TONI RADLER is in the RACE for the 55th; I’M GLAD but I am SOLID for Del. BUDDY FOWLER!

I am sincerely glad Toni Radler is in the race again for House of Delegates.  I think it is good to have contested races (at least sometimes!) and especially in Hanover County.  But I am already committed to helping the incumbent Del. Hyland F. “Buddy”  Fowler.  Here is Radler’s website.

I reviewed her issues at her website and I am glad she has dropped the abortion plank.  But Radler has not improved her issues.  Instead she uses lame excuses about Medicaid expansion:

And by the way, Virginia is losing $2 billion in federal funding each year we don’t expand Medicaid. That’s our hard earned taxpayer dollars going to other states every year to fund their Medicaid expansion, $4.2 million every day. This is not good fiscal management. It is not good stewardship of our money. We need to keep those dollars here to help our own citizens. Some of the most conservative governors (including governors in Arizona and Florida) have expanded Medicaid, but our Governor has been blocked from doing that by legislators like my opponent. I will do the right thing in the legislature, and will vote to expand Medicaid coverage for working Virginians.

It is a shame that the President and former Speaker Pelosi etc imposed such an unfair system on the nation.  But two wrongs do not make it right.  Medicaid is NOT an entitlement program.  This expansion would make it one.  Now I am open to specific reforms that might actually fund a few more people.  But not an expansion to 140% of the poverty line for all Virginians.  That is the road to socialized medicine.  Radler in effect admits it here:

Expanding Medicaid at the state level is part of the plan to cover all Americans, and would have covered 70% of these working adults, but our legislature voted against Medicaid expansion.

I do not want the NHS here in the US!  On education, Radler wants to end the rural state disparity and make college more affordable.  Now I am not sure where I stand on this but I want to suggest that Radler ought to look at administrative costs of schools and colleges.  Instead she wants to fund college more:

Twenty years ago, the Commonwealth was supporting our state colleges by about 30 percent. Now it’s about half that. Virginia ranks 35th among the states in support of higher education and state support continues to drop. Our colleges and universities have become more efficient, but now there is not much more they can do other than lower standards or raise tuition.

I can suggest one thing:  End obscene salaries and useless jobs.  I am surprised Radler did not use the I word:  Invest or Investing in education.  That means tax increases.  And Radler is against offshore oil drilling and wants more wind power(!):

From the Virginia Beach Restaurant Association to environmental groups, opposition to offshore drilling is loud and clear. But not so much from Virginia politicians. I will be a legislator who remains committed to protecting our tourism industry, fishing and recreation industry, and our coastline and Eastern Shore. Instead of offshore oil drilling, I would support legislation for offshore wind power…safe, clean, and effective. Let’s not become the next BP Oil Spill, the next Louisiana Gulf Coast disaster. We want our grandchildren to have the benefits of the beauty of Virginia Beach and the Eastern Shore, just as we have had.

If we had offshore oil drilling – done effectively and safely – we might control our own energy destiny.  Instead we have too much dependence on foreign nations.

Toni Radler also has one more fact that would make it very difficult for me to support her:

Board of Directors Virginia League of Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood is an evil organization that lobbies for abortion and does them, too.  Yes I am well aware they do some good things.  But let’s imagine, my progressive friends, an organization that does a lot of good things – fights global warming let’s say, and helps the poor in developing nations get on their feet but say has a subsidiary that sells arms and torture equipment to dubious nations and groups and lobbies governments to continue doing it.  Would that be right?  Even if only three percent of the profits come from the bad stuff, would my progressive friends say yea?  That’s how I feel about Planned Parenthood.

Time to stick with Buddy Fowler.  I am confident the 55th will agree BUT recall Radler did get about 40% of the vote last election.  Admittedly it was a gubernatorial year and turnout might be smaller this time.  But those in the 55th need to be vigilant.  I will sign up right away to help Buddy Fowler since it is likely Sen. McDougle and Del. Peace will have no opponent this time.