In his first address [1] to the General Assembly, newly minted Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) urged lawmakers to “turn the page [2]” on the divisive issues of the past and focus instead on the issues that matter most to the commonwealth’s families.
Which, in Youngkin’s view, includes a deep-seated worry that Virginia government isn’t doing enough for Daniel M. Snyder and the Washington Football Team.
And, more broadly, Virginia’s families appear to be profoundly concerned the state hasn’t done nearly enough on the corporate welfare front.
Never fear, those of you who may be worried about such things (when not worried about the creeping menace of critical race theory or some other hobgoblin intended to keep the base agitated through the midterm elections). Youngkin is on the case, promising [3] that his administrations will “win the competition for jobs and corporate re-locations” and make a “significant investment in mega-sites” — to make sure “we don’t lose the next advanced battery manufacturing plant after seeing several go to Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia.”
Let’s be very clear: States do not compete for businesses. Politicians compete, vying with one another for the opportunity to tout their job-creation skills. But all they are really doing is transferring wealth from local businesses to big businesses.
Hmmm. A redistribution of wealth. Did someone say “socialism?”
And for those most worried about Snyder, Youngkin wants to “broaden the baseball stadium authority to include football. And perhaps we’ll get one of those too.”
Youngkin may frequently assert, perhaps even believe, that he is at the leading edge of a movement to make government more accountable to the people. Far from it. Youngkin is really just the latest link in a long, bipartisan chain of politicians who think pro stadiums are the pathway to something.
Maybe it’s economic prosperity. Or growth. More likely it’s just an overactive sports edifice complex.