Americans for Tax Reform has sent more than 11,000 pieces of direct mail into State Senator Frank Wagner’s district asking constituents to call Senator Wagner demanding answers. Despite the fact that in 2011, Wagner voted NO on Democrat Senator Mary Margaret Whipple’s online travel agency tax, this session he was the chief sponsor of that same bill.
Virginia Beach receives more than $1 billion annually from domestic travelers, supporting nearly 12,000 travel-related jobs. Wagner’s targeted tax would increase the costs of using service providers who help travelers find the best deals on hotels, disproportionately harming small businesses and budget-conscious travelers.
A copy of the mail piece can be seen here.
“As a representative of Virginia Beach and Norfolk, Senator Frank Wagner should know better than to target the tourism industry for higher taxes. Wagner’s efforts to raise taxes have gotten out of control,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. “Voters deserve to know why Wagner voted no on the travel agency tax when it was carried by a Northern Virginia Democrat and then decided to carry the bill during the 2013 session. Wagner is not representing the interests of budget-conscious Virginia tourists and should be held accountable for his most recent flip-flop.”