Keep the Dillion Rule to protect the people

Editor:

And they say satire is dead.  Posh.

 

The Dillion Rule means the only people who can raise your taxes are subject to your vote - at city/county, General Assembly or Governor.  Virginians want to keep it that way.

 

The same people who promote Regionalism push more taxes.  They are clueless.   Mayor (D) Joe Frank is a classic example (although he may have something about the best and brightest not running for office, like mayor).  It wasn't the lack of crisis that beat the Tax Referendum, it was lack of trust for him and other politicians - of both parties.  The people voted kNOw 2:1 because it was the wrong referendum, wrong tax and the wrong plan.  The plan reeked of corruption - violating the Virginia Constitution to let an un-elected Regional government spend billions of dollars without adult supervision.

 

A sound plan for mass transit, or a Third Crossing for the Port of Norfolk, properly financed and engineered will be welcomed by the voters.  What other regional projects are needed?

 

Downtowns die when the people exercise their free will to not go there.  The only thing governments can do is make it safe - completely safe - to go downtown, or anywhere else, at any hour for a woman alone.  Then, business folks who want to make money will and the people will come.

 

Taxes kill jobs.  Sorry, I couldn't share this message at the meeting, but I was at work.

 

Respectfully,

 

James Atticus Bowden
ex- Vice Chair kNOw