Opinion
Dunn addresses pressing regional issues with concrete solutions, not rhetoric
Which do you prefer? Solutions to problems or rhetoric?
I entered the Senate District 1 Republican primary race because other candidates were not addressing policy issues that are affecting this area and can only be solved at the state level. Frederick County is the fastest-growing county in Virginia, and adjacent areas are not far behind.
The major issues affecting this area include 1) the cost of population growth as more people move into new houses, 2) congested roads, 3) providing good education to our students, and 4) returning to an election day – not an election season.
How to Pay for Growth. Each new house costs you, the taxpayer, $27,000 in capital costs. What is the solution? Impact fees which are paid by the home buyer to cover the additional costs they bring to the region. That protects you, the taxpayer, from having to subsidize those costs through higher real estate taxes. If enacted a decade ago, Frederick County alone would have had an additional $172 MILLION to address that growth.
Roads. VDOT examines road problems and offers monetary solutions to fix the problem they have identified. However, the money arrives 4-5 years later, at which time the problem has grown. We need to change the law so that money allocated for roads is based on the amount of money needed to fix the problem when the money arrives, not when the problem was identified.
Education. As a former teacher, I empathize with teachers having to teach in today’s environment. We need to empower parents to contribute to their children’s education. We need to emphasize core courses, how to think critically, the Constitution, and not CRT. Change the regulations so teachers can teach – not just teach to a test. I would support school choice to foster competition which benefits all students by enhancing educational standards.
Election Day – not an Election Season. All citizens should have the same information on the same day to vote. We need to ensure voter integrity by requiring that voter registration requires the same standards as required for a US passport, not just a utility bill which is the current standard. Absentee voting can be used for those who cannot vote on election day. We need to end mail-in voting and same-day voter registration so election results can be known the following day – not the following week.
I am a conservative Republican and Certified Financial Planner™ who believes in limited government, fiscal responsibility, free markets, and providing opportunity to all citizens. I founded a fiduciary fee-only financial planning firm, have been elected to the Frederick County Board of Supervisors, have been a legislative director/staff to three congressmen and two federal agencies, as well as a former history teacher.
You can find more information at www.blainedunn.com or on Facebook at Blaine Dunn for VA.
If you would like solutions to problems instead of rhetoric, I would appreciate your vote on June 20th to be your Republican nominee for the Virginia Senate.
Blaine Dunn