Interview with Jon Myers – Candidate for the 28th Senate District

Since more than one of Virginia Virtucon’s contributors live and vote in the 28th Senate District, we have taken a particular interest in the race for the Republican nomination for the seat.  We view this seat as a pivotal seat for conservatives to pick up a new voice in the Virginia State Senate.  With the departure of Senator Chichester the seat will certainly take on a new perspective in Virginia politics.  

 To begin the discussion and debate of the 28th District we are offering candidates for the Republican nomination the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas with us and the rest of the blogosphere.  The first candidate to participate is Jon Myers. 

 Jon is a decorated Marine who served in Iraq.  Having completed his obligation to the Marine Corps, Jon is now Director of Business Operations for Alutiiq International.  We asked Jon 9 questions.  Below are the questions followed by his responses.

1. What can you tell Virginia Virtucon readers about Jon Myers that we can not find in your bio posted on your website ?  (i.e. hobbies, favorite television show, favorite book, childhood memories, etc.)  Remember we love pop-culture so if you to are a fan of 80’s rock, sit-coms and the occasional quote from Sixteen Candles do share.

Answer:   

Hobbies:  Golf, playing guitar, working outside on my property, and buying implements for my tractor that I rarely use just because I like shiny machines. 
Favorite television show: The Office. 
Favorite movies: Office Space (“I believe you have my stapler”), Caddy Shack (“So I’ve got that going for me, which is nice”), and Full Metal Jacket (“does this mean Ann Margaret is not coming?”)
Favorite foods: (in order of preference) Ice cream, fried chicken, and anything chocolate
Favorite band: Steely Dan
Favorite childhood memory: I still remember the first time that nobody told me it was time for bed, left me to watch television, and went upstairs before me.  I knew at that point that I had finally “arrived.”

2. The current Senator representing the 28th district is not held in particular high regard with conservatives throughout the state.  Many conservative activists and voters of the 28th district are excited to have the opportunity to fill the seat with a consistent conservative.  Some may be weary of statements like . . “he is tolerant of other viewpoints and able to work with leaders from both sides of the aisle to accomplish . . .” which can be interpreted as conservative principles will be compromised.  Will you hold ground for conservatives and not compromise conservative principles just for the sake of passing legislation?

Answer:  I don’t agree that a lot of conservatives or voters in general for that matter, believe that somebody who says that they know to work well with others is actually saying that they will sacrifice their conservative values just to pass legislation.  The people who get results are the ones who are able to persuade others to their point of view without alienating them while at the same time never compromising conservative values.  People want leaders who are able to persuade rather than those who refuse to participate in the process because they don’t get their way.  For example, I was at a Republican meeting recently at which one of the participants declared that he intended to delay the proceedings “all night” if he didn’t get his way, and that he was prepared to take this course of action because he was “good at it” and that this was “part of the process.”  This is not how you achieve results and persuade others.   

3. Transportation issues have dominated Virginia politics for many years.  However, under the Issues section of your website Transportation is listed as the seventh issue (editor’s note: there is no indication on the website that the issues are listed by priority or any other criteria.).  Since Transportation is such an important issue for Virginia voters why does it not appear to be a prominent issue for your campaign?

Answer:  The issues on my page are not priority-ordered; they are all of equal importance to me.  Let me be clear on one thing: I am not a “politician.”  I am a leader who is participating in a democratic process in order to be afforded the opportunity to lead.  A politician panders to the constituency, trying to say the right thing to score points.  I acknowledge that transportation is a critical issue in this region.  As I say on my webpage, I intend to ensure that all of the milestones and measures set up in the recently passed transportation bill are enacted in a timely manner.  But it comes down to this: there are two kinds of people, those who talk, and those who act.  I am the latter.  It is now time to implement the plan, to ensure that it is working, and to adjust as necessary.  If there is one thing I learned as a leader of Marines, it’s that at a certain point you have to leave the planning phase and enter the execution phase.  Now is the time to implement the transportation plan and give it a chance to work and stop wasting the taxpayers’ time debating or playing “armchair quarterback.”  It is also important as a legislator to remember that no one issue should be allowed to dominate the discussion in order to pander for votes.  There are many issues of importance to constituents across the entire 28th district and all of them must be addressed. 

4. Staying with Transportation for another question.  Many areas of the 28th district are some of the fastest growing areas of Virginia and even fastest growing areas of the entire country.  What are your proposals for improving the transportation infrastructure in the area?  Do you support HOV lane extensions into the Rappahannock area from Northern Virginia on I-95?  Do view HOT lanes as an adequate improvement to the I-95/I-395 corridor to provide a long-term fix to traffic congestion along the route? What about VRE – what improvements do you see being necessary to improve service on VRE?

Answer: As a daily user of the HOV lanes, I am uniquely qualified to present an opinion on their use.  This experience will also serve me well should I be given the opportunity to participate in the legislation process as it relates to transportation.  I wholeheartedly support the extension of HOV lanes into the Rappahannock area from Northern Virginia.  These lanes are beneficial in that they reduce overall traffic congestion and encourage carpooling, vanpooling, and the like.  I am not convinced that HOT lanes are the best solution to the traffic congestion issue.  What we are going to see with the HOT lanes is the continued practice of individual drivers, only now they will clog the HOV lanes as well.  While HOT lanes will initially cut down on HOV “cheaters,” what we will eventually see is an increase in drivers who can afford the HOT lanes in addition to corporate pay packages that include money for yearly HOT fees.  

As a commuter, there are two reasons I don’t use the VRE on a daily basis: price and timeliness.  VRE prices need to be kept at an equitable level so that it is a more feasible option.  Additionally, I would propose that VRE incorporate more use of “express trains” that make fewer or no stops.    

5. Taxes are always a hot issue for conservative voters.  During the Warner administration taxes were increased during a time that the state was running a surplus in the name of transportation improvement.  During the most recent legislative session a new transportation package was passed that many view as a significant tax increase.  Do you support the idea of raising taxes when the state is running a surplus?  How would you propose providing services that voters demand without raising taxes?  Are there any times you would see the need to raise taxes and if so what types of taxes would you target? 

Answer:  My number one fiscal priority is to keep taxes low and equitable, while not impeding critical programs.  And of course, I certainly do not support any tax increases at a time when the state is taking in more money that it is spending.  I am particularly adept at managing large budgets.  I have managed an 80 million dollar budget for the last five years, actually turning a deficit to a surplus without the addition of any revenue.  I did this by budget review, elimination of waste, and maximization of spending.  My plan for paying Virginia’s expenses would include three steps.  First, I would conduct or commission a thorough, non-partisan review of the entire Virginia budget to eliminate waste and duplication and free up funds that are being spent on programs that the majority of Virginians have not asked for.  Secondly, I would eliminate waste, pork, and redundancy.  Finally, I would ensure that funds being spent were being spent wisely and effectively.

No matter what the circumstances, my first priority would be to find a way to pay for programs without raising taxes.  With an effectively managed budget, I don’t see any circumstances in which taxes should be increased at anything other than a standard inflationary rate. 

6. During the most recent legislative session the General Assembly passed legislation that proposed some modest mandates on restaurants with regards to smoking within the establishments.  When the Governor got his hands on the bill he changed it completely to include a complete ban of smoking in all restaurants throughout the Commonwealth.  The General Assembly mustered enough votes to override the Governor’s changes.  This has obviously set up a battle in the coming years to have legislation to ban smoking.  Do you support smoking bans for all restaurants, bars and other facilities?

Answer:  I support smoking bans in enclosed public establishments in which both smoking and non-smoking customers are present.  I think that tying a smoking ban to the service of food restricts the freedom of individuals to smoke outdoors, which is overly restrictive.  I don’t agree with the argument that smoking bans will harm the business of restaurants and other enclosed establishments.  As a Marine, I was briefly stationed in San Diego at a time when the city was instituting a smoking ban.  Customers who were historically hesitant to frequent smoky establishments were visiting them more often and there was no significant reduction in the number of overall customers.

7. You list Immigration as an issue on your website.  Immigration has been a hot topic throughout the state and country over the last several years.  Many view illegal immigration as a national issue and one the federal government must work to resolve.  What do you propose to limit the burden of illegal immigration on voters in the Commonwealth?

Answer:  America should continue to be a land of opportunity.  However, those who wish to enter must follow the rules.  In my opinion, there is no reason to debate whether or not the government should allow or support an activity that is, by definition, illegal.  My solution to the illegal immigration problem is simply to enforce the immigration laws that are on the books and to review and ensure that those laws are effective.
 

8. Governor Kaine does not favor the death penalty.  He vetoed bills that would have imposed the death penalty on murderers of trial witnesses and judges.  Many members of law enforcement saw these bills as opportunities to help fight increasing gang violence as well as other crimes.  The General Assembly has since voted to override the Governor’s vetoes.   Do you agree with the General Assembly or the Governor on the issue of the death penalty?  Would you have any proposals to change any aspects of the death penalty and how it is imposed and carried out in the Commonwealth of Virginia?

Answer:  I fully support the death penalty.
9. Finally, thank you for your time.  Please share with the readers of the Virginia Virtucon any additional thoughts you may consider important issues for the voters of the 28th district that we have not covered.

Answer:  There is one issue that I am including in my platform that is personally very important to me.  I fought in Iraq alongside another officer named Tim Maxwell.  Tim was an infantry officer, a father, and one of the top-rated tri-athletes in the Corps.  During an insurgent mortar attack, Tim received a traumatic brain injury that left him permanently physically altered.  Tim went through an incredible ordeal of physical recovery and even worked on behalf of wounded Marines to start a program that allows them to recover together as part of a unit of “wounded warriors” instead of being immediately discharged and left to their own recovery.  I believe that Virginia needs to do more to provide for resident veterans who have been disabled during the conduct of operations in support of our nation.  If elected, I will pass legislation that affords these heroes increased educational and professional opportunities through partnerships with Virginia’s universities and business communities.  Tim’s efforts to help other wounded Marines can be seen at www.sempermax.com. 

This interview and posting are not an endorsement.  While Virginia Virtucon will certainly make an eventual endorsement in the race for Republican Nomination for the 28th Senate District, we are still learning about the candidates for the race.