Chap The Taxman

Comments

[J Tyler Ballance]

I do not share the visceral reaction held by a few folks with regard to gasoline or other consumption taxes.

According to Energy Department data, the average citizen uses 464 gallons of gas per year (Virginians use, on average, 564 gallons annually).

I use about 670 gallons annually, probably because I drive quite a bit for business purposes. A three cent increase in the gas tax would cost me $20.10 annually. For the average Virginian, who uses 564 gallons, the cost would be, $16.92 annually.

I will be glad to pay the twenty bucks each year, rather than having RTAs and cops hiding in bushes with radar guns hoping to trick me into one of those thousand dollar "abuser fees."

Republicans must repeal the RTAs and abuser fees. If more transportation funds are truly needed, after cost cutting has been exhausted, then just add a few cents to the gas tax and be done with the matter. DON"T turn law enforcement into your collection agent for these abuse fee schemes. All Virginians benefit from our roads, so let us share the costs, with out schemes or tolls.

[200 Grande]

In his door-knocking commercial, Chap proclaims his support for "real transportation solutions" and not "thousand dollar speeding tickets."

The Compromise Transportation Plan, HB 3202, is about more than abusive driving fees (i.e., the thousand dollar speeding tickets) with revenue projections for the state at $75 million.

The problem for Chap is that HB 3202 brings $400 million to Northern Virginia. Chap claims he is for real transportation solutions but, so far, his only proposal has been raising the gas tax. Taken from his own website, this is the only revenue raising measure he supports:

“User Financing An important principle is to link increased revenues for transportation with fuel consumption. That way we can encourage conservation as we raise the needed funds and make sure that out-of-state motorists pay their fair share. For example, we could eliminate the controversial “abuser fees” (which are projected to generate $60M annually) by simply adding one penny to the per-gallon gasoline tax. That is just common sense.”

Chap does not want anyone to know that to bring an EQUIVALENT amount of money to Northern Virginia, you would have to raise the gas tax by at least 38 (not three) cents. Again, Chap has nothing.

Chap wants to keep the focus on abuser fees and not the whole plan. Democrats like Delegates Bulova, Marsden and Shannon realized that HB 3202 was about more than abuser fees and voted for the same transportation bill as Senator Devolites Davis. These Democrats knew they could not go back home with nothing accomplished on transportation.

This utter disregard of reality is one of the many reasons why the Washington Post refused to endorse Chap.

Your post noted support for an increase in the gas tax. Your post also noted you use your car for business purposes. Your mileage is a tax deduction. Not all drive a write off car.
An increase in the sales tax makes more sense to me. With no sales tax on food and medication and a back to school clothes, supplies etc. tax free week-end is a much better solution.

Still pushing JMDD - the tax-raising anti-gun RINO.