Severe budget cuts in Virginia represent significant hardship and political challenges, but immediate
solutions are feasible and readily available. In this video Virginia Organizing leaders Janyce Lewis and Brenda Lambert talk about continued state and local budget cuts and the need to "flip" Virginia's tax structure, to fix Virginia's tax structure.
When the economy is hurting, state governments should be adding jobs and investments, a proven response that keeps money flowing in the economy and private investors clamoring to meet that demand. Instead, virtually every state has opted to slash vital public investments and layoff public servants. Such moves will harm Virignia’s infrastructure and educational systems and dampen our nascent economic recovery. This is not good policy in the short or long term, and—contrary to popular belief—it is entirely unnecessary.
At the core of the budget crises facing states are regressive state tax structures that are unfair, unsound, and unsustainable by design. Fortunately, there is a sensible solution: inverting the state’s current tax structure.
The biggest hurdle in achieving such a model is a lack of political will. Our elected officials in Richmond simply cannot ignore the fundamental roots of their deficit problems, even if significant legislative or constitutional roadblocks make sensible reform a politically difficult undertaking.
A report released by United for a Fair Economy provides a sensible solution: inverting the state’s current tax structure.
Read the Executive Summary (or Download PDF)
Download the Full Report (68KB)
