Common ground sought on transportation issues

Good intentions collided with political reality Wednesday as legislators from Virginia's two most congested regions met each other halfway to discuss their transportation woes.

[Timothy Hutton]

This is mindless and useless political clap-trap, UNTIL THEY FIX VDOT.

Why raise more money for the most mismanaged, corrupt, fraud ridden, incompetent VDOT managers in transportation history?

MORE MONEY WON'T FIX IT.

FIRING THE VDOT MANAGEMENT AND STARTING OVER IS A GOOD START!

The problem isn't money, ITS VDOT.

[Justsayin]

Considering the big role that Republican Glenn Oder played in getting the ILLEGAL UNCONSTITUTIONAL REGIONAL TAXING AUTHORITY PASSED, I can see why he's desperately trying to salvage his quickly sinking political career. Shame on you DP, for not pointing out that Oder voted FOR THE ILLEGAL UNCONSTITUTIONAL mess that got us here.

I agree with first poster. FIX VDOT then come back and tell us why you need the money. Just firing the top management in VDOT would give you enough money to fix the roads for decades.

Face it, we need new leadership in the House of Delegates. Republicans had their chance and they blew it! Time for new blood.

[josiah p]

blah, blah, blah,and blah. it's past time for action, which always speaks louder than words. those responsible for resolving this debacle should, at the very least, be very much ashamed of themselves. the longer the problem exists, the more difficult the solution becomes. rise up general public, throw off your chains, let your voices be heard, and demand that something be done!!!

[josiah p]

blah, blah, blah,and blah. it's past time for action, which always speaks louder than words. those responsible for resolving this debacle should, at the very least, be very much ashamed of themselves. the longer the problem exists, the more difficult the solution becomes. rise up general public, throw off your chains, let your voices be heard, and demand that something be done!!!

[josiah q]

As long as they keep trying to foist upon the state a laundry list of the road contractor's pet projects, always the highest dollar items necessary and not usually a good value for our tax dollars, these efforts are doomed to be a mere contiuation of the frustrating gridlock that is in place now. The public is willing to pay for needed infrastructure improvements, but not with a blank check. Like any good shopper, we want good value in our spending, and projects like the proposed Third Crossing (as designed to primarily help the Maersk terminal planned for Craney Island and to overfill I-64 on the Peninsula) are just not good value. This game of political "chicken" is disgusting and entirely the fault of the Republicans and their blindly applied pledges. They had their chance at leadership, only to discover that they are better suited to be the opposition party.

[Walther]

Stop the madness! We've got a bunch of incompetent idiots running this state. Kaine is truly one of the worst gov's we've had next to Wilder and Warner. The Republicans in the legislature turned their backs on the conservatives and started this whole "regional transportation abortion" mess. Democrats never saw a tax increase they didn't love. VDOT - well - the only thing missing with VDOT is the big top tent and circus pipe music playing in their offices. There is a proposed 3rd. crossing that will not do a thing for the congestion at the HRBT - and that is our big problem in Hampton Roads. Increase tax on gasoline that people can't afford now? Are they on crack???!!!!

[Wondering]

With the Richmond area considering a regional setup also, I'm curious as to why NVA & HR didn't include them. It would certainly go a long ways in obtaining a larger majority.

Of course, then you have more people to try to please.

It will be interesting to see what ridculous compromise they come up with this time.

[Walter-No H Needed]

Walther wrote:

Stop the madness! We've got a bunch of incompetent idiots running this state. Kaine is truly one of the worst gov's we've had next to Wilder and Warner. The Republicans in the legislature turned their backs on the conservatives and started this whole "regional transportation abortion" mess. Democrats never saw a tax increase they didn't love. VDOT - well - the only thing missing with VDOT is the big top tent and circus pipe music playing in their offices. There is a proposed 3rd. crossing that will not do a thing for the congestion at the HRBT - and that is our big problem in Hampton Roads. Increase tax on gasoline that people can't afford now? Are they on crack???!!!!

There is agreement that the 3rd Crossing will only cost a ton of money and make things worse on this side of the water. Other than that, I think you are drinking way too much of the right-wing partisan Kool-Aid. The "regional transportation abortion" mess you refer to is a child of the GOP and has EVERYTHING to do with the conservatives. Torn between the realization that something has to be done and a bunch of activist zealots who control primaries that have extracted "pledges" that fly in the face of reality (ask Marty W about that cadre), the GOPers in the legislature have concocted the ultimate series of chicken moves to get something done without having to take responsibility for it at primary time. Unfortunately, these chicken moves that have compromised the whole need to do something and have amounted to an abdication of the jobs that they were elected for. If they don't want to do those jobs, elect someone from a party that actually does want to do their job.

[Walther]

Are you dopey Walther without an H, or just can't read? I said clearly that the regional transportation authority was started by the Republicans (GOP for those in Rio Linda). These GOP idiots started this whole disaster. Yes, something has to be done, but the first thing you don't do is - RAISE TAXES of any kind. First you get the house in order. VDOT has to be cleaned out. Then we get Kaine out of the gov house and then we clean out the legislature. It's time for a change. We need state management that will get to the root of the problem before throwing more money at it.

[Reid_Greenmun]

Yes do sask Marty Willimans about that - his arrogance and blatant RINO "ignore the will of the people" cost him his 12 year gig.

The main problem isn't the new taxes - it is the wrong-headed MPO plan and those 6 projects guys like Marty Williams tried to force us locals to pay for.

We need congestion relief and instead the MPO brings us billions of port-centric pork!

[saywhat]

I don't live in Hampton Roads: I live in JCC( like Gloucester residents,who also do not live in Hampton Roads).I pay taxes to JCC and the state of Virginia. When and how was I notfied of my move to Hampton Roads?I will ask my local elected official if he is aware we live in Hampton Roads. All peninsula citizens are encouraged to do the same with their elected officials including those recently elected.

[Hampton Handyman]

Now that the elections are over the city of Hampton will probably finance the whole thing.
Of course we will want to build $400,000 condos in the medians.

[Centrist Dem]

Reid_Greenmun wrote:

Yes do sask Marty Willimans about that - his arrogance and blatant RINO "ignore the will of the people" cost him his 12 year gig.
The main problem isn't the new taxes - it is the wrong-headed MPO plan and those 6 projects guys like Marty Williams tried to force us locals to pay for.
We need congestion relief and instead the MPO brings us billions of port-centric pork!

Why is it that Republicans always try to blow off mistakes by Republicans by calling them RINOs? Is your party so divided that you are reduced to bickering amongst yourselves? Have you lurched sooo far to the right that even moderate right-wingers like Marty Williams are too lib for you? No wonder Staal lost. You're becoming the party of the freaks and weirdos. I hope you enjoyed your years of "majority" in the legislature. All you've proven is that you are better situated to be the "loyal opposition" party than to actually lead us anywhere. Thanks for messing up the state so royally. It'll be lots of fun trying to fix all that Gilmour and Howell and the rest of your clowns have done to us.

[Hampton Handyman]

Centrist Dem wrote:

<quoted text>Why is it that Republicans always try to blow off mistakes by Republicans by calling them RINOs? Is your party so divided that you are reduced to bickering amongst yourselves? Have you lurched sooo far to the right that even moderate right-wingers like Marty Williams are too lib for you? No wonder Staal lost. You're becoming the party of the freaks and weirdos. I hope you enjoyed your years of "majority" in the legislature. All you've proven is that you are better situated to be the "loyal opposition" party than to actually lead us anywhere. Thanks for messing up the state so royally. It'll be lots of fun trying to fix all that Gilmour and Howell and the rest of your clowns have done to us.

Yeah because we are watching your party come togather on a national level right now.