The other day I wrote that Republicans faced a choice in Virginia. This was in reference to newly elected Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell proposing policies that seemed to be the opposite of what candidate McDonnell supported while claiming to be a “fiscal conservative” and “anti-stimulus” Republican.
Voters sent a strong message in November when they elected McDonnell by a landslide margin. However, they did not elect him to go knocking on Obama’s door for stimulus cash on behalf of Virginia. Yesterday, Anita Kumar with the Washington Post covered McDonnell’s latest “stimulus” scheme. McDonnell, along with former Virginia Governor and DNC Chairman Tim Kaine, have gone hat in hand to Obama to request $350 million for educational purposes in Virginia. The Federal money would come from the Race to the Top Program.
According to Anita Kumar:
“The $350 million requested by Virginia would be split between the state and the 117 local education agencies that have asked for funding. Money would be spent on charter schools and low-performing schools, finding and retaining teachers, and improving student assessment, among other purposes. All of Northern Virginia’s school systems signed on.”
How does Mr. McDonnell expect to pay for these programs once the “stimulus” cash runs out? And, what happened to the “fiscal conservatism” that Mr. McDonnell sold over the course of his campaign? Activists are paying attention and will hold Mr. McDonnell accountable for his increased spending propositions.
The Typical GOP Rears Its Ugly Head
It looks like Mr. McDonnell is doing the usual GOP two-step routine when it comes to his position on the stimulus. McDonnell has publicly stated that he believes that as long as stimulus money is there, Virginia should have it’s share but states that he is against a stimulus bill in the first place. But does Mr. McDonnell even know what Virginia’s share of that money really is? Doubtful.
Democrats have picked up on the routine that Mr. McDonnell and other Republicans have been performing. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schulz (D-FL) says, “Republicans like Bob McDonnell have been particularly critical of pieces [of the Recovery Act] that wouldn’t create jobs, and now he’s asking for that money anyway. You can’t have it both ways. If you are against something, be against it.”
While Mr. McDonnell is calling for a period of belt tightening in regards to the budget shortfalls he is facing in Virginia, which is about $4 billion, he is increasing the amount of Federal money coming into the state. This does not match up to “fiscally conservative” principles that he has espoused so often.
Recently, Mr. McDonnell attempted to further raise his fiscal conservative bona fides as he announced his savings of around $80,000 of tax payer money on his transition into the Governors office. Well well, thank you Mr. McDonnell for saving us $80,000, but could you also save us the the pains of adding new programs paid for by the Federal Empire? And, if the $80,00 savings is reason for applause, why don’t you just cut the $6 million you are spending on Public Broadcasting, since you have already announced plans to phase it out over the next four years. Just cut it now if you are so serious about closing the budget deficit!
Americans are looking for leaders that are responsible when elected. And Americans are watching Virginia to see how Republicans are leading when given the opportunity. Mr. McDonnell should take note of that.
This post was originally featured at NetRightNation.com.
