is an old political mantra---- you know, don't get mad, get even---- but it's hard to see how that can be accomplished in this situation short of managing to vote every single one of the obstructionist repubicans out of office at the next election.  Unfortunately, too many of our fellow Virginians downstate actually support their obstructionist legislators in what they are doing, and the gerrymandering of districts done by the last republican-dominated legislature insulates the republicans representing marginal districts, so we probably cannot achieve our objective of punishing the rascals by booting them out of office.

This leaves us with varying options:

1) Secede: often suggested, but never seriously by actual NoVa politicians; it did happen once before, during the Civil War, which is why we have a West Virginia, so why not a North Virginia?

2) Obstruct their legislation that benefits some part of RoVa whose delegates have obstructed legislation benefitting NoVa, kick a*s and force a compromise in which each part of Virgiia gets at least part of something to benefit each part (like negotiating between Palestinians and Israel, in a way) and bide our time until we have so many delegates due to our population growth that  we get to write the bills and dominate the Assembly

3) Grin and bear it, let happen what will, and suffer through it when things work out that ruin NoVa and consequently the Commonwealth, just as we fear, and, meanwhile you and I will move elsewhere, whether we like it or not.  This is all too likely a scenario and, come to think of it, high energy costs may change transportation patterns enough so gridlock id no longer a problem---- although that still leaves crumbling infrastructure and development of alternatives

4) Do a rent-strike: withold some of our tax dollars in an amount sufficient to take care of our share of transportation, as projected by the best legislation that was defeated. This is of course illegal, and the state will sue us and our elected officials, but we have some good lawyers up here, just as they do in Richmond, and the state could meanwhile suffer nice, very public long-drawn out drought in their cash receipts while NoVa puts them on hold... see how they like doing without our money for a change.

Nothing is really like to happen, except to do-nothing number 3. but it's a thought. One reason I happen to support Deeds for Governor is that he, as a rural southern (more or less) Virginian is more likely to convince our RoVa voters that transportation is indeed a state-wide problem and NoVa should be helped.

I believe the biggest hurdle to implementing an effective transportation package is convincing all Virginians that it is needed.  We will not get anything accomplished by framing this as a NOVA, or urban, or any other "us vs. them" issue.  If you want a statewide increase, then you need to make a statewide argument.  Explain to the voters (in a non-condescending way) how the state's economy and fiscal stability depend heavily on NOVA.  Then explain how traffic is choking the life out of the NOVA economy.  You cannot stop there.  Direct their attention to the decaying and often dangerous road conditions in rural areas.  Each year, students in our state's rural areas miss several days of school that they would not miss had there been adequate funding to pave dirt and gravel roads or for snow removal.  These missed school days cost citizens as they have to pay higher energy costs when students have to attend make up days further into the summer.  It takes money to air condition those schools and fuel prices are generally higher in the summer due to vacationers.  Perhaps most important, we need to take a look at the statistics.  Fatalities on our roadways are occurring disproportionately in rural areas.  These roads need guard rails, straightening, and oftentimes they are carrying more traffic then they were designed for.  People often mention the nuisance of sitting in traffic to get to their four bedroom home out in the suburbs, but ignore a more serious issue that stems from our inadequate funding, car accidents on our rural back roads.

If we are to expect a statewide solution to our transportation problem, we must first make a statewide assessment of the need for more transportation money.

and you have made some good suggestions. There were other attempts to undertake this method in the past, including such things as linking edcational benefits for RoVa (or, if you prefer, "rural Virginia," which, as I recall was George Allen's "real Virginia") and transportation money for NoVa---- but somehow that never really got off the ground because the ugly spectre of t-a-x-e-s raised its head. About thirty years ago, too, I remember something about building a super highway from the coal fields to Norfolk-Hampton Roads and, if NoVa financed that, then "it will be Northern Virginia's turn next time," only next time never came.  In other words, naive NoVa legislators believed the downstate country slickers, voted for the southern road in good faith, and were betrayed. Country slickers are a whole lot slicker than city slickers, and don't you forget it.

but only to the extent that local officials took roads that had been long been part of their comprehensive plans and VDOT six-year plans off those maps.

Audrey Moore intentionally block the extension of Roberts Road  which would have completed a by-pass around the City of Fairfax.

Loudoun takes the Western By-pass off its comp. plan.

Those short sighted decisions and others created a shortfall in planned road network capacity that we still suffer from and need to correct.

Over the last two decades, the vast majority of regional lanes miles in NoVa (meaning to exclude subdivision streets) have been built either by developers or with proffer money.  

The need for these roads "were not substantially generated", to quote the legal standard in Va, by the project that proffered them but were extorted by the local government as a condition of approval with the result that the cost of the home was significantly increased.  The developer "paid to play" and no tears are shed for them.  They still made a pile. But unlike state and local taxes, the new homeowner cannot deduct the cost of the proffers included in their homes price from their income taxes.  These proffers are now reaching $50,000 per house in some locations.

These new home owners still have to pay their r/e taxes which also pay the debt service on these and other capital facilities. So they get to pay twice, once through proffers then again with their r/e taxes.

Our system of funding/building regional roads through proffers (or impact fees) has reached beyond its limits, is inequitable and intolerably increases the cost of housing in NoVa.

Roads are a state responsibility in VA and have been since the 1930s.  FFX looked at taking over its roads like Arlington.  The costs would have added $2-3 to the r/e tax rate with no relief for other tax burdens, like the state income tax which subsidizes "rural" Va.

Of course, redrealist, we can fix it all by downzoning all of the industrial and office park land back to agricultural uses (wiping out the r/e tax base in the process and raising the tax burden on existing homeowners) and tell the employers and their high paying jobs to go to North Carolina or Pennsylvania.

Somehow, I missed this little exchange last week in connection with the Transportation fiasco involving Deeds and Moran.

Tim Craig reports that while Deeds voted in favor of the Saslaw plan calling for a gas tax increase, Brian Moran voted against it. Afterwards, this exchange followed:

"Just this week, gas prices crossed $4 per gallon average in Virginia and people are struggling," said Jesse F. Ferguson, a Moran spokesman. "Delegate Moran put forward plans to solve our transportation crisis and relieve traffic congestion without raising gas prices. When people are struggling in this economy, raising gas prices is like throwing an anchor to a drowning man."

Peter Jackson, a Deeds spokesman, counters Deeds supported the gas tax increase because he and his Democratic colleagues in the Senate were focused on "finding a statewide solution to the transportation problem."

Craig also reports:

Jackson [Deeds' spokesperson] also referenced a 2007 Daily Press article in which Moran is quoted as saying an increase in the gas tax was "reasonable and prudent."

Ferguson [Moran's spokesperson] noted those comments were made when gas was still less than $3 a gallon.

"With gas at $4 a gallon anyone who wants to raise gas taxes is out of touch with what people are going through," Ferguson said. "Brian has never voted for a gas tax increase."

That last comment from Ferguson seems too cute by half to me. Regardless of how he voted, Brian Moran clearly suggested he supported a gas tax increase at some point last year.

Anyway, the entire article is worth a read. I think it is the most direct engagement between the competing camps I've seen yet.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com...

Apologies if this article was already posted and discussed, but I missed it.

who nails it as usual.

Will that [2009 elections] translate into a willingness by Virginia Republicans to pay for road and improvements? No, because the GOP has decided that they don't need and can't get enough votes in northern Virginia to compete with the surging Democrats in the state's high-growth areas. The Republicans have decided that their future lies in making themselves the anti-tax, anti-urban, anti-immigrant party, leaving northern Virginia and its traffic woes to stew in their own juices. That's not necessarily an idiotic strategy on the GOP's part--Virginia, despite Democratic advances in recent years, remains an almost evenly divided state politically and culturally.

It underscores my contention that the 2009 governor's election will not be fought out in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, but in the remaining areas of the state. The path to victory lies in a good showing in these Red areas. Overwhemling the GOP in NoVa will not be enough.