Lt. Governor Bill Bolling...

STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BOLLING ON PASSAGE OF SENATE BUDGET

RICHMOND – Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling today issued the following statement in response to Senate’s passage of the state budget:

“Needless to say, this has been a challenging budget year, with the Commonwealth facing a deficit of $3.7 billion. To address this shortfall we were facing significant spending reductions for most state programs. It appears as though the infusion of some $4.5 billion in federal stimulus funds will enable us to restore many of these budget cuts, at least in the short term.

“Given the significant infusion of funds provided by the federal stimulus package, I think the Senate did a good job crafting amendments to restore many of the budget cuts that had been made in the Executive Budget. However, I fear that this is a short term solution to a long term problem. By relying on one time federal funds to balance the budget we are not addressing the fundamental structural problem in the budget. Simply put, we are spending more money than we are taking in and we cannot continue to do that. Unless we see significant economic growth over the next 18 months, we will once again face massive budget shortfalls when the federal stimulus dollars expire.

“Going forward, our full attention must be directed toward effective proposals to get out economy moving again. We can do that by reducing taxes for families and businesses, eliminating unnecessary regulatory burdens, directing more resources to aggressively recruit new business and industry to Virginia and empowering the private sector to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of America. That is what will ultimately get our economy moving again, not continual financial bail outs from Washington.”

Boy Scouts coming to Goshen, VA...

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Delegate Ben Cline
(540) 461-0534
DelBCline@house.state.va.us

DELEGATE CLINE COMMENTS ON BOY SCOUT ANNOUNCEMENT
OF JAMBOREE RELOCATION TO ROCKBRIDGE

RICHMOND, Virginia – February 11, 2009 — Delegate Ben Cline (R-Rockbridge) made the following comment regarding the announcement of the National Boy Scout Council of their selection of Rockbridge County as the location for the National Boyscout Jamboree beginning in 2013:

"I am pleased to learn that the Boy Scouts have chosen Goshen as the tentative site for the National Boy Scout Jamboree in 2013. Rockbridge County has the perfect combination of natural beauty, outdoor excitement, and economic development for the Jamboree, and we have worked hard to convince the Council that Goshen is the best location for them to continue their successful event. I look forward to working at the state and local level to ensure a smooth and successful transition for the Jamboree to the Rockbridge area."

Cline represents the 24th House District, including Rockbridge County and the Cities of Lexington and Buena Vista, and parts of Amherst and Augusta Counties. He was elected in 2002, and re-elected to his fourth term in 2007. Cline is a member of the House Commerce Committee, Public Safety Committee, Finance Committee, and Courts Committee.

More info and text available at RightsideVA...

~Snow Day~ Meeting moved to Feb 3rd...

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Due to the snow storm and poor road conditions on Tuesday 27th, the Augusta County Republican Committee (ACRC) meeting has been moved to Tuesday February 3rd, 2009...

The same agenda will apply and all ACRC members will be receiving notices of the new meeting date this week in the mail...

Hope to see you there !!....

Lt. Governor Bolling on Virginia budget shortfall...

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"However, I am very concerned by the Governor's proposal to increase taxes by $167M. Throughout this process the Governor has repeatedly promised to balance the budget through spending cuts, not tax increases; and it is very disappointing to see him renege on this promise. The people of Virginia expect their leaders to keep their word, not break their promises.

Read entire text here...

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Richmond- Republican gubernatorial nominee Bob McDonnell announced today that he has over $2 million on hand for the 2009 campaign for Governor. In July, McDonnell was the first candidate in the race to report over $1 million on hand. McDonnell brought in $1.612 million in last six months, from 1,072 individual contributions, and raised more than $1 million since election day 2008.

Campaign Manager Phil Cox noted, "Bob's campaign for Governor is attracting donors from all across Virginia. It is another sign of the excitement that Bob is generating everywhere he goes. Virginians are recognizing that Bob McDonnell will be the type of Governor who is willing to reach out to Independents, Democrats and Republicans, to build consensus and get results. That is kind of leadership Virginians want and deserve."

Delegate Cline Sherando Townhall meeting...

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Delegate Ben Cline held a Town hall meeting at the Sherando community center and met with 15 local residents to get their input before he leaves Wednesday for session in Richmond…




The Legislative session will be for 45 days and there will be numerous topics to debate and vote on regarding the operation of and planning for the state of Virginia…

Topics at the meeting discussed included Transportation, Taxes, Community services, Prison terms, Lottery, Family-aid programs, Education, Gang activity, Railroad construction, Economy, Tax revenue, and local tax rates…

Delegate Cline then spent an additional 30 minutes talking with individual citizens after the meeting. He will also be sending out a weekly email report on the happenings of the legislative session and that also will be posted at this site…