Transportation Special Session Ends

Nothing is accomplished.  I'm shocked the legislature couldn't do their job yet again. (sarcasm)

PolicySoup is promising more information tomorrow, so tune in to see the Fairfax Chamber's thoughts and the start of the fallout from this colossal failure.

Comments

[Mason Conservative]

What I want to know is why this was only three days long? Who thought anything could be done in that small amount of time?

[Not Larry Sabato]

Session length doesn't matter when you have a part time legislature with full time laziness.

mason -

They crafted the bills all summer. it doesn't take more than 15 minutes to vote up or down on bills that everyone already knows.

nls -

is this a 4 toupee alert?

[Bubby]

Where is the legislative discipline? Where is the leadership? Are transportation problems not critical in the Commonwealth?

[Not Larry Sabato]

Toups are down, thanks for pointing that out.

[Mason Conservative]

We need a full time legislature

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

You have got to be F-ING KIDDING ME!!!

Are the House Republicans TOTALLY hell-bent on losing another 3-4 seats in NoVA this year!

If they keep this stupid shit up, they're gonna make Joe May and Tom Rust vulnerable!!!

Look, GOPPERS, who butters Virginia's bread? That's right. NoVA. Take care of the issues or face our wrath.

That's all I have to say.

The Republican "solution" would have starved other priorities, and bonded debt, but only temporarily applied a band-aid.

What is needed is a permanent funding source. End of story.

[John Dalton]

We basically have two very different paradigms that cannot be reconciled by simple compromise.

Now, both the House and Senate have views that can be praised or decried; my point is not to say who is right or wrong.

The Senate takes a more tradional approach while the House in many respects wants to radically change how transportation is funded and how demand oin the system is created.

On many budget issues, there is a middle ground. I want 10, you want 20, we agree on 15. But in this case, that magical middle isn't so clear because they don't agree on what amount should be spent, where it should come from or even ehat criteria should be used to judge what needs to be done.

The Republicans control the legislature.

[Not Jack Herrity]

There is a ton of blame to go around on this one.

House Republicans and Senate Republicans again refused to talk to each other to find any shred of compromise or common ground. They have forgotten that politics is the art of the possible, not "my way or the highway." You would think that Chichester and Howell could sit down and talk to each other once in a while, since they live just a few miles apart.

Some House Democrats helped sink Albo-Rust, but others backed it. In any case, the House Democrats failed to capture the high moral ground because they offered not one (that's right, not one) alternative plan for transportation funding.

The Governor was nowhere to be found. Fearing failure, he seemed powerless to step in to stop the madness. There are those of us who oppose Mark Warner for president because we think he needs to come back and save Virginia again.

This is a sad commentary on the legislature itself, not just on one or the other party. Doug in MV, your guys are as culpable as the Republicans. This was not a partisan thing. It was a colossal failure of the legislature (with some notable exceptions) to do its job.

NJH

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

Anon 7:12

Ummm, not for long, bucko.

Vince can kiss his seat goodbye. And Albo, Frederick, and McQuigg too.

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

NJH, I understand your points. However, the House Democrats MOST CERTAINLY did offer a comprehensive and robust SOLUTION plan. You see, it was offered back in February. It was Governor Kaine's plan, and it would have gone a long way to helping Virginia solve some major transportation funding cripplings, and given new legs to improving bottlenecks all over the state and solidifying Virginia's top reputation as a well-run state and a good location for business.

Make no mistake--House Republican leadership killed it.

If you think the Democrats rejection of the band-aid approaches or the regional approaches even comes close to the GOP rejection of the only effective and permanent statewide solution, you are sorely mistaken.

This is not an anti-tax state, particularly in NoVA and Hampton Roads, anymore.

They are in for some brutal campaigns that are going to trash their inept leadership.

House Democrats are going to accelerate their gains after this.

[SE VA MWC Alum]

We in Hpt Roads have a traffic problem too-and if we dont do something soon it will be just like NOVA in 5 or 10 more years. That being said the debate down here is not just funding-(how much, where it should come from etc.) but we cant even agree on what the projects should be. Some want to build a third crossing while others-myself included-want to widen the existing Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. Then there is 460, and so forth. So frankly, while this is disapointing, it is not unexpected

[Not Jack Herrity]

Doug, you miss the point. This was the week to discuss transportation funding. The Senate and the House Democrats put forward no alternative plan and did no parliamentary maneuvering to try to force the GOP to accept road funding. The GOP only has 56 seats. It's not like the Dems could not have forced the Speaker's hand on the floor. Look at their numbers - they could have forced a vote but chose not to. They were just "there." Their leadership was nonexistent.

Albo/Rust got their bill killed in January and at least they made another stab at it - with a few notable Democrats joining them in their efforts. Theirs was an admittedly unwieldy plan, but $400 million per year is better than what the Democratic leadership proposed - that's right - nothing. That plan had the support of most of the business groups in NoVa.

NJH

[Hans Bader]

The D.C. Examiner claims that the legislature is poised to adopt a measure providing a $50 million a year dedicated funding source for the Metro subway system, to qualify for $1.5 billion in federal matching funds.

Is this true? If so, then at least something will be accomplished.

Although transportation is in dire need of improvement, raising taxes to support unspecified transportation projects is risky, for two reasons.

(1) First, money initially raised for transportation can easily be siphoned off or diverted to more politically correct uses, like social services and schools (K-12 education spending has doubled in inflation-adjusted terms, without any corresponding increase in test scores).

(2) Second, any tax increase supposedly for transportation can easily be wasted on pork-barrel road projects favored by the Virginia State Senate that will be used to provide unneeded roads in rural, economically stagnant areas that do not need new roads, rather than in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, which are growing and thus need new roads and mass transit and repairs to overused bridges. House leaders' past attempts to focus transportation money on areas like Northern Virginia that need it most have been rebuffed by the money-wasters in the State Senate.

By contrast, increased revenues dedicated to particular high-priority transportation projects -- like Metro and other mass transit systems, which will reduce the burden on overused roads -- make good sense.

Given the size of the budget surplus there should be no general tax increase, even for transportation in general.

But given the Governor's and legislature's willingness to lavish money and the existing budget surplus on everything but transportation, legislators concerned about transportation should be willing to consider modest increases in fees and assessments if they are dedicated to particular high-priority transportation projects like Metro and maintenance of overtaxed Northern Virginia roads and bridges.

The alternative may be to imperil even the existing operation of vital components of the transportation system, like Metro and similar mass transit and train systems.

[Not Harry F. Byrd, Sr.]

1 - The only reason House Democrats supported anything Albo-Rust did was political expediency. It was the only revenue raising bill in town. They would introduce a bill of their own if it had a prayer, but the GOP controls things right now.

2 - The GOP proposal is not "innovative," it is a Gilmoresqe shell game/cop out/sell out.

The GOP has been trying to "remake" government by privatizing everything they can for the developer/investor donors for years. Albo and JACK Rust tried it with school construction, now he's found another Rust and we're moving on to roads and SELLING OFF public assets like Toll Roads and bridges to foreign investors because Republicans are morally opposed to increasing gas (user) taxes. Dave Albo and Speaker Howell were some of the biggest recipients of donations from the public-private investor types.

Public-private partnerships are nothing but an abdication of leadership and responsibility. Government can do good things - like build roads, sewers, schools, and make people's lives better.

House Republicans have gone off the deep-end with their hatred of government.

[Not Jack Herrity]

NHFB, you need to get your facts straight. You keep going off half-cocked with all your accusations without having the facts.

Nothing about the PPTA or road selloffs was in the Albo/Rust plan. It was purely fees/taxes. All that road selloff nonsense was in the competing House GOP plan. There is merit to that approach in certain circumstances, but I don't think the Dulles Toll Road is one of those times.

Also, do some research on the gas tax. It's an awful way to raise money because it is actually bringing in less revenue as cars become more fuel efficient. The real missed opportunity here was to switch to a sales tax on gasoline (a la North Carolina), which would roughly index itself to inflation.

Hans, the Metro plan is dead. The Senate killed it yesterday.

[Not Harry F. Byrd, Sr.]

NJH:

If you read my post you'll note that I didn't say anything about PPTA being in the Albo-Rust bill - it was however in the House Plan that got passed I'm sure with Albo's vote given that he was #1 in NOVA in taking $$$ from people wanting to buy the toll road.

I'm fully aware of what the Albo-Rust bill was. It was a bunch of tax and fee increases that Albo kept saying "wasn't a tax increase" because his constituents were only paying $30/yr. He's having fun walking the tightrope between his twelve years of anti-tax and Grover Norquist pledging and Greg Werkheiser nearly tatooing him last time.

As for your second point, I've said the same thing many times and on this blog. GOP Sen. Kevin Miller from Harrisonburg had some nice stats on its once but the GA would ignore him every year. If we're collecting less cents per mile because cars are more efficent, it sure sounds to me like we need to increase the gas tax.....

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

NJH, again, I understand your point, but is it I who am missing the point, or you?

Just doing any ole thing about the transportation funding crisis facing Virginia, whether it will actually address the problem or not, is in fact, NOT a valid excuse. If you want to look at it realistically, NOBODY in Richmond proposed ANYTHING that does what is needed. Therefore, why zero in on Democrats having put no plan forward in the special session when they are the ONLY ones who put forward an actual permanent solution instead of a band-aid or regional approach.

This is a statewide permanent funding problem. It's structural and the only way to address it is by finding dedicated new funding sources. End of story.

That is the point, and you don't seem to acknowledge it NJH.

Also, NHFB is right that the Democrats putting forward a plan in this session would have been SO warmly received! Come on, who are you trying to fool NJH.

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

FYI, it's not that I am opposed to a regional approach either, but the statewide problems are there, and the VDOT maintenance problem is there, and the regional bill just doesn't do what is needed.

[Not Jack Herrity]

Doug, it is a fallacy to say that just because a plan doesn't get you all the way there it is a waste of time. $400 million a year can lay a lot of asphalt. In fact, it would have brought more money to NoVa than either the Democrats' or the Gov's original plan. The Dems did not propose any alternative during the special session. Again, saying it's futile is a dumb argument because all they had to do was peel off 6 NoVa Republicans to get a majority. It could have been done. But neither the Democrats nor the Governor wanted to succeed this year because they want to make this a campaign issue to pick up seats. It is that simple.

NHFB, here is your original post: "Albo and JACK Rust tried it with school construction, now he's found another Rust and we're moving on to roads and SELLING OFF public assets like Toll Roads and bridges to foreign investors because Republicans are morally opposed to increasing gas (user) taxes."

That sure makes it sound like Albo's plan was to sell off roads, which it was not. Again, you need to check facts and read what you write. To sell a road, you have to go through the PPTA process. Also, I just checked and Rust voted against the sell-off of the Toll Road.

As for the increase in the gas tax, listen for a minute: increasing the gas tax is dumb! It's a diminishing return and will diminish more quickly in the future. Switch to a sales tax on gas and you can stabilize your returns. NC consistently brings in more than we do. Besides, even most Dems were opposed to the gas tax increase.

NJH

NHB: Do you have a problem with the way the South County Secondary School was built? Without the public/private partnership initiated by Albo, the South County area would still not have a school. If you do a little research you'll find almost everyone thought the idea was ludicrous, when in fact the school was built much cheaper and faster.

[Not Harry F. Byrd, Sr.]

NJH:

A - I think I agree with you on cents per gallon v. sales tax on gas although I haven't carefully thought it through although. Intuitively, it seems nonsensical that taxes be levied in cents instead of as a percentage on the price of gas which at least helps to index the tax to inflation.

B - The Albo-Rust TRANSPORTATION bill that just passed did not have anything to do with public-private partnerships. Agreed. I know that.

Just 3 months ago Howell, Albo and others (including some D's) were advocating selling off the Dulles Toll Road to some Australian investor group. Several GOP members are also looking at selling the Chespeake Bay Bridge I believe. My understanding is that part of the motivation for this is to raise funds for further projects. I believe such proposals are short-sided deals done for political expediency and frequently entered into to reward donors. I don't know TOM Rust's position on such things and haven't researched it. I know what Dave Albo's is and how much money he's taken from the folks that wanted to buy the Dulles Toll Road (D's took money also).

[Not Harry F. Byrd, Sr.]

Anon 9:46.

Not exactly. From what I understand, the South County deal brought some benefits. If you have some specific study or something cite me to it because I'd love to read it.

My point was broader than that specific deal. Albo has a history of supporting public-private partnerships generally. He and JACK Rust pushed them back when Jack Rust was in the legislature and I thought there was some bill I remembered reading about in one of the local papers, but it was a long time ago.

My point is that I do not agree that outsourcing should be looked at for everything. Kilgore was pushing them for road construction. At the federal government level it has become rampant.

From my point of view, the GOP is deconstructing our government through outsourcing and public/private deals and they ought to be high scrutinized used in very limited exceptional circumstances.

The speed at which the South County H.S. was, should, or could have been built, and any delay that was occuring are more a function of the Fairfax County School System (Board's) failure to properly plan for population growth than some truly urgent need - it's not like a tornado took a school out unexpectedly.

That failure (or many others in terms of the pace of development down there) may have necessitated a more urgent need for the construction of the school which a public-private partnership may have somewhat mitigated.

I say this as school districts in the "older" parts of the County are rapidly repopulating themselves. There are trailers where 20 years ago schools were empty. The school system has liquidated and deactivated school properties in places where they are now seeing a more critical need for facilities.

The Fairfax County school system has continually proven to be extremely poor at long-term planning and out of synch with development trends, and the problems in South County were further evidence of that.

NHB: For the first time, I think I actually agree with you. Not enough emphasis has been put on the very poor planning on the local level. This would include schools and the massive amount of residential development. I urge anyone to visit a Supervisors office and inquire about the APR process and ask how many plan amendments for high density rezonings have been approved. Shocking!

[Not Harry F. Byrd, Sr.]

Glad we agree on something. I've lived here my whole life and the long-term school planning has been dysfunctional every year I've been here. They're clearly out of synch w/development and density rezonings and long-term population cycles in general.