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Delegate Marshall Addresses Commonwealth Transportation Board
Delegate Robert G. “Bob” Marshall addressed the Commonwealth Transportation Board today in opposition to the proposed final route for the North-South Corridor of Statewide Significance. This route follows the previously proposed Bi-County Parkway, sometimes called the Battlefield Bypass, Tri-County Parkway or Western Transportation Corridor. Delegate Marshall’s testimony is below.
The CTB had an “action” item on its agenda for the May 15, 2013 meeting to adopt the final route for this project. Delegate Marshall spoke with Secretary Sean Connaughton and requested that the vote be delayed until further public hearings could be held. The next public hearing on this proposed roadway will be June 3, 2013 at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on the George Mason Campus in Manassas from 6-9 PM.
Commonwealth Transportation Board to Vote Despite Opposition?
Below is the resolution I received from the Commonwealth Transportation Board in response to a request for more information about an “action” item on the agenda for their May 15, 2013, meeting. This appears to be a resolution to adopt the route for the new North-South Corridor which will follow the proposed Tri-County Parkway route despite strong opposition to this route and the plan as a whole.
I have long opposed this plan sometimes called the Battlefield Bypass or Western Transportation Corridor. I have raised concerns about the cost effectiveness the proposed project and its ability to relieve traffic congestion in addition to the effects on citizens living in and around the proposed route area. I believe that citizens would be better served by enhancements to existing roads including:
1) Doubling the exiting capacity at the Rt. 28 exits off of I-66
2) Building a grade separated interchange to relieve the backup caused by congestion at Walney Rd/Braddock Rd and Rt. 28 which spills back onto I-66.
3) Spending $5 million to create reversible lanes on Rt. 28 between the Fairfax County line and Manassas Park to relieve the congestion there.
Implementing these changes would create a much less congested North/South route without the exorbitant costs associated with buying right-of-way and building a brand new road.
There has been a lack of candor about this roadway that needs to be remedied. For example, at a town hall meeting on March 4th at Bull Run High School on this issue one of the primary speakers, I believe Gary Garczynski, [for VDOT/Commonwealth Transportation Board] stated that both UPS and FedEx endorsed this road. I spoke with a representative from UPS who is in charge of transportation for UPS for Northern Virginia. He knew nothing about this and resented the fact that it had been implied that UPS endorsed this road.
Additionally, at a recent Prince William Committee of 100 meeting, Mr. Garczynski stated that the Commonwealth Transportation Board had not endorsed a plan to close Rt. 234 and Rt. 29 through the Manassas Battlefield Park prior to the Bi-County Parkway/Battlfield Bypass being completed. This is patently false since there are documents available which show the CTB voted for exactly that in February of this year. This lack of candor has to stop.
This proposed road is a developers road and I would like to know who currently owns the property that would be purchased for right-of-way and who has taken options to purchase property along the right-of-way. I believe that it is primarily developers and that rather than helping create a road to move traffic in a timely manner this would be an opening for extensive development which would only create more traffic problems. There are other better options out there and I hope that VDOT and the CTB will consider them.
If you have concerns about this road please plan to attend the CTB meeting May 15, 2013 at 10 AM at the VDOT Central Auditorium located at 1221 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA.
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Medicaid Expansion & Transportation Taxes Ruled Unconstitutional!
Dear Friends,
We’ve had a great victory for taxpayers! I have two press releases below. Please spread the word to your fellow citizens, friends and co-workers.
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Press Releases #1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Delegate Bob Marshall, 703-853-4213
*Attorney General Rules Use of “Medicaid Innovation & Reform Commission” to Expand Medicaid Unconstitutional!*
Manassas, VA – Delegate Robert G. “Bob” Marshall (R-13) received the
attached opinion in response to his request for an opinion with regard
to the constitutionality of the General Assembly’s designation of a
“Medicaid Innovation & Reform Commission” to allow for the expansion
of Medicaid when the Commission determined that a number of proposed
Medicaid reforms had been satisfactorily fulfilled. Delegate Marshall
questioned whether the General Assembly could delegate this authority
to a smaller group of mainly legislators.
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli determined in his opinion today that
the General Assembly does not have the authority to delegate its
legislative authority to a smaller committee.
“I am pleased with this opinion and hope that the Governor will act
appropriately to remove this unconstitutional piece of maneuvering
from the budget before it comes back to the General Assembly,” said
Marshall. “Medicaid needs serious reform before we can even begin to
consider expansion and the decision about when those reforms are
sufficient can and should only be determined by the General Assembly
as a whole.”
“I congratulate the Attorney General for his correct reading of the
Virginia Constitution and appropriate case law at a time when many
were urging him to dodge this question or issue a politically
expedient opinion so as to avoid controversy in his gubernatorial
campaign. I congratulate him for standing up for the Constitution and
the people of Virginia.”
Read the Official Opinion Here.
###
Press Release # 2
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Delegate Bob Marshall 703-853-4213
*Attorney General Rules Additional/Higher Transportation Taxes
Unconstitutional!*
Manassas, VA – Delegate Robert G. “Bob” Marshall (R-13) received an
opinion from Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli in response
to his request for an opinion with regard to the constitutionality of
the additional and higher taxes imposed on Northern Virginia and
Tidewater as part of HB 2313 which is awaiting Governor Bob
McDonnell’s signature. Delegate Marshall questioned whether the
“special” taxes were in violation of the uniformity laws in Title X of
the Constitution, whether they violated the prohibition to enact local
law in Title IV and if not would the requirements of Title VII apply
that require local legislation to receive a 2/3 vote of the General
Assembly.
It is the Attorney General’s opinion that Title X does not apply
because none of the taxes are directly taxes on property but that
Title IV *DOES* apply because the laws single out portions of the
Commonwealth without regard to similarities and differences between
these areas and others around the state but base the implementation of
these additional taxes purely on geography. This means that the
portions of HB 2313 adding additional and higher taxes are
unconstitutional.
“I am thrilled with the Attorney General’s opinion with regard to the
unconstitutional taxes in HB 2313,” said Marshall. “Isolating Northern
Virginia and Tidewater residents to place an additional tax burden on
those citizens who already pay more to Richmond in taxes than they get
back is unconscionable. Without the higher and additional regional
taxes HB 2313 cannot be a functional solution to Virginia’s
transportation problems. I hope that the Governor will seriously
consider vetoing this legislation or finding a way to start from
scratch to find an equitable way to pay for transportation without
raising taxes.”
“I congratulate the Attorney General for his correct reading of the
Virginia Constitution and appropriate case law at a time when many
were urging him to dodge this question or issue a politically
expedient opinion so as to avoid controversy in his gubernatorial
campaign. I congratulate him for standing up for the Constitution and
the people of Virginia.”
###
Delegate Marshall’s Medicaid Letter to Attorney General Cucinnelli
Dear General Cuccinelli,
In the 2013 Budget there is a provision that purports to delegate to the newly created Medicaid Innovation and Reform Commission, comprised of primarily but not exclusively legislators, the ability to make decisions on behalf of the entire legislature with respect to Medicaid reform and whether certain conditions have been met to proceed to the expansion of our Medicaid program.
I would like to request an official opinion with regard to whether such delegation can be done under the Virginia Constitution and Code of Virginia?
Thank you for your time and assistance. I would appreciate a response in time for something to be done prior to the April veto session if necessary. If you have any questions please contact me at 703-853-4213.
…
Read the full letter by clicking the link below:
BEHIND THE SCENES: TAX HIKES AND MEDICAID EXPANSION
Dear Virginians,
Governor McDonnell’s massive, largest-ever Virginia tax increase for road and transit (other general taxes were also increased) passed 60-40 in the House of Delegates (Republicans: 35 yea, 33 no) http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?131+vot+HV1245+HB2313) and 25 to 15 in the State Senate (Republicans: 8 yea, 12 no) http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?131+vot+SV0915HB2313+HB2313).
My earlier emails addressed many problems with the many tax increases, lack of transparency, questionable regional authorities, political construction priorities, and funding inequities. This email will address the backroom “deals” that if left unchanged will lead to an even higher tax burden (than even the transportation bill) through Medicaid expansion. PLEASE SEE ACTION ITEMS AT END OF THIS EMAIL!
HB 2313, the Governor’s transportation bill introduced by Speaker Bill Howell (R-Stafford) is now projected to “produce” (from our pockets) from $880 million to $1.2 Billion per year after the conference committee changes. However, one senator informed me that the Senate Finance Committee staff was instructed by Republican leaders to produce the lowest revenue figures possible to “soften” the actual tax blow to the public.
New revenue streams for road construction were touted to justify the massive increases. However, when I asked Sen. Barbara Favola (D-Arlington) on an ABC News Channel 8 TV program this past Monday what new interstates or primary roads would be constructed, she answered, METRO!
VOTE TRADING: MEDICAID EXPANSION FOR TRANSPORTATION TAXES
Sen. Favola confirmed my conclusion (also reported widely in the media) that the Governor signaled support for Medicaid expansion to garner more democrat votes for his transportation tax. On the same TV program, Senator Favola admitted that she disliked aspects of the Governor’s transportation plan such as the $100 tax on hybrid vehicles, but she voted for it anyway because she got what she wanted: Medicaid expansion. (Why any democrat would need to be persuaded to raise taxes is a mystery to me.)
A northern Virginia Democrat delegate personally told me that the Medicaid “agreement” was responsible for at least ten Democrat votes for the transportation bill in the House. And, Democrat Delegate Spruill spoke on the floor of the House of Delegates explaining that he trusted the Republicans and was satisfied that the Medicaid issue was worked out.
BACKGROUND
On Feb. 20, Governor McDonnell wrote to Republican and Democrat Budget Conference members noting Medicaid currently takes up 21% of Virginia’s general fund budget, a 1600% increase from 1983 and pointing out that costs to state taxpayers will increase significantly even with federal support.
He stated that Medicaid reform “requires completing state based reforms, amending the ACA [Obamanocare] to provide more flexibility and waiver authority, creating state and federal assurances that the current or expanded program will not break the state budget or add to the federal debt, and facilitating reforms in the private sector health delivery system to reduce costs. …”
He said, “I cannot and will not support consideration of an expansion of Medicaid in Virginia until major reforms are authorized and completed, and until we receive guarantees that the federal government’s promises to states can be kept without increasing the immoral national debt. To do so, would be irresponsible … Doing anything that suggests that expansion can occur prior to substantial, long lasting, cost-savings will damage our efforts to reform the system.” The Democrats protested!
Two days later Gov. McDonnell wrote to the Republican Majority Leader assuring budget conferees with clever wording that he supported setting up a Commission to oversee agreeing to what democrats wanted, mainly adding 400,000 new recipients to the current 1,000,000 on Medicaid, one of the most, if not the most fraud-ridden federal program on the books.
Rank and file House and Senate Republicans were not made aware of Governor McDonnell’s “accommodation” letter until the Washington Post reported on it Saturday morning, but the Republican leadership of both chambers knew about it earlier as they were part of the deal cutting.
The Governor’s so-called “firewall” to protect Medicaid was to consist of a select commission of delegates, senators and two citizen members appointed by the same House Republican leaders who led the charge for higher taxes. The commission members are supposed to ensure that any proposed Medicaid expansion includes “reasonable limitations on non-essential benefits such as non-emergency transportation are implemented; and … patient responsibility is required including reasonable costsharing.”
Such loose language is unacceptable because it is an open invitation to a lawsuit. Democrats know full well that any prospective Medicaid recipient can dispute in court the definition of “reasonable” with their claims defended by the ACLU and other attorneys who are funded with public money.
If a federal judge in Virginia can decide (as was done recently) that a prisoner can argue that the state’s refusal to pay for a sex change operation presents a reasonable claim of a violation of the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against “cruel and unusual punishment,” you can be sure that a tax funded lawyer will successfully challenge a denial of Medicaid benefits. The Governor’s assurance that Medicaid expansion will not happen on his watch gives me no assurance. The skids have already been greased by the language in the budget and the health exchange legislation passed earlier in the session.
The Medicaid commission is nothing more than a paper tiger supposedly guarding taxpayers from a 40% increase in Medicaid beneficiaries in a federal program so riddled with widespread fraud that even the federal Government Accountability Office cannot begin to measure its full extent.
Delegate Ben Cline had earlier drafted a letter signed by 51 House members to the budget conferees, explaining that they wanted to wait until “significant reforms are put in place in order to reduce costs before we consider any expansion of Medicaid.”
REQUESTS TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
Delegate Ben Cline had asked Attorney General Cuccinelli on February 21, whether it was legal for the General Assembly to delegate its authority to a commission to decide on expanding Medicaid. The AG concluded such a commission cannot make decisions for the entire General Assembly. New budget language was then approved by conferees to finesse the AG’s objections, but the new language is so broad it offers no protection.
On February 26, 2013, I asked the Attorney General https://www.facebook.com/DelegateBob to review the new language subsequently approved in the conference report and advise me prior to the veto session whether the conference language delegating authority to expand Medicaid is constitutional.
I will keep you apprised of the AG’s response. I thought you should know the behind-the-scenes orchestrations that have led to this infamous Republican led tax hike and future expansion of Medicaid. Both of these measures violate principles critically important to our Republican base and constitutional conservatives. But even more important, they are examples of bad policy which threaten the future economic well-being of Virginia’s families and our Commonwealth. Here is my letter to Cuccinelli.
ACTION ITEMS:
Urge the Governor to veto HB 2313 and portion of Budget (HB 1500) which expands Medicaid. http://www.governor.virginia.gov/AboutTheGovernor/contactGovernor.cfm
If your delegate signed Del. Ben Cline’s letter opposing Medicaid expansion and voted for Budget (HB 1500) ask why. (See earlier links.)
Thank you.
Delegate Bob Marshall
Opinion Requests regarding Constitutionality of HB 2313
Here are my official letters requesting opinions for the constitutionality of HB2313, the recent tax hike that I voted against.
Page 1
Vote Swapping in Richmond
TAKE ACTION AGAINST EXPANDING MEDICAID:
Please urge your Delegate and Senator to vote against the Budget Bill if it includes Medicaid expansion. Apparently backroom deals were made to secure votes for the Governor’s transportation tax hikes. It now appears Virginia may accept Medicaid expansion which involves adding 275,000 recipients to the current 1 million! http://hamptonroads.com/2013/02/medicaid-compromise-close-va-legislature
Those truly unable to care for themselves should not be shoved aside, but Medicaid has major fraud issues that need to be resolved. Two days ago, AP reported on a Portsmouth woman convicted of 385 false Medicaid claims. In 2012, the GAO testified before Congress that despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars to prosecute, they still do not know the full extent of Medicaid fraud.
TAKE ACTION AGAINST TRANSPORTATION TAX HIKE:
We lost a hard battle in the House of Delegates over the transportation tax hikes, 60-40. (See roll call below). Tomorrow, Saturday, the full Senate will vote on HB 2313.
Please call and email your state Senator to vote against HB 2313 unless you want to pay higher taxes for: state sales tax, car tax, regional sales tax, vehicle and tangible personal property taxes, vending machine tax, heavy equipment tax, recordation tax on commercial, industrial and residential real property sales, hotel tax, hybrid vehicle tax, and diesel fuel tax. Not all of the money raised will go to roads. Much will go to Metro. Some will go to the General Fund. Shifting the gas tax will not guaranty lower gas prices. Here is an image of the vote in the house.
Raising taxes is not the answer to our transportation woes. Local planning affects road congestion. The VDOT Funding Formula and road construction districts favor less populated areas. Just a few years ago $3.1 billion in transportation bonds were authorized, but roads carrying very few vehicles are often funded. If transportation is a core function of state government, we must better prioritize our general fund expenditures. The ATM (American Taxpayers’ Money) cannot continue to be tapped without having a detrimental effect on the economy.
Thank you for reading and taking action.
Sincerely,
Delegate Bob Marshall
LAST CHANGE TO STOP TAX HIKE
Dear Fellow Virginians,
IMMEDIATELY URGE YOUR STATE DELEGATE AND SENATOR TO VOTE “NO” ON HB 2313! After reading the 109-page conference report, it is even worse than I expected. NEW REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION FUNDING AUTHORITIES in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads will fund and decide projects! Haven’t we had enough problems with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority? PLUS, there are even more tax hikes than first reported!
The 109-page Conference Committee Report was not made available to legislators until the evening of February 21. As of this morning, it is not posted online for the public to read. Quoting Delegate Ben Cline, it is a “Frankenstein Monster” of a bill.
HB 2313 raises the state sales tax, regional sales tax, vehicle and tangible personal property taxes, vending machine tax, heavy equipment tax, recordation tax on commercial, industrial and residential real property sales, hotel tax, hybrid vehicle tax, and diesel fuel tax. Not all of the money raised will go to roads. Much will go to Metro. Some will go to the General Fund. Shifting the gas tax will not guaranty lower gas prices.
PLEASE DON’T WASTE A MINUTE! CALL YOUR DELEGATE AND SENATOR NOW. The vote on HB 2313 will be today, despite the fact that few will have been able to read the Conference Report.
FOR THOSE WHO WANT MORE DETAILS:
In addition to the tax increases I explained yesterday there are additional taxes I was not aware of until I read the Conference Report:
- The personal property tax will increase from 3.5% to 4.3%.
- The tax on vending machine sales rises from 4.5% to 6% in NOVA and Hampton Roads and 5.3% elsewhere in the state.
- Heavy equipment used for contracts on road construction, railroads, docks, etc. will be taxed at 4.3%, up from 3.5%
- Except for the increased tax on motor vehicles, other tangible personal property will be taxed at 5%.
- In Northern Virginia, commercial, industrial and residential land and building sales will have an additional tax of 25 cents per $100 of value. (A Conferee had previously told me the tax was 40 cents per $100)
- In Northern Virginia there will be a 3 % hotel tax (Legislators were previously informed this amount was 2%)
- While the bill shifts the 17.5 cent flat tax per gallon of gas to a 3.5% sales tax on the wholesale price of gasoline, it is speculative to claim that motorists will pay less for gas because the sales tax will be computed on the wholesale price of gas as of February 20, 2013 and will not go below this floor.
- The sales tax on purchasing vehicles (trucks and cars) increases from the current 3% to 4% on July 1, 2013, 4.1% on July 1, 2014; 4.2 % on July 1, 2015, and 4.3% on July 1, 2016. (Legislators were told it was a straight 4% tax. In reality, the tax increases each year through 2016.)
- If Congress does not pass the internet sales tax collection law, the tax on wholesale gasoline beginning January 1, 2015 will increase from 3.5% to 5.1%.(regular gas) and 6% (diesel). There is no provision in the law to revert back to 3.5% should Congress pass the internet tax law after 2015.
By the way, if Congress passes the internet tax, mom and pop internet stores will be forced to comply with thousands of jurisdictions’ differing tax rates. Big online companies can easily comply but their smaller competitors could be forced out of business.
To reiterate, here are the other changes I mentioned yesterday:
- Replace the current 17.5 cents per gallon flat tax on gasoline with a 3.5 % wholesale sales tax paid by distributors, which will be passed on to consumers, and a 6 % wholesale sales tax on diesel fuel.
- Increase the 5% retail sales and use tax paid statewide on most purchases to 6% in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads and 5.3 % in the rest of the state.
- Apply a $100 annual fee on alternative fuel vehicles, including hybrids.
- Increase the amount of general fund money diverted to fund transportation from .50 % to .675 %, raising roughly $200 million when fully phased in.
- If Congress passes the Marketplace Equity Act (which requires on line businesses to collect sales taxes) the proceeds will be distributed as follows: 55.55% for schools; 22.2% for local governments with no restrictions; and 22.2% for roads and transit. If Congress does not pass the Internet sales tax collections act, an additional 1.6 % tax would be added to the wholesale gas tax to achieve the same end.
- NOT FIXING WHAT IS BROKEN: In this session, the House of Delegates:
- Rejected increased representation of Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads on the Commonwealth Transportation Board, the VDOT agency that decides which projects are funded. The current CTB favors districts drawn from the 1930’s.
- Agreed to fund $1.4 Billion for a 55 mile toll road parallel to existing Rt. 460 (Suffolk to Prince George). VDOT claims project will create 4,000 jobs but lists no traffic counts.
- Increased by $554 million (total of $1.3 Billion) to finish and four- lane Rt. 58 to the intersection of I-77/I-81, a road that carries only 7900 cars daily.
Declined to alter the decades old transportation funding formula for the allocation of money to VDOT construction districts. This will perpetuate the practice of funding rural rather than urban areas. Apparently, if rural law makers vote for these higher taxes, they have been assured that the funding formula will remain intact.
PLEASE, contact your Delegate and Senator today to ask them to oppose the Conference Reportfor HB 2313 here.
Thank you for your diligence!
Delegate Bob Marshall
Republicans for Higher Taxes!
Dear Fellow Virginians,
Well, now we know the tax hikes for sure! The House/Senate Transportation Bill (HB 2313) Conference Committee brought both bodies their Conference Report today. I intend to vote NO on final passage. Please contact your delegate/senator today and urge them to vote no. The bill includes the following tax increases:
- Replace the current 17.5 cents per gallon flat tax on gasoline with a 3.5 % wholesale sales tax paid by distributors, which will be passed on to consumers, and a 6 % wholesale sales tax on diesel fuel.
- Increase the 5% retail sales and use tax paid statewide on most purchases to 6% in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads and 5.3 % in the rest of the state.
- Apply a $100 annual fee on alternative fuel vehicles, including hybrids.
- Increase the current 3% sales tax paid on the purchase of motor vehicles to 4%.
- Increase the amount of general fund money diverted to fund transportation from .50 % to .675 %, raising roughly $200 million when fully phased in.
- The sales tax in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads will be 6% instead of the 5.3% in the rest of the state.
- In Northern Virginia there will be an increase of 40 cents per hundred dollars on the sale of a house. That’s an extra $1600 on the sale of a $400,000 home.
- Also in Northern Virginia there will be a 2 % occupancy tax for hotels.
If Congress passes the Marketplace Equity Act (which requires on line businesses to collect sales taxes) the proceeds will be distributed as follows: 55.55% for schools; 22.2% for local governments with no restrictions; and 22.2% for roads and transit. If Congress does not pass the Internet sales tax collections act, an additional 1.6 % tax would be added to the wholesale gas tax.
Not all of the sales tax increase (the extra .3% statewide or extra 1% in Northern Virginia & Hampton Roads) will go to transportation. Part will go to schools and other general fund programs. There is no prohibition from using more of the tax increase for things other than transportation, nor anything to stop reinstating the gas tax on top of all the other taxes in future!
NOT FIXING WHAT IS BROKEN: In this session, the House of Delegates:
Rejected an attempt to increase representation of Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads on the Commonwealth Transportation Board, the VDOT agency that decides which projects are funded. The current CTB is weighted in favor of districts drawn from the 1930’s.
Agreed to fund two roads which proponents hope will spur economic development: (A) $1.4 Billion for a 55 mile toll road parallel to existing Rt. 460 (Suffolk to Prince George), a project which VDOT says will create 4,000 jobs but lists no traffic counts; (B) Increase by $554 million for a total of $1.3 Billion to finish and four lane Rt. 58 to the intersection of I-77/I-81, a road that carries only 7900 cars daily.
Declined to alter the decades old transportation funding formula for the allocation of money to VDOT construction districts. This will perpetuate the practice of funding rural rather than urban areas. Apparently, if rural law makers vote for these higher taxes, they have been assured that no change will occur to the funding formula.
Thank you for your diligence!
Delegate Bob Marshall
Stop Tax Hikes for Transportation
Dear Virginia Taxpayers,
Republicans for Higher Taxes? Get ready to pay up unless you speak up now! To pay for roads, a Conference Committee made up of Democrats and Republicans from the House of Delegates and the Senate will propose which taxes get hiked and by how much. Call your Delegate and Senator right away and urge them to vote against any bill that raises any tax.
The Governor had proposed raising the state sales tax from 5% to 5.8%, ending the gas tax (except for diesel), and increasing car registration fees. Senate democrats and some Republicans want higher gas taxes and higher sales taxes. Others propose both statewide and local or regional increases in sales or income taxes in Northern Virginia and Tidewater. It seems that on both sides of the aisle everyone’s answer to our transportation problem is higher taxes.
While I agree that the transportation problems in Northern Virginia and Tidewater are in need of a serious, long-term solution; I do not think tax increases are the answer. I do not impute the motives of legislators who believe higher taxes will solve the problem but local planning has much to do with congested roads. If development continues unabated in areas where new road improvements are made the improvements are negated.
Solutions: This year I offered a budget amendment which would have allocated one cent of every dollar from all accounts exclusive of salaries and employee benefits. This would have dedicated at least $107 million more per year to transportation. The House of Delegates Republican leadership refused a direct vote on my amendment by pulling a parliamentary dodge.
Wrong Priorities: Republicans and Democrats in the Assembly are funding political roads that move very little traffic. In 2010 the General Assembly passed $3 billion in transportation bonds. Where is that money going? Route 58 carries a maximum of 7,900 vehicles per day. Northern Virginia roads carry 100,000 and more vehicles per day. Route 58 is slated to get about $750 million to $1.3 billion in future bonds. Route 460 will go from Prince George County to Suffolk and cost $1.4 Billion for 55 miles of toll roads. VDOT’s website does not include traffic counts but states it will produce 4,000 construction jobs. http://www.route460ppta.org/documents/460_CIM_Fact_Sheet_11.13.12.pdf)
A bill this year would have given Northern Virginia and Tidewater more representation on the Commonwealth Transportation Board. That bill failed in the House 49-51. So now, if the General Assembly and Governor raise taxes for roads and transit, decisions will be weighted in favor of construction districts reflecting the population of Virginia in the 1930’s and will not give enough weight to the areas in Virginia that need the most help.
Virginia state government needs to live within its means, as every family must. If we don’t want the federal government spending without cutting, why excuse it in Richmond?
All of the various plans being hammered out involve tax increases. We are supposed to adjourn this Saturday, so please contact your Delegate and Senator right away! Urge them to vote against any bill that raises any tax. To find out who represents you, click here.
Thank you for your diligence.
Delegate Bob Marshall
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