Statement of Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling on State Budget Shortfalls

- Bolling warned of looming budget shortfalls due to overly optimistic revenue projections- RICHMOND - Earlier today, Governor Tim Kaine once again announced massive shortfalls to his revenue forecast for the FY 2008-2010 biennial state budget, revising budget projections down by an additional $1.2 billion for FY10 and $300 million in shortfalls from the past fiscal year. In response, Lieutenant Governor Bolling released the following statement:

"The budget shortfalls that Governor Kaine announced today are serious, but they should not surprise anyone. I have been warning for the past two years that the current state budget is based on overly optimistic revenue projections and that huge budget shortfalls would be the result. This is what happens when you base your budget on money you don't have to make promises you can't keep.

"For the past four years we have based our budget on overly optimistic revenue projections, the use of one-time revenues to pay for ongoing programs, spiraling amounts of state debt and raids on the rainy day fund. That is not fiscally responsible and we cannot continue to manage Virginia's finances this way.

"Unfortunately, the budget shortfalls we are facing in the current fiscal year may only be the beginning of our long term fiscal challenges. We will likely face additional budget shortfalls in the 2010-2012 biennium when the federal stimulus dollars we used to balance the budget last year run out. In fact, those shortfalls could be larger than the shortfalls we are experiencing in the current fiscal year.

"Going forward, we must make certain that our budgets are based on realistic revenue projections, reduce spending to match available revenue and eliminate the budget gimmicks. This will require us to make many difficult choices, but these are the same kind of choices that families and businesses have had to make in recent months, and the people of Virginia expect state government to live by the same economic realities that they must live by."

Delegate Peace Tells Congress “No” to ObamaCare

Joins 1,800 State Lawmakers in Nationwide Effort to Preserve States’ Rights; Stop Single-Payer Central Virginia – Delegate Christopher Peace signed onto an official letter from the American Legislative Exchange Council (www.alec.org ) to Congressional leaders, which was delivered on July 29, expressing the will of more than 1,800 state legislators opposing federal reform efforts—particularly, the Medicare-modeled “public plan” and a national health insurance exchange—which will trample states’ rights and lead Americans down the road to single-payer health care.

“My goal is to help educate and inform our community of the nationwide efforts working to send a message to those who wish to violate America’s first and founding principles. These Federal actions are eating away at the concept of state sovereignty expressed in the Tenth Amendment laid out by the Founders. We must remember Madison’s words ‘The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined,’” said Del. Christopher K. Peace (R-Central Virginia).

The members of ALEC—the nation’s largest nonpartisan, individual membership association of state legislators—recently approved the Resolution on Preserving States’ Rights Regarding Federal Health Insurance Exchanges and a Public Plan, which deems the federal public plan anti-competitive and calls the proposed national health insurance exchange a “federal takeover” of the states’ role in regulating health insurance.

“The government will never compete unless it can change the rules to win,” says Iowa Representative Linda Upmeyer, minority whip, family nurse practitioner, and chair of ALEC’s Health and Human Services Task Force. “It’s an unlevel playing field when a public plan can shift costs to our state’s private insurers because of low doctor and hospital reimbursement rates, and then raid the federal Treasury for unlimited subsidies,” she added.

In the ALEC letter to Congress, ALEC’s lawmakers criticized the federal push to shift health care decision making to Washington. “We all share the goal that patients deserve to choose their own quality, affordable, private health coverage,” the letter states. “But health reform shouldn’t just be the job of the federal government.”

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is the nation's largest nonpartisan, individual membership organization of state legislators.

Delegate Christopher K. Peace was elected to his second term representing the 97th District of the Virginia House of Delegates. The District includes parts of Hanover, Caroline, King William, King and Queen, Henrico, Spotsylvania Counties and all of New Kent County.

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Local Healthcare Program Receives State Grant

- Dawn Community Doctors receives funds to provide medications to uninsured- Mechanicsville, VA – Delegate Christopher K. Peace (R-Mechanicsville) is delighted to announce that grant funding was recently awarded by the Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) to provide medical services to uninsured residents of King William County.

Central Virginia Health Services received $52, 477 for the Medication Assistance Program to serve patients at the King William Dawn Community Doctors clinic. Through this funding, the clinic will supply free prescription medications to eligible, uninsured, chronically ill resident.

“The rising cost of healthcare in this country means that some people must choose between buying medicine or buying food. Providing free prescription medications to chronically ill patients who cannot afford to buy their medicine will aid greatly in improving quality of life,” asserted Peace. “Many chronic medical conditions such as diabetes and hypertension are avoidable and can be managed with an appropriate drug regimen.”

The King William Dawn Community Doctors is a free clinic located in Aylett which provides healthcare services to uninsured and low income residents of King William and King & Queen counties. For services and hours of operation contact the clinic at 804-769-3022.

According to their website, in 2008, VHCF's software program, The Pharmacy Connection, helped 42,777 eligible, uninsured Virginians with chronic illnesses receive $279,850 million in free prescription medications.

The Virginia Health Care Foundation is a nonprofit organization that funds innovative initiatives to increase access to primary health care for uninsured and medically underserved Virginians, and strengthen Virginia’s health care safety net. VHCF was initiated in 1992 by the Virginia General Assembly and its Joint Commission on Health Care.

Delegate Christopher K. Peace was elected to his second term representing the 97th District of the Virginia House of Delegates. The District includes parts of Hanover, Caroline, King William, King and Queen, Henrico, Spotsylvania Counties and all of New Kent County.

Letter: Congressman Eric Cantor's Job Fair

I am pleased to announce that on August 17, 2009, I will be hosting a Job Fair for the Greater Richmond Area. The event will be held from 9:00am to 1:30pm at Clover Hill High School, 13900 Hull Street Road, Midlothian, VA 23112. In these tough economic times, I continue to work with my colleagues in The Congress to establish long-term solutions that will put Virginia Businesses and Virginia workers back on the path to financial stability. Virginia's 7th District is home to many talented individuals and a wide array of employers. I hope this event will provide a mutually beneficial opportunity to both employers and potential employees to learn about the great resources we have in our region.

The event will also include several seminars on resume writing, interviewing with employers, searching for jobs, and accessing benefits in the case of unemployment.

If you are currently seeking employment, I encourage you to attend my Job fair. Additionally, I invite you to visit my website at http://cantor.house.gov/jobfair for further information on how to participate. I look forward to seeing you there!

Sincerely, Eric Cantor Member of Congress