New Va. governor breaks key campaign promise

Transportation has gone from the top of Robert McDonnell’s list to the paper shredder in a matter of weeks.

The newly elected Virginia governor had a grand plan to repair the region’s roads and bridges during his fall campaign, but on Jan. 15 he all but nixed it, at least for the immediate future.

“There are only so many things the General Assembly and I can do well [during this year’s legislative session),” McDonnell told the Washington Post.

While on the election trail, McDonnell touted a transportation plan that would privatize liquor sales, add tolls to I-85 and I-95, start offshore oil drilling and set aside a piece of the sales tax for projects in northern Virginia. He even slammed his opponent, state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, for not having any punch when it came to addressing the region’s infrastructure needs. McDonnell’s proposal, which did not include a raise in taxes, was expected to bring in $1.5 billion a year over 10 years.

McDonnell has now shifted his attention to the economy, education, an efficiently run government and passing a budget on time without raising taxes.