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To the editor:
In a letter to the editor in last week’s Rappahannock News, John Marocchi alleges that the Virginia budget has doubled in the two Democratic administrations of Governors Robb and Baliles, and that tax increases proposed by them have hurt Virginia, eroded its appeal as a low tax state, and scared off new jobs.
As A1 Smith used to say, let’s look at the record.
During the eight years of Governors Robb and Baliles, the budget increased 97 percent, reflecting a combination of factors such as population growth, inflation, federal cutbacks and increasing demands on the state government in many areas.
However, during the Republican administrations of Godwin and Dalton in the 1970’s the budget grew 141 percent. Also, the budget growth that occurred during the period 1980-81 to 1988-89 was in areas of critical needs that were recognized as such by both parties. Four major needs accounted for 70 percent of the budget growth: education, 42 percent; transportation, 12 percent; medicaid, 10 percent; and corrections (jails and law enforcement), 6 percent.
Virginia today is a low tax state. Taxes as a proportion of income are lower in Virginia now than they were 10 years ago. Virginia’s overall tax burden (state and local) ranks 38th in the nation. When only state taxes are considered, it ranks 40th.
The Democrats’ transportation program, and the tax increases that funded it on a pay-as-you-go basis, will help Virginia meet present and future transportation needs that are
96.2%