Residents of the New River Valley came out to in high sprits to welcome Gov. Bob McDonnell to Roanoke on Aug. 4. McDonnell kicked off his Virginia Speaks tour at the Roanoke County Administration Center, which was the first of eight stops McDonnell will make across the state to gather the suggestions and opinions of Virginia’s citizens and put these ideas into action.
“I’m here to listen to your ideas about making better government,” McDonnell said.
The main focus of McDonnell’s presentation was job creation and economic development throughout the state. Before he spoke, he spent time at local food banks, Steel Dynamics and the new Carilion Medical School to gain a better understanding of area businesses.
McDonnell said he is concerned but optimistic about the future of Virginia’s job market. Virginia currently has an unemployment rate of 7.1 percent, and more than 300,000 residents do not have jobs. McDonnell said that the best way to combat those numbers would be to focus on the local businessman.
“The job gives people access to the American dream,” he said.
McDonnell said the current state of the job market is partially because of the state’s budget.
“This is the worst budget that we’ve seen in quite a while,” he said.
McDonnell’s commission on government reform and restructuring was created to maintain funds and save money, and its goal for this fiscal year is to reduce spending to 2006 levels, or about $15 billion, according to the Washington Post.
Along with the General Assembly, McDonnell created a provision in the budget that would reward departments and individuals that spent less than their predetermined budget.
“They are encouraged to save,” McDonnell said.
McDonnell also believes the privatization of ABC liquor stores will free up governmental funds for transportation, education and energy.
The government currently has a monopoly over the sales of distilled spirits in the state of Virginia, but 32 states across the country have already privatized liquor sales.
While the state government would still have an input over which businesses receive licenses, sales and distribution would be out of its hands. McDonnell believes this would create private sector jobs and save the state anywhere from $300 million to $500 million.
The money saved by privatizing ABC would go toward transportation, an issue McDonnell said is “critically important.”
However, some residents are fearful that privatization could result in an increase in consumption of alcohol, underage drinking and crimes related to alcohol.
Another issue brought up by residents during the question and answer session was government funding for higher education.
College tuitions across the state have experienced an increase over the past several years. McDonnell wants to cut college tuition so middle-class families can send their students to college, but does not have a plan for doing so.
“We need more money (for higher education),” McDonnell said.
Residents also questioned McDonnell about ecological initiatives that many deemed unnecessary, including “green” downtown Richmond.
However, McDonnell does support all efforts to reduce both nitrogen and phosphorus runoff in the Chesapeake Bay.
“More oysters and striped bass in the Bay will help the economy,” he said.
Another Roanoke County resident expressed frustration toward proposed wind turbines in her area.
McDonnell said that there are clear visual issues with wind farms, in addition to being unsustainable.
He said he hopes to explore off-shore drilling, and alternative sources of energy including solar and wind once improvements in technology have been made.
“We’ve got to reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy,” he said.
McDonnell will be conducting town hall meetings in various cities this month. He is also accepting ideas on www.reform.virginia.gov.
