This story is a perfect example of the media’s ability to create an alternate reality universe. To read the VIRGINIAN PILOT, one would assume that the answer to Virginian’s transportation bottlenecks in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads is “more taxes.”
No one disputes the fact that it costs money to build highways. But the one-note debate in the media centers on the issue of which taxes to raise to pay for roads.
All of the “respectable” voices quoted by the VIRGINIAN PILOT voice their opinions, and their opinions are unanimous: Virginians must pay more taxes to pay for road construction. The only argument that gets print is which taxes to raise.
Of course the VIRGINIAN PILOT editorial board chimes in with its opinion that “responsible” politicians have to be willing to make what it calls “brave choices.” Somehow those hard choices are always “raise taxes,” never “take some money away from less critical programs and use it to build roads.” Let’s see, which choice is harder: give all of your politically organized constituents what they want and tax the people more, or take some money away from your pet projects and use it to build roads?
For some reason, the VIRGINIAN PILOT views taxing the unorganized and giving to the organized as sign of political courage. I have always considered it bullshit on stilts, but that’s just me.
So after years of hectoring and one sided news and editorials, we find that the people are not as brainwashed as the VIRGINIAN PILOT would like. Turns out that Virginians don’t see it their way. They don’t think that it’s necessary to raise taxes to build better roads. There is hope for the Commonwealth.
No one disputes the fact that it costs money to build highways. But the one-note debate in the media centers on the issue of which taxes to raise to pay for roads.
All of the “respectable” voices quoted by the VIRGINIAN PILOT voice their opinions, and their opinions are unanimous: Virginians must pay more taxes to pay for road construction. The only argument that gets print is which taxes to raise.
Of course the VIRGINIAN PILOT editorial board chimes in with its opinion that “responsible” politicians have to be willing to make what it calls “brave choices.” Somehow those hard choices are always “raise taxes,” never “take some money away from less critical programs and use it to build roads.” Let’s see, which choice is harder: give all of your politically organized constituents what they want and tax the people more, or take some money away from your pet projects and use it to build roads?
For some reason, the VIRGINIAN PILOT views taxing the unorganized and giving to the organized as sign of political courage. I have always considered it bullshit on stilts, but that’s just me.
So after years of hectoring and one sided news and editorials, we find that the people are not as brainwashed as the VIRGINIAN PILOT would like. Turns out that Virginians don’t see it their way. They don’t think that it’s necessary to raise taxes to build better roads. There is hope for the Commonwealth.
Here's the lede from the article (which must have made the VIRGINIAN PILOT'S editors hair hurt).
Poll: Fix roads, but don't raise taxes
Poll: Fix roads, but don't raise taxes
Most Virginians are adamant about not wanting to raise taxes to address transportation problems, but depending on where they live, they disagree about whether fixing urban congestion is a regional or a state responsibility, according to a new poll.
...
Almost 60 percent of those polled said higher taxes aren't needed and transportation improvements can be made without additional revenue. Those who identified themselves as Democrats were divided on the question, but Republicans and independents strongly opposed new taxes. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
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