“Mr. Speaker, Ladies and Gentlemen of the House:

I rise this morning to again draw attention to what should be one of the number one priorities in this year’s budget – education. Education is important not just to provide our children the skills they will need to compete in a complex economy, but for continued business growth and retention in our Commonwealth.

Like many of you, I read the newspapers every morning.  And, like many of you, I have noticed increased concerns about the impact of the Governor’s proposed budget on education.

Here’s what people are saying:

In my own district, Albemarle County School’s projected shortfall is $2.4 million.  In my own home city, Charlottesville’s school board is considering closing a school because of lack of funds.  In neighboring Augusta County, they are projecting a $4.5 million deficit. Throughout the state, the headlines are alarming:

• [Loudoun] School Board Cuts Proposed Budget by $11 million, Leesburg Today, February 8, 2012
• Virginia Beach Reports $39 million Shortfall, Virginian Pilot, February 9, 2012, Va. Beach Schools Chair Asks Legislators for Help
• Danville Reports a $5.2 million Shortfall, Danville Register & Bee, February 5, 2012
• Richmond Times-Dispatch projects Richmond’s deficit at $23.8 million, Richmond Times-Dispatch, February 6, 2012, Public Stays Quiet on Richmond Schools Budget
• Montgomery County Eyes Hefty Real Estate Tax Jump to Pay for Schools, Roanoke Times, February 7, 2012
• Henrico Schools Contend with a $26.3 million Shortfall, Richmond Times-Dispatch, February 10, 2012

It is clear that without our help, localities will have to enact cuts, increase tax, or both.

Therefore, I want to follow up on the kind offer of the Majority Leader[Del. Kirk Cox, R-Colonial Heights] to continue our dialogue on the budget in an open and transparent fashion.

On this side of the aisle, we have been very clear in stating that the Governor’s budget for education is simply inadequate.

We have also been very clear in stating what many of us in this Chamber know – that investment in education is a key element of future job and business growth.  Education is key to providing our youngsters with the necessary skills to compete in an increasingly complex global economy.

We are approaching decision time and it is our last chance to make an impact on an inadequate Governor’s budget.

What do we want, what do we care about?  Let me tell you about several from this side.

• First, we want to restore funding that the Governor eliminated for teachers and school personnel in areas which have high costs of living – the so-called “cost to compete”. Restoring this funding is critical to recruiting and retaining quality teachers in the classroom.

• Second, we support a budget that increases monies going into classrooms throughout the state, particularly for teachers’ salaries.  The magic happens in the classrooms, and our salaries continue to lag.  Virginia ranks 35^th in the nation for teacher’s salaries.

• Third, we should provide more monies to localities to cushion the proposed changes in the VRS contributions. It is on this item where localities are being whip-sawed the most.  It may appear as if our schools are receiving significant increases in state monies, but when you take into account what they have to return for their VRS contribution, the school divisions are hurting. Localities are facing a triple whammy in the form of declining real estate values, higher fixed costs, and less assistance from the state.  That explains the headlines above.

• Finally, we propose that Pre-K be funded at the levels suggested by the Board of Education. While the Governor has not technically cut Pre-K spending, he has not followed the recommendations of his own Board of Education.  The result is that children that could utilize this critical resource will go unserved.  Business groups and studies from the Federal Reserve Bank document the effectiveness of good Pre-K programs, and we need to have the dollars available for those who need them.

I realize some people will ask – how will you pay for these?   These same people will suggest that all we want to do is raise taxes.  But we offer real solutions for how we can accomplish these goals without implementing any tax increases.

• First, we propose eliminating the Governor’s proposed transfer of money from the General Fund to transportation. This would free up $100 million over the biennium that could be used to fund these school initiatives.

• Second, we propose transferring the monies that the Governor has set aside for the Federal Action Contingency Fund back to the General Fund.  We’ve not heard a substantive rationale for why the Governor should have yet another discretionary fund, and it frees up another $50 million for education funding.

• Third, impose limited caps on some of the tax credits, and do not approve or extend any more tax credits until further study has been done to determine which ones work and which ones do not.  We have already been told that Virginia provides tax credits that involve millions of dollars per year.  It is time to impose more discipline on our budgetary process and fund programs that are proven to work for the Commonwealth.

• Fourth, let us take a close look at our funding of the Rainy Day Fund.  The Governor’s proposed transfer moves an additional $76 million above the statutory requirement of $223 million.  While this is only a one-time infusion, this money could help in the short-term.

These are several ideas that are not tax increases which would provide more funding for education.  The Governor has proposed his budget, which reflects his priorities.  Now, it is about our priorities.  We believe the budget has short-changed education and our children, and we would like to restore that priority.  A priority we believe will spur with job creation and economic opportunity.

The citizens of the Commonwealth want us to work together to produce a budget that works for Virginia.  We remain willing to do that, so long as we focus on the priorities that are important; and number one on this list is education.”

 

 

The 2012 General Assembly Session got under way on January 11, 2012, at 12:00 noon. Delegate David J. Toscano gave his first floor speech today as the new House Democratic Leader. Below are his comments.  You may view the speech here.

“I rise today with a new role in this chamber, but not with a new perspective on politics. That perspective is grounded in 12 years of service in local government and 6 years in this chamber. It is a perspective that rests on the principle that I think all of us share — that we should represent our constituents to the best of our ability. But, it is also broader than that.

Often times, we can get too parochial in our positions down here. In my view, we should also try to represent our regions, and, perhaps even more importantly, our entire Commonwealth. We are called a Commonwealth for good reason. We are one of only four states with such a moniker and it is my hope that we will remember what the name actually means.

A Commonwealth, simply put, is a political community organized on the concept of promoting the common good. It is not organized based on ideology, narrow self-interest, or class warfare. It is organized to develop and promote – in a balanced way – the social, political, and economic ‘common’ wealth of our society. If we look at what is happening in Washington, Mr. Speaker, most of us would agree that we are at risk of losing our balance. We cannot let that happen in Virginia.

Mr. Speaker, I believe, and I hope many of us will agree, that to be a true Commonwealth, we should work to create jobs and promote economic opportunity for the broadest cross-section of the public as possible. That is what the Governor referred to in his inaugural speech, labeling Virginia as a ‘Commonwealth of Opportunity’.

Fortunately, our nation’s economy is finally showing signs of recovery. But that does not mean that our work is done. While we need to support, recognize and celebrate our many businesses which create jobs by investing, we must remember that what we do here is key to their continued success. We must remember that we help set the stage for economic activity. Our public sector builds and maintains the infrastructure – the roads, the rail, the schools, the public amenities – that businesses consider as they decide whether to expand or even come to Virginia. And our government creates jobs in the form of teachers, firefighters, and police to support that infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, we can have the lowest tax burden in the country, but businesses will not invest or expand unless they can get their goods to market. And we can have the fewest regulations in the country, but businesses will not invest OR expand unless they have a quality labor force and know that our educational system will continue to provide the workers of the 21st century. Make no mistake — with the decisions we make in this chamber, we all become ‘job creators’ in the truest sense of the word.

Mr. Speaker, to be a true Commonwealth, we will need to invest in educating our children and our citizens, whether it be through Pre-K, K-12, or higher education. It is very difficult to out-compete the Chinese in traditional manufacturing these days – their wages are simply too low. But we can out-compete them in terms of our mindpower, and America has shown its strength in doing that over the years. The key to maintaining our critical edge in that area is education, and we neglect it at our peril. It is for that reason that those of us on this side of the aisle will be fighting hard to expand funding for education at all levels, and we hope that our friends on the other side of the aisle will join us in that effort.

Mr. Speaker, we also cannot have a Commonwealth without being fiscally responsible, honoring our promises, and sharing our challenges.

That is why those of us on this side of the aisle are committed to restoring the VRS to full solvency and to maintaining a balanced approach in our budgeting process.

We hope our friends on the other side of the aisle will join us in these efforts.

Mr. Speaker, building a Commonwealth also requires focusing on the future – embracing the innovation and the science that will help us compete in the 21st century. That is why many of us on this side of the aisle will continue to support our scientific research and our institutions of higher learning. Historically, the United States has educated more students, educated them better, and utilized our research capabilities and technological innovation to drive economic growth. Supporting scientific inquiry and scientific results has never been uniquely democratic nor republican, and we hope to keep it that way.

And, finally, Mr. Speaker, building a Commonwealth means protecting those most in need. Whether they are citizens who seek nursing home care at reasonable costs, or workers who are thrown out of work through no fault of their own, we have an obligation to assist those in need. That does not mean that government must always provide the service, but it does mean that government needs to catalyze the effort.

During this session, our side of the aisle will serve the role of the ‘loyal opposition’, to tell, as Paul Harvey used to say, ‘the rest of the story’. We will probe, prod, engage, and embrace, as Jefferson said, ‘the noblest purposes of debate.’ We will do this not out of a desire to embarrass, humiliate, or surprise, but out of a search for the truth that leads to good public policy. So, let us debate, raise critical questions, find common ground where it is present, and advance the progress of our citizens.

Mr. Speaker, some people say that America’s best days are behind it. They decry a lack of civility and are pessimistic about our courage to change. And while we have had our moments of incivility in this chamber, I remain, as too should all members of this chamber, genuinely optimistic about our ability to work together and bring results – oriented change in a balanced fashion – so that we may build a genuine Commonwealth of Virginia.”