Governor Rendell Releases Video in Support of McAuliffe

This afternoon, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell released a video discussing his support for gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe. Rendell announced his support for McAuliffe this morning, citing his expereience creating jobs and his plan for getting Virginia's economy back on track.

Governor Rendell's video can also be found here.

Tags: business, business plan, economy, ed rendell, endorsement, endorsements, governor, mcauliffe, rendell, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

McAuliffe Endorsed by Governor Ed Rendell

Gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe was endorsed today by Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell. Governor Rendell, who has created new jobs and championed higher wages for Pennsylvania's working families, cited McAuliffe's forward-looking Business Plan for Virginia as he announced his endorsement.

"Terry McAuliffe has the skills and the experience to be a great leader in Virginia," said Rendell. "Terry has an unparalleled ability to get things done and the executive record to prove it. Over the course of his career as an entrepreneur, Terry has created thousands of jobs, and over the course of his political life he has advocated for millions of working families. His Business Plan for Virginia lays out an excellent blue print to guide Virginia through these perilous economic times and open up new opportunities for Virginia families. He will be an asset to every Virginian in Richmond."

"I am honored to have earned Governor Rendell's endorsement," said McAuliffe. "As governor, I will put my executive experience to work for the people of Virginia. My Business Plan brings together the best ideas I have for getting this state back on track with the best ideas from across them Commonwealth. I look forward to turning those ideas into reality."

Governor Rendell's endorsement closely follows the endorsement of Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer this morning. McAuliffe's Business Plan for Virginia can be found at http://www.terrymcauliffe.com/businessplan.

Tags: business, business plan, economy, ed rendell, endorsement, endorsements, governor, mcauliffe, rendell, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

McAuliffe Endorsed by Governor Brian Schweitzer

Gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe was endorsed today by Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, who joined McAuliffe on the campaign trail. At a stop in Arlington this morning where they greeted voters, Governor Schweitzer cited McAuliffe's long history as an entrepreneur and his record of creating jobs.

"As a businessman myself, I know that Terry's experience creating thousands of jobs and building successful businesses means he has the experience to get Virginia's economy moving again," said Governor Brian Schweitzer. "I know what it takes to be a successful governor. In Montana we have created more new jobs at the highest wages and built the largest surpluses in the history of the state. I am confident under Terry's leadership Virginia will see those kinds of results."

"I am honored to have Governor Schweitzer's endorsement," said McAuliffe. "His accomplishments in Montana are outstanding, and I look forward to working with Governor Schweitzer and other governors across the country, swapping ideas, and building opportunities for our citizens, if I am elected governor."

Governor Schweitzer and McAuliffe also planned to make stops in Richmond and Charlottesville later in the day. Governor Schweitzer's endorsement is the latest in a series of endorsements that have included prominent newspapers, unions, elected officials, and Democratic activists. Each of these endorsers have noted that McAuliffe is the best candidate to defeat Bob McDonnell this fall and the best candidate to get Virginia's economy back on track.

Tags: brian schweitzer, business, business plan, economy, endorsement, endorsements, governor, mcauliffe, schweitzer, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

Ministers Endorse McAuliffe

Gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe was joined at a press conference this morning by area ministers in Hampton as they discussed their support for his campaign. Citing his commitment to Virginia families and Virginia values, good jobs and a good salary for every hardworking Virginia, a quality education for every Virginia child, and protecting those who are vulnerable with policies, such as a proposed ban on predatory lending, that set him apart from every other candidate, the group offered their enthusiastic support of McAuliffe's candidacy.

"The job that Terry's involved in, he gives it all his heart, and that's what we need here in Virginia," said Bishop Rudolph Lewis. "That's why I've been supporting him because I feel the same way about reaching out and touching people. The people that I believe he helps most are the people that we are trying to help."

Over the course of his campaign, McAuliffe has outlined a comprehensive business plan for getting Virginia's economy back on track and helping families to build a better future. McAuliffe's Business Plan for Virginia addresses the growing number of individuals who find themselves out of work, unable to afford their mortgage, or worried about paying for their children's education. That Business Plan outlines proposals to attract new jobs to the Commonwealth through a series of incentives and increases to the Governor's Opportunity Fund. McAuliffe has also put forth plans to encourage small, women, and minority entrepreneurs to create their own businesses, and to help those businesses thrive. Through proposals like the Scholars for Service program, McAuliffe would work to ensure that every student has the opportunity to access a high-quality education.

In addition to supporting career and educational opportunities, McAuliffe is the only candidate in the race to have proposed a ban on predatory lenders. McAuliffe has also pledged to institute new programs to help make small loans affordable, and to assist families in improving their financial literacy. When disaster strikes, McAuliffe will ensure that families have access to low-interest loans to help pay for health care, and will create a Commonwealth-funded revolving loan program to assist low-income homebuyers.

The ministers' endorsement follows closely the formation of Small Business Owners for Terry and their endorsement on Monday. The full list of those in attendance follows below:

Rev. Joseph Garrett
Rev. Charles Pauling
Bishop Samuel Green, Jr.
Bishop Rudolph Lewis
Rev. Browlee Hailstock
Rev. Christopher Carter
Rev. Michael Silver
Rev. Simon Richardson
Rev. Kevin Swann
Rev. Dwight Riddick
Rev. Ronald Harris
Rev. S. L. Cutler
Iman Asadi Muhammed
Rev. Robert Nixon
Rev. Jose Florres
Rev. Charles Beard
Father Harold Cobb
Rev. Brenda McDonald
Rev. Robert Chandler
Rev. Purcell Roberts

Tags: business plan, economy, education, endorsement, endorsements, families, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, ministers, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

McAuliffe Campaign Releases New Ad Highlighting Business Plan and Big Ideas

Today, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe released a new television advertisement highlighting some of the main tenets of his business plan and his commitment to big ideas for Virginia's future.

"With Virginia families hurting, we need new ideas in Richmond. As Governor, I'll make Virginia a leader in renewable energy and create good jobs," McAuliffe says in the ad. "Some are afraid to think big, but President Kennedy didn't say we're going half way to the moon, he said we're going all the way. On June 9th I'd be honored to have your vote because are challenges our too big to think small."

The ad "Moon" will run on stations in the Tri-Cities, Richmond, Roanoke and Norfolk media markets. This is the campaign's 7th ad. It can be viewed here: http://www.terrymcauliffe.com/articles/moon.

Tags: business, business plan, ideas, macker, mcauliffe, norfolk, richmond, roanoke, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

Small Business Leaders Announce Support for McAuliffe

Gubernatorial candidate Terry Mcauliffe was joined this morning by Commonwealth business owners as they announced the formation of Small Business Leaders for Terry. Citing his experiences as a businessman and entrepreneur, his record of job creation, and his support for Virginia's business owners, the group endorsed McAuliffe and pledged to campaign on his behalf.

"Terry knows first-hand what it means to build a business from the ground up," said Tyreek Moore of AbsolutionsIT. "I know that we can count on him as governor to provide the support needed to grow our businesses and attract new wealth to Virginia. The Commonwealth can play a key role in helping new businesses to get off the ground and established businesses to expand in new ways. Terry will make sure we have the resources we need to innovate and grow."

"Right now Virginia is experiencing a budget shortfall and economic crisis," added aspiring entrepreneur Sheila Koester. "There are long lines at the Virginia Employment Commission and at job fairs. Sometimes the only way to find a good job is to be creative and to be an entrepreneur. Only one candidate has posted a comprehensive business plan on his website that addresses specific areas of concern to me as a potential woman business owner: Terry McAuliffe."

McAuliffe's Business Plan for Virginia outlines his plans to support small, women-, and minority-owned businesses through propsals that would assist these business leaders in finding and attracting the capital they need to succeed in today's tough economy, expand state programs under the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority, and expand small business incubators that provide financial counseling, office location, office equipment, warehousing space, and a front-desk receptionist that can be shared by several start-up businesses.

Additionally, McAuliffe has pledged to assist small, women, and minority business owners compete for state contracts by holding state agencies accountable for expanding the participation rates for these businesses. McAuliffe has also pledged to create a small business ombudsman in the Department of Minority Business enterprise to ensure that small, minority-, and women-owned businesses have an ally in state government.

The full list of those endorsing follows below:

Alex DePaula, Espeto na Brasa
Alan Zuccari, Hamilton Insurance
Andrea McGimsey, Sidewalks and Cyberspace
James Socas, Updata
Sid Banerjee, Clarabridge
Melissa Slutzky, E-Squared
Pravin Gandhi, Gandhi Consulting
Donyata Washington, The Washington Investment Group
Carol Shrader, Audio Video Service Labs
MaRessa D Jones, MaRessa D Marketing
Jeffrey Nuechterlein, Isis Capital
Fred Singer, Echo 360
Murray Bonitt, Bonitt Builders
Kirk Galiani, Gold's Gyms
Patrick Riccards, Exemplar Strategic Communications
Brad Nierenberg, RedPeg Marketing
John P. Girardi, Builder-Developer
Andrea Seward, Misha's
Misha Von Elmendorf, Misha's
Katie Corish, The New House Company
Lawrence Vallieres, Flying Fish
Toan Nguyen, C'ville Coffee
Henry Mejia, Henry's Printing
Sheila Koester, Aspiring Entrepreneur
Tyreek Moore, AbsolutionsIT
Norman Ward, A and N Appraisers
Tamico Alston, Above All Title
Michael Hancox, E- Squared
Alex Parker, Parker Advertising
Segundo Fonseca, Eastern Cleaning Services

Tags: business leaders, business plan, economy, endorsements, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, minority business owners, small businesses, small business owners, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, women business owners

Terry McAuliffe Highlights Energy Efficiency Proposals

This morning, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe highlighted his plans for increasing energy efficiency to help our environment, create jobs, and reduce the energy bills of Virginia families at an event with representatives from building company Bain-Waring. At a high-efficiency home construction project where recycled newspaper insulation was being installed, McAuliffe discussed his proposals to reduce Virginia's energy consumption and meet the energy needs of the Commonwealth with members of the League of Conservation Voters, whose organization endorsed McAuliffe in the gubernatorial primary.

"Energy efficiency is the cheapest, quickest, and cleanest way for Virginia to meet its growing energy demands," said McAuliffe. "By investing in cost-effective energy efficiency measures, we can not only save Virginia families money, we can create efficiency sector jobs right here in the Commonwealth."

Said Lisa Guthrie, executive director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, who was in attendance at the event, "Terry McAuliffe is stepping forward to lead Virginia in the initiative to promote energy efficiency now because it protects our environment while saving customers money and quickly bringing green jobs to every community."

McAuliffe's Business Plan for Virginia emphasizes the positive effects of energy efficiency, and puts forth specific proposals to encourage increased efficiency. McAuliffe's plans include incentivizing utilities to invest in and achieve high levels of energy efficiency, instead of incentivizing them to generate more electricity. Additionally, McAuliffe has pledged to pursue new policies that will require utility companies to put efficiency first, emphasizing long-term and efficiency planning as a precursor to the development of any new power generation.

McAuliffe has emphasized the need for a 21st century infrastructure to meet Virginia's needs as the Commonwealth moves forward, and has proposed a new emphasis on smart grid and smart meter technology to encourage consumers to conserve energy and more efficiently distribute the Commonwealth's energy resources.

Additionally, McAuliffe has put forth plans to establish a $100 million Energy Independence Revolving loan Fund to retrofit older homes and, separately, to fund low-income energy assistance and weatherization programs that will benefit Virginia families and create jobs.

Tags: business plan, energy, energy efficiency, macker, mcauliffe, proposals, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia, virginia league of conservation voters

Terry McAuliffe makes his case

Richmond-Times Dispatch
May 10, 2009
By Terry McAuliffe

Across the commonwealth, folks are worried about jobs, about our energy future, about the quality of their children's education, and the value of their homes. We've been lucky here in Virginia -- we've had two great governors in Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, and they have worked hard to put Virginia in a place to weather the economic downturn much better than other states. But our next governor is still going to have some serious economic challenges to address, and that's why I'm running for governor: I believe I have the right experience and the best vision to get our economy moving again.

For nearly 20 years, Virginia's been my home. My wife, Dorothy, and I are raising five children, and I want to make sure Virginia continues to be a great place for them to find opportunities when they're adults. That's what I want for all of Virginia's families.

With continued economic uncertainty ahead, Virginians know that the next few years are going to be tough, and they want Virginia's next governor to build on the great legacy of Mark Warner and Tim Kaine: governors who brought business and executive experience to Richmond, but who also know that not every good idea comes out of the legislature in Richmond. Virginians want another governor who knows that it's not about politics; it's about results.

I started my first business when I was 14, paving driveways so I could pay for college. Since then, I've built successful companies and helped turn around struggling ones -- learning firsthand what it takes to create good jobs and balance a budget.

When it comes to fixing our economy, there's no such thing as a Republican job or a Democratic job; it's about bringing people together to create good jobs. That's the kind of leadership I believe in, and that's what it's going to take to get our economy moving forward again and to build on the progress we've made over the past seven years.

I believe that in government, just like in business, you need a plan to succeed. I've unveiled my business plan, a detailed plan with strategies to move Virginia forward and bring jobs back to the commonwealth. It is a roadmap to making Virginia a leader in the green economy, making Virginia a more attractive place for businesses with the most future growth potential and supporting our existing businesses, making sure our families can afford the necessities of a good life, investing in human capital so that Virginia families can hold good jobs with good wages and good benefits, and improving our state's transportation infrastructure.

Each chapter addresses a different strategy we must pursue in building Virginia's economy, but my Business Plan was developed as a whole, and it recognizes that these issues and strategies all must work together to add value and create jobs in Virginia.

As governor, I'll wake up every day using my experience as a businessman and an executive to get our economy back on track so we can start investing in education and health care again.

I'll make it my job to protect your job, to grow the economy, and to make Virginia a leader in renewable energy. I'll focus on long-term transportation solutions, and work to give our children the best education so they have a chance to pursue the American dream right here in Virginia.

I'm the only candidate in this race who has created thousands of jobs. I'm the only candidate who brings the same kind of business and executive leadership that Mark Warner and Tim Kaine brought to the job. I'm the only candidate who hasn't been part of the partisan bickering in Richmond. And I'm the only candidate who has a comprehensive business plan that incorporates the ideas of people all over the commonwealth.

But this campaign isn't about me. It's about you. That's why we've built a grassroots campaign to get more people invested in our efforts for the future. That's why we need more like-minded people in the House of Delegates to help us get these things done. I'm proud that our campaign has over 3,000 volunteers and 14 field offices open across the commonwealth. Because at the end of the day, I want a campaign and an administration that includes people from all over Virginia.

Joining together has never been more important. We are facing great challenges here in Virginia and we need a governor who can rev up the economy. Vote for me on June 9th and we'll be one step closer to getting Virginia headed in the right direction.

Tags: business, business plan, economy, grassroots, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

Sneak Preview

I can hardly believe it. But at midnight tomorrow, we'll only have one month to go until Primary Day on June 9th. We've worked incredibly hard, and this is no time to let up.

Everywhere I go, when I talk about Terry's Business Plan for Virginia and the way he proposes to lead our Commonwealth through these tough economic times, people are eager to support his candidacy. But there are only so many places that Terry and I can be at once. With just 32 days until the election, we need your help to communicate Terry's message all over the Commonwealth. As a part of that effort, even I am taking to the airwaves to share a little bit of our personal story and why Terry has chosen to run.

I recorded a special TV ad for Terry that is set to air on Mother's Day. And if you make a contribution of $5 or more before midnight tomorrow, you'll get to preview the ad before it hits the airwaves.

Click here to make a contribution before midnight tomorrow and watch a sneak preview of my TV ad.

We've had a great week. Terry won a big endorsement from the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, who noted that he has what it takes change the dynamics in Richmond and get things done.

George Mason University political analyst Mark Rozell even noted that, "McAuliffe is commanding the mass media and the political conversation."

But with so many undecided voters and one of our opponents already on television, we need your help to keep our momentum going. Please contribute before the fundraising deadline at midnight tomorrow. There's no time to spare.

Click here to make a contribution before midnight tomorrow and watch a sneak preview of my TV ad.

Thanks to all of you who have been there with us and are joining us on this important journey on behalf of all Virginians. And most importantly, to all the moms out there who do so much for their families and communities every single day, have a very Happy Mother's Day.

Tags: ad, business plan, dorothy, dorothy mcauliffe, economy, endorsement, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tv ad

Sneak Preview

I can hardly believe it. But at midnight tomorrow, we'll only have one month to go until Primary Day on June 9th. We've worked incredibly hard, and this is no time to let up.

Everywhere I go, when I talk about Terry's Business Plan for Virginia and the way he proposes to lead our Commonwealth through these tough economic times, people are eager to support his candidacy. But there are only so many places that Terry and I can be at once. With just 32 days until the election, we need your help to communicate Terry's message all over the Commonwealth. As a part of that effort, even I am taking to the airwaves to share a little bit of our personal story and why Terry has chosen to run.

I recorded a special TV ad for Terry that is set to air on Mother's Day. And if you make a contribution of $5 or more, you'll get to preview the ad before it hits the airwaves.

Click here to make a contribution and watch a sneak preview of my TV ad.

We've had a great week. Terry won a big endorsement from the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, who noted that he has what it takes change the dynamics in Richmond and get things done.

And just yesterday, George Mason University political analyst Mark Rozell noted that, "McAuliffe is commanding the mass media and the political conversation."

But with so many undecided voters and one of our opponents already on television, we need your help to keep our momentum going. Please contribute before the fundraising deadline at midnight tomorrow. There's no time to spare.

Click here to make a contribution and watch a sneak preview of my TV ad.

Thanks to all of you who have been there with us and are joining us on this important journey on behalf of all Virginians. And most importantly, to all the moms out there who do so much for their families and communities every single day, have a very Happy Mother's Day.

Tags: ad, business plan, dorothy, dorothy mcauliffe, economy, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, mother's day, mothers, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tv ad, va-gov, virginia, virginia league of conservation voters

Blue candidate has green plan for Virginia

Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
Op-Ed
May 3, 2009
Edward Bentz

Terry McAuliffe, candidate for governor of Virginia, has recently released his comprehensive energy plan for Virginia. It is directed at job development through green energy development.

As McAuliffe puts it, "My business plan for Virginia is really a jobs plan."

The other Democratic candidates for governor are also offering green energy initiatives: For example, state Sen. Creigh Deeds sponsored bills in the most recent session of the General Assembly to help homeowners and localities finance the purchase of solar panels, and former Del. Brian Moran has likewise promised to boost incentives for solar power.

McAuliffe's energy plan is unique in its business-oriented focus on green jobs, especially in two often-overlooked areas of potential job creation: investments in increased efficiency, and exploitation of biomass energy alternatives that match Virginia's indigenous capabilities and resources.

To boost energy efficiency, McAuliffe has proposed that Virginia deploy "smart meters" that tell consumers how much power they are using and when, much as a telephone bill itemizes each call and its cost. The meters would use information technology to improve utility electric load management, both reducing energy needs and enabling "crediting" to stimulate local electric power generation from alternatives such as wind and solar. Deploying smart meters statewide would create thousands of high-wage jobs in sectors such as data management and customer service, areas in which Virginia is well-positioned to grow.

McAuliffe is also a strong proponent of biomass clean energy technologies. Extensive green biomass technologies identified in his plan include biomass conversion of waste products in the agricultural sector such as chicken manure and timber slash; municipal solid waste to electric energy conversion systems, such as the existing Interstate 95 Resource Recovery Facility in Fairfax County; and biodiesel production from multiple biomass sources including non-crop sources such as algae, which can be grown in high yields on non-farm lands. According to the 2007 Virginia energy plan, biomass combustion and landfill gas could provide nearly 1,000 megawatts of power combined. That's more than the total potential for land-based wind farms in Virginia running at typical capacity. McAuliffe would provide tax incentives for digester gas technologies fueled by manure from poultry and livestock and create a task force to address transforming landfills into energy sources. McAuliffe would also mandate that Virginia produce 25 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025 (the current standard is voluntary). This is a key "stick" that will reinforce the "carrots" in the plan, including tax abatement incentives, utilization of private-public partnerships, and grants to local communities to facilitate business project siting. The 25 percent by 2025 renewable standard will signal that Virginia is open for business when it comes to clean energy technology.

Other initiatives in the plan include converting the state's vehicle fleet to alternate fuels and creating a $100 million Virginia energy independence fund to create new jobs in clean energy.

The implementation of this ambitious comprehensive plan faces many technical and commercial challenges. Many other states are competing for the same federal stimulus funds, clean energy businesses, and associated good jobs. However, McAuliffe deserves credit for releasing a detailed plan that leverages Virginia's existing resources. The McAuliffe energy plan is a welcome change from usual platitudes, and raises the bar for a statewide discussion on clean energy.

Edward J. Bentz Jr. is a scientist and businessman. He is a former executive director of the U.S. National Alcohol Fuels Commission.

Tags: biomass energy, business plan, energy, green, green jobs, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, renewable energy, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

Martinsville Vice Mayor Kimble Reynolds Jr. Endorses McAuliffe for Governor

Martinsville Vice Mayor Kimble Reynolds Jr. today endorsed Terry McAuliffe for Governor, citing his decades of experience creating jobs and turning businesses around. As Vice Mayor, Reynolds has helped to lead a city with one of the highest unemployment rates in the state, today a daunting 20.2 percent, and has served in the city government since 2004.

"As Vice Mayor, I've seen first-hand what happens when jobs disappear and the unemployment rate climbs," said Reynolds. "I've called Martinsville home for a long time, and Virginians here are looking for a leader who will bring economic opportunities back to our city and open up new avenues of growth throughout the Commonwealth. I firmly believe that Terry McAuliffe will be that leader."

McAuliffe's Business Plan for Virginia includes sections devoted to creating jobs in hard-hit areas. His ideas include specialized tax incentives aimed at creating good jobs with benefits in high-need areas by rewarding businesses for locating high-growth industry jobs in Virginia. McAuliffe has also pledged to target his efforts through state partnerships with regional leaders, and the creation of a Governor's Regional Economic Advisory Committee to advise him on the unique economic issues faced by each region of the Commonwealth.

Said McAuliffe, "I am honored to have Vice Mayor Reynolds' endorsement. It is heartbreaking to see hardworking Virginian men and women whose jobs have just disappeared. Right now, we are facing some of the worst economic conditions since the Depression, but I truly believe that with the right leadership, we can create high-quality new jobs and ensure that every Virginian who wants to work has a place to work. As a businessman and entrepreneur, I know what it takes to make that happen, and I look forward to partnering with local leaders like Vice Mayor Reynolds to build our economy."

Tags: business plan, economy, endorsements, jobs, kimble reynolds, kimble reynolds jr, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

Weekly Blog Roundup 5/1/09

Welcome to this week's installment of the Weekly Blog Roundup. Bloggers wrote about the wide variety of gubernatorial events this week, including multiple debates, Terry's support from Bill Clinton, and reflecting on Terry's Business Plan for Virginia.

At his blog The Daily Dogwood, Josh Chernila provided some afterthoughts on Thursday’s debate in Lyric, the first statewide debate sponsored by and for the netroots community.

Finally, McAuliffe is definitely the one to beat in this race. He is in the best position to take on McDonnell, has very strong and well-considered positions, and is really running by far the best campaign in Virginia politics this year. His common sense solutions will draw a stark contrast against McDonnell's radical ideology in the fall.

In a post at Virginia Tomorrow, Bob Holsworth commented on the two rallies held in Richmond and Roanoke on Monday at which President Bill Clinton came out to support Terry.

[Clinton] said that McAuliffe’s background as an entrepreneur and a businessman was precisely the right kind of experience that Virginia needs today… McAuliffe obviously possesses excellent candidate skills. He’s put a critically important issue- jobs and economic recovery- at the heart of his campaign. He exhibits the kind of energy and enthusiasm that convey a sense that he not only really wants the job, but that he’ll work 18 hours a day if he gets it. And, as one reporter told me, he has far more depth than a background as a fundraiser normally implies.

Lowell at Blue Virginia reported on the support for Terry at last week’s Virginia Education Association debate in Hampton.

From today's Washington Post, it looks like Terry McAuliffe's message is playing well with teachers -- at least ones who attended last Thursday's Virginia Education Association debate at the Hampton convention center: “But it was Terry McAuliffe who appeared to convert the hall, earning sustained applause and bringing some delegates to their feet by tying each education-related question to his campaign's central theme: As a successful businessman, he knows how to create jobs.”

On Blue Commonwealth, diarist Sora Dina associated speaking to children about college with Terry’s ideas for strengthening Virginia’s education in his business plan for Virginia.

Terry McAuliffe wants to encourage creativity and innovation in the classroom, expand the availability of online Advanced Placement courses, and continue to prioritize transitions between high schools and colleges, and between two-and four-year colleges, ad between returning college students and the workplace….After reading chapter four "Excellence in Virginia's Education from Early Childhood to Competitive Employment" in its entirety, it is clear that the third through fifth graders I spoke to will have a better opportunity to reach their educational and career goals and objectives under Terry McAuliffe's leadership as Virginia's next governor.

At Blue Virginia, Lowell also reported on the meet and greet event held at our Virginia Beach field office, where Congressman Bobby Scott came out to introduce Terry.

On a sunny afternoon, folks from all across South Hampton Road forfeited the beautiful weather for an opportunity to meet and talk with Terry McAuliffe when he stopped by his Virginia Beach Field Office for a Meet and Greet….The enthusiasm from Terry was equally matched by the enthusiasm from the voters. He couldn’t go more than a couple of minutes without applause breaking out from the listeners, cheering on his big ideas to keep moving Virginia Forward.

Tags: bloggers, blog roundup, blogs, business plan, clinton, debates, economy, education, macker, mcauliffe, scott, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, weekly blog roundup

Weekly Blog Roundup 4/25/09

This week bloggers had much praise for Terry, with topics ranging from the fifth part of his business plan, the first gubernatorial debate, visiting with supporters throughout the commonwealth, to numerous endorsements.

Lowell at Blue Virginia had positive things to say about Terry’s fifth chapter of his comprehensive business plan for Virginia, which focuses on transportation issues in the commonwealth.

Transportation is an absolutely crucial issue for Virginia, which is why I've been eagerly awaiting the release of Terry McAuliffe's "business plan" for transportation. I've been reading through it, and so far I like what I'm seeing...Thank you, Terry McAuliffe, for recognizing that we can't keep on doing things the same way we've been doing them in the past and expect to get different results.

Dan Sullivan also analyzed the gubernatorial candidates’ various business plans over at Blue Commonwealth. He compares the candidates on a number of issues, coming to a conclusion that all of the Democrats outweigh Bob McDonnell.

McAuliffe desires to make Virginia a destination for clean energy and clean tech businesses and researchers…Terry too has taken aim at helping Virginians, particularly those who are losing health care benefits as a result of the recession. ….The central question using this method is whether the potential governor has an integrated economic plan that will build toward the ends that represent progress and growth.

On The Huffington Post, Mike Smith lauded Terry’s performance in the first debate at William & Mary last week, arguing that Terry is the only candidate who can beat Bob McDonnell in November.

McAuliffe won on issues of business, job creation, transportation, environmental and energy issues. He has a "business plan" for Virginia. He promotes wind energy and using market forces to increase production. He has a smarter plan for regional transportation including high speed rail from DC to Richmond and beyond… But most importantly, McAuliffe has 3,000 volunteers, a sophisticated grassroots network rivaling national candidates for public office, and more money…Most importantly, only McAuliffe can keep Virginia blue and beat Bob McDonnell this fall.

Arjun Jaikumar also reported on the primary debate in a diary at Daily Kos, in which he analyzed the performance and style of each of the candidates.

His campaign has been singularly focused on job creation, and he was very much on message yesterday... He's very knowledgeable and articulate on the issues, and oddly enough, he sometimes looks better when he's being "wonky". McAuliffe can command the spotlight easily enough; he needs to make certain he has the gravitas required of the governor as well.

At Blue Commonwealth, Dan Sullivan reported on Terry’s recent stop in Williamsburg to talk to supporters.

He delivered an upbeat, detailed update on the issues he is emphasizing in this campaign and assailed the Republicans on turning down the $125,000,000 to support the unemployed (among other things). After answering a variety of questions, much to the enjoyment of those gathered, it was clear that many more were leaving as McAuliffe supporters than arrived. Then he was off to William and Mary for another gathering.

On his blog Rick Howell Speaks, Virginian Rick Howell talked about the importance of Terry’s recent endorsements from Walter Fore, Bo Driskill and other Lynchburg Democrats.

Terry McAuliffe has wrapped up some impressive endorsements from the Lynchburg Democratic Committee, people who might well have been expected to support Creigh Deeds if McAuliffe hadn't entered the race... Now before you say, "Lynchburg Democrats? Who cares?," you should know: The Lynchburg Democratic Committee has developed into one of the best and most active Democratic party committees in all of Central Virginia…Terry McAuliffe pulled off a nice coup in Lynchburg; and it's not good news for the other two candidates.

Reporting on other endorsements, Lowell at Blue Virginia wrote about the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers’ endorsement of Terry.

Yet another union - joining the Boilermakers, Firefighters, and AFSCME - is throwing its weight behind Terry McAuliffe for Governor. Looks like we've found our pro-labor, pro-working people's candidate in this race! Today, Local 1 of Virginia, Maryland, and DC of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers announced that it and its over 700 members in the state of Virginia have endorsed Terry McAuliffe's campaign for Governor. Citing his decades of experience creating jobs and turning around struggling businesses, BAC Local 1 said McAuliffe is the gubernatorial candidate best suited to get Virginia's economy back on track.

Tags: bloggers, blog roundup, blogs, business plan, debate, endorsements, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, transportation, weekly blog roundup, williamsburg

McAuliffe Unveils Chapter 5 of Business Plan for Virginia

Today, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe released the fifth chapter of his Business Plan for Virginia, which highlights his plans to modernize Virginia's transportation system. Discussing the need for expanded rail, including high-speed, and modernizing the Port of Virginia, McAuliffe said improved transportation would be critical to Virginia's economic growth.

"A 21st Century transportation system is essential to growing Virginia's economy," McAuliffe said. "We cannot attract new industries and the good jobs they would create without the guarantee that business will be able to move goods and services quickly. That's why I'm proposing a different approach - one that is focused on getting cars off the roads and encouraging intermodal forms of transportation."

While McAuliffe emphasized that he would not raise taxes in a down economy, he said that the state would need to have an honest discussion regarding revenue once the economy recovers. While the economy is recovering, McAuliffe has proposed continuing the progress made under Governor Tim Kaine to better integrate land use, transportation, and economic development planning, as well as measures to further engage "smart roadways" technologies and innovative solutions like teleworking, to help manage congestion.

"Terry understands that a strong transportation system is an essential part of growing our local economies," Loudon County Board of Supervisors member Andrea McGimsey said. "Businesses want to locate where their employees and vendors can get around easily, and parents lose valuable time stuck in traffic that they could be spending with their kids. Terry has developed a plan that will both boost economic competitiveness and improve the quality of life for working families across the Commonwealth."

When funds are available, McAuliffe pledged to prioritize the expansion of rail, including high-speed, passenger, and freight. To identify potential private partners and fast-track the construction of high speed rail linking Richmond to Washington and Hampton Roads, McAuliffe said he would appoint a High Speed Rail Task Force. Additionally, McAuliffe said he would complete the expansion of Metro service to Dulles Airport and expand freight and passenger service along the I-95, I-81, and US-29 Corridors.

"I think Terry McAuliffe really understands the need to invest in high-speed and intercity rail, and Chapter 5 of his business plan for Virginia really shows that," said Sandy Duckworth, a former member of the Fairfax Board of Supervisors. "It is more than a sound bite, but real policies for getting high-speed rail to Richmond and Hampton Roads. While Terry is Governor, we are going to take cars and trucks off our roads, save thousands of gallons of gas, and reinvest in our future by investing in high-speed rail."

McAuliffe also called for making the Port of Virginia the most competitive port on the East Coast. Discussing the need for port modernization and maintenance projects, McAuliffe said the port must prepare for the the opening of a third set of locks at the Panama Canal, which will increase the flow of international ships to the east coast. Expanding Route 58 to allow for easy access to potential distribution facilities would also be critical.

The full chapter can be found online at https://wfc2.wiredforchange.com/o/8102/images/Chapter5.

Tags: business plan, highways, macker, mcauliffe, ports, rail, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, transportation, va-gov, virginia

Why I’m with Terry

Augusta Free Press
April 17, 2009
Chris Graham

You want to know where Terry McAuliffe had me? You could say at hello. “You can’t keep cutting, and you can’t raise taxes. So we’ve got to get a new economic engine going here in Virginia, and we’ve got to get a plan going. Where do we want to be 10, 20, 30 years from today in our economic strategy? We can’t just think, We’ve got to get through this current crisis.”

That was McAuliffe at a stop on his statewide announcement tour back in January in Harrisonburg. Since then he’s been rolling out his Business Plan for Virginia, detailing how Virginia needs to approach its energy future, transportation and public education with economic development and growth in mind.

To harken back to one of McAuliffe’s political mentors, it really is the economy, stupid. And to borrow from something U.S. Sen. Mark Warner said in a town-hall meeting Thursday in Staunton, we’ve had enough of politicians who are full of policy pronouncements and promises galore on the issues of the day and conclude by promising oh, yeah, I’m going to lower your taxes, too.

This is what I see out of our tired old Virginia Republican friends, who have been reduced to a pitiful caricature of their former commonsense conservative selves in recent years with their kowtowing to their small but vocal ultralibertarian faction on state spending. Their We Haven’t Met a Spending Cut We Wouldn’t Like philosophy works fine when cuts are made in areas where efficiencies are an issue, for example with the Virginia Department of Transportation that Mark Warner inherited from George Allen and Jim Gilmore that was consistent only in that it couldn’t get jobs done on-time or on-budget.

We’ve been a couple of years at least since we had cut our way through the fat to the muscle of state government, and now we’re beginning to saw through to the bones at the heart of the skeletal structure of state government, with no end to this otherwise pointless exercise in sight, unless you assume that one day the government-haters are successful in disbanding the very bonds of civilized society altogether.

McAuliffe’s approach to looking to economic growth as the way to move Virginia forward isn’t unique in the telling - even Bob McDonnell will tell you that his is a pro-business agenda - so the devil isn’t so much in the details as in looking at the candidates who would be our governor and examining their business backgrounds. Doing that, McAuliffe stands not only head and shoulders above the candidates in the gubernatorial field, including McDonnell on the Republican side, but really stands alone. McAuliffe has not only balanced budgets with an eye to the bottom line, but he has had to carry the responsibility of growing revenues by growing business in a way that no one with experience only in a government or corporate bureaucracy could ever understand.

I understand it. I wake up every morning wondering how my business is going to make it to tomorrow, and devising strategies to get to tomorrow and six months and a year and 10 years from now knowing that failure is not an option.

As a small businessman, I look at this hire, of the next governor of Virginia, as being perhaps the most important hire that we Virginians will make in a generation. We’ve got critical needs to address in transportation, K-12 and higher education and our economy that we have been delayed from addressing fully the past eight years by our libertarian Republican friends who can’t see beyond the noses on their faces much less see the damage that we’re doing to the future of our Commonwealth. We need to hire as our next governor someone who has the background that tells us that he will hit the ground running knowing that we don’t have a day to waste if we’re going to keep moving Virginia forward.

That’s why I’m endorsing Terry McAuliffe for governor. Because frankly, we don’t have the luxury of screwing this one up.

Tags: business, business plan, economy, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, taxes, terry, terry mcauliffe, transportation, va-gov, virginia

Washington Post's Dana Milbank on Terry and Trash

Tags: 2009, business plan, energy, fairfax, governor, mcauliffe, terry mcauliffe, virginia

McAuliffe Unveils Fourth Chapter of His Business Plan for Virginia

Highlighting the need to attract the employers and jobs we want in the future, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe released the fourth chapter of his Business Plan for Virginia, which focuses on improving Virginia's education system.

"To attract the employers and jobs we want in the future, we need to ensure that Virginia has the best-educated, best-trained, most skilled workforce in the world," McAuliffe said. "Over the past eight years, we've seen steady progress and better results in education. The challenge for the next governor will be to make better use of what we have. That means we have to build more flexibility, more innovation and more creativity into the system."

McAuliffe called for streamlining the process of commercializing research at Virginia's universities to provide extra funding for colleges and allow them to lower tuition costs. McAuliffe said he would ask the newly created Innovation and Entrepreneurship Investment Authority to identify all roadblocks to commercializing research breakthroughs and build partnerships, linking schools and the private sector from the outset of research. With the extra revenue from university research, McAuliffe would require that 50% of it go to lowering the costs of college tuition. McAuliffe also said he would support Virginia's community colleges, which provide a less expensive alternative for the first two years of college and will enable our workforce development initiatives.

"We have excellent two- and four-year institutions that educate our young people, train our workforce and serve as a base for economic spin-offs," McAuliffe said. "Today the issue is access. We have to do better when it comes to making higher education more affordable."

Emphasizing the importance of earning more than a high school degree, McAuliffe said he would ensure that students are prepared to go to college and adapt critical skills. He promoted measures including broadening dual enrollment and expanding the availability of the Early College High School Initiative to give Virginia students a head start. McAuliffe proposed implementing new voluntary assessments that would allow high school juniors who are ready to bypass their senior year and go straight to college.

Additionally, to improve outcomes in the classroom, McAuliffe underscored the importance of continuing Governor Kaine's pre-K expansion, as well as providing a state School Readiness Tax Credit for high-quality child care and preschool providers and the families and employers that use them.

Finally, McAuliffe called for offering incentives to attract the best teachers in the nation. McAuliffe said he would raise teacher salaries to the national average and work with teachers to find innovative ways to differentiate compensation. If teachers take on additional responsibilities, they should be rewarded for it.

"The most important component in our education system is the teacher," McAuliffe said. "If we're going to have the best schools, Virginia will have to compete for the best teachers."

Tags: business plan, colleges, economy, education, mcauliffe, school, t-mac, teachers, terry, terry mcauliffe, universities, va-gov, virginia

Weekly Blog Roundup 4/10/09

This week, bloggers had a lot to talk about regarding the Virginia gubernatorial race. Blogs included praise for Terry's grassroots campaign support, regional offices, the next part of his comprehensive Business Plan and fundraising abilities, as well as reactions to Republicans' rejection of economic recovery funds that would have helped Virginia's workers.

Lowell at Blue Virginia reported on the strength of Terry’s campaign, after he rolled out the first three chapters of his comprehensive Business Plan, raised over $4.2 million in the last three months, and is building statewide grassroots support.

I think that Terry McAuliffe just took this campaign to a new level. No wonder why Republicans are most afraid of him! For comparison's sake, Tim Kaine raised an impressive $2.6 million in 1Q05. As impressive as that was, it's actually $1.6 million less than Terry McAuliffe raised in 1Q09. And remember, back in 2005 the economy was booming, while today we're in the severe Republican Recession. That just makes McAuliffe's fundraising totals even more eye popping. All I can say is, Bob McDonnell's got to be praying right now that Terry McAuliffe is not the Democratic nominee this year.

Josh Chernila also reported on Terry’s fundraising and grassroots support at his new blog, The Daily Dogwood.

I endorsed the McAuliffe campaign because, in addition to bold positions on jobs, energy and the environment, this campaign is firing on all pistons and avoiding the vicious negativity of the Moran campaign. Good stuff.

In a diary on DailyKos, alankrishnan was appalled at the Virginia Republicans’ rejection of $125 million in economic stimulus funds that would have helped improve unemployment benefits for Virginians.

Bob McDonnell's opposition to the $125 million economic recovery money, (which would alleviate some of the problems of unemployment in Virginia) is just another indication that he will deviate and move away from the path made by Warner and Kaine….Terry McAuliffe held a Press Conference on Thursday 4/9/2009 which was very well attended by several members of the Press. This is a clear indication of public interest on employment related topics, and perhaps the rationale of why the Federal funding had been refused.

At Blue Commonwealth, teacherken discussed the amount of offices and staff that each of the candidates has throughout the commonwealth.

At the "opening" of his Arlington-Alexandria headquarter in Old Town this past week, McAuliffe said they now had 11 offices opened. Another was "opened" in Loudoun the following day, with Dorothy McAuliffe being the headliner. That gives him offices in McLean, Woodbridge, Alexandria, Loudoun, Richmond, Roanoke, Virginia Beach, Charlottesville, Hampton, Fredericksburg, Alexandria and Loudoun…. offices give a focal point for local attention, a place from which canvassing can be more easily organized. And after both the primary season and the general election, we know the impact having many local offices made on behalf of Obama.

On his blog Dem Bones, Drew praised Terry for the third part of his comprehensive business plan for Virginia, highlighting a ban on pay-day lenders.

In general, the plan offers McAuliffe's positions on health care, education, and retirement savings. But the very last thing McAuliffe offers is a plan to ban pay-day lenders in the state…I have not decided who I am going to vote for this primary (I have my leanings), but I do like that McAuliffe is offering business plans which positively affect the Southside and, like me, he wants to end the predatory practice of pay-day lenders.

At Blue Commonwealth, Teddy Goodson reported on the Democratic campaigns speaking to members of The Brigades, a grassroots activist group in Virginia. Terry’s wife, Dorothy, was there to talk about the campaign and Terry’s experience and ideas for Virginia.

When she and Terry arrived in the Washington area several years ago, they chose to live in Virginia as the best place to raise a family, and, five children later, it is clear Terry really cares about Virginia. She described his extensive business background beginning with a driveway re-surfacing company in his teens through rescuing a community bank in the 1980's to fund raising for the DNC....In this economic downturn McAuliffe's business experience as a successful executive is crucial---- the Governor's job is an executive one, not a legislative one, after all. His whole career in the Democratic Party shows his concern for social justice. We cannot raise taxes, so we must grow revenues some other way, and he intends to use his business experience to create jobs by growing the economy, utilizing the research from Virginia's universities. Terry's approach also includes continued round tables and town hall meetings to get citizen input. Government cannot do it all, Richmond does not have all the answers, and Terry always asks "how can we do it better."

At Blue Virginia, Lowell responded to Terry's first-quarter investor report, in which he shares with his supporters how he has invested in the resources he has built up through fundraising.

The report covers McAuliffe's "comprehensive business plan for Virginia," his "first-rate organization" (including field offices and organizers throughout the state), endorsements, new media, paid media, African-American outreach, and finance...You can read the entire report here and learn why Terry McAuliffe gives Democrats our best shot at beating Bob McDonnell, of winning back the House of Delegates, and of preventing Republicans from moving us backwards here in the Commonwealth.

Tags: bloggers, blogs, business plan, economy, fundraising, grassroots, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, weekly blog roundup

McAuliffe Raises Over $4.2 Million in First Fundraising Quarter

Today, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe's campaign announced that he raised over $4.2 million in the three month period from January 1 to March 31 and has nearly $2.5 million cash on hand. After rolling out the first three chapters of his comprehensive Business Plan for Virginia and building a statewide grassroots operation, McAuliffe's broad financial support highlights why he is the candidate best positioned to run against Republican Bob McDonnell in November.

"We are thrilled with the grassroots and fundraising support we have received over the last few months," McAuliffe campaign manager Mike Henry said. "Virginians are looking for a governor who will continue the Warner-Kaine tradition of leadership and bring both business and executive experience to Richmond. Terry's decades of experience creating jobs and turning around struggling businesses, as well as his detailed plans to get Virginia's economy back on track, have resonated with Virginia voters."

After raising nearly $1 million from Virginia donors in 6 weeks during the previous fundraising period, McAuliffe has now raised a total of approximately $5.2 million from over 3,440 contributors.

Tags: business plan, economy, fundraising, grassroots, grassroots support, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

McAuliffe the policy wonk, McAuliffe the attack dog

April 3, 2009
Decision Virginia

Terry McAuliffe came to Richmond on Thursday to unveil the third chapter in his business plan. The plan is the key policy piece in his argument that he is the best candidate for Governor of Virginia.

McAuliffe spoke to a small group of business leaders in Richmond and outlined his belief that economic security for the indvidual is as important a concept as the growth of industry and job creation. He broke down three important aspects of economic security: access to health care, affordable education and retirement security. It is the candidate’s belief that if individuals are more secure in each of their individual situations, the overall health of the commonwealth will improve.

You can read his entire release and see video from his stop in Richmond after the jump…

While McAuliffe was touting his think policy wonk friendly business plan during the morning, he spent the afternoon attempting to rile up his base, with an offhanded joke used at a recent Bob McDonnell fundraiser. McAuliffe and his team attacked the GOP candidate for Governor for standing next to former Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee while he told a joke he has told many times before about keeping non-McDonnell voters from the polls. You can see what Huck said here.

McAuliffe camp the idea of “voter supression” no laughing matter. He held a conference call where he asked McDonnell to condemn Huckabee’s comments. He also used the clip as a way to raise money. The campaign sent out an e-mail to supporters expressing their outrage and asking for cash to beat back McDonnell’s efforts.

The McDonnell campaign decided against taking McAuliffe’s advice. A spokesman said the attack “demonstrates a complete lack of perspective and seriousness. ” It is also worth pointing out that jokes like these are not uncommon on the campaign trail by Republicans and Democrats. In fact President Barack Obama himself made a similar joke on the campaign trail (h/t Shad Plank).

I think what is more interesting is how McAuliffe can work two different angles at virtually the same time. It is an advantage that only a campaign with his resources can do. Not only does the Macker have the staff to compile a comprehensive document, thick with ideas on how to fix the economy, but at almost the exact same time they can research tid-bits on their opponent and release a layered attack that reaches out to the press and potential donors. It is something that at this point, he is the only candidate capable of doing.

Tags: business plan, economy, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, richmond, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia, voter suppression, voting, voting rights

Weekly Blog Roundup 4/3/09

Welcome to another installment of our weekly blog roundup. This week, bloggers took note of Terry's growing momentum, with new endorsements and the announcement of new ideas. Terry is taking a stand and raising the bar in this race.

Rachel Weiner at The Huffington Post discussed comments made by Mike Huckabee promoting voter suppression tactics. While campaigning for Bob McDonnell this week, Huckabee told a crowd of Republicans that if they know people who aren’t going to vote for Bob, it’s their job to “Let the air out of their tires” and “keep ‘em home.”

McDonnell's fans laughed, but Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe isn't amused. He sent a letter to his own supporters highlighting Huckabee's comments. "People died for the right to vote in this country," he writes, "and we have to protect it."

Lowell at Blue Virginia praised Terry for calling for a ban on payday lenders in Virginia.

In contrast to Moran and Deeds, McAuliffe "wants Virginia to join about a dozen states and prohibit the lenders altogether." On this one, I'm strongly with Terry McAuliffe. This also points out how being in Richmond for a long time can be problematic, as I strongly believe that the entire system in our state's capital is corrupted by money from special interests and big corporations (e.g., Dominion Power, the payday lending industry). I also strongly believe it's time for change in the culture of Richmond, and think we're most likely to see that from someone who hasn't BEEN in Richmond for much of their adult life.

Joel McDonald wrote a great post at Virginia Beach Progressives, highlighting how important it is that Democrats keep their eye on the ball. There is a stark difference between the Democratic candidates in this race, who all want to grow our economy and create jobs, and Bob McDonnell, who wants to roll back the progress we've made with Governors Warner and Kaine.

So let’s come together and focus on each candidates positive qualities that will aid them in beating Bob McDonnell in November. People will respond to the positive more easily than the negative. Let’s generate positive buz in areas that McDonnell can’t. Let’s build up each of our potential nominees so that no matter who wins, a solid foundation for a win in November is built. Let’s focus on winning.

At Blue Virginia Lowell also reported on Terry’s call for prohibiting gifts and trips from lobbyists for legislators and executive-branch officials.

McAuliffe, a McLean resident and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, also proposed a state-run "sunshine Web site" -- similar to one operated by the nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project -- as a clearinghouse for data on political fundraising and related legislative activity. It's about time somebody in Virginia proposed these measures. Right now, the amount of money and free goodies from the lobbyists who swarm over Richmond is completely out of control.

At New Dominion Project, Bryan reported on Terry’s endorsement from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Enployees (AFSCME). He noted Terry’s commitment to working families in Virginia.

Since Terry will be leading the state government and have some impact on local governments if he's elected governor, I think this is an endorsement that's worth noting... I'm therefore pleased to see that Terry is reaching out to labor's leadership.

Tags: afscme, bloggers, blogs, business plan, democrats, economy, endorsements, macker, mcdonnell, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia, weekly blog roundup

McAuliffe takes on health care, college and retirement...

April 2, 2009
The Shad Plank
Kimball Payne

Terry McAuliffe trotted out the latest chapter in his expanding business playbook on Thursday, offering up ways to improve access to health care, make college more affordable and put folks on a path to happy retirement.

McAuliffe, running for governor against Democrats Sen. Creigh Deeds and Brian Moran, continues to put ideas on the table at a steady pace. Under the proposal put out on Thursday, McAuliffe suggests allowing unemployed workers access to low-income loans to pay for health insurance when companies go out of business and they have no option for COBRA insurance.

On higher education, McAuliffe wants to create a "Scholars for Service" program similar to the one that Barack Obama talked about on the campaign trail. College students willing to teaching in high-need areas or work in under-staffed professions for two years would be eligible for four-years of loan forgiveness.

The third leg of the proposal is aimed at helping Virginia workers save for retirement and also helping first-time homebuyers. McAuliffe said the state should set up a "Commonwealth IRA that would allow small employers to offer a voluntary retirement savings program to their employees."

McAuliffe is going to tour the state to promote the plan so you can probably expect an event in Hampton Roads. But if you want to read the whole thing Click here.

Tags: business, business plan, economy, education, health care, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, retirement, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

Highlighting Need for Economic Security, McAuliffe Unveils Third Chapter of Business Plan for Virginia

Following up on chapters that focused on making Virginia a renewable energy leader and creating good jobs across the Commonwealth, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe today unveiled the third chapter of his Business plan, which highlights his plans to strengthen the economic security of Virginia families. McAuliffe highlighted his support for making healthcare more affordable, increasing access to higher education, and ensuring that Virginians' retirement savings are secure.

"Our economic struggles have not been evenly distributed around Virginia – some communities, some industries, have been hit much harder than others," McAuliffe said. "But Virginians everywhere can see what is happening, and they wonder how it may affect them. State government cannot solve all of our problems. But it should be an ally to the aspirations and goals of its citizens."

Pointing to the one million Virginians without health insurance, McAuliffe emphasized his support for state level health care initiatives to improve the quality of care, reduce unnecessary spending, and begin to control the ever-increasing cost of health care. McAuliffe pledged to expand access to affordable health coverage by providing low-interest loans to help unemployed workers purchase health insurance when companies go out of business and they have no COBRA option. These loans can help individuals and families maintain coverage while unemployed and allow for a favorable repayment schedule when re-employed. McAuliffe said he would also allow the unemployed – as well as any individual or employer – to buy into FAMIS, FAMIS Plus or other health plans when such plans would be a more affordable option.

"As healthcare costs continue to rise, more and more families are unable to afford coverage, or opt to risk dropping coverage to afford other basic necessities," McAuliffe said. "While reform unfolds at the federal level, we must take actions on the state level to rein in health care costs and increase access to affordable health care for recently unemployed Virginians."

Discussing the need for a homegrown, well-educated workforce, McAuliffe pledged to make higher education more affordable for all Virginians. McAuliffe said he would create a "Scholars for Service" loan forgiveness program, whereby for two years of commitment to service, such as teaching in a high-need area or working in an under-represented profession, students would be eligible for four years of loan forgiveness. He also called for improving the the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program (VGAP), by better marketing to high school students early in their school careers and, most importantly, guaranteeing a certain level of assistance for any student based on need and who successfully completes the requirements.

"We must do all we can to prepare our citizens for that future, including making sure they are educated and trained to take on the jobs of the future," McAuliffe said. "Achieving some level of post-secondary education is critical to our economic success collectively as a commonwealth, as well as individually as citizens and families who are striving to achieve the American dream."

Finally, McAuliffe pledged to increase retirement security by reducing barriers to pension participation and portability. Discussing the need for workers to save for retirement, McAuliffe said he would establish a Commonwealth IRA that would allow small employers to offer a voluntary reitrement savings program to their employees. McAuliffe also proposed allowing workers in private businesses to participate in the Commonwealth's Deferred Compensation Program, which is currently offered to state employees and would deduct money from a participating worker's paycheck and invest in options chosen by the employee like any typical deferred compensation plan.

McAuliffe plans to discuss these proposals, as well as to elaborate upon his ideas for assisting homeowners and first-time homebuyers with voters throughout the Commonwealth in the coming weeks. You can find the full chapter online at http://www.terrymcauliffe.com/file_download/6/chapter3.pdf.

Tags: business, business plan, economy, education, health insurance, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, retirement, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, unemployment, va-gov, virginia

Terry McAuliffe Has More Energy Than You

April 1, 2009
Loudoun Independent
John L. Geddie

If Terry McAuliffe (D) isn’t our next governor, it will not be for lack of effort. In the midst of a daunting travel schedule and after releasing truly ambitious business and energy plans for the Commonwealth, he still maintains an energy level that those of us ten years younger would be hard pressed to match.

Last Thursday, I had the chance to sit down with the former Democratic National Committee Chair and would-be Governor of Virginia at his offices in McLean. He was on a tight schedule and our meeting was scheduled tightly between two conference calls. Even on a day complete with media where McAuliffe had explained his new plans in painstaking depth, his optimism was infectious.

A video recording of this interview is available online at www.loudouni.com.

McAulifee seems perfectly happy to concentrate on the two issues most in need of assistance—the economy and transportation. Both issues have been are familiar to Northern Virginia voters—having been at the core of every election for the past several years. For some reason though, when McAuliffe says he can fix it—you really do believe him.

As a businessman himself, McAuliffe’s plans include a revitalization plan keyed to each section of the Commonwealth. It also relies on the expansion of Green jobs and a healthy dose of tax incentives to keep business in Virginia and lure it from other regions.

Look for my analysis of the McAuliffe’s published plan (and a comparison to the plans puts forth by other gubernatorial candidates) in next week’s Independent.

It’s ironic that McAuliffe is seeking to replace Democrat Tim Kaine (D) as Virginia governor. Four years ago, there positions were reversed. McAuliffe was acting as DNC chair when he made the nearly unprecedented decision to donate large sums of money into the Virginia governor’s race as part of his strategy to prove that Democrats could still be competitive in the south. Partly because of McAuliffe’s foresight, Kaine won the governor’s race.

Four years later and Kaine is chairman of the DNC and Terry McAuliffe is working to replace him as Virginia’s governor—in an attempt to keep the statehouse firmly in Democratic hands. It’s a big job, but he’s definitely got the energy and enthusiasm for it.

Tags: business, business plan, economy, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, transportation, va-gov, virginia

Weekly Blog Roundup 3/27/09

This week there was a heavy round of debate and discussion about the gubernatorial race among local bloggers. Several came out in support of Terry after he released the next chapter of his Business Plan for Virginia. Other blogs reported on positive editorials, interviews about Terry with local strategists, and Terry filing more than 17,000 signatures to run for governor.

Dave “Mudcat” Saunders was interviewed on the subject of the Virginia gubernatorial race by Lowell at Blue Virginia. Saunders talked about all three Democratic candidates, and had several comments on the importance of Terry’s positive campaign at this time in the primary.

"I’m not sure I’ve ever met anybody more positive thinking than Terry McAuliffe. That’s not just a positive attitude but a positive lifestyle as well." "Right now, the whole country – not just Virginia – needs a positive attitude." "This primary’s not about tearing down the party, it’s about lifting up the party."

Terry gained a new young supporter this week, Roanoke Valley Young Democrats President Aaron Lyles. Lyles praises Terry for listening to people in all corners of the state through his travels and numerous campaign offices.

Terry McAuliffe has shown every indication that he wants to be our Governor. At roundtables, he has asked for people to come and give him ideas instead of the entire campaign being about him. For these reasons, I have decided to support Terry McAuliffe to be the 71st Governor of the Commonwealth.

At Blue Virginia, Lowell also provided commentary on a recent editorial about Terry in the Richmond Times Dispatch. He agrees with the Times-Dispatch that Terry’s campaign is about big ideas and serious solutions for Virginia.

Isn't that what primaries are supposed to be all about? The RTD clearly believes the answer to that question is "yes": …A well-known aphorism (or perhaps a bromide) contends that small minds discuss people, average minds discuss events, and great minds discuss ideas. Petty personal attacks and cheap zingers will appear with more frequency as November approaches. But if it is too much to call McAuliffe a great mind, then at least his substantive pitches have raised expectations and pointed the way toward a different, more high-toned campaign.

At Blue Commonwealth, Alan Krishnan praised Terry’s business experience and discussed the details of Terry’s Business Plan for Virginia.

McAuliffe has the most business experience of all the candidates running for Governor and admittedly he has demonstrated the most success in setting up and turning around businesses, and making millions for himself out of his many business ventures. Can he do this for the Commonwealth of Virginia? I reviewed Chapter 2 of the McAuliffe Business Plan for Virginia, and I believe he gets it. McAuliffe understands what Virginia needs and he recognizes that there is no one size fits all solution.

Also at Blue Commonwealth, Brian White wrote a post describing the amount of grassroots support Terry has behind his campaign. He witnessed the sheer number of volunteers that were working hard for Terry when Brian stopped by the Virginia Beach campaign office.

When I dropped into Terry McAuliffe’s Campaign office in VA Beach to get in some phone banking Monday evening there were no available phones…Don’t get me wrong, Terry had plenty of phone lines, but there were so many citizens out mobilized, working hard for the campaign that I simply had to wait my turn… those that knock on doors, make phone calls, work the polls, serve as precinct captains and organize our local party committees are squarely behind Terry McAuliffe... who is running (no surprise to anyone) a wildly organized, extensive and exciting campaign early in this primary.

Belle Rose of Coarse Cracked Corn reported on the candidates filing to run for Governor of Virginia this week. Thanks to Terry’s overwhelming grassroots support and volunteers, he was the first to file petitions to run.

Terry McAuliffe became the first Democratic gubernatorial candidate to file petitions for the June 9 primary. He filed 17,243 signatures with the State Board of Elections yesterday. Jody Wagner filed 17,858 signatures for lieutenant governor. It is a bit of "race" to file first - which should earn McAuliffe and Wagner top spots on the ballot and a bit of publicity this week.

In a diary at Daily Kos, Sora Dina talked about how Terry’s Business Plan for Virginia will can help her start her own business. After considering the potential of all three gubernatorial candidates, Sora Dina finds that Terry is the only candidate with a comprehensive plan that addresses her concerns of being a small business owner.

Virginia's next governor should establish policies to help anyone living in Virginia begin and establish a business and to make that dream become a reality… only one candidate has posted a comprehensive business plan on his website that addresses specific areas of concern to me as a potential woman business owner…In Chapter Two of his business plan Terry McAuliffe has included ways to help small businesses succeed and encourage entrepreneurs.

Beach Boomer endorsed Terry in a post at Blue Commonwealth this week, saying that despite being tired from fully investing his time in 2008 campaigns, Terry has motivated him to get involved in 2009.

But this man - Terry McAuliffe - was one who had impressed me during an earlier campaign effort with the vitality and enthusiasm he exhibited on a 24/7 basis. Should he be elected Governor, I had no doubt that the Commonwealth would benefit from four years of tireless promotion of Virginia's interests. And we, the citizens of the Commonwealth, would be the beneficiaries…This enthusiastic Virginia Beach Grassroots Activist strongly supports McAuliffe for Governor. And many of my most dedicated volunteers join me in support of a man who will make intelligent, pragmatic decisions that benefit all Virginians.

Tags: 2009, bloggers, blogs, business, business plan, economy, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, virginia, weekly blog roundup

McAuliffe Highlights Plans to Help Women- and Minority-Owned Businesses Thrive

Today, meeting with African-American business owners in Newport News, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe discussed the second chapter of his Business Plan for Virginia, which focuses on growing the economy. McAuliffe highlighted the Plan's provisions to give existing and new small, women, and minority owned businesses the tools they need to succeed, including increasing the number of state contracts to women- and minority-owned businesses, expanding entrepreneurship programs, and creating an ombudsman to monitor complaints from women and minority-owned business.

"To help Virginia's small, women, and minority-owned businesses succeed, it's important that our state government lead by example," McAuliffe said. "Governors Kaine and Warner have made great progress in granting state contracts to small, women, and minority-owned businesses. I pledge to continue this progress and ensure that we are working effectively with these businesses."

McAuliffe said he would increase transparency by developing a "dashboard" of indicators to measure women- and minority-owned business participation in state contracts that would be posted online. The "dashboard" would help improve the participation of these businesses in state contracts by tracking performance and holding the state accountable for improving participation rates. McAuliffe pledged to create a small business Ombudsman in the Department of Minority Business Enterprise for responding to complaints received by the agency from small, women, and minority-owned businesses. The Ombudsman, who would sit on McAuliffe's Jobs Creation Council, would provide technical advice and assistance to help these businesses resolve problems and questions; report small, women, and minority-owned business concerns and recommendations to the appropriate agency head; and help these businesses move through the state's permitting process for new development. In addition to helping existing women- and minority-owned small businesses, McAuliffe emphasized the need to expand entrepreneurship programs at Virginia's institutions of higher education, particularly at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and community colleges.

"Giving individuals the tools they need to build a successful business is one of the best ways we can grow our economy," McAuliffe said. "By educating aspiring entrepreneurs at our institutions of higher education, we can make sure that the next generation of small, women, and minority-owned businesses flourish."

Tags: business, business plan, economy, macker, mcauliffe, small businesses, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, virginia, women

Highlighting Need for Job Creation, Terry McAuliffe Unveils Chapter Two of Business Plan for Virginia

Joined by community members in Danville, gubernatorial Terry McAuliffe today unveiled the second chapter of his Business Plan for Virginia, which is focused on growing Virginia's economy. Discussing his decades of experience building and turning around businesses, McAuliffe pledged that creating jobs would be his top priority in the Governor's office.

"As I've been saying wherever I go across Virginia, there's no such thing as a Republican job or a Democratic job – we simply need to bring people together to create good jobs, and that's what I've been doing my whole life," McAuliffe said. "My Business Plan for Virginia is really a jobs plan – my number one priority as Governor will be to create, attract, and keep good jobs with good wages and benefits for every Virginia family."

McAuliffe said that we must use incentives and tax credits to produce long-term growth in high-wage, high-value jobs. He pledged to target incentives like financial assistance, infrastructure development grants, tax credits and exemptions, and customized training and technical support programs to focus on the industries we know will produce strong businesses and good jobs.

To create jobs in hard-hit areas, McAuliffe pledged to establish a pilot project to award key tax incentives to create good jobs with benefits in high-need areas. This tax incentive would reward businesses for creating the good jobs we want in Virginia – by refunding to businesses each year the increase in federal payroll tax they pay over the previous year for employees in Virginia. That means that if a company employs more Virginia workers – or pays them higher wages – the Commonwealth will pay the extra taxes the federal government imposes. These jobs will have to offer benefits, such as health insurance, and will have to be in high-growth industries, like energy.

"As a businessman, I understand the challenges facing our communities today," McAuliffe said. "While we need to bring in industries that can create thousands of good jobs, we also need to help small businesses start and flourish here in Virginia. Nearly half of Virginia's workforce is employed at small businesses, so when our small businesses are successful, so are our families and communities."

Small businesses are the backbone of Virginia's economy, yet countless small and family-owned businesses are being lost each day in Virginia as the recession and the credit crunch continue. McAuliffe pledged to encourage entrepreneurs by expanding small business incubators, which provide resources such as office space and supplies, advice to start up businesses from established incubator managers, and help accessing capital. Additionally, McAuliffe said he would propose deferring the taxable income of qualified startup businesses that allow start-ups in high-growth fields defer their taxes at the outset. These businesses would still have to pay their taxes, but they would be able to defer payment for a few years during the period they most need the money to finance job growth. McAuliffe also outlined his strategy for building regional economies.

"My business plan recognizes that different parts of Virginia have different needs," McAuliffe said. "Our economy is composed of a number of regional economies that vary significantly in their strengths, weaknesses, and needs. Today, Virginia has a statewide economic plan and a rural economic plan, but no true regional strategies. My administration will fill that critical gap."

McAuliffe pledged to involve business leaders and experts on the economic growth sectors that the state would be targeting while also ensuring broad participation through public meetings. To ensure economic growth in every corner of Virginia, McAuliffe said that he would direct all agencies in state government to promote regional efforts and, where appropriate, give preference to multi-jurisdictional proposals with a regional impact for state funding. He also outlined a plan to create a Governor's Regional Economic Advisory Committee to advise him on new and emerging economic issues unique to each part of the Commonwealth, in coordination with existing regional economic development organizations. He pledged to personally chair this Committee and hold regular meetings throughout the state with members to discuss each area's unique economic opportunities and challenges.

"I want to make one point emphatically clear," McAuliffe said. "I will not be satisfied unless every part of our state achieves its economic potential."

Tags: business plan, economic plan, economy, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

McAuliffe Visits I-95 Landfill, Discusses Waste-to-Energy Ideas

Standing at the Covanta Fairfax Energy Resource Recovery Complex with representatives from Covanta Energy and the Fairfax County Government, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe today discussed his ideas for remaking Virginia's landfills into energy producers. In 2006, Virginia imported 7.2 million tons of municipal solid waste, making it one of the leading importers of out-of-state waste. McAuliffe highlighted how this abundance of waste could be used to generate energy and create green jobs across the Commonwealth.

"Here in Virginia, we have enormous potential to become a national leader in renewable energy technology. But we must look to every corner of the Commonwealth to find the innovative solutions of tomorrow that will meet our energy needs of today," McAuliffe said. "That's why as governor I'll work to forge public-private sector partnerships to transform our landfills from 'dumps' to environmentally sound producers of new, inexpensive power."

McAuliffe called for establishing a task force to create a blueprint for using solid waste and methane gas from landfills produce energy. Chief among its tasks will be to work with companies, local governments, and renewable energy and environmental organizations that are interested in developing safe, reliable, and productive waste-to energy facilities throughout Virginia. Throughout the country, more than 469 biomass plants burn the methane gas generated from landfills. Two new landfill gas-to-energy plants in Lawrenceville and Richmond will, combined, generate 20 megawatts of power - enough electricity to power more than 12,000 homes. In addition to these plants, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified another 12 landfill sites in Virginia that are suitable candidates for development of landfill gas-to-energy facilities.

Additionally, McAuliffe highlighted how the combustion of municipal solid waste could be used to generate electricity. Each ton of waste that is processed in a waste-to-energy facility produces about 520 kWh of electricity, avoids the need to import a barrel of oil or mine a quarter-ton of coal, and also avoids the release of nearly one ton of greenhouse gas emissions.

"With the technologies available today and on the horizon, we should set a goal to have a waste to energy facility at every landfill in Virginia within the next decade," McAuliffe said. In 2006, landfill waste-to-energy facilities provided .9% of Virginia's power generation; however, with encouragement from Richmond, this share of energy production could grow, reaping environmental and economic benefits to participating municipalities.

Throughout the first chapter of his Business Plan for Virginia, which was released last week and focuses on practical energy solutions, McAuliffe consistently emphasizes the range of advantages, both environmental and economic, to be gained from waste-to-energy initiatives as well as other sustainable energy policies. The plan, which includes details on how Virginia can attract green businesses, expand its capacity for renewable energy generation, and use energy more efficiently can be found at www.terrymcauliffe.com/readtheplan.

Tags: business plan, energy, fairfax, landfills, macker, mcauliffe, renewable energy, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, virginia

Weekly Blog Roundup 3/13/09

This week in the blogosphere, Terry received some glowing endorsements from bloggers and a former US Representative. Terry posted his own thoughts on his new comprehensive, long-term plan for Virginia’s energy future. And bloggers are warming to Terry’s message about jobs and the economy and his grassroots campaign.

The three co-founders of the “Draft Jim Webb” movement announced their endorsement of Terry on the blog Blue Virginia. Josh Chernila, Lee Diamond, and Lowell Feld each provide their reasons for supporting Terry, coming to a consensus that he is the best candidate to get things done for Virginia.

I've seen a man focused relentlessly on the economy and "jobsjobsjobs," but also with an understanding that you can't have a strong economy without the high quality of life that attracts individuals and businesses to Virginia. That means ensuring that Virginia continues to be the "best managed state in the nation." It means investing in education and emerging industries like "clean tech." It means maintaining (and improving) the level of infrastructure and services in our Commonwealth. And it means bringing people together to achieve results for all of us, not just for the rich and powerful. I have confidence that Terry McAuliffe is the best person to accomplish all of those things.

Terry wrote a post about his new Business Plan for Virginia at several blogs, including DailyKos. On Wednesday he unveiled his plan to grow our economy by investing in renewable energy in Virginia, incorporating ideas from people like you throughout the Commonwealth. Readers appreciated his posting on blogs and joining in the conversation.

“I give him full credit for at least coming in and having a dialogue; especially on energy policy, which isn't discussed cogently enough, IMO.”

At VBDems, Dan Sullivan wrote about Terry’s visit to Old Dominion University labs where he spoke about his commitment to building a green economy. He commented on Terry’s dedication to keeping cutting-edge technology right here in Virginia.

That's the kind of thing McAuliffe says we have to do. We've got to shake it up or else we are all going to be sitting here three years from today and our taxes will have been raised and our budget cut, and nothing will have happened. "I'm not into nothing happening. I want action, I want changes, I'm excited and I think we can do it."

Lowell at Blue Virginia reported on Terry’s endorsement by former US Representative Owen Pickett.

Pickett represented the Hampton Roads area in Congress from 1987 to 2001, remains highly respected, and should help Terry McAuliffe in that crucial "swing" region of the Commonwealth. Congratulations to Terry McAuliffe on gaining Owen Pickett's endorsement.

In a post at BlueCommonwealth, Dan Sullivan wrote about Dorothy McAuliffe, who spoke to supporters in Virginia Beach. Sullivan noted the high level of energy of the McAuliffe campaign.

And there is something else that is unusual for those of us who have struggled through the lean years of Democratic politics at the Beach. That positive attitude is part of this campaign’s culture. Last night it was evident as some 85 volunteers turned out at the office to meet and greet the team. This is primarily to observe this: that Terry’s spirit and optimism are part and parcel of the culture of this campaign. His hand is evident in the types of people he has attracted and selected to organize and manage this effort…He might possess the art required to recognize and achieve the possible along with the power of personality and persuasion to make it happen.

Alankrishnan wrote a post at BlueCommonwealth on why he believes Terry is the only candidate who has the right kind experience to grow Virginia’s economy.

Over the years, Terry has demonstrated his out of the box thinking and achieved more than most people in the United States…Terry is the only candidate with national and international reach so essential today for Virginia businesses to export their products and services to other parts of the United States and the world at large. Terry is the only candidate with the reach to invite and attract businesses around the country and the world to consider Virginia as a destination for new investments and expansion in the United States.

Tags: 2009, bloggers, blog roundup, blogs, business plan, economy, endorsements, mcauliffe, pickett, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

The first chapter

I'm excited to announce that Terry's unveiled the first chapter of his Business Plan to grow Virginia's economy - the most aggressive agenda that's been put forth to make our Commonwealth the number one renewable energy state in the country.

He recorded a short video and I wanted to share it with you.

Tags: announcement, business plan, energy, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

Henry County, Martinsville are Part of McAuliffe Business Plan

March 12, 2009
Martinsville Bulletin
By Debbie Hall

Martinsville and Henry County figure prominently in the first chapter of Terry McAuliffe’s Comprehensive Business Plan for Virginia.

McAuliffe, one of three candidates hoping to snare the Democratic nomination and challenge Republican Bob McDonnell for the governor’s seat in November, said Virginia must become “a leader in renewable energy.”

Thousands of jobs would be created as renewable green projects, such as wind, solar, biodiesel and bio-mass technologies, get under way, McAuliffe said Wednesday during a conference call with reporters.

And, with property already zoned for local industrial parks, Martinsville and Henry County could again become a manufacturing hub, producing wind blades, turbines, towers and other equipment needed as the state goes green, he said.

McAuliffe also supports four-laning U.S. 58 “all the way out to the Ohio Valley” to provide an attractive route for traffic generated by vessels coming to the coast from the Panama Canal.

Martinsville has been hit especially hard in the uncertain economy, McAuliffe said, and he pledged to devote “resources and efforts” to the region if elected.

Martinsville is “one of the areas I talk about in every speech, no matter what area I’m in,” McAuliffe said.

Moran has said that he opposes a coal plant that would be built in Surry County.

McAuliffe, a former Democratic national chairman, said the governor would not make that decision; rather, it will be made by the State Corporation Commission (SCC) and the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

McAuliffe added that he is not opposed to coal-fired energy, providing it employs “the cleanest coal” technology available.

McAuliffe also said he would introduce legislation to increase Virginia’s standard for retail electricity sellers to provide a portion of electricity sold from renewable green sources.

He also supports legislation that would require electric companies to generate 25 percent of their power from renewable energy sources by 2025, he said.

Virginia should be laying the groundwork to capitalize on the $113 billion provided in the $787 billion economic stimulus package to support renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy research and development, job training in the growing clean energy economy, transportation, alternative fuels, and electricity transmission infrastructure, McAuliffe said.

McAuliffe’s plan also proposes encouraging cleaner, locally produced electricity by allowing consumers who produce renewable energy to earn credits that would offset their consumption; expand the state’s ability to develop renewable energy projects on state property; develop a statewide ocean management plan to promote wise stewardship of natural resources; and support clean energy technologies and industries by cutting government red tape.

In addition to establishing a Virginia Clean Energy Working Group, McAuliffe would work to build partnerships to develop regional solutions to energy and environmental challenges while creating community groups to provide incentives to homeowners who cannot afford to invest in renewable energy but want to do so.

McAuliffe said he will work with lending institutions to create and market programs to help businesses and consumers invest in energy efficiency. He also pledged to focus on improving the state’s ability to attract and keep green businesses and jobs by implementing sales tax exemptions on the purchase of new commercial and industrial solar, geothermal, and combined heat and power equipment; establishing a rebate for waste-to-energy technologies; and creating a Clean Energy Business Growth and Development Grants Program.

There are a total of six chapters in McAuliffe’s plan, and he expects a chapter will be released each week until the entire plan is public. At that point, McAuliffe said the plan will be put together in print format to be viewed in its entirety.

The plan is the result of ideas gathered from residents around Virginia during eight round-table discussions held in several areas of the state, including Martinsville, and from online suggestions. To learn more about it, visit McAuliffe’s Web site at www.terrymcauliffe.com.

Tags: business plan, economy, energy, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

McAuliffe reveals business plan for Va.

March 12th, 2009
The Richmond Times-Dispatch
By Tyler Whitley

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe said he would emphasize tax incentives to encourage re newable energy.

His "Business Plan for Virginia," announced yesterday at a news conference in Richmond, would establish a $100 million energy-independence revolving loan fund to retrofit homes with energy efficient equipment and take steps to reduce state government's use of fossil fuels. McAuliffe said the economic decline would force him to phase in the loan fund.

The McLean businessman said he wants to make Virginia a destination for clean-energy businesses and researchers.

Another proposal would offer a financial incentive for new digester gas systems that can be used to convert chicken waste into energy. McAuliffe said there are chicken and turkey farms in the Shenandoah Valley that would be a rich source of such energy.

A former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, McAuliffe is one of three Democrats seeking the nomination to run for governor in a June 9 statewide primary.

McAuliffe said he developed his program after conducting a series of economic roundtables around the state.

He said he could not put a price tag on his plan, which would make wide use of tax incentives, because he could not predict how extensively the incentives would be used.

Answering questions afterward, McAuliffe declined to say whether he would support a coal-fired power plant that Dominion Virginia Power is proposing to build in Surry County. That decision is not up to the governor, he said, adding that energy conservation will lessen the need for more power plants.

McAuliffe said he is not accepting donations from Dominion Virginia Power, although he has talked with its chief officers. But after the news conference, a press aide called reporters to say that McAuliffe had misspoken, and that he has received campaign contributions from Dominion Virginia Power executives, but not the corporate entity or its political action committee.

Brian J. Moran of Alexandria, who is opposing McAuliffe for the nomination, issued a news release accusing McAuliffe of dodging the toughest energy issues facing Virginia.

Moran opposes the Surry plant and opposes drilling for oil or natural gas off the coast of Virginia. McAuliffe said he would allow drilling for natural gas but not for oil.

McAuliffe also said he would like to develop "at least one large wind project" 50 miles offshore. Twenty percent of Virginia's energy needs could be met by utilizing winds off the coast, he said.

McAuliffe said he would push for energy related tax credits to encourage businesses to purchase renewable energy equipment, such as solar panels.

In addition to McAuliffe and Moran, State Sen. R. Creigh Deeds of Bath County is seeking the nomination.

Tags: business plan, economy, energy, gov-va, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, virginia

Candidate McAuliffe pitches green energy

March 12th, 2009
The Roanoke Times
By Michael Sluss

RICHMOND -- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe vowed Wednesday to push to create jobs in renewable energy fields, calling for new incentives to launch and attract companies and a mandatory renewable energy threshold for utility companies.

"It's time for Virginia to be the number one renewable energy state in the country," McAuliffe said at a Richmond campaign stop.

McAuliffe's energy proposals make up the first phase of his "business plan" for Virginia that he will roll out in the coming weeks. His energy plan includes proposals that have been embraced by his two rivals for the Democratic nomination, former state Del. Brian Moran of Alexandria and state Sen. Creigh Deeds of Bath County.

McAuliffe said he would require Virginia utilities to produce 25 percent of their power from renewable energy sources by 2025, matching a pledge that Moran made earlier this year. He also called for tax incentives to encourage businesses to purchase renewable energy equipment such as solar panels. Deeds sponsored legislation on the same issue in the recent General Assembly session, but the proposal died in the Republican-run House of Delegates.

McAuliffe also called for a new incentive for "digestor gas systems" that can be used to convert animal waste into energy and talked enthusiastically about a Virginia Tech scientist's research on the process. McAuliffe, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said the state must offer more generous tax incentives to attract "clean-tech" industries.

"They are doing this in other states all over the country," said McAuliffe, who did not put a cost on his proposals. "We need to start doing that here in Virginia. We don't offer the tax incentives that other states offer to bring clean-tech business in."

McAuliffe also said he would create a revolving loan fund to help retrofit homes with energy-efficient equipment. And he pledged to develop at least one large offshore wind project during his term, and said components for turbines potentially could be manufactured in Southwest and Southside Virginia.

Tags: business plan, economy, energy, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

Gov. Candidate McAuliffe Shares Vision for Virginia

March 11th, 2009
The Falls Church News-Press
By Nicholas F. Benton

Why does a man running for governor of Virginia want to talk about the Panama Canal? Terry McAuliffe does.

McAuliffe, who brings quasi-rock star status to the heated three-way race for the Democratic nomination to run for governor this year, likes the big picture, likes to look over the top of the backyard fence and to see what's coming, and to focus his considerable energies on making plans. He's running against Former Del. Brian Moran and State Sen. Creigh Deeds in the June Democratic primary.

The Panama Canal is a familiar theme in his discussions with prospective supporters and voters as this tireless 52 year old criss-crosses the vastness that is Virginia in his first-ever run for public office.

You see, there are two new flights of locks now under construction at the Panama Canal, a $5.6 billion project launched in the summer of 2007 and slated for completion in 2015.

When completed, the giant tankers and ships coming to America from the emerging Asian economic powerhouses on the Pacific Rim will not have to port and offload on the West Coast.

They will be able to negotiate the new locks at the Panama Canal and come to the U.S. eastern seaboard, offloading nearer the destinations where more of their cargo will go. The question becomes where they will port.

"Jacksonville is launching a big new port project in response to the new Panama locks," McAuliffe said, flashing his eyes with his usual sense of urgency, talking to the News-Press at his campaign headquarters in Tysons Corner earlier this month.

"Savannah has just moved past Tidewater into second place behind New York as the busiest port on the east coast," he added.

"In Virginia, we need to move fast to improve our port capacity in Tidewater to compete for this new flood of commerce that will come when the Panama project is completed," he concluded.

But there's more. McAuliffe wants Virginia to gain the competitive edge by a massive upgrade of Route 58, the highway that goes west from Tidewater the length of the state just north of the North Carolina border.

Making Route 58 the efficient four-lane conveyor belt that can move the cargo from the port to the nation's north-south interstates and to the Ohio Valley interior heartland will make Tidewater a preferred destination for the supertankers coming through the new Panama. He wants a major distribution center built in Southwest Virginia.

That's McAuliffe's vision, one of them.

He also wants to build high-speed rails linking Northern Virginia and the Washington-Boston corridor to Richmond and Tidewater by, among other things, double-stacking the rails.

"I was told it can't be done except at an exorbitant cost," McAuliffe said. "But I called the head of the railroad and asked him. He had a different story. He said, of course we can do it." The rights-of-way are already there; it's just a matter of laying the track, he said. "I am tired of people saying ‘no.'"

McAuliffe is a super-salesman, which served him well in growing his business fortune, a dynamo that burst out of high school in Syracuse, N.Y. to graduate from D.C.'s Catholic University, then Georgetown University's Law School, and become chairman of the Federal City Bank by age 30.

Mostly, though, he built his reputation as a super-fundraiser for the Democratic Party, including while serving as the chair of the Democratic National Committee from February 2001-2005, with a resume as long as your arm of party positions leading up to that high-profile role.

During his period as party chair, he raised $578 million, and the party came out of debt for the first time in its history.

Criticized by opponents Moran and Deeds for never being involved in Virginia politics the way they have, McAuliffe has resided in McLean for over 20 years, campaigned statewide for the Obama-Biden ticket last year, and earlier used his clout at the top of the Democratic Party to provide huge financial support for Gov. Tim Kaine's run for governor in 2005.

"I saw in the success of Governor (now U.S. Senator-ed.) Mark Warner the ability of Democrats to make big gains in the south and improve our national position," McAuliffe said. "In Tim Kaine, I saw the opportunity to move that agenda forward, so I allocated $5 million in DNC funds to Kaine's campaign," he said. It was the largest-ever disbursement of DNC funds for a non-presidential candidate.

Completing a stint as the manager of Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, McAuliffe, a long-time close friend of the Clintons, started seriously considering a run for governor of Virginia last summer.

He spoke to a packed meeting of the Fairfax Democratic Committee in July, and made national headlines when the News-Press broke the story that he endorsed Kaine as his best choice for vice-president on the Obama ticket.

"People thought I was dissing Hillary, but I wasn't," he explained this week. "I was saying what I thought was most possible, as well as desirable." The News-Press was the only newspaper present to report on his remarks.

"Actually, if the Russians hadn't invaded Georgia about that time I think Kaine would have been picked," McAuliffe mused. But the foreign policy challenge caused the Obama campaign to pick Sen. Joe Biden, with his extensive foreign policy experience, instead.

McAuliffe conceded that when he showed up for that July 22 meeting at Oakton High School, he had the idea of running for governor already in his mind. He handed out dozens of free copies of his national best selling book, "What a Party! My Life Among Democrats," at that meeting. He vowed that the Obama campaign would avoid the mistakes of the fated Sen. John Kerry presidential campaign in 2004, when the decision was to avoid direct political combat with George W. Bush.

In November, he filed to form an exploratory committee to run for governor, and officially announced just after the first of the year.

Asked if he decided to run for governor of Virginia because he was "bored and needed something to do," McAuliffe laughed and said, "I am never bored! I am very excited about it, about the ability to grow jobs."

He said his goal is to bring Virginia's standing forward as an economic dynamo providing first-rate jobs and educational opportunity and services for its citizens. He said if elected he'll be pitching the state and its economic potential worldwide, and will be pitching hard in Richmond, if elected, for more resources to offer incentives for business to come to the state.

"For me, it's all about issues, not persons. In Virginia, especially rural Virginia, it's about jobs, jobs, jobs, education and health care," he said. "I need to deliver the tools that government needs to bring new investment to Virginia."

Right now, he said, he's "scared to death" about the economy, which he said is in "the worst shape since the Great Depression."

Asked about Obama's first weeks in office, he was full of praise. "In two weeks, he got through the biggest stimulus package ever. He also got millions of children covered with health insurance. I pray it all works."

He's also focused on alternative fuels, recycling and the environment, and likes to talk about a technology he witnessed in the Shenandoah Valley that can convert 500,000 tons of chicken waste into gas, but can't now get OK'd by the Department of Environmental Quality.

On education, he noted that half of Virginia's prison population are high school dropouts, and the long-term solution is to focus on early education, such that every third grader can read. Incentives must also be found to keep good educators, noting that now 50 percent of teachers leave the profession within their first five years.

"We need a transportation infrastructure and educated workforce to move the state forward," he stressed.

He has five children, ages 6 to 17, and his wife Dorothy is also civically active, among other things serving on the board of the Potomac School.

Tags: business plan, economy, education, energy, environment, highways, macker, mcauliffe, ports, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia

A Comprehensive, Long-Term Plan for Virginia's Energy Future

I've spent a lot of time traveling the Commonwealth, listening to Virginians tell me what's on their minds. And one thing I’ve noticed is that the people who are dealing with challenges day to day often have the best ideas about how to overcome them. Too often we see the same old policies come from the top-down. But not all good ideas come out of Richmond. They come from all corners of the Commonwealth.

That’s why I’ve spent the past several weeks asking you – online, and at economic roundtables all over Virginia – what would you do if you were governor?

Today. I’m unveiling the first chapter of my Business Plan to get Virginia’s economy moving, and I’ve incorporated a lot of great ideas that I heard from you.

I’m running for governor because I believe we need to think bigger. Instead of just focusing on how to get through the next month, the next year, or the next election, we need to think more imaginatively about how to make our Commonwealth run better. And instead of compartmentalizing our thinking – developing separate plans for “jobs,” “schools,” “health” or “the environment” – we need a coherent and comprehensive business plan for the Commonwealth that approaches all these issues as inter-related.

That’s what my plan does. Even though I’m releasing it one chapter at a time, my Business Plan was developed as a whole, and it recognizes that these issues and strategies all must work together to add value and create jobs in our state.

I’m starting with energy because the current trajectory for our state and our planet is clearly unsustainable. One of the biggest challenges we face today is how to meet a growing demand for energy in a way that helps reverse the effects of global warming. And that means that some of the most promising areas for growing our economy are in the renewable energy field.

I’m not going to walk through every idea in the plan today – I encourage you all to read it for yourselves. But I’d like to highlight a few things.

In order to bring green jobs here, we first need to create the most favorable business climate in the nation to encourage clean energy and clean tech businesses to start, expand, relocate and flourish right here in Virginia.

One of the first steps is to create a better market for renewable energy. As Governor, I will introduce legislation to increase our state’s standard for retail sellers of electricity to provide a portion of their electricity from renewable sources – I will make the standard 25 percent by 2025, and I will make it mandatory. It creates renewable energy jobs, it's good for our environment, and it helps the energy companies make money in the end.

I’ve invested in alternative energy companies myself, and I know that with agriculture and forestry as our leading industries, we have tremendous potential to grow biofuels and create new markets for our farmers. When I'm governor, I'm going to partner with the federal government, the private sector, and our colleges and universities to help make that happen. Green jobs are the jobs of the future, and I'm going to work every single day to make Virginia a leader in creating them.

One of the ways we can do that is by issuing tax credits and other incentives to encourage farmers to invest in systems that will convert chicken waste into energy. With Virginia chickens producing an estimated 500,000 tons of waste every year, excess nutrients end up in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. With the right technology, we can use that waste to generate enough energy to power 40,000 homes in Virginia. To do anything less would be a waste of good waste.

We also need to work to develop other forms of renewable energy in Virginia, like wind and solar. As Governor, I will seek to site, develop, and build one or more large wind projects offshore. In siting these developments, we will have some challenges to address, such as ensuring that we don’t interfere with major shipping corridors or areas important to the U.S. Navy. But we need to maximize our state’s obvious advantages and strengths. Our coastal areas rank among the best locations for wind development on the entire east coast because of the area’s strong, sustained winds, relatively shallow waters, and low probability of major hurricanes. By some estimates, anywhere from 20 percent to all of Virginia’s electricity demand could be met by off-shore wind projects because of the prevalence of Class 5 or greater winds that are found in waters less than 30 meters deep. In addition, more than 30 percent of the value of turbine components – from the towers and rotor hubs to the transformers –could be readily sourced in Virginia with existing manufacturing capability. As Governor, I will work to establish a wind turbine assembly facility and take advantage of our port to transport components up and down the East Coast.

One of the ideas I’ve included to increase the availability of solar power was submitted through our website by Jennifer Fier of Burke. She suggested we:

Create an incentive plan for people to make sustainable development improvement in their communities. Give tax breaks or feed-in tariffs for people who install solar panels or develop wind energy and plug them in to their community grids. A lot of homeowners want to invest in renewable energy, but can't afford to do so or are holding out until there is an incentive to do so. Offer this incentive. Encourage communities to invest together- buy the products in bulk and split the costs... A necessary step will be to train and hire people to install these new technologies, which could create jobs.

Jennifer’s idea is an excellent one, and my business plan proposes allowing homeowners to sell electricity back to their power company. This feed-in tariff program will require utilities to purchase solar energy from homeowners, creating an income source for those Virginians who install solar panels on their homes. This program will create jobs, increase solar power generation, and save money for Virginia’s families.

In addition to ensuring that more of the energy we use comes from renewable sources, we also need to reduce the demand for energy by increasing efficiency. It’s the cheapest and fastest way to cut energy demand and reduce power plant-related emissions that contribute to global warming and climate change.

Also, by cutting the growth in energy consumption, utilities will not have to invest millions, perhaps even billions, of dollars in new power plants and transmission lines – costs that ultimately are passed on to ratepayers for decades.

I will work with the Legislature and the State Corporation Commission to set a statewide policy requiring utilities to invest in cost-effective energy efficiency first before proposing and pursuing new generation, a policy used by leading states like California, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

State government has another important role to play in this process, by setting an example for businesses to follow, and investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency measures directly.

The Commonwealth builds, operates, and manages a large portfolio of real estate. And just like Governor Kaine has, I will direct state agencies to examine their facilities and identify ways to invest more in efficiency and renewable energy.

But government can’t solve our problems alone. We all have to pitch in.

Thousands of Virginians want to do more to reduce their own carbon footprints and to do their part to put Virginia and America on a path towards a cleaner, more sustainable future. To help homeowners who want to invest in renewable energy but cannot afford to do so, I will offer tax and other incentives to reward communities that bring individuals together and aggregate residential buying power.

I also want to help homeowners make their homes more energy-efficient. Using existing technologies, older homes can be retrofitted with energy-efficient insulation, windows, and other devices that can significantly cut energy consumption and save money. In most instances, these cost savings will pay for the cost of the investment in five to seven years.

Finally, having workers trained for jobs in the field of alternative and renewable energy is central to our ability to transform our energy consumption and improve our economic outlook. To make Virginia center of these future growth industries – as well as their spin-off jobs in manufacturing and distribution – we must ensure that Virginia has the best-trained workforce in the country for these industries and the skills they demand. Among other steps, I will challenge our Community College system to create new courses that prepare workers for jobs in renewable energy, alternative fuels, and other next generation technologies.

These ideas are just part of what you’ll find in the full first chapter of my business plan for Virginia. And they are just the beginning of what I believe we can accomplish if we work together. I look forward to getting started on making some of these big ideas a reality.

Tags: 2009, announcement, business plan, energy, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, va-gov, virginia, virginia governor

McAuliffe Unveils Business Plan for Virginia, Highlights Need for Comprehensive Energy Plan to Turn Economy Around

After holding eight economic roundtables with business and community leaders across Virginia, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe today unveiled the first portion of his "Business Plan for Virginia", which outlines his comprehensive and long-term plan for Virginia's energy future. The plan includes ideas gathered from people around the Commonwealth, which McAuliffe heard during the roundtables and from people writing in to his website. McAuliffe's plan will build a green economy in Virginia by making the commonwealth a destination for clean energy businesses and researchers, investing in efficiency and in clean, renewable sources of energy, and committing resources to training Virginia's workforce for the clean tech economy.

"My plan will make Virginia a national leader in renewable energy and create thousands of green jobs," McAuliffe said. "I'm taking the same approach to figuring out how to get our economy going again that I've taken with businesses I've started or turned around - I'm starting with a business plan for Virginia. Today, I'm unveiling the first chapter of my plan, which focuses on thinking differently about energy because one of the biggest challenges we face is how to meet a growing demand for energy in a way that is sustainable and environmentally responsible. And that means that some of the most promising areas for growing our economy are in the renewable energy field."

McAuliffe's plan will create a better market for renewable energy and prove to companies that Virginia is serious about this industry, by setting a mandatory Renewable Portfolio Standard of 25% by 2025. He also pledged to create incentives for collective sustainable development improvement in communities and improved energy related tax credits to encourage businesses to purchase renewable energy equipment, such as solar panels.

The plan also establishes a Digestor Gas-to-Electricity Rebate, offering a $500/kW capacity incentive for new digestor gas systems that produce energy that will be used on-site. These systems can be used to convert animal waste into energy. McAuliffe pledged to work with Virginia farmers, leading renewable energy companies, and other interested energy, environmental, and agricultural stakeholders to explore ways to develop waste-to-energy projects throughout the Commonwealth, consistent with the highest environmental standards.

McAuliffe also pledged to site, develop, and build at least one large wind project offshore. At least 20% of the Commonwealth's energy needs could be met by harboring winds along Virginia's coastal areas, which are ideal for wind development because of their long-sustained winds, relatively shallow waters, and low probability of hurricanes. In addition, McAuliffe plans to use VIrginia's existing manufacturing capability to build wind turbine components and take advantage of our port to transport components up and down the East Coast.

"Here in Virginia we already have the resources to develop a thriving renewable energy sector, whether it's the wind of our coast or the hundreds of thousands of tons of agricultural waste we produce every year," McAuliffe said. "Virginia's next governor must look to creative solutions to increase our renewable energy production, provide incentives to develop new technologies, and encourage businesses and families to adopt clean and efficient energy sources."

In addition to developing these new energy sources, McAuliffe emphasized that the most cost-efficient method to increase energy independence would be improving Virginia's energy efficiency. By requiring utilities to invest in cost-effective energy efficiency first before pursuing new energy generation, establishing a $100 mllion Energy Independence Revolving Loan Fund to retrofit homes with more energy efficient equipment, and taking steps to reduce state government's carbon footprint, McAuliffe said that we could begin to reduce the amount of energy used in our homes and buildings and lower energy costs for Virginia families.

"One of the most overlooked ways to address the increasing demand for energy while also creating good jobs is to pursue efficiency measures," McAuliffe said. "By cutting the growth in energy consumption, utilities will not have to invest millions of dollars in new power plants and transmission lines - costs that ultimately are passed on to consumers for decades."

McAuliffe also discussed the importance of developing a highly skilled workforce that would be ready to work in the new, clean energy industries.

"Making sure our workers are trained for jobs in alternative and renewable energy jobs is key to our ability to transform our energy consumption and improve our economic outlook," McAuliffe said. "To make Virginia the center of these future growth industries, we must ensure that Virginia has the best-trained workforce in the country for these industries and the skills they demand."

To read the plan, click here.

Tags: 2009, business plan, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, renewable energy, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov