Wagner Attacks Bolling for Protecting Education Funding

by Ibbie Hedrick

September 29, 2009

Jody Wagner is at it again, trying to distort Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling's record to save her flailing campaign.  This time, she's gotten so desperate that she's actually attacking Bill for protecting education dollars!

Wagner's latest email attempts to criticize Bill for "a rare parliamentary maneuver to block Governor Kaine's budget."  However, Ms. Wagner neglects to mention that Bolling's ruling was made to prevent the budget that she drafted from diverting millions of dollars of lottery proceeds away from education to other government programs in violation of the Constitution of Virginia.

If Ms. Wagner doesn't understand the Constitution or how to preside over the Senate of Virginia, she clearly isn't ready to be Lieutenant Governor.

Further, we can only assume from this latest attack that Ms. Wagner favors taking money away from public education.  Not surprising considering her record on education funding.  Here are the facts:

  • As State Treasurer, Wagner was part of the financial team that reported a "$137 million budget error" that resulted in a loss of education dollars that were intended for local governments.  ­(AP, 8.28.06) 
  • As Secretary of Finance, Wagner proposed a budget that took $65M out of the Lottery Proceeds Fund to pay for other government programs.  The Constitution of Virginia requires that lottery profits be used for public education.  Fortunately, Bill Bolling made a constitutional ruling to stop Wagner's raid on public education.  (RTD, 2.22.08) 
  • As Secretary of Finance, Wagner lobbied the General Assembly to cut Pre-K funding by $12.5 million, cut foster care funding by $5.8 million and cut health insurance programs by $5.7 million. (WP, 2.14.08) 
  • Because of Jody Wagner's fiscal mismanagement, which has resulted in more than $7B in budget shortfalls, the Kaine administration has been forced to reduce funding for public education by $726M over the past two years.  While this reduction was offset by federal stimulus dollars, these federal stimulus dollars will expire in 2011.  - 2008 Budget (Chapter 879) and 2009 Budget (Chapter 781)  

Additionally, Jody Wagner continues to accuse Lieutenant Governor Bolling of failing to attend the meetings of the Governor's Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates, despite the fact that the Lieutenant Governor isn't a member of this Council!

Clearly, Jody Wagner is having difficulties coming to terms with her status as a "quit and run" Secretary of Finance whose two years in office have been described as "years marked by muff-ups and miscalculations." (RTD, 9.21.08)

After admitting that she was only using the office as a stepping stone and never intended to fulfill her term, Wagner left the state with botched budget projections that have led to $7B in shortfalls. (RTD, 8.2.08)

With a record like that, it's no wonder Jody Wagner just can't get it right.