lhe new fees have been a hot topic of conversation

lhe new fees have been a hot topic of conversation all summer long, and many Virginia citizens are demanding answers from their representatives. And change.

Last week, the furor caused Governor Timothy Kaine to call what was described as a “rare bi-partisan press Conference” to defend the proposal — which is part of a complex transportation bill - as a safety issue.

However, our representatives know that it was really an additional way to raise revenue for the transportation bill, rather than raising taxes.

It’s a bipartisan political mistake that has united Virginians in a bipartisan uproar.

Gov. Kaine and his supporters refused to call a special legislative session to satisfy the public outcry. Why? The controversy is still too hot.

They seem to be asking themselves, “Why not wait to see how bad it is, before we tinker with it?”

Lawmakers have suggested that the news media and Internet bloggers have contributed to the public “misunderstanding” of the new fees.

Now that the issue is hot, journalists around the state are ratcheting up the coverage. But where were we when this legislation was proposed and passed?

Our elected representatives watched the debate for three years, before they finally passed what they considered was a proposal that suited their purpose well: raise revenue without raising taxes.

They understood the consequences of the bill when they voted for it. Why are they surprised at the public uproar?

We have a statewide election in November, with all 100 House and 40 Senate seats on the ballot.

When the General Assembly returns to Richmond for the 2008 session, will our representatives remember the controversy of this summer - or gauge the need for change, based on sentiments that may cool during the winter?

The citizens of Virginia will decide.