A delayed vote does not cure...

Editor's note: ...self-dealing. Legislators are setting the terms for their own compensation while Virginians face hire taxes (Mockingbird Properties may include Virginia) and mounting costs. Asking voters to ratify a major pay increase under these conditions reflects inverted priorities and distorted incentives. The issue is not legality, but governance: officials should not expand their own compensation while extracting more from the public and delivering unresolved results. There is a normative claim about legitimacy here: When politicians vote themselves more money in a system the public has lost trust in, that is pillaging. Why? Because this system is creating massive inequality. Be sure to read some of the comments at this Gateway Pundit article. People are pissed.
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Virginia Democrats Now Seeking to Double Their Own Pay as They Raise Taxes, After Running on 'Affordability'

By Mike LaChance | January 26, 2026 | 1091 Comments

Democrats in Virginia ran on affordability, but everything they have done since retaking power there says the exact opposite.

The tax rate in Virginia is poised to become the highest in the nation, beating even California, and they are trying to create a slew of new taxes.

Now, they are trying to give themselves a pay raise that is basically double what they already make.

NewsBusters reports:

Va. Dems Seek to More than Double Their Pay – While Rushing to Impose Flurry of New Taxes

After campaigning on "affordability," Virginia state Democrats have introduced a measure to more than double their salaries, now that fellow Democrat Abigail Spanberger is in the Governor's Mansion, giving them control of all three branches of their state's government.

"Virginia Democrats are now trying to give themselves a PAY RAISE after proposing thousands of dollars in new taxes hammering working families, the Virginia Senate Republican Caucus warned in a X.com post highlighting how the legislators' pay raise would hurt taxpayers:

"They ran on 'affordability,' but all they've done is introduce insane left-wing policies and take from your pocket to line their own. TOTAL CON JOB!"

Indeed, an amendment to the Virginia state budget (SB30), introduced by Democrats L. Louise Lucas in the state Senate and Vivian Edna Watts in the House of Delegates, would more than double their salaries, raising the pay in both chambers by about 150%.

What have these people done to earn a pay raise? They’ve been in power for like ten minutes.

Absolutely astounding.

Virginia Democrats are now trying to give themselves a PAY RAISE after proposing thousands of dollars in new taxes hammering working families.

They ran on “affordability,” but all they’ve done is introduce insane left-wing policies and take from your… pic.twitter.com/hr0ychancV

— VA Senate GOP (@VASenateGOP) January 24, 2026

Please go to Gateway Pundit to continue understanding how pillaging works.

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How else can this be interpreted other than pillaging?

Los Angeles Homeless Services CEO Charged with Defrauding Taxpayers to Pay for Luxury Lifestyle

More pillaging but on a more colossal scale and may include Virginia:

Recent Activities in the Battle Against Fraudulent Property Valuations & Property Taxes