Delegate Ken Plum's "Fiscal Cliff Lite"

May 31, 2023

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Virginia's budget is stalled at #8. Thanks to the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis for the illustration.

IN THIS ISSUE

Commentary: Fiscal Cliff Lite
Bulletin Board
What Can I Do?
Check your Calendar

COMMENTARY

Fiscal Cliff Lite

For weeks we have been hearing the steady chatter about the fiscal crisis our country confronts as we face going over a fiscal cliff if our members of Congress and the president fail to come to some negotiated agreement on raising the debt ceiling. In the previous presidential term the debt ceiling was raised twice without fanfare as part of the accounting system our nation uses. Current circumstances, with a Democratic president and a Republican controlled House of Representatives, are just too much of an opportunity for political mischief to extract concessions from the administration and/or to make sparring points on a variety of issues—some are unrelated but meant to embarrass the administration. As I am writing this column there are indications that an agreement might be nearing. Once again, with a divided government we have been freed from the horrors of a plunge over the fiscal cliff. My hope in all this is that our most vulnerable citizens will be spared in the final compromise for in the protracted discussions their benefits were the ones most often on the chopping block. Squeezing a few more nickels from the ever-increasing billionaires in this country seemed never to be seriously discussed.

The Commonwealth of Virginia is in a fiscal situation that I hesitate to call a cliff for fear that the term might catch on, and we never hear the end of it. It is somewhat like the federal situation in that the legislative and executive branches are controlled by different political parties with the ensuing gamesmanship that encourages. The two are different in that the federal government is looking to increase its debt ceiling in order to pay its bills, and the Commonwealth is looking for ways to distribute an abundance of cash. Virginia does not face an impending deadline because it is midway in a biennium budget with an additional full year already budgeted. The challenge that those who govern Virginia have is what to do with the unbudgeted amount of cash it holds.

The last General Assembly session adjourned with no agreement among the governor, House of Delegates, and State Senate as to how the budget should be modified to reflect the increased revenues the state has been receiving. The economy is much stronger in the state than it was projected to be when the budget was constructed. The state currently has a balanced budget, a fully funded rainy-day provision, a reserve fund within the budget and a couple of billion dollars of monies unappropriated despite the needs in the state that go unmet.

It is now looking like there will not be a budget reconciliation this year. The government will continue to operate on the previously approved budget. A big consideration in the current political races is how Virginia’s budget challenges are to be resolved in the coming session. While I will not be there as I am retiring, I know that strong leaders like Karen Keys-Gamarra who shares my values and possesses strong leadership skills will be able to resolve the budget in the best interest of all citizens.

BULLETIN BOARD

Free Summer Concerts at Reston Station

Take A Break Concerts are on Thursdays, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. See full schedule of performers at Take A Break.

Summerbration Concerts are on Fridays, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.. See full schedule of performers at Summerbration at Reston Station.

Town of Vienna Summer on the Green Concert Series

The Town of Vienna hosts free Summer on the Green concerts on select Fridays from June through mid-August. The performances on the Town Green feature a wide range of musical genres. Concerts begin at 6:30 p.m. and are approximately 90 minutes long. Schedule of concerts is at Summer on the Green.

Herndon Festival Is This Weekend: June 1 to 4!

The Herndon Festival features live music, carnival rides and much more! Admission is free. Visit Herndon Festival for schedule, maps, and other details.

WHAT CAN I DO? CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

Join Your Neighbors To Celebrate the Diversity of Our Community

The 2023 Reston Pride Festival is coming to you on Saturday, June 3! Doors open at noon, providing guests with unforgettable entertainment until 6:00 p.m. The festival will offer our community access to vendors, performances, speakers, fun, festivities, and much more! Free event. Learn more at Reston Pride.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Thursday through Sunday, June 1-4,, Herndon Festival, at 200 Spring Street, Herndon, VA. Admission is free. Details, including schedule, directions, and entertainment is at Herndon Festival.

Saturday, June 3, 9:00 a.m. to noon, First Responder & Safety Resource Fair, at the Fairfax County Criminal Justice Academy, 14601 Lee Road, Chantilly. The Arc of Northern Virginia is partnering with Fairfax County public safety agencies to hold a Safety Fair for people with disabilities to interact with first responders and learn about other available safety resources. Learn more and register at Safety Fair.

Saturday, June 3, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Reston Gardens of Note Tour 2023. Gardens of Note is a self-guided tour of five beautiful private gardens in Reston, Virginia, followed by an afternoon garden party at Hidden Lane Residential Landscapes. Combining two of the joys of life, gardens and music, Gardens of Note offers exclusive tours of five notable residential gardens throughout Reston. The event is presented by The Reston Chorale, in partnership with The Reston Garden Club. Learn more and purchase tickets at Gardens of Note.

Saturday, June 3, noon to 6:00 p.m., Reston Pride, at Lake Anne Plaza. The festival will offer our community access to vendors, performances, speakers, fun, festivities, and much more! More is at Reston Pride 2023.

Sunday, June 4, 4:30 p.m., Fairfax Vocal Arts Ensemble Presents An Irish-American Concert, at Annandale United Methodist Church, 6935 Columbia Pike, Annandale. Learn more and purchase tickets at Irish-American Concert.

Thursday, June 8, 9:00 to 10:00 a.m., Automotive Showcase, at Lake Braddock Secondary School. A special event showcasing the successful collaboration between the FCPS Career and Technical Education program, the Business and Community Partnerships team, and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA).

This unique collaboration led to the donation of more than 20 vehicles that are not only being used as dynamic teaching tools in auto technology classrooms, but also sold through Foundation for Applied Technical Education (FATE), a not-for-profit organization that provides student training programs on auto sales and entrepreneurship. For more information contact Jay Garant.

Wednesday, June 14, 10:00 a.m., Gun Violence Awareness Vigil at National Rifle Association headquarters, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax. The vigil commemorates the anniversary of the day 26 children and educators were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Please DO NOT park in the NRA's parking lot. There is plenty of free parking in the office building lot on Fairfax Ridge Drive across Waples Mill Road. Signs and flags will be provided. Some protesters will drive past the NRA with signs taped to their car windows or doors; others will stand on the sidewalk.

Wednesday, June 14, 7:30 p.m., Fairfax County Planning Commission Public Hearing, at Fairfax County Government Center - Board Auditorium, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax. Meeting agenda and other information is at Public Hearing.

Saturday, June 17, 5:00 p.m., Mosaic Harmony Annual Spring Concert "Sharing and Celebrating Songs of Joy!," at Unity of Fairfax, 2854 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton, VA. Learn more and purchase tickets at Spring Concert.

Saturday, June 17, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Bull Run Church and Harris Cemetery Juneteenth Celebration, at Bull Run Regional Park, 7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville, VA (meet at the Atlantis Waterpark parking lot). Join the Second Annual Juneteenth celebration that will recognize the largest private emancipation of the enslaved, commemorate the cemetery where many of the freed are interred, and visit the site where blacks and whites worshiped as early as 1775. This event is free and open to the public. Individuals or organizations wishing to purchase a $200 Sponsorship level ticket will have their names included in the printed program. Learn more at Bull Run Juneteenth.

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