Warner on taxes: 'Time to act'

Richmond Times Dispatch, Disgrace, Distort, whatever ^ | Jan 15, 2004 | MICHAEL HARDY

[putupon]

Gov. Mark R. Warner last night exhorted lawmakers to adopt his proposed budget and tax-raising plan to restore the state's fiscal integrity and invest in education, transportation, health care for the poor and disabled and public safety.

In his State of the Commonwealth address to the opening night of the General Assembly session, the Democratic leader sounded a conciliatory tone for the GOP-dominated legislature but said he would not abide budgetary tinkering and wishful thinking about the state's economic growth.

[Batrachian]

See what happens when you elect a Democrat just because he says he's pro-gun? He's still a Democrat!

[putupon]

Richmond PING

[Corin Stormhands]

"The people of Virginia did not elect us to take the easy way out,"

No, they elected you because you bought your way into their communities and then lied when you said you wouldn't raise taxes. Less than 40 days into your term you tried to do just that. You failed then. You failed last year.

And if I've got anything to do with it, you'll fail again.

[apillar]

It must have been so hard on him. He managed to act slightly conservative for the first two years, but the big tax liberal democrat is finally emerging.

We can only hope that the republican majorities have the stones to shut him down.

[steve-b]

Send me a bill that makes our tax system fairer for working Virginians - one that adequately funds education and our core commitments - and one that puts Virginia on the path to long-term fiscal stability.

You heard the man. Start drafting those massive tax and spending cuts and send them to his desk pronto.

[iceskater]

After two years of slashing the state's recession-battered budget by $6 billion, Warner said there are no more tricks and savings.

But even with $6B in cuts, the real, total budget still increased. Enough already. Time to cut more. We have to keep telling the GA that an increasing budget is still and increasing budget and no more taxes!!!

[Corin Stormhands]

From the Washington Times Article yesterday:

But annual state spending has been increased by $2.5 billion since the governor entered office, not cut. The state budget is now at the highest level in history, up $6 billion, or 28 percent, over the last five years.

[goldstategop]

Virginia's RINOs and Democrats will tell y'all you can never milk a cow enough and never spend too much. Let's see if the House Of Delegates is made of sterner stuff than the tax friendly and spending happy pro Mark Warner Senate.

[bmwcyle]

Warner and his acne problem must go.

[sultan88]

But hours before Warner's speech, House Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, the leader of the 61 Republicans in the 100-member House, warned against saddling Virginians with a heavier tax burden, especially when the economy has started rebounding. "Now that the [economic] sun is finally beginning to shine again, we should think very carefully before we begin to darken the landscape anew with clouds of our own making - and thereby dampen the optimism and potential of this economic recovery for the people of Virginia," Howell told the delegates.

Sen. Howell's wisdom is the only thing in this article that I find encouraging.

[iceskater]

Let's hope the rest of them listen to him. He's right.

[steve-b]

After two years of slashing the state's recession-battered budget by $6 billion

Warner did not "slash" the budget by $6 billion, or by $6.00.

Presumably Mr. Hardy is using the old scam of defining any increase smaller than Warner's wish list as a "cut".

[.cnI redruM]

>>>>>>>See what happens when you elect a Democrat just because he says he's pro-gun? He's still a Democrat!

That needs to be sent to at least 50 of the people on this board. Signing pro-gun legislation and sponsoring NASCAR teams does not get you better than a 5% rating from the ACU.

[Batrachian]

You mean people on this board supported Warner?

[wasp69]

After vowing as a candidate not to raise taxes, Warner pressed last night for his record $1 billion-plus in increases to balance a two-year budget.

Is it just me or did this Connecticut carpetbagger not learn a damn thing from the California recall?

[.cnI redruM]

People on this board support HOWARD DEAN!! After, he used to be pro-gun.

[talleyman]

Yes, by all means we must raise taxes to pay for more of this

[talleyman]

P.S. - I emailed the Times Disgrace with a corrected caption for the photo - it should read "Let's stick it to the taxpayers!"

[cogitator]

and our core commitments

I imagine that Warner, like Schwarzenegger in California or Kempthorne in Idaho, thinks that massive spending cuts in core commitments don't constitute good government. The problem is that if you don't see the benefit of what is considered a "core commitment", you might not think it's vital and therefore you might think that program can be cut. However, it may be a vital program for someone else. More and more governors are saying that they've reached the limit of feasible cuts without causing real damage to government programs. And sometimes you might not perceive the damage of a cut for years. For example, there is pretty good research that shows investment in preschool programs like HeadStart keeps more kids from underprivileged backgrounds in school. "Keeping them in school" means keeping them out of criminal activities, which if they participate in exact a societal price and a real price on the community, because taxes pay for law enforcement and prisons, too. So you either pay now or pay later, and if you pay later, you frequently pay more. It's like spending a little money on high-blood-pressure medication to prevent a possible stroke; if you have the stroke, it's going to cost a lot more and you're going to be in a much worse shape.