The Return of Massive Resistance

A couple of things come to mind when I started reading about the Senate Democrats voting against the two-year budget on a party-line 20-20 vote that could, effectively, shut down state government in Virginia.  This includes schools.  Once again the Democrats of Virginia are practicing the politics of Massive Resistance.  Emboldened by Republican overreach on the abortion issue, Democrats have now overreached themselves in a pissy fit over not getting good committee assignments.

But the Dems ARE right, the Senate doesn't represent Virginia right now because if it did, it would be MORE Republican.  The Democrats drew this Senate map, the map currently represented now.  This is, in effect, their Senate.  If the map had stayed the same it might have been worse.  So complaining about how the Senate is made up is kind of ridiculous when they are the ones drawing the map.

I would also point out to my Northern Virginia friends that under McDonnell and the House of Delegates, NOVA is getting $42 million to help attract teachers and make-up for the high cost of living up here that keeps teachers away because of relatively low pay compared to the cost of living in the area.  The Senate finance committee included it in this budget.  Teachers unions are a crucial NOVA Dem constituency and are getting screwed by their own here. 

I've had my problems with Gov. McDonnell and the GA leadership this term, but Republicans better now back down an inch on this fight . . . put the pressure on senators like Colgan, Puckett, and Petersen who are the constant champions of "bi-partisanship" and working together, make them explain why our schools could be shut down and why our teachers won't get the competative pay they need.  Massive Resistance is back.  And our schools and services will get shut down because Dick Saslaw is mad he didn't get a couple extra committee seats based on a map he drew. 

The Repubs better fight on this, and fight hard.  Because if we back down and capitulate, we won't be running anything and the will of the people expressed last November will have been disenfranchised. 

Comments

[Evan]

Quick few notes:

1. There are no teachers' unions in Va, only their association, the VEA. Maybe a distinction without much of a difference, but still a distinction.

2. That cost-to-compete funding is actually a cut from the 80-90 million they had been getting in the last few budgets. And it makes sense - 30k is a good salary in some parts of the state, but it's less than waiters make in Arlington or Fairfax.

[Bob Hayhurst]

It's curious that you would compare the segregationist policies championed by Senator Harry S. Byrd (massive resistance) to those of the modern day republican party. You do a disservice to both the honorable members of the republican party and the citizens of Virginia they represent.

Your op-ed touchs on issues that need to be addressed by the Senate. Hopefully, with the some statesmanship, the Senate will resolve the budget and we will move forward. Time will tell.

Having said that, while you are entitled to write your opinion on your blog; I find it troubling your facts are wrong. While bigotry is nothing new, it is disturbing to see an attempt to draw a comparison between the disenfranchisement suffered by black Americans and the current petty political disagreements we are seeing in the Senate. It is a terrible comparison you make which makes you appear bigoted and small...