I started off intrigued but leery about
this proposal to fund school renovations, but the more I hear about it (including a conversation with Terry McAuliffe yesterday), the more I'm starting to like it. It certainly has a wide array of supporters, including
George Allen (yes, our old buddy "Felix Macacawitz"),
Creigh Deeds (during his campaign for governor),
Paul Goldman, Terry McAuliffe, and
now the Richmond Crusade for Voters.
Republican Allen joined former Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Paul Goldman and former Democratic National Committee chairman and recent Democratic gubernatorial primary hopeful Terry McAuliffe at a Crusade meeting last night to get the group's support. A majority of about 100 people present voted to back the proposal.
The three speakers say a simple change in the federal tax code would allow the application of a historic-rehabilitation tax credit to renovate aging school buildings. Goldman has said most buildings more than 50 years old can qualify for the tax credit, which can account for up to 20 percent of the cost to update them.
Currently, private investors who renovate school buildings for another use, such as condominiums, can get a tax credit, but it does not apply if the buildings are returned to their prior use.
Under the proposal, private investors would receive credits for rehabbing the schools and then leasing the structures back to localities for a set period of time, Goldman said.
Now, I fully admit I'm no expert on this, but I definitely don't want to see children anywhere in Virginia trying to learn in crumbling, inadequate, unsafe or unhealthy school facilities. Apparently, neither does the Richmond Crusade for Voters, one of the most respected African American political organizations in Virginia. Their support for this proposal means a lot to me. How about you?
