Virginia is Not For Tax Lovers

From the WSJ:

In Virginia's primary races Tuesday, several Republicans who voted for the biggest tax increase in the commonwealth's history in 2004 faced single-issue anti-tax challengers. The most vocal of those pro-tax incumbents was so embattled that he withdrew from the race. Another was trounced, two-to-one, by a twentysomething political neophyte. Two others barely won, and in the statewide contests to select the GOP's Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General nominees, the tax hike defenders were upset by anti-tax challengers. Several other tax-raising Republicans beat back challenges more comfortably, but we suspect they also got the voter message.

GOP taxpayers had reason to be upset because they now know the $1.4 billion tax increase was sold under false pretenses. Democratic Governor Mark Warner -- who had won in 2001 on a no-new-taxes-pledge -- argued that it was necessary to balance the state budget even as the reviving economy was creating a new revenue surge. This year Virginia is sitting on a $1.5 billion surplus thanks to a 14% rise in tax revenues.

Will this surplus now be returned to taxpayers? Will it be used to kill the state's hated car tax, as Republicans once promised? Guess again. Mr. Warner and the legislators are spending the new money as fast as it comes in.

I find it very interesting that many Democrats think Gov. Warner is their "Great Hope" as a Senatorial, Vice Presidential or even Presidential candidate. And that should surprise no one - he loves to raise taxes, even when they're not needed. And the fact that Virginia has a few jellyfish Republican legislators somehow makes Warner "bipartisan."