Questions for the 10% of Virginia republicans who support the transportation tax hike
I’m seeing a few republicans who actually support the transportation tax increase, the biggest tax increase in the history of the Commonwealth. I am wondering why. Which traffic problems will be solved with this massive tax increase? Will new roads be built? Where? Will there be roads built parallel to route 95, or route 66, or route 1, or route 7 or route 123? Or will the number of lanes on the current roads be doubled? Or will some other roads be built that will alleviate traffic congestion in Fairfax and Loudoun? Will we finally get the outer beltway? Will the state buy back the Dulles Toll road from MWAA and cancel the tolls? Or will the money go to buying the Greenway and canceling those tolls? Some other toll road?
Since it’s virtually impossible to build new roads, due to all the environmental restrictions, and opposition to Eminent Domain, how and when will roads be built? If they began today on any big road project, it would easily be 10 years before the roads were completed. Are there any such roads even in the planning stages?
What will the 40- 50% of the taxes for metro do to relieve traffic? Fairfax has metro, and the Fairfax traffic has gotten progressively worse. How will that change? What city in the nation had less traffic after a subway system was built?
I fear it’s not about transportation at all but about aiding the building and construction community. Big business and the Chamber of Commerce loved this tax increase and threatened to withhold all support from any delegate or senator who voted against it. Rather telling, isn’t it?
Perhaps someone can explain exactly how this massive ‘transportation’ tax increase will help any family in Virginia. Every family will pay hundreds/thousands more in taxes per year. What will they get for their money? How much less time will they spend in traffic and how much more time at home with their families? Exactly how will that be accomplished?
A very interesting analysis of what we might get from these massive tax increases is here.
2 Responses to “Questions for the 10% of Virginia republicans who support the transportation tax hike”
You do know there is more than just roads involved in transportation, don’t you? Rail, air, and road. A combination. And all road money does not go to new roads.
So we’re getting more airports? More railroads?
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