Virginia Beach, VA-- November 16, 2009 -- The McWaters for Senate campaign was pleased to receive the endorsement of the Virginia Beach Taxpayer Alliance (VBTA) over the weekend. Jeff McWaters attended a forum Saturday morning, hosted by the VBTA. McWaters laid out his positions on the cost of government, his plan to restore fiscal accountability to Richmond and ways to cut costs in the state budget. He then took questions from the VBTA membership.

"Jeff McWaters is a Bob McDonnell and Bill Bolling Republican," says John D. Moss, Chairman of the VBTA. "Jeff is a fiscal conservative first and a Republican second. It is Jeff McWaters' commitment to growing jobs and letting families keep more of what they earn that has earned Jeff McWaters the endorsement of the Virginia Beach Taxpayer Alliance for the Republican nomination for the State Senate. The right choice, the smart choice for your family and your business is Jeff McWaters as the Republican nominee for the Virginia State Senate."

The VBTA states as their mission, "To mobilize voters to hold government accountable for its spending priorities, and to minimize the financial burden of government on workers and retirees through voter education."

"The endorsement of the VBTA is great," says McWaters. "We built our company, AMERIGROUP, around free market principles that I firmly believe in. Primarily that private enterprise works better and more efficiently than government.  AMERIGROUP not only found creative solutions to make healthcare affordable for low income families, it saved states and taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in the process."

Jeff McWaters is running in the Republican primary to replace Senator Ken Stolle in Virginia's 8th Senate District. Stolle was elected Sheriff of Virginia Beach. The date for the special election primary is expected to be on a Saturday in December, however it is not set yet.

For more information: www.jeffmcwaters.com or
Contact: travis@jeffmcwaters.com 
Phone: 757-965-3700

Virginia Beach, VA-January 12, 2010 - Today, in a special election in Virginia Beach, the voters of the 8th senate district voted overwhelming to elect Jeff McWaters over democrat Bill Fleming by a margin of 57 points. The election was to fill the 8th senate district seat left open by new Beach Sheriff Ken Stolle. The voters of Virginia Beach voted in favor of McWaters 78 - 21%.

 "Thank you for your tremendous support over these last nine months. I am truly looking forward to serving the people of Virginia Beach and making good on the themes of my campaign: recruiting businesses to create jobs, cutting the size and cost of government, and prioritizing transportation projects while getting our fair share of transportation funding," says McWaters. "I thank all who voted today on this cold Tuesday in January. I am continually astounded by the commitment of over four hundred volunteers that has been the backbone of my campaign from the beginning.  A special thank you to my friends, family and supporters and know that I fully plan to deliver for Virginia Beach and this region while serving as your senator in Richmond. Now it's time to get to work for all of the citizens of the 8th senate district. Make no mistake, I am a conservative republican but my door will be open to all, republican, democrat or independent."

Their remarks are as follows:

Del. H. Morgan Griffith:

"Good Evening. I'm House of Delegates Majority Leader Morgan Griffith from Southwest, Virginia, and I'm accompanied tonight by Sen. Jeff McWaters of Virginia Beach.  ......................

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"Sen. Jeff McWaters has a record of achievement in creating jobs. He will discuss that challenge now."

Sen. Jeffrey L. McWaters:

"Thank you, Morgan, for clearly setting out the challenges we face with this year's budget.

"Today, Sen. Dave Marsden and I were sworn in as the newest members of the Virginia State Senate. Dave, congratulations to you. In fact, Del. Griffith has been in Richmond for 16 years and I've been here less than 16 hours.

"So rather than talk about accolades of the past, let's talk instead about where we are now. We need to cut billions from the state budget and meet enormous transportation and education challenges. We must control spiraling Medicaid costs. And above all, we need to free the private sector to do what only the private sector can do: create jobs and stimulate the economy.

"Last year, the outgoing administration relied on the stimulus package to bail-out and paper over our problems and delaying the inevitable by one more year.

"This year, we must truly stimulate the economy by returning to our founding economic principles: capitalism, less government, lower taxes and plain old hard work.

"We cannot bring about economic recovery without significant growth in employment. It's like saying we're going to attack illiteracy by putting books on tape. Our citizens need jobs.

"This session, my colleagues and I plan to focus on four specific strategies to increase business investment and create job growth in the Commonwealth:

"One, implement tax credits for companies that create at least 50 jobs in Virginia. This is one tax credit that will pay for itself many times over.

"Two, streamline government regulations and protect the Right to Work laws that help create a favorable business climate in the Commonwealth. These policies are already a strong draw for businesses looking to locate in the Commonwealth. With the assault on business from Washington in the form of Obamacare, card check and cap and trade, Virginia's business-friendly policies will be even more important as a last line of defense.

"Three, invest more in the Governor's Opportunity Fund and aggressively pursue global opportunities. When it comes to attracting new businesses, Virginia is facing stronger competition from other states and countries. The Governor's Opportunity Fund allows us to provide greater incentives for companies to locate and create jobs in Virginia.

"Four, prepare Virginia's future workforce to take on the jobs of the 21st century by recruiting the best teachers and rewarding them based on their success. Our schools must focus more on science, technology, engineering, health care and mathematics, subjects that will be the base of the jobs of the future.

"I've learned from my life experience that private enterprise is the key to job creation. Fifteen years ago, I started a company on my kitchen table in Virginia Beach that grew to a Fortune 600 company focused on improving health care access and quality for the poorest citizens while saving participating states hundreds of millions of tax dollars. Along the way, we created over 4,800 jobs.

"The way I see it, politicians can do one of two things. Force more bureaucracy onto the private sector or bring more private sector principles to Richmond. My constituents didn't send a politician to Richmond, they sent a businessman.

"And this is why I ran: we must ensure the legacy of our grandparents, the greatest generation, for our grandkids. People are hurting. It's our job to reignite the American dream for them.

"The engine for doing this is in the minds, hearts and spirits of entrepreneurs and small business owners throughout this Commonwealth. Our job is not to control them; our job is to encourage them. Right now, on their own kitchen tables, enterprising Virginians are using their God-given talents and taking personal risk to achieve their slice of the American dream and create jobs for others along the way. That's the entrepreneurial spirit of America. It's the fuel of capitalism and the reason that America is still the hope of the world. Just as Virginians are responding right now to the crisis in Haiti.

"May God empower them and bless you. And may God bless our Commonwealth.

"Good night."

As reported by whsv.com

Virginians in my district are willing to accept some degree of incremental market-based health care reform.  However, they reject a comprehensive government takeover of the system, that does not address the core changes required. 

As many of you know, the issue of health care is where I have spent the majority of my professional career, time and energy. I founded a company whose vision was to see every person in America have access to a physician through an organized system of care. And I can assure you that when you are involved in these problems from the ground up, not from a 30,000 foot level, you see things a little differently. From that view, party labels don't matter as much.   

What does matter, and what is desperately needed, is a health care system that encourages responsibility, is market-based, controls costs, and provides access for quality care so that Americans can live healthy and independent lives. 

Despite how deeply partisan this issue has become, I don't think Democrats and Republicans disagree on those goals. In America, we don't let people lie sick or die on the street for lack of insurance coverage. Our hospitals are required to treat those who walk into their emergency departments, regardless of their ability to pay.

Nobody is suggesting we change that. But emergency room treatment for routine sicknesses is far more expensive than a primary care doctor and therefore drives up the cost of health care and serves as a hidden tax of tens of billions of dollars on those who pay for health insurance.

My point is that both parties appear to agree on a couple of things. That Americans have access to treatment when they are sick or hurt. And that personal responsibility and cost control are needed.

But while the goals may be the same, there is a Grand Canyon of divide on how we get there. And the current Administration's proposals have helped to demonstrate just how wide and deep that fissure really is.

To support government mandates in this environment is to support an unwise and ultimate Federal takeover of a huge segment of our economy. That is something we must not support.

For these reasons, despite my ongoing commitment to cost-effective health care reform and the underlying principle that every person should have access to quality health care coverage, I voted in support of Senate Bill 417.

Virginians are sending a powerful message to Washington rejecting the approach of too much central government control of medical decision making. 

As Virginians, let's do what we have always done - let's help Washington craft a more market-based approach incentivizing all Americans to have access to a primary care physician through an organized system of care.

Thank you.

VDOT's traffic information: Call 511 or visit www.511virginia.org

Winter Travel Info: http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/snow.asp

Ready Virginia: http://www.readyvirginia.gov/

City of Virginia Beach: http://www.vbgov.com/winterstorm

I hope you have a safe, dry, and warm winter weekend.

Please don't forget to sign up for my rescheduled TeleTown Hall on February 16th at 6:40 pm by clicking here.

Legislation Status 

Below are status updates for my Legislation.

SB 693 - Major Business Facility Tax Credit

This bill was incorporated into SB 472 by the Senate Finance Committee. SB 472 was then unanimously reported from the Finance Committee on Wednesday and will be on Second Reading on the Senate Floor this coming Monday. Follow the bill's Status by clicking here. 

SB 694 - Additional Appropriations to Transportation 

SB 694 is before the Senate Finance Committee and will be heard in the next week. Follow the bill's status by clicking here.

SB 695 - Amending the Public Procurement Act

The House version of this bill, HB 426, was reported out of subcommittee yesterday. SB 695 will be heard before the General Laws and Technology Committee this week. Follow the bill's status by clicking here.

SB 696 - HOV Lanes; allows military personnel to use

This Bill was unanimously reported out of the Transportation Committee yesterday. It will be on First Reading on the Senate Floor on Monday. Follow the bill's status by clicking here.

SB 697 - Medicaid; urges expansion of managed care 

SB 697 is in the Health Care subcommittee of the Senate Education and Health Committee. It will be heard on Tuesday. Follow the bill's status by clicking here.

SB 733 - License tax credit; VSBIC

SB 733 is part of Governor McDonnell's legislative package and creates the Virginia Small Business Investment Credit. It will be heard next week before the Senate Finance Committee. Follow the bill's status by clicking here.

For information on how a bill becomes a law, visit the Citizen's Guide on the General Assembly website by clicking here.

Visitors

The Senator and his staff have met with numerous constituents this past week. Please let us know if you would like to schedule a visit and/or a tour of the Capitol. Additionally, if you will be in the gallery, let our office know so the Senator can recognize you during the day's session.

Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association
Virginia Beach City Council
Virginia Dental Association
Virginia Assembly of Independent Baptists
Equality for Virginia
March of Dimes
Virginia Nurses Association
Virginia Podiatric Medical Association
IFPTE Local #1
NASA
Virginia Tech Students