Gov. Youngkin Proposes “Gas Tax Holiday” for Struggling Virginians
Governor Glenn Youngkin announced that he would send a bill to the General Assembly in the upcoming special session to suspend Virginia’s gas tax for 3 months. The Governor proposes using over $437 million in unanticipated transportation revenues to support the gas tax holiday. Data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics this week showed a 38.8% surge, year over year, in the gasoline index, and inflation on all items is at a 40-year high.
“These rising gas prices are hurting Virginians, and we need to do something about it,” Governor Youngkin said.
LETTER: It’s Time for a Motorist Bill of Rights
We believe that the Republican Party needs to expand its agenda to attract more urban and suburban voters — and we believe that motorist rights should be a key part of the Party’s agenda. Vehicles are a necessity for many Virginians, and our laws should set a high threshold that must be met before a vehicle can be seized or the owner barred from driving it. For too long, an alliance of government and corporate interest coalitions have used Virginia law to shake down unsuspecting motorists.
Delegates LaRock and Hugo Question Northam’s NoVa Transportation Plan
Delegates Dave LaRock (R- Loudoun) and Tim Hugo (R-Fairfax) voiced their concerns in a strongly-worded letter to Virginia Secretary of Transportation, Shannon Valentine, and requested that a thorough review of the Smart Scale scoring process be completed before the Commonwealth Transportation Board meeting last week.
Metro Rot Runs Deeper than Anyone Imagined
Fairfax residents struggle with poorly managed transportation every day, including the highly-subsidized Washington Metro Area Transportation Authority. (See the Fairfax County Taxpayer’s Alliance excellent 2017 presentation on safety and budget issues “Metrorail: Poster Child for Democrat Misrule.” )
Now we know that the problems are worse than anyone imagined. The Virginia news site Bacon’s Rebellion discusses the Inspector General’s recent report revealing falsified DC Metro inspection reports:
Washington Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld has earned plaudits for his forthright management style and the improvements he has instituted since taking over the troubled commuter bus and rail system in 2015. But the latest news raises questions whether he, or anyone, has the grit to take on a deeply corrupt…