Friday, January 07, 2011

SWAC area joint town hall update

A first in my memory and that of others, the three delegates who cover various areas of of the SWAC area -- Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County -- held a join town hall meeting Thursday night at the point closest to where the three districts meet.

A crowd of about 50 people turned out at Stump Elementary School in Stuarts Draft to listen to Del. Steve Landes, Del. Ben Cline, and Del. Dickie Bell address issues and listen to questions and ideas from constituents.

A brief update by each delegate reinforced that the upcoming General Assembly session that begins next week will be just as challenging as last year's as they tackle issues like jobs, transportation, education, illegal immigration, ABC privatization, and economic development.

The short session, which begins January 12, lasts 45 days so the pace will be fast as they cover those issues and more.

Del. Cline commented that they are beginning to see the economy turn around a bit after two consecutive years of negative growth in the Commonwealth, something not seen before. He joked that it was like a new lawn that was beginning to flourish but it wasn't time yet to mow because it still needed fertilizer and watering.

Del. Landes was interested in economic development to bring jobs into Virginia and said they were tracking to see what works and what doesn't, encouraging investment in small businesses to create new jobs. He also suggested a study to consider the pros and cons of year-round schools in Virginia.

Questions from the audience were answered by the delegates for about an hour and 45 minutes and covered subjects from education to the state budget. The delegates encouraged everyone to contact their offices and to stop by and visit while the General Assembly is in session in Richmond.

More about last night's meeting can be found at the Staunton News Leader.

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