qm_fall_2015

6 / 32

Virginia C apitol C onnections, Fall 2015
6
broadband installation project, with approximately four miles of
fiber, to serve the Roxbury Industrial park and other business areas
along Route 106 to retain nearly 175 jobs from one of the County’s
largest employers. This project will also help supply broadband
availability to new businesses in the eastern portion of the County
as the sole Internet provider in this area has stated that they have
reached their system capacity and will no longer provide Internet
access to new businesses. This is the type of long-term planning
that helps our communities gain access to the critical infrastructure
they need.
The Commonwealth must also be willing to provide gap
funding to help communities that have already developed a plan
to move to strategic deployment. Some communities are willing to
make meaningful financial commitments to deploy infrastructure,
but simply do not have enough to get across the finish line. Given
the importance of locality connectivity to the overall Virginia
economy, the Commonwealth would benefit tremendously by
putting additional skin in the game for the areas that have a plan
and need to deploy. This bottom-up approach pushes localities to
make the necessary investments to get their businesses and areas
connected today and quickly transition to a diversified economy.
Statewide Connectivity
The second path is for the Commonwealth to take an expansive,
comprehensive look at the connectivity of the entire state. This
includes gaining a better understanding of the pockets of Virginia
that are entirely unserved, analyzing the assets the state currently
has that can be leveraged for cost-effective deployment, such as state
land and public rights-of-way, and finding private-sector partners
to work with to lower the upfront capital costs of infrastructure
build-out. These high-level efforts are important and necessary
components of employing a Virginia-wide strategy.
All of Virginia’s communities have something special to offer
businesses, residents and visitors alike. As we move forward, we
must continue to focus our efforts on creating a strong quality of life
that will attract people to live, work, play and do business inVirginia.
Broadband is a critical tool we need to ensure our communities will
grow and thrive in the global economy.
Parking available adjacent to building
Phone 804-644-1702
FAX: 804-644-1703
E-Mail:
Web Site:
hen it comes to events no one
throws a party like David Napier.
Known throughout Central Virginia for his
wonderful food and hospitality, David is
delighted to have opened his catering facility in
the heart of Shockoe Bottom. No event is too
small or large. Delicious Box Lunches delivered.
O ne of Richmond’s most elegant dining
rooms is now exclusively available for your
private parties and special events. Our award
winning chefs produce an array of dishes from
steaks and seafood to vegetarian and
international masterpieces that will satisfy the
most discriminating palate. The Old City Bar
is the perfect place to celebrate.
firsthand how strong environmental policies helped us clean up
the James River in my hometown of Richmond, improving both
our economy and quality of life. Cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay
improved the Bay’s health and bolstered its tourism and fisheries
economy. And no Virginia communities should be left behind in a
clean energy economy, including the Commonwealth’s traditional
coal communities, which is why I sponsored legislation in the Senate
to ramp up federally-backed clean coal R&D. I also co-founded the
Senate Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus to improve
CTE and workforce training to prepare the next generation for in-
demand jobs.
Ensuring our energy production is cleaner tomorrow than today
is good for our economy and good for our planet. To paraphrase
JFK on America’s moon shot, climate change is a challenge “we
are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we
intend to win.”
Senator Kaine was elected to the Senate in 2012 as a can-do optimist
skilled in bringing people together across old lines of party, race
or region. In the Senate, he serves on the Armed Services, Budget,
Foreign Relations and Aging Committees and is Ranking Member
of the Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee.
Connecting the Dots to a Stronger Virginia
Broadband from page 5
from page 4 Cleaner Tomorrow
V
V