McDonnell’s responsible, but Obama isn’t?
By Brian Kirwin | Thursday, February 18th, 2010 | PolicyJeff Schapiro needs to loosen his Simonesque bow tie and let some blood flow to his brain. Shapiro says “McDonnell now owns Virginia’s fiscal mess” after only a month in office.
Obama’s still blaming Bush after 13 months in office. Jeff isn’t bothered by that, though. He does, however, get a sparkling glow when he talks about how Chuck Robb found time between nude massages from Miss Virginia to raise taxes in 1982, to build roads, of all things.
4 years later, another Democrat raised taxes, again for roads. But Jeff still winks at Chuck Robb and pines for the good ole days when Schapiro’s politics, if not his fashion, was still in vogue.
Democrats are in a pickle right now. They say we can’t reduce spending during a recession. Of course, they oppose reducing spending during economic booms, too. So it begs the question.
If you can’t reduce government spending when revenues are low, when the heck can you?
It’ll be interesting to see the bloated bureaucrats get off their cushions to talk to TV cameras about how the cuts are…hmm, let’s see. What are the usual words.
Draconian! As in Draco of Greece.
Actually, since ancient Greece had very progressive and high taxes, taxed the wealthy and estates enormous amounts for “public works,” it’s the Democrats who are actually the most fiscally Draconian.
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The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled.
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20 Responses to "McDonnell’s responsible, but Obama isn’t?"
McDonnell knew when he ran he was walking into a mess – I am excited to have a Governor that thinks like I do. He is going to take flack right now, but in a couple of years when VA has weathered the financial meltdown and emerged fiscally intact, he will be a hero to the millions of tax paying voters not getting a government hand out. Can anyone say Senate 2014? – Marky Warner we are coming for ya.
Maybe Mr. Schapiro should also get out at night and look up at “Draco” which is a constellation of stars between the “Big Dipper” and the “Little Dipper”.
A fitting metaphor for “Big Dipper” Democrats and their tax, surcharge, fee, toll and spending ways and forced by the economy through “Draconian” reductions to a “Little Dipper” government.
On the other hand, if Jeff Schapiro’s tie is too tight and he tries to look up at the stars, he may faint and then all will be lost.
It is a shame that GovGirl possesses much with the exception of a conscience. Sure, Kaine’s budget already had $2,000,000,000 in cuts, enough to even make an anti taxer happy. But instead of cutting into services for the truly disadvantaged, Kaine recommended increased revenue to tide us over. Of course, when you pledge allegiance to Grover Norquist instead of to the people of Virginia, the extra $2,000,000,000 more in cuts really hurts those in need, and is not necessary unless allegiance to Norquist is more important than maintaining a balanced economy in Virginia.
In FY 2001 Virginia’s budget was ~$23 bln. In FY 2008 it was ~$36 bln. We saw an increase in spending of over 50% in that time. Now we can’t cut ~10% from the current budget? Puh-leeze.
“Those in need”… we are “all” in need right now except those in commercial real estate.
The commercial real estate tax should be increased to 45% and then double taxed at the federal level which is in the spirit of taking from those who can afford it and giving to those who can’t.
I can vacate my lease, take my business back into my garage, make all of my employees virtual so they can work from home and cut overhead costs to keep from feeding the greedy commercial real estate developers and property managers as they try to raise the square footage lease costs to compensate.
Can Mike comment on a post without using the words “Grover” or “conscience.” It might require him doing more than hitting cut and paste, but it might be worth the effort.
Brian, maybe Mike should take up Astronomy as a hobby or as an alternative – Astrology?
BK: It might. And as a further thought experiment, maybe you could write a post or comment without including an ad hominem arguement.
I’d spell “argument” right.
If I’d known that Grover was going to be so powerful, I’d have been nicer to him when I met him some 25 years ago.
But you’re right Brian, this mess belongs to Warner and Kaine. Maybe a year or so from now, not so much. Then again, another difference between Obama and McDonnell is that McDonnell doesn’t spend all of his time whining about his “inheritence.”
You may not like his ideas. But he looks for solutions, not blame.
Okay. So the answer to the question was “No, I can’t.” Good to know.
Silly Stevie. I can. I won’t, but I can.
I don’t think you can characterize these draconian cuts as conservative; frankly, they are vindictive, aimed at the most vunerable of our society. Our economy is already improving, and we will come out of this recession soon. We could have a surcharge on the income tax, aimed at those with higher incomes, to tide us over for a year or two. Make the surcharge expire on a set date that cannot be extended. Afterall, this is a state at the low end of programs and services already, and cuts have been made for the last three budgets, so these additional cuts made because of McDonnell’s no tax pledge really are hurtful. New business growth depends upon a quality educational system, and a efficient transportation system, and in the last decade, the House of Delegates seems bent on destroying both. The increase in funds for the Governor to close deals is the height of absurdity; good caompanies don’t locate in state bent on destroying education and transportation.
MB – Cuts have been made for the last three budgets, but only these cuts in the fourth round “really are hurtful”? How would you classify the other three rounds of cuts?
Oh, wait…a Democrat was living in the Governor’s mansion then, so those cuts must have been precisely aimed at those services used only by the rich gluttonous republicans. Nothing hurtful about that.
Well actually, most of the prior cuts were in higher education and in programs and services of the Commonwealth. These cuts will be passed on to local government or to the elderly, the sick, the disabled, children, or those who care for them. I believe CHKD said over $20,000,000 will be lost in Medicaid funding. I think there has been a qualitative difference. Frankly, it does not matter what party or personality is in the office of the Governor; it is the anti tax majority in the House of Delegates that calls these shots.
Mike, your “tax the job creators and spend more money for government” philosophy lost.
Your repeated calls for Delegates to act the way the people they defeated would have makes the elections meaningless. If “anti-tax” Delegates would be defeated by “pro-tax” Democrats, you’d get your way, and I’d have little room to argue with you.
But I’ve been hearing you moan about the House of Delegates for a decade, and obviously their voters don’t want more taxes, or they would’ve elected people who would’ve raised them.
You’re not going to get anything but frustration trying to convince Delegates to flip-flop on taxes after campaigning against raising them. You’ve got to convince the people that you’re right and they’ve been wrong. Good luck!
Mike, even with the cuts of the last two budget cycles, K-12 education spending has increased 60& since 2000, while the student population has increased about 8%.
The House has also passed HB76 which essentially requries localities to ensure that 65% of their funding gets to the classroom. The problem has never been that we don’t spend enough on education, it’s that the money is caught up in the bureaucracy.
These are hardly the actions of a state bent on destroying education.
BK: I find myself surprised to agree with you on your last comment.
Elections have consequences.
To cut education funding while we retain the useless car tax “cut” that means less than $1 a day to most folks in the state seems short-sighted and selfish — to me.
But McDonnell and the legislature have looked at the election results and decided that the people of Virginia ARE that selfish and short-sighted.
I don’t think there’s any denying that they — and you — are right about that.
Sure elections have consequences; I am more concerned with governance than with elections. Someone herein ran a poll which revealed that few had a clue what the effect of no new taxes was. It is just a slogan that politiicans use instead of their traditional role of educating the voter on what is important and crucial to the success of their state. Best example, No Car Tax, that infamous bumper sticker that still disables this Commonwealth to this date. Regretfully, the anti tax republicans have gradually eroded the public’s interest in good governance, and we will all pay a great price for that.
Mike,
In a Democracy, “good governance” ultimately means doing what the people want you to, or you will soon be out and someone else will be governing.
While I do think reprentatives have a duty to consult their own conscience as to the best course of action and not merely follow polls, they then have to stand accountable for their actions. There are damn few folks on either side of the aisle who are willing to do the “right thing” at the cost of the office they’ve worked so hard for. The public said they didn’t want a tax increase. They said that pretty loudly. It would have made no sense for legislators, Democrats or Republicans, to ignore that.
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