 | Del. Wardrup says VA SENATE budget violates VA Constiution |
DEL. WARDRUP SAYS BUDGET WITH TAX HIKE WON'T
HAPPEN!
 VIRGINIA
BEACH (May 6, 2006) - - The state budget
surplus now exceeds $1.5 BILLION and the state Senate still wants to levy
another $1 BILLION tax on the citizens of the Commonwealth, Virginia Beach Del.
Leo Wardrup said Saturday. And it 'ain't gonna happen,' he added.
The much touted budget impasse between the House and Senate is over whether
House Republicans will go along with violating the state Constitution, Wardrup
told the monthly breakfast meeting of the Tidewater Libertarian Party.
The impasse has nothing to do with the fact the House is blocking transportation
needs or won't approve a budget because of a Senate-mandated tax hike. It is
because the Senate insists on tying the budget to a tax hike for transportation.
Wardrup said, "The Constitution of Virginia requires any bill that goes
through the General Assembly be confined to a single purpose..." which
means you can't attach a rabbit hunting amendment to a bill changing the speed
limit. Yet that's what the Senate is trying to do by lumping a tax into the
budget bill.
Called an enigma, obstinate, confusing, 'good Leo, 'bad Leo,' and other names by
the Virginian-Pile It, Wardrup didn't waste an opportunity to take a swipe at
the Pile It, which has always been anti-Leo Wardrup because he doesn't do what
the editors want him to do. Wardrup said, "They ask 'What does Leo want?'
"That's a demeaning sort of thing using a person's first name...they lose
no opportunity to belittle me in any way they can...that makes me madder, so let
them have at it. OK?" To a roaring round of applause, Wardrup continued:
"What do I want? I told them before I ran. I've told them 2 or 3 times ...
since I've been up there: All I want is a budget with no tax increases in
it."
As soon as the budget bill is settled, he said the House will talk about solving
the transportation issues - the top priority of which, in Tidewater, is
upgrading U.S. 460 to Interstate specifications. And it will be a toll road,
Wardrup conceded. No new future roads can be built without tolls.
He used the opportunity to tell the packed house that newspapers and radio are
exempt from sales and use taxes. "Did you know that? Now you start talking
about removing that exemption and you'd think we're talking about throwing the
constitution out."
He's introduced a bill to remove that exemption every year for the past 4 years
and he gains more and more votes each year. Every time it comes up and the
lobbyists for the media appear, I've never seen so many Armani suits and Guicci
loafers in one room in my life to defend that exemption.
Despite the constant media sniping, Wardrup concluded by saying that the budget
needs to be addressed responsibly.
"If it means giving in to what I regard as unconstitutional manuever pushed
forward by the Senate, if it means giving in to a $1B ILLION tax increase and
turning upside down the way we do government in Richmond, then I'm not going to
pass a budget.
I'm not going to sign off on a budget if it has tax increases in it and I'm one
of the negotiators."
The establishment media, he said has fed the public a great deal of
misinformation about the problems the House legislators are facing in being held
hostage by the Senate to commit an illegal, unconstitutional act.
About 75 people attended the Saturday breakfast including students from a
government class at Princess Anne High School.
PA students Ramona Diaz and James Garris talk with Wardrup after
Saturday's breakfast meeting
|
|
|
|
|
