Former Finance Secretary and 2009 LG candidate Jody Wagner wrote an op-ed which appeared in Tuesday’s Virginian Pilot. The topic was, of course, the budget deficit that the Commonwealth is facing, rumored to be in the neighborhood of $3 billion. “The challenge, of course,” Wagner says, “will be to find ways to tighten the belt without compromising essential services like education or public safety.”
Besides making tough decisions and looking for places to cut, we also have to look for ways to stimulate Virginia’s economy.
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To continue to grow Virginia’s economy, we need to keep taxes low and our quality of life high to attract more businesses.
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We’re also going to have to take steps to grow sectors of our economy with the most potential to expand. By focusing on the creation of “green sector” jobs, for example, we can put more Virginians to work and help develop energy sources that will make us less dependent on foreign oil.
A combined approach of cutting expenses and growing the economy sounds just like what Virginia needs.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
That’s not an op-ed; it’s campaign literature.
That’s not an op-ed; it’s campaign literature.
Well, duh.
Another Democrat promising to “keep taxes low”….sigh
The result will behave major setbacks for localities in terms of funding. I doubt we will see much cutbacks more forward in terms of the State, but what the State will do it cut funding to localities in the area of roads, schools etc.
It may come time for many localities to implement what counties like Henrico do in terms of roads and not rely on State funding. Many a locality budget is going to feel the pinch which will squeeze citizens more and result in some major discontent come Fall 2009.