Courtly Manners Cast Aside in Va. Budget Talks

RICHMOND -- The anger that flashed in Virginia Del. Vincent F. Callahan Jr.'s eyes betrayed the total breakdown of civil discourse with his adversaries in the state Senate.

"Little Napoleons," the Fairfax County Republican said. "They seem hellbent on closing down government to get their way."

Minutes after the Wednesday afternoon outburst, a reply came from Fairfax's longtime Democratic senator, Richard L. Saslaw, who accused Callahan of "taking marching orders from people who weren't even born" when Callahan joined the House in 1968.

Personal and professional relationships in the Virginia legislature have collapsed, even between men like Callahan and Saslaw, who have represented Fairfax for several decades. In the Capitol, where courtly manners have long defined the "Virginia way," years of simmering distrust between the House and Senate have erupted into open hostility.

The consequences go beyond the political fortunes of the lawmakers and the parties they represent. For Virginians, the legislative nastiness will have repercussions on the way they live.

If House Republicans get their way, long-term investments in the state's transportation network will be put off for months at least. House leaders say the bitter debate over new taxes for roads and transit should be delayed in the interest of reaching a deal on the state's two-year budget.

Senators, meanwhile, say their push for a $1 billion-a-year tax increase for transportation improvements is worth the risk of a government shutdown if the state has no approved budget on July 1. They have refused to negotiate the spending plan until House Republicans agree to raise taxes.

Either way, Virginians are not likely to see a resolution within the next several weeks, say lawmakers, lobbyists and longtime observers of state politics.

It has been a month since the state's General Assembly ended and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) called lawmakers into a special session.

Budget negotiators for the two sides have not met. House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) last week refused to attend a private lunch with Kaine and Senate Finance Chairman John H. Chichester (R-Northumberland). Both chambers have yet to complete the procedural motions required to officially negotiate.

"At the heart of this debate is the philosophical role of government" and how transportation fits into governmental responsibility, said Robert D. Holsworth, a professor of government at Virginia Commonwealth University. "There's a sense from the House that if they go along with these tax increases they will be helping set Virginia on a course . . . that every time there's a budget crisis, the state government should just raise taxes."

Lessons From History

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House Republicans insist that is not going to happen this year.