12 million for a fire department program that matches state money with federal funds and cut $6.7 million for a project Warner backed to encourage creation of electronic health records.
A spokesman for Morgan Griffith, the House Majority Leader said, "'Stripped out' is such a harsh word," he said. "Why not say 'redirected'?"
The Senate Finance Committee, comprised mainly of moderates, endorsed a package that will increase transportation spending by $1.8 billion over the next two years, largely through a combination of tax and fee increases that would include a 5 percent sales tax on gasoline. Gov. Tim Kaine also has proposed tax increases to create new, dedicated funding for transportation.
The Richmond Times Dispatch reports,
Kevin Hall, Kaine's press secretary said, "Except for one-time, upfront money, the House plan simply authorizes a credit card for Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, but sends the bill to the rest of the state."The finance committee leader, Sen. John H. Chichester, R-Northumberland, again challenged House claims that long-term funding for transportation is somehow possible without a second huge tax increase since 2004.
Chichester depicted as irresponsible financing highways with a surplus -- "by its very definition . . . unpredictable and unreliable" -- and forcing the state to retreat from its long-standing practice of supporting from separate cash boxes transportation and services such as education.
WAPO reports,
It will be interesting when this comes to a vote to see how the following Delegates vote. They are all from rural districts in Central, Southwest, and Southside Virginia."I don't think it produces enough dollars that are reliable and long-term to meet the magnitude of the transportation challenge we have," Kaine said of the House budget, which was approved Sunday by the Appropriations Committee.
The governor said the House committee's refusal to consider tax increases for road and transit spending led it to cut "really good, important programs" in the state's operating budget.
"You just have to look at things like school breakfast programs, school efficiency reviews," Kaine said. "Drinking water funds for southwest Virginia. These are necessary programs."
House leaders rejected Kaine's comments about their spending proposals. They said their transportation plan would pay special attention to Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, places where traffic congestion is acute, while helping other regions.
Abbitt, Bell, Byron, Carrico, Cline, Crockkett-Stark, Dudley, Fralin, Gilbert, Griffith, Hogan, Kilgore, Landes, Lohr, Nutter, Putney, Saxman, and WrightDemocrats should begin today recruiting opposition for anyone of them who votes in favor of the House proposal.
posted by Libertas @ 4:21 PM,
1 Comments:
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At 7:41 PM,
GOPHokie said...
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I would point out that the tax increase of 2004 affected everyone and most of the surplus went to NOVA transportation funding.
Also, the House wants to eliminate extra taxes. Why is that bad for rural areas? The Governor's proposal actually wants even more tax increases that are levied on everyone but only benefit NOVA and Tidewater.