//////Press Release///////

Caution: Beware of Rising Debt

Media Contact – Transportation Inquiry – Bruce Richmond,  540.942.9422,  brucerich70@hotmail.com
General Inquiry – Mark Lloyd, 434.942.3636, mklloydva@gmail.com

Virginia Feb. 7 2011-

A core and defining principle of the Virginia Tea Party Patriot
Federation is fiscal responsibility. Out of control spending in
Washington was one of the catalysts for the Tea Party Movement. The national
economy is on the brink of collapse with the national debt roughly
equal to it’s annual economic output. The present and coming serious
problems with the national economy will continue to negatively impact
citizens of the Commonwealth as federal spending mandates strangle our
state budget.

“Now is the time for Virginia to cut spending and ensure that the
essential functions of government, including transportation, are
funded without borrowing money or increasing the tax burden on its
citizens who have been the most impacted by the economic down turn,”
says Bruce Richmond of the Shennandoah Valley Tea Party.

He continued, “There are several areas of concern, but one of the most
glaring is the proposed bond bills that increase the aggregate
principal amount of Commonwealth of Virginia Transportation Capital
Projects Revenue Bonds that may be issued in a fiscal year from $300
to $600 million dollars.

These maneuvers will limit the fiscal flexibility of the next
administration. Additionally, when considering the impending unfunded
liabilities such as the Obamacare Medicaid expansion, with $2.1
billion unaccounted for in current budget projections, we cannot
continue to borrow at this rate.

Transportation is an important issue to Virginians and needs
addressing but not at the risk of our economic future. We call on our
state representatives to keep their promise of promoting fiscal
responsibility and challenge them to come up with a better solution to
fund transportation. There are budget proposals out there that have cited
spending cuts in other areas that could provide the needed funds for
transportation without putting Virginia deeper in debt.
They should be seriously examined before we take this risky
and dangerous course of action.

VTTPF Chairman Mark Lloyd issued this adjoining statement:

“A core and defining principle of the Virginia Tea Party Patriot Federation is fiscal responsibility. Out of control spending in Washington was one of the catalysts for the Tea Party Movement. The national economy is on the brink of collapse with the national debt roughly equal to its annual economic output. The present and coming serious problems with the national economy will continue to negatively impact citizens of the Commonwealth as federal spending mandates strangle our state budget.”