Yesterday marked Gov. Bob McDonnell's 100th day in office. Thus far, the administration has passed the state's $4.2 million budget and faced two major political controversies. Acknowledging the date in an online audio release, McDonnell first noted his administration's success in passing the budget with no tax increases.
"We've set the core priorities of government," he said in the release. "People know that in these tough budget times, as families and businesses are reducing expenditures, that government's got to do the same and live within its means, and we've been able to do that."
McDonnell also cited good relations with representatives on both sides of the aisle in the General Assembly, thus limiting partisan gridlock among legislators. Noting that 80 percent of the bills passed occurred during the first 60 days of session, McDonnell said his administration worked with the Assembly to work on his agenda. Similarly, 92 percent of the budget amendments and bills were passed during the Assembly's recently completed session.
"[Budget amendments and bills] were able to pass because we worked closely with legislators with strong stands on everything from jobs to energy to standing up for traditional values and were able to get bipartisan cooperation to enact these ideas," he said.
The term also has seen strides in employment with the governor's "Jobs and Opportunities" agenda, McDonnell said, announcing new jobs in Danville, Waynesboro, Southwest Virginia, Shenandoah County, Frederick County and Charlotte County, as well as advancements in education with his "Opportunity to Learn" legislative agenda. Moreover, President Obama announced March 31 Virginia would become a leader in off-shore oil drilling projects on the East Coast, which was one of McDonnell's chief priorities.
But McDonnell's to-date performance in office has met criticism from Virginia's left.
"Instead of prioritizing the state's $4.2 billion budget shortfall, Governor McDonnell spent 100 days back-tracking and apologizing for actions that appealed to the far right-wing elements in his party," Democratic Party of Virginia Chairman Dick Cranwell said in a press release Friday. "Unfortunately he succeeded only in embarrassing the majority of Virginians by portraying us as a backward-looking, intolerant Commonwealth."
Cranwell cited McDonnell's initial omission of slavery in his proclamation of Confederate History Month and further criticized his hesitation in correcting University alumnus and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's stance on equal opportunity on Virginia college campuses.
"Virginians deserve more from Governor McDonnell than ideological distractions, national embarrassments and repeated apologies," Cranwell said.
Neither McDonnell's press release nor his audio address made any mention of Confederate History Month or the equal opportunity controversies.
Despite this omission, McDonnell said he remained committed to efficiency, not partisanship.
"I'm absolutely convinced that I got elected because people wanted results," he said. "They didn't want rhetoric - they wanted to see a governor get things done, bring people together, stop fighting and produce reforms that help the citizens."
-compiled by Bethel Habte
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