Apparently, according to Not Larry Sabato and today's Washington Post, that's exactly what Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerry Connolly is doing to Governor Kaine: getting mad at him for increasing Fairfax's share of crime-fighting money by $600,000. Huh? Why would a $600,000 INCREASE in this funding make Connolly angry, especially when Fairfax's rate of violent crime has dropped by 23% since 2001? And why shouldn't a poor city like Richmond, which has a far higher violent crime rate than affluent Fairfax, get a boost in funding? Got me. Yet heeere's Gerry, laying into Tim Kaine's plan:
I love Governor Kaine, but he is the former mayor of Richmond. The new funding proposal is being done at our expense.
But wait, there's more. According to the Washington Post, Connolly also "urged lawmakers to fight the police-funding proposal "tooth and nail."
What on earth? Uh, Mr. Connolly, the Governor and you ARE on the same side, aren't you? Well, aren't you?
For a bit of perspective and sanity on this brouhaha, let's go to Tim Kaine's spokesman:
Kevin Hall, Kaine's press secretary, said the program was designed to help cities and used population as one of the criteria for funding. But as older cities lost population and large suburban counties, including Fairfax, established police departments and tapped into the fund, an imbalance developed.Hall called the new formula "a defensible and rational solution." He also pointed out that even under the new formula, Fairfax would get about $600,000 more. "Only in government," he said, could such an increase be considered a cut.
You know what, I've got a compromise. If Gerry Connolly is mad about being offered an extra $600,000, how about he gives it to someone who would be grateful for the money? Someone like, I dunno, me? Ha ha, just kidding. But I WOULD be grateful! :)
P.S. Or, maybe some of the Democrats running for State Senate or House of Delegates could use the money? :)
Connolly's job is to let the general assembly delegates and state senators know what the largest jurisdiction in Virginia wants and needs from the upcoming legislative session.
But it no way would I characterize it as a rift between Connolly and Kaine. Obviously, you have never seen or heard Gerry Connolly when he DOES get angry.
As for the funding, yes it is true that Fairfax County is getting $600,000 more than last year. BUT it was counting on receiving $1.6 million more based on the formula that was previously in place.
County and city governments have to budget ahead of time for revenue they expect to receive. When they are told that they are going to receive less, it is in fact a loss because they have to scramble to find additional revenue elsewhere or cut programs they planned to fund.
If you received an end of year lumpsum payment year after year at work based on a percentage of your salary and then your boss told you he changed the formula and reduced the percentage so you would only receive about one-third of the money you were expecting, wouldn't you be concerned that you were getting short-changed?
NLS is sensationalizing a non-existing conflict as he often does. You and NLS failed to mention that the Post on Friday featured a Page 1 photo of Connolly sitting next to Kaine at a Northern Virginia transportation forum.
Let's not make a mountain out of a molehill during an election year. Connolly is defending the interests of the more than 1 million Fairfax County residents he represents. He should be applauded for his position. He tells it like it is.