Observer Online | Viewpoints | Letters to the Editor

Posted Oct. 11, 2002

State Already Misuses Taxes

To the editor:

I am extremely disappointed in Tom Grein's support for the sales tax increase. More importantly, I wonder how ignorant the governor and legislature think their constituents are?

The National Association of State Budget Officers released figures that showed the General Fund expenditures for the Commonwealth of Virginia increased by 47 percent from 1997 to 2002. Where did this money go? They want us to give them more money?

Two separate think tanks, the Cato Institute and The Heritage Foundation, arrived at the same conclusion after reviewing this issue. Both organizations issued papers that asserted "òplenty of tax money already exists to fund transportation improvements for Northern Virginiaò.the biggest problem for Virginians is that federal road taxes are not distributed equitablyò" (from Washington Business Journal, September 27 ¡ October 3, 2002)

On July 25, 2002, Virginia's Secretary of Transportation, Whittington Clement, was quoted by the Danville Register & Bee declaring, "ò.Without passage [of the tax hike], there will be renewed pressure to change the formula to shift money to our more congested areas."

The Commonwealth of Virginia has a history of mismanaging our tax money, and this sales tax increase should be voted down Nov. 5. Then, in subsequent November elections, the people of Northern Virginia should vote out the legislators who support this tax increase.

J. Anderson Frix Jr.

Herndon