That didn't take long - Special Session
By: Brian
Published On: 9/28/2006 11:48:16 PM
The General Assembly's Special Session, which was dedicated to transportation, has adjourned without an agreement.
The AP reported:
[T]he Senate Finance Committee rejected the bulk of a $2.4 billion House transportation plan that relied heavily on debt and existing revenues that otherwise would go to schools, health care and other services.
The House previously had rejected the Senate's proposals, including a gasoline tax increase. With nothing left on the table after the demise of the House plan, the assembly adjourned.
Governor Kaine offered a statement, which included:
The House leadership chose instead to offer bills that were politically expedient--relying on double-counting money, running up the state's credit card and diverting existing revenue designated for education, public safety and health care[.]
Kaine is correct, why run up the "state's credit card" (more debt) when other solutions are readily available? The Senate, fortunately, rejected the House Republican plan which, by borrowing, would not have produced a reliable revenue source to fix the transportation problems.
Comments
Who is to blame? (Teddy - 9/29/2006 9:26:18 AM)
So far as I can tell the real culprit in this domestic fiasco is the same kind of Republican who created the Iraq fiasco: right-wing, no-tax ideologues who cannot see more than one move ahead. I refer, in this case, to Speaker Howell and his party-disciplined, no-tax munchkins like Fredrick etc.
The solution is: for outraged Republicans, run someone against these usless munchkins in a primary next year. For the Democrats, run a credible candidate against any generic Republican in the general election next year. Yes, even Mr. smug, smartass Howell can be defeated if we put our minds to it.Howell is compltely committed to frustrating Kaine at every turn, and to promoting the fortunes and future election to governor of the current Attorney General (McDonnell, O'Connell, or whatever, I can't get that name straight--- what a crying shame Creigh Deeds did not beat him--- wait, maybe he did, but all the votes never got re-counted. Isn't that a surprise)
The General Ass strikes again! (David Campbell - 9/29/2006 2:28:53 PM)
Now $63 million of our federal tax money will fund transportation projects in other states while we sit in traffic jams.
The Democrats are lining up some VERY strong candidates (Used2Bneutral - 9/29/2006 3:34:40 PM)
and this is the only way we are going to break the strangle hold on the State..... When they turned down a cabinet appointment for the first time in history, and then again when 4 of the five entities that needed to agree on a budget did so (Senate Democrats, Senate Republicans, Govenor, House Democrats) they have activated a larger percentage of the population who would have not given a damn two years ago.... Now, those same jack-asses who want to take money from our public schools and public safety have blocked a sustainable transportation solution so as the result we lose the federal funds. The term Republican ex-delegate will be used a whole lot more after next November 2007...... just in time to make a bigger difference when the state "jerry-manders", oops, I mean "re-districts" to allow for the huge growth in population in Norther Virginia and the Tidewater areas....
Re-Districting--- and Reliable Vote Counting (Teddy - 9/29/2006 4:12:57 PM)
Yes, you were right the first time: gerrymandering; the Republicans at this time control the re-districting. I still would like to see such a crucial matter removed from the direct influence of politcians; give it to demographers and, maybe (remotely maybe) to retired judges, with the results approved or disapproved wholesale by the legislature, i.e., no tinkering, it's up or down as a whole and unamended piece of legislation. Then we need to be sure we have reliable paper ballots and/or a reliable paper trail verifiable without reservation across the board in case of a re-count. And THEN we need good candidates and plenty of moola, long green, cash, whathaveyou. The entire Republican House of Delegates must have a career adjustment.