Virginia: Fiscal Realities First, Policies Second

Washington Post ^ | 04/04/2004 | James Dillard

[cogitator]

Excerpts:

"Statewide tax reform is essential to controlling local real estate tax increases by balancing the state and local shares of the cost of services. Further, the House of Delegates budget proposal has glaring deficiencies." . . .

"But neglect of state obligations and accounting trickery are what got Virginia into this financial mess in the first place. The Joint Legislative Audit Review Commission, for example, reports that the state for years has fallen as much as $500 million a year short of its required contribution to localities for education based on a 1988 standard. When that standard was updated this year to include the need for elementary art, music and physical education teachers, the House refused to include the new standard in the 2005 budget." . . .

"Simplistic attacks on budget increases do not take into account that some costs grow faster than population and the consumer price index. From 1993 to 2003, the Virginia Retirement System's cost increased 172 percent, and Social Security taxes increased 149 percent. In the past decade special education enrollment increased by 31 percent, and English-as-a-second-language enrollment increased by 180 percent. Yet public education operating expenditures as a percentage of the General Fund have decreased from 36.1 percent in 1993 to 32.9 percent in 2003."

James H. Dillard II

a Republican, represents Fairfax

in the Virginia House of Delegates.

del_dillard@house.state.va.us

[cogitator]

Don't shoot the messenger; email the delegate!

[Support Free Republic]

---

Calling All Freepers
	Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD- It is in the breaking news sidebar!

[familyofman]

"...email the delegate!"

With my congratulations for facing reality. The loss of the aaa bond rating would be the worst thing to befall VA in a long time. It's about time these clowns get down to doing the work they should have done a month ago.

All the grandstanding & calls for a referendum have gotten the House no where in a hurry. The last poll I saw had about 2/3 in favor of getting a budget passed - PRONTO.

[cogitator]

The loss of the aaa bond rating would be the worst thing to befall VA in a long time.

Not to mention it's public-relations value to the Democrats! (And here in Maryland, the conflict between the governor and the Assembly now also threatens one of the last remaining state AAA-bond ratings, though Wall Street doesn't have us on a watch list -- yet.)

It'll be interesting to see what happens in Richmond tomorrow.