State Senate Candidates Star at Great Falls Candidates Forum

The two candidates running for the open 31st Senate District seat were the stars of a wide-ranging candidates forum hosted by the Great Falls Citizens Association Tuesday night.

The audience of nearly 100 at The Grange, Great Falls' town hall, swelled noticeably when Democrat Barbara Favola and Republican Caren Merrick took the stage for their 30 minute appearance. The forum also hosted candidates for:

• Fairfax County Board of Supervisors chair: Sharon Bulova, Democrat; Spike Williams, Republican.
• Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Dranesville district: John Foust, Democrat; Dennis Husch, Republican.
• 34th House District Delegate: Pamela Danner, Democrat; Barbara Comstock, Republican.

Favola talked of her experience as a member of the Arlington County Board for 14 years. Merrick, who is running for the first time, talked about creating a company in her basement with her husband and creating jobs.

A German company bought that business, Webmethods, in 2005 for $546 million. The company remains in Northern Virginia.

The candidates also answered questions about transportation, cutting the state budget and immigration.

Question: Would you support "a future modest state gasoline tax increase  to be used only" by the jurisdiction where the money was created to support transportation projects.

Both agreed that transportation funds should be removed from the state general fund budget and put in a separate fund with its own revenue source.

Favola said she supported the suggestion of a modest gas tax increase if it was specifically given to the jurisdiction where the money was raised.

Merrick said she would not support an increased gas tax. She suggested raising transportation money by selling vanity license plates.

Question: What one or two state programs would you eliminate from the state budget?

Merrick: "I can’t think of anything off the top of my head that I would cut."  She added that only "a small amount is discretionary.’’

Favola: She said she had balanced 14 budgets  and that she had learned to look at your priorities then to look at the costs and the amount of revenue and make the decisions from there.

Question: Should Virginia give drivers' licenses, in-state tuition rates and pay for nonemergency medical care for undocumented immigrants.?

Favola: She supports in-state college tuition rates for those brought here as small children by their parents and who are graduates of Virginia high schools. “I don’t think you want a system that would create a lower class."

Merrick: “I celebrate what immigrants have brought to this county,"  she said, adding that her husband is an immigrant. “We need to be compassionate but there are a lot of people who are following the rules.”

Snapshot of state Senate District 31, which encompasses the following localities:

This district was composed almost entirely of Arlington County until April's redistricting when the eastern half of McLean, Great Falls and part of Loudoun County were added.