| 
| 
Thompson
by Michael W. Thompson
Chairman/President of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy
With the issue of transportation funding settled, it's time for serious tax reform that can grow our economy, provide more spending money for Virginians, and relieve businesses of some truly job-killing taxes. The results of tax reform can offset the job losses we face from cuts in the federal budget. Tax reform can be revenue neutral fashion and have dramatic impact on Virginia's economy.
The Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy worked for two years on a major new Tax Restructuring proposal and the General Assembly has now taken notice and is seriously looking at this idea. Over the next few months, hearings will be held by the Manufacturing Development Commission and the Small Business Commission - including the Virginia Association of Counties and the Virginia Municipal League - to review our study and its potential to help the state's economy. The goal is to have a serious tax reform proposal crafted by the end of the year.
The study demonstrates that we can enjoy a major tax restructuring that will create an overall net plus on job creation, cash in our pockets, and business investment.
The Jefferson Institute study found that the unpopular gross receipts tax on business (known as the Business Professional Occupation Licensing or BPOL), the Machine and Tool Tax and the Merchants Capital Tax can be eliminated, the local governments that collect these taxes can be "made whole" through the broadening of the sales tax to industries currently exempt, and personal income tax reductions can be achieved.
|
Friday, 29 March 2013 08:31 | Last Updated on Sunday, 07 April 2013 20:02 | |
| |
[Editor’s Note: The following exchange was the result of a FOIA request by Robert K. Dean, chairman of the Tidewater Libertarian Party (TLP) to Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) . The request for the information was made on March 7, 2013, and a reply was received by Dean on March 13, 2013. These questions were raised as a result of two public meeting held by HRT to seek comments from Virginia Beach residents as to the possibility of running a light rail spot to and through the Hilltop shopping area.] by Robert K. Dean HRT stated that a contractor estimated a LTR cost of $807 million (exclusive of Laskin Road tie in). What documentation on cost breakouts was submitted on this forecast to HRT? Please send an itemized breakout on each component of the proposed LTR cost.
Tuesday, 12 March 2013 18:13 | Last Updated on Tuesday, 12 March 2013 18:19 | |
| |
One of the things that is hard for the editor to take is how naive Municipal Columnist Bob O’Connor is getting. We’ve known Bob a long time. Normally he is practical. Logical. Cognizant of the corruption of government. But he went too far in this week’s blog in writing the Beach City Council should consider the hardships of the citizens as they plan the new budget. Say What, Robert?
|
Monday, 18 March 2013 15:21 | Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 March 2013 07:50 | |
| |
by Kenneth White, President Mr. Chairman and members of the Board, my name is Glenda Cahoon and I live at 3227 Tye River Road, Tye River. I am here to speak as a representative of the Virginia Taxpayers Association, and all the words I will read to you today were written by, and approved by Kenneth White, President of the Virginia Taxpayers Association. Since the last regular monthly meeting of your Board, there has been a lot of discussion in the media on use of drones to spy on Americans, and as you know, both houses of the General Assembly, the Senate controlled by Democrats and the House of Delegates controlled by Republicans, have passed resolutions with comfortable margins declaring that drones shall not be used for two years by any state or local law enforcement agencies in Virginia except in cases of a special emergency. You also know that the Charlottesville City Council will be voting shortly on a resolution favored by the city's mayor against the use of drones. As you know, it was the Virginia Taxpayers Association that first brought to your attention months ago, before the present controversy, the projected unconstitutional use of 30,000 drones over the United States. But your reaction has always been: "Ho-hum, who cares about the government spying on our every move, by car, on foot, in our living rooms, on our TV sets and our computers?"
Saturday, 09 March 2013 17:19 | Last Updated on Thursday, 14 March 2013 07:00 | |
| |
Virginians are taking aim at Gov. Bob McDonnell with big expenditures for an add blasting him for a historic tax increase to fund his transportation plan. See Anti-McDonnell ad running in Iowa Adobe Flash Player not installed or older than 7.0.14!  The Conservative Political Action Conference helped fund the ad which is running in Iowa where McDonnell is testing the waters for a future presidential run. He’s not getting much sympathy and is working behind the scenes ‘to make this ‘bogey man’ go away. “I understand,” said one top conservative, “it literally jolted the crap out of him.” He has been holding talks with failed GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s financial people about joining his fund raising team. “McDonnell isn’t likely to veto the transportation,” said a GOP source, “but if he doesn’t slice it into smaller pieces to send it back to the General Assembly, we’re going to see he isn’t elected to the U.S. Senate or the presidency.”
|
Virginia News Source recently underwent a rag head hack attack that screwed up some of our systems and columnists. But we have recovered and we’ll let columnist ‘Jihad’ John Kuchta handle the terrorists and we’ll continue reporting.