For Virgil Goode, it all boils down to the checkbook.
The former 5th District congressman spoke to a Lynchburg Tea Party gathering Thursday night, and his comments centered mostly around spending.
“What I want in Washington, D.C.,” Goode said, “is somebody … that knows how to balance a checkbook.”
Goode spoke for about 45 minutes to the crowd of about 80 who gathered in the rear dining area at the Monte Carlo restaurant on Old Forest Road.
He made little mention of the race for the 5th District seat he once held, which is being sought by a slate of Republicans. Goode has previously said he will not seek the Republican nomination for the seat.
Many in attendance were forced to stand for lack of chairs or sitting room.
Much of Goode’s presentation focused on his idea of how the national deficit could be slashed, and he proposed cuts that he said would reduce the deficit by close to $400 billion.
Goode suggested cuts to representatives’ allowances and mass mailings, also positing that federal departments of agriculture, homeland security and education, among others, could stand to cut substantial portions of their programs.
When Goode mentioned slashing about 60 percent of the federal education program, some in the audience shouted “100 percent,” with shouts of “let the states handle it” following.
Goode also touched on subjects of traditional marriage, social security and health care before taking questions from the audience.
Marcie Jones, of Appomattox, said she appreciated Goode’s stance, particularly on budget issues.
“The budget is totally out of control and needs to be slashed,” she said.
Jones said she took issue with what she saw as a lack of fiscal responsibility that would cause future generations to pay for debts incurred by the present one.
“That’s not the way I was raised,” she said. “I was raised that you pay for what you get.”
Kurt Feigel, the Lynchburg Tea Party’s vice chairman for communications, said he thought Goode presented his ideas well, and that he would have been a welcome face to have running for the 5th District U.S. House seat currently held by Democrat Tom Perriello.
“That checkbook thing resonates with us,” Feigel said.
Also in attendance at the event were hopefuls for the 5th District GOP nomination Ken Boyd and Jim McKelvey and Meggan McPadden, the wife of Jim McPadden, who is also seeking the district’s Republican nomination.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement