The rest of the story

By WARD L. ARMSTRONG
Published: July 19, 2008

My colleague in the General Assembly, Delegate Danny Marshall, recently wrote, “What just happened?” (July 16, page A6) discussing the failure of the recent special session to come up with a solution to the commonwealth’s transportation problems. Delegate Marshall decreed that there was no transportation crisis in our area.

It’s true that we don’t have the traffic congestion found in Northern Virginia. U.S. 58 rarely backs up like I-495. But tell any of the thousands of local residents who lost their jobs in textile and furniture that we don’t need a new interstate highway to attract new business to our community, and you’ll probably find some disagreement.

First, a quick history. Last year, the General Assembly passed a transportation plan. It was lacking in a number of areas. Huge fees were assessed for traffic violations. Public outrage over these “abusive driver fees” led to their quick repeal this past session. Then in February, the Supreme Court of Virginia declared the Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads regional transportation plans unconstitutional because the taxes imposed were levied by unelected public officials, not the General Assembly. These two developments essentially gutted the transportation plan, so back to the drawing board we went.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and General Assembly Democrats agreed that any plan we passed should have a statewide component which would help all of Virginia. In addition to providing road money for our area, a statewide plan would shore up the deficit in the highway maintenance fund. Presently we have to pull about $400 million out of the new construction fund to pay for highway maintenance.

But House of Delegates Republicans only wanted to provide for regional plans in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. Moreover, much of the money they would send to these regions would come from the general fund, which is used to pay for education. Simply put, we would rob schools in Danville and Pittsylvania County to provide money to build roads in Fairfax.  That’s not fair.

I carried the governor’s bill in the House. It provided for modest increases in the sales tax, the titling tax and the grantor’s tax. With gas at $4 per gallon the governor and I both agreed that we should not raise the gasoline tax.

After the special session started, House and Senate Democrats and the governor agreed to go forward on a slightly different bill that would rely primarily on a quarter-cent increase in the sales tax statewide to fund our roads … a quarter of a penny. What’s more, the bill would have cut the sales tax on food. The bill was defeated on a party-line vote. In its place, House Republicans voted for a Northern Virginia- and Hampton Roads-only plan. 

I’m disappointed my Republican colleagues in the House didn’t vote for a statewide transportation plan. Now there’s no more money for U.S. 58. Replacement of the Robertson Bridge in Danville must now be delayed. 

In my 17 years in the House of Delegates, I’ve tried very hard to be honest and candid with my constituents. To that end I would tell you that you can’t build roads for free. I support a transportation plan that would provide money not just for Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, but for our part of Virginia as well. Anything less shortchanges our residents in favor of other areas of the state.

• Ward L. Armstrong represents portions of Martinsville, as well as portions of Henry, Patrick and Carroll counties in the Virginia House of Delegates, where he serves as Minority Leader.