2015 BizVotes Questionnaire Results 67 th House District Jim LeMunyon (R)

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "2015 BizVotes Questionnaire Results 67 th House District Jim LeMunyon (R)"

Jasmine Morris
5 years ago
Views:

2015 BizVotes Questionnaire Results 67 th House District Jim LeMunyon (R) Answer is consistent with Loudoun Chamber s Position Answer is inconsistent with Loudoun Chamber s Position or nonresponsive

1 2015 BizVotes Questionnaire Results 67 th House District Jim LeMunyon (R) Answer is consistent with Loudoun Chamber s Position Answer is inconsistent with Loudoun Chamber s Position or nonresponsive to the question Answer is partly consistent with Loudoun Chamber s Position 1) What is the biggest issue/challenge that Virginia faces in the upcoming term? JIM LEMUNYON (R): Fostering economic expansion in Virginia that creates good jobs. 2) How do you propose to address this challenge? JIM LEMUNYON (R): Reforming the state tax code for businesses and individuals to eliminate disincentives for business expansion and job creation. See the answer to question 3 for more details. 3) Do you believe there are sufficient state economic development initiatives and/or incentives that can be leveraged to support the needs in Northern Virginia? If not, what would you propose? Chamber Position: The Chamber supports additional state economic development initiatives and incentives that support Northern Virginia s needs. The Chamber also supports increased funding for Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP). JIM LEMUNYON (R): Virginia needs fundamental tax reform for both businesses and individuals, not more specific incentives for one thing or another. For starters, the PBOL, machine & tool, and merchants capital tax need to be replaced with taxes based on profitability rather than gross receipts. The corporate income tax needs reform as many corporate taxpayers pay more to comply than they pay in tax. The individual income tax needs to be indexed to inflation, with the lowest bracket eliminated so we stop taxing the working poor.

2 4) How will you help to grow the tourism industry and what are your ideas for helping to increase tourism in Northern Virginia? Chamber Position: The Chamber supports continued collaboration of marketing efforts between, the state, county, Visit Loudoun and Washington-Dulles International Airport to promote existing - as well as - to assist in future-air service. The Chamber supports the use of transit occupancy taxes (TOT) to promote tourism. Finally, the Chamber supports efforts to returning Loudoun County to the General Services Administration s Washington, D.C. per diem area. JIM LEMUNYON (R): Virginia should continue to advertise its unique and historic tourist destinations regionally and throughout the United States. The fledgling wine industry in Northern Virginia should be included in Virginia's tourism promotion. 5) What do you support to best leverage Northern Virginia s and Virginia s limited transportation funds? Chamber Position: The Chamber supports performance-based prioritization of transportation projects with emphasis on congestion reduction, economic development and time savings. The Chamber supports debt financing, accompanied by a dedicated revenue source for debt service. The Chamber supports reforming Virginia Department of Transportation and use of public-private partnerships. The Chamber opposes using the Transportation Trust Fund for non-transportation purposes and supports use of General Fund money for transportation. JIM LEMUNYON (R): Rating all significant transportation projects as required by law according to the congestion relief expected by each project; fund the projects that are expected to provide the most relief. See also the response to question 14. 6) Do you believe local governments should be granted additional authority to diversify their revenue sources, to fund the services that our citizens demand? Chamber Position: The Chamber supports access to more diversified streams of revenue for high growth areas, to support the costs associated with growth. The Chamber supports substantive reform of Virginia s entire tax system to align the source of the Commonwealth s tax revenues with the spending priorities of state and local governments. JIM LEMUNYON (R): No.

3 7) What do you support to encourage innovation in K-12 education to better align educational standards with workforce needs? Chamber Position: The Chamber supports a closer connection between what students are taught, and how they are assessed, with the true workforce needs. The Chamber supports strong business-education partnerships to develop training programs for specific industries, particularly in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Healthcare (STEM-H) sectors; a stronger focus on college and/or career readiness; and an a stronger emphasis on digital literacy. JIM LEMUNYON (R): Pass an amendment to Virginia's Constitution to give the state a greater role in establishing public charter schools. Particular charter schools could be tailored to a unique focus. For example, science and technology magnet schools, charter alternatives for students attending failing schools, and charter schools with a focus on skilled trades. Virginia has seven charter schools statewide. This compares to Maryland which has 52, D.C., which has 107, and North Carolina, which has 128. Support for public charter schools nationally has been very bipartisan with more than 6,000 charter schools established in blue states and red states. Regrettably, virtually all Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly voted against the charter school amendment in the 2015 session. 8) What do you support to enable Virginia s higher education institutions to address today s workforce challenges? Chamber Position: The Chamber supports a life-long education and training higher education infrastructure that is accessible, both online and on campus; that is dynamically changing to meet demand; and that is supported by adequate funding The Chamber supports expanding careerspecific training at community colleges; making colleges more affordable, expanded use of K-12 dual enrollment; encouraging partnerships among two-year and four-year institutions; increasing the amount and availability of Community College Transfer Grants; and, increasing access to higher education for active duty military, veterans and military families. JIM LEMUNYON (R): Continue to allow these institutions to have the autonomy they need to work with the business community to adjust and adapt as necessary without a one-law-fitsall mandate from the legislature. 9) What is your position on Medicaid expansion and reform? Chamber Position: The Chamber supports providing healthcare coverage to the working uninsured of Virginia through a public-private, managed care approach. This plan must enable Virginia to access federal funds and provide for: competition; personal responsibility for costs; care coordination; incentive payments based on outcomes; and incentives for innovative health

4 care delivery and healthy behaviors. The Chamber supports a sunset mechanism that automatically disenrolls/drops the new enrollees, should the federal government not follow through on its financial commitment. The Chamber supports an outside independent audit of Virginia s current Medicaid system, to identify areas to reform and achieve savings. JIM LEMUNYON (R): Medicaid should be turned into a federal block grant with broad latitude for governors and state legislatures to spend the money tailored to the needs of the people in their particular state. With respect to Medicaid as it exists today, governors and state legislators as basically Uncle Sam's bag carriers. 10) What role do you feel the state should play to protect local governments and businesses from the costs and burdens of federal regulations regarding the environment, labor relations and other issues? Chamber Position: The Chamber strongly opposes the expansion of federal regulations that oppress businesses of all sizes and across all industries. The Chamber opposes administrative overreach by any branch of government that goes beyond the application of statute and the Constitution. Finally, the Chamber believes that all levels of government should conduct regular periodic cost impact reviews of all regulations and ordinances to assess the continued relevancy and efficacy of these regulations. JIM LEMUNYON (R): The state needs to be a strong advocate in protecting all Virginian's against federal over reach. With that said, it is unlikely there will be significant change until we downsize/right size the federal government, which has grown too big to manage and too big to succeed. The opportunity lies in electing the right people to federal offices. 11) What specific initiatives do you support to enable access to the reliable, affordable energy required to support the needs of Loudoun s businesses and to sustain our community s high quality of life? Chamber Position: The Chamber supports a diverse mix of energy sources, including increased conservation and energy efficiency, new sources of conventional and renewable energy, and new transmission and distribution infrastructure. Electricity load growth, to meet the energy requirements of these businesses. The Chamber supports a reasonable and timely approval process for infrastructure expansion that support electricity load growth, including for large commercial loads such as data centers. JIM LEMUNYON (R): Let the free market work.

5 12) What policies and initiatives would you support at the state level to support growth and expansion of Virginia s rural economy? Chamber Position: The Chamber supports a view of regulation of agribusiness that meets its particular needs for success, including flexibility for use of property for multiple purposes. JIM LEMUNYON (R): Replace politicians with professional money managers on the board of the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, which funds economic development projects in many rural parts of Virginia. 13) How would you address the need for improved broadband access in Virginia s underserved areas, such as western Loudoun County? Chamber Position: The Chamber encourages investment in the infrastructure to enable cuttingedge wireless and other Internet infrastructure in Loudoun, and supports cooperation between government and commercial interests to maximize broadband access throughout the County. The Chamber supports state legislation and initiatives to enhance e-commerce. JIM LEMUNYON (R): This is primarily a local government issue, working with broadband providers. 14) How would you assess the General Assembly s efforts to engage the business community on important public policy issues and how would you improve or otherwise change those efforts? Chamber Position: The Loudoun County's business community must have the opportunity to work with government officials at the federal, state and local levels to develop and implement legislative and regulatory policies that will impact the economy and quality of life in our community. JIM LEMUNYON (R): I believe the business community needs to step up and become a strong advocate for fundamental tax reform in Virginia for both businesses and individuals. This is our best opportunity to improve economic growth in Virginia. Also, the business community should insist on the vigorous and faithful implementation of H.B. 599 (2012) and H.B. 2 (2014) so that traffic congestion is reduced in Northern Virginia as rapidly and cost efficiently as possible.

6 15) Please briefly describe what best qualifies you to hold the office for which you are running. JIM LEMUNYON (R): People tell me that I listen and communicate well, and like the fact that I knock on doors to ask voters about what's on their minds. 16) What is the chief factor that differentiates you from your opponent(s) (if you have one)? JIM LEMUNYON (R): Running unopposed. 17) Is there any other personal or professional information you would like the business community to know about you that is not already covered? JIM LEMUNYON (R): I co-founded and headed Sterling Semiconductor, which operated in Loudoun County from , before being acquired by the Dow Corning Corporation. (See: which will forward to the current business website.) I have since advised numerous technology companies, large and small, on business development strategies and implementation. Campaign Committee Information: Candidate s Name (as it will appear on ballot): James M. LeMunyon Campaign Manager: Marti Meersman Campaign Address: P.O. Box , Chantilly, VA Campaign Phone: Campaign Website: Campaign Candidate s Current Occupation: business person Candidate s Political Experience: Three terms in Virginia House of Delegates; Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce Candidate s Business Experience: Co-founder of Sterling Semiconductor, now a unit of Dow Corning; CEO Hexatech, Inc., consultant, Oak Hill Technology Partners

Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce

Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT The Chamber supports efforts to continue to make Loudoun County, including the incorporated towns within its boundaries, highly competitive in the