Former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, who is currently seeking a second term as Virginia Governor, hosted a Small Business Roundtable along with Delegate Candi King (D-2) on Tuesday. McAuliffe and King were joined by small business owners from Virginia at the beautiful Ethiopian Restaurant, Abugida Ethiopian Cuisine in Woodbridge.

The event began with Yeabsira Hadero and Daniel Metiku, the owners of Abugida, sharing their own personal experiences of opening their business. Yeabsira (Yabi) shared the challenge of opening up the cafe with very little money and a new baby. Yabi and Metiku used their resources to open up and operate while facing the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

King shared how important it is to focus on the state of small businesses in Virginia, stating, “Small businesses are the backbone of our community!” King also expressed how McAuliffe has consistently made small businesses a top priority and how, with 44% of small African American businesses having closed during the pandemic, it is extremely important to continue that focus.

Candi King was proud to share that she believes the strength of Prince William County is in its diversity. “We were recently rated in Prince William County as the most diverse county in the commonwealth… Our diversity is our strength.”

Small Business and Education

Terry McAuliffe feels that one of the enormous challenges Virginians face is the limited access to broadband. He stated, as also included on his website, that his vision is to “Get every student online by making a $75 million per year investment in broadband to expand access and lower monthly costs.”

Virginia also struggles with teacher salaries. He stated Virginia ranks last in teacher salaries among the states. McAuliffe states his plan is to raise teacher salaries to above the national average and offer various incentives to teachers to match the competition from surrounding states.

McAuliffe shared a heart-wrenching story about a local elementary school that he visited that is old and infested with rats and bats. The electrical wiring was old, which caused a recent fire, and there was only one student bathroom available. “Folks, it should not depend on where your zip code is to get quality education!” McAuliffe said as he discussed his plans to bring all schools around Virginia to correct standard.

Other topics discussed were minimum wage laws and paid sick leave. McAuliffe shared that his vision includes addressing these issues so that Virginians feel safe and able to work.

Click HERE to learn more about Terry McAuliffe’s vision for reelection to Governor of Virginia