Please do not forget to register as a delegate to the Fairfax County Republican Committee Convention. The filing form and Official Call are on our webpage:
www.fairfaxgop.org
The form is due to your District Chairs by March 29, 2008.
March 18, 2008
Gerry Connolly and the NVTA
I submitted this to the Fairfax Journal as a Letter to the Editor. Since, I gather it might not be published, I have decided to post it here:
“On February 29, 2008, the State Supreme Court handed down a decision that sent shock waves through the political community in Virginia. The Court ruled that the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) was unconstitutional as it is comprised of unelected members who were given the power to levy taxes. This explicitly violates the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia that mandates any taxes levied must be done by the General Assembly. However, why would the State Legislature draft such a grossly unconstitutional law? The answer may shock you! They didn’t.
Last year, the Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Gerry Connolly lobbied Governor Kaine to remove a clause from the Transportation bill that gave local governments the ability to levy taxes regarding road improvements. Had the original bill passed, local boards such as the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors would be the responsible body in charge of taking care of our regional transportation problems. Governor Kaine, in response, removed that clause and generated the idea of the “Transportation Boards.” The General Assembly passed the bill that Kaine edited and hoped this would solve the huge transportation problems that Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads are facing. But, it didn’t! The bill was appealed to the State Supreme Court and they struck it down as violating our constitution.
My question and the question all Fairfax County residents should be asking is: Why was Gerry Connolly so afraid of having the power to fix transportation? Why was he unwilling to have that power given to his Board of Supervisors? And, why should we elect a man to serve in Congress, who is afraid to take on such tough issues as transportation?
The transportation issue could have been fixed a year ago, had the local Board’s of Supervisor’s been given the responsibility. However, in part because of Gerry Connolly, that power was not delegated and the alternative method was invalidated. Now, Fairfax County residents must continue to wait in endless traffic jams, and drive on dilapidated roads. We can all thank Mr. Connolly for refusing to accept the power to fix that.”
-David Skiles
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