09/12/13: Let’s hear details from the candidates

This op-ed appeared in The Virginian-Pilot on the date shown.

CAN WE TALK about the issues now?

With less than two months to go before Virginia voters head to the polls to elect a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and all 100 members of the House of Delegates, the election season has been long on mudslinging and scandals but short on ideas.

On Tuesday, Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli unrung the bell he said two months ago he could not. He donated more than $18,000 to a Richmond nonprofit — the value of the gifts he received from Star Scientific and its president, Jonnie Williams.

While I fully expect Cuccinelli will continue to get hammered over the belated donation, there are significant issues facing Virginia that deserve an airing.

Before we can discuss issues, though, we have to understand the framework under which Virginia’s government operates.

Most agree that the core services that a government provides are public safety, education, infrastructure and preservation of rights. Economic development and economic opportunity are often included in the mix, although this is not specifically enumerated in Article I of the Constitution of Virginia.

In that context, it is easy to see why our operation of ABC stores is not a core function of government. The problem, though, is that the operation is a major cash cow, delivering revenues used to fund real core services. And that’s where the rubber often meets the road: It’s all about the money.

Despite the claims of budget surpluses, our state government has necessarily held the lid on spending. Among the results are cuts in funding to localities, leading to higher taxes and fees for us, and cuts in education funding, leading to higher tuition and fees.

In other words, paying for the core functions of government ultimately falls on us. Because it’s our money, the responsibility of those who would represent us is to spend it wisely and tell us how they intend to do so. Not fill our heads with stuff outside of the purview of the office they seek.

Irrelevant is a state candidate’s position on Syria or repealing the Affordable Care Act — none of them gets a vote on these national issues. Sure, it may play well with the base, but as a voter, I’m more interested in what a candidate plans for Virginia.

Noticeably absent from the political discourse this year have been any big ideas on how to provide the core services in an efficient and effective manner.

Four years ago, candidate Bob McDonnell rolled out a transportation plan, which included the sale of the ABC operation as a part of its funding. Transportation is pretty much off the table, with the passage of legislation earlier this year. But none of the candidates is discussing other infrastructure needs.

A report released last week notes that for every dollar the state invests in public higher education, it returns $1.29 in state revenues and more than $17 in increased economic activity.

So far, all I’ve heard from the gubernatorial candidates is a reiteration of the commitment to increase degrees, with some mumbo jumbo about public-private partnerships thrown in. Few of the House candidates even mention education on their websites.

Even ethics, the most discussed issue of the election cycle, hasn’t resulted in any real plan.

With less than eight weeks to Election Day, the candidates owe us more than sound bites. They owe us detailed information about how, if elected, they will improve the lot of all Virginians. And we have a duty to demand that they do.