Prop 13 is small stuff when one compares it to the costs associated with illegal immigration - like higher education costs, higher hospital costs and reduced medical services for its citizens, and the cost of the crimes they commit against citizens and other illegals. All these costs and nothing on the revenue (tax) side as these illegals pay little or no taxes - certainly not a the same level as citizens.

I just got back from the grocery store. Yogurt 75 cents. A can of vegetables, over a dollar a can. Are we supposed to eat dirt?

I wish I could afford yogurt and canned vegetables. Even my favorite meal, dogfood is getting too expensive. What is this world coming to?

And why do I have to pay a penalty for having a solid work ethic and wanting to provide a stable finanical life-style for my family? Why is it that I pay more because I had the drive to get a solid education, and apply my intellect toward higher paying jobs? Why is it that in the socialist utopia that liberals are trying to create, under-achievers are compensated at the expense of over-achievers? Why is it that I must subsidize those who failed to take advantage of the opportunities this great country offers? Why is it “they” keep moving the “poverty line” upward, as American society as a whole has gotten wealthier? Why is it that I grew up without a color TV, cable TV, airconditioning, in a family that had one car that was 10 years old, and was considered “middle class”, but now folks who have all of these comforts and ammenities plus driving a new Escalade and living in “Section 8″ are considered “poor”.

How about this: Let’s get rid of the car tax, lower the income tax AND cut spending? Let those of us who earn the money decide what to do with it. Tax us only for those essential services government is statutorially obligated to provide. Let us decide to give to the poor out of charity and cheerful giving, rather than under force from the government. Lets roll this country’s fiscal policy back to the pre-New Deal, Pre-Square Deal, Pre-War on poverty days. Let’s get back to where the founders intended us to be.

How? By cutting spending. EASY!!! They need to demand that each agency come up with a plan for cuts at 3 reduction levels; 3, 5, and 7 percent. We already learned this year that VDOT has been paying 150 percent too much for a lousy laptop and I’m sure that’s one of hundreds of examples of waste, fraud, and abuse. Then they need to let all the localities know that the GOP is serious this time about curbing runaway government growth and send a strong signal to every locality that they should follow suit and formulate the same plan to prepare for the impending loss of the state car tax subsidy. In the past, state agencies and local governments have been successful in coming to the General Assembly and screaming the “sky is falling”….and the budget writers always back down. Did anyone feel one iota of difference in state services when we had the “massive” state layoffs this past year? NO!!!! I have always contended that state government could lose about 10 percent of all state workers and local governments could lose 5 percent and nobody would feel ONE SINGLE difference in what happens in their daily lives. Oh yea…..the press will whine and scream and convince us everyday that the lives of all Virginians will be ruined because the government had to stop growing at such a rapid pace.

Unless the spending side of the equation is dealt with in a serious manner, especially in a time when most citizens understand that the economic conditions call for deep cuts, then we will never stem the upward pressure on the out-of-control growth of budgets on the state and local levels. That’s what was so horrible about the federal “stimulus” sham…..it just helped state and local government budgets to continue to grow unchecked as if our economy was still booming. Who does that help in the long run? Even if you “replace” this revenue with an increase in the state income tax, it will NEVER be enough. I mean come on…. an increase in the income tax at a time where people are out of work or if they’re lucky enough to still have a job, they are working for far less than they had previously? The revenue they are planning to spend already will never materialize.

The huge advantage in this “cut-spending” approach will be the signal it sends to the business community. When they see that the government is finally serious about keeping it’s own house in order, then more economic growth will be unleashed. Jobs will come back, and businesses will look at Virginia once again as a good place to do business and a great environment to prosper. Then when all THAT new revenue rolls in, the GOP can lead once again like REAL REPUBLICANS and return all of it to the taxpayers and businesses in the form of tax cuts. That will be an easy sell because by that time everybody will see that state government agencies and local governments can chug along just fine with less funding.

The GOP has a golden opportunity to unleash a new economic resurgence just by having the backbone to CUT $950 million instead of acting democrat-light and cobbling together other ways to fill this mythical “budget gap.” WILL THEY FINALLY BE LEADERS AND SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH? One can only dream I suppose.

Brink, Colgan: Patrons of Kaine’s lost causes
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2009/12/post_509.html

They see no reason why you should be allowed to keep your money since they’re sure they can do a better job than you of spending it.
One of the biggest goals of communism is to prevent people from accumulating money and passing it down from generation to generation.
That creates people who are not dependent on government.

Also, they see it as a middle class thing - earning money and saving it, while the favored constituency of the left is seen as poor, downtrodden, oppressed.

But instead of helping their constituency, it prevents them from accumulating money and passing it down from generation to generation, and becoming independent of the government.

Big goal of the communists is to make everyone dependent on government

Currently, the state forks over $950 million to the localities in lieu of the car tax, the proposal is to eliminate the car tax, and raise the income tax 1% to address the car tax elimination. If the R’s and D’s were swapped some would be calling this a tax reduction.

Personally, even though I drive older vehicles, I would like to see the car tax go away permanently, why do I have to pay every year for the privilege of owning a car? And if I can afford a new car, why do I have to change my budget to accommodate the car tax?

So, yes, I am for this change (eliminate the car tax (finally), increase the income tax).

As for the states with no income tax - well, they get there revenue through other taxes - high property, high sales, and high fees - there is no free ride.

district29@senate.virginia.gov

New Hampshire and Tennessee limit their state income taxes to only dividends and interest income.

Have to pay for a white elephant somehow.

http://www.freedomchatter.com/tag/karl-marx/

http://www.libertyzone.com/Communist-Manifesto-Planks.html

He was against the gas tax before he was for it. I don’t kow how he ever got labeled as a centerist when all I’ve known from his is a lover of higher taxes.