With the coming fall election here in Virginia it is a safe bet that the Republican Party of Virginia ("RPV") will be trotting out its standard "no tax increase for any reason" message once again. Never mind that basic public services - transportation in particular in the non-rural areas of the state - are inadequate and in need of major infusions of money. Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell has said that he wants Virginia to be an attractive place for businesses to locate but he and the far right element in control of the RPV seem incapable of grasping the fact that other things besides low taxes are taken into consideration by companies looking to relocate. Top quality schools for the children of employees and good transportation facilities that are not clogged for hours and otherwise inadequate are important too and do not come about without funding. Nonetheless, the RPV crowd seems clueless to this reality. *
Another important factor can be tolerant, non-discriminatory employment laws so that employees will agree to make a move. Yet the RVP crowd - which is increasingly found in the backwards rural regions of the state - consistently works to keep in place 19th century employment practices here in Virginia. Kathleen Parker - who took huge abuse among members of the GOP for rightly saying that Sarah "Bible Spice" Palin was not ready for prime time - notes in a column how a surprising party switch was made by a formerly generous GOP contributor. While I'm sure that Howard Ahmanson and I would agree on little else (our views on gay rights are 180 egrees apart), he at least has seen the light that the no tax mantra is out of touch with reality. Here are some highlights:
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In what one might call a biblical move, Christian philanthropist Howard Ahmanson -- one of three major funders of the campaign for California's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriages -- has abandoned the GOP for the Democratic Party.
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In a rare interview Thursday, Ahmanson shared some of his thoughts about why he switched parties. In a word, taxes. Specifically, he was offended by the California Republican Party's insistence during a recent state budget battle that there would be no tax increases for any reason, no matter what. "They're providing one issue, and it's just a very silly issue," Ahmanson told me by telephone.
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So, without fanfare, Ahmanson printed out an online form and mailed in his Democratic Party registration. Thus far, he's heard nothing back, but confesses to hoping he'll receive a little card or something.
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Ahmanson's conversion to the Democratic Party, following decades of donating millions to conservative think tanks and causes, certainly qualifies as a "shocker" in political circles. "What!!!!!" is typical of the response I've gotten as I've sought reactions.
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Ahmanson is certain he'll find friends among Democrats who believe, as he does, that conservative ideas are not exclusively Republican.
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