A solution to road tax problem
Advertisement
Text size: small | medium | large
John Todd
Published: July 1, 2008
I don’t see why the solution to the road tax is so hard for our state legislature and governor to figure out. We had a way to collect money and it worked for a number of years.
The courts ruled that it was a problem because the group did not have the authority to tax. That belongs to the elected officials — our governor and legislature. So an apparent solution is to use the same
source of funds for roads that we were using. Just meet the courts requirement ... and our Constitution. Have the former group reformed as an advisory group to the governor and have him submit their
recommendations (used to be their mandate for tax) to the legislature for approval.
This does not create any new taxes (it just reinstitutes the old taxes) and it does not create any new bureaucracy (but that may be hard for Richmond). The taxpayers get their roads, no new taxes and
we get back to arguing about important issues.
JOHN TODD
Woodbridge
Page 1 of 1
Can't find what you're looking for? Try our quick search:
Reader Reactions
Posted by ( willow703 ) on July 01, 2008 at 1:00 pm
jVA,
I think you’ve got it. Rather than call it a tax, we’ll just call it an investment
No, that won’t work, the NOMWs(Not Out of My Wallet) like Frederick & Albo won’t buy it. They will insist on some paying more through “Albo fees” and some paying less based on where they live or fuel their vehicles.
They will also say that money should be taken from another part of the budget & used for transportation. But that will take legislative action & the Assembly is not in session, is it?
So, another special session, at more cost to the people, to argue about - but not decide - from where the money should
be taken.
I suspect we have a no-win situation.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( jVA ) on July 01, 2008 at 10:47 am
I have to say that I’m really torn on this issue of taxes for the roads, and I can see both sides. On one hand with a gas tax for example, I feel like I’m already getting completely jacked at the pump every time I fill up. An additional $1.50 or whatever isn’t going to kill me - I probably won’t even notice it, and at least I know its going towards the roads.
On the other hand, there is no doubt we’re already taxed to death. When guys like Jeff Frederick say that Richmond needs to get their priorities straight and pay for the roads with existing money, I have to admit he’s probably right. (Unforunately this position is more likely to result in political gridlock than in any new roads ever being built.)
The one thing I know is that our roads HAVE to be one of our top priorities. Traffic does not just affect our quality of life. It affects our ability to attract new businesses and residents to the county - both of which ultimately affect our tax base. Spending money on our roads is easily one of the most rewarding investments the state can make.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Posted by ( willow703 ) on July 01, 2008 at 8:07 am
Equal treatment under the law. Isn’t that an important issue?
If you use our roads, you should pay the rate for that use as every other user.
That one-day visitor from Richmond to Mount Vernon should pay the same rate of taxation for his use of Northern Virginia roads when he buys gas in Richmond as any Northern Virginia resident pays on the same day.
What happened to “all men are created equal”?
Report Inappropriate Comment