2017 Republican gubernatorial nominee Ed Gillespie today announced a detailed plan highlighting how his policies will spur natural, organic job growth in Hampton Roads by diversifying its economy. As governor, Gillespie will expand the region’s higher education institutions, reduce traffic and congestion, and grow our entrepreneurial economy.
Ed Gillespie said of the plan, “Hampton Roads should and can be an economic driver for Virginia. My plans to spur economic growth, create jobs, protect against sea level rise, care for veterans and our military, and reduce traffic congestion will make life better for Hampton Roads residents.”
Gillespie’s announcement follows a recent news report showing that the Hampton Roads region lost nearly 10,000 jobs last year.
The Region 5 GO Virginia Regional Council recently issued the Economic Growth and Diversification Plan for the region, confirming the need for a detailed, specific set of policies from Virginia’s next governor to get Hampton Roads growing again.
Gillespie’s “Economic Revitalization Plan for Hampton Roads” includes plans:
- Grow Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University the research engine for the East that Virginia Tech is for the West
- Widen and Deepen the Port of Virginia
- Complete Expansion of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel
- Continue to widen Interstate 64
- Leverage transportation dollars and establish a transportation funding lock box to get more mileage out of our transportation projects
- Complete construction of the new Jones & Cabacoy veterans care center in Virginia Beach
- Enhance broadband connectivity by capitalizing on the highest-capacity subsea cable to ever cross the Atlantic
- Grow and stabilize the defense economy while diversifying the regional economy
- Enhance collaboration and support for NASA Wallops Island Flight Facility
- Support and enhance GO Virginia partnerships in the region
The full plan can be found HERE. Gillespie has released twenty other major policy proposals including:
- The “Cutting Taxes for ALL Virginians” Plan cuts individual income tax rates by ten percent across-the-board, putting nearly $1,300 more in the pocket of a family of four and creating more than 50,000 new full-time private sector jobs.
- The “FAITH In Our Government for ALL Virginians” Plan will close loopholes and give Virginians a better opportunity to hold elected leaders accountable for their actions.
- The “Efficiency + Effectiveness: A Government that Works for ALL Virginians” Planwill reorient government to more successfully address Virginia’s problems, demand evidence-based solutions, right-size our government to better steward taxpayer dollars, and incentivize our state government workforce to be more responsive to the needs of all Virginians.
- The “Removing Barriers to Job Creation for ALL Virginians” Plan will bring meaningful reform to remove barriers to job creation, making it easier for businesses to grow and thrive in the Commonwealth. It focuses on standing up for Virginia’s job creators, reforming Virginia’s regulatory climate, reforming occupational licensing and streamlining business formation.
- The Mental Health, Addiction, and Recovery Agenda will improve Virginia’s behavioral health system and address all facets of the opioid and heroin addiction crisis, including prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery.
- The Veterans and Military Affairs Agenda will improve career opportunities for veterans, give veterans a greater voice in our government, support our military and their families, and care for our veterans and their families.
- The “Job One: Keeping Virginia Safe” Plan will improve public safety in Virginia by eradicating gangs, reforming the system, and rewarding those who serve and protect.
- The Agriculture and Forestry Agenda shows exactly how Gillespie will champion Virginia’s agriculture and forestry industries, prioritizing efforts to expand exports and open new markets for Virginia products.
- “An Excellent Education for ALL Virginians” Plan will strengthen Virginia’s education system, ensure that every child, in every community, has access to a high quality, safe and student-focused public education, and better align our workforce development system with the demands of the marketplace of today and the future.
- The Six Point Sea Level Rise Action Plan will take proactive steps to enhance infrastructure, empower cities and regions to lead, flood proof our military installations and fight for more affordable flood insurance for Virginia families and businesses.
- The Plan to Expand Access to High Speed Internet will remove regulatory barriers and finance broadband deployment to provide more reliable internet access to Virginians in every corner of the Commonwealth.
- The “Outdoor Dominion” Initiative to make Virginia the outdoor recreation leader of the East Coast.
- “The Energy to Power Families, Jobs and Investment” Plan to secure abundant energy resources and competitive energy prices that protect citizens from high energy costs, and attract the businesses that provide new jobs.
- Higher Education Plan for ALL Virginians to forge three types of strategic partnerships related to higher education: a major new business-education partnership, a new spirit of partnership between the Commonwealth and our colleges, and a consumer-focused partnership between higher education institutions and the students and families they serve.
- Criminal Justice Plan to to bring tough, fair, and smart reforms to Virginia’s criminal justice system.
- The Striving for Impact Plan will deploy the Collective Impact Model to address complicated, seemingly intractable problems.
- “Route Causes: A Better Transportation System for ALL Virginians” details how Gillespie will effectively administer transportation funding, establish a transportation lock box, and advance comprehensive transportation improvements to improve our transportation system.
- “Health In Our Commonwealth” will improve health outcomes for ALL Virginians by ensuring a high-quality safety net, reforming and eliminating regulatory hurdles, and setting long-term strategy to provide predictability to providers, payers and patients.
- “Economic Growth Plan For Virginia” will grow the innovation economy and reform economic development.
- “Regional Plan For Southwest Virginia” includes policies that will create jobs, raise wages and help Southwest Virginia prosper again.