Wolf Washington Update - October 18, 2007

Statement

Wolf Washington Update - October 18, 2007

Dear Friends,

I want to update you on several matters I'm working on, and hope you will continue to keep me informed on matters of importance to you.

Internet Taxation
Yesterday the House voted to extend for four more years the ban on state taxation of Internet access. The current ban is set to expire in November. I supported this extension, and also am a cosponsor of separate legislation, H.R. 743, to make this ban on Internet taxation permanent.

Power Lines
Last week 29 of my colleagues joined me in writing a letter to the Department of Energy calling for a study of how new technologies can be used as alternatives when considering new power lines in our region. Transmitting power in lines over long distances is very inefficient - over half of the energy is lost in transit. There are commercially available technologies that could help lower demand and lower transmission costs. We should invest in energy infrastructure that will serve our communities for the next 50 years, and not always think that building more and more high-voltage power lines is the only answer.

Dulles Greenway
This week I asked Virginia Attorney General Robert McDonnell to review whether the company that owns the Dulles Greenway is using proper accounting methods. The company has been authorized under current state law to raise one-way tolls to $4.80 by 2012, and it is legally allowed to do so if it cannot make a profit on the road at the current rate. Determining profitability requires accurate accounting; however, an article in this month's Fortune magazine calls into question the accounting practices of Australia-based Macquarie Bank, which owns TRIP II, the direct owner of the Greenway. This review is imperative to ensure that the public's trust is not being violated.

I hope this information is helpful. Please visit www.wolf.house.gov if you need additional information on these or any other issues.

Best wishes.

Source