The House has managed to snub rural and urban Virginia by attacking innovative programs in education, the expansion of technology, environmental cleanup and especially job creation.
The House budget proposal reaches too deep into the checking account for core services ... to just deal with the general fund side and come back another day for transportation.
We're still waiting for the House to engage.
It is a bit distressing that instead of constructive solutions, there are those in the House who would continue to just say no and expect our transportation challenges to disappear.
All we're hearing from the House leadership is 'no,' and that's not a solution. It is bewildering that there are those in the House who would remove tools as opposed to offering constructive solutions of their own.
They were attempting to incorporate the regional approach that some members of the House are exploring. They didn't get there, obviously, but at least they were in Richmond at work. Where was the House?
The concerns we have on the House plan is that it's not long-term or statewide. The numbers appear squishy and there's a huge piece of it (the $552 million) that we don't know where they're getting that.
At least the House has indicated an unwillingness to adopt policy through the budget. It's the governor's belief that the executive order he signed minutes after taking his oath will continue to be the policy of this administration.