I will fight to make sure our government works for you. I understand and believe that state government has a responsibility to you as taxpayers to work efficiently and tirelessly. As such, I will work to make sure that state government is accountable and efficient.

One of the main reasons I believe I’ll make a great Lieutenant Governor is my background as a successful businessman. As anyone who runs a business or a household knows, you’ve got to balance your books. And so does Virginia.

Today, our Commonwealth has many challenges ahead of it. I am convinced that with sound leadership, we can keep Virginia the best managed state in the nation. The most important thing is that people see verifiable results from their hard-earned tax dollars. As long as that’s the case, I believe that Virginians are more than willing to invest in their Commonwealth’s infrastructure, educational system, public safety, health care and environment.

In accomplishing these goals, I oppose “borrow and spend” policies that mortgage our children's future. Instead, I believe we should continue to look for efficiencies in state government. In doing so, of course, we should be very cautious about cutting essential state programs, particularly ones that assist the elderly, sick, and others among us who need help the most. We should always keep in mind the core principle that “from those to whom much is given, much also is expected.” I strongly believes that those who have been blessed, as I’ve been, should provide the leadership to keep Virginia strong while the people struggling to get by should be provided opportunity to reach their full potential.

As Lieutenant Governor, I will look out for the interests of all Virginians. I won’t shirk the tough choices. And I will bring my business background to bear on the challenges facing our Commonwealth.

Energy and the environment are subjects that are very much on peoples’ minds these days — and with good reason. I believe we need to take a balanced but aggressive approach to our energy challenges. Such an approach has been sorely lacking in recent years, and is at the root cause of many of the problems we face today. I advocate investing in renewable energy alternatives like wind, tidal, solar, and geothermal. I also believe that we should promote research into carbon capture and sequestration, in order to balance production of Virginia’s fossil fuel resources — coal and natural gas — with environmental stewardship.

In addition, I strongly believe that we need to use energy more wisely. We need to provide energy efficiency incentives for homeowners and businesses. We need to encourage green building and smart growth. And we need to build a high-quality public transportation system, including high-speed rail – for both people and freight - linking all parts of Virginia.

Providing a high-quality education for our children is one of the most important things we can do as parents and as citizens. Fortunately, we have a wonderful array of colleges and universities in Virginia. As Lieutenant Governor, my goal will be to build on this strength and make it even stronger. I know that to compete in the globalized, 21st century economy with kids from developing world economies such as China and India, our own children will need a world-class education. I understand that to do this, we must make a commitment to invest resources in our children to give them the tools to make this happen.

In order to ensure that kids from all socioeconomic backgrounds can afford to go to college, I believe we need to look at innovative approaches to making sure all children have the opportunity to take advantage of Virginia’s world class university system. In addition, it is critically important that we start educating all our kids as early as possible. That’s why I support a continuation and expansion of Governor Kaine’s pre-kindergarten program to include all 4-year-olds in Virginia.

Finally, at this time of war and terrorist threats, I strongly support the law signed by Gov. Kaine in 2006 to provide in-state college tuition rates for children of military personnel stationed in Virginia. I also strongly support allowing the children of active-duty military members who are ordered to relocate to a new school district to continue attending the school they attended immediately prior to the relocation, tuition-free.

I believe strongly in a woman’s right to choose what to do with her body and her life. More broadly, I agree with Senator Jim Webb that the government shouldn’t come in our front door unless there’s an overriding reason to do so. The following quote from Senator Webb sums up my views in this area perfectly:

We hear talk of morality and “values,” but what values do they espouse, other than the politics of fear and social division? Conservatives used to believe that the government should leave individuals alone. Now they want to tell you how to live your private life. I say to you, the government’s power ends at my front door, unless there is a compelling reason to come inside. Leave us alone, and let us live our lives.