Connolly's Verbal Manure -- Day Care & the EDA
Gerry Connolly's latest round of political manure on day care has hit the press. Too bad the press is generally incapable of doing the research necessary to connect the dots. If it did, the stories would also expose the hollowness of Connolly's argument.
Connolly is again complaining that the General Assembly did not fund day care the working poor. He postures anger because Fairfax taxpayers must either stand the $6 M bill or the subsidy is cut. Well Mr. Connolly, one easy solution would be to end the Fairfax County annual subsidy of $6.8 M to the Economic Development Authority and transfer money to support day care subsidies. The bulk of the EDA's money goes to advertise for more businesses and people to move to Fairfax County -- just what we need -- more people and more cars. This helps owners of commercial real estate fill their buildings. In most areas of the country, businesses pay their own advertising costs. Not in Fairfax County. Not when we have government by campaign contribution.
The EDA's chief, Dr. Gerald Gordon, touts that the EDA brings businesses here to keep our real estate taxes lower. He argues, with the full support of Chairman Connolly, that the EDA's work causes commercial buildings to pay a greater percentage of the real estate taxes. Gordon and Connolly might as well argue that the sun rises in the west. Last year's Fairfax County budget explained that the percentage of the real estate tax paid by commercial buildings fell to 17.22% and that this would be the sixth straight year of decline. In sum, Gordon's operation is a failure, except that it generates campaign contributions for Connolly and his allies. It's much cheaper to make a contribution to Connolly's war chest than to pay advertising costs.
Connolly's rail against the General Assembly rings hollow. If Gerry Connolly cared about the day care families and ordinary taxpayers, instead of the big landowners and their lobbyists, he would zero-out the EDA and transfer the money to the day care fund. But don't hold your breath; Connolly is generally regarded as more committed to West Group than to the citizens of Fairfax County. All we'll likely get from the Chairman is more verbal manure.
Connolly is again complaining that the General Assembly did not fund day care the working poor. He postures anger because Fairfax taxpayers must either stand the $6 M bill or the subsidy is cut. Well Mr. Connolly, one easy solution would be to end the Fairfax County annual subsidy of $6.8 M to the Economic Development Authority and transfer money to support day care subsidies. The bulk of the EDA's money goes to advertise for more businesses and people to move to Fairfax County -- just what we need -- more people and more cars. This helps owners of commercial real estate fill their buildings. In most areas of the country, businesses pay their own advertising costs. Not in Fairfax County. Not when we have government by campaign contribution.
The EDA's chief, Dr. Gerald Gordon, touts that the EDA brings businesses here to keep our real estate taxes lower. He argues, with the full support of Chairman Connolly, that the EDA's work causes commercial buildings to pay a greater percentage of the real estate taxes. Gordon and Connolly might as well argue that the sun rises in the west. Last year's Fairfax County budget explained that the percentage of the real estate tax paid by commercial buildings fell to 17.22% and that this would be the sixth straight year of decline. In sum, Gordon's operation is a failure, except that it generates campaign contributions for Connolly and his allies. It's much cheaper to make a contribution to Connolly's war chest than to pay advertising costs.
Connolly's rail against the General Assembly rings hollow. If Gerry Connolly cared about the day care families and ordinary taxpayers, instead of the big landowners and their lobbyists, he would zero-out the EDA and transfer the money to the day care fund. But don't hold your breath; Connolly is generally regarded as more committed to West Group than to the citizens of Fairfax County. All we'll likely get from the Chairman is more verbal manure.
posted by Toomanytaxes at 7:29 AM
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