|
Printable Version News
Hopewell's Beacon Theatre was the host of Governor Tim Kaine himself on Monday, as the governor held his ninth of ten town hall meetings concerning the state's transportation crisis. "This is an issue I've been working on and beating my head against since I was made governor," said Kaine. Kaine helped push through a different transportation plan in 2007, only to have much of that plan gutted by the Virginia Supreme Court which declared parts of it unconstitutional. Back at the drawing board, Kaine has developed a different plan which he has been selling at town hall meetings throughout the state. The state has been consistently underfunded for years in regards to its roads and infrastructure, said Kaine at the meeting, and the government has had to dip consistently into other funds just to try and keep up with the many repairs needed for its roads. "First off, it's a large system," said Kaine. "Second, it's a growing system. Third, it's an aging system." Furthermore, the transportation budget is funded in part by gasoline taxes, which have provided less and less for the government as gas prices force people to cut back on travel expenses. The cornerstone of Kaine's proposal was to raise vehicle registration fees by $10, as well as bumping up the auto sales tax from 3 to 4 percent. This would help fund a large number of road projects which would otherwise get forced from the budget. In defense of the tax hikes, the governor pointed out that Virginia has among the lowest gas tax, car tax and retail tax rates in the country. The increases would raise $1 billion a year. The plan gives special attention to the heavily congested Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads areas. Kaine says that should the plan be passed by the state legislature, it will set a good precedent for other areas, such as the Tri-Cities, to receive special focus. Aside from a few questions about whether the plan would disproportionately affect seniors, who drive less frequently, the response was positive from the amassed crowd, which totaled about 150. "I think the citizens get it," said Kaine of the plan's reception. "We make things so complicated in the legislature sometimes, but I think the citizens get it." Cheryl Collins, former executive director of the Beacon, said she was proud to see Kaine in the building. "I am very pleased to have been a part of building a theatre that was nice enough to host a governor of the state of Virginia," said Collins. © Hopewell News 2007 |
