Governor McDonnell takes a principled stand on spending
By JR Hoeft | Thursday, October 21st, 2010 | PolicyLest we get too carried away with the notion that Virginia has a budget surplus, Governor Bob McDonnell reminded state agencies today that we need to keep spending under control.
McDonnell, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, has notified state agencies that by Nov. 5 they need to submit their plans to reduce 2, 4, or 6 percent of their appropriations from the general fund for fiscal year 2012.
Is this a surprise to anyone?
While the state has cut billions from its budget, it became so unnecessarily bloated under eight years of Democratic drunkenness that an austerity program under McDonnell has become necessary.
In other words – not everything has to be managed by the government and the government doesn’t always have to raise taxes.
So, the governor has taken an approach that makes a lot of sense: look at the entirety of the executive branch, identify efficiencies, spend only on our most necessary government programs, and save taxpayer dollars.
There is no doubt that this governor has drawn a line in the sand when it comes to spending and refuses to raise taxes on the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
A good reminder to voters this Election Day as to how conservatives hope to begin fixing a nearly $14 trillion national debt. It’s not going to be easy, but it is certainly necessary.
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About the author
Conservative to the core; liberal with his opinion! J.R. has been involved in politics for over a decade and has worked on several campaigns in Hampton Roads. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Chesapeake and the Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia. He is also the director of “Blogs United” in Virginia. E-mail J.R.. Follow J.R. on Twitter.
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12 Responses to "Governor McDonnell takes a principled stand on spending"
JR, most citizens applaud efficiencies in Government, and those of us who value state and local government services for our homes and businesses value the requirement for a balanced budget. I applaud the Governor’s anticipation of a possible budget problem That said, your continued partisan shots like…”it became so unnecessarily bloated under eight years of Democratic drunkenness that an austerity program under McDonnell has become necessary.” First, patently not true, and second, during that entire time, the House of Delegates controlled spending and the republicans were firmly in control of the House. You do yourself harm as a commentator by posting such gibberish.
Mike, your “counterfactual” backside is showing again….
Oh please, principled stand? Come on. The guy “discovers” 1.5 billion from VDOT at the same time he pushes the $600+ billion state pension deficit onto the next administration. Hello, I sense another quasi Progressive is shirking his fiduciary duties w/o the Tea Party people asking What the He$%!!!!!!
And I voted for this guy??
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Is this going to be a hurrah way of getting ABC passed?
Maybe if he announced a call for tax reductions across the board to be approved by General Assembly…might be a better option.
We don’t need to reduce taxes. The tax rate isn’t a problem in Virginia. We need to cut spending. This is a great first step and I applaud the governor for being willing to take a stand here. Some agencies will be able to cut more, some less, but if we reduce spending, we’ll be able to funnel more money where it’s needed most – transportation and education.
Watch the Brits …
Well Brian, you may be correct that in some areas, we need to cut spending, but frankly, you can’t have it both ways. With the condition of the state’s infrastructure receiving a d-, with the inability to pay for or reform VRS, with court clerks offices closing one day a week to save money, with teachers being laid off, with sheriffs facing continued overcrowding in their jails, most Mayors know what the Governor’s cuts mean; that is, almost nothing for the Commonwealth, but real cuts of jobs, programs, and services at the local level. The Governor has just announced his education initiative to increase the diploma rate; how does he pay for it?
It’s not a principled stand. We’ll need the cuts to balance the budget. He’s not doing anything different than Kaine did when he was faced with holes in the budget. If he was suggesting we cut spending when we had a surplus that, I suppose, would be a principled stand.
Brian, point taken and some merit there but companies are asking for the demand to go up so they can sell products. The idea that demand is down indicates that not only are people counting their dollars a little more carefully but also that they are less able to spend it due to costs, etc. Taxes are an immediate roadblock. A better economy may be a better environment for grappling with the transportation issue. That’s how my hierarchy of needs lines up, anyway.
Federal taxes are a bigger concern, though, more so than the state. We’re better off at Virginia’s rate but every bit helps.
The only negative I see with the Governor’s proposal is that he set the threshold too low. The minimum cut should start at 8%. It is common knowledge that departments have been padding their budgets for years. As the end of the budget year nears, departments run out and buy furniture, new electronics, give bonuses to department heads and preferred flunkies in order to divest themselves of any leftover funds. No department should be able to give a bonus unless it has shown (through verifiable outside sources) that it has reduced the operating cost of that department or has increased the number of services it provides without adding additional staff and office toys.
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