Yesterday, according to a source in attendance at the Loudoun County’s Chamber of Commerce lawmakers forum, Sen. Bill Mims (R-Loudoun) said unequivocally that taxes needed to be raised to fund transportation. He said $3 billion a year was needed over the next few years.
Then Republican Del. Tom Rust, whose district includes part of Loudoun County, said traffic has become so onerous to many of the 350 employees at his engineering company that he made the decision to open an office in Allentown, Pa. Some employees want to transfer there to escape Northern Virginia’s road congestion.
When a state lawmaker admits that he is moving some of his company outside of Virginia — and to Allentown, no less — our quality of life here has some major drawbacks. It was a startling testimony.
Mims call for higher taxes drew applause from the crowd.
Del. Dick Black (R-Sterling) did not attend. [Disclosure] Apparently he has been a no-show at these Chamber events for some time. Maybe, as yesterday’s comments from the delegation suggest, he is far out of the mainstream of Loudouners’ thinking. Is it time for the Loudoun Chamber to form a Republicans for Poisson group?