VCC Magazine Fall 2018

Building Economic Opportunity By Governor Ralph Northam

Safe, Efficient and Convenient Passenger Rail for a Fast-Growing Region

NRV Putting Passengers

As Governor, my mission is to build economic opportunity for all Vir- ginians, no matter who you are or where you live, and our administra- tion has hit the ground running.

We’ve worked across the aisle to pass a balanced state budget that expands healthcare access to workingVirginians, and

A Broad-based Regional Initiative Passenger train travel to the New River Valley, one of Virginia’s fastest-growing regions

invests in core priorities like education, workforce development, and public safety. We deposited money to the Commonwealth’s financial reserves to help us during the next economic downturn—preserving Virginia’s AAA bond rating in the process. That’s the kind of progress we make when we focus on solutions, and don’t let politics keep us from working together. That’s what the VirginiaWay means to me, and the way ahead can be a model for our Commonwealth, and the rest of the country. And that’s what I want to keep doing as we look to the future. Together, we can work together to invest in our people, so that Virginia is a state of opportunity for all. The tax changes at the federal levelwill require theCommonwealth to make some choices in our next General Assembly session. We will have to decide how to respond to those changes, to do the most good for the most Virginians. I believe this is a unique chance to invest in our state and our people, in middle-class working families and Virginia’s Main Street businesses. Smart investments are the way to take Virginia and our economy to the next level. We can invest in our workforce, making sure that every Virginian can get the skills for a good, 21st century job. The number one thing I hear from business owners, throughout Virginia and the country, is that if we train our workforce, companies already in Virginia will expand and more companies will relocate here. Working together, I know we can better prepare Virginians for the jobs we want to attract. We can also invest in high-speed internet in places where access is limited, particularly rural Virginia. Broadband now is what electricity was in the 1930’s—a critical piece of infrastructure. When it’s not available, that’s a big barrier to economic opportunity. Businesses, schools, and families all need high-speed Internet to fully participate in daily life in the 21st century. Localities need broadband to help attract new businesses.We can help get broadband to parts of the state that don’t have it, by making smart investments in our future. To have a workforce ready for the jobs of today and tomorrow, Virginia also needs to continue to invest in public education, putting more resources in our classrooms and in our educators. I am a product of rural public schools on the Eastern Shore, and I know how important good public schools are for a community. Attracting the best teachers, while continuing to expand access to early childhood education, are investments we should make that will help all Virginia children reach their potential. Together with smart investments in our long-term success, we should also provide tax relief to working Virginians who need it most. The recent federal tax changes will primarily benefit higher earners. But we can help level the playing field by making Virginia’s existing earned income tax credit refundable, ensuring that 600,000 working Virginians—including thousands of veteran and military families—can get the full tax benefit for which they qualify. This will cost less than $250 million, but will rebound in our communities, putting money in the pockets of middle-class working Virginians that could help pay for childcare, transportation, or school Continued on next page

• Enabling future economic development opportunities • Promoting safer, more efficient travel on the I-81 corridor

For more information, visit www.nrvpassengerrail.org NewRiver Valley RA I L 2 0 2 0 Putting Passengers On Track

V irginia C apitol C onnections , F all 2018

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