Why Jim Gilmore Will Win Part 3

AGENT OF CHANGE

According to every electron heading my way from the boob tube, the electorate is restless and the rising candidacies of Huckabee and Obama is due to the voters desire for change. I don't doubt Gov. Mark Warner is also going to try and make that connection.... That he is an 'Agent of Change'....

Have you quit laughing yet? Seriously, Gov. Mark Warner an Agent of Change. The only thing he possibly changed while he was Governor was the color of the drapes in the Mansion; and well Ok, I will concede he changed some tax rates to higher levels.

When a governor gets elected and goes to Richmond to implement their campaign promises, they always run into one big problem. The System that the Founding Fathers set up to slow changes in the governmental process. You know the old Executive checked by the Legislative branch of Government. The 140 elected representatives of the House of Delegates and Senate, that make up our General Assembly.

This system has stymied many a Governor before, until Gov. Jim Gilmore formulated a plan to deliver on a campaign pledge to eliminate the Car Tax; by merely transferring excess state income tax revenues back to the localities, and lift that burden from the people. He even took it a step further by reducing in-state college tuition 20%, and freezing it at that level for four years. That is change citizens can feel in their wallets, and see on reduced student loan statements.

However, this approach to government finance doesn't sit well with the bureaucrats and politicians who screamed at the top of their lungs:

"It's not fair! "You have ruined our Santa Claus routine for pandering to the interests, and their bevy of lobbyists who come to see us every year", they cried.

Fellow Republicans, it doesn't stop at taxes, Gov. Jim Gilmore also made reforms at VDOT a priority. He created for the first time an executive level Inspector General position to focus resources, ensure proper finance, audit, and compliance controls throughout VDOT. What does that mean? Someone is responsible, and it helps put to an end to the finger pointing when this is not done, or that has gone over budget.

Well he must have short changed Education right, with all that extra revenue being sent back to the localities and the people? How could he roll back tuition 20% at our colleges, and freeze it at that level for four years? He must have short changed education?

The answer is no, Gov. Gilmore's administration oversaw the largest increase in K-12 education spending to that date, along with the largest increase in transportation spending in history. More on both of those in later posts.

The point here my fellow Citizens is that Gov. Jim Gilmore is only disliked by those whose 'business as usual' process he completely turned on it's head. This is a major distinction between him and Gov. Warner, whose election must have elicited a chorus of shouts of joy from the lobbyists, bureaucrats, and Fat Cat politicians of:

"The Party is on again Boys, come on in, the Water feels Fine!"

Which candidate for US Senate is going to be able to claim that they are an Agent of Change? Gov. Jim Gilmore, who delivered a massive reversion of the citizens money actually back to the citizens; or Gov. Warner, the changer of drapes, and the guy who safely returned Richmond back to it's 'Business as Usual" status.

The Republican who is going to help us take back the US Senate from the Democrats, or the guy who will just add to the Democratic majority in the US Senate? Do you think the change that Virginians will be voting for is one of higher taxes, and universal health care?

I mean seriously, Gov. Mark Warner as an Agent of Change? This is a guy who became a multi-millionaire from 'political connections' to obtain the rights to radio frequencies needed to create a fortune in the cell phone business. Here is a great quote Gov. Warner can use to prove he is an Agent of Change:

"I Majored In Washington, DC"

The only likely change to come from him going back to Congress is his status from multi-millionaire to billionaire.

The citizens of Virginia can not have a clearer choice for US Senate this year if they are looking for change. Gov. Jim Gilmore has a clear record of being an Agent of Change, while Gov. Mark Warner has a clear record of business as usual.

cross posted to STD