Washington, DC - Hocus-Pocus economics, attitudes over insight, fear of public scrutiny on the campaign trail, indifference to equality…these are the big ticket items that cloud Ed Gillespie’s campaign for Virginia Governor. On the other side, Ralph Northam shines a light on his business growth plans, articulates the fine points, makes himself available to those not making donations and promotes a level playing field.

The Virginia Economy: After the last disastrous Republican administration’s ‘Great Recession’, Virginia has dug itself out with one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country.

Northam sees opportunities to raise the minimum wage and make Virginia labor ‘higher value’ with low cost skilled education and training. Northam has an intelligent solution. Gillespie wants a ten percent income tax cut with new taxes in other areas to ignite growth.   Gillespie’s pitch is too much ‘hocus-pocus’ economics for me.

Public Safety: With well trained and smart police work, America’s crime rate has been coming down for decades. The glaring exception is mass murder by guns.  We are on the right track and need to keep fine tuning prevention and captures. Gillespie fears ‘sanctuary cities’ and ethnic gangs. Sanctuary cities do not exist in Virginia. Gangs do. Gillespie’s attitude muddles the problem and clouds solutions.

Northam seeks to at least maintain existing funding and decriminalize marijuana. Free up those resources and put that money to use destroying gangs, arresting perpetrators of crimes and providing public safety. It’s time to take a step forward and focus on crimes and their victims. It’s a surgical approach and Northam is right.

Equality in education and health care are the cornerstones of community. Gillespie likes one kind of health insurance for Congress and the well off and anything else for everyone else. He approves of the Virginia legislature’s refusal to participate in expanded and better health coverage for Virginians available through Obama Care. Northam volunteers, as a physician, to provide health care for free regularly and is inclined to a basic floor of health insurance for everyone. Gillespie favors tax dollars for private education. Northam favors public schools with the public’s money.   

Ed Gillespie should be running for chairmanship of the old country club. Ralph Northam is the right one to be the Governor of Virginia in the 21^st Century.