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EDITORIAL: Rocky Road(Richmond Times-Dispatch (VA) (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sep. 7--We long have supported regional approaches to transportation. We long have argued that the gasoline tax remains the fairest and most efficient way to finance transportation projects, and that if governing bodies conclude they need to generate additional transportation revenue then they ought to summon the moxie to raise taxes at the pump. A committee of local worthies has proposed a regional transportation authority for Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover that would have the power to raise gasoline taxes. It has forwarded the idea to the various jurisdictions, which will decide whether to send the package to the General Assembly for authorization. Politics looms as a greater roadblock than the concept. Although fuel prices have dropped from their $4 highs, they still stand at levels considered extortionate by Americans accustomed to inexpensive energy. Raising gasoline taxes is never politically easy; raising them during an era of high prices could prove impossible. The Assembly seems unlikely to open the express lanes for the proposal. Regional issues need almost unanimous support from the local delegation. We have our doubts of the plan's chances, especially as today's dogmatists would read Ronald Reagan out of the GOP and the conservative movement because he not only cut taxes during his presidency but also raised them in what no doubt was described at the time as the biggest tax hike in history. Metro Richmond lacks the congestion that vexes Northern Virginia and, in different ways, torments Hampton Roads. The point is to stay ahead of the game. Regional transportation planning already exists. This route would put a specific vehicle in place. The Assembly has accomplished a lot regarding transportation in recent years, particularly on issues related to land-use planning. We believe it must do more on the dollar side. A regional authority for Central Virginia confronts a rocky road, but it is worth pressing if only to continue to apply general pressure for action. To see more of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.timesdispatch.com. Copyright (c) 2008, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |