HB 3202 gives local jurisdictions the authority to

HB 3202 gives local jurisdictions the authority to levy taxes and user fees. The bill gives Northern Virginia the long-elusive tools to battle traffic congestion. But the bill is wrong in its current form.

Gov. Tim Kaine (D) will have a difficult time convincing local jurisdictions, which just passed a $51 million road referendum last November.

What's wrong with a $10 statewide increase in vehicle registration fees? Maybe $15 would be better, if that’s what it takes to stay away from general fund monies.

It’s true that the thought of raising taxes in an election year gives Republicans a case of the hives. But it took GOP leaders much too long to conclude that new funding is needed for transportation.

Kaine campaigned for office on improving roads throughout the state, notably in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. He’ll surely massage the bill in the next month, as legislators are expected to reconvene April 4 to consider the governor’s changes.

Kaine realizes there are numerous issues to address. HB3202 was constructed behind closed doors, with few people involved. Some say it was just “old-time Virginia politics.”

Kaine will start this week to search out the opinions of local elected officials to fix the bill’s problems in an effort toward reaching a long-term, statewide transportation solution. He’d be foolish not to. There are too many stakeholders in this issue.

It’s an election year and Republicans knew they had to come up with something. The hunch here is that the bill, in its current form, doesn’t have a prayer of becoming law. It still needs an drastic overhaul.

Let’s trust the governor to come up with the proper remedy.

Point/Counterpoint:

Disappointed

This second round was disappointing in that I got the

impression that it was largely repetition.

I doubt that a third in the series would bring any

new or startling revelations.

Bill Freitag

Flint Hill