Lee Hockstader on "Kaine's Veto Dilemma"

By: Lowell
Published On: 3/1/2007 7:46:59 AM

Today's Washington Post has an interesting editorial on Governor Kaine's "veto dilemma" with regards to the GOP transportation monstrosity.  The editorial's author, Lee Hockstader, sums up very well what's wrong with this thing:

..it is a weaselly plan that offloads the unpleasant business of raising taxes onto local officials, most of them Democrats, while borrowing heavily and shortchanging public education, health care and public safety to pay off the debt.

Which is why we're urging Governor Kaine to heavily amend or veto the GOP transportation bill, which Republicans themselves have  called "perverted" and begged Kaine to fix.  The only real question at this point, as Hockstader writes, is whether our "exceptionally smart," "intellectually nimble, confident and politically adept" Governor can manage "to prevail in a smackdown with the legislature's conservative Republicans."  With all of our help and support, we can help him do just that.

P.S.  According to today's  Washington Post, Virginia Republicans "have launched a unified, election-year effort to generate support for a transportation package that was crafted by party leaders and that Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) has threatened to veto."  This includes, among other things, "a television ad criticizing Kaine."  That's why it's so important to let Tim Kaine know that we, the people of Virginia, support his efforts to achieve REAL transportation solutions in a responsbile manner, NOT by gimmicks and responsibility-shifting.  Please contact the Governor's office, and please sign our petition.  Thanks.

Comments



Delimma indeed (Eric - 3/1/2007 10:26:28 AM)
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we need to rally support for the Governor.  As the article points out, the Governor himself is not in a particularly precarious position but his veto could hurt other Democrats this November.  Sound familiar?  It should... that's what we're all saying and why we need to fight hard against this horribly flawed partisan bill.

The petition is a starting point - so please sign it and bother friends, family, and co-workers to sign as well.

And then we need to start working on the public, letting them know that the PROBLEM IS THE BILL, not the veto.  If played well a veto of a bad bill could work in Democrats favor - but that won't be easy.  The fight starts now, not in September, and we're going to have to fight hard if we want to beat this weaselly bill AND increase Democratic held seats in Richmond.



Question-how much can Kaine actually amend this bill? (Bwana - 3/1/2007 1:32:23 PM)
Example-This bill does not call for an increase in gasoline tax or apply the sales tax to gasoline.

Can Kaine amend the bill by adding such a provision, or are his amending powers limited to making changes to the substance that is already in the bill and not adding things to it that are absolutely not already there?