Rob Cardwell CBS 6 Anchor/Reporter

12:15 p.m. EST, January 26, 2012

(WTVR)  Richmond, VA  -  Gov. Bob McDonnell is making some tough decisions.  That was the main theme of the governor’s time on WRVA’s "Ask the Governor" program Thursday morning inside host Jimmy Barrett’s studio in Henrico.  The governor joins WRVA once a month to discuss state issues.

Gov. McDonnell told listeners there isn't enough money in the state's coffers to support all the programs that want a slice of the tax pie, especially with less certainty about federal funding and the number of unemployed Virginians. 

He answered phone calls about a new U.S. 460 taking away from small businesses along the rural connector between Petersburg and the Hampton Roads area of Virginia.  The governor said that proposed toll road will add as much as $500-million in a public-private partnership and create thousands of jobs.

The governor also answered questions about the study to see if selling marijuana out of the state's ABC stores would be feasible.  He doesn’t think the plan has a chance of passing.

Another subject discussed was drilling for oil off the shores of Virginia.  Gov. McDonnell referenced President Obama's State of the Union Address, where Mr. Obama said the country needed an “all-out, all of the above strategy that develops every available source of American energy”.

The governor says there are a lot of things on his agenda this legislative session, especially with the Republicans holding a tie-breaking vote in the state senate.

"I want to fix the DRS system which is underfunded.  I want to have the final fix of our higher education system with an incentive-based funded program formula that creates more slots and less tuition.  I want to reform the K-12 system. I want to improve our transportation maintenance system."

After the program we asked Gov. McDonnell about the proposed bill that would compensate Thomas Haynesworth nearly $800-thousand and if he thought that was enough.  Haynesworth is the Richmond man who spent 27 years behind bars for a rape charge he didn't commit.  The governor said he was sympathetic with what Haynesworth went through, but would let state statutes come up with an appropriate amount.

We also asked the governor about rumors on political blogs that Mitt Romney might ask him to join the ticket as a vice presidential candidate if Romney wins the GOP nomination.

"Listen, I've got the General Assembly in town for 45 more days”, said Gov. McDonnell.  “That's all I can focus on is that and I'm doing a little work nationally as RGA chair.  I'm helping Governor Romeny hopefully become the next president, so hopefully my plate is full.  I'll let everyone else speculate about that.  We don't even have a nominee yet.  That choice is up to them and I'm completely focused on Virginia right now."

Before the WRVA program started this morning, Gov. McDonnell joked that he asked Romney if he really wanted his recent endorsement, reminding Romney that he had endorsed former Senator Fred Thompson back in 2008...and that didn't work out too well.