The largest tax increase in Virginia history will be the focus of the March 27 Freedom Leadership Conference in Northern Virginia, to be sponsored by The Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance (FCTA)
The tax increase passed through the General Assembly with the support of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and GOP House Speaker William Howell, will bring in $880 million a year in taxes, “surpassing the $442 million per year increase in 1986 and $680 million per year increase in 2004” according to conservative Tony Lee of Brietbart.com.
In fact, the actual cost to taxpayers is not the $880 million cited, but is $1.13 billion per year in tax increases” as documented by conservatives.
Angry conservatives will have the opportunity to hear the President of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance (FCTA), who will directly address the subject of tax increases and how they impact on transportation, education and most of all the economy.
After the remarks of FCTA President, Arthur Purves, as the keynote speaker at the March monthly meeting of the Freedom Leadership Conference, attendees will be given the chance to vote in a secret ballot to indicate how angry they are with Governor Bob McDonnell.
McDonnell campaigned for election in 2009 saying he had “no plans to raise taxes.” Those words made conservatives angry. His campaign responded to the outcry by saying “Bob McConnell will not raise taxes as governor. Virginians know Bob McDonnell, and they know where he stands. They know he keeps his word…”
The secret ballot will be tabulated and results immediately announced at the Conference – very simply, on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the most angry you can get with an elected official, how angry are you with Governor McConnell and Republicans who voted for his proposed tax increase?
The sponsor of the March Freedom Leadership Conference, Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance, is a long time critic of raising taxes.
Before we ever allow politicians to increase taxes we should always first ask, what are they doing with all the extra money they’ve been collecting recently, says FCTA.
And most critically, should government at local, state and national level get more of our taxpayer money to spend, or less?
As politicians at all level of government from President Barack Obama on down battle over these questions, the March 27 Freedom Leadership Conference will go beyond the question of McDonnell and the new GOP tax increase to focus on the question of whether citizens are and should be happy, or displeased, with how the money we pay as taxes is being used, especially the extra $19 billion collected by Virginia recently.
The monthly Freedom Leadership Conference is a private, members only conference but the keynote speakers’ remarks are placed as both text and video on the Conference website and the video at youtube each month after the function has ended. For those who are already members they will need to reserve their place with limited seating.
For those interested in attending the March 27 (or future monthly) conferences you may write to ask how to apply for a complimentary, Provisional (temporary) Membership, which entitles you to attend one meeting. Write to RSVP@FreedomLeadershipConference.org.
FCTA President Arthur Purves – like the keynote speakers before him at this now monthly conference starting in late 2012, will be the guest of honor at a dinner of the Conference Leadership Council before the function. He will then be presented an “Honorary Membership” and a “Freedom Leadership Award” for his leadership defending and advancing the conservative cause and freedom.
Purves notes that politicians routinely clamor for more money to spend as but Virginia politicians have especially been appealing to commuters tired of gridlock and traffic, making it appear that the only way to cut back on the aggravating traffic jams that clog Virginia roads is to raise taxes so they have the money to improve the roads.
But in recent years, notes Purves, Virginia’s budget has increased by 89% while the commonwealth’s population only increased 14% in the same time period (FY2000 to FY2012). That added up to a $19 billion increase.
$2 billion of that extra money already went to transportation – an increase of 73% from the recent past, from $2.8 billion in spending to $4.8 billion spending. Another $6 billion of that increased tax collections went to education – an 84% increase in spending from $7.1 billion to $13 billion. Additional increases of $7 billion for individual and Family services (primary Medicaid) boosted this category by 114% from $6.4 billion to $13.7 billion. And to remind you, these increases compare to population growth during the same period of only 14%.
So if tax collections went up by 89% but population went up by only 14% – and you hear a politician tell you that they haven’t raised taxes, ask him if he would kindly return the extra $19 billion they got out of Virginia taxpayers between FY2000 and FY2012.
This is the message of Arthur Purves and the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance (FCTA), delivered by him and his Vice President, Tom Cranmer and their leaders and members to politicians. It is the message we will hear at the March 27 FCTA sponsored conference in Northern Virginia.
Cranmer is also a Founding Member of the Freedom Leadership Conference, where he is considered one of the senior members of the conservative movement, having been a member (with his wife Linda) of Young Americans for Freedom in the early 1960’s and stalwart part of the cause ever since. Cranmer has also spoken and/or been a moderator of each conference since the new monthly meeting format was adopted in late 2012.
Those interested in hearing this presentation by Arthur Purvis may inquire about Conference membership at RSVP@FreedomLeadershipConference.org. Those who are already members must reserve their seat in advance. Only members and provisional members are permitted to RSVP to confirm their attendance at the conference and on March 27, to vote on the recent McDonnell tax increase.
The schedule of future conference follows (note that there are still SPONSOR/Speaker opportunities – the conference does not charge any fee for such sponsorship).
4/24/13 Secure America Alliance (Topic: The War on Seniors)
5/15/13 Gun Owners of America (Keynote: Larry Pratt)
6/12/13 Available (venue reserved)
7/17/13 American Border Control (Topic: Illegal Immigration)
8/21/13 Available (venue reserved)
9/11/13 U.S. Intelligence Council (China CyberThreat & Movie, Free China: The Courage to Believe)
10/17/13 Available (exact date & venue to be selected)
11/12/13 Uniformed Services League (Topic: Save our Servicemen Rally)
12/5/13 Available (exact date & venue to be selected)
