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party lines, city and county lines.
And just like my city needed people who could get folks to work together, so does my state,” he continued, pointing out that under a Republican administration, Virginia’s General Assembly couldn’t even manage to get a budget passed in 2001.
But it is the state’s public education system that sparked the candidate’s strongest remarks. “I’m passionate about the fate of Virginia’s public schools,” said Kaine, who has three children attending those schools. “It’s not a headline for me. It comes home in my kids’ backpacks every day. It’s discussed at the dinner table and at PTA meetings . . . And from my experience being a parent and examining budgets, I have to conclude that Virginia still doesn’t care enough about public education.”
As evidence, he pointed to the state’s ranking as 11th in the U.S. on the basis of per capita income, while dropping to the bottom half in teachers’ salaries. “I know it’s not all about money, but we have to treat people fairly ... If we’re not going to place a high priority on education, what is our high priority?” he asked, maintaining that Virginia underfunds education by about $1 billion a year, shifting that burden to cities and counties.
Following his opening statement, Kaine opened the floor for a conversation session with the audience which lasted about half an hour.
The evening came to a conclusion with the drawing of two door prizes, won by Rappahannock residents
97.3%