Chamber of Commerce Brings Governor McDonnell to Prince William
Published Date: August 29, 2010
Wednesday, Prince William Chamber of Commerce members welcomed Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell with a rousing round of applause, during a “Legislative Leaders” event. This series connects Chamber members with political leaders from all levels of government, providing firsthand insight into issues that have an effect on businesses in Prince William.
The Governor outlined his focus on issues close to the hearts of most business owners—economic development, jobs creation, transportation solutions and government reform.
With his first executive order, Governor McDonnell created an Economic Development and Jobs Creation Commission headed by Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling. Virginia ranks third in the nation for jobs creation, with 72,000 new jobs added in 2009, and at 7%, its unemployment rate is lower than the national average. McDonnell said this rate is still unacceptably high, and that action must be taken to stimulate new jobs.
Initiatives designed to generate employment include reductions to capital gains taxes, steps to open credit markets and targeted business development efforts. $73 million has been earmarked to support development efforts that are both national and global in focus. McDonnell said that as Governor, part of his role is to travel the world telling the Virginia story, highlighting the advantages of doing business in the Commonwealth.
“We are a long way from being out of a tough economy…it is very important for us [the Commonwealth of Virginia] to support you, the innovators…producing a climate that encourages jobs creation. We are not going to tax our way out of it, we are going to grow our way out of it,” said McDonnell.
Government reform was the target of McDonnell’s second executive order, with the formation of a Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring. “Everybody needs to look at ways to reign in government spending,” said McDonnell.
The Governor outlined three tactics for achieving reductions in government spending: privatization, consolidation and elimination. McDonnell pointed to his efforts to privatize ABC stores and revise public/private partnership rules as steps in the right direction.
Generating energy in Virginia is another area of interest for the Governor. “Energy is emerging to be a top issue for businesses and national security. We will do everything we can…to become more energy independent. My goal is turn Virginia into the energy capitol of the East Coast,” said Governor McDonnell. He referenced the Commonwealth’s natural gas, coal, oil and wind resources, as well as the nuclear power plant at Lake Anna, Virginia.
"Prince William is a dynamic community that has really come into its own politically in the last several years. Both McCain and Obama made appearances during the 2008 elections. Now, with the formation of the Prince William Chamber of Commerce, policy makers have a forum for reaching out to the business leaders of Prince William, discussing important issues and hearing directly from those at the front line of the economic recovery,” said Tim Jackson of MDA Technologies Group and Chairman of the Chamber. He noted that Congressman Gerry Connolly and Virginia Secretary of Transportation Sean Connaughton have also recently met with Prince William Chamber members, and that Attorney General Ken Cucinelli will be featured at the next Legislative Leaders Breakfast.
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