Terry McAuliffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and a Democratic candidate for the 2009 Virginia gubernatorial race, held a roundtable discussion yesterday in the University’s Kaleidoscope room in Newcomb Hall. The dialogue included students and faculty, as well as members of the Charlottesville community, and focused on the future of business in Virginia.
McAuliffe said unemployment and Virginia’s non-commitment to the development and commercial use of progressive alternative energy were two problems he hoped to combat if elected.
“The thing I’m consistently hearing as I travel around Virginia is worry about jobs,” he said.
Like the rest of the country, Virginia has faced significant budget cuts, forcing Gov. Tim Kaine and the Virginia General Assembly to make tough decisions about where to allocate taxpayer money. In the face of an economic recession, McAuliffe admitted that the goals he wishes to accomplish are difficult. McAuliffe said he thinks Virginia may be in a more compromised economic situation than other states because of a lack of new businesses.
“There’s no incentive right now to bring business into Virginia,” McAuliffe said.
Several seated around McAuliffe in the discussion offered ideas about how Virginia might improve its economy.
Frank Friedman, president of Piedmont Virginia Community College, said he thought a lack of job training may be a factor contributing to the commonwealth’s poor economy. He explained that students want to attend a school in an area where jobs will be available after graduation, and that corporations want to set up shop where a good pool of potential employees exists.
“It’s a chicken and egg problem,” he said, noting that Virginia should look to states like North Carolina and South Carolina, which, he said, fund job training more effectively than Virginia.
In addition to Virginia’s economic situation, alternative energy sources such as wind power were discussed. Two large signs that read “New Energy for New Jobs” flanked the table at which McAuliffe spoke. McAuliffe said encouraging development of other energy sources is a viable way to improve Virginia’s economy. David King, chairman of the Virginia Wine Board, added that the waste from the process of winemaking could be recycled and used as a renewable energy source.
Despite McAuliffe’s many positive statements yesterday in Charlottesville, Gerry Scimeca, spokesperson for the Republican Party of Virginia, said he is still doubtful about McAuliffe’s plans because of the gubernatorial candidate’s inexperience with the commonwealth. Compared to many other candidates who have spent years living and working in Virginia, McAuliffe is still unfamiliar with Virginia and important issues such health care and education, Scimeca said.
Virginia “needs someone who has got a tested agenda and who can help the economy and help with the issues we’ve got,” Scimeca said. McAuliffe, meanwhile, said his ideas, even coming from an outside perspective, could benefit the commonwealth.
The meeting yesterday was just one stop on a tour McAuliffe is taking across Virginia. He said he hopes that by traveling to different parts of the state, he can hear people’s opinions about issues and gauge interest in his candidacy.
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