LG campaign coming down to semantics

Are Virginians “fortunate” in the current economy? Or is it “illogical” to attend a meeting where you aren’t a participant?

That’s basically where we’re at in the current LG race.

Former Secretary of Finance Jody Wagner just can’t break free from her role in over-estimating revenue projections for the state budget, and that’s largely due to her own campaigning.

On one hand, she wants to highlight the Kaine Administration’s role as fiscal stewards of taxpayer dollars during the recent economic recession – and her participation in that legacy.

She says that compared to other states, Virginia’s budget deficit and unemployment rate is lower; therefore, we should consider ourselves “fortunate” (Of course, as I have written before, it doesn’t matter how much water you drown in if you’re drowning).

On the other-hand, while she wants credit for Virginia’s fortunes, she doesn’t want to be saddled with the negative connotations associated with the budget deficits, which came about largely because of her estimates; she would like to pin some of the blame also on the lieutenant governor.

Wagner insists that her campaign opponent, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, was invited and should have participated in the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Revenue Estimates (GACRE).

The board, which informs the secretary of finance’s recommendations on revenue to the governor, consists largely of private citizens and economists.

Bolling responded to this criticism by saying that it would have been “illogical” to attend meetings of board; Wagner maintains that this is tantamount to sitting on the sidelines.

However Bolling, along with Republican colleagues in the House and Senate, were far from sitting on the sidelines. They made it well-known during the budget debates their concerns about the revenue estimates. Bolling even penned an op-ed that appeared in the Richmond Times-Dispatch pleading for the governor in January 2008 to adjust down estimates (which the governor begrudgingly did in February 2008, but only for that year).

“While I hope that economic conditions improve and our economy will grow at a rate of 6.6 percent in the 2010 fiscal year, we cannot be certain of that, and we should not base our budget on such an overly optimistic revenue forecast,” wrote Bolling. “It is important to remember that while state revenues are not increasing as rapidly as had been expected, they are still increasing.”

The dilemma for Wagner is that she has very limited experience in government. Her two “experiences” are a failed run for congress and this position as secretary of finance, where she failed at adequately projecting state revenues.

The bottom-line is that Wagner can’t have it both ways: She can’t say that it was because of her that we’re economically “fortunate”, then turn around, acknowledge we’re not so fortunate, and try to pin the blame the misfortune on others.

If she wants to be lauded for the good in the economy, she has to also accept responsibility for the bad.

Bolling is right to be confused by Wagner’s twisted logic. Certainly the voters are.

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