Transportation, health care, jobs top House 25 issues

HARRISONBURG – House District 25 candidates Steve Landes and Greg Marrow debated health care, transportation and job creation during an hour interview Tuesday morning on Harrisonburg radio station WSVA.

When asked about transportation, Landes, the Republican incumbent, said he would not take general fund money from education to improve transportation.

Landes favors taking dollars from the Virginia Department of Transportation’s central office and other state efficiencies and bonds to fund a transportation solution.

Marrow, the Democratic challenger, said he also favors a more efficient state government that would be keyed by efficiency audits of state agencies. He spoke of how VDOT has spent $21 million a year cleaning bathrooms on interstates.

Marrow talked frequently of how the House District 25 delegate needs to be more aggressive in bringing jobs to the district.

Marrow said Landes has helped other districts but not his own, repeating a charge made during a debate sponsored and moderated last month by The News Virginian.

Marrow said unemployment has doubled since Landes was elected to the seat in 1995, and vowed he’d look for new jobs, including the green collar manufacturing jobs that are on the horizon.

Landes cited his 20 years of public service, that include time as a legislative assistant to former Del. Pete Giesen and 6th District Rep. Bob Goodlatte.

And because he lives in the area, Landes said, he understands the needs of area small business. He touted his support of the location of SRI International in Rockingham County.

Health care took up much of the questioning during the debate.

Marrow said while government needs to set the tone for health care reform, he does not want a system run by the government.

Landes said he supports the idea of health cooperatives that have been discussed by Congress. Such an arrangement would allow several businesses to band together and get pool coverage for their employees’ insurance needs.

Both candidates said whatever health reform is passed by Congress, they are concerned about the unfunded mandates that will be passed to the states.

Landes said he had discussed with Virginia’s congressional delegation about unfunded costs being passed to the states. Those additional costs, he said, “would put the state in a further hole.”