When Virginia Democrat Governor Mark Warner was campaigning for election, he promised not to raise taxes. Since being elected in 2001, he's tried raising taxes three different times. Virginia voters have already shot down referendums to increase taxes, and they haven't been buying into Warner's class warfare rhetoric. But the same can't be said for the GOP controlled legislature. Warner asked for a $1 Billion tax increase, and the GOP in the Senate is ready to give him almost $4 Billion. So you may be asking yourself, why this is important to you; especially if you don't live in Virginia.

Well, one reason is that other politicians, including Presidential wanna-be John Kerry, are paying very close attention to how it plays out.

Despite having a GOP controlled legislature, and Republican Governor (up until 2001), state spending has increased $6 Billion, or 30%, over the past five years. $2.5 Billion of that increase has come during Democrat Governor Warner's term which started in 2002.

This year lawmakers hope to increase taxes and spending once more, even though it isn't necessary. The money will be used to fund their pet programs and other big spending increases.

Peter Ferrara of the Virginia Club for Growth, a fiscal watchdog group, notes that even without the proposed tax hikes the state could increase spending annually by 5.5% over the next two years. He also predicts that current revenue trends would bring in twice as much money as Mr. Warner's tax increases. "We should be talking about tax cuts, not tax increases," says Mr. Ferrara.

So what we have in Virginia is a formula whereby a Democrat executive has been able to enlist the conservative legislature into taxing and spending. If he's successful this year, it could be coming to your state very soon. (Not that the same formula isn't already playing out with George Bush at the national level.)