The right is making it up again:
“There’s going to be a compromise in the next couple of weeks. It’s just a matter of how and when,” [Del. Chris Saxman, R-Staunton] said.
“That’s not saying that the House is going to just cave in and say, ‘Here’s a half-cent on the sales tax, and an increase in the cigarette tax,’ and that’s it, without some movement from the Senate. They haven’t been moving at all. We’ve offered six compromises, but it’s not a compromise if there isn’t something coming from the other side,” Saxman said.
The Senate hasn’t moved at all? You wonder why reporters don’t challenge such statements instead of just regurgitating them. Even though I cringe sometimes when Jim VandeHei of The Washington Post picks on pols I like, I respect that he isn’t hesitant to follow an absolute lie with something like “But that isn’t true.”
When superintendents say things like this, you know the times they are a-changin’. Look for more political action out of the Roanoke education activists.
“Honk if You Support Quality Schools.”
Lie, damn lies and polls. At the end of this Washington Times story, read how several polls gets conflicting results. A note: Most of the state’s press headlined their stories today to reflect the failure of the House Finance Committee yesterday to pass the “compromise” tax bill, while the Times focuses on the failure of the continuing resolution to pass.
Maybe we’ll see more moderate GOPers challenging the right wing, instead of the other way around. I can’t find the online link to this story, but here’s a brief portion of it, courtesy of the Whipple clips:
LOCAL GOP LEADERS PUSH HOUSE TO BACK TAX INCREASE
By Christina Nuckols
The Virginia-Pilot
Monday, April 05, 2004RICHMOND — A group of 35 Republican local government leaders are sending a letter this week to House Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, asking him to support a tax increase.
The letter does not endorse a specific tax hike proposal. Local GOP officials do, however, say a budget endorsed by the House of Delegates that includes no general tax increases does not adequately provide for schools, jails and other services.
Three of the Republicans signing the letter are from South Hampton Roads: Virginia Beach Treasurer John T. Atkinson, Beach Councilman Ron A. Villanueva and Suffolk Mayor E. Dana Dickens III.
Atkinson, you may recall, bought an ad looking for moderate Republicans to run against his local right-wingers.
Everybody’s looking for something for nothing: “They spoke against tax increases, against cutting library hours, against cutting senior recreation programs, against cutting nonprofit funding and for finding more money to fund public safety and night bus service.”
And the fratricide continues in Loudoun.