Parties Unite on Funding for Higher Education -- In the US State of Virginia. (February 1, 2006)

    The Newport News, Virginia Daily Press reported yesterday:

Virginia's top political leaders, including its two potential presidential candidates, united Monday on a common goal: Boost funding for research at colleges and universities, because the state cannot afford a brain drain.

They are supporting a US$554 million plan, which was proposed in December by the state's then governor, Democrat Mark Warner, when he introduced the state budget, [and]. The current incumbent  Democratic governor Tim Kaine and top Republican leaders in the Virginia General Assembly, all of whom are crucial players in the budget process have voiced their support for the plan.

Governor Kaine told an audience at Virginia BioTechnology Research Park in Richmond that Virginia must stop looking at higher education only as a way to give individuals certain skills. Colleges and universities are also economic engines that create jobs and build new businesses.

The former governor said "This is not about the D's and the R's; this is about how do we take Virginia forward," while the Republican US Senator from Virginia, George Allan, added he has been working on this issue at the national level and went on to say that he was in complete agreement with Warner - at least today. "For all of you in the media, if you want to have questions (about) what we disagree with, sorry, you're not going to get it."

The president of  The College of William & Mary, Gene Nichol, said that while college is not the largest player in the budget plan, "we believe very strongly that the commonwealth [of Virginia] needs a more powerful commitment to research," and told his listeners that he was encouraged by the high-powered line-up. "When you look across the seating arrangement there, you would think this would have some ease of passing. We're hopeful that that's true. I think the bipartisan nature of this has come together in a stronger way than people perhaps thought it would. And I'm heartened by that."

[Note: The current population of Virginia is about 7.5 million.]