Citizen Tom

In the March 14th Edition of the Lingamfelter Report, Delegate Scott Lingamfelter provides an optimistic report on the budget the General Assembly is producing. Here is an excerpt.

Conservative Budget, Successful Session
Dear Friends,

After more than 60 days of tedious debate and difficult work, the House and Senate last night approved a budget for our Commonwealth including a landmark $42 million to reform Virginia’s mental health treatment system.

By a unanimous vote, the House of Delegates approved the $77 billion biennial state budget. I would like to take a few moments today to present you with some of the highlights of a conservative state budget that adheres to the principles of limited government, fiscal restraint, and the scaling back of unsuccessful or under-performing government programs-a victory that Ronald Reagan would be proud of!

Here are a few of the highlights of HB 30, the state budget, which I would like to share with you:

• Spending held below the rate of population growth and inflation;
• One of the leanest, most fiscally conservative budgets in modern times;
• The 2008-2010 budget does not raise taxes;
• Slows the growth of overall spending;
• Reduces expenditures in some areas by eliminating under-performing programs;
• We reduced the withdrawal from the Rainy Day Fund by 30% of what the Governor requested;
• Requires annual reductions of $17.5 million for state agencies and $50 million for local governments;
• Keeps tuition and fee increases for in-state undergraduate students to no more than 3%;
• Substantially lowers reliance on debt as compared to the Governor’s requested budget;
• Eliminated proposed new fees on driver’s licenses;
• Adds $4.5 million to implement the Wounded Warrior Program for Virginia’s heroes.

Lingamfelter and other other local Republicans began this year’s legislative session on defense. After last year’s losses, they lacked optimism. The governor is a Democrat and now the Senate is controlled by Democrats. That perhaps explains the modest nature of this list of accomplishments. Nonetheless, the fact Republicans have thus far held down spending does deserve some bragging rights.

What we must keep in mind is that the General Assembly still has more legislating to do. We must remember what Governor Kaine did to last year’s rotten transportation bill, HB3202.