Will the Senate cave? That’s the question that will be asked this weekend and answered Tuesday. Reports from around the state (here, here, and here) provide conflicting evidence, but certainly the Governor has made noises that suggest he would accept the House “compromise” plan, which is not a compromise at all, at least not one midway between where the House and Senate started.
Del. Harry Parrish (R-Manassas), responding to a question posed by Commonwealth Commonsense during his Washington Post online chat yesterday, said the House bill 5018 does not solve the long-term revenue problems of the state.
Accepting it will only mean we’ll be back next year and the year after that (with a new Governor) trying to figure how we’ll fund the future.
Governor Mark Warner so far is being cagey. What do we make of his saying: “All of the members who are supporting a compromise, none of them have questioned my support for this effort. I’m strongly urging members to vote for this bill.”?
This bill should not be the final answer, or we’ll be having the same arguments next session.
A Washington Times report this morning names the 17 “renegade” Republicans supporting HB 5018, but The Post has their pictures!
The Times story also tells us that so far, the House intransigence has cost taxpayers $53,245 expenses stemming “from the stipend that 61 of the 100 delegates take on the days they are in session.”
Check out this web site. You got to love the name at the very least.
The summary of the Newport News town meeting is here.
Del. Ben Cline (R-Rockbridge) says this is the way to spend state money wisely: “If it’s in the yellow pages, use the private sector to get it done.”
Cline also thinks somebody’s playing dirty “tricks.”
ODU is raising tuition. The cost of college could be a big Democratic issue in ’05, especially in growing areas of the state.
And as some of those areas of Virginia grow, there will be a lot of voters who aren’t familiar with Virginia politics and don’t care for plastic fetuses or ineffective leadership.
Other areas will want leaders who can help it grow, instead of cutting taxes.
Opportunity knocks for Kerry Donley & Co. And now’s the time to recruit.
Good editorial on the car tax here.
Quote of the Day: “The [Republican] party itself is not fractured. It is very united with the citizens of Virginia.”
Kate Obenshain Griffin, Va. GOP Party Chairman
Do Virginians like the SOL tests?
Oh no, one of the big guys is going to bat for a Norfolk baseball team.
Just a reminder that we’re below the Mason-Dixon line.