A.Y. recommends that Arlington Voters vote NO on all three Virginia constitutional ballot questions.
Question 1: Should Virginia's counties and cities be able to determine how poor or disabled a person must be before qualifying for an exemptiomn from paying local real estate taxes?
BEFORE Virginia goes down the Frost Belt states' road of awarding homeowners partial to total real estate tax exemptions for anything or everything, the General Assembly must determine what that profligate give-away will cost ALL of Virginia's homeowners.
Question 2: Should Virginia's veterans who are 100% disabled receive a total tax exemption on property taxes paid on their primary residences?
Totally disabled Veterans receive between $2600 and $3400 per month tax free, as well as lifetime free health care, mortgage benefits, and other federal veterans benefits. Congress should determine whether to award additional federal Veterans benefits based upon actual need.
Question 3 would allow the State of Virginia to set aside more "rainy day" funds during "good times".
The State of Virginia experiences a population growth of between 80,000 and 100,000 per year, year after year and decade after decade. The State of Virginia must base budgets on actual and projected needs, not upon the wants and desires of the Governor and General Assembly.
Arlington Yupette