Friday, June 17, 2005

WaPo's Latest Effort To Transform the GOP

Whenever the Washington Post tries to give advice to the GOP, Conservatives should hold on to their wallets. Witness their recent endorsement of Chairman Sean -- to the unitiated, Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Sean Connaughton -- for the GOP nomination for Lieutenant Governor. Was there anything more guaranteed to lose Chairman Sean votes in a GOP primary?

But now, there's today's lead editorial. You really just want to laugh. State and local governments are flush with billions in unanticipated revenues. Other journals are reporting massive increases in revenues, such as state revunues up 23% in May, and annual revenues running nearly 5% higher than the 10% increase anticipated, for a more-than 15% increase.

On the same day that such figures are reported, only the Washington Post could editorialize about the need for discussion of "how to raise the tens of billions of dollars needed for transportation over the next decade or two." How about using the billions in unanticipated revenues coming in right now!

But my favorite line is the end:
Virginia has gotten itself in trouble before by shrinking tax revenue and making new spending commitments during flush times, as it did in the late '90s under the last Republican governor, James S. Gilmore III. By assuming that the good times would roll indefinitely, Mr. Gilmore laid the groundwork for a financial crisis inherited by the current governor, Mark R. Warner. For Virginia to repeat that mistake two or three years after lifting itself from the trough would be disastrous.
Leave it to the Washington Post to make a valid observation (about unneeded "new spending commitments," though it's probably talking about car tax relief), but ignore the reasons why state spending increased irresponsibly in the late '90s: socialist welfare spending increased, while the roads and other transportation infrastructure were ignored. So what does the Washington Post call for now? More socialist welfare spending, and more taxes for transportation.

The GOP can hardly stand for slower socialism and expect the electorate to put its candidates into office. Why should voters elect slower socialists when you can vote for Democrats and get the real thing? What is necessary now is a united Republican call that the revenues derived from these "good times" should be used for the benefit of all taxpayers in the form of roads and transportation, not merely as a vote-buying scheme for the government-dependency class.

We shall see.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, the primary did not remove Lord Connaughton from the PWC Board and we are likely to see just what the Post suggests, at least locally. What troubles me most is that those additional funds will not go where they're needed (if they did I MIGHT be able to live with it) but rather to Lord Connaughton and his aptly named "Pissboy" Marty "I only pay $2.99 for my haircut despite the prodigious size of my melon" Nohe's pet projects. Sigh, the Commonwealth's gain in Bolling is paid for with the continued sacrifice of those in PWC.

James Young said...

Actually, I wonder if some of Sean's 63% in the County can't be attributed to those desiring to promote him to his level of incompetence and get him out of the business of spending our money and setting our tax rates.

That's the most persuasive case he could have made to County Republicans. "Put me into an office with no power, and I'll no longer be spending your money!"

Anonymous said...

That idea is not as far fetched as you might believe, several neighbors and I had just that conversation, albeit it influenced by a large number of frosty beverages on a very hot day.

James Young said...

Even better, it's all true!

Seriously, I'd be flattered. Hopefully, the vitriol in your hate mail will not be comparable. Best of luck.

Will Vehrs said...

I'm okay with the post saying fiscal policy is a major issue this fall, but fiscal policy is not just about transportation.

How will we apportion the surplus to transportation? How do we prioritize transportation projects fairly throughout the state and fund them? Is transportation so important that we eliminate some functions and divert those funds to road, rail, and other people moving activities?

Anonymous said...

Wait a minute! Is there a place in Prince William County that does haircuts for just $2.99?!? If so, I need to know where. I have so little hair left that the nine bucks I'm paying now is probably a rip-off.

Too bad they can't transplant hair to my scalp from my back... then I would be in great shape.

Anonymous said...

At nine bucks, he would be seriously overpaying, the staff at Parris Island gives better cuts for free (relatively speaking).

Anonymous said...

But I'm too fat (and enjoy sleeping in too much) to get into the Marines.

I have considered having Kris do my coiffe, as she aready cuts Nicholas' hair, but we pretty much just shave his head bald. I'm not quite ready to make that leap. Or at least, I'm not ready to admit that God is making it for me.

James Young said...

Re: Hair Comment Rejoinders

Perhaps the most useful info posted here?

First MH -- Waaaaay TMI (too much information).

ITMMOWTD -- Funny, but I thought the cost for such a haircut was at least three years.....

Second MH -- G. Gordon Liddy has operated for years on a preemption theory.

Anonymous said...

Jim- That's a good point. When speaking of my ever increasing forehead, I often quote Liddy.

"Real men don't waste perfectly good testosterone on growing head hair."