Richmond's Skinny Budget: Low Stakes Poker, High Stakes Rhetoric

Senate Democrats want a brick wall; House Republicans are getting a little tired of beating their heads against it.

Feb 26, 2023

Virginia’s General Assembly managed to pass the Richmond equivalent of a continuing resolution to fund the government until Senate Democrats and House Republicans can hammer out a compromise on corporate tax breaks.

One will have to pardon me for not getting terribly wound up about tax breaks for corporations while small businesses and working families are struggling with back-to-back 9% inflation from Washington.

Meanwhile, much of the damage done by the Northam administration with regard to Critical Race Theory, DEI requirements, gender ideology, and the long litany of progressive efforts to remake Virginia were left both untouched and unchallenged.

Even school choice — the marquee legislation championed by Lt. Governor Winsome Sears — was left to die in committee.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are promising a “brick wall” against House Republicans until they get what they want — in other words, reneging on the pledge from conferees to honor a $950mil tax cut. The stopgap fixes the $200mil shortfall snafu created by the Virginia Department of Education’s spreadsheet, puts another $250mil into the VRS, and another $100mil on cost overruns for existing building infrastructure. What mystifies most is that the Senate Democrats haven’t been precisely clear on what they want beyond platitudes for higher salaries for bureaucrats, public education, higher education, etc.

Rather, the Senate Democrats just aren’t negotiating in good faith. By denying Governor Youngkin a win on the budget, the self-styled defenders of democracy are merely hijacking the process until they bleed House Republicans out in the public square, threatening a shutdown in July during campaign season and setting up the choice in November between “full funding” for government vs. greedy corporations and their shills.

False rhetoric, but useful, one that masks the fact that Senate Democrats are willing to tolerate ineffective and bad government (for a time) provided the public blames Republicans and returns power back to Democrats.

Of course, there is little Republicans can do unless we have majorities in both the House and the Senate. Yet as this year reflected all too painfully, Republican majorities do not translate into conservative majorities. Meanwhile on the left, Democratic majorities seem to be able to deliver progressive results despite their liberal leadership on matters they care about.

I suppose progressives just want it more than we do. Which is unfortunate, but the state of play nonetheless (until we start giving a damn about it).

WORSTALL: How School Choice Failed in Virginia
HANER: SCC Oversight Returned, But Lowered Bills Unlikely

The Trial of St. Thomas More by E.E. Reynolds
Good luck finding this book anywhere. A 1964 compilation of eyewitness testimony surrounding the trial of St. Thomas More and how it evolved as accounts moved from England to France and Germany.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
This book won the Kirkus Prize back in 2015. Not for the children, but a very deep and unsettling (and long) look at human nature. Again, very much not for the children with depictions of abuse and self-abuse, but more about suffering and friendship in the face of another’s suffering when there is practically nothing you can do about it. Comparable to Cormic McCarthy’s The Road in terms of impact — which if you are ever in a good mood, both McCarthy and Yanagihara’s writing will snap you right out of it.

How Hitchens Can Save The Left by Matt Johnson
I haven’t read this yet, but I am awfully excited to give it a go. A full report next week!

Shaun Kenney is the editor of The Republican Standard, former chairman of the Board of Supervisors for Fluvanna County, and a former executive director of the Republican Party of Virginia.