Bearing Drift has a terrific guest post up by Duront Walton, Executive Director of the Virginia Telecommunications Industry Association. Mr. Walton addresses an ongoing attempt to keep a Tim Kaine-proposed tax hike on phone services in Virginia (an increase in the tax collected for 911 call center funding, specifically) to funnel funds into a non-related program.
This is a union bill that firefighters have pushed each year to increase state contributions to the “line of duty fund.” The fund, in and of itself, is a very worthy project that makes payments to the families of first responders who are killed or injured in the line of duty. But those covered under the Line of Duty statute include everyone from game wardens to state hazmat teams to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. All of these are noble and important offices, but there is hardly a connection between their job and a 911 communications infrastructure.
No one takes issue with the merits of the fund. Senator Fred Quayle (R-Chesapeake) has introduced a bill that adds this tax onto home security systems each of the past four years. It’s failed every year because the General Assembly didn’t feel there was enough of a nexus between security systems and the fund to link the tax. Quayle refused to carry the bill again for a 5th year. As a tip of the hat to his union buddies, Governor Kaine included the tax in his budget, placed it on all Virginians who have a home or cell phone, and then promptly left town.
The House of Delegates stripped the language out of their proposed budget and killed several bills that proposed to implement this through a change in statute. The Virginia Senate, on the other hand, left it in their budget.
Read the whole, as they say. It’s illuminating and it’s important. It addresses a specific issue but touches on a wider concept: transparency and accountability in our government operations. Taxes, most of all, should be quite up-front about what they are collecting funds for. This is how government expands and creeps into areas no one ever thought it should. As Mr. Walton says, there’s nothing wrong with the fund in question and it addresses a noble purpose. But if it’s something we Virginians think our government should be doing, then let’s do so in the open, not as some back-door parasitic event. I applaud the House removing this from the budget and I hope the Senate can step up to the same commitment to honesty.
February 26th, 2010
Posted by
ricjames |
Economy, Politics, Virginia Politics |
2 comments
Interesting article by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) over at Newsweek:
Imagine your family’s finances if you spent and borrowed like Washington: you’d owe $60 in credit-card loans for every $100 of income. Every month you’d pay back a little but borrow even more. In 10 years, you’d owe $87 for every $100 you made. At some point you’d hand off the debt to your kids. If they worked until 2035, they’d owe more than $180 for every $100 they earned. In 2050, your grandkids would owe more than $320. By 2080 they’d owe seven times their earnings. Of course, lenders would cut them off well before then, and your family would be ruined. But this is the path your government is on right now.
We need to be discussing these and other ideas that don’t end in the government confiscating 75% of what people earn.
February 20th, 2010
Posted by
ricjames |
Economy, Politics |
no comments
via Instapundit, Victor Davis Hanson highlights the Obama administration’s contribution to the “deficit of trust.”
The problem with Obama’s new hedging on taxing those who make below $250,000, or his administration’s taking credit for victory in the Iraq war that they so once fervently tried to abort, or the flip-flop on renditions and tribunals, or the embarrassments over closing Guantanamo and trying KSM in New York or Mirandizing the Christmas Day bomber,or trashing/praising Wall Street grandees, is not that presidents cannot change their minds as circumstances warrant, or even that all politicians are at times hypocritical. No, the rub is that Obama is not merely flipping and triangulating on issues in a desperate attempt to shadow the polls, but he is doing so on matters that he once swore were absolutely central to his entire candidacy and his signature hope-and-change agenda, critical to the future of the U.S., and proof of his opponents’ either ignorance or disingenuousness
Indeed.
February 12th, 2010
Posted by
ricjames |
Economy, GWOT, Medicine, Military, Politics |
no comments
So, the federal stimulus dollars that are supposed to be going toward, you know, creating or saving jobs should be going toward actually making jobs, wouldn’t you think? And not, for example, buying iPods to give away to people for fulling out an on-line survey:
The school district is using the device to reward parents of children with disabilities who fill out a 10-minute online survey. The district wants to know how well it’s connecting with the parents and how to get parents involved in their children’s education.
The district is spending about $350,000 in federal stimulus money for the iPods.
Considering that school districts are already public entities that don’t actually generate revenue, why are school districts getting stimulus funds to begin with? Shouldn’t that be going toward things that actually stimulate job creation?
In any case, the only company being stimulated by the purchase of $35K in iPods is Apple and, frankly, they don’t need the help. The school district should be required to return that money.
February 11th, 2010
Posted by
ricjames |
Economy, Politics |
no comments
If this doesn’t tell you the Dems have their priorities screwed up, not much else is going to make an impression:
Two weeks ago, on a near party line vote, a huge Democratic majority in the House agreed to spend $50 million to buy the former cotton plantation on the island of St. Croix.
“This is a beautiful and important natural and cultural resource that is in danger of being lost forever,” Virgin Island delegate, Donna Christiansen, told House colleagues in January.
“The site to be designated as the Castle Nugent National Historic Park continues to be heralded as one of the last pristine areas in the region.”
The mixture of dry forest and rangeland offers picturesque views of the Caribbean Sea, but good luck getting there. Critics in Congress say the purchase is wasteful and irresponsible, especially with unemployment at 10 percent and the nation in debt.
“Now is not the time to spend up to $50 million dollars of the taxpayers’ money to buy nearly 3,000 acres of beachfront property on a Caribbean Island,” said Rep. Doc Hastings, (R-Wash.), ranking Republican on the House Natural Resources Committee. “We can’t afford a price tag for a new park in St Croix, just as many Americans will never be able to afford a visit there.”
Democrats approved the purchase, even though the National Park Service has yet to complete a study on the purchase.
“We don’t have the money to do this,” said Rep Jason Chaffetz, (R – Utah). “Currently the National Park Service has an estimated $9 billion in backlog maintenance on existing parks. Why should the people of Iowa, Rhode Island or California or Utah have to continue to pay and supplement the people there on St Croix for this property?”
Emphasis mine. Now let me get this right: a cotton plantation is a “beautiful and important natural and cultural resource”? Why? We have dozens of former cotton plantations right here in the US, quite accessible to the American people without plopping down $400 per person for the airfare. (And that’s a fairly advance purchase, I might add. Want to go quickly? Double that.) As far as a natural resource goes, I have no doubts it’s beautiful. It’s on St. Croix, for cryin’ out loud. But aside from it being on a Caribbean island what’s so special about the environment? It’s dry forest and rangeland. We’ve got thousands of square miles of that, again, right here.
The most critical point of all of this is the simple one: we don’t have the money. We don’t have the money, apparently, to take care of the parks we already have, hence the $9 billion backlog in park maintenance. It is absolutely irresponsible to pay out tens of millions of dollars to add to that burden and most especially for “parkland” the vast, vast majority of Americans will never have a chance to see. The article speaks of the current owners’ desire to sell the land to the government to keep it from being developed. Hey, no one is forcing them to develop their land. They can stop that right now and permanently simply by saying “no” to anyone who comes to their door with the plans for a new resort.
The Democrats who voted for this are the same people now telling you that they need to have more of your money and are busily raising their own credit limits. They tell you they’re the people that should be entrusted with stewardship of the country’s financial systems, production systems, energy systems, and health care systems. But then they pull stunts like this one. They’re teenagers let loose in the shopping mall with credit cards and they’re buying any shiny bauble that catches their eyes. Fortunately, the Senate isn’t under their complete control any more so there’s a chance this boondoggle with meet a swift end.
February 11th, 2010
Posted by
ricjames |
Economy, Politics |
5 comments
As I’ve referenced here in a few posts, Virginia’s apportionment of state-level resources (read: funding) of a local education and transportation nature is handled by a formula known as the local composite index or LCI. The LCI takes into account things like property values, median income levels, and the like to produce a number that is used in calculations of, for example, how much money is sent to this-or-that school district. It’s a numbers game that has usually resulted in northern Virginia counties like Loudoun paying a lot more into taxes than we get back in education funding. The LCI is recalculated every 2 years. For the first time in those 40 years, the LCI recalculation was going to result in a greater amount of money coming our way. Not that we’re getting more in state funding than we pay in taxes – not even close – but more than we would have gotten with the previous LCI.
Of course, if we get more money, that means that school districts in counties with a lower LCI get less. That doesn’t sit well with some of them and outgoing Governor Tim Kaine proposed that the LCI recalculation be postponed so as to avoid that.
The resulting LCI freeze would have meant that Loudoun would miss out on $34 million in funding that should have come our way. Combined with Fairfax and Prince William County, we’d miss out on $124 million in total. That’s simply not right. We have, for 40 years, played by the rules and sent an ever greater share of money to other counties. Then, when for the 1st time we’d see flow shift in the opposite direction, people want to change the rules on us. In other words, the LCI is just fine so long as we’re footing the bill. When the LCI doesn’t do that, they think it’s unfair.
No, it’s changing the rules that’s unfair. As reported over at Too Conservative and, now, at the Loudoun Times-Mirror, Gov. McDonnell has issued a release saying he’ll support unfreezing the formula.
Speaking about his decision, Governor McDonnell stated, “For nearly forty years, the Local Composite Index has been an impartial means by which to determine state and local responsibility for education funding in Virginia. The application of this Index has always been done in an objective manner, using the most recent fiscal data to most fairly apportion state resources. For many school districts, particularly in Northern Virginia, the biennial update of the Index has meant far less funding from the state than that received by school districts in localities experiencing lesser rates of economic growth. Accordingly, I will not support the proposed freeze in the budget introduced by the previous Administration. The Local Composite Index must be applied to all localities, at all times, in the same objective and fair manner by which it has always been utilized.”
Good call, Governor.
February 9th, 2010
Posted by
ricjames |
Academia, Economy, Politics, Virginia Politics |
no comments
I’m not entirely sure how I got on the mailing list for a candidate for VA’s 2nd Congressional District in Virginia Beach but I apparently did. GOP Candidate Kenny Goldman announces that he’s delivered a draft resolution to the General Assembly on the matter of a proposed move by the US Navy to relocate one (or possibly more) of its nuclear aircraft carriers from Norfolk to Mayport, FL. Goldman’s resolution was crafted and delivered because, “Congressman Nye and Senators Warner and Webb have failed to make a cohesive argument against the Navy’s proposed move of at least one carrier to Florida,” says Goldman in the e-mail I received. He continues, “The resolution I delivered to Delegate Robert Tata of Virginia Beach lays out the logical case against the relocation of any aircraft carrier to Florida, and why such a move would be a disaster for national security, fleet preparedness, and fiscal sensibility.”
Fair enough. But it’s resolutions like this one that, frankly, make me cringe when I see a Republican offer them and suggest they’re doing so as a matter of national security. Honestly, folks, I understand full well what they’re trying to do and, as a fellow Virginian, I want to support them. But when you start mixing in hotbutton items of local concern in with the rest of it, you actually wind up diluting the argument. Here’s the resolution, annotated with my thoughts as I read it:
Whereas the recent release of the Quadrennial Defense Review calls for the relocation of a Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier from Hampton Roads to Naval Station Mayport, Florida;
Whereas such a move portends the loss of more than one carrier from Hampton Roads;
And? How does Hampton Roads losing a carrier to take care of cause a national security issue for Ohio, or Iowa, or Wyoming?
Whereas the loss of a single aircraft carrier would have a significant negative impact upon the economy of the Commonwealth, to include the loss of a minimum of 10,000 jobs and over one percent of Hampton Roads’ gross regional product;
That’s certainly bad news for Hampton Roads. But, considering that it’d be good for Mayport, FL, how is this supportive of a national security argument?
Whereas the cost to American taxpayers to convert Naval Station Mayport into a port capable of handling a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is estimated to be as high as $1 billion;
Now, there’s an argument. There had better be a compelling reason for the Navy to be doing this, and it better be a helluva lot better than that some Floridian congresscritter managed to squeeze something into a bill during the commitee write-up.
Whereas there has been a troubled history of maintaining conventional aircraft carriers at Naval Station Mayport;
Oh? I’d certainly like to hear more about this. If there’s been issues in competence at Mayport then that’s a real good reason to keep the carriers away from that port. Does the Navy not know about these issues, or do they already know about them and found they’re not as severe as Mr. Goldman thinks they are?
Whereas the move of an aircraft carrier from its industrial base in Hampton Roads would involve increased maintenance costs for the Navy and, thus, an increased burden upon the American taxpayer;
Again, that’s a good argument.
Whereas the proximity of Naval Station Mayport to the mouth of St. John’s River makes it more vulnerable to potential terrorist attack;
More vulnerable than Norfolk?
Whereas no aircraft carrier or any other naval vessel has been damaged by a terrorist attack or manmade disaster in Hampton Roads;
The previous item made it sound as if Mayport hasn’t suffered a terrorist attack, either. For that matter, I’ve not heard of any at San Diego, San Francisco, or any other domestic military port. If none of them have, why is it significant that Norfolk hasn’t?
Whereas no aircraft carrier, conventional or nuclear, has ever been damaged by a hurricane or any natural disaster in Hampton Roads;
That’s an excellent point. Has any such damage occurred at Mayport? Does Mayport have a greater history of getting hit by such events than Norfolk?
Whereas the Hampton Roads area is known as the “birthplace” of nuclear aircraft carriers;
Uhhhh… so? Kitty Hawk, NC is the “birthplace” of aviation. Does that mean the Air Force should only keep our strategic bombers there?
Whereas the Hampton Roads area has the largest navy base in the world, and is renowned for its industrial support capacity and professional workforce;
That’s a good point. Based on the news item I linked, above, it appears that several hundred million will need to be spent at Mayport just to bring it up to the same capability Norfolk has today. That’s definitely something to keep in mind.
Be it therefore resolved that We, the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, unanimously call upon the Governor and the Commonwealth’s congressional delegation to take immediate and necessary action to ensure the Navy’s East Coast aircraft carriers remain in Hampton Roads.
I’m curious as to why Golden thinks Gov. McDonnell, the General Assembly, and our Congressional delegation isn’t doing this already? I mean, it’s one thing to note that the Navy hasn’t issued a retraction of their plans to relocate a carrier but another thing entirely to suggest that proves our Congressmen, Senators, and Governor aren’t trying to do anything about. By all means, feel free to ask someone in the GA to submit a bill like this but understand this: it’s not really calling for any specific action to be performed. Which, frankly, makes it sound less like a real resolution and more like someone standing up in a room and yelling, “Do something!” rather than actually doing something.
We Republicans were very successful in the last elections because we appealed to the Virginia voters’ sense that we were interested in getting real solutions enacted to real problems Virginia is facing. We need to stay on that track. I’m not saying this resolution is terrible or that we shouldn’t be fighting to keep carriers based here (I think we should) but we need to be careful about looking like we’re only concerned with bringing the dollars home to our districts while making the argument that it’s all about national security.
February 8th, 2010
Posted by
ricjames |
Economy, GWOT, Military, Politics, Virginia Politics |
no comments
Atta boy, US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. A casual, thoughtless remark regarding Toyota managed to send the company’s shares diving about $3.00 per share in a matter of minutes.
Toyota Motor Corp. shares sank rapidly Wednesday after U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood advised in congressional testimony that people stop driving any cars involved in the Toyota recall, though the declines eased somewhat after the secretary clarified his statement.
Testifying before the House Appropriations committee, LaHood was asked what advice he would give to owners of Toyotas subject to the recall. LaHood was scheduled to speak to the committee, which controls the government’s spending, about the fiscal 2011 budget proposals.
“My advice is, if anybody owns one of these vehicles, stop driving it, take it to the Toyota dealer because they believe they have the fix for it,” LaHood said.
Afterwards he told reporters that wasn’t what he meant to say.
Yeah, I’d imagine not. It’s been a year in office and the current administration is still making amateur mistakes. Shareholders are already nervous and when senior members of the administration go making blanket statements that people should immediately stop using a given company’s products they understand very well that the American public will likely give that some serious consideration. Understandably not wanting to lose money on their investment, they head for the door and the stock price takes a hit. That directly impacts a company’s bottom line which, of course, affects their ability to respond to the problem to begin with.
LaHood backpedaled furiously the moment he got out of the House Committee he was addressing and that helped stabilize things a bit but it was still something he shouldn’t have said. How long before these guys learn?
February 3rd, 2010
Posted by
ricjames |
Economy, Politics |
no comments
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