McDonnell endorses a transportation tax hike.

Quite a narrative is emerging in attorney general Bob McDonnell’s handling of Gov. Kaine’s transportation plan. Kaine has proposed a tax increase to address the enormous, systemic transportation funding shortfalls. Republicans have proposed nothing. McDonnell, as the presumptive Republican nominee for governor next year, has taken the lead in proposing nothing. But check out how his nothing plan has developed recently:

March 25: “I don’t have a particular plan or vision.”
May 19: Bob McDonnell’s 740-word treatise on transportation “doesn’t contain a single word about his own ideas.”
May 31: Powerful Republican leaders in Hampton Roads plead with McDonnell to do something about the transportation crisis.
June 1: McDonnell endorses a tax hike to fund transportation: “legitimate funding gaps can be closed.”

So, just to be clear: Bob McDonnell has no plan or vision for transportation, but he does support raising taxes. He wants higher taxes, but doesn’t know for what purpose.

On the other hand, Gov. Kaine has a clear plan, which also involves raising taxes. He also wants higher taxes, but knows precisely why.

That 2009 election just looks sunnier and sunnier.

Published by Waldo Jaquith

Waldo Jaquith (JAKE-with) is an open government technologist who lives near Char­lottes­­ville, VA, USA. more »

4 replies on “McDonnell endorses a transportation tax hike.”

  1. Sloppy work, Waldo. You’re usually much more honest in your blogging.

    You deliberately mischaracterized the first quote. McDonnell was referring to not having “a particular plan or vision” on how to change the existing plan — the one he brokered — immediately after the court gutted it. Big difference.

    As for endorsing tax hikes. Please. The entire point of that article was opposition to tax increases. Try reading the sentence you quoted in context (in other words, read the sentences before and after it.) Closing funding gaps can be done by cutting spending — amazing, huh? And why did you ignore the part in the middle where he said, “Raising taxes when businesses and families are facing economic uncertainty is unwise” — would it have been unhelpful for the dishonest point you were making?

  2. McDonnell was referring to not having “a particular plan or vision” on how to change the existing plan — the one he brokered — immediately after the court gutted it. Big difference.

    Then perhaps you can point me to McDonnell’s “particular plan or vision” for solving the transportation crisis. Presumably it’s somewhere where there’s aso documentation of Gilmore leaving Warner with a funding surplus. :)

    As for endorsing tax hikes. Please. The entire point of that article was opposition to tax increases. Try reading the sentence you quoted in context (in other words, read the sentences before and after it.)

    Wait, wait, I want to try pulling a McDonnell here:

    Abortion is wrong. As a government and a society, we must do everything that we can to eliminate abortion in Virginia. Legitimate abortions can be permitted, but part of the solution must be to encourage adoption.

    Tell me, based on that statement, am I pro-life, or pro-choice?

  3. Way to put your head on the T-ball stand IP! We should have to pay good money to get this kind of entertainment.

    How ’bout that “Warner Lied About the Gilmore Deficit” talking point making the rounds of the rightosphere? I can’t find any editor willing to share it. Damn the truth!

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