Not much budget news this morning, except that the Senate is considering freezing the car tax reimbursement, reversing the House’s elimination of increased recordation fees on home purchases, and – my favorite – offering a local option sales tax (though I’d prefer a local option income tax).
Gov. Mark Warner takes up the news slack by taking action on some bills. And he’ll sign a bill to allow Richmonders to elect their own mayors – and pay them.
U-Va.’s tuitions are going up, as are VCU’s.
Higher education could be the issue in the 2005 campaigns. Middle income families will be concerned about tuition hikes; well-to-do ones will worry if there will be a seat in the classroom for their kids at Virginia colleges; and the parents of the smartest kids will wonder if they can learn in 500-student classroom.
VDOT gets a good report card. OK, at least a better one. And the Woodrow Wilson Bridge project in Alexandria is getting kudos.
I wonder if the waste, fraud and abuse folks are noticing.
But mental healthcare is hurting and smog is worse here and here and here and here.
Hey, I’ve got the solution: Let’s cut taxes!
The Daily Press editorializes that any budget compromise is only a “band-aid.” The key lies yonder, in Nov. 2005.
What is significant is the presence of recently elected officials – predominately in the House of Delegates – who have subordinated logic and responsibility for political demagoguery….
Despite representations to the contrary, the “no-tax” position is not a philosophy. A philosophy requires a set of principles, a consistent and guiding logic, a rationale, a plan….
Do the members who repeat the mantra of “no new taxes” actually have a program for reducing the size and cost of state and local government?
No.
Have they laid out a series of choices that acknowledges what must be sacrificed if their “no-tax” slogans rule?
No.
Have they proposed alternatives to traditional government programs, innovations that might employ public resources more efficiently and effectively?
No.
No: That pretty much sums up the GOP’s fiscal policy.
But some GOPers realize that’s not enough. “Somethin’s happenin’ here. What it is ain’t exactly clear.”
Another poll saying two different things, and two different interpretations of the same poll.
Back to retail politics for Congressman Jim Moran. “Jim is doing lots and lots and lots of coffees with voters”
–Campaign Manager, Dan Lucas
It’s Sunday, can I buy you a drink?
Quote of the day:
“I think he’s a decent man. I think he has a good heart. He’s not how you would depict a Southern police chief of old.”
–Rick Turner, dean of the office of African-American Affairs at the University of Virginia, crediting Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy J. Longo for reconsidering the DNA dragnet to find a rapist.