Tuesday, May 20, 2008

AFP-VA leads fight against Kaine's tax hike proposal

The Virginia chapter of Americans for Prosperity (AFP) has been slamming Gov. Tim Kaine’s plan that would hike taxes by OVER A BILLION DOLLARS each year to address transportation needs.

In Woodbridge, one week ago, more than 80 AFP-VA members attended Gov. Kaine’s town hall meeting and let him know that raising taxes was unacceptable.

In Hampton, on Thursday, more than 60 AFP-VA members attended the Governor’s town hall meeting there, and repeadedly hit him with questions about state spending priorities.

AFP-VA has called the proposed increases to the motor vehicle sales tax, grantor (real estate transfer) tax, and vehicle registration fees, regressive and unnecessary. We are holding 20 town hall meetings at locations around the state to discuss the plan and are circulating a citizen petition that calls on lawmakers to embrace reform and reject tax hikes. Click here to sign our NO TAX HIKE CITIZEN PETITION!

AFP-VA has already achieved a great deal of success in our fight against Governor Kaine’s tax hike scheme. Media coverage of AFP and our activists in this endeavor has been extensive. We are getting the word out and winning the war of ideas! Below is some of the most recent media coverage we have received for our efforts to bring lower taxes and fiscal responsibility to the Commonwealth.

Check out this article on May 16 from the Virginian-Pilot:
Ben Marchi, who represented a group calling itself Americans for Prosperity, an anti-tax group from the Charlottesville area, said Virginia was wasting money on promotions such as lottery tickets that could be better spent on transportation. Such programs, he said, indicated the state's inability to set priorities.

Check out this one on May 18 from the Daily Press:
Americans for Prosperity, a group that focuses on cutting taxes and wasteful government spending, plans to show up in force wherever the governor appears. They oppose the statewide and regional tax increases that Kaine is pushing to shore up the maintenance fund and bankroll highway projects in Hampton Roads. Marchi says the sales tax hurts poor people. The grantor's tax hits the struggling home-building industry. "This is not the way to fix transportation," he said.

He (Benjamin Marchi) and his members believe government can fund growing transportation needs and still live within its means. "I understand some people don't want to make tough choices," he said, "but we have to."

AFP-Virginia: Day at the Capitol, June 23
On June 23, be sure to join your fellow AFP-VA activists in Richmond for our Day at the Capitol. Spend the day meeting with your legislators, watching the budget process, and listening to elected officials emphasize the importance of leaving more money in the pockets of taxpayers. Take advantage of the opportunity to meet with others AFP members from nearby localities to discuss the state budget, various bills that had been passed and vetoed, and just generally enjoy the company of like-minded folks.

We hope to see you on June 23rd in Richmond!

Stop Gov. Kaine's $1.1 billion tax hike by attending a town hall meeting near you!

We need your help to stop unwarranted Virginia tax hikes that are heading our way! Governor Tim Kaine has proposed hiking taxes by hundreds of millions of dollars annually, including increases to the motor vehicle sales tax, the grantor tax (which is paid on home sales), and vehicle registration fees. Now the Governor is holding Town Hall meetings around the state to build support for his plan before the upcoming transportation special session on June 23.

You can help us defeat this unnecessary tax hike today by attending one of the Governor's Town Hall meetings (click here to view a full schedule) and signing the Americans for Prosperity NO TAX HIKE CITIZEN PETITION, click here.

Raising taxes should be an option of last resort, not a knee-jerk reaction designed to avoid making tough reforms. We believe creating a sustainable and accountable transportation system for our state begins with reforms (Click here for more talking points):

• Put a constitutional lock on transportation dollars to guard against raids by cash-hungry politicians;
• Implement more public-private partnerships to build and expand roads;
• Implement comprehensive reform to the Virginia Department of Transportation, including prioritization of projects based on cost per hour of delay that will get the most out of existing transportation dollars.

Governor Kaine needs to hear from you! We need your help to defeat this tax hike. Be sure to let Governor Kaine know that you are a member of Americans for Prosperity. Tell him you oppose tax hikes and support meaningful transportation reform. No sign-in is required to attend or ask questions. All Town Hall meetings are open to the public and media. Governor Timothy M. Kaine will hold a series of statewide Town Hall meetings to discuss the upcoming transportation special session on June 23.

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is the nation’s premier grassroots organization committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits.

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