MY VIEW/Alexandria's Tax and State Mentality

Photo by John Arundel The city at dusk.

ALEXANDRIA, VA. - Despite claiming descent from the 18th century classical liberalism professed by the Founding Fathers, Libertarianism has had a hard time gaining wide acceptance in American society.
 
Considered a third party, the movement has experienced some rejuvenation via the Tea Party Movement, but it remains on the fringes.

Alexandria City Hall at the turn of the century.

It is a curiosity, but one explained through the collective mindset found in mainstream America. Alexandria serves as an excellent case study as to why Libertarianism has yet to break through.

This year Alexandria’s economic and budget problems have gotten worse. The city government is currently dealing with an estimated $44 million budget shortfall and is desperately trying to find a way to close the gap.

A report made by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that of Virginia cities Alexandria is falling behind on health matters. Problems more common amongst Alexandria residents than the typical Virginia city include binge drinking, adult smoking, and the percentage of high school dropouts.

The solution for these and other problems Alexandria suffers from comes naturally: the government. In  Alexandria as well as Arlington, officials seek to increase taxation on populations already dealing with hefty tax rates.

Alexandria City Manager James Hartmann proposed increasing the city’s tax rate by 7.8%. This would make the average homeowner pay $103 dollars more in property tax. Delegate Adam Ebbin, one of three Alexandrian representatives in the Virginia House of Delegates, proposed adding a statewide tax on shopping bags.

Photo by John Arundel City Manager James Hartmann and Mayor Bill Euille.

Granted, Hartmann also proposes spending cuts to nearly all the city’s departments. Yet the proposed cuts total $19 million, an amount well below the $44 million shortfall. Furthermore, it is unlikely that these spending cuts will be deemed acceptable. Its even possible they will be rejected when Alexandria finalizes its budget.

With this contemplation, we see with Alexandria and her government officials the mindset that hinders Libertarian ideology. Spending cuts are not seen as a chance for the private sector to step in and edify an enterprise, they are seen as horrible.

At the state level, Alexandrians denounce the notion of cutting programs or funds to programs. When recently elected Governor Robert McDonnell announced that various cuts would be made to the Commonwealth’s budget, their was a backlash.

Democratic Senator Patricia Ticer (D-30) referred to the Governor’s proposals as “slash and burn budgeting” that would “reverse the progress Virginia has made in previous years.”

Photo by John Arundel Mayor Bill Euille.

Delegate David Englin (D-45) remarked that “If their proposed cuts to public education and Medicaid actually pass, tens of thousands of teachers and health care workers will lose their jobs. This will undermine both our public schools and our health care system, and it will erase any net job growth resulting from our other economic development efforts.”

In addition to criticism, the two Alexandrian representatives do offer alternatives. Ticer has talked about supporting SB 343, which regards the gas tax. Of the many bills Englin has proposed in the 2010 General Assembly session, one is described as follows: “that Virginia will receive a portion of revenue from the federal inheritance tax if U.S. Congress reinstates it, and partially re-instates the Virginia inheritance tax.”

In response to fiscal problems in the Commonwealth Ticer and Englin both prescribe solutions involving taxation. Significance is not just found in who proposed it, but rather the level of acceptance for the officials in question. Englin handily won his delegate seat and has been reelected typically with two-thirds of the vote. Ticer has been re-elected multiple times by her constituents, including one year when she ran unopposed.

Alexandria resides not in solitude.
 
Across the Potomac lobbyists and pundits on both sides of the political aisle seek to divest from one thing or fund another. The assumption for those involved is that government funding is a must and government divesting is bad. Whenever someone proposes a plan to cut a program, the special interests will step in and soon whoever proposed the cut, even if they had good intentions, is demonized.

Privatization is a bad word in Alexandria, DC, and most of the country.
 
Alexandria serves as a good case study as to why Libertarians remain a small minority. For what they desire and see as beneficial to the economy, society, and individual well being is seen as inhumane to mainstream society.
    
Until Libertarian ideology’s confessors can convince the mainstream that their intentions are decent, they will continue to fight uphill battles.
 
Michael Gryboski lives in Alexandria.