|
I certainly hope that many people who thought they were voting for the guy best able to lead Virginia in this difficult time are rethinking their choice after a few months of seeing Bob McDonnell in action.
Robert McCartney of the Washington Post recently took stock of just how Gov. Bob McDonnell is or is not fulfilling the promises he made to voters, promises that were mainly responsible for his resounding victory over Creigh Deeds. The two promises McCartney looked at were McDonnell's promise to shrink the size of government and cut the budget without having to cut basic services to citizens and to lead from day one in solving our transportation mess, an issue that is so important to much of northern Virginia.
So, let's see where the little guy stands on those issues - and a few more:
McDonnell's leadership on the massive budget shortfalls Virginia has consisted of recommending nothing to the legislature. Instead, he let them take all the heat for the cuts in basic services that the Republican "we-hate-government-no-new-taxes" philosophy dictates. Plus, his plan for tackling transportation morphed into a "plan" to delay any plan until next year because the legislature was "too busy."
During the campaign McDonnell told voters that Creigh Deeds' idea for a bipartisan commission to redistrict the state was a fine idea that he also embraced. It turns out his embrace meant smothering the idea and letting it die in the GOP-controlled House of Delegates.
Even his response to AG Ken Cuccinelli's terrible leap into gay-bashing at Virginia's colleges and universities was a halfhearted "executive directive" against discrimination that has no standing in the law. If he had followed both Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and issued an executive order against discrimination based on sexual orientation, then people would have had recourse in court. His "executive directive" is worth absolutely nothing legally. It simply says that the governor doesn't want you to do that.
If this is leadership, then I have a fine, historic bridge in Brooklyn to sell you - cheap.
Let's continue looking at McDonnell's record so far.
|
