Northern Virginia leaders blast Youngkin for failing to address unemployment crisis
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay and Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell issued a joint statement condemning Republican state leaders for failing to address the county’s unemployment crisis.
“We are dismayed by the staggering rise in unemployment across Fairfax County, which has reached levels not seen since mid-2021,” the letter states. The county’s unemployment rate has climbed to 3.3 percent.
“With over 21,700 residents now unemployed – a shocking 35 percent increase from last year – it is clear that the reckless policies of Donald Trump and the complicity of statewide Republican leadership are directly responsible for this crisis,” McKay and Surovell (D-34th District) wrote. “This threatens the decades of leadership that has made Fairfax County the economic engine of Virginia.”
Related story: Virginia no longer the top state for business
“The Trump administration’s disastrous workforce cuts have left our communities vulnerable, and Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s failure to take decisive action has only deepened the economic pain felt by families across our region,” the letter continues. “Instead of prioritizing the needs of Virginians, Youngkin has chosen to align himself with the same failed policies that have led to this economic downturn. His inaction speaks volumes about his commitment to the people he claims to serve.”
McKay and Surovell call out Attorney General Jason Miyares for failing to take legal action to “to protect Virginia’s federal workforce from arbitrary and politically motivated terminations.”
“Instead of giving lip service to our federal workers and cheering on federal workforce reductions,” they urge Youngkin, Miyares, and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears “to start taking responsibility for the economic fallout of their party’s policies.”
Sears is running for governor against Abigail Spanberger, and Miyares is running for re-election.
(Sears was caught on tape dismissing and laughing off the attacks on Virginia jobs, saying “the media is making it out to be a huge, huge thing… and I don’t understand why.”)
Related story: Sears blasts Spanberger for being a ‘socialist’
The letter blasts Youngkin’s “solution” of launching a job-posting website as totally inadequate to address the crisis.
Instead, McKay and Surovell urge the governor to present a comprehensive plan that includes retraining programs, unemployment insurance extensions, direct financial assistance for displaced workers, expedited licensing for professional certifications, and direct coordination with private sector employers.
The letter notes that the ripple effects of the federal workforce terminations extend far beyond the immediate unemployment statistics. “Federal contractors face uncertainty as contracts are canceled, and the downstream economic impact threatens to undermine the prosperity that has long defined Fairfax County. Our local businesses, from restaurants to retail establishments, are already feeling the effects as consumer spending declines among affected families.”
“Fairfax County and the Commonwealth of Virginia deserve leadership that puts families first, not political ideology,” the letter states. “Virginians deserve better than empty promises and partisan games.”
Stupid article for stupid people written by an idiot.
McKay’s and Surovell’s claim to care about the plight of local businesses, especially restaurants, is rich with hypocrisy since the McKay backed Board of Supervisors slapped a meals tax on local restaurants that was not wanted, at all, by local restaurants (many of which only recently struggled to survive during the COVID pandemic).
Too funny -Democrats are crashing Fairfax county economy (and schools, safety etc etc) -and they blame Youngkin -I thought for a sec this was an Onion article – I am still laughing….if these Fairfax officials are complaining about the economy now – you will see an epic disaster if Spanebrger gets elected – …
If it is so bad then why do you live here? 🤔
Hey Faxer county officials, you’re rich, you hire them.
The following response is from Gov. Youngkin’s Communications Director Rob Damschen:
“As Fairfax County politicians focus on partisan theatrics and political stunts, Governor Youngkin continues to work with everyone, including the federal government, to grow public and private sector jobs and opportunities in Virginia, evidenced by the successful relocation of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development from Washington, D.C. to Northern Virginia. Since day one, Governor Youngkin has worked to make Virginia more competitive against states that are winning business investment and people by focusing on the fundamentals: reducing taxes and cost of living, investing in education and workforce, expanding critical infrastructure, streamlining regulations and making it easier for private industry to build. In contrast, localities like Fairfax have chosen to raise taxes and make business growth more difficult.”
What a bunch of hypocrites. If all Fairfax County officials (BOS and FCSB) suddenly falling all over themselves to buy for $150 M an abandoned empty building in Herndon (former Saudi Academy) next month with no competitive bid, no assessment of the actual market value, without any public input, without any public hearings and with absolutely no plan how they plan to use the building. McKay should focus on his own backyard rather than blaming Richmond for his failure to manage.