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Improving the Quality of Life in Virginia through Practical Solutions that Get Results
Public Education:
*Provide adequate state funding for public education programs that have demonstrated high quality through a defined curriculum and academic standards that can be measured for accountability.
*Provide more educational options for students to increase school choice and promote programs that provide academic relevance.
*Modernize learning environments through the use of multi-media and technology to promote on-time, 21st century learning.
*Increase Career & Technical Education opportunities for public school students.
Higher Education:
*Provide adequate funding to support the standards and accountability measures implemented in the 2006 Higher Education Restructuring Act.
*Support initiatives to lessen the impact of tuition and
fee increases.
*Support initiatives like the community college articulation agreements and the Community College Transfer Grant Program to expand access to higher education services.
Health Care:
*Provide quality, affordable health care services to all citizens through increased access to private health care providers, public health clinics, free clinics, and community health centers.
*Continue to be a strong and vocal advocate for the intellectually disabled citizens by increasing MR waivers, community-based services, and appropriate home environments that best meet their needs.
*Support the development of more Home Health Care services for the elderly and disabled.
*Support initiatives, such as medical scholarships and loan forgiveness or repayment plans to increase the health care workforce.
*Focus on strengthening the community-based mental health infrastructure through more Crisis Stabilization Centers and case management services.
Energy Independence:
*Increase Virginia’s on-going efforts to develop alternative energy sources utilizing clean coal, solar, nuclear, winds, waves, and biofuel technologies.
*Permit offshore exploration and/or drilling for natural gas and oil with royalties dedicated to funding needed transportation initiatives.
*Increase existing energy efficiences and implement aggressive, proactive conservation efforts.
Transportation:
*Ensure that the recently enacted $3 billion transportation bond package is used exclusively for needed highway, bridge, and tunnel construction, rail expansion, and mass transit.
*Require local governments to implement uniform and appropriate land use strategies so that an adequate transportation infrastructure is provided with new residential and commercial development.
*Hold VDOT and the Commonwealth Transportation Board accountable for transportation-related expenditures, projects, and performance.
*Dedicate specific future increased tax revenues from the economic growth in cargo container levels to increase regional and statewide funding for highways, bridges, tunnels and maintenance needs.
*Dedicate any future royalties from offshore natural gas and/or oil exploration/drilling for highway, bridge, tunnel construction, improvements, and maintenance.
Economic Prosperity:
*Protect Virginia's Right-to-Work law.
* Protect Virginia's existing tax rates and the repeal of
the Estate (death) tax and the state sales tax on food, the
Land Conservation tax credits, and the personal property
tax cap.
*Maintain tax and regulatory policies that continue to
promote Virginia as the "best state in which to do
business."
* Utilize future growth in tax revenues from economic
development projects to leverage the capital necessary
to stimulate economic development and job growth.
Budget Reform:
*Require all government agencies to submit a zero-based budget within a rotating ten-year cycle to justify the need for funding existing programs and expenditures.
*Require a cost/benefit impact analysis for all new state
government spending requests.
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