Priorities

Each General Assembly Session brings with it its own rewards and challenges. This year is no different. I feel very honored and privileged because my Democratic colleagues in the Senate have elected me the Caucus chair. With this title comes some particular responsibility. I need to work with and interact with all Caucus members and to help address any obstacles they may encounter. Moreover, this Session brings great challenges because, with an acting Republican majority, many of the issues that I believe are so important are irrelevant or even counter to the Republican agenda. But that does not make the needs of citizens any less critical just because some legislators don’t prioritize those concerns.

Virginia children still deserve a first class top-notch public school education whether they live in Fairfax in Northern Virginia, in Grundy in Southwest Virginia or here in Richmond in the capital region. They deserve the opportunity to pursue higher education at a reasonable cost or to be able to get vocational training. We must ensure that all our graduates are prepared as they can be for the difficult job market. For this to happen, they need committed and devoted teachers, access to cutting edge technology and facilities that enhance learning.

Virginians deserve shelter and adequate healthy food for themselves and their families. They should feel safe in their homes and not have to worry about violence and crime. Living in a crime ridden neighborhood makes it impossible for residents to enjoy or fully focus on any other part of life. Their energy, mental and physical, is concentrated on staying safe.

In this perilous economy, we have a responsibility as legislators to do everything we can to create and maintain jobs here in the Commonwealth. The ability to get and hold a well-paying job provides more than financial security. It allows a person to have self-respect, to show their children and community what it means to be self-sufficient and to succeed.

We need to protect our environment for our children and grandchildren. We have inherited this earth with its precious gifts and unique natural resources. We have a responsibility to turn it over to future generations in at least as vigorous a shape as we received it. A clean environment also means a healthier community. Clean air makes it easier for everyone to breathe, reducing the incidence of asthma and other lung related diseases. Dirty water causes a variety of dangerous, sometimes fatal illnesses.

Perhaps most importantly, we must treat all citizens with dignity and respect. All citizens deserve equal opportunity, justice and fairness. We cannot compromise on this concept. We will never truly be the Commonwealth we are meant to be until we do exactly as our name implies – come together for the common good, without drawing distinctions by race, age, ethnic background, religion, income, sexual orientation or country of origin.

These are the values for which I will fight and which will be reflected in the legislation I introduce. While the opposition may be more numerous, I believe that if we pull together, advocate for these principles and give the citizens a chance to see and hear, we will prevail. It may not be immediately, but I am confident that Virginians are inherently a fair and good people and, if we share our goals and reasons with them, they will see the value in a truly great Commonwealth.