Posted on 02/03/2006 8:06:07 AM PST by SirLinksalot
Actually, my assessment is in line with the neighborhood. The reason I said that is I'd like my property tax rate to go down. Hasn't been discussed much in my county, but other counties in Maryland have had even higher assessment rate increases (and NoVa too), and some counties have lowered property tax rates. Seems only fair.
Being very pragmatic, it seems to me that for state governments that can't incur deficits, a small budget surplus is the ideal situation. The appropriate size of "small" is likely an individual preference. Certainly when this came up a couple of years ago, one thing Warner indicated he felt necessary to do was to restock the "rainy day" fund, which is called on to finance a budget shortfall in a given year. Do you Virginians know the current value of the aforementioned "rainy day" fund?
I know in previous discussions we also mentioned that there should be a "popoff" valve in the state budget that sets a budget surplus limit -- anything over it would be rebated proportionally back to the taxpayers. I've always liked that idea, and it seems to me that a couple of states have such a provision.
I haven't been in NoVa in a while, but I do have to contend with the roads of the red-headed step child of the Commonwealth.........
With that said I will tell you all the roads here on the Eastern Shore are one H-E-double hockey stick of a lot better than any roads in Delaware.......I couldn't wait to get the heck out of there today. DelDot makes VDOT look like a precision timepiece.
And let's not forget that when Mark Warner gave them the opportunity to vote on raising local taxes for transportation needs, the people of Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads not only said "no," they said "HELL NO!"
Thus the reason Tim Kaine suddenly no longer liked the idea of referendum.
Not four in a row. You forgot George H.W. Bush.
ohfercryinoutloud...are you still singin' that same tune?
Let me type it real slow so you might get it this time.
Projected revenues were less than anticipated. But the budget still grew, just not at the same rate as it had in previous boom years.
cogitator, if you want us to believe you're not a DU operative, stop reading from their playbook.
I was talking about Governors running for President.
George HW Bush was never a Governor. - Tom
That was my point. I read it that you meant the last four Presidents.
But then, I'm reading without my contacts ~or~ alcohol.
Then it is their problem, not the rest of ours. This is an example of why I am not a large fan of statewide Iniative and Referendum without strict controls. And especially when it comes to things like taxes. As a resident of the Eastern Shore, I should have no more tight to vote for increasing taxes on residents of NoVA or Hampton Roads than non-smokers should have voting in favor of cigarette tax increases.
If there was a referendum tomorrow in Accomack County to increase our taxes to fix our roads I would most likely vote in favor of it, as long as it went to fix the roads in this county not elsewhere. But if folks in NoVA and Hampton Roads don't want to raise their own taxes to fix their own roads, I don't see why anyone else should have their taxes raised to fix those roads. It's apparent they don't want the roads fixed badly enough to help pay for it themselves.
I guess I'm getting selfish as I get older.
Exactly right. If revenues are higher than the previous year it is not a shortfall.
The only time there is a shortfall is if spending exceeds income. The solution to that is to cut spending.
Why government can't run the way a business or household does is beyond me..............but I have been saying that for more years than I care to mention.
If I'm reading from the DU playbook, I'd be more subtle.
If memory serves, Gov. Gilmore submitted a two-year budget. One of the main things that Gov. Warner had to do in his first two years was make cuts in that budget. It just so happens that I was mentoring at my kids' school today, and at lunch I read a two-week+ old WashPost (dated January 16). They had a summary of Warner's four years. What I just said above is almost verbatim from that article.
If the two-year budget was balanced on projected revenues, and the projected revenues were less than anticipated, and the state can't run a deficit, then the actual budget had to be scaled back. It was all over the news, and Warner looked like a sad-sack puppy because he was doing it (and not at that time establishing a basis for a run at the White House, darn the luck, which must've made him feel worse). That's all I'm saying happened. Does my summary match the facts of the case, Y'honor?
You say that like it's a bad thing.
The budget Gilmore proposed was bloated. But even with the "Warner cuts" it was more than the previous budget cycle.
Government just didn't grow as much as it could have.
All the better. Indiana and Virgina both went GOP in 2004.
The sane Democrats that are left know they need someone they can sell.
Indiana boy and Virginia Governor markets a lot better than a billionaire senator.
Back from a weekend break....
Then you should take this up with your local government. This is not a state or federal issue. Much as Tim Kaine would like local taxes to be a state issue, they're not. And you shouldn't want them to become a state issue.
Ohio's roads suck pretty badly, too.
I don't recall what the exact value of the rainy day fund is - however, I do recall hearing that the mandated requirement has been met so no more excess tax funds have to be siphoned off into this sinkhole.
welcome to the club...
Only the largest tax increase in VA history - to set the stage for Timmy's even larger tax increase.
Why is it that the government is only "courageous" when it reaches into my wallet again?
(Sorry for the reverse-order reply - I post 'em as I read 'em.)
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