Check Out What David Crowley Said About Taxes and Affordability

There’s a special kind of cynical that comes with running on “affordability” and then turning around to tax the little stuff people actually use to make their lives work. If the report about Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s moves in Virginia is accurate, it’s not just a policy shift. It’s a bait-and-switch. Folks hear “lowering costs” and think groceries, gas, rent, childcare. They don’t think, “Great, my Uber ride is about to cost more and my gym is going to tack on another fee.”

And that’s the problem with these grab-bag taxes on everyday services like rideshares, memberships, and even dog-walking. They don’t hit some faceless corporation in a boardroom. They hit the young worker without a car getting to a late shift, the retiree on a fixed income trying to stay healthy, the family paying someone to walk the dog because both parents are still at work. These are the “small” expenses that add up, the same ones politicians pretend they’re worried about on the campaign trail.

Democrats love to talk like affordability is a moral crusade, but too often it’s just a slogan they swap in for “we need more revenue.” Fine. If you want to raise taxes, say that, defend it, and take the heat. Don’t sell voters relief and then nickel-and-dime them through a dozen new line items that quietly creep into daily life. If you tax the basics, you own the squeeze.

Virginia isn’t some abstract case study. It’s a warning sign for the rest of the country. When government gets addicted to taxing convenience, it never stops at Uber and gym memberships. It spreads, because it’s easy, and because it’s politically safer than admitting spending is out of control. If Spanberger wants to be taken seriously on costs, she should start by proving she can say no, not just send the bill to everyone trying to get through the week.