Meanwhile, in the real world, our state has been doing just fine with Republicans in all the top jobs and a Republican House and Senate. We have budget surpluses year in and year out and we have one of the best managed state economies in the country.
Contrast that with almost every blue state economy in the country. Most of them are literally imploding a la California, Illinios, New York and Michigan. Dem policies are a prescription for destruction of the highest order. Where Republican policies get implemented as in Virginia, you see a very healthy economy with low unemployment, job growth, population growth and low crime.
My thought is the person who wrote your article is likely just the run of the mill pol hack with no real insight into much of anything.
You need to take a more real world look at Virginia, where I also live.
I live here everyday, you can't get anymore real than that.
When you talk about growth it is not happening in the entire state.
I never implied that Virginia was a unique case where ALL parts of the state grow in equal proportion. You are setting up a straw man to knock it down. The fact is that growth wherever it occurs is inherently not level. Different things grow at a different pace. The coal areas of SW VA will, no doubt, be eviscerated by the policies of this president. It's real hard to grow when your guts are being pulled out. Same will happen to southside as the president pursues his policies to hollow out the military. Those people in Norfolk, Hampton etc are going to suffer. But, those are cases where the Federal Government is actively killing jobs. Literally murdering them in cold blood. It's pretty hard to blame that on Virginia policies.
In fact, it is only happening in Northern Virginia, down the I-95 corridor and into Richmond.
First of all, Richmond is not Northern Virginia. Unless you are missing an "and" in your sentence. Secondly, I don't know this to be true, link me. And third, yes, Northern Virginia is seeing MOST of the growth and for a variety of reasons. It's no longer just government spending. A lot of large multinational companies have moved their HQ to Virginia. Companies that support those companies have proliferated. Certainly the government is a big customer, but no longer the only game in town. Drive down the Dulles toll-road and see every Tech company in the world there. The company I work for has nothing to do with government, it's a $2.7 billion tech company that grew up right here in the area.
All other areas of the Commonwealth have seen decreases in employment, wages and populations.
Again, link me as to "all other areas of the commonwealth" I haven't heard anything remotely like that. As I said, there are areas of the state that are directly suffering at the hands of the federal government, there is no doubt. And, there will be more starting this year. But, I'll have to see evidence that every other area is suffering.
Northern Virginia, which is essentially carrying the rest of the Commonwealth, is primarily blue - not red. In fact, if you look at the richest counties across the country, you will find they are pretty much blue.
This is mostly just political hackery and not really deserving of a response. I'll just say that the first statement is a the standard whine you hear from affluent parts of the state when they find out that their goody bag isn't as full as they would like it considering the percentage of total taxes paid. To which I'd say, I thought you liked socialism. A little spreading the wealth around. Don't you want the people south of Petersburg to have paved roads too?
This is because where you have well off communities you tend to have large populations of educated, intelligent individuals who tend to think for themselves. They tend not to think in terms of bumper stickers or just believe what they are told. Certainly, you will find intelligent, educated and well-informed people who are are conservatives - but you won't find them in the far right. They will tend to be centrists and will be called RINOs.
Apparently, the old brainbox flipped off here and we just descended into drivel.
I'm far right or libertarian depending how you slice it and I'll match you degree for degree anytime you're ready. Pure hogwash.