The voice of Virginia's voters rang loud and clear yesterday. All three Republican candidates for statewide office won resounding victories, with gubernatorial nominee Bob McDonnell carrying his race by roughly an 18-point margin. Citizens have placed their faith in these three men - as well as the 100 General Assembly delegates elected and re-elected yesterday - to manage the commonwealth during one of the most volatile periods in recent history.
The challenges facing Virginia's government are numerous. Clearly, the vast majority of the problems center around the weak economy and the dire condition of the state's budget. Issues like deteriorating transportation infrastructure threaten to further polarize Democratic and Republican officials. There are no easy solutions to such problems, and lawmakers should remain open to pragmatism and dispense with the usual partisan bickering that often dominates the statehouse in Richmond.
Virginia currently is home to 15 four-year public colleges and universities, as well as 23 community colleges. For students at these institutions, the state's budgeting theatrics carry special importance. No one is expecting McDonnell or the Assembly to work miracles with the state's finances - Virginia's economic picture is still bleak, and the need for fiscal austerity is understood. Still, some methods for balancing the budget are better than others. Higher education has taken Gov. Tim Kaine's budget cuts on the chin, with the latest round removing about $19.25 million from the University, or roughly 15 percent of its previously projected state funding.
It makes sense for K-12 education to be spared more than colleges, given the alternative revenue streams on which colleges can rely. To take more funds from higher education, however, would be irresponsible. According to a Sept. 9 State Council of Higher Education for Virginia report, "Between 1992 and 2010, general fund appropriations to public higher education in Virginia fell from 14% to 11% of total state appropriations." Even in more prosperous times, the state continued to redirect money away from public colleges and universities and toward other prerogatives. Now that times are tougher, higher education is still expected to bear the brunt of budget cuts. That kind of logic simply does not add up.
This indiscretion only becomes more apparent when Virginia is compared with other states. The SCHEV report also notes that Virginia ranks 40th for state and local appropriations.
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