No time for a tax increase

Davon Gray
Published: June 30, 2008

The harder times get the more most of us have to come to one conclusion: there is a difference between needs and wants. Could someone please tell the state Senate that as well?

While coming home from work last week, after another painful gas pumping experience, I heard something that frankly made me a little angry: the state Senate wants an increase in the gas tax? 

The gas tax? 

Last time I checked, and I know you know as well, gas was already at an all time high. 

Why on earth would anyone be thinking of raising the tax?

That is, to me, like salt in a wound.

The alternate, which was mention to a gas tax, was no better.

That alternative is to just raise fees or possibly just create more toll roads. 

Not to seem really dumb but could somebody explain to me the difference between a tax and a fee.  Money out of your pocket is still money out of your pocket.

To me, there is little if any difference between fees, tolls or taxes. Some might say, “tolls would only apply to high occupancy roads.” But that seems a little unfair. At the least, it is double taxation. You
pay to get the roads built and then you have to continually pay just to use the roads just to get to and from work. To top it off, chances are the amount you pay will go up. 

Think about it for a minute. In order to get to the job, which is costing you more in gas, you have to get on a road that was once free to travel. It all just seems like too much for the average person to deal
with.

Also, don’t forget the state corporation commission is strongly considering an 18 percent rate hike in electricity rates from Dominion Power. After all, they have to offset their losses from the increased
consumption of power.

Here’s a question I would like answered, “Who is going to start considering an offset for some of the losses the average Virginian is facing from hikes in gas, electricity and potential taxes or fees?”

It’s bad enough that food has gone up — which I can understand given the price of gas to transport the food. 

But when the state Senate wants to fund transportation projects with additional fees and taxes, right now that just doesn’t seem right. 

Believe me, I am the first to say I want better transportation options. But is this the right time, and more importantly is the idea of raising taxes and fees during a recession, the right way?

The state government may want more roads. Some of you reading this article may want more roads, but do we really need it, right now in the middle of a recession? 

I could almost understand the consideration — almost — of a tax increase if it were temporary, something where it was only designed to build whatever was needed and then the tax went away. But I
know better. It’s easier to add an amendment to the constitution then to get rid of or lower taxes and fees.

At least if you said it was going towards more places to park for commuting I could get into the idea. That is definitely a need and maybe that is somehow in the mix. But more roads, that sounds like a
want more than a need.  Even the idea of a new metro system through Tysons Corner is more of a want than a need.

With all that said, I do understand the difficult task lawmakers have in Richmond. There are lots of needs but very few dollars to attend to them. However, I have a greater sympathy for the people of
Virginia.

We are all tapped. There is no more water in the well.

So hopefully our state lawmakers will rethink their tax-first mentality.

We simply cannot afford that kind of thinking given the tough times in our midst.

Davon Gray works as a lobbyist in Washington, D.C., and resides in Woodbridge.Contact him at .