THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2005

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2005

Our View

Kaine

Choice is clear for moving region

and state in the right direction

So have you picked your horse in the race for governor

yet? With Election Day less than two weeks

away, most of you probably have. Whatever we say at this point is not likely to change your mind. But for those who are still teetering, we offer the following assessment of a race that we are all ready to see end.

Tim Kaine, the Democrat for those just joining us, has put forth the most sound approach to continuing the progress forged by a governor most Virginians, Democrat and Republican alike, would probably vote for again if given the chance.

Northern Virginia’s own Mark Warner, a Democrat limited to one term by the state’s constitution, struggled early in his term with an overstretched budget, which he inherited from the previous governor, and the stalled-out transportation referendums. But he rebounded, forging a new moderate majority to make much-needed investments in Virginia’s future—mainly to the benefit of public schools.

Why bring all that back up? Because this year’s election, from the top elected office to your local delegate races, is very much a referendum—not so much about VVamer as the bipartisan spirit he and so many others adopted.

Were taxes raised? Yes. But some taxes were cut. And, when all was said and done, there was nary a peep about it. A year later, more than two-thirds of Virginians think it was the right thing to do, and the state now boasts the second fastest growing economy in the nation.

Which leads us to question why anyone would support a candidate, like Republican Jerry Kilgore, who fought tooth and nail against that investment?

But let’s not stop there. Consider that Kaine has put forth a proposal that might finally allow Northern Virginia to get a grip on the ever expanding waist line of