To the Editor:
Last Thursday, an economic study of the Northern Virginia Economy (which includes Senator Janet Howell's 32nd Senate District) reported a projected anemic 2 percent Economic Growth Rate. On Friday, our mailboxes contained Howell's summer message of Keeping My Promises to You. On Saturday, The Washington Post's Metro Section reported Governor McAufille's projection of a $2.4B budget deficit. Once again, we must be reminded that budget deficits are a socialist invention to justify increases in spending, taxation, and growth of government. Howell uses the questioned 400,000 Virginians at or below the 138 percent poverty level to justify Virginia's participating in Obamacare. First, the more accurate figure is in the neighborhood of about 130,000 persons. Secondly, the poverty level is a 1960's progressive's invention to justify class warfare: highly suspect by any measure. Nothing is said about the reported 30 percent fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare benefits currently paid to Virginians.
Howell cites a think tank study that suggests that Virginia is giving up $5 million a day in Federal funds for the first three years and thence 90 percent of the required funds from then on. We might also consider that any promises of Federal spending to support Obamacare for the next three years rest on the ability of the Federal Government to increase the debt limit and borrow money: we are reportedly at the borrowing limit in the world economy. The truth is that the $5M a day are borrowed funds to be paid back by us taxpayers.
We have completed four years of budget surpluses, a leaner government, the lowest unemployment rate east of the Mississippi, and a growing economy under Governor Bob McConnell. (Ya, but he's a crook so goes the progressive media), Governor McDonnell's administration met all of the basic needs of our Commonwealth citizens and kept Virginia in the top ten of any meaningful economic metric. With the change to socialist government budgeting, taxation, and spending policies we now have budget deficits, threats of dire economic strife, and a bleak economic outlook.
Howell's message of Real Leadership. Real Accomplishments rings hollow. Transportation is definitely not on her list of priorities. There is a distinct danger in allowing the silver choo-choo to terminate in Reston with a whole new set of problems. In 23 years, she has only achieved 2 miles of widening Rt. 7 to Tysons.
Leadership and performance is available to us voters with Ed Gillespie (Senate), Barbara Comstock (10th District Representative) and Suzanne Scholte (11th District Representative).
Jack Kenny
Reston Republican