Chris Saxman on Transportation (UPDATED!)

I got this roboemail from Chris Saxman's office today. Weird, because I'm not in Saxman's district (not even close), and I've never given money or anything. I guess they got it from Kilgore's list, I don't know. Anyhoo, here's what he had to say:

Virginia Delegates Approve Comprehensive House Republican Transportation Package
Over $2.5 Billion in Additional Transportation Funds, VDOT Performance Measures and Reforms, Metro Funding Pass Overwhelmingling

Richmond - Sep 28, 2006 The Virginia’s House of Delegates today approved an extensive package of transportation-related legislation initiated and successfully championed by House Republicans. The bills, including measures to provide additional funding increases for transportation totaling over $2.5 billion, won bi- partisan approval in the House. The package of 23 bills is now headed to the State Senate for consideration in the final days of the special session dedicated to transportation.

When the first House Republican transportation plan won bi-partisan support in the House in February, we were proud to have offered the only comprehensive package of bills that targeted multiple aspects of our transportation challenge. Since enactment of the state budget without a tax increase in June, House Republicans have been hard at work getting our new ideas and initiatives ready for legislative action. For this week’s special session, House Republicans undertook a bolder, broader approach to fix fundamental flaws in the organization, workings and financing of Virginia’s antiquated Byrd-era transportation system.

House Republican-Sponsored Transportation Package
Our package is ambitious in its scope and has addressed head on not just the challenges, but also the opportunities available to reform and modernize, improve and invest in Virginia’s transportation system. We proposed eleven new bills to transform the way Virginia delivers transportation services – requiring more accountability, better performance measures and stronger partnerships with the private sector and local governments. We advanced eight bills representing the largest financial commitment for our roads, railways, and mass transit in 20 years. And, we initiated a serious legislative dialogue that we are confident will soon result in fundamental and positive changes in the way Virginia handles growth through its land use policies.

House Republicans are the only Caucus in either chamber of the General Assembly to propose a comprehensive package of transportation legislation for this special session. Disappointingly the Governor and his allies chose not to introduce any transportation bill package for consideration during this session, instead sticking with his $1 billion annual tax increase on auto sales, insurance, and registration that was debated and defeated eight months ago. Nevertheless, we are hopeful that the Virginia Senate will hold to their recent pledge of finding ‘common ground’ with us on transportation and take positive action on our package of nearly two dozen bills. This opportunity for progress on transportation need not be squandered.

TRANSPORTATION REFORM COMPONENT House Republicans’ are advancing a comprehensive, three-pronged plan to more completely address transportation needs. The first component focuses on transforming the delivery of transportation services. The legislative package points VDOT away from its current 1930s-approach towards 21st Century solutions. Focused on strengthening accountability, instilling meaningful, measurable performance measures, promoting safer drivers and roadways, and expanding opportunities for private sector involvement, these bills continue efforts to overhaul Virginia transportation.

LAND USE REFORM COMPONENT House Republicans understand that any plan to improve transportation that ignores one of the root causes of clogged roadways – namely, Virginia’s 70- plus-year-old government land use policies – is inherently inadequate, shortsighted and flawed. This is why we proposed an ambitious and far-reaching plan to modernize outdated policies that date back to the 1930’s Byrd era and – for the first time – directly ties land use and transportation.

TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT COMPONENT Finally, House Republicans understand funding is necessary to provide improvements to support a modern transportation system. To achieve that goal, House Republicans provide an investment package of $2.44 billion in new funding over the next six years without higher taxes. Northern Virginia would receive over $800 million. Hampton Roads would receive $400 million. Rural Virginia and those outside major urban areas would receive $750 million.

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Well a comprehensive plan is what we need, sadly the special session was nowhere near as long. From the beginning of this blog I have maintained, despite my conservative leanings, we need a professional full-time legislature. I don't mind paying more to keep the government open, becasue how much more can it cost than going two months longer and then coming back again later in the year? Clearly, Saxman and the House Republicans have come up with what I think is a good looking plan. The problem is, as long as the House and Senate continue to be at loggerheads, and with the GOP holding both chambers, Democratic governors get to coast through with little blame for not proposing new and bold ideas. Instead, the divisions hurt us, and there seems to be no turning around the robber barons like Chichester, Potts, etc.

Speaker Howell this session has led a strong, unified, and reasonable House of Delegates. Their concern is that, at a time when gas prices were spiking upwards, that Virginia could fund all of its needs with the money already sent to Richmond rather than more--that would probably wasted on other things. The Northern Virginia delegation is right to demand tax increases just for the region becasue they know nothing will get done in the GA. And if it does, money we send will not come back for things we need like road construction and maintenance, and new projects. Instead, NOVA now has to latch onto the federal government for its funds through Tom Davis, Frank Wolf, and Jim Moran becasue the Richmond government can't get it done.

I almots wish the Democrats would take the Senate, just for intellectual honest. If the Senate is going to fight for tax increases with a Democratic governor, they might as well be Democrats.

!~!~UPDATE~!~!
Washington Post has more.

As usual, the distinguished Vince Callahan has it right:

"This was an exercise in futility," said Del. Vincent F. Callahan Jr. (R-Fairfax). "The results were predictable from the beginning. This is a terrible commentary on our ability to get things done down here."

Sad but true. Unfortunatley, for as much I have championed the leadership of Speaker Howell, the rest of the Republican caucus does not seem to understand, or care, about the situation up here:

This month, the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority issued a plan identifying more than $17 billion in highway and transit needs across the region, a figure that would require an annual expenditure of nearly $700 million over the next 25 years.

"What the House is offering produces $43.6 million per year on average for the next 10 years," said Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis (R-Fairfax). "That doesn't even pay to fix one intersection."

JDD is right on the money here, as usual. Unfortunatley, the NOVA delegation doesn't have the luxury to be theoretical with their political lives at stake, particularly Jeannemarie who has Chap Peterson waiting in the wings.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch also has good coverage of this.

They make a good point that despite the heat House Republicans are sure to get, they where the only ones to offer a comprehensive package, while the Democrats, Senate, and Gov. Tim Kaine never did. Speaker Howell said this:

"Disappointingly, the governor and his allies chose not to introduce any transportation package for consideration, instead sticking with his $1 billion annual tax increase on auto sales, insurance, and registration that was debated and defeated eight months ago."

Then there is this little gem:

After Kaine and the Senate agreed in late spring temporarily to put aside their tax packages to produce a budget, the House and Senate established a $339 million reserve from the surpluses to later designate for specific transportation projects.

The House endorsed several, with most of the cash going to Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.

The Senate rejected the list yesterday, and the cash will be distributed for roads at the regular legislative session next winter.

Another casualty of the transportation gridlock was the House's 11th-hour proposal to award schoolteachers a 3 percent raise in January 2008 -- the same increase promised other public workers.

The Senate rejected it, but the 2007 session will probably deal with the raise issue again. The budget already contains a 1.5 percent pay raise for teachers for 2008.

Nice. Not only does NOVA not get transportaiton funds, Virignia doesn't get a revamped system for transportation, now teachers won't get more money and the good faith deal between the House and Senate was betrayed by the Senate when they refused to spend the $339 million in reserve.

We need a Northern Virginia governor.

(the pic comes from RTD)

Comments

[Rob]

Or at least beat fricking John Chichester, anyhow. I grew up in Stafford, and the man has always been a know-it-all, self-important blowhard.

[Mason Conservative]

We have got to get someone to knock him off. This is getting ridiculous.

[brimur]

Whatever man, the Speaker didn't make any sincere effort. If you think he did you really are not even aware of your bias. They were suggesting we loan more money or otherwise cut money to schools and public safety. And they still weren't raising the necessary revenue to even approach the problem.

Speaker Howell has made it clear that he could care less if the NoVA GOP Delegates lose re-election and with this crap he's basically kicked them out the door.