Governor McDonnell promises that state revenues will not suffer from the ABC privatization initiative. With this, he’s betting with our money. So I offer some consequences: if he is so dead certain that the move will generate the same revenue stream let’s wager $10,000. Like taking candy from a baby.
All of the four proposals on the table are losers for our roads and schools, and it looks like he is going to be stopped dead in his tracks because math teachers have been doing a good job in Virginia. Nevertheless he ought to demonstrate his confidence and that he’s good on his word in some way. To keep it simple, the wager will be for the year following the initial “windfall” and include the revenue stream generated by alcohol licensing and taxes on the booze and the taxes on income from the hard hooch sales. No cute accounting tricks like with the budget allowed. He doesn’t get to call WalMart a liquor store and include all of WalMart’s sales of underthings or whatever.
And when I win, here’s my promise: I won’t keep the money. I’ll contribute it in his name to the McAuliffe for Governor campaign. Or if he objects to that, I’ll donate it to a charity. Something he can appreciate like a religious cause. Say, the mosque being built in lower Manhattan.
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