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The
Governor Needs a Compass
After
more than a year in office, Gov. Warner has left the
public guessing what his guiding principles are --
or if he even has any.
In
the package of vetoes and amended legislation Gov.
Mark R. Warner has sent to the General Assembly to
consider at its April 2 reconvened session, it is
hard to find any principle that guided his
decisions. In all, there are 92 pieces of
legislation — four vetoes and 88 amendments.
Observers
have come to conclude that Warner is hopelessly
caught up in a case-by-case approach to decision
making. His actions on legislation sent to
him this year provide the latest and, in many ways,
the most compelling proof of his lack of a compass.
A
couple of examples tell the story. His veto of the
repeal of Virginia’s estate tax and the “Choose
Life” license plate bill are characteristic of his
decision making over the first two years of his
term.
First,
consider his convoluted approach to the proposal to
repeal the estate tax. After taking no clear
position on this legislation as it worked its way
through the General Assembly, he told a reporter
that “he is sympathetic to abolishing the tax, but
not when the state is in financial crisis.” Then,
he said estate-tax repeal should only be taken up in
a comprehensive study of Virginia’s tax statutes.
Finally, he argued that the legislation is
“irresponsible” because it gives tax relief to
the state’s wealthiest families.
The
contradictions are obvious. If estate-tax repeal is
a good idea but not this year, Warner should have
sent the bill back to the General Assembly with an
amendment to postpone the effective date for a year.
If repeal is a bad idea, it shouldn’t matter what
financial condition the Commonwealth is in. If he
isn’t sure whether repeal is a good idea or a bad
idea but it needs to be considered as part of a
comprehensive review of the tax statutes, he should
have told the General Assembly that at the beginning
of the session.
Now
let’s turn to his tortured justification for
vetoing the bill authorizing a “Choose Life”
license plate. His stated reason is that he has
always been concerned about allowing political
slogans on state license plates. Warner suddenly
worries about potential First Amendment issues,
pointing to a recent decision by a federal court in
South Carolina.
Not
long ago, Warner had an opportunity to get his
answer to any First Amendment concerns about license
plates. After a federal appeals court in Richmond
struck down a Virginia statute that prohibited
display of the Confederate flag while allowing
displays of other controversial symbols, Warner
decided not to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review
the decision. He apparently had no First Amendment
concern then.
Why
does any of this matter? It’s important because
Virginia needs consistent, credible leadership. The
people of the Commonwealth have grown distrustful of
their elected leaders. Polls show the level of
public distrust higher now than it was a decade ago.
This is not a healthy condition for the body
politic.
To
restore public confidence, elected officials must demonstrate that politics and government
constitute more than a grubby contest to see who
gets what favors. Decisions should proceed from
principled positions on the issues.
As
Virginia’s most visible elected official, Warner
has for two years colored the public’s perception
of its leaders. He is long overdue for a clear
statement of what principles inform his actions.
Without that statement, we can expect two more years
of mounting public cynicism.
--
March 31, 2003
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