Jeff E. Schapiro, ever colorful and never shy to express a point with personal panache, has pronounced Gov. Tim Kaine an increasingly lame duck, thanks to the state’s, and not Kaine’s, constitution.

While implying quacks in quotes ascribed to Kaine, Schapiro points to a more real reason that reaching a transportation compromise is harder than selling gas-tax increases to voters: the state’s current redistricting system and its fruit can make GOP legislators more afraid of a little electorate in June than a bigger one in November.

As Schapiro put it, “Republicans created, in effect, minority districts wherein narrow bands of the electorate, often anti-tax conservatives, have disproportionate influence. The key to winning and holding such House seats: sucking up to the right. It’s not always a pretty sight, but survival compels it.

And it’s not just accommodating the grass roots to prevent nomination challenges. Republicans must kowtow to the House leadership, lest they risk such punishment as losing prized committee seats. Senate Republicans, many of them recovering tax-aholics, have become similarly sheepish.”

This is not the first time that a minority has held sway in the Virginia legislature.  The rural areas have been able to obtain a disproportionate amount of funds for their areas because of their numbers and seniority.  Last year's election changed that with a number of NoVa and Tidewater senators becoming committee leaders after Democrats won control of that body.  And more of the state is becoming urbanized shrinking the rural areas even further.

But focusing on these "narrow bands" of tax conservatives, there is good news, though it will not come this year as the gridlock on transportation will continue.  When redistricting comes up in 2011, Democrats, and particularly urban and suburban Democrats, will be in control of the Senate who will reduce and/or eliminate the obstruction of anti-tax Republcian conservatives.

Finally, our elected representatives will return to the days of solving problems instead of being one of them.

2.  No increase in the City Attorney Hourly Rate.  If the current attorney is not happy with getting what s/he is paid, there are so many other attorneys out there.  A 13% increase in pay is not justified.

3.  Cut support to school system.  Having been a teacher, I know how important education is.  But I have also seen the incredible waste that goes on from the central office to the classroom.  Eliminating the $2.8+ million increase would go a long ways to eliminating such waste and balancing this budget without a major tax increase.

So, there are some things that can be done.  This Council self identifies as Republican, but they have not practiced Republican principles in this budget.  Republicans often state that taxes should be CUT to stimulate a poor economy.  Guess that message didn't get to this group in Manassas.

One councilor, in his successful bid to get elected stated:  ""Property Taxes are out of control!  When assessments go up 30%, the budget shouldn't go up the same amount.  As your councilman, I will work to begin the budget process in a way that might seem new: the republican way.  We will start with a 0% increase in budget outlays and work from there.  The actual budget amount might go up or down but 50% in 4 years is crazy"

Funny how election rhetoric does not meet reality. I would say a 23% increase is "crazy."

If this City Council was serious about including local residents in its work sessions, it would hold them when average citizens can attend.  And then advertise via mailings and telephone calls when these work sessions are held to build interest and attendance.

The reason Councilors hold these 5:30 pm work sessions is to limit citizen input.  It's a lot easier to raise taxes if you do not have a lot of the taxpayers around seeing you do it.

But then, that's how Republicans operate:  campaign against higher taxes, but then vote for them when in office.