02.02.01

By Ty Bowers

House and Senate Democrats yesterday joined a handful of Virginian citizens in holding a press conference to blast Gov. James S. Gilmore III’s budget.

"The average Virginians I represent didn’t send us down here to sacrifice the present and mortgage the future," said Delegate Barnie K. Day, D-Meadows of Dan.

The group attacked Gilmore’s proposed cuts in mental health, public safety and education funding.

Sponsored by the Virginia Democratic Caucus, the press conference was designed to put a human face on the governor’s budget cuts. It drew a sizable crowd that included reporters from major newspapers and television channels.

"We are not numbers on a list. We are not dollars in budget," said Vivian West of Fredericksburg. Straining to hold back tears, she said her mentally retarded daughter was institutionalized six years ago because the family could not afford to care for her.

"We are human beings with a life-long need for care, living in a state where governor after governor has turned a deaf ear," she said.

West said her daughter, who now lives at home with her, was placed in institution after institution that had inadequate funding. She railed against what she called a lack of state support and compassion in dealing with mentally disabled people.

"This is Virginia," she said, "the cradle of America. We should be setting the example for all others to follow, not falling behind."

Keith Washington of Henrico County followed West at the podium. Washington, who suffers from schizophrenia, spoke about his success in controlling his disorder with new medications.

Democrats for weeks have charged that Gilmore’s budget lacks adequate funding for key programs that provide drugs for sufferers of bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia like Washington.

"I’m better now with my medication," Washington said. "I don’t want things to go back to the way there were."

Democrats also targeted the GOP governor’s proposed cuts to what they called key public safety programs, such as juvenile boot camps and training classes for state troopers.

"Again, the governor displays the wrong priorities," Delegate Ted Bennett, D-Halifax, said, adding that Gilmore’s budget proposes to raise money by importing out-of-state felons.

Bennett, a former state prosecutor, said Gilmore’s budget fails to provide pay raises for sheriff’s deputies in a further attempt to save money for continued car tax relief.

"That’s why it’s disturbing to Virginia Democrats that the governor’s proposed budget makes some significant cuts in the area of public safety," Bennett said.

Even a teen-age Virginian joined in the press conference.

Kevin Fogg, a senior at the Governor’s School in Richmond, criticized the governor, urging him to include more money in his budget proposal for teachers’ pay increases.

"It would be ludicrous to cut back on state funding for teacher salaries," Fogg read from a prepared statement. "Indeed, the situation screams for more funding because we in Virginia are already shamefully low."

Following the press conference, Gilmore took the opportunity to counter the Democrats’ attacks.

"It’s not true. It’s completely false," he said of charges that he cuts the funding of key programs.

"The Democrats ought to be ashamed of themselves," he said, "using those people and misrepresenting the facts."

The General Assembly has just more than three weeks to decide on the state’s budget. Many Republicans senators have joined Democrats to back a freeze in the car tax rollback.

According to recent news reports, the House of Delegates, however, appears to support Gilmore’s proposed 70 percent car tax reduction.