General Assembly Update (Jan 23, 2012)

Our state budget reflects the priorities of the Commonwealth, and the Governor’s proposed budget raises several concerns.  The Governor’s budget proposes transferring a portion of the sales tax revenue that would otherwise go to fund schools and public education into the transportation budget.  Transportation is important but it should not be funded at the expense of schools.  Republicans in the House argue against new sources of revenue for transportation, stating we should not increase the costs to Virginia families during a time of economic challenge.  Democrats agree with this principle, however, because of our lack of transportation investment, Virginia families may actually pay more under the Governor’s plan.

First, the Governor continues to place more and more emphasis on tolls.  Tolls cost real money to Virginia families.  We are fortunate in our area that tolling is not being proposed, but in other areas of the Commonwealth – most notably in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia – tolls are an increasing concern to residents.  In some cases, an individual’s toll bill over the course of a year could be in excess of $400.00.   Contrast that to cost that would be incurred if we were to impose a 5% wholesale gas tax, which is estimated to cost a family approximately $200.00 per year.

Second, since we are not properly maintaining our roads, the costs to families due to flat tires and realignments caused by hitting potholes will continue to mount.  These are real costs imposed on Virginians because of our failure to act.

As the Governor’s proposed budget receives more careful review, it discloses major cost shifting onto Virginia families.  The Governor proposes to defund community health centers and free clinics, such as the Charlottesville Free Clinic, and dramatically decrease reimbursements to teaching hospitals like UVA and MCV, which provide care to indigent citizens.  As we contemplate our budget and potential cuts, we should focus on preserving existing jobs whenever possible, retaining those programs that are most efficient, and protecting those most in need.  The Governor’s healthcare budget does not do that.  Many seniors who rely on certain programs likely will not qualify if the Governor’s proposals are enacted.  In addition, efficient programs such as free clinics and the community healthcare system often access other resources using state monies.  Without these monies, these organizations will have to seek new funding sources, which may result in fewer people receiving the care they need.

The Governor suggests that he is increasing funding for education.  If you look closer, however, the per pupil spending is actually declining.  And, if one considers that school divisions will have to send back a portion of their appropriations to fund required increases to VRS, some school divisions will actually see a net decrease in funding.  Albemarle schools project their additional costs for VRS will create a loss of approximately $1.36 million.  Charlottesville schools estimate they will have to transfer $1.4 million from their local funds for VRS – monies that would otherwise be used for classroom resources.  This will mean fewer teachers, fewer resources, and some places may actually need to consider closing some schools.  My number one priority is to restore these funds.

Start of a New Year and 2012 General Assembly

As the new Democratic Leader in the House of Delegates, my responsibilities have increased dramatically. When the session convened on January 11, 2012, I began to focus on a number of critical themes for the session. You can view the video of my opening day floor speech here.

First, in response to the advocacy of the House Democrats, changes were made in the House Rules that will improve the budget process. Legislators will now receive the budget conference report earlier, and will receive more information with that report. This includes a list of all non-state agencies included in the budget, as well as any language that represents legislation that was defeated by either chamber. This tracks many of the changes I requested in my 2010 bill, HB62, and were some of the measures the House Democrats proposed in our December 12 press release on Government Transparency.

Second, support continues to build for the creation of the Virginia Health Marketplace, a system that would allow consumers and small businesses to have access to better information about healthcare plans and their costs, thereby increasing competition and driving down costs.  Legislation authored by Delegate Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond) and Delegate Patrick Hope (D-Arlington), and co-patroned by me, would accomplish this goal. It is important to do this now because federal monies are available to help Virginia, and if we do not establish such a marketplace, it is possible that the federal government would impose its own system on the Commonwealth. The House Democrats issued a press release on January 10, 2012, on establishing the Virginia Healthcare Marketplace.

Finally, I remain active in developing approaches to the Governor’s proposed budget. I am very concerned that the Governor’s proposal to take monies from the General Fund that would otherwise go for education, public safety, and health services, and use them for transportation. Transportation is important, but it should not be purchased at the expense of teacher salaries and resources in the classroom.

I am also concerned about the deep cuts in human services in the second year of the Governor’s proposed budget, particularly, the Governor’s proposal to reduce funding for free clinics around the Commonwealth.

Thank you for this opportunity to serve you in Richmond. Your input is important to me and I invite you to share your thoughts and concerns with me on all matters before the Commonwealth. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

David

On November 19, 2011, I was selected to serve as the House Democratic Leader by my colleagues at our retreat in Richmond. This is a great honor for me personally, a wonderful opportunity for our region, and a tremendous challenge. In the aftermath of redistricting and the fall elections, Democrats hold fewer seats in the House of Delegates than any time in recent memory. It will take a concerted and sustained effort to retake the majority in the House.

As the Democratic Leader, I am responsible for coordinating floor debates during session, developing strategy for the caucus, providing liaison with the media and other citizen groups on behalf of House Democrats, identifying future candidates for office, and raising money for democratic campaigns.

In being elected to this position, I am continually reminded of the reasons why I entered public service, and of the values that our community holds dear. In my new role, I will emphasize the following:

• Our Commonwealth should focus on economic opportunity, jobs, and support for the middle class. For me, that means maintaining funding to employ people in education, public safety, and transportation, while providing investments that encourage businesses to expand and a tax climate that is fair and raises revenue sufficient to support the services our constituents hold dear. It means investing in K-12 education and higher education, so we can educate the next generation of Virginians in ways that they can compete with an increasingly global economy.

• Our Commonwealth should be fiscally responsible, honor its promises, and share fiscal challenges. This means restoring the Virginia Retirement System to full solvency.

• Our Commonwealth should be one of open government and open minds. The budget should be transparent and we should embrace government reform where it works and not on the basis of some vague ideological position.

• Our Commonwealth should embrace innovation and support science. If we are to maintain our competitive edge, we   will need to encourage more innovation and research funding, and we should respect scientists when they conclude, based on rigorous inquiry, that climate change is a function of human behavior and that evolution is clearly established and should be taught in the schools.

• Our Commonwealth is diverse, and we should celebrate this fact and build on its strengths.

• As a Commonwealth, we should protect those most in need, whether they are citizens who seek nursing home care at reasonable costs, or our children who, without our help, might otherwise go to bed hungry.

• Our Commonwealth should support Main Street, not Wall Street. Income inequality is real and growing, and we need to place greater focus on local and regional economies that support the small businesses that are the backbone of our communities.

As the Democratic Leader in the House, I will work with my colleagues to advance this vision, and will continue to reach out to people like you for advice and counsel along the way. And I will continue to represent the 57th district and this region to the best of my ability.

As always, I appreciate your support and welcome your input.

One of the reasons I entered politics was to help people in difficult circumstances.  Of all the times that we should marshal the resources of our communities and government, it should be during disasters.  Americans’ history of doing just that is now threatened by some conservative members of the U.S. Congress, including Virginia’s own Eric Cantor (R-7th).  Cantor, and his like-minded colleagues, want to make federal disaster aid contingent upon the enactment of cuts to other areas of the federal budget. This is unprecedented and inconsistent with how Americans have generally addressed disaster relief.

In Cantor’s case, it is also classic hypocrisy.

In August 2004, after Tropical Storm Gaston slammed into Central Virginia, Cantor sought the immediate assistance of the federal government in making more than $20 million in disaster aid available to his constituents. At that time, he also voted against an amendment to the supplemental bill for disaster aid that would have offset any increases in relief with budget cuts.   Now, in a complete reversal, he has argued that aid to Joplin, Missouri (devastated by a tornado in May 2011), assistance to Louisa County, Virginia (in the aftermath of the earthquake), and financial help to central and eastern Virginia (attempting to clean up in the aftermath of Irene), should not occur without comparable cuts in other federal government spending.

I hope that we will not abandon a time-honored principle that the federal government should run temporary deficits to address the immediate need brought on by natural disasters, and to repay those obligations, either by spending cuts or tax increases, over a longer period of time.   While Governor McDonnell has emphasized meeting the immediate need of Virginians in this post-disaster period, he has not been directly critical of Cantor’s statements in this area.   I trust that our Governor, and my colleagues in the Virginia House and Senate will join together in asserting that some measure of disaster relief is a “core service of government” that should not be held hostage to political ideology.