Published in Hampton Roads Magazine July/August 2008 issue (I just had to share! reprinted here with the written permission of Editor Melissa Morgan. Thanks, Melissa!)
Dear Virginia
By Michael Jon Khandelwal
It wasn’t that long ago that I wasn’t just America’s First Region—I was your first and only region. A lot has happened since then, and lately, I’ve noticed you’ve seemed distant. I don’t understand what I did to make you mad.
I keep on sending you money, just like you ask. I keep on waiting for the gifts you’ve promised me, but they haven’t yet come.
I know I shouldn’t have, but I’ve spoken with my sister cities about you. I was just in a bad mood and had to vent. They all tell me I should leave you, but they’re just trying to protect me.
I know you love me—it’s just that sometimes it doesn’t really feel like it.
I noticed you decided not to give me any arts and culture funding next year. I know it’s only $13 million and that some of the people in your General Assembly are afraid of trichinosis, but it doesn’t make any sense to me.
Don’t you remember that the arts are both part of our economic engine as well as appealing to tourists? Plus, for every dollar spent on funding the arts, I return $4–6 in revenue.
In 2000, state-wide, arts and cultural organizations generated nearly $850 million for businesses. My organizations accounted for more than half—$444 million. Of out-of-state visitors who paid to enter a museum or attend an event, I attracted 2.2 million people, again more than half of the entire 4.3 million. Those visitors spent $261 million within my borders, 76 percent of their total state-wide spending of $342 million.
I account for more than three-quarters of the money generated. It’s certainly a lot more than the money you give me. And I end up sending most of what I make back to you anyway! Do I still have to do that, now that you’re not giving me anything?
Virginia, it’s also becoming very hard for the people who live inside me to get from one place to another, and it seems like you keep offering me money to fix my important arteries right before taking it back again.
A lot of important people, like Rear Admiral Mark Boensel, the Commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, say that traffic is becoming a big problem for the Navy, and the entire Hampton Roads infrastructure is becoming inadequate and is especially worrying in case of emergency.
Don’t forget, Virginia, that I am one of your main economic engines. Nearly $16.2 billion in exports and $11.2 billion in imports pass through my ports each year. I house 318,000 military personnel, civilians and their dependents. My beauty attracts tourists who employ more than 40,000.
I see you build nice new roads in other areas, like Richmond, but not here. In fact, just based on what you spent per person last decade, comparing Richmond to me, you already owe me $423 million.
One of your friends, the majority leader in your assembly, Del. H. Morgan Griffith, is a callus man who dismisses my crisis and had the nerve to say recently that he wanted you to allocate more money to rural areas of Virginia and not here. Why do you listen to him? I already paid the rural roads in his area. Now it’s my turn.
I don’t want to toll my people. I don’t want to raise my sales tax one percent unless the whole state does. Besides, raising sales tax is a bad idea. People notice sales tax when they’re spending money—and tourists certainly do. But I’d bet that no one really knows how much gas tax they’re paying—the price of gas fluctuates daily.
Road congestion costs my people $240 per person annually through 14 million wasted gallons of gas. And my cost per driver from poor road safety, increased congestion and vehicle wear is nearly $1,300 a year. We’re already paying for our bad roads by wasting money on unnecessary repairs and gas, so why not increase the gas tax to an amount that equals what we already waste? You only pay the tax if you’re driving on the roads. Plus, our gas tax is significantly lower than every neighboring state’s.
The tax should be raised equally across our state. It must be. I am not going to stand for tolls on my roads alone and tax on my people alone. I thought we were a commonwealth. I already helped pay for everyone else’s roads—now I need help. And, last I checked, most of the money everyone else spends comes from me and my friend up north, anyway.
I’m sorry this letter sounds so angry, Virginia, but you’ve left me no choice. I love you, but I am tired of being treated like a cash cow and second-class citizen. If you don’t make things right soon, I might just start listening to my sister cities and pack my bags.
Love,
Hampton Roads
Dear Virginia
By Michael Jon Khandelwal
It wasn’t that long ago that I wasn’t just America’s First Region—I was your first and only region. A lot has happened since then, and lately, I’ve noticed you’ve seemed distant. I don’t understand what I did to make you mad.
I keep on sending you money, just like you ask. I keep on waiting for the gifts you’ve promised me, but they haven’t yet come.
I know I shouldn’t have, but I’ve spoken with my sister cities about you. I was just in a bad mood and had to vent. They all tell me I should leave you, but they’re just trying to protect me.
I know you love me—it’s just that sometimes it doesn’t really feel like it.
I noticed you decided not to give me any arts and culture funding next year. I know it’s only $13 million and that some of the people in your General Assembly are afraid of trichinosis, but it doesn’t make any sense to me.
Don’t you remember that the arts are both part of our economic engine as well as appealing to tourists? Plus, for every dollar spent on funding the arts, I return $4–6 in revenue.
In 2000, state-wide, arts and cultural organizations generated nearly $850 million for businesses. My organizations accounted for more than half—$444 million. Of out-of-state visitors who paid to enter a museum or attend an event, I attracted 2.2 million people, again more than half of the entire 4.3 million. Those visitors spent $261 million within my borders, 76 percent of their total state-wide spending of $342 million.
I account for more than three-quarters of the money generated. It’s certainly a lot more than the money you give me. And I end up sending most of what I make back to you anyway! Do I still have to do that, now that you’re not giving me anything?
Virginia, it’s also becoming very hard for the people who live inside me to get from one place to another, and it seems like you keep offering me money to fix my important arteries right before taking it back again.
A lot of important people, like Rear Admiral Mark Boensel, the Commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, say that traffic is becoming a big problem for the Navy, and the entire Hampton Roads infrastructure is becoming inadequate and is especially worrying in case of emergency.
Don’t forget, Virginia, that I am one of your main economic engines. Nearly $16.2 billion in exports and $11.2 billion in imports pass through my ports each year. I house 318,000 military personnel, civilians and their dependents. My beauty attracts tourists who employ more than 40,000.
I see you build nice new roads in other areas, like Richmond, but not here. In fact, just based on what you spent per person last decade, comparing Richmond to me, you already owe me $423 million.
One of your friends, the majority leader in your assembly, Del. H. Morgan Griffith, is a callus man who dismisses my crisis and had the nerve to say recently that he wanted you to allocate more money to rural areas of Virginia and not here. Why do you listen to him? I already paid the rural roads in his area. Now it’s my turn.
I don’t want to toll my people. I don’t want to raise my sales tax one percent unless the whole state does. Besides, raising sales tax is a bad idea. People notice sales tax when they’re spending money—and tourists certainly do. But I’d bet that no one really knows how much gas tax they’re paying—the price of gas fluctuates daily.
Road congestion costs my people $240 per person annually through 14 million wasted gallons of gas. And my cost per driver from poor road safety, increased congestion and vehicle wear is nearly $1,300 a year. We’re already paying for our bad roads by wasting money on unnecessary repairs and gas, so why not increase the gas tax to an amount that equals what we already waste? You only pay the tax if you’re driving on the roads. Plus, our gas tax is significantly lower than every neighboring state’s.
The tax should be raised equally across our state. It must be. I am not going to stand for tolls on my roads alone and tax on my people alone. I thought we were a commonwealth. I already helped pay for everyone else’s roads—now I need help. And, last I checked, most of the money everyone else spends comes from me and my friend up north, anyway.
I’m sorry this letter sounds so angry, Virginia, but you’ve left me no choice. I love you, but I am tired of being treated like a cash cow and second-class citizen. If you don’t make things right soon, I might just start listening to my sister cities and pack my bags.
Love,
Hampton Roads
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