Plan to Wipe Out Va. Deficit Backed
RICHMOND,. Jar. 19ÛÓA strong desire to avoid an election-year tax increase is generating, growing support for tax collection speedups, spending deferrals and highway fund transfers to wipe out a projected $103 million budget deficit in Virginia,</br></br>RICHMOND,. Jar. 19ÛÓA strong desire to avoid an election-year tax increase is generating, growing support for tax collection speedups, spending deferrals and highway fund transfers to wipe out a projected $103 million budget deficit in Virginia, ÐÊåÈ-- During the last five days, all three Candidates for governor and the joint ^Republican caucus of the Virginia jEfeneral Assembly have endorsed Itlfese measures as the best way to ÐÊdose the budget gap.</br></br>!^The leader of the Senate Demo-Û¢ÐÊeratlc majority, Sen. Adelard L. 3Srault of Fairfax County, also has ^spoken faivorably of the solutions to åÇlhe budget crisis without tax increases, but said In a floor speech to-Û¢day he thinks it'is ÛÏprematureÛ to make a final decision.</br></br>'ÐÊ The non-tax increase solutions being discussed also would avoid the necessity of cutting state aid to cities and counties. An $80 million cut in state aid earmarked for local school programs had been suggested by Gov.</br></br>It is dear, however, that the most appealing aspect of the new budget-bal-jjpcing proposals is the hope they of- fer M avoiding an. increase in either * the-state sales or Income taxes. There are obvious political reasons for . i avoiding these Increases, but many legislators also feel that major taxes should be raised only during even-numbered-year legislative sessions when Virginia's two-year budget is adopted. The odd-year sessions, like the current one, are supposed to be short and concerned with minor budget adjustments and general legislation.	V