Monday, May 05, 2008,5:03 AM
Supporting Gov't For Gov't's Sake
Here's the problem we have with our elected officials in Richmond in a nutshell. Its outlined in an article in this morning's Roanoke Times:
Gov. Tim Kaine and state lawmakers might have hoped that a long-running debate over transportation funding had ended last year when they passed a multifaceted bill to generate new road-building funds and address acute needs in the congested regions of Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.

But the ink had barely dried on the compromise legislation before parts of the package came under attack and eventually fell apart.

To make matters worse, Virginia transportation officials reported earlier this year that a slowing economy and rising maintenance costs would force the state to divert $388 million in highway construction funds to meet maintenance needs during the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Kaine's administration has warned that the deficit could balloon to more than $575 million by 2014 unless lawmakers approve new revenue for maintenance.

Against that backdrop, Kaine plans to call the General Assembly into a special session in late June to revamp the regional transportation plans and find new money ... (link)
News flash: There is no such thing as "new money." There is only OUR MONEY. And, as is pointed out in the article, the economy has slowed, which means we have less of it. So how does the governor respond to the "transportation crisis" here in the commonwealth? He's going to recommend that the state of Virginia confiscate more of that which we have less of.

The government, after all, comes first. The government at all costs ...
 
posted by Jerry Fuhrman
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