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“Investments in education, transportation, and the quality of life — those are the building blocks for future prosperity in Virginia,” said Baliles.
Even the house Republican leader, Raymond R. “Andy” Guest Jr. (R-31st District), acknowledges Baliles’ success with the assembly.
“I haven’t always agreed with all his programs, but he knows how to go after his priorities. He has his troops well in line and well-disciplined,” said Guest, making reference to the Democratic legislators.
Guest and other Republicans have criticized Baliles for his “full spending of every penny in sight,” but the Governor scoffs at the name tag of the “tax-and-spend” governor.
At his annual year-end address to reporters in December, Baliles said he believed taxpayers are “getting a good return on their investment.” Virginia’s tax burden is lower per $1,000 of personal income than that of taxpayers in all but 12 other states, according to information supplied by the governor’s press office.
Despite the economic success of Virginia in the past few years, Baliles insists that there is still work ahead.
“Just because we’ve invested major sums in education doesn’t mean we’ve conquered all the problems. We still have a dropout rate for high school students that’s unacceptable. Like other states throughout the country,-Wrginia is faced with problems of^rug abuse and prison and jail overcrowding,” he said.
Education, drug treatment and law enforcement are the three weapons that he has proposed to fight drug abuse.
Also, at the governor’s suggestion, the 1989 General Assembly es
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