ISSUES

Jobs
We must take care of our own in Virginia.  By that I refer to the businesses and industries currently employing Virginians.  The majority of new jobs come from existing industries.  We must work to have a business climate that allows those employers to continue and expand their businesses.  For too long, Virginia has worked to land the “big fish” and ignored the small business community that has already made a commitment to do business here.  I propose the following:

• Making the Department of Business Assistance the umbrella organization for all programs pertaining to new and existing businesses of 250 employees or less.
• Creating a pool of funds similar to the Governor’s Opportunity Fund for small businesses expanding in Virginia.
• Revamping the threshold limits for small business incentives.

Cutting Waste and Increasing Accountability in State Government
There are many programs in Virginia government. Although most are effective, duplicate programs must be eliminated. I feel Virginia needs to do several things to bring the growth and spending of government under control.

• There needs to be elimination of programs that duplicate others.
• There needs to be a process for accountability from every aspect of state government.  I propose a performance based outcome analysis within every budget.  Programs that show little benefit to the public should be eliminated and funds used where they are most effective.
• I believe there should be a zero-based budgeting process in Virginia.  Any organization, department or secretariat receiving state funds must show why they need the dollars, how the money will be spent by line item, and once funds are allocated and approved, they must detail the last 4 months of the fiscal year’s expenditures.  Any left over money must revert to the general fund.

Healthcare
All players including doctors, hospitals and insurance companies must be at the table to make our healthcare system more affordable, efficient, and accessible. Virginians deserve quality healthcare and accessibility no matter where they live. In order for our rural areas to receive quality care, I propose the following:

• Tap into the corpsman program of the military.  These individuals have training and experience beyond many requirements for nurses and physician assistants.  Once a corpsman leaves the military, he/she can take the nurses exam in Virginia and if they pass, they will be allowed to work in Virginia as a registered nurse.
• Encourage reimbursement for elderly citizens to remain at home instead of going to long-term care facilities.  It is proven this saves money and the elderly, if properly taken care of, have a better quality of life and thrive more at home than being placed in a long-term care facility.

Education
I continue to support education and personally feel that an educated workforce is the ONLY workforce in this new economy.  In my visits to our local schools, I have been impressed with the dedication of our teachers and with the knowledge base of our students. I believe as we continue to emphasize outcomes and measure results, we will continue to graduate highly skilled students prepared for college or the workforce. I worry about college becoming less and less affordable for our Virginia students.  We must work closely with our community college system and support them to keep college affordable.  I propose the following:

• We must hold colleges and universities accountable for the operating funds received from the state and tie future allocations to increases in tuition.
• We must continue to fund K-12 and support initiatives that enhance classroom instruction and increase accountability.
• We must continue to promote and fund our extensive community college system and put them on the front line of job training and business recruitment.