McDonnell has abandoned Virginia

July 16, 2012

The Daily Press reports, "Presidential politics loomed heavily over the National Governors Association conference Friday as state leaders offered starkly different approaches to implementing the health care reform law recently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. While the event was initially viewed as a spotlight moment for Gov. Bob McDonnell, who has been mentioned as a possible GOP vice presidential nominee, he spent much of his time talking about President Barack Obama's visit to Hampton Roads."

Progressive Point: Bob McDonnell has a year and a half left in his term as Virginia's governor but you'd never know it from looking at his priorities these days. While Virginia families, workers, and businesses are looking for solutions to create jobs and invest in our communities, Bob McDonnell is playing politics and putting his political ambitions first.

Delivering on health care access and transportation solutions should be priority number one. But instead, Bob McDonnell is playing games designed to make him more popular with the 1% and corporate campaign donors, not Virginia families. Bob McDonnell has been perfecty clear: his first priority is advancing his own political career, not implementing health care reform, finding transportation solutions, and putting Virginians back to work. He may still be governor, but Bob McDonnell has abandoned Virginia.

Get the Facts:

Instead of focusing on the annual governor's meeting, Gov. McDonnell spent a "good chunk of the conference defending Romney's time at Bain Capital." (Daily Press, July 13, 2012)

McDonnell also spent time with the controversal Governor Walker of Wisconsin attacking President Obama over campaign ads and the meeting intended to provide "'governors a platform to have a bipartisan, candid conversation' about effective approaches to governing, said [Nebraska Gov.] Heineman, NGA chairman." (Virginian-Pilot, July 14, 2012)

McDonnell's failure to implement the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act would cost more than 400,000 uninsured Virginian's health care coverage that would be fully funded by the federal government for 3 years and and 90 percent funded thereafter. (Virginian-Pilot, July 12, 2012)

This year, Virginia dropped from 10th to 33rd place in CNBC's ranking on state infrastructures and transportation, causing Virginia to lose it's position as the best state in the country to do business. "Infrastructure -- specifically the state's perpetually clogged highways -- has long been an issue in fast-growing Virginia, CNBC said." (Richmond Times-Dispatch, July 10, 2012)

The president and CEO of Virginia's Chamber of Commerce called the lack of investment in infrastructure an "area of concern for business and policymakers" and that "We have to find a formula that will provide the funding that will keep up with the fast-paced growth of Virginia's economy." (Richmond Times-Dispatch, July 10, 2012)

Under the Affordable Care Act, Virginia has to decide, by Nov. 16, if it will set up its own state-based health care exchange or use an exchange established and operated by the federal government. (Richmond Times-Dispatch, June 29, 2012)

Forward to a Friend via email

Share on Facebook

Tweet it: McDonnell has abandoned Virginia http://bit.ly/MA7ZuB via @ProgressVA

Popular Subjects

From the Blog

Tweets

McDonnell has abandoned Virginia

July 16, 2012

ProgressVA