Gov. Kaine’s Tax Hike Proposal Fails
Virginia Governor Tim Kaine was elected in November partly by assuring voters he wouldn’t raise taxes like his predecessor Mark Warner had in 2004:
“I’m not going to be in for tax increases because we did it in 2004 and we’re going to have to live within our means.”
But that promise didn’t last long as Kaine proposed a $1 billion tax increase to pay for an expensive transportation project despite a state budget surplus of $1.5 billion. This tax hiike was favored by the Republican-led Senate and was gaining momentum until it was struck down by the more conservative House of Delegates.
Despite an aggressive ad campaign, Kaine was not able to convince the House of Delegates, who saw the fiscal situation as brighter than in 2004 when Mark Warner’s tax increase propelled him into the national spotlight. Maybe Tim Kaine should stick to his campaign promise of fiscal discipline because slipping a tax increase by this House may be futile.
