HB 2313 Passes as Amended

Earlier in the week I said that, without clicking on all the links, it looked as if Governor McDonnell's amended version of Virginia House Bill 2313 was a more modest proposal, and as if the money raised by this tax increase was at least going into transportation-related projects.  Some Tea Partiers, who didn't claim to have clicked on all the links but who seem to be the type who would, have commented that it's still a $6 billion tax hike.

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?131+bil+HB2313

In any case, it passed by a clear majority. Effective in July.

This web site does not like tax hikes, not even the ones intended to discourage behavior that this web site agrees is undesirable. This web site thinks it probable that, if we were hired as frugality consultants, we could find places where budgets could actually be cut...yes, even for Metro. However, this web site reserves its major blasts of indignation for tax hikes that are not based on undesirable behavior, such as family members driving to the same place in two or three separate cars so that every little nut in the household can rattle around in a big empty shell with an equal appearance of, well, nuttiness.

If you want to know how your elected officials voted, here are the roll call lists:

In the House:

"YEAS--Albo, BaCote, Brink, Bulova, Cosgrove, Cox, M.K., Dance, Dudenhefer, Filler-Corn, Greason, Head, Helsel, Herring, Hester, Hodges, Hope, Iaquinto, Ingram, James, Jones, Keam, Kilgore, Knight, Kory, Krupicka, LeMunyon, Lewis, Lopez, Loupassi, Marshall, D.W., May, McClellan, McQuinn, Merricks, Minchew, Morris, Morrissey, O'Bannon, Orrock, Plum, Poindexter, Purkey, Putney, Rust, Scott, E.T., Scott, J.M., Sherwood, Sickles, Spruill, Stolle, Surovell, Tata, Torian, Toscano, Tyler, Villanueva, Ward, Ware, O., Watson, Watts, Webert, Yancey, Yost, Mr. Speaker--64.
NAYS--Anderson, Bell, Richard P., Bell, Robert B., Byron, Carr, Cline, Cole, Comstock, Cox, J.A., Crockett-Stark, Edmunds, Fariss, Farrell, Garrett, Gilbert, Habeeb, Howell, A.T., Hugo, Joannou, Johnson, Landes, Marshall, R.G., Massie, Miller, Morefield, O'Quinn, Peace, Pogge, Ramadan, Ransone, Robinson, Rush, Ware, R.L., Wilt, Wright--35.
ABSTENTIONS--0.
NOT VOTING--Lingamfelter--1.

Delegate Lingamfelter was recorded as not voting.  Intended to vote nay.
Delegate Webert was recorded as yea.  Intended to vote nay."

In the Senate:

"YEAS--Alexander, Barker, Blevins, Carrico, Colgan, Deeds, Ebbin, Edwards, Favola, Herring, Howell, Lucas, Marsden, Marsh, McEachin, McWaters, Miller, Norment, Northam, Puckett, Puller, Ruff, Saslaw, Stosch, Wagner, Watkins--26.
NAYS--Black, Garrett, Hanger, McDougle, Newman, Obenshain, Petersen, Reeves, Smith, Stanley, Stuart, Vogel--12.
RULE 36--0.
NOT VOTING--Locke, Martin--2."

This web site got these links in an e-mail that points back to Candidate Jack Weaver. Back in January, due to my failure to figure out whatever system an e-mail contained for attributing quotes, I read a quote from Delegate R.G. "Bob" Marshall as a quote from Jack Weaver and typed a reply that referred to him as "Delegate Weaver." A Tea Party e-friend added a comment along the lines of, "See, Jack, we're not the only ones who think you ought to be a Delegate." So now he's running. This web site doesn't have a vote for him, but will now identify him as a lawyer, bill reader, and friend of Bob Marshall, which may be enough reason for some readers to use their votes for him.

And car-pool, Gentle Readers. A gas tax is to dodge. Use those other seats in your car--that's what they're for. Don't share the road with neighbors going in the same direction; share the car. The most efficient way to discourage legislators from passing and re-passing gas taxes is to shrink the revenue from gas taxes.