http://hrblogs.typepad.com/the_shad_plank/Daily news about Virginia politics and politicians.enFri, 18 Dec 2009 12:13:45 PSTTypePad http://www.typepad.com/http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/typepad/dailypress/the_shad_plank/~3/hcbHiac3cIw/virginia-income-tax-detail-from-kaines-office.htmlKimball PayneFri, 18 Dec 2009 12:13:45 PSTtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d73669e2012876678205970cGov. Timothy M. Kaine's office is offering some historical perspective on his proposal to boost the state's income tax 1 percent to offset the $950 million a year spent on the car tax. Here's the detail straight from the governor, and remember that these are answers from the folks who are advocating the increase: - When was the last time the state income tax was increased? The last time the state income tax was increased was 1972 when the 5.75% rate was added for income over $12,000 annually. (The $12,000 figure was increased to $17,000 in the late 1980s.) The corporate tax rate was also increased from 5% to the current 6%. Before 1972 the last increase was when the 5% rate was added in...http://hrblogs.typepad.com/the_shad_plank/2009/12/virginia-income-tax-detail-from-kaines-office.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/typepad/dailypress/the_shad_plank/~3/NJd3Keon_RI/govelect-mcdonnell-weighs-in-on-kaines-budget.htmlKimball PayneFri, 18 Dec 2009 11:09:08 PSTtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d73669e20120a7642a6f970bHere's the full statement released by Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell - we're adding emphasis to help you skim read. “In accordance with his responsibilities as the Chief Executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Governor Kaine has put forward his proposed budget for the 2011-2012 biennium. I fully recognize that this has not been an easy time in which to lead Virginia, and I respect the tough decisions that the Governor has had to make in this budget and in previous budget reductions. I also commend the Governor for his stated goals in preparing this document: preserving Virginia’s Triple A bond rating, funding core government services, and making tough decisions necessary to position the Commonwealth for future economic growth. These are the right considerations in the preparation...http://hrblogs.typepad.com/the_shad_plank/2009/12/govelect-mcdonnell-weighs-in-on-kaines-budget.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/typepad/dailypress/the_shad_plank/~3/yjqKd7lzrG0/gop-sounds-off-on-kaines-budget.htmlKimball PayneFri, 18 Dec 2009 10:47:25 PSTtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d73669e20120a764175e970bHere's the full statement from the Republican Party of Virginia: Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine today submitted his final budget that only stays in balance if a massive tax increase he included is implemented. Kaine has proposed ending personal property tax and replacing it with an increase in income taxes, which he projects would raise billions in new revenues from taxpayers during tough economic times. In November’s elections, Republicans were overwhelmingly swept into all three statewide offices and increased their majority in the House of Delegates with a message that included a pledge to remain firmly against tax increases. Kaine faced a $3.5 billion shortfall in this budget, largely because his administration had based its spending roadmap on wildly optimistic projections of future revenues...http://hrblogs.typepad.com/the_shad_plank/2009/12/gop-sounds-off-on-kaines-budget.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/typepad/dailypress/the_shad_plank/~3/NphcPmqxGSE/house-speaker-howell-car-tax-elimination-dead-on-arrival-.htmlKimball PayneFri, 18 Dec 2009 08:16:46 PSTtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d73669e2012876668bef970cWell that was short lived: House Speaker William J. Howell took to the hallways of the General Assembly Friday morning to inform anyone who would listen that doing away with car tax relief won't survive the House of Delegates. "That's very real relief," Howell said of the $950 million that Gov. Timothy M. Kaine proposed eliminating. "We're returning that to the taxpayers." Howell and Del. Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights, were both dismissive of Kaine's proposal that the state should end car tax payments to cities and counties and raise the income tax 1 percent to provide local governments with level money. Kaine told the money committee's that the entire cost of the car tax is around $1.6 billion a year, and an income tax hike...http://hrblogs.typepad.com/the_shad_plank/2009/12/house-speaker-howell-car-tax-elimination-dead-on-arrival-.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/typepad/dailypress/the_shad_plank/~3/z_ZTjP2cpmk/listen-to-the-governors-budget-speech.htmlDailyPress.ComFri, 18 Dec 2009 07:41:29 PSTtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d73669e20120a7635f7b970bHere's a link to a recording of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's budget speech this morning. Warning: There's a lot of traffic. It moves slowly. Listen here.http://hrblogs.typepad.com/the_shad_plank/2009/12/listen-to-the-governors-budget-speech.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/typepad/dailypress/the_shad_plank/~3/akuUPG0tqYE/kaine-proposes-stoopping-car-tax-payments-950-million-a-year-.htmlKimball PayneFri, 18 Dec 2009 07:41:33 PSTtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d73669e2012876666158970cGov. Timothy M. Kaine just wrapped up a half-hour speech in which he announced that his two year budget will not include $950 million a year that helps outset local car tax payments. Kaine said that he had reached a point where further cuts to education, public safety and health care would be too difficult for the state to handle. Kaine proposed deep cuts to k-12 and funding for local governments - totalling about $2.3 billion. But the two-year budget had a $3.6 billion budget hole.http://hrblogs.typepad.com/the_shad_plank/2009/12/kaine-proposes-stoopping-car-tax-payments-950-million-a-year-.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/typepad/dailypress/the_shad_plank/~3/VN-M6Tz03xI/kaine-starts-any-second-budget-details-come-out-after-speech-.htmlKimball PayneFri, 18 Dec 2009 06:34:57 PSTtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d73669e2012876663d51970cFor folks game planning their morning around Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's speech about spending cuts, you might have to wait a little while for the meat of the details. Kaine's folks are passing out hard copies of the gigantic state budget, but Kaine's office isn't planning to release the full summary until after Kaine finishes speaking to the joint meeting of the House and Senate money committees. So that means the details are going to be trickling out from everywhere over the next couple of hours. Kaine has a 11 a.m. conference call scheduled, so the full info should be out by then. The room is up and applauding right now, Kaine has taken the stage. We'll be back soon.http://hrblogs.typepad.com/the_shad_plank/2009/12/kaine-starts-any-second-budget-details-come-out-after-speech-.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/typepad/dailypress/the_shad_plank/~3/2V2XGk9TaC8/richmond-is-buzzing-waiting-for-kaine-expect-major-cuts-layoffs-and-tax-hikes.htmlKimball PayneFri, 18 Dec 2009 06:29:45 PSTtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d73669e20120a7631d34970bGov. Timothy M. Kaine is due to show up with a two year spending plan in Richmond in the next half and hour or so, and the General Assembly building is humming with state officials, lawmakers and insiders hoping to get an early glimpse of the plan. As it stands now, Kaine is searching for ways to fill a $3.6 billion hole over the next two years. Kaine has warned that there won't be much good in his final budget, especially since his administration has been forced to cut $7 billion in state spending over the past two years as the global economy soured. Kaine, a Democrat, is crafting the two year spending plan that incoming Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell will have to work with over...http://hrblogs.typepad.com/the_shad_plank/2009/12/richmond-is-buzzing-waiting-for-kaine-expect-major-cuts-layoffs-and-tax-hikes.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/typepad/dailypress/the_shad_plank/~3/sindcWcKakY/virginia-tax-amnesty-pulls-in-100-millionhouse-cuts-spending.htmlKimball PayneThu, 17 Dec 2009 15:15:12 PSTtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d73669e201287663e973970cVirginia's tax coffers are $103 million richer today thanks to a tax amnesty program designed to get people to stop hiding and start paying. The "Get Square VA" program opened a 60-day window for folks who owed money to pay up and dodge penalties and pay only half of the interest rates that they normally would have to pony up. So essentially the program was a cattle call for folks who hadn't paid up and the folks who didn't use the program now face an additional 20 percent delinquency charge. The state was expecting to get about $41 million from the program. The last time the state offered tax amnesty was in 2003 and the state collected $98.3 million that time around. Clearly this influx...http://hrblogs.typepad.com/the_shad_plank/2009/12/virginia-tax-amnesty-pulls-in-100-millionhouse-cuts-spending.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/typepad/dailypress/the_shad_plank/~3/XTiszqaRehc/gop-eyeing-virginia-sen-webb-as-possible-health-care-defector-.htmlKimball PayneMon, 14 Dec 2009 08:54:33 PSTtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d73669e20120a74f7c55970bNational Republicans are searching the U.S. Senate rolls for Democratic allies, who might vote against a health care reform bill. And over the weekend, the GOP eyes started turning more aggressively toward to Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, a notoriously independent Democrat who has voted with the Republicans recently on a number of health care issues. The research arm of the Republican National Committee sent out a email detailing Webb's legislative history and attacking health care for what it could to mean to Virginia families. And a number of Republicans told Politico that they are trying to "smoke out" Webb to see where he stands, hinting that Webb could end up voting against sending a health care bill to President Barack Obama. Here's some good detail...http://hrblogs.typepad.com/the_shad_plank/2009/12/gop-eyeing-virginia-sen-webb-as-possible-health-care-defector-.html