Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan got a backhand on Thursday regarding their positions on a new 1 cent regional sales tax to fund the D.C. region’s Metro transit system.
“There is no Plan B,” Metro Board Chairman Jack Evans said in a phone interview Thursday morning.
Mr. Evans said Metro needs $25 billion, and the dedicated stream of revenue provided by the new tax would be put in a “lock box” as proof to potential creditors that authorities are committed to shoring up and sustaining Metro.
Mr. Hogan, for his part, has poo-pooed the new tax idea and said he is not going to increase taxes on Marylanders to pay for Metro.
Instead, in a Sept. 11 letter to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Messrs. Hogan and McAuliffe, Mr. Hogan spelled out his commitment to his own proposal, which is to give Metro $500 million over four years if D.C. and Virginia agreed to do the same.
Mr. Evans, who also is a longtime finance and revenue chairman on the D.C. Council, says a sales tax is the equitable way to go because everybody, including tourists and visitors, pays sales taxes.
He also made three other key arguments to support the new-tax proposal.
1) Metro use means fewer vehicles are on the roads.
2) Fewer vehicles means less pollution.
3) During its 40-year history, Metro has contributed $10 billion to the region’s economy.
• Deborah Simmons can be reached at dsimmons@washingtontimes.com.
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