VA Senate Democrats Reject Transportation Plans that Raid Education and Public Safety Funding

Gov. McDonnell's statement (0.00 / 0)

Statement of Governor Bob McDonnell on Senate Democrats Vote against Transportation Legislation

RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell issued the following statement this evening following the Senate Democrats decision to reject advancing a transportation funding bill of any kind.  The Democrats partisan rejection of all proposals, combined with a failure to even put forward a transportation plan of their own, follows a bipartisan vote in support of the Governor's transportation funding plan in the House this morning.

"On a day when a new report from the Texas Transportation Institute again ranked the Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia/Maryland region as the most congested area in the country, the Senate Democratic caucus, most of whom represent that region, chose to vote on strictly partisan lines against progress on addressing these challenging issues. The Democratic caucus repeatedly said no to improving transportation in Virginia. They did this despite today's study showing congestion costs Northern Virginians $1400 per person per year, and leaves them sitting in traffic for 67 hours every year. Rather than engaging in a debate on how to move forward with tackling our transportation problems, it is apparent that the Senate Democrats, led by Minority Leader Richard Saslaw, are once again content to risk our continued economic prosperity and our citizens' quality of life.  Their partisan, lock-step opposition to fixing transportation is incredibly disappointing. Sadly, the Senate Democrats appear to be the 'Party of No.'

With their no votes today, these senators chose to vote against $1.8 billion for new construction, over $500 million in additional funding for transit, and over $270 million for passenger rail.  Just last year, the Senate Democrats used the tolls on the Dulles Toll Road, and their demands for additional funding to mitigate the costs of Phase II of the Dulles Metrorail Project, as their stated reason to repeatedly kill a budget.  Now, just one year later, those very same senators today rejected the $300 million in this bill to lower the costs of the Dulles project, thus ensuring higher tolls for drivers in Northern Virginia. There is no defense for such an about face. Clearly, this was all about partisanship, not policy. Virginians deserve far better from their elected officials.

Recent polling has shown that a majority of Virginians from all regions of the Commonwealth strongly support passing a solution to our transportation challenges this session. They want a solution now. The House of Delegates stepped up and on a bipartisan basis passed a transportation funding solution. Thankfully, their action means a transportation bill is still advancing this session, despite today's partisan blockade by Democrats in the State Senate.  It is now past time that the Senate Democrats support their constituents and get serious about tackling the challenges facing Virginia's transportation system."

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by: lowkell @ Wed Feb 06, 2013 at 00:46:54 AM UTC

So ... (0.00 / 0)

Let us have a group of Democratic Party Senators have a bill proposal that would:

1.  Put an inflation adjustment on the existing gas tax.

2.  Have the inflation adjustment be applied retroactive to the tax introduction, with this being put into effect 1/3rd this year, 1/3rd next year, 1/3rd year after.

3.  Put a fee based on vehicle weight for sale/purchase/transfer title of car. Perhaps $0 for first 1500 lbs and then $0.10 for every lb above that (since weight is a critical item for damage to roads).  And, then have a separate additional fee related to larger commercial vehicles.

4.  Have a fee for existing fuel-efficient vehicle license plates (where that allows use of HOV lanes).  Have the fee at $100 for first year, $150 for second, $200 for third year$250 / year for each year that follows. THIS IS FOR THE ACCESS TO HOV LANES and is a service fee.

5.  Eliminate the 'road to nowhere' and the 'coalfields (MTR) highway' from planning.

6.  Appoint a bipartisan commission to look to whether developer fees / otherwise can help ameliorate transit issues.

7.  Foster VA programs to incentivize telework and alternative work schedules to lessens/flatten peak demand periods.

8. Etc ...

And, by the way, weren't there Democratic proposals ...  

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by: A Siegel @ Wed Feb 06, 2013 at 21:52:13 PM UTC

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