VA House of Delegate Ken Plum Debated Challenger Hugh "Mac" Cannon in Reston Last Month

Will their Views on the Important Issues Help Determine Who Will Win?
Incumbent Ken Plum (D, 36), of the VA House of Delegates, Challenges Hugh "Mac" Cannon (R) in Reston


Written by: Karen Benardello

11/09 National Article, National Scene Magazine

Democrat Ken Plum, the incumbent member in the 36th district of the Virginia House of Delegates (the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly), challenged Hugh “Mac” Cannon, the Republican vying for the seat, on October 1 at the Reston Community Television studios. With the upcoming election for the two-year seat, the two faced off while discussing the issues most important to the area, including commerce, education, transportation, and state revenue.

One of the biggest issues discussed during the debate was how to fund transportation. Plum most likely secured votes by saying the state shouldn’t raise the gasoline tax rate because the tax is outdated. The incumbent added that the House of Delegates needs to come to a consensus. In rebuttal, Cannon said that if he is elected, he would help move that process along by meeting with, and uniting, representatives from across Virginia. But Plum was skeptical this would happen, as he pointed to the fact that the last time the House of Delegates tried to unite on the issue of transportation was more than two decades ago.

The two also argued over higher education. Cannon stated that he is fighting for a higher rate of Virginian students being accepted into state universities and colleges. “…if (Virginian) students are earning the grades, live in the state and their families pay Virginia taxes they should be able to attend a state university. We need to keep our students here, we don’t need to export them to other states,” he said.

But Plum defended the choice of Virginian schools accepting so many out-of-state students, because the colleges and universities receive more money from these students, which helps them balance their budgets. He added that Virginia colleges would only be able to accept more in-state students if the state was able to fully fund the schools, but he doesn’t see that being economically possible in the near-future.

In an effort to help the state raise more money, Cannon stated that businesses need to stay in the region, taxes need to stay low, and regulations need to be in check. But he said he is afraid that if unions are planning on stepping into the area, businesses would be driven out of the area, as the unions would take away people’s right to work. The incumbent Plum responded by saying that if Reston has any hope to keep its businesses, and see an economic boost, leaders should invest in the area.

Both Plum and Cannon have valid points. Transportation costs need to stay low, but there’s little chance the House of Delegates will be able to reach an acceptable agreement on how to keep them down. Virginian students do have a right to attend a college in their home state, but the schools do depend on out-of-state students to maintain their cost. Businesses do need to stay in the area to help the economy survive. Whoever wins the election needs to find a way to work with the other party to determine the best course of action to help Reston survive.