HoodaThunk?

Creigh Deeds and the truth he won’t admit

Owing to the company meeting this week I could neither attend nor listen to the debate between Virginia gubernatorial candidates Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds. I did catch up with what happened there, however, and it’s important that my fellow Virginians do, too. It amounts to this: Bob McDonnell has detailed plans of what he intends to do to address critical issues to Virginians if elected to office. In matters of education, energy, jobs, transportation, and public safety Bob McDonnell has put himself on the record with detailed white papers about his plans and he’s got them available on his web site to anyone who pops in for a look.

Creigh Deeds has none of that. All he’s got is tired references to a 20-year-old college paper and unsupported accusations based on an even further skewed representation of that. Even the crowd at the debate has grown tired of this obvious bit of blowing smoke, openly groaning at Deeds’ multiple mentions of it. Asked afterward, many in the crowd said they wanted to hear more about specific issues and what the candidates will do about them.

There’s a reason Deeds didn’t bring any of that to the debate, as Bob McDonnell did. Deeds has pretty much 1 answer to everything: raise taxes. Of course, he’s really trying hard to avoid any mention of that, which led to this abysmal performance in front of the press immediately after the debate:

Yes, you heard that right:

Q: “Senator, would you raises taxes in this climate, if necessary?”

- “No, I’m not gonna raise taxes, but I am the only person on this dais who will sign a transportation plan that raises new money”

Deeds talks of “new money” and “raising money” to handle things like transportation. We all know what he means by that – that he’s going to propose raising taxes and will sign such a bill if given the chance – but he will not admit it . And this is the guy who wants us to trust him with the top position in Virginia government for the next 4 years? We can’t afford that, on a number of levels.

Bob McDonnell has been very up-front about his intentions and they don’t include grabbing more of Virginians’ cash in hard times. Read up on his positions and ask yourself why Deeds hasn’t done this.

Bob McDonnell is who we need in the Governor’s house in Richmond.

September 19th, 2009 Posted by ricjames | Politics, Virginia Politics | no comments

HCA COPN transfer approved, Inova says they will withdraw their application for competing site

HCA Virginia’s request to transfer their existing certificate of public need (COPN) from the blocked BRMC location to their proposed StoneSpring Medical Center (SMC) was approved today by Virginia State Health Commissioner Karen Remley. This is excellent news.

Inova has announced that they will withdraw their pending COPN application and dismiss their pending lawsuit against HCA. That’s also good to hear. I will be holding any applause over that until after those actions are actually done. Inova has said they would not interfere with HCA’s plans to build a hospital at the proposed site and I look forward to their continuing to keeping their word now that the project is headed toward Loudoun’s Land Use Committee.

Speaking of which, I will expect to see full support for this proposal from the members of Loudoun’s Board of Supervisors who withheld approval from the BRMC while loudly proclaiming that they’d support it if it were only located at some position on the map where the push pins could be evenly spaced. Well, it’s down there, now, so let’s step this up. We don’t need to be waiting another 5-8 years to get the construction started.

More on this as it comes.

September 19th, 2009 Posted by ricjames | Medicine, Politics, Virginia Politics | no comments