Mr. Kilgore says he would propose an amendment to the state constitution requiring that voters approve, via referendum, any increase in state sales, income or gas taxes. Not only is this an abdication of leadership -- governors and lawmakers are elected to make these decisions, not hand off tough calls to statewide votes -- it is also a recipe for disaster that would tie the state's hands in the inevitable economic downturns. Of course, Mr. Kilgore knows this, for his proposed constitutional amendment comes with an asterisk: In an emergency, he would allow the governor, with the backing of two-thirds of each house of the General Assembly, to raise taxes temporarily, for a year. And what if the economic slump lasted for more than a year? That's not in Mr. Kilgore's playbook; he leaves Virginians to guess that he would simply choke off public schools, health programs, social services and public safety.
Which points out just how extremely illogical Kilgore's transportation plan really is, economically and administratively.
What would ever motivate localities to vote in new taxes to construct infrastructure (like, widening Route 66 in Arlington), voting in referenda to disrupt their own local communities in order to serve non-paying exburbs (like, say, Fairfax)? Is this a plan that makes sense to anyone? Or would Kilgore just put the state in annual states of emergencies so he can trump the policy?
More to the point: Why, when we have such excellent fiscal administration under Warner/Kaine would Virginia ever even consider the notion of taking our economy to the point of "states of emergency?"
Effective financial management is the one core issue that can spell sucess or utter failure in any other activity of state government. Spend, Spend and Spend More conservatives like Jerry Kilgore would like to think it's simply a matter of borrowing "against the future" when we can't keep up with the high costs they make us pay to keep them around. But the reality is different: when Virginia spends more than it brings in, the result is insolvency.
On November 8, tell Jerry Kilgore that INSOLVENCY IS BAD FOR VIRGINIA'S BUSINESS.
Get everyone you know who values Virginia's economic well being to vote for Kaine.