Some Thoughts for the Next Governor of Virginia

To the next governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia:

While much has been written about spurring the economy, helping small business, growing jobs, repairing the roads, etc., little of substance has appeared in the news. Accordingly, the following is offered to the next governor in the hopes that whoever is in fact our next governor may adopt some of these ideas and thereby improve the economy and the overall wellbeing of our commonwealth in the long term. (And other governors can feel free to borrow these ideas as well.) All of these are possible and affordable, if there is the right level of will, effort, and leadership.

Show Real Fiscal Restraint – Spend down to revenue not up to your wish list. On day one pledge that you will spend no more than 95% of 2009 revenues, with 5% held over as a cushion for crises and disasters. Promise that spending will only grow as fast as the economy of Virginia grows. Strongly consider a balanced budget amendment to the constitution of the commonwealth – one that includes a maximum tax rate as well.

Grow Jobs – New jobs are predominantly created by small businesses. If anyone wants to create new jobs they must provide a real incentive to small business. The simplest means to do that is to eliminate corporate taxes. Tax revenue from corporations represents less than 2% of total revenue in Virginia. (That number is representative of most states.) Allowing businesses to keep that revenue would both create more than 20,000 jobs and provide an incentive for more corporations to move into Virginia. And the new jobs and new corporations would generate more revenue that would provide additional tax revenue.

Attract New Talent – New Patents and Copyrights are the foundations of many new businesses and jobs. Let’s attract that creative talent. Pass a law that permanently exempts all income from a patent or a copyright from income tax. This would draw those with new ideas to move to Virginia and would create additional jobs. The law would apply for any citizen, or anyone who has moved to Virginia and intends to make Virginia his or her home. (This would also be a great idea for the US as a whole, attracting the most creative minds in the world to become US citizen.)

Improve Transportation Infrastructure – On your first day in office call a meeting of all mayors, city councils, delegates, etc., and establish a bipartisan oversight committee with membership drawn from all those offices. Hire a small group of trained planners – my recommendation is some retired military folks who have engaged in planning before* - and have them draw up a series of options that address both current concerns and provide a plan that takes Virginia forward for the next 30 to 50 years. Then the plans would be submitted to the committee for simple up/down votes and then submitted to the House of Delegates for approval or not. But something has to be done to the road networks and the rail lines, etc., and the plan needs to look out into the future and have various options that flow logically. What we have now is a disaster that is only going to get worse.

Develop the Next Generation – Education. The most important step that you can take to set the stage for the next several generations is by improving education in Virginia. And the simplest means to do that is to ensure that Virginia has the highest standards in reading, writing, mathematics, science and history of any state in the nation. Set high standards and insist that they be met. The children can meet those standards, if we insist upon it.

Develop Clean Power – As with the road network, Virginia will need abundant energy if it is to continue to grow. We can sit and wait and hope for someone else to solve our problem for us (hope is not a plan) or we can take action, and provide leadership for all the states of the Atlantic Coast. We need abundant, cheap, clean power and the means to ensure that, well into the future, is nuclear generators. Other sources and methods must suffice for the moment, but cheap, abundant power requires more large power stations. Commit to starting three nuclear reactors in Virginia before your term is up, and set the groundwork for Virginia to lead the nation into the 21st century in clean, renewable power generation.

Plan ahead – Develop comprehensive crisis response plans that work (as demonstrated by recent events in Hampton Roads, whatever is on the books is nearly worthless) and practice with them.

The People of Virginia have nearly limitless potential. But it will require leadership in Richmond to get the impediments out of their way and allow them to convert that potential into something real. That requires leadership and planning from the governor.

* Whoever has been used before needs to be replaced: pick some people from outside the system who have real planning expertise; there are a lot of us around. But do it, and do it as soon as you are in office – these roads are AWFUL.