{"id":1447,"date":"2004-03-25T13:13:31","date_gmt":"2004-03-25T18:13:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/000af36.netsolhost.com\/wordpress1\/2004\/03\/25\/virginia_news_15-2\/"},"modified":"2004-03-25T13:13:31","modified_gmt":"2004-03-25T18:13:31","slug":"virginia_news_15-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/2004\/03\/25\/virginia_news_15-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia News"},"content":{"rendered":"

I reported below<\/a> that Del. Hamilton\u2019s idea of a local option sales tax was being \u201cdisparaged by House negotiators.\u201d But after reading newspapers around the state, it appears the one leading the charge to dismiss the idea is \u2013 guess \u2013 our fearless (or might one say fearful, as in afraid of his own shadow and that cast by the anti-tax zealots) \u2013 speaker, Bill Howell (R-Stafford).<\/p>\n

Del. Vince Callahan (R-Fairfax) who has dutifully carried the anti-tax message to the negotiating table, did not dismiss the tax option idea out of hand. “It’s worthy of discussion,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

In the same story<\/a>, we learn that right-winger Sen. Jay O\u2019Brien (R-Fairfax) is trying to give himself a way out \u2013 a continuing budget resolution. But Sen. Tom Norment (R-James City) calls it for what it is. <\/p>\n

What will happen without a budget? The Richmond Times-Dispatch asks the experts<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Hopewell public meeting<\/a> drew big crowd that supported higher taxes but not a referendum. <\/p>\n

Referendum also drew little support<\/a> in Albemarle County.<\/p>\n

The Senate passed a bill<\/a> to prevent House members from raising campaign funds while the session continues, citing shenanigans of Republican Delegate Terrie L. Suit of Virginia Beach.<\/p>\n

Local officials in Speaker\u2019s home area aren\u2019t happy<\/a>. Which makes me happy.<\/p>\n

The Washington Post outlines<\/a> the impact on northern Virginia jurisdictions. <\/p>\n

The Post continues its series<\/a> on Dels. Steve Shannon’s (D-Fairfax) and Jeff Frederick\u2019s (R-Prince William) the first year as lawmakers.<\/p>\n

Editorials<\/u>
\nThe Daily Press editorial page<\/a> goes head to head with Del. Phil Hamilton<\/a> (R-Newport News). <\/p>\n

The same paper carries this op-ed<\/a> by Attorney General Jerry Kilgore. In it he reveals himself a liar and coward in my book. \u201cSome of these tax increases mean an additional $1,000 out of the checking account of the typical Virginia family each year.\u201d <\/p>\n

There is no way that the \u201ctypical\u201d Virginia family will see a $1,000 increase. It\u2019s beyond a distortion; it\u2019s a lie. <\/p>\n

He then writes, \u201cThe details and consequences of the various tax increase proposals were purposefully concealed from the voters during last fall’s legislative campaigns.\u201d Did I miss the GOP\u2019s tax plan during the campaigns? They were just as silent, but note that the House, for all its waving of hands, is now pushing a tax increase plan. But please continue, Mr. Kilgore. I hope more newspapers continue to supply the rope.<\/p>\n

The Staunton News Leader calls<\/a> its House delegation \u201cslackers\u201d:<\/p>\n

During the last election, the members of this newspaper’s editorial board were as impressed by our candidates for local office as they were depressed by the ones seeking state office. There’s a reason for that. <\/p>\n

While our local governments in Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro do the heavy lifting, struggling under the burden of one unfunded mandate after another, our delegates engage in political posturing. If state government won’t do its job, the gap has to be filled with taxes at the local level that will be more onerous in their severity than anything that could be dealt out at the state level. Excellence is neither cheap nor free, except for those who take credit for things they never did.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\nThe Richmond Times-Dispatch, no tax and spend editorial page<\/a>, likes the local option sales tax idea.<\/p>\n

Following things blow-by-blow? Votes in the special session are tracked here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Other news<\/u>
\nA bio-tech high school<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s<\/a> how developers stifle free speech.<\/p>\n

The new Loudoun County Republican-controlled Board of Supervisors clashes<\/a> with school advocates. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I reported below that Del. Hamilton\u2019s idea of a local option sales tax was being \u201cdisparaged by House negotiators.\u201d But after reading newspapers around the state, it appears the one leading the charge to dismiss the idea is \u2013 guess \u2013 our fearless (or might one say fearful, as in afraid of his own shadow… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1447"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1447"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1447\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/griendling.com\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}