RPV Statement on Northam’s Proposed Money-Wasting Budget
Richmond, VA – Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Rich Anderson released the following statement regarding Governor Northam’s proposed amendments to Virginia’s budget, announced yesterday in a press release with the headline “Governor Northam Presents Budget Amendments to Restore Progressive Agenda”:
“If there was an award for wasting taxpayer dollars, Ralph Northam would be nominated every year. For decades, Democrats have tried to solve problems by shoveling heaps of money onto them to no avail. Why they think it will work this time is an affront to simple human logic.
“Our students are struggling, our law enforcement officers and public safety are under assault by Democrats, and Virginia families and our economy are suffering as a result of unwarranted Democrat shutdowns. But Northam would rather focus on advancing his ‘progressive agenda’ and salvaging his racist past than helping Virginians in need. There is no money in his proposals for expanding broadband access or to assist parents in getting their children the education they need to become productive members of society. It’s a repeat of the prior and *only* McAuliffe administration which under-budgeted public education, forcing General Assembly Republicans to plus-up his anemic education proposals every time.
“If that were not bad enough, Northam’s budget spends more money than Virginia receives in revenue every year. It is structurally imbalanced and violates time-honored budgeting practices of the House and Senate money committees when Republicans held the majority in Richmond. 2021 is on the way and it is then that Virginia must elect a Republican governor and vote the Democrat House of Delegates majority out. They have both failed the test, just as failure rates at Virginia public schools are now stratospheric as a result of Democrat shutdowns of our education system.
“Most disturbing, Northam’s budget proposes a court-packing plan to grow the Virginia Court of Appeals from 11 to 15 justices, much like Congressional Democrats plan to do with the U.S. Supreme Court. His goal is to pack the court with extremist judges before his gubernatorial and political career ends for good. His efforts will fundamentally change our state judicial system through rushed appointments, manipulation of our system of justice, and making criminals a priority over their victims. This is simply a frantic push by Democrats to change our courts before they lose their House of Delegates majority and Governor’s Mansion in 2021.
“Ralph Northam and the Virginia Democrats would have you believe that the people of Virginia are stupid – that they lack the knowledge to see through this weak grandstanding by the Governor and his General Assembly enablers. Fortunately, that is not the case. Virginia citizens will know exactly who to blame when their taxes go up under Democrat rule, quality of life craters for Virginians, and our state’s vexing challenges continue with no end in sight.”