Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's Plans: Jobs, Wine and Oil
Politics Daily/Woman Up ^ | February 24, 2010 | Joann M. Weiner

Posted on 02/25/2010 8:02:32 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin

Virginia's new Republican governor, Bob McDonnell, has ambitious plans for his state. He wants to put young Virginians back to work, make Virginia the first East Coast state to drill offshore, and to compete with California to become the wine capital of the United States.

McDonnell made these points in his keynote address to the inaugural conference of the American Action Forum, which its Web site calls a new voice for "center-right ideas and action."

With jobs as the focus of the conference, the governor said that "the scariest unemployment statistic we face" is the hidden unemployment that is masked by Virginia's official jobless rate. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Virginia's unemployment rate in 2009 was 6.6 percent. But taking into account discouraged, marginally attached, and underemployed workers, Virginia's overall unemployment rate was 12.1 percent, or nearly double the official rate last year.

The jobs problem goes deeper than many suspect. Nationwide a record 6.3 million Americans, or 41 percent of the unemployed, have been out of work for more than six months. "How many people have just given up looking for a job, especially those in the 18-24-year-old group," McDonnell asked. Unemployment among this group "creates particular problems for state's social safety networks and for public safety...Bringing jobs to the state is the way to cut spending on crime prevention and welfare programs," he said.

Although he did not elaborate on the link between unemployment and crime, a former senior Virginia official later clarified the statement. "In the past, there was a strong link between crime and unemployment among this group," the official said. "But, more recent data show that the link is not there in this recession."

A recent report by Heather MacDonald, a contributing editor at the Manhattan Institute's City Journal, supports this view. Her report shows that although unemployment has increased by more than 7 million since the recession began, U.S. crime rates have fallen to their lowest levels in 40 years.

McDonnell -- who won a landslide victory in November -- ran on the slogan "Bob's for Jobs." Compared with other states and foreign countries, he said, Virginia has relatively few incentives to attract business. "I support providing tax credits for new businesses, creating a one-stop shop for obtaining new business permits, and reducing the turnaround time to obtain a permit."

As for offshore drilling, McDonnell hopes that Virginia will become "the energy capital" of the United States. The federal government recently lifted a ban on offshore drilling that would allow Virginia to drill in 3 million acres that might hold 130 million barrels of oil and 1.14 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The Virginia Senate on Monday passed a measure that would allocate 80 percent of future offshore royalties and revenues to transportation and the remaining 20 percent to the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium. The centerpiece of McDonnell's gubernatorial campaign was a plan to solve Virginia's job-crushing traffic and transportation problems.

McDonnell's most ambitious plan relates to Virginia's wine industry. "We are working to make Virginia wine better than California wine," he said. Virginia ranked seventh in the United States in wine production in 2008.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: energy; issues; mcdonnell; oenology; oil; virginia; wine

1 posted on 02/25/2010 8:02:32 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Sure would be nice if all of our Governors really gave a RIP about their citizens!

Our Governor SUCKS; jobs have left Wisconsin at an alarming rate in the past 8 years. But he’s quitting, so there’s some positive news.


2 posted on 02/25/2010 8:04:20 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (Save the Earth. It's the only planet with chocolate.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Diana in Wisconsin

I don’t get the McCain endorsement but otherwise we’ve been happy to have him! Virginia wine sucks, so good luck there.


3 posted on 02/25/2010 8:07:00 AM PST by albie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: albie

At one time I had been considering a move to southside VA...may need to revisit that idea as an alternative to TN or KY...


4 posted on 02/25/2010 8:18:08 AM PST by stefanbatory (Weed out the RINOs! Sign the pledge. conservativepledge.org)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: albie

You haven’t had the good stuff. There are some vintages made here that rival Napa Valley as we have had quite a few winemakers relocate from CA to VA bringing their know how.


5 posted on 02/25/2010 8:26:19 AM PST by DarthVader (Liberalism is the politics of EVIL whose time of judgment has come.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: stefanbatory

“At one time I had been considering a move to southside VA...”

...the more Freepers the better! Love to have you!


6 posted on 02/25/2010 9:24:39 AM PST by albie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: DarthVader; albie

There’s some pretty good wines from the Loudoun County area.


7 posted on 02/25/2010 9:27:59 AM PST by Pyro7480 ("If you know how not to pray, take Joseph as your master, and you will not go astray." - St. Teresa)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: albie

had looked at the Chase City area...but that was quite a few years back now...the low property taxes were rather appealling...


8 posted on 02/25/2010 9:36:33 AM PST by stefanbatory (Weed out the RINOs! Sign the pledge. conservativepledge.org)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480

Yes there are! And also out in Faquier & Warren Counties.


9 posted on 02/25/2010 9:49:14 AM PST by DarthVader (Liberalism is the politics of EVIL whose time of judgment has come.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480

Have you ever had any wine from Breaux Vinyards?


10 posted on 02/25/2010 9:50:15 AM PST by DarthVader (Liberalism is the politics of EVIL whose time of judgment has come.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: DarthVader

Breaux is one of the better ones. I thought their Nebbiolo Ice was so good that I bought a bottle as a gift to a friend for her wedding which is coming up this summer.


11 posted on 02/25/2010 9:53:57 AM PST by Pyro7480 ("If you know how not to pray, take Joseph as your master, and you will not go astray." - St. Teresa)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Pyro7480

“Breaux is one of the better ones.”

Their wines are and stack up well against some of the best I have had. Their flavors are complex and earthy. Their reds go great with beef. Try the Merlot and the Cabernet Sauvignon the next time you have a steak or prime rib.


12 posted on 02/25/2010 12:53:24 PM PST by DarthVader (Liberalism is the politics of EVIL whose time of judgment has come.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson