The Issues


Traffic	Education	Environment	Health Care

Improving Transportation: An Investment for Today and Tomorrow
As daily commuters from Fairfax County to Washington, D.C. for 30 years, my wife and I experienced the daily traffic congestion that worsened over time. Improving transportation and easing traffic congestion are important to all our families and neighbors. These lengthening drive times sap our energy and rob us of precious time with our families.

Northern Virginia is the Commonwealth's fastest growing region in terms of population, employment, and development. Every year, our growth is equal to adding another city the size of Manassas. About 23 percent of Virginians live in our region yet we have only 8 percent of state roadway lane miles. We have the nation's third most congested road network.

We must find solutions to getting commuters to their destinations swiftly. My transportation priorities include extending Metrorail to Centreville, improving VRE, fixing our roads, better timing of lights, and bringing more local bus service to the district. We must give our local governments the means to control future development so we do not have to keep paying to fix transportation.

The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, established by the General Assembly, estimates almost $700 million in new funding is needed annually to make necessary improvements. To have a 21st century transportation system, we must replace the funding formula established over 20 years ago.

Investing in Public Education: Only the Best Will Do
When it comes to education, it makes sense to invest in our public education system. Our children attended and graduated from Fairfax County Public Schools, which gave them a great foundation for furthering their education. I favor efforts to improve early childhood education.

We must control the high costs of Virginia state colleges which rise 6 to 7 percent a year. We need to review college operations thoroughly to find opportunities for improved efficiency. We must also look at opening more slots in Virginia’s colleges and universities for Northern Virginia students.

Protecting Our Environment: Let's Be the Example
We live in a beautiful area, rich in history with lots of trees, flowing streams, healthy and safe neighborhoods, and abundant recreational opportunities. Because of our population growth, traffic, and development; the natural beauty, historic sites, and safe environment are constantly at risk. Our waterways need to be protected from over-development and harmful runoff pollutants. The air we breathe is sometimes fouled with the smog caused by our vehicles.

As an avid outdoorsman who enjoys kayaking on the Occoquan River and running, I appreciate our natural surroundings and know the importance of clean air and water. I support tighter controls on auto emissions and tax breaks for people who buy clean fuel cars. I also support giving our local government the means to control development—an issue with positive implications for both our environment and fixing the traffic mess.

Exploding Health Care Costs: An Unsustainable Trend
For many of us, affordable health care is already out of reach. For others, an increasing portion of the family budget pays for health care. Insurance costs rise steadily and our share of medical bills keeps going up. For instance, the annual cost of family health insurance has almost doubled since 2000. The portion of the state budget that pays for medical services has more than doubled over 10 years.

I believe we need to do more to promote healthy life choices, including exercise, weight control, and nutrition to help Virginians live longer, healthier lives and lower medical bills. I chose our campaign theme, "Running for You" in part to emphasize this issue. We also need creative solutions to find affordable private health insurance for the 1 in 7 Virginians who do not have health insurance. We care about the uninsured because we are a compassionate community. Still, we must ensure that costs for the uninsured that become seriously ill are not shifted to those of us who do have health insurance. We also need to ensure our senior citizens have access to safe, caring, and affordable long-term care facilities.

The Issues

Traffic

Education

Environment

Health Care