Blog Archives
Why did the Democrats Choose a Bullseye as their new Logo?
They are desperate for change. However, the only change they will see is a massive defeat in November. It’s ironic that the Democrats would choose a bullseye as their new logo. Again, another brilliant idea for former Governor “Jet Set” Tim Kaine.
Besides, the change that really matters is when Nancy Pelosi has to give up her throne as Speaker of the House.
Wilder: Time for a Shakeup
In a recent Politico op-ed, former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder suggested that President Obama needs a staff shakeup to help the President accomplish his goals. He also criticized former Virginia Governor Tim Kaine’s job as DNC Chair.
“I am an admirer of Tim Kaine, whom I backed in his current position and as one of my successors as Virginia governor and even recommended for the vice presidency. But a spate of recent losses in races that Democrats should have won underscores what has been obvious to me for a long time: The chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee is the wrong job for him.”
OUCH! I thought it was too soon for this call. I mean after the gubernatorial losses in New Jersey and Virginia, and Martha Coakley losing the Senate race in Massachusetts, one could have assumed the calls for Kaine’s head would be in the pipeline. Actually, it would be great if Obama keeps Kaine in charge of things at the DNC and focus on ridding himself of others in his Administration.
Will Higher Taxes Solve Virginia's Budget Woes?
There is no doubt that all options are on the “table” (gee, what is it with Virginia Democrats and the table?) with Governor Tim Kaine’s goals of drafting a budget for the Commonwealth for the upcoming fiscal year. Considering that the Commonwealth has a budget deficit of $3 billion, Kaine is looking to offset our fiscal woes by reversing the car tax and eliminating the dealer discount, which allows Virginia merchants to keep a percentage of their profits.
The question remains: Will Higher Taxes solve Virginia’s Budget Woes? No. In a economic recession, the best option is to reduce spending at the government level and cutting unnecessary programs that prove no benefit to the people in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In fact, this is the same thought that Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling and four Republican leaders have when it comes to potential tax increases in a recent letter sent to the Governor.
When will our legislative leaders get it? Tax increases harm prosperity, create an unfriendly environment to businesses and economic development, and hurt working families in the Commonwealth. However, it appears that all options are on the hypothetical table with Kaine, considering that his Administration has been filled with budget oversights over the past four years.
Way to Stay Classy, Governor Kaine
It appears that Governor Tim Kaine’s idea of staying classy is insulting members of the General Assembly. So much for going out with dignity in tact.
Creigh Deeds Defends Tim Kaine's Mismanagement
With the recent news of Governor Tim Kaine’s mismanagement on the transportation stimulus funds, Democratic candidate for Governor, Creigh Deeds, is now defending Kaine on this issue. How can you defend someone who has not spent the money on improving transportation in Virginia, Creigh?
Virginia Ranks Last on Spending Transportation Stimulus Funds
Yesterday, U.S. House Transportation Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.) sent a letter to Governor Tim Kaine that Virginia ranks DEAD LAST in spending the transportation stimulus funds (and Virginia was also the last to request them).
According to the letter, Virginia has only spent 17% of the funds available on projects that are currently underway. This is pretty devastating for our Governor, especially considering that he has spent more time away from the Commonwealth dealing with DNC business.
Since Tim Kaine has been Governor, we have not seen any initiative from him on job creation or addressing budget issues in a serious manner. To say that he has been the worst Governor in Virginia’s history might be an understatement.
When will the Democrats state their positions on Taxes?
Republican Party of Virginia Chairman, Pat Mullins, along with House Speaker Bill Howell and Del. Terry Kilgore, have called on Democratic candidates to declare whether or not they support Creigh Deeds in his promise to raise taxes if elected. Deeds wants to raise $1 billion in taxes, and this will cost you at the pump with a higher gasoline tax.
“This is just the absolute wrong time, as Governor Kaine has recognized, to be raising taxes – when you’re in a deep, deep recession. Particularly the gasoline tax, which is a very regressive tax that impacts the people who can least afford to pay it the most,” said Speaker Howell. “I would be interested in knowing where the other Democrats are on this. Do they support their gubernatorial candidate or not?”
“I think it’s a clear defining issue between our candidates and their opponents,” said Kilgore. “Particularly in my part of the state, where people have to drive long distances just to get to work, raising the gas tax at this time is just the wrong idea. But we want to know where the House candidates stand.”
Deeds is facing opposition to his proposed tax increases. State Sen. Edd Houck (D-17), in an email to constituents, said the worst thing would be to increase the burden on the taxpayer during these troubled economic times. “Fortunately, Governor Kaine’s proposals contain no tax increases,” Houck wrote in an e-mail that largely dealt with efforts to balance Virginia’s budget. “With salaries remaining stagnant or worse individuals losing their jobs, a tax increase is unneeded.” Also, Democratic challenger to Del. Steve Landes (R-25), Greg Marrow, said he does not support tax increases.
In this economy, people can not afford additional taxes. Deeds’ plan only adds to the economic burden that many families are facing, and there are other viable solutions that do not involve raising taxes, like cutting an unnecessary department or a program that has no proven impact on Virginians.
Kaine Proposes Furloughs for Virginia Employees
Could Virginia Governor Tim Kaine be following in the steps of his neighbor to the north, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley by forcing state employees (all non-essentials) to take a unpaid furlough day? According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the state budget projections are so bad that Kaine is considering forcing non-essential state employees to take a day off work unpaid (around Memorial Day 2010), in addition to, laying off close to 600 employees, along with cuts to higher education.
Now, one could look back on Kaine’s term as Governor and try to figure out why Virginia would even be facing this situation. After all, the Commonwealth is noted for being one of the best managed states, so we should have a balanced budget in a down economy, right? Well, it is kind of difficult, when the Secretary of Finance, who was appointed by the Governor, missed budget projections and went over these projections. Kaine’s Secretary of Finance, Jody Wagner, went over the budget projections, thus placing Virginia in our current situation. In fact, Jeff Schapiro of the Richmond Times-Dispatch pointed out that,
“As Virginia’s top numbers-cruncher for more than two years — years marked by muff-ups and miscalculations — Wagner, to Republicans, is a poster child for a budget gone bad.
She was routinely roughed up by the ruffian Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee. It was sport for them, the prerogative of a shrill majority party that delights in drawing black-and-white distinctions.
But even Senate Republicans, usually more decorous than those in the House, got in on the fun after slipping back to the minority last year. After all, it was the only way for them to seem relevant.
There are legitimate reasons for taking a hammer to Wagner, and Bolling — a potential firewall for a GOP doing a better job of losing than winning — may be able to wield it in 2009.
The Kaine administration’s fiscal sins, perceived and actual, are numerous.
Among them: pushing for higher transportation taxes even as the economy began its decline, and missing revenue projections by a mile — or two or three.
Perhaps, we should look at it from this perspective. If our budget situation is in dire straits, shouldn’t the furlough day be enacted sooner rather than later? A furlough is much better than laying off state employees, but this could have been avoided had there been accurate budget projections.
R.I.P. Rest Areas
At midnight, several rest stops throughout Virginia will be closed due to the impending budget crisis. Too bad, if you need to pull over to take a stretch break on a road trip. I guess this will begin to bring about more car accidents due to driver fatigue. However, there were other solutions other than closing rest stops, as State Senator Mark Obenshain and Delegate Todd Gilbert have called for an outside audit of VDOT, which would have found better targets for elimination.
Since Congressman Frank Wolf’s request to allow privatization of rest areas throughout Virginia was rejected, other officials have sounded off about this, including Bob McDonnell and Bill Bolling. McDonnell has pledged to re-open all of these rest stops within 90 days of taking office in January.
McDonnell has pledged the following:
* The immediate creation of an “Adopt a Safety Rest Stop” program with Virginia businesses, community and civic organizations, modeled on the successful “Adopt a Highway” initiative, to help keep the safety rest stops open in the near term, without providing commercial services. Leaders of the Virginia Business Council have already been contacted and have indicated their willingness to help fund rest stop operations in the near term to help the State.
- The General Assembly must explore creative financing structures to fund rest stop operations and maintenance during the 2010 session, and engage the private sector in new partnerships.
- Governor Kaine and the Virginia Department of Transportation should promptly construct a more limited budget for rest stop operations, below the current 9 million dollar annual budget. We must work with local sheriffs, community corrections officers, as well as the state DOC to explore the feasibility of landscaping and clean-up of rest areas as an option for those currently sentenced to community service or eligible for work release programs. Many non-violent offenders are already successfully assigned to roadside clean-up work crews around the state.
- The CTB budget should be reprioritized to allocate the necessary money to keep the rest stops open.
Bolling has requested that VDOT check their priorities to find the money to keep the rest stops open, in order to keep the highways safe.
“I certainly understand that these are challenging economic times for VDOT and other state agencies,” said Bolling. “However, I am concerned that the closure of these rest stops will eliminate safe, convenient opportunities for motorists to rest; make our highways more dangerous; damage Virginia’s tourism and hospitality industry; put more than 200 Virginians out of work; and increase congestion on secondary roads and at gas stations and restaurants near highways.”
Here’s hoping the Rest Areas will re-open bringing more jobs through allowing businesses to take over the operations and generate more funds for Virginia.
Why close Virginia Rest Stops? Privatize
Today, Rep. Frank Wolf (Va-10) will be offering an amendment to the Transportation Appropriations Act to suspend the federal law that prohibits Virginia from contracting with private vendors to operate restaurants or service stations at Interstate rest stops. Currently, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Ohio are allowed to utilize private vendors at their rest stops.
For what seems like a great idea and something that will help generate money for the Commonwealth, Rep. Tom Perriello (Va-5) is opposed to the amendment offered by Wolf, and he is working to defeat the amendment.
Closing these rest areas put motorists’ safety at risk. If you are on a long road trip, you need to have an opportunity to stretch or take a nap in a safe area that is accessible to the Interstate. According to AAA, it is estimated that 100,000 police reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue each year, resulting in 1,500 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and $12.5 billion in losses.
Wouldn’t this be a wake-up call to allow this legislation to be passed? Instead, citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia will be facing danger every time they travel.
Call 202-224-3121 today and urge your Representatives to support Rep. Wolf’s amendment.
