Bacon's Rebellion

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Youngkin Budget Leadership Faulted

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Dick Hall-Sizemore
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David Toscano

by Dick Hall-Sizemore

This blog gives ample exposure to conservative bloggers Kerry Dougherty and Shaun Kenney, but not to bloggers with other perspectives.

David Toscano of Charlottesville, former Democratic floor leader in the House of Delegates and the author of a book on recent Virginia politics, regularly comments on Virginia politics, which is available to anyone who subscribes (free) to his e-mail list.

Here is his latest in which he takes Governor Glenn Youngkin to task for a lack of leadership on Virginia’s budget.  He contrasts Youngkin’s passive approach to the active approach of Mark Warner in somewhat similar circumstances.  Regardless of what one thinks of Toscano’s views on various policy issues that he lists in the commentary, it is hard to argue against the proposition that Youngkin has been absent in the budget negotiations.

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28 responses to “Youngkin Budget Leadership Faulted”

  1. Matt Adams Avatar
    Matt Adams

    “This blog gives ample exposure to conservative bloggers Kerry Dougherty and Shaun Kenney, but not to bloggers with other perspectives.”

    Do those other individuals submit their work for consideration?

    Can’t very well publish something that someone doesn’t submit, perhaps instead your standard complaining about you, you ask them to submit?

    1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      From the BR masthead:

      “Bacon’s Rebellion also partners with Kerry Dougherty, a former Washington Post and Virginian-Pilot writer, who publishes the “Kerry: Unemployed & Unedited” blog.

    2. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      From the BR masthead:

      “Bacon’s Rebellion also partners with Kerry Dougherty, a former Washington Post and Virginian-Pilot writer, who publishes the “Kerry: Unemployed & Unedited” blog.

      1. Matt Adams Avatar
        Matt Adams

        Doesn’t do anything for your point, but you already knew that. You just wanted something to complain about.

  2. Fred Costello Avatar
    Fred Costello

    Warner had a legislature that was willing to compromise; Youngkin does not. Current Democrat candidates for the Senate include in their campaigns that they will oppose Youngkin. Democrats vote as a bloc. Those who deviate from the party line are ousted. Chap Petersen and George Barker are recent examples.

    1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      Youngkin could have tried a compromise or, alternately, he could have gone on the road trying to sell his version of the budget to the public. Either way, he would have shown some leadership. He has done neither.

      1. Matt Adams Avatar
        Matt Adams

        “Dick Hall-Sizemore Fred Costello
        3 hours ago edited
        Youngkin could have tried a compromise or, alternately, he could have gone on the road trying to sell his version of the budget to the public. Either way, he would have shown some leadership. He has done neither.”

        So says the partisan who’s been complaining since before he was elected.

    2. Shawn Avatar
      Shawn

      Fred,

      I was banned from CatholicVote in 2021. I agree that fornication is a serious problem which needs to be highlighted and solved.

      You need to know that Francis is an antipope. The true pope is Pope Gregory XVIII who succeeded Pope Gregory XVII (a.k.a. “Cardinal” Siri).

  3. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    One of my supervisors at DPB used to chide me for sometimes being too quick to spout off without thinking. This is one of those times.

    As I have thought about it over the last couple of hours or so, I was out of line with my first paragraph. Jim Bacon is correct–this is a conservative/libertarian blog. I knew that when I signed on. Jim birthed Bacon’s Rebellion many years ago and has nurtured it into what it is today. To his credit, he welcomes opposing viewpoints and has insisted that the blog be a forum in which opposing viewpoints are debated civilly and has encouraged debate backed up by logic and evidence. I appreciate his invitation to me to be a contributor.

    I have no right to complain about the lack of exposure to liberal bloggers. If I want a blog that is more left of center, I should go out and start my own blog. I am not going to do that; I’m satisfied where I am. But I will help expose readers to some viewpoints that may be contrary to their usual thinking, just as I get such exposure here, and am better for it.

    That being said, I note that only one commenter has taken issue with the proposition that Youngkin has shown poor or no leadership regarding the budget.

    1. vicnicholls Avatar
      vicnicholls

      I dont see it Youngkins’ leadership on the budget. That is Barry Knights’ job. I’m more interested in seeing these “executive” or Gov types go yutz themselves into something else other than messing with the budget.

    2. Lefty665 Avatar
      Lefty665

      One of your old bosses used to observe that the only time there was real trouble in the GA was when the politicians did not have enough money to spread around. The squabbles over what money was available could get pretty nasty.

      This budget cycle there is a surplus to deal with so there’s actually no big problem that requires great leadership. The worst that happens is there is money left over to spread around in future years too. It is the best of all possible worlds for politicians of all stripes.

      1. Matt Adams Avatar
        Matt Adams

        You’re talking to the guy who had no issues spreading that money around, just depended on the political party after their name.

        1. Lefty665 Avatar
          Lefty665

          Yeah, but DPB had integrity, but was responsive to who was in power too.

          1. Matt Adams Avatar
            Matt Adams

            Considering there have been only 5 Governor’s with R after their since reconstruction, I still think my comment is very valid.

          2. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
            Dick Hall-Sizemore

            I was at DPB during the full four-year term of 6 governors–3 Democrats (Warner, Kaine, and McAuliffe) and 3 Republicans (Allen, Gilmore, and McDonnell). DPB worked to carry out the policies of which ever governor was in office, regardless of party.

          3. Matt Adams Avatar
            Matt Adams

            Welp that a little bit of fantasy out of your mouth, you were employed until 2019. So you missed a Gov there bud. Care to correct yourself, I mean public record and all.

          4. Lefty665 Avatar
            Lefty665

            Certainly was my experience with y’all.

            You undoubtedly had personal preferences, but your duty was to the Commonwealth. That meant serving the elected officials. Both they and their mandates changed.

            You were B level employees. We be here when you come in and we’ll be here when you leave.

            It was my impression DPB was a generally bright group that performed well for Virginia, although there were occasional screwups like prison funding one year…

            It seemed your discretion was more in fiddling with the decimal dust for things you liked than in major programs.

          5. Matt Adams Avatar
            Matt Adams

            Welp that a little bit of fantasy out of your mouth, you were employed until 2019. So you missed a Gov there bud. Care to correct yourself, I mean public record and all.

          6. Lefty665 Avatar
            Lefty665

            I think your assessment of Dick’s proclivities is probably right. But I think the department he worked in had tighter constraints. Much like officers serve the country regardless of who is commander in chief.

          7. Matt Adams Avatar
            Matt Adams

            I my experience, a bureaucracy only has proclivities to those who keep it growing.

  4. WayneS Avatar
    WayneS

    This blog gives ample exposure to conservative bloggers Kerry Dougherty and Shaun Kenney, but not to bloggers with other perspectives.

    Doesn’t Mr. Bacon need permission (or a request) from the author before providing “ample exposure” to a given blogger? Has Mr. Toscano asked to be posted at BR and been refused?

    1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      From the BR masthead:

      “Bacon’s Rebellion also partners with Kerry Dougherty, a former Washington Post and Virginian-Pilot writer, who publishes the “Kerry: Unemployed & Unedited” blog.”

      1. Lefty665 Avatar
        Lefty665

        From About BR on the left side of the page:

        Submit op-eds

        We welcome a broad spectrum of views. If you would like to submit an op-ed for publication in Bacon’s Rebellion, contact editor/publisher Jim Bacon at jabacon[at]baconsrebellion.com (substituting “@” for “at”).

    2. James A. Bacon Avatar
      James A. Bacon

      Bacon’s Rebellion is a conservative/libertarian blog. We publish perspectives mainly from a conservative/libertarian perspective. But we don’t exclude anyone. Indeed, because we are not dogmatic and like to encourage dialogue, we encourage others to contribute. That’s why we value Dick Hall-Sizemore’s regular contribution. He keeps us honest. Any of our liberal/left readers is welcome to contribute their viewpoint, as long as it hews to our editorial guidelines and meets our writing standards for clarity, grammar and organization.

  5. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    There are many other viewpoints and perspectives given to the articles on BR in the corrections, er, I mean comments.

    If Mr. Youngkin appeared lackadaisical on the budget, it may be because in his previous job he had a “co-“ to do the real work and hasn’t adapted as of yet.

  6. Kathleen Smith Avatar
    Kathleen Smith

    Youngkin is hoping for a senate and house with a republican majority. Who wouldn’t in his shoes?

  7. Stephen Haner Avatar
    Stephen Haner

    I largely agree with David T and told him so when I first saw the column. In fact, I wrote and posted pretty much the same column about how the Governor was not pushing his agenda effectively. I’m enjoying my intentionally lazy July and may return to writing more come August…

    “Warner had a legislature that was willing to compromise….” Now that there is pretty funny and I would be happy to show you some scars from that session. I wish I still had a copy of the famous wanted poster.

  8. Shaun Kenney Avatar
    Shaun Kenney

    Of course, the problem isn’t that Kerry or myself are columnists here — Dick Sizemore posts here more often than either of us do — but rather that conservative writers are given any exposure at all.

    What this has to do with Toscano (whom I respect), Youngkin (the jury is out) or Warner (whom I also respect) is, well… suspect… but I’m certainly glad that free speech rather than managed speech is the superior version of the public square being kept here.

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