Bob McDonnell

Statement of Governor Bob McDonnell on President’s Offshore Energy Plan

RICHMOND- President Barack Obama announced this morning that Virginia will be the first state on the East Coast to explore for and produce natural gas and oil offshore.  Governor Bob McDonnell has been a longtime proponent of this important policy since the federal moratorium on Atlantic drilling ended in 2008. Coastal exploration and drilling that will lead to thousands of new jobs and billions in economic impact in Virginia. In response, the Governor issued the following statement:

“I thank the President and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar for ensuring Virginia will be the first state on the East Coast to explore for and produce energy offshore. The President’s decision to allow energy exploration off Virginia’s coast will mean thousands of new jobs, hundreds of millions in new state revenue and tens of billions of dollars in economic impact for the Commonwealth. It will also help our nation take a further step towards energy independence. Environmentally-safe offshore energy exploration and production is good for Virginia workers, the Virginia economy and national security. Just this session the General Assembly passed, with bipartisan support, legislation I requested to authorize offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling and to allocate 80% of revenues to transportation and 20% to green energy research and development.

The effort to ensure that Virginia stayed on track to hold an offshore lease sale as expeditiously as possible has been a bipartisan one at the federal level as well. I want to specifically thank Senator Mark Warner, Senator Jim Webb and Congressman Eric Cantor for their leadership and advocacy on the issue. I also want to thank all the Republicans and Democrats in our Congressional delegation who have strongly advocated for offshore energy production.

With today’s announcement, oil and gas can be produced in an environmentally-safe manner 50 miles off Virginia’s coast. Virginians will benefit from the thousands of jobs that will be created and the economic activity and development that will accompany this vital industry’s arrival in the state. However, to fully participate in the positive impact of offshore energy development, the Commonwealth must be included in all royalty and revenue sharing arrangements, in a manner equivalent to what the Gulf Coast states currently receive. Congressman Bob Goodlatte has already introduced legislation, with bipartisan support, to ensure revenue sharing.  I urge our federal representatives to immediately move forward in ensuring Virginia receives our fair share of the revenues derived from our natural resources. I am confident that the United States Congress will act appropriately and expeditiously to ensure this occurs.

Offshore energy production is one part of an “all of the above” approach to ensuring energy security. It is an important component of the comprehensive energy policy that we must enact to move towards greater domestic energy security. We will also do more in Virginia to promote and produce other sources of energy in our borders, including wind, solar, biomass, coal and nuclear. Today’s announcement means future new jobs for Virginians and much-needed revenue for our Commonwealth. Again, I applaud the President for his decision, and thank all the Virginia leaders from both parties who have worked together to make this announcement possible.”

# # #

Gov. McDonnell’s State of the Union Response: Full Text

Good evening.  I’m Bob McDonnell. Eleven days ago I was honored to be sworn in as the 71st governor of Virginia.

I’m standing in the historic House Chamber of Virginia’s Capitol, a building designed by Virginia’s second governor, Thomas Jefferson.

It’s not easy to follow the President of the United States. And my twin 18-year old boys have added to the pressure, by giving me exactly ten minutes to finish before they leave to go watch SportsCenter.

I’m joined by fellow Virginians to share a Republican perspective on how to best address the challenges facing our nation today.

We were encouraged to hear President Obama speak this evening about the need to create jobs.

All Americans should have the opportunity to find and keep meaningful work, and the dignity that comes with it.

Many of us here, and many of you watching, have family or friends who have lost their jobs.

1 in 10 American workers is unemployed. That is unacceptable.

Here in Virginia we have faced our highest unemployment rate in more than 25 years, and bringing new jobs and more opportunities to our citizens is the top priority of my administration.

Good government policy should spur economic growth, and strengthen the private sector’s ability to create new jobs.

We must enact policies that promote entrepreneurship and innovation, so America can better compete with the world.

What government should not do is pile on more taxation, regulation, and litigation that kill jobs and hurt the middle class.

It was Thomas Jefferson who called for “A wise and frugal Government which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry ….and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned…” He was right.

Today, the federal government is simply trying to do too much.

Last year, we were told that massive new federal spending would create more jobs ‘immediately’ and hold unemployment below 8%.

In the past year, over three million Americans have lost their jobs, yet the Democratic Congress continues deficit spending, adding to the bureaucracy, and increasing the national debt on our children and grandchildren.

The amount of this debt is on pace to double in five years, and triple in ten.  The federal debt is already over $100,000 per household.

This is simply unsustainable.  The President’s partial freeze on discretionary spending is a laudable step, but a small one.

The circumstances of our time demand that we reconsider and restore the proper, limited role of government at every level.

Without reform, the excessive growth of government threatens our very liberty and prosperity.

In recent months, the American people have made clear that they want government leaders to listen and act on the issues most important to them.

We want results, not rhetoric. We want cooperation, not partisanship.

There is much common ground.

All Americans agree, we need a health care system that is affordable, accessible, and high quality.

But most Americans do not want to turn over the best medical care system in the world to the federal government.

Republicans in Congress have offered legislation to reform healthcare, without shifting Medicaid costs to the states, without cutting Medicare, and without raising your taxes.

We will do that by implementing common sense reforms, like letting families and businesses buy health insurance policies across state lines, and ending frivolous lawsuits against doctors and hospitals that drive up the cost of your healthcare.

And our solutions aren’t thousand-page bills that no one has fully read, after being crafted behind closed doors with special interests.

In fact, many of our proposals are available online at solutions.gop.gov, and we welcome your ideas on Facebook and Twitter.

All Americans agree, this nation must become more energy independent and secure.

We are blessed here in America with vast natural resources, and we must use them all.

Advances in technology can unleash more natural gas, nuclear, wind, coal, and alternative energy to lower your utility bills.

Here in Virginia, we have the opportunity to be the first state on the East Coast to explore for and produce oil and natural gas offshore.

But this Administration’s policies are delaying offshore production, hindering nuclear energy expansion, and seeking to impose job-killing cap and trade energy taxes.

Now is the time to adopt innovative energy policies that create jobs and lower energy prices.

All Americans agree, that a young person needs a world-class education to compete in the global economy. As a kid my dad told me, “Son, to get a good job, you need a good education.” That’s even more true today.

The President and I agree on expanding the number of high-quality charter schools, and rewarding teachers for excellent performance. More school choices for parents and students mean more accountability and greater achievement.

A child’s educational opportunity should be determined by her intellect and work ethic, not by her zip code.

All Americans agree, we must maintain a strong national defense.  The courage and success of our Armed Forces is allowing us to draw down troop levels in Iraq as that government is increasingly able to step up. My oldest daughter, Jeanine, was an Army platoon leader in Iraq, so I’m personally grateful for the service and the sacrifice of all of our men and women in uniform, and a grateful nation thanks them.

We applaud President Obama’s decision to deploy 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. We agree that victory there is a national security imperative.  But we have serious concerns over recent steps the Administration has taken regarding suspected terrorists.

Americans were shocked on Christmas Day to learn of the attempted bombing of a flight to Detroit.  This foreign terror suspect was given the same legal rights as a U.S. citizen, and immediately stopped providing critical intelligence.

As Senator-elect Scott Brown says, we should be spending taxpayer dollars to defeat terrorists, not to protect them.

Here at home government must help foster a society in which all our people can use their God-given talents in liberty to pursue the American Dream. Republicans know that government cannot guarantee individual outcomes, but we strongly believe that it must guarantee equality of opportunity for all.

That opportunity exists best in a democracy which promotes free enterprise, economic growth, strong families, and individual achievement.

Many Americans are concerned about this Administration’s efforts to exert greater control over car companies, banks, energy and health care.

Over-regulating employers won’t create more employment; overtaxing investors won’t foster more investment.

Top-down one-size fits all decision making should not replace the personal choices of free people in a free market, nor undermine the proper role of state and local governments in our system of federalism. As our Founders clearly stated, and we Governors understand, government closest to the people governs best.

And no government program can replace the actions of caring Americans freely choosing to help one another. The Scriptures say “To whom much is given, much will be required.” As the most generous and prosperous nation on Earth, it is heartwarming to see Americans giving much time and money to the people of Haiti. Thank you for your ongoing compassion.

Some people are afraid that America is no longer the great land of promise that she has always been. They should not be.

America will always blaze the trail of opportunity and prosperity.

America must always be a land where liberty and property are valued and respected, and innocent human life is protected.

Government should have this clear goal: Where opportunity is absent, we must create it. Where opportunity is limited, we must expand it. Where opportunity is unequal, we must make it open to everyone.

Our Founders pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to create this nation.

Now, we should pledge as Democrats, Republicans and Independents–Americans all—to work together to leave this nation a better place than we found it.

God Bless you, and God Bless our great nation.

Governor-Elect Bob McDonnell Calls for Major Reform in Virginia’s Budget Development Process

RICHMOND- Virginia Governor-elect Bob McDonnell issued the following statement today regarding the need to reform the budget development process in the Commonwealth.

“On Friday, December 18th, Governor Tim Kaine proposed his biennial budget for Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012. The Governor made his proposal with only 28 days left in his single four-year term, carrying out his obligation as determined by our current budgetary calendar. Unfortunately, the current budget development process leads to a situation, repeated every four years, in which the consideration, debate and adoption of one governor’s proposed budget takes place during the Administration of his successor. Thus, one out of every two budgets submitted requires no subsequent accountability or management from the governor who proposed it. The current system also requires a new governor to potentially submit sweeping changes to a budget just days after taking office with limited preparation and input. A sitting governor usually takes many months to analyze and develop a comprehensive state budget. It is likewise burdensome on the General Assembly to have to review and consider the potentially divergent budget recommendations of two governors in such a short period of time.

Regardless of who is governor, or the political parties they represent, such an arrangement does not serve the public’s best interest nor does it create a fiscally prudent planning process. It needs to be reformed.

As Governor, I will propose action be taken to move the budget development process to odd-numbered years, from the current even-numbered year arrangement. Thus an incoming Governor would only make necessary changes to the second year of his predecessor’s budget, and would then be in office for the drafting of two full budgets of his or her own, and would be held fully responsible for the implementation and oversight of those budgets. There is broad support for reform. Governor Kaine and I, as well as key General Assembly leaders, support this change. Governor L. Douglas Wilder’s Commission on Government Efficiency and Effectiveness made this same proposal during the Warner Administration. I have spoken with many business leaders and citizens who support this policy change. It is a non-partisan recommendation that will ensure a much more orderly budget process. As a candidate for Governor I recommended this change as part of the government reform package Lieutenant Governor Bolling and I jointly announced in September.

It is important, especially in tough fiscal times, to continue to look for positive reforms in all areas of government, to make it simpler and more efficient and to get results. This is one which will lead to a smoother budget process for the benefit of all involved. I look forward to working with the members of the General Assembly to adopt this reform in the near future to begin with submission of a full two-year budget in 2011.”

Rest stops to reopen, McDonnell pledges

Virginia highway rest stops shuttered to save money in the economic recession will reopen within 90 days after the January start of Gov.-elect Robert F. McDonnell’s term in office, McDonnell told state reporters and editors in Richmond on Tuesday.

McDonnell, who had promised during his campaign for governor that he would reopen the stops, said he will announce his plans to accomplish the goal “either before or shortly after” his Jan. 16 Inauguration and complete the task within three months.

McDonnell said he took part in a meeting on the issue Monday to examine a number of options to allow for the 18 stops to reopen, which outgoing Gov. Timothy M. Kaine had ordered closed to save the state $9 million. Those options include using nonviolent prison labor to staff the sites, initiating an “adopt a stop” program for private companies and shifting funds within the transportation department.

“I fully intend to keep the campaign pledge and have it done in 90 days,” he said.

For more than an hour, McDonnell fielded questions on a wide range of topics from about 60 journalists attending an annual orientation session hosted by the Associated Press and the Virginia Capitol Correspondents Association in preparing for the start of the annual legislative session in January.

McDonnell acknowledged he will take the reins of state government in a trying economic time but said repeatedly that he plans to use the necessity of cutting spending as an opportunity to find creative ways to run government more efficiently. A tax increase, he said, is not on the table, and he said he has requested that Kaine not include one in the budget he will submit to lawmakers next week, including adjustments to car tax relief. After McDonnell takes office, he will propose amendments to Kaine’s spending plan.

“I can only express my request to the governor and ask that he consider it, so he doesn’t put me in a position where we have to do some significant additional things,” he said. “I said very clearly during the campaign and since then that I’m not going to raise taxes. And repealing significant tax reductions, like the car tax cut, I would view as a tax increase on the citizens.”

Providing the hint of a possible area of compromise with Democrats who control the state Senate, McDonnell did not rule out the possibility, however, of phasing out certain tax credits to obtain new revenue.

“I’m not looking at that myself right now,” he said. “If the General Assembly came up with some ideas, I’d certainly be willing to take a look at them, particularly if there was proof the credits do anything to promote the desired goal or to promote economic development.”

At a panel earlier in the day, Sen. Janet Howell, a leading Democratic budget writer, had suggested eliminating some tax credits as a way to boost state coffers.

And McDonnell also pledged that, despite the down economy, he plans to put forward a proposal to provide new funding for transportation within his first year in office. He said a transition subcommittee is examining how other states have gone about privatizing state-run liquor stores to develop a plan to do the same in Virginia.

His mandate to the working group: Maximize revenue from the sales of the stores; come up with a way to replicate the continuing revenue the state now receives from alcohol sales; find a way to help the state’s 2,500 ABC employees transition to the private sector.

McDonnell said he had not decided whether he might call a special session to deal with the issue.

“It’s a long year,” he said. “I haven’t decide yet … I only want to take on what I can well. I haven’t even hired a secretary of transportation yet. But I’ll keep you posted.”

- Ros Helderman; Washington Post

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2009/12/rest_stops_to_reopen_mcdonnell.html

McDonnell begins naming members of transition team

In his first news conference as governor-elect, Bob McDonnell today announced a few members of his transition committee, including Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, whom McDonnell also plans to make Virginia’s top “job creation officer” to help lure businesses to the state.

“In the next weeks we will begin preparing for enacting our policy agenda. We are going to outline in excruciating detail everything that I said that I will do during the course of these four years as governor,“ said McDonnell, who added that he will measure progress. “I intend to hold myself accountable to everything I said I would do.“

McDonnell, who led the GOP sweep of the state’s top offices yesterday, said the transition committee also will include Attorney General Bill Mims; and Tom Farrell, CEO of Dominion Resources, a McDonnell friend for 40 years. Other team members announced so far include Bobbie Kilberg, president of the Northern Virginia Technology Council; and Kay Coles James, a Cabinet official under Gov. George Allen who later was director for the Office of Personnel Management under President George W. Bush.

McDonnell named two staff members to the transition team: Phil Cox, campaign manager; and Tucker Martin, his campaign spokesman.

McDonnell said he will soon launch a transition Web site.

As for now, McDonnell said he plans to take a few days off, starting Friday when he heads to Notre Dame, his undergraduate alma mater, with his wife, Maureen, and several of his children.

McDonnell, who received a congratulatory call early yesterday from President Barack Obama, also fielded calls from Sens. Mark R. Warner and Jim Webb, both Virginia Democrats.

“I am enormously privileged to have received the vote that we did last night,“ he said in a moment of reflection on his victory over Democrat Creigh Deeds that ended a decade of Democratic gains at the State Capitol.

Maureen McDonnell, meantime, has received a call from Virginia first lady Anne Holton. The two were to tour the Executive Mansion this afternoon.

By: Olympia Meola – Times Dispatch

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/state_regional_govtpolitics/article/mcdonnell_begins_naming_members_of_transition_team/303617/

Next Page »