|
This
column follows up the Blue Dog's piece on Del. Chap
Petersen, D-Fairfax, and former state Sen. Leslie
Byrne in the Jan. 31 edition of Bacon's Rebellion
("Inside the
Democratic LG Race"). The
Blue Dog asked the other four declared candidates for
Lieutenant Governor, Republican and Democratic
alike, to describe their view of the
office.
Del.
Viola Baskerville, D-Richmond:
The lieutenant governor has become much more than
the person who serves as the president of the
Senate. The lieutenant governor currently serves as
the chair of the Disabilities Commission and
previously as the head of the Commonwealth's
homeland-security and terrorism-response
initiatives.
I
recommended legislation this year that would make
the lieutenant governor the small-business advocate
for the Commonwealth and chair of the Small Business
Commission. Ninety-seven point seven percent of all
Virginia
businesses are small businesses. My recent efforts
to level the playing field for small businesses
seeking state contracts has convinced me that,
without a strong advocate at the highest levels of
state government, small businesses will never get
the attention they deserve from an administration
with many priorities and obligations.
The
job of the lieutenant governor should continue to
develop as the voice in the legislative process for
small businesses, working families and others who do
not have full-time, professional lobbyists at the
Capitol all year - those who also deserve a powerful
voice in Virginia's government.
Sen.
Bill Bolling, R-Mechanicsville:
The official role of the lieutenant governor is to
preside over the Senate of Virginia and serve on
certain boards and commissions as designated by
state law. After serving in the Senate for the past
10 years, I am uniquely qualified to fill these
roles.
However,
the lieutenant governor can also play an important
role in the governor’s administration. I have
known and worked with Jerry Kilgore for the past 10
years, and I am confident that I can make a positive
contribution to his administration. I would like to
focus my attention on assisting with economic
development and working to improve Virginia's transportation system and our colleges and
universities. Because of my experience in the
Senate, I believe I can also play an active role on
health-care issues and the protection of Virginia's natural resources.
Politically,
I would like to focus on helping the Republican
Party become the majority party in
Virginia
at the local level. I will work to head up Operation
Courthouse, which will be designed to elect more
Republicans to local office.
Sen.
Phillip P. Puckett, D-Tazewell:
My role as lieutenant governor would be to serve as
the president of the Senate, the presiding officer,
who would conduct the business of the Senate, vote
in case of ties, and serve in the absence of the
governor.
Additionally,
I will work to bring the different political parties
and factions together to try to come to a consensus
on various issues. I am confident in my abilities to
work with the leaders and members of the opposite
political party, and I feel strong about my ability
to bring people and groups together, at the table,
to attempt to find common ground on various issues.
Sean
Connaughton, chairman of the Prince William County
Board of Supervisors:
I believe the lieutenant governor can be a catalyst
for reform of the Commonwealth's fiscal, economic,
transportation, public safety and education
programs.
I
am determined to use this position's link between
the executive branch and the General Assembly to
push for better management of taxpayer funds,
improve stewardship of the public's interests, and
promote Virginia's long-held values.
Blue
Dog:
What are
your priorities as lieutenant governor for the next
four years - and how will you make a difference, if
elected this fall?
Baskerville:
As lieutenant governor, I will seek enhanced
economic opportunity for small, women and
minority-owned businesses, including procurement and
tax reform; improved quality of life for Virginia
families, including safe homes and streets,
family-friendly workplaces, neighborhood
revitalization, increased home ownership, and a
clean environment with safe drinking water; equal
access to quality public schools and colleges for
every family's children; family-oriented health-care
reform, including improved access to health care,
support for family caregivers, and strategies to
reduce the number of uninsured Virginians; and
reform of government and campaigns and elections.
Bolling:
I believe the two most important issues currently
facing Virginia are developing a transportation system for the 21st
century and reestablishing our colleges and
universities as the best in the nation.
In
order to do these things without raising taxes, we
must focus a great deal of attention on economic
development. By growing Virginia's economy, we will generate the revenue we need to
invest in the important programs of state
government.
Puckett:
One
of my main priorities for the next four years as
lieutenant governor would be to lead the effort to
implement significant improvements to our
transportation system.
Also,
as a former educator, I will work to keep our
educational system strong and to assist our school
systems that are struggling to meet all of the new
standards and guidelines.
As
a former business owner and now a banker, I will be
working to maintain the strong, pro-business climate
that our state has by assisting our existing
business and working to attract new ones and by
working to improve economic development in regions
that are struggling.
Connaughton:
I want to push tax and budget discipline; reform the
state's financial, budget and transportation
programs; seek economic development opportunities
for Southwest and Southside Virginia; increase
law-enforcement efforts to combat drug trafficking
and gangs; strengthen grades K-12 and higher
education; and expand the use of faith-based
initiatives.
Blue
Dog:
Why do you
want to serve in the lieutenant governor's office?
Baskerville:
We need a lieutenant governor who can reflect the
needs of a complex, multi-faceted constituency. Virginia
needs someone who views leadership not as a series
of stepping-stones to more power, but as a way to
empower others to become leaders.
We
need a leader whose traditional values do not
conflict with progressive leadership, whose belief
in self-reliance, determination, hard work, personal
integrity, and the Golden Rule guide her advocacy.
I
am that leader.
Bolling:
After 10 years in the legislative branch of state
government, I have become convinced that the General
Assembly is limited in its ability to foster
significant change for Virginia.
Most
of the major policy initiatives of our time have
been initiated by the executive branch of state
government, as opposed to the legislative branch. I
want to be in a position to influence the direction
of state government, and I believe I can do that
best by helping Jerry Kilgore lead Virginia.
Puckett:
I want to serve in this office to work for the
people of Virginia, to help improve the quality of life for all
citizens, and to serve as an economic development
official for the Commonwealth. I will be
working aggressively to recruit new businesses and
jobs and to promote our existing businesses.
I
will be working with our existing companies to
assist them with any expansion plans or other needs
that they may have.
Connaughton:
Many Virginians have lost confidence in Richmond's ability to sensibly fulfill core government
functions on a sound fiscal basis. Based on my
experience in Prince William County (with 350,000
residents, one of the largest and fastest growing
jurisdictions in Virginia), I know that conservative
principles of fiscal discipline and low taxes can
stimulate economic growth while allowing government
to fulfill its responsibilities to education, public
safety and transportation.
In
Prince William, we developed (and adhered to)
long-term spending plans, lowered tax rates,
improved regulatory functions, and focused spending
on education, public safety and transportation.
As
a result, Prince William is a national leader in job
growth, received the coveted AAA bond rating, and
has seen improvement in its schools, roads and crime
rates. It is obvious to me that to succeed, elected
officials must be willing to engage in accurate
long-term budgeting and disciplined spending.
Richmond
is full of rhetoric at a time when it needs leaders
who will push for reform. Consequently, I believe
reform can only come from leaders outside of Richmond.
Talking
about the state's problems is not the same thing as
doing something about them.
--
February 28, 2005
|
