| Page 2 of 2 < |
Rep. Davis's Plan to Increase Funding Has a Long Way to Go
"This is the latest evidence that now there are not limits to the size of these egregious pork barrel projects," said Pat Toomey, president of the Club for Growth.
Allen's opponent in the Senate race, Democrat James Webb, has taken no position on Davis's effort, but his campaign said he supports more federal investment in Metro.
  Metro is facing major expenses to maintain the region's transit system. (By Robert A. Reeder -- The Washington Post) |
The District has approved a measure to dedicate 0.5 percent of sales tax revenue to Metro. But the Maryland and Virginia legislatures failed this year to agree on financing.
Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) said yesterday, "We're fully committed to matching those funds." Ehrlich's opponent in this year's election, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley (D), said he also supports a dedicated state revenue source for Metro.
Ehrlich declined to say whether he would set aside a portion of the state sales tax revenue as the funding source, saying he would rather use the transportation trust fund.
In Virginia, the state Senate approved a bill that would have allowed Northern Virginia jurisdictions to raise $50 million a year for the Metro through a quarter-cent sales tax increase. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) supported the legislation, but the House Finance Committee rejected it.
Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter (R-Prince William), who voted to kill the Virginia Senate bill, said yesterday that legislators might have to revisit the issue if Davis's program passes the U.S. Senate. But Lingamfelter said the money would have to come from existing state revenue.
Staff writers Lena H. Sun and Matthew Mosk contributed to this report.
