Virginia candidate: A conditional ‘yes’ on new taxes for roads

Declines in transportation revenue have prompted Virginia to cut nearly $2.6 billion from its six-year roadbuilding plan in 2009 alone. Among the belt-cinching steps is the closure of 19 rest stops along well-traveled Interstate highways just as summer vacationers flock to Virginia’s beaches and historical attractions. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

By BOB LEWIS
The Associated Press

8/13/2009

RICHMOND, Va. — Democratic gubernatorial candidate R. Creigh Deeds said Wednesday he would support legislation boosting “revenues” for transportation, but left himself acres of wiggle room.

In an online interview with the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Deeds said he’d sign such a bill if the General Assembly passed it. But he never specified what he wanted to see in the bill.

The interviewer noted that Deeds had supported a gasoline tax increase proposal two years ago and asked if he would support a bill boosting taxes if he’s governor and such a bill reaches his desk.

Deeds replied that he would work with both parties “to build consensus around a series of ideas that allow us to fund transportation, and yes, I will sign that bill.”

It was Deeds’ clearest expression yet of his sense that new streams of cash are necessary to address the state’s crippling transportation deficiencies. In earlier interviews, public appearances and his debate last month with Republican candidate Bob McDonnell, he refused to commit to a need for new taxes for transportation, an issue that has become the lynchpin of his economic development package.

Yet Deeds never uttered the word “taxes” in referring to his approach to transportation, or said whether he would advocate new or increased taxes if elected, as Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has done twice since he took office in 2006. Both times, in special summertime legislative sessions, the House Republican majority shot down transportation tax proposals.

Now, declines in transportation revenue have prompted the state to cut nearly $2.6 billion from its six-year roadbuilding plan in 2009 alone. Among the belt-cinching steps is the closure of 19 rest stops along well-traveled Interstate highways just as summer vacationers flock to Virginia’s beaches and historical attractions.

The state’s backlog in unmet road construction needs exceeds $100 billion and continues to grow — particularly in populous northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.

Deeds did rule out diverting any money from general fund programs, particularly education. His GOP rival proposed ideas to increase transportation funding, such as selling Virginia’s state-owned liquor stores, tolling the northbound lanes of Interstates 95 and 85 at the North Carolina border and diverting some of the sales tax collected in northern Virginia from the general fund to transportation projects in the region.

Deeds claims the sales tax diversion would siphon $5.4 billion from public schools and other services such as health care over the next 10 years.

“You won’t see me with that kind of approach. Democrats and Republicans alike have said that approach is dead on arrival,” Deeds said.

Kevin Jones of The Trucker staff can be reached for comment at kevinj@thetrucker.com.

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