WYDaily sent an identical questionnaire to each candidate for governor. Robert Sarvis is the Libertarian candidate for governor, facing off against Republican Ken Cuccinelli and Democrat Terry McAuliffe. Robert Sarvis’s answers are presented here. The election takes place Nov. 5.
View a completed questionnaire from McAuliffe here and from Cuccinelli here.
1. How does the Historic Triangle fit into your vision of a prosperous and fiscally healthy commonwealth?
As a native Virginian, I grew up learning Virginia history and so I recognize the Historic Triangle as a unique gem of historical and cultural significance. A Virginia committed to both economic freedom and personal liberty has the ability to maintain and celebrate that rich cultural history while also welcoming new immigrants and building a diverse modern society where all can prosper.
2. Tourism is an increasingly important industry in the Historic Triangle: How do you plan on encouraging the continued development of an industry that’s a vital lifeline to this area? Please be specific.
The government’s role is not to subsidize particular industries but rather to protect rights, foster open and competitive markets, and ensure the rule of law. Virginia’s rich history and beautiful landscapes, especially in the Historic Triangle, are a natural attractor for tourists. I believe in the competence of the tourism industry to capitalize on our natural endowments and continue the development and growth of the industry. As Governor, I will proselytize to the world about Virginia’s beauty, history, culture, diversity, and business climate.
3. How will you make Virginia competitive for out-of-state businesses looking for a place to set up shop? Will Hampton Roads benefit from those proposals?
Virginia should focus on ensuring that markets are open and competitive, allowing entrepreneurs and innovators to drive growth and job-creation, rather than using cronyist schemes to privilege particular companies and industries in a misguided attempt to engineer growth. Our economy is stifled by legal, tax, and regulatory provisions that protect market incumbents from competition from new entrants, small businesses, innovators, and entrepreneurs. Instead of protecting private profits, the law should be promoting the public interest, ensuring low barriers to entry and an even playing field for all. Additionally, taxes should be broad-based and efficient, with low rates, to minimize the impact on business activity and job-creation. Creating a rule-of-law based economy will attract businesses to Virginia and jumpstart job growth.
4. Do you support an expansion of Medicaid in Virginia? Why or why not?
Medicaid, as it exists, is a very costly program. Simply expanding coverage without reform is naïve. What happens when doctors stop seeing Medicaid patients? What happens when large numbers of new patients enter the market without an increase in the supply of health-care providers? Without an understanding of the underlying issues, we can’t expect to solve our health-care problems, which are many. Federal regulations are a major reason why our health-care system is so costly and difficult to work with. For that reason, I oppose further federalization of health-care regulation. At the same time, if we expect to have greater policy freedom at the state level, we have to reform our state regulations, which are also a major cause of high costs and lack of economy. I am the only candidate discussing state-level health-care regulatory reform, including reform of licensing and accreditation of doctors and nurses, and increasing the scope of authority and independent practice rights of nurses, to expand the supply of health-care professionals and reduce patient costs.
5. Do you think the Virginia Retirement System is effective as it is currently set up? What, if anything, would you change? Do you believe Gov. McDonnell’s changes to the system have been a net positive or negative?
No. The current VRS system is underfunded and places investment risks on taxpayers. We ought to make good on the promises we have made by fully funding the VRS as appropriate, but we should also move away from a system that undermines spending transparency, creates budget uncertainty, and risks soaking taxpayers for politicians’ bad decisions.
6. It appears funding may soon be on the table to widen Interstate 64 from Jefferson Avenue in Newport News to Upper York County, near Water Country USA. Does your vision for transportation in Virginia include this project?
Transportation spending should not be done in the centralized, bureaucratic, and politicized manner it currently is. We should move toward a more decentralized decision-making process, where the state plays a mediation role among local jurisdictions. Local authorities are more accessible and accountable to the public, and they have greater local knowledge about the relative merits of various projects. By empowering them, we can build a more efficient transportation infrastructure. Moreover, we should move toward closer connection between revenue-raising and road usage; the move to an increased sales tax was a regressive change that worsens the inefficiency of our transportation spending.
