Virginia Democrats Propose $1 Billion Tax Increase, Soaked in Gasoline [Reader Post]

The Democrats have placed a big bulls-eye on Virginia this year. The Senate seat held by the retiring Republican John Warner is in grave danger of being flipped by Democrat Mark Warner. The Democrat Party loves its new Senator Jim Webb, mentioned as possible Vice-Presidential material, mainly because the guy has balls, something conspicuously missing on the left.

The current Democrat governor, Tim Kaine, has handed Republicans one of the few things with which they may be able to beat Warner and/or Obama this year. Democrats simply cannot keep their hands out of the cookie jar. From The Washington Post.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) and several Democratic lawmakers yesterday urged Republicans to get behind the governor’s proposal to raise taxes by $1 billion to build more roads and maintain the state’s aging transportation infrastructure. [snip]

Kaine’s plan includes a 1 percent increase in the sales tax in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads; food and medicine would be exempt. He also proposed a statewide 1 percent increase in the sales tax on automobiles, which would be phased in over a year, starting in January, and a $10 increase in annual vehicle registration fees.

To raise more money for public transportation, Kaine proposed a statewide 25-cent increase in the grantors tax — paid by people who sell their homes — which is now 10 cents per $100 of assessed value.

And it seems that the governor thinks that only irresponsible children would oppose such a tax hike. Thus some condescension is in order.

“Adult leadership means taking adult responsibility to solve challenges,” Kaine said.

Republicans (adults all), who control the House, vowed to defeat the plan. But even if Kaine’s plan goes down, Senate Democrats think they have an even better idea: Raise the gas tax.

Kaine also faces a hurdle in the Senate, where Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax) is vowing to push his own proposal.

Saslaw wants increases of one-quarter percent in the sales tax and one-half percent in the car titling tax. He also is proposing a 5- or 6-cent increase in the state’s 17.5 cent-a-gallon gas tax, which would be phased in over five or six years.

And hey, Kaine’s not going to be territorial about it. If his buddy wants a hike in the gas tax, Kaine will play ball. Money is money, right?

In the past, Kaine has resisted calls to increase the gas tax, but he said yesterday there is a “high likelihood” he would sign one if approved by the General Assembly.

One Billion Dollars is a nice round number. And when you soak it in gasoline, it makes for a great political weapon.

Also find Bill Dupray at The Patriot Room