Virginia Transportation Plan

Post staff writer Michal Shear was online Friday, Jan. 19 at 1 p.m. to take your questions and comments about the Virginia General Assembly's new transportation proposal.

A transcript follows.

____________________

Michael Shear: Well, we have white smoke! After weeks of secret -- and not so secret -- meetings, the GOP leadership in the Virginia House and Senate have unveiled their transportation plan. It's a doozy -- raising a myriad of taxes and fees statewide and in Northern Virginia. It shifts money from other state services, borrows more, and imposes new growth and development rules. Let's talk about that, or any of the other fun stuff going on down here in the state capital.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: So, what are the odds this actually passes?

Michael Shear: Straight to the point. I like that.

This is a very complicated, very large piece of legislation. And that means there's more to attack. Democrats don't like the use of so-called "general funds," which pay for schools and teachers and health care, for transportation. Anti-taxers, obviously, don't like the higher taxes. And some of the state's most powerful senators are not on board.

Having said that, the agreement between both chambers is practically revolutionary. It's not happened in this decade. So that will give it some juice, I think.

Stay tuned. At the very least it will be fun.

_______________________

Lorton, Va.: In Marc Fisher's story on Sunday re: Virginia Republicans, my delegate Dave Albo is quoted as saying "But there comes a point where I don't care how big a supporter a group like the home builders is. At a certain point, you have to listen to the voters. The home builders just expect too much of us." At a certain point? Wasn't this the day he was elected to represent me?

Michael Shear: Oops. Probably an unfortunate choice of words for Del. Albo. Lorton is probably right that elected officials are supposed to "listen to the voters" from the moment they are elected.

But Albo is, I think, giving voice to a change of heart that many lawmakers in Northern Virginia are having on some of these issues. What used to be an absolute for them on taxes -- they opposed them -- has now become something to balance agains the distress expressed by commuters. I think his "certain point" comment is meant to convey the idea that anger about traffic has gotten bad enough that an absolute opposition to taxes has to give way.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: I don't have a car. I ride public transportation. Do you have any idea how much the tax package will cost me personally in additional sales taxes or whatever? How about my friend who does have a car?

Michael Shear: Let's see:

* If you rent a car, you'll pay 2 percent more in taxes on your rental.

* If you sell a house, you'll pay an extra 40-cents for every $100 worth of that house. (A half-million dollar house will cost the seller an extra $2,000)

* If you need a drivers license (for that rental car), you'll pay a $100 fee the first time you get one.

That's about it for you. Everything else is connected somehow to driving a car. (Except an increased tax on the owners of commercial real estate).

_______________________

Clifton, Va.: I am tired of subsidizing the rest of Virginia. Do not increase my taxes, fees and fines while my tax dollars still subsidizes the rest of Virginia. Currently less than 21 cents of every tax dollar I send to Richmond comes back to Fairfax County. The State treasury doesn't need more money, it just needs to be distributed fairly. Or increase everyone's in Virginia's taxes, fees and fines! No increase!

NOVA needs to secede!

Michael Shear: Someone asked before about the odds that this will succeed. This question reflects a serious concern in Northern Virginia that could make the plan more difficult to pass.

It's true, many of the tax dollars Northern Virginians send to Richmond for education and other services get distributed to other localities. But when it comes to transportation dollars, the region has gotten plenty more, and still there are needs. And the needs in Northern Virginia vastly outweigh the needs in many other parts of Virginia, in size and cost. That's why many argue that the only way to get agreement is to let the area help itself.

Secede? Maybe Northern Virginia could start north of the Rappahanock.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: What's this I hear about a $100 fee for the first time I get a driver's license? What if I'm moving into Virginia and need to get a Virginia driver's license (for residency purposes, etc.)? Wouldn't this rather high fee discourage people who move into Virginia from registering their vehicles and getting a Virginia driver's license?

Michael Shear: I believe the idea is to make sure that people who come to Virginia with their cars pay a price for the wear and tear they will have on the roads. I believe it's still possible to get a Virginia ID card for residency purposes. And young kids (Age 16) who are getting their license for the first time are exempt.

_______________________

Albo's Comment: Um -- isn't it possible that the home builder(s) are ALSO his constituents, to whom he should pay attention? Really, it's just a balancing act.

Michael Shear: Good point. The definition of a constituent is a fluid one.

_______________________

Farifax, Va.: I live in Fairfax, obviously from my city name, and wanted to know if there's anything in this plan for an Orange Line extension further out or some sort of relief in the crush that is "Sixty Sucks" traffic? Thanks a lot.

Michael Shear: Boy. The Metro line out to Dulles Airport hasnt even been begun yet and you already want another one?

Actually, there are plans on the wish list for an Orange Line extension to Centreville, as well as even a new metro line down to Potomac Mills in Prince William.

Those would cost billions of dollars each. And whether they rise to the top of the region's priority list is anyone's guess. But the advocates of this transportation package would say that at least there would be the possibility of paying for them if this transportation plan is passed.

_______________________

Vienna, Va.: Will a dedicated funding for Metro come out of this?

Michael Shear: Yes. This bill would provide $50 million to match a congressional proposal (sponsored by Fairfax County's Tom Davis) to fund Metro. Virginia has struggled for more than a year to find a dedicated source of money for the Davis proposal. This bill would do that.

_______________________

Re: tax on sale of home: Is the tax on the sale of a house for new construction only or does it apply to all home sales? Is it paid by the seller or the buyer?

Michael Shear: My understanding -- and we'll hopefully have a story explaining all this in tomorrow's paper -- is that the tax would apply to the sale of all homes, new and old. And it would be paid by the seller.

_______________________

Oak Hill, Va.: I understand the new local revenue in the GOP plan stays in Northern Virginia, but what about the $250M from the general fund and the bonds? Is this money pegged for Northern Virginia, or will it go elsewhere?

Michael Shear: The money to be raised statewide -- about $500 million total, including the $250 million mentioned by Oak Hill -- would be largely distributed throughout the state according to the complicated formulas that already exist. That means Northern Virginia would only get a piece of that money.

The same is true, I think, with the $2 billion worth of bonds.

But keep in mind, the $380 million targeted for Northern Virginia is an annual amount. All of that money stays in Northern Virginia and keeps coming year after year, the lawmakers say.

_______________________

Fairfax, Va.: Are you surprised that something actually got done, and that the plan is as ambitious as it appears to be?

Michael Shear: I've been reporting down here since the start of 2002, and since that time, there's been a remarkable lack of good will between the leaders of the legislature. In some cases, they have even called each other names, stomped out of meetings angry, slammed doors in the faces of their peers and muttered epithets. Once, a senator called House members "dumb as rocks" -- in public.

So, yes. I'm a bit surprised that they have put all that aside. But I understand that there are two powerful forces that are pushing on them right now: the desire to do something to fix this problem and the desire to stay in office by proving to voters that they are doing just that.

_______________________

Reston, Va.: Why this obsession with soaking drivers to pay for transportation? What is the justification for it?

As a driver, I have no problem with paying a little extra for transportation as long as a good portion of the additional revenue is spent on roads, but we all know that won't be the case since there are many in this region who will stop at nothing to block road construction and see to it that every penny of transportation funds are spent on transit, especially on rail. So far, for the last 30-plus years, they've gotten their way. That's why our highway system is too small in the first place.

And please don't reply with the pat cliche "transit takes a lot of cars off the roads, thereby making it better for drivers." All one has to do is drive in the traffic to see that simply isn't so.

Why not a tax on the owners of transit-accessible real estate? After all, they are the ones who benefit the most from transit. And what's wrong with a general sales tax?

Michael Shear: Transit advocates would argue they get far less for their chosen method of transportation than drivers do. And I think that may be true. Look at the road construction that's gone on recently: the new Mixing Bowl, HOV lanes on I-95, etc.

Having said that, there's obviously a lot of money planned for transit now, with the planned construction of the Dulles rail line. That will cost billions. What planners say is important is a balance between the two. I'm not sure they've reached the right balance.

As far as the sales tax? Might be a good idea, but it's totally off the table down here. The feeling is that it was just raised two years ago (from 4.5 percent to 5) and it wouldn't be prudent to do it again.

_______________________

Burke, Va.: Is there anything in this plan to curb and/or stabilize growth around the state and hold local governments accountable for overzoning before infrastructure is completed?

Michael Shear: Yes, though it's less clear what the growth proposals will do. They purport to give local governments more control over their road-building decisions. But local government lobbyists and officials are skeptical.

Stay tuned for more reporting on this in the weeks ahead.

_______________________

Falls Church, Va.: If this does pass, when will we realistically see the completion of these projects? It feels like it will be 10 or 20 years down the road before anything will even be completed, by that time the demographics of the area could be completely different and we'll be back to square one.

Michael Shear: It's true that many of these projects take a long, long time. But much of this money could begin flowing early next year, and there are tons of smaller projects that could be built in less than a year: a small stretch of a road that needs to be wider, a new turn lane, a bigger intersection. It's amazing how much difference a small change can make.

And on a personal note, I recall living not far from the Springfield Mixing Bowl when construction started about 8 years ago. I thought it would never end, but it's almost there now. So don't despair. You might actually see the fruits of some of this labor if it passes.

_______________________

Arlingtonville: I am reaaaally tired of special interest groups such as developers, construction, etc., being vilified as if they exist separate from voters. They themselves are voters, they employ voters and their businesses provide income and opportunities to other companies, composed of voters.

The real problem IS us voters. We want to live in single-family houses on bucolic lots far from our jobs but then want everybody else to pony up for our lifestyle choices. No wonder politicians don't listen to us as we'd like them to.

Michael Shear: Let's hear it for the developers!

_______________________

Oak Hill, Va.: What's your sense of the politics of the Republican transportation plan: Can Democratic lawmakers from Northern Virginia oppose it, or will they have to support it, even while holding their noses, perhaps? Do they have an alternative plan?

Michael Shear: This is a fascinating question (and one I'm going to try to tackle in a story this weekend. So look for it.)

Democrats have multiple interests tugging them in different directions: They want to live up to their promises to do something about traffic. But they worry that voting for the GOP plan might undermine their election-year strategy of blaming the Republicans for the traffic mess.

What will they do? My guess is they attempt to tweak the proposal to make it less of a burden on other state services, and then they vote to pass it. Gov. Tim Kaine said today in a news conference that it's good for both parties if something gets done.

But that's just a guess. Let's see what actually happens.

_______________________

Kingstowne, Va.: I'm not sure I like the idea of raising the diesel tax. Raising the gas tax made more sense to me because it brings in more money while also theoretically helping towards a societal goal if it causes people to consider more fuel-efficient vehicles. For that matter, the latest diesel cars are far more fuel-efficient than gas cars (I got 45 mpg driving a diesel VW Passat last April), and it may well make sense to tax gasoline more highly to try to encourage the purchase of the diesels. The diesel car might still be more cost-effective even with a higher price per gallon (due to higher mileage), but the average citizen isn't smart enough to understand this and just looks at the raw number of dollars per fillup or dollars per gallon (never mind that if you fill up twice a month instead of four times you may well save money even at a higher price per gallon).

The idea of taxing diesel will have a disproportionate economic effect on truckers, which seems to be the goal, and that's not necessarily a good thing either if it leads to higher consumer prices. The truckers aren't going to foot the bill and neither are the people whose stuff is being shipped.

All in all, raising the gas tax makes more sense to me. I don't LIKE paying a higher tax, but if the goal is really to make money for transportation funding, the gas tax makes more sense. I voted for Russ Potts because his message that if you want road improvements you have to suck it up and pay for it made a lot of intellectual sense.

Michael Shear: The hike in the tax in diesel will "equalize" it with the tax on gasoline. The idea is to take away the break truckers have been getting. The advocates note that it is heavy trucks which cause the most damage to the state's roads.

Potts did indeed advocate a gas tax. It will be very interesting to see whether Potts can support this plan in the end.

_______________________

Vienna, Va.: Regarding new or increased taxes for Northern Virginia to finance transportation initiatives: I'm against them. Northern VA has been subsidizing the rest of the state for so long -- let's stop doing that and spend Northern Virginia's money IN Northern Virginia. I'd say we currently have the greater need for it, and we also have sky-high real estate taxes. Let's just keep our own money in our own area for a change. Maybe we can go back to subsidizing the rest of the state later, but for now, instead of raising already high taxes or having to pay new ones, let's just keep our own money in our own area for a change.

Michael Shear: Another vote against higher taxes in Northern Virginia.

_______________________

Michael Shear: Time to go already. I feel like I've zipped through this chat faster than a pickup truck on the beltway at rush hour.

Just kidding. Thanks for all the great questions. Keep reading the Post for the latest from down here in Richmond, and especially on the debate over this transportation plan.

_______________________

Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.