As the General Assembly begins rolling up its sleeves and dealing with a $4 billion budget shortfall, we are frequently reminded that there will be substantial cuts across all important government services, be it our schools, public safety, or our long-awaited transportation fix. We have been assured by politicians that they will find efficiency in government before they cut our schools or further delay road fixes.
A bill was proposed and heard in the House of Delegates on Jan. 22nd that would have done just that. Del. Ward Armstrong's House Bill 1053 combined various legislative agencies under the Division of Legislative Services and saved over $2.5 million dollars.
Yes, it eliminated some government jobs, but it streamlined state government at a time when many citizens are losing their jobs due to a sour economy.
I was extremely disappointed to hear that our new delegate, Rich Anderson, who ran on a platform of making government more efficient, opposed this common-sense measure. This is simply another example of why average people don't take politicians seriously anymore. How many jobs for teachers or police officers could that $2.5 million dollars have saved?
If Del. Anderson had his way, we would have had even more severe cuts to our core services. Luckily, Republicans and Democrats alike overwhelmingly supported the bill.
I hope Del. Anderson knows that his constituents expect leadership in these difficult times.
JANE TOUCHET
Woodbridge
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