Growls

Christina Bellantoni of the Washington Times put the General Assembly’s competing budgets in perspective when she wrote: “The House and Senate money committee yesterday passed competing two-year budgets, with the House using part of a $1.4 billion surplus for road projects and the Senate seeking higher taxes to come up with a long-term transportation fix.” Regarding transportation, she noted it “is likely to be the toughest sticking point. There are deep philosophical differences between the two chambers on how to ease traffic and increase funding for public transit.”

Michael Hardy and Jeff Shapiro of the Richmond Times-Dispatch report that “The Senate Finance Committee, controlled by (Republican) moderates, and (Gov.) Kaine (D) favor $1 billion-a-year road and transit plans supported with new taxes. The House Appropriations Committee, a redoubt of conservative Republicanism, wants to do the job at roughly half the cost, largely through borrowing and using nearly half the state’s $1.4 (b)illion(sic) surplus."

Taxpayers are urged to contact their state legislators to voice their opposition to tax increases! Addresses and phone numbers are available at the General Assembly's Legislative Information System. The Washington Post’s reporting is here. The Virginian-Pilot’s is here. Key provisions of the two budgets are here, courtesy of the AP and the Times-Dispatch.

Norm Leahy at One Man's Trash came across a press release from the Speaker of the House, which lists transportation projects to be funded under the House transportation plan. Now let's see the projects in the Senate's and Governor's transportation plans.