Chuck Colgan breaks his promise
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Tom Kopko
Published: July 13, 2008
In last fall’s election, “I DO NOT SUPPORT any increase in the gas tax” was how Chuck Colgan “set the record straight” during his re-election campaign for the Virginia Senate seat that represents most
of Prince William County.
Given his vehemence, we citizens ought to expect him not to vote for a gas tax increase. Well, let’s check in. (You know what I’m about to say, don’t you?) On June 25, Senator Colgan made a liar of
himself by voting to pass Senate Bill 6009 that would raise the Virginia gas tax by six cents per gallon.
Of course that followed his vote on Feb. 15, for Senate Bill 713 to raise the gas tax five cents per gallon. It’s a shame Senate seats have four year terms. We can’t afford Senator Colgan one more day.
TOM KOPKO
Woodbridge
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Posted by ( zcxnissan ) on July 20, 2008 at 1:34 pm
We had rising unemployment and near zero growth at the time just like now. The Nasdaq “Internet Bubble” crashed in March 2000. The timing of that Recession has been misstated by numerous publications. Every President has had one even if just inherited. Only one had stagflation, Jimmah. Even Messiah “Clinton” had to deal with Recession. Now its just Depression. LOL Chris Cummings
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Posted by ( willow703 ) on July 19, 2008 at 11:15 pm
Ray,
Sorry. That was cobra’s post about the housecoat. His use of your name twice at the beginning may have confused me, but I should have been more careful.
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Posted by ( raywilliams ) on July 19, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Chris, first - you would have to show me the numbers that say we were in recession in 2000 up to 2001. I don’t remember any such talk at that time. If the Clinton Administration was responsible why didn’t W campaign on making changes rather then maintaining momentum? W said to the effect “it’s good but we can do better” at that time.
Second - you’ll never hear me complain about spending money for mass transit. Everyone has dropped the ball on getting Metro to Gainesville and VRE to Haymarket or even The Plains. Our country runs on a short-sighted mentality. It’s all about getting re-elected (both parties) and not about serving the public. We make decision based on short term results rather than long term solutions.
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Posted by ( raywilliams ) on July 19, 2008 at 7:46 am
willow, the Republican Plan in cutting taxes is to increase the amount of money in circulation, which should increase spending, which should lead to the creation of more jobs to service that spending. When you don’t manage the inflation side of that process it leads to higher costs of goods and therefore LESS money in circulation and a declining job market - such as that which this country is experiencing now. Mr. Bush is a One Trick Pony with the economy and while that may have worked if he served one term, it has come back to bite him in the buttocks on his second term. Obama will need to undo much of the Bush Plan to stabilize our country and the elephant pooper-scoopers will then try to blame the economic crisis on President Obama. You might note we have one poster here that is trying to blame our current financial ruin on the Clinton Administration! Budget Surplus to Budget Crisis and it’s Bill’s fault?! Now there’s an LOL if I’ve ever seen one. You are correct nothing works without a plausible plan and both parties have failed us there.
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Posted by ( raywilliams ) on July 19, 2008 at 7:34 am
willow, perhaps you have me confused with someone else. I’ve never used the words ‘house coat’ in any of my postings. Those words usually come from someone that can’t articulate their position and must fall back on their kindergarten years of ‘sticks & stones’ games.
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Posted by ( zcxnissan ) on July 19, 2008 at 12:42 am
Ray you know as well as i do Big Oil always has a say in who are leaders are. Since this article is about Colgan i don’t understand the reference to Cheney. Back in 2000 the economy was beginning to fall into a “recession”, so things weren’t as good as they seemed and by the time 9/11 rolled around we were in Recession only exacerbated by 9/11. It didn’t truely end till 2002 or so. By 2003 the economy had taken off again and pretty much surged till the end of 2007. Then along came the mortgage mess. I think we are in a recession, but all the numbers are just not there yet. We will know by the end of the year. Grant it, employment is still fairly high, despite higher gas prices, which are actually lower than most countries. As you have said the rich got the tax breaks so we all got rebates. So i should be complaining to you Ray and asking you for more of a cut. The burden of being an illegal immigrant even affects you Ray, in the costs of healthcare and taxes going up, spare me the bs. Mass transit should have been adopted alongside the building of the National Highway system back in the 50’s. We should never need to have to raise taxes that is if government was efficient at what they are voted to do. I-95 is a mess, 495 is a mess, 301 is a mess and it really doesn’ get much better even if you go into MD. I agree with you that the area is overbuilt particularly Fairfax and yet they are still building. LOL Chris Cummings
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Posted by ( willow703 ) on July 15, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Chris,
If the gas tax had been raised at some point in the last 20 years and been spent only on roads instead of going into the general fund, we might not be in the situation we are in now. I seldom use the PWC, but I use I95 every day and it is a mess. It is a mess because mass-transit in this area is far behind what it is in other areas.
Now we have so much in-fill growth there is little room for expansion of roads, toll gates or mass-transit.
Ray,
Raising taxes, just to raise taxes & without a plausible plan to spend them has never been right. Sometimes, perhaps most times, lowering tax rates increases revenue. Taking with the right hand & giving back with the left also works. However the Republicans get brain-freeze when the subject of taxes comes up; they can’t even agree to take the gas taxes out of the general fund where they are spent for everything but transportation. People are coming from the District & Maryland to get cheaper gas in Virginia.
If the Virginia gas tax rate is raised 2 cents, the gas will still be cheaper. If those filing Virginia personal & corporate taxes are given a deduction or credit for gas taxes paid would that make it less painful?
This treatment would amount to a revolving loan by Virginia residents & businesses & a non-deductable charitable
contribution by residents of the District & Maryland. They do have to use our roads to buy gas here. But our legislators have no imagination.
I’ve never worn a house coat, Ray, though one has hung in my closet for at least 20 years. I didn’t buy it & my wife is a you-might-need-it-someday type. Shorts & t-shirt/polo shirt are my normal attire, except during the winter when it’s jeans & sweatshirt. I bought a happi coat while in Japan back in April, but I haven’t worn it yet.
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Posted by ( willow703 ) on July 15, 2008 at 4:33 pm
do the right thing,
You’re still waiting for the Tooth Fairy to come and give you a quarter for the last tooth you lost. Right?
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Posted by ( raywilliams ) on July 15, 2008 at 8:09 am
Chris, your selective memory most likely will not allow you to remember when running for his first term Bush blasted Clinton that while yes, the economy was good, it wasn’t as good as it could be and Bush could and would ‘make it even stronger’. Somehow we went from status quo to not better and then to collapse. I assume this was due to tax cuts for the rich (thank you George) that further burdened the middle/lower classes. I still have plenty of work by the way. Always a market for quality. And hey, speaking of taxes - please return your incentive check I paid for. Your burden on me is worse than that of an illegal immigrant.
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Posted by ( do the right thing ) on July 15, 2008 at 7:58 am
Unfortunately, Senator Colgan made promises to citizens like myself and made no attempt in the General Assembly to fight for those promises.
There is an old saying"A promise made is a debt unpaid.“ Senator Colgan has some debt to pay back to the citizens of Prince William County when it comes to promises unfulfilled.. His friend, Senator Saslaw skrewed the citizens over the illegal immigration debate as Senator Colgan watched in the chambers of the General Assembly.
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