Virginians voice concerns to state reform commission

ABINGDON, Va. — A three-dollar timer from Walmart and a plethora of suggestions for government reform, such as opposing the recent plans for elk restoration in Southwest Virginia, were offered during Wednesday’s town hall meeting, held at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center.

The meeting was the fifth in a string of seven scheduled across the state and led by Gov. Bob McDonnell’s Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring.

Roughly 50 people, ranging from local government officials to concerned citizens, turned out to share their views – in a maximum of three minutes – on Virginia’s government. Commission Director Mike Reynolds, the governor’s deputy director of policy, timed each speaker, with what he called “a three-dollar timer from Walmart.”

Concerns expressed by audience members ranged from farmers’ opposition to the plans to restore elk in coalfield counties to the importance of the arts in education to collecting delinquent taxes and the budget.

Bill Osborne, a representative for the Tazewell County Farm Bureau, came specifically to the meeting “to oppose the restoration of elk,” arguing that one diseased elk could destroy business.

“One elk with some kind of disease will shut down the cattle business in Virginia,” Osborne said, because, he argues, the elk would infect the cattle.

Emily Edmondson, the Virginia Farm Bureau director for Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell and Wise counties, had similar sentiments.

“If an elk eats the hay for my cattle in the winter, there is no one who will pay me for that hay,” she said, adding “we cannot afford what elk will do to our farms.”

“Tell the governor we need his help and influence,” she also said.

Mary Miller, the executive director at the William King Arts Museum in Abingdon, Va., asked the commission to “remember the arts” because, she said, the arts is usually the first area to be affected by funding cuts.

When the state restores funding for education, she asked that they understand the benefits of the arts, which she said are known to increase test scores and foster self-confidence and creativity.

The discussion also included taxes and budget cuts.

Roanoke City Treasurer Evelyn Powers, among those in the audience, said local governments need to work with the state to collect delinquent taxes, which are now collected by businesses in the private sector for the state. Powers claims these businesses only collect a fraction of what the state is owed.

“We can do this for you, we can do it better,” Powers said to the commission, adding that the change would also employ Virginians and keep the money within the state while increasing state revenue.

Virginian Sara Williams said the state also needs to increase its revenue through tax reform.

“We need to hold our elected officials accountable not only for spending but also the amount of revenue they bring in,” said Williams, adding that further budget cuts need to end.

Williams said tax reform would increase the state revenue while reducing taxes for a high number of Virginians.

“The low- and middle-income families in Virginia pay twice the amount wealthy Virginians do, in the percentage of revenue,” Williams said. “We must not place the burden on our already stressed-out, hardworking Virginians.”

The salary of school nurses also was mentioned.

Benson Redman, whose mother was a school nurse, lamented the pay school nurses receive. He said the salary of a school nurse is generally less than the salary of teachers, when on average the nurses probably see more students in a day than the teachers do.

In their closing comments, the seven commissioners seemed pleased with the input they received.

“We expected good ideas, and you more than exceeded our expectations,” said Virginia Secretary of Administration Lisa Hicks-Thomas.

“Virginia is so diverse, which makes it such a tremendous state,” said Republican Sen. Ryan McDougle. “It makes it a challenge for us to reform the government … but it also provides a tremendous opportunity.”

McDougle also said roughly 70 percent of the legislation he introduces comes from suggestions he has received from the people.

In addition to McDougle, Hicks-Thomas and Reynolds, members of the commission who attended the meeting were: Mike Thompson, chairman and president of the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy; Howard Estes, principal in the Richmond law office of Estes & Associates; Ron Tillett, managing director of public finance in the Virginia office of Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc.; and Michelle Jenkins, a lawyer at the law office of K. Michelle Jenkins P.C. in Gate City, Va.