Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine unveils his transportation plan last week in Richmond.

Democrats speak babble about road reform

Date published: 5/21/2008

GEORGE ALLEN, a superior Vir- ginia governor, knew how to run against an opposition legislature: straight ahead. Mr. Allen clearly identified cancerous public problems--a criminal-justice system designed by the advocates of thieves and killers, academically bootless K-12 schools, a dead-end welfare regime--and relentlessly pushed plausible solutions--truth in sentencing, parole abolition, universal educational standards, workfare. Mr. Allen's success was twofold: The General Assembly passed his programs, and control of that body, seen as untrustworthy on the big questions, soon passed to Mr. Allen's fellow Republicans.

Gov. Tim Kaine isn't Gov. Allen.

To solve the top public problem of today's Virginia--a transportation system inadequate to the demands placed on it by growing vehicular use--Mr. Kaine first, after a week or two of bluster, swallows a Rube Goldberg scheme concocted by never-tax-nuthin' House Republicans. Then, when that contraption begins to fall to pieces (budget surpluses unrealized, bad-driver superfines unaccepted, special regional taxing authorities judged unconstitutional ), proposes a non sequitur of an alternative that he then all but begs lawmakers to change ("I encourage the legislature to kick the tires and talk about it.") When hardball is called for, Mr. Kaine throws up a beach ball and invites everyone wearing Coppertone to swat it around.

The shortcomings of Mr. Kaine's plan merely start with its specifics.

To reach the $1 billion-per-year new road-revenue desideratum, he would raise by 1 percent the state motor-vehicle titling tax, add 25 cents per $100 of value to the property-seller's tax, and tack on $10 to the cost of every vehicle registration. The objections to the first two elements are macroeconomic: With a recession on, substantially jacking up the cost of a big-ticket item such as a car, truck, or van will lead to fewer purchases of such items--perhaps, like the Glen Campbell character in "True Grit," Mr. Kaine believes "the fewer horses, the fewer horse thieves"--aggravating the slowdown, delaying recovery, and crimping government revenues. And the grantor's tax? Home sales, which of late have taken it on the chin, usually lead the economy out of bad times. They may again in Virginia if not hamstrung with higher fees. Only the $10 registration jump is benign.

VIRGINIANS ONLY

Date published: 5/21/2008

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