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think he has to have a constitutional amendment.
“But if he says just send your bills to me, and if I don’t pay, you have to pay, then that is not an exemption, and it would not take a constitutional amendment.”
Sen. Mark Earley of Chesapeake, the Republican nominee for attorney general, said Gilmore’s tax plan would not require an amendment.
Though Gilmore’s budget projections backing up his tax relief plan appear optimistic, the proposal has been “well thought through,” Earley said.
“Four years ago, when Gov. Allen was running and proposing to abolish parole, a lot of people were saying it couldn’t be done and if it was, it couldn’t be paid for,” he said.
“The fact is the Allen/Gilmore administration has a proven track record of fulfilling their promises. Jim Gilmore’s proposal to eliminate the tax on cars and trucks, I think, is very carefully thought out in that it is predicated on economic growth in our revenues that will hold localities harmless.”
Political realities
Legal and financial questions aside, both proposals also must pass muster with the 140 members of the Virginia General Assembly. For it is they, not Virginia’s new governor, who will determine whether local taxpayers get some relief.
“Each of these plans wquld face formidable obstacles in the General Assembly, particularly if the Democrats retain control of the House of Delegates,” Holsworth said.
“House Majority Leader Dick Cranwell already said Gilmore’s plan would be dead on arrival, and he said Beyer’s might have to be left in the parking lot.”
Many legislators are skeptical about the economic assumptions embodied in both plans, but there’s one thing that could overcome that skepticism, he said.
“The passage of these plans would be enhanced by a fairly substantial margin of victory by one or the other candidates.
“If Gilmore wins by 10 points, it would appear to be a mandate. If either candidate wins by just one or two points, I think their tax proposals would have tough sledding.”
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