Donald McEachin: Bob McDonnell Failing to Lead on Budget [UPDATE: Video]

State Senator A. Donald McEachin (D-Henrico) issued the following statement today as the General Assembly awaits Governor Bob McDonnell’s $4.3 billion in budget cuts.

There is a certain Standard of Leadership that is to be expected of a Governor. Virginians expect their Governor to conduct his business in the open, not in private meetings with legislators. The people of Virginia elected Governor McDonnell to make the tough decisions needed to manage the state and they deserve to know his priorities as we work to craft the state’s budget. Every Governor has put his mark on the budget, but Governor McDonnell has, thus far, shied away from this challenge. This is a time for leadership.

Yesterday the Governor introduced a slate of economic development legislation, but I have withheld judgment on this package because I have yet to see the Governor’s total plan for over $4 billion in budget cuts. I suspect those cuts will cost thousands of jobs.

The Governor has said there simply hasn’t been sufficient time for him to work on his budget. But tonight he will speak on behalf of national Republicans on the issues facing a nation that stretches from sea to shining sea, is conducting foreign wars, and faces a trillion dollar deficit. But when faced with the biggest budgetary challenge this state can remember, he just hasn’t had time yet. That fails to meet the standards of leadership that Virginians deserve out of their Governor.

This is an excellent statement by Donald McEachin - blunt, forceful, true. In coming weeks and months, I hope to hear other Virginia Democrats speaking just as bluntly about how Bob McDonnell has no plan, except of course for "cut cut cut," "drill drill drill," and "corporate welfare" to his pet industries (wine, tourism, movies, whatever else he decides to spend non-existent government resources on). No thank you.