Residents: Don’t cut government services—or at least not too many

Nearly 100 residents of Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley showed up Thursday to a General Assembly hearing to weigh in on Virginia’s two-year spending plan, which is facing a $2.9 billion shortfall.

Their message: Don’t cut government services, or at least not any deeper than is absolutely necessary.

Lawmakers will head to Richmond on Wednesday with the primary task of balancing and approving the state budget.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine proposed in mid-December a spending plan to close the budget deficit, which was brought about by the state’s softening economy. Kaine recommended that all state agencies cut their budgets by 15 percent, as well as a $400 million cut in education spending, cut Medicaid expenses and much more. He also proposed that some 1,100 state workers — mostly at health and public safety agencies — would lose their jobs.

At the same time, Kaine proposed pulling $490 million out of the state’s rainy day fund and recommended that the state’s cigarette tax be doubled from 30 cents to 60 cents per pack to help fund Medicaid.

Thursday’s hearing at Piedmont Virginia Community College was one of several being held around Virginia to let members of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance committees hear feedback from stakeholders about Kaine’s spending plan.

Michael Dowell, executive director of the Artisans Center of Virginia in Waynesboro, urged the lawmakers to cut funding for the Virginia Commission of the Arts no more than the 15 percent backed by Kaine. Many arts groups, he said, are already facing declining revenue, and deeper cuts could prove fatal.

“Please don’t let it happen,” Dowell said, as he literally got down on one knee to beg before the panel of five lawmakers.

Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris also spoke. He asked the panel to recognize that local governments are facing revenue shortfalls of their own and that overly deep state cuts could be harmful.

“We do not have the resources to make up for Draconian state cuts in education, public safety and human services,” Norris said.

Norris added, only halfway jokingly, that the visiting legislators could help out the local economy during their afternoon in the Charlottesville area. “On your way out of town, we suggest that you eat in our local restaurants or shop in one of our local stores,” he said. “Our tax revenues are down and we could use all the money in your pockets.”

Mary Huffard Kegley Scott, president of the Albemarle County Parent Council, asked the General Assembly members to consider fully funding public education. Kaine’s education cuts aim to minimize the impact on the classroom, as they () targeted primarily at school support personnel.

Scott said she is worried that the quality of education may suffer and urged the lawmakers to ensure that cuts of school support staff are not permanent.

“Strong public schools build strong communities,” she said. “We cannot have one without the other.”

Frank Friedman, president of PVCC, asked the legislators to not forget about Virginia’s community colleges. Schools such as Piedmont, he said, are facing record levels of enrollment and dwindling state funding.

“As our enrollments grow next year we are almost certainly going to have to cut staff,” he said. “From a business model, it makes no sense. Customers up, staff down.”

Community colleges, he pointed out, receive the lowest amount of state dollars when it comes to higher education. Yet community colleges, he said, are experiencing the fastest rate of student growth. As the economy worsens, he added, community colleges are likely to see even more growth as out-of-work residents seek to brush up on job skills.

Other advocates urged the lawmakers to minimize cuts on services for Virginians with disabilities. Others said they want to see services for seniors protected.

A representative of the state’s chapter of the AARP said her group supports the proposed cigarette tax increase.

Jeff Gould, administrator of Charlottesville’s drug court, asked the General Assembly members to avoid cutting the state’s 27 drug courts, which are an alternative to the more expensive incarceration and have been shown to reduce recidivism for nonviolent offenders.

Sen. R. Edward Houck, D-Spotsylvania, chaired the five member panel.