A past lead editorial ("Governor's school," Sept. 24) advised readers to "take a closer look" at the Virginia's two gubernatorial candidates' positions on higher education, but ended up unable to follow its own advice. Reporting that "the distinctions between the two [candidates]...are less than striking," the editorial failed to distinguish between Bob McDonnell's empty rhetoric on higher education and Creigh Deeds' well-thought-out plan to expand access and affordability.
According to his website, McDonnell says he wants to issue 100,000 more degrees in the next 15 years, and in a May 12 interview for Inside NOVA, he also would require colleges to "save" money by "consolidating or eliminating some programs." How does he expect to both increase the number of degrees awarded and eliminate programs across the state?
On the other side of this race, Deeds offers a two-page plan specifically for higher education (as opposed to a few paragraphs on McDonnell's site), detailing how specifically to achieve the goals we all agree on. He discusses at length a program for guaranteeing student loans for community college students and increasing tuition assistance by putting more money into the Virginia Partnership fund. Rather than just saying he supports math and science education, Deeds offers one year of loan-forgiveness to every three dedicated to studying in these fields.
Deeds has an actual plan to back up his principles. Not only does McDonnell offer completely unsubstantiated ideas, his "answer" to our transportation crisis undercuts any promise he might make for education. To fund roads, he would take $5.4 billion dollars away from the general fund, the very place where we get money for higher education.
Therefore I firmly disagree with the idea that there is little difference between the two. As has been common in this campaign, McDonnell says a lot, but Creigh Deeds brings substance and pragmatism.
Susan Fisher\nCLAS '09
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