145 years!

Barring any upsets in November, that is the amount of experience Virginia will lose from the state Senate this year alone.  With all the talk of non-competitive seats, it should be noted that at least 15% of those elected to the Senate at the beginning of this four-year term will not return in January.  Four resigned to run for other offices or personal reasons and two have chosen to not seek re-election.   That experience will be sorely missed when the General Assembly convenes in January.

This week I would like to pay tribute to their service.

Charles “Chuck” Colgan served the longest, with 40 years of service to the people of Virginia.  He was the last legislator who served our nation in World War II.  Chuck, always a gentleman, was a pleasure to serve with on a committee.

Jeff McWaters served 6 years after retiring from a company that he started and built into a Fortune 600 company.  That background gave Jeff a great deal of credibility on the issues surrounding healthcare.

Toddy Puller served in the House and Senate for a combined total of 24 years.  Understanding her life story should be an inspiration for anyone who believes that they have challenges.  Toddy’s husband, Lewis Puller Jr., was injured in Vietnam.  She helped him recover and start a new life confined to a wheelchair.  Widowed after the pain became too great to withstand, Toddy plowed forward.  Even after suffering a stroke that limited her mobility and speech, she won re-election when most would have given up.

Ralph Smith served 8 years.  A businessman who had served as mayor of Roanoke, Ralph looked at issues with a perspective of why rather than why not.

John Watkins served 36 years.  A nursery operator by profession, he brought the same attention to detail to the General Assembly that he has the plants his business nurtures.  John became a master at understanding the functions of state government including the Virginia Retirement System, Workman’s Compensation, and issues dealing with the State Corporation Commission.  John has always been well prepared on a wide range of issues to debate those issues that affect the lives of Virginians.

Walter Stosch, with 33 years of experience, I have saved for last because I have so much respect for him.  Walter is a Certified Public Accountant by trade, therefore, it is fitting that he rose to the position of leading the budget process for the Senate.  While an expert at bringing the numbers together, he defies the image of accountants being straight laced.  Frequently, he was the first to break the tension of sessions with humorous stories.

It is fitting that this, the last year of his service to Virginia, the budget process was the smoothest that it has been in years.  That is a testament to Walter’s negotiating skills.  He worked with each and every member of the Senate to understand what was important to that member.  His goal was not to have a budget that included everyone’s wish list, but rather to explain that if something was added to the budget then they would have to conclude what should be removed and they would have to take a role in selling others on changing those priorities.

     All of these Senators have served Virginia well and should be thanked for their service.  They will be hard to replace.

We love to hear from you!  You can contact us at Sen.Ruff@verizon.net, Post Office Box 332, Clarksville, VA  23297 or 434-374-5129.