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Low expectations
Published Saturday, January 9, 2010
Steve Stewart
No knock on this area’s legislative delegation, but the collective message from lawmakers at the Franklin-Southampton Area Chamber of Commerce’s semiannual Eggs and Issues breakfast was less than encouraging.
The 2010 regular session of the General Assembly kicks off next week in Richmond, and, if the Western Tidewater delegation’s assessment is correct, there will be little for this columnist to like.
* At a time when our community needs all of the advantages it can get in economic development, lawmakers are unlikely to fund significant transportation improvements. That means two projects critically important for job creation in Franklin, Southampton County and Isle of Wight County — the widening of Route 58/Holland Road through western Suffolk and a new Route 460 — almost certainly won’t happen soon.
* Nonpartisan redistricting — Virginia’s only hope for more competitive and ideologically diverse legislative and congressional races — won’t fly in time for remapping triggered by the 2010 Census. Despite some signals from Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell and the Senate leadership that they are amenable to the concept, House leaders remain steadfastly opposed. So the gerrymandering will continue.
* A modest proposal designed to save taxpayers some money and help cash-strapped local governments fund important services like education and police protection has been dismissed out of hand by lawmakers even before the session begins.
I haven’t studied closely legislation to combine the offices of treasurer and commissioner of the revenue into one director of finance — and am not ready to endorse it unequivocally — but it sure would be nice if lawmakers would let the ink dry on Gov. Tim Kaine’s proposed budget before they dismiss the concept.
Lawmakers’ declaration that the proposal is dead on arrival at the General Assembly reminded me why government rarely gets more efficient.
In the private sector, multitasking by employees is common and has sustained many businesses during an era of shrinking revenues. Meantime, the public sector can’t even have a discussion about consolidation.
Short of a statewide mandate, it seems lawmakers would at least give localities — especially small ones like Franklin, Southampton and Isle of Wight — the option to combine constitutional offices if the electorate deemed it wise.
Sen. Fred Quayle, R-Suffolk, said he hasn’t heard from anyone who likes the idea. Next time your local government raises your taxes or tells you it can’t afford to hire more police officers to keep you safe, consider giving Quayle a call.
Steve Stewart is publisher of The Tidewater News. His e-mail address is steve.stewart@tidewaternews.com.
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Posted by sweetwater (anonymous) on January 9, 2010 at 1:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This idea of consolidating the commissioner and the treasurer is news to me. I had not considered it until now. I wish Steve would have given a little more insight into Mr. Quayle's and other's reasons for not supporting the idea.
Consolidation seems to be good way to save money but there must be some reasons why it is so unpopular to the legislators (other than the constitutional headaches). A couple of possibilities come to mind;
1. Consolidating the two offices under one person might be considered too dangerous. Having one person in charge of assessment, accounting and collections might be too much unchecked power for one office and could lead to abuse.
2. Would the reduction in staff lead to poor performance in collections at a time when delinquencies are sure to be on the rise?
Steve, send out a reporter or two to begin a series of columns on local government plans for cost reductions like the one mentioned here. In the meantime, thanks for actually giving me something to think about.
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