John Flannery, who launched a write-in campaign against Commonwealth's Attorney James Plowman last week, announced Tuesday, Oct. 30, that he is asking Attorney General Robert McDonnell to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the grand jury investigation of former state Senate candidate Mark D. Tate.
"We tried to give the Commonwealth's Attorney the chance to explain himself," Flannery said. "And he hasn't." - Leesburg Today
It will be very interesting to see whether McDonnell appoints someone to investigate. McDonnell is running for Governor in 2009, and will need Loudoun's Republicans to win against the Democratic nominee (probably Brian Moran or Creigh Deeds), and our local Republican committee may look askance at a candidate who investigated their Commonwealth's Attorney in 2007. It's a wonderful bind, and I commend John Flannery for it. Not only is investigating Jim Plowman with an independent party the right thing to do, it is a shrewd tactical proposition as well.
Remember to write-inJohn P. Flannery on November 6th. That means fill in the bubble next to the blank line under Plowman's name on the ballot, and write "John P. Flannery" on the line next to the bubble.
The local election for Delegate here in Leesburg made the front page of MyDD today. And a very interesting affiliation of Joe May's was brought to light.
"Black Katrina victims are "pestilent vermin." "These leeches will go on to pollute the communities [where] they're relocated" - statement made in 2004 by a Sons of Confederate Veterans President.
"We seek a return to ... a majority European-derived society." Statement made in 2000 by a Sons of Confederate Veterans Executive Council Member - MyDD
For the past five years, we have been represented in the House of Delegates by the Treasurer of an organization with overt, racist policies and leadership. (And just in case Joe May's Assembly biography linked above is "updated" in the next few days, a copy of the page has been preserved.)
Those are not Loudoun values. Joe May must be defeated next Tuesday. Go give Marty Martinez some support.
Kincora is a project by NA Dulles real Estate Investor LLC of Great Falls, VA. The site of this project is located at the southwestern section of the area where Route 28 meets Route 7 (in layman’s terms, if you’re headed towards Dulles Town Center from Lansdowne, it’s just before you get to Route 28 on the right). The parcel is 424 acres, currently zoned as PD-IP (Planned Devlopment – Industrial Park), planned for Keynote Employment use. The property owner wishes to have the parcels rezoned to an office park/town center hybrid. This rezoning would propose almost 5 million square feet of office, hotel, and commercial, and build 1,376 residential multi-family units.
There are numerous problems with this rezoning, starting with the fact that the applicant is proposing 25 zoning ordinance amendments in order to develop the property as proposed. This seems like an inordinate amount of amendments necessary for a project; in fact, zoning administration noted this in the Planning Commission's staff report prepared for this project; a project that PC staff recommended the county reject. ... The Planning Commission approved this project in September, and as part of the Board of Supervisors accelerated hearing process, Kincora will be up for approval on November 14, which just happens to coincide with the night of Lansdowne’s annual HOA meeting. If this project is outrageous to you, please contact Supervisor Lori Waters (mailto:lori.waters@loudoun.gov) and make your opinions known. - Rabble Rouser, Lansdowne...and Out in the Open
One of the recurring questions asked in our national political discourse is "what do Democrats stand for?" It is with great pleasure that a link can be provided, detailing exactlywhat Virginia's Democrats stand for.
We exist as a party to elect Democratic leaders of character, integrity, ability and vision at all levels of government in Virginia. The Democratic Party of Virginia is committed to the goals of practicing fiscal responsibility, ensuring excellence in education, making adequate infrastructure investments, preserving the social safety network, creating economic opportunity for all, and protecting our environment. We are dedicated to defending our constitutionally established rights and freedoms. We work to organize all of our citizens through a democratic government to achieve together those beneficial ends that we cannot achieve individually. We believe, as did our party's founder, Thomas Jefferson, "That government is the strongest of which every man feels a part." - From the Party Platform
In a nutshell, Democrats in Virginia support:
Keeping Virginia Business-Friendly and Creating Economic Opportunity for All of Virginia's Families
Dave Levinsonknows how to take photos of Loudoun County.
(From Dave Levinson's blog, Pastoral, with a tip-o-the-hat to LinkedUp In Loudoun. I pray Dave forgives me for borrowing the photo, and I hope folks will explore his site!)
This morning, Kelly Burk was up at the crack of dawn, talking to Leesburg commuters at the commuter bus stop off of Catoctin Circle. Loudoun County operates commuter buses from Loudoun to DC every morning, and Kelly wanted to talk to them about the service, the new park and ride lot planned for Sycolin Road (with a tip-o-the-hat to Sally Kurtz for her efforts on that development), and see if there were any specific things the Board or County could do to improve the service.
Many of us may not realize just how many of our neighbors use commuter buses from Loudoun County to get to work in the morning. In Leesburg alone, there are thousands of commuters who get up before dawn, stand outside in the dark, and forgo using their cars to get to work. In doing so they reduce traffic and pollution for the rest of us.
In conversations with commuters this morning Council member Burk heard a lot of praise for the Loudoun County bus system, though there were some critiques of buses who departed Leesburg late, and other critiques of buses which were standing-room-only for the hour-plus ride into the District. Other commuters mentioned how the park-and-ride lot and buses have become a lot more popular with the rise in gas prices.
The next Board of Supervisors is going to have to deal with the issue of commuting from Loudoun County, as it is a manifestation of the mixture of development, growth, traffic and financial issues currently at hand in Loudoun. It is good to know that Kelly Burk is willing to get up early to work on these problems for Leesburg.
"Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." - Matthew 25:40
Living in LoCo reports on many excellent details of the Good Shepherd Alliance facility (note: it is not a shelter) opening in Ashburn for our neighbors in need of some help.
Rumor: Homeless people will be living in this facility. Fact: This is not an overnight shelter that will house people. It is a business office with services that include providing food, showers and business equipment to people in need.
Rumor: People will bused in for services. Fact: There will be a public bus stop in front of the center as part of a county-wide transportation system. According to Werner, there is currently a stop about a block away.
Rumor: Details of this project were not disclosed to nearby homeowner associations, the Board of Supervisors or the general public. Fact: There is on-record information for the county that the GSA met with the Board of Supervisors. There are also numerous emails from Broad Run Supervisor Lori Waters from earlier this year explaining the specific functions of the facility to constituents. Waters now appears to oppose it. - Living in LoCo
You can support the Good Shepherd Alliance's efforts to open and operate this needed facility by signing their online petition.
For these reasons and more, we are taking a stand to allow faith and healing, hope and compassion, into our community through the simple presence of a Thrift Store and badly needed administrative office space for a worthy cause and a wonderful non-profit organization serving the needy. Remember, homelessness touches all of our lives. - The GSA Petition
But something said in the article above deserves closer scrutiny: Waters now appears to oppose it..
Lori Waters is in a tough race. But sacrificing neighbors who are in need should never be advocated to win a few extra votes. This is doubly true for candidates of faith who opine on the Christianity of a vote while in office. Politicians who try to climb into office on the backs of the poor and disenfranchised neither deserve our support, nor our vote.
Contrast that with Phyllis Randall. Phyllis Randall has been a strong advocate for her whole community, people of all backgrounds and income levels, throughout her career. She has the support and endorsement of Loudoun's teachers and police. She has proven ability to unite her community and raise it up, together.
Vote for Phyllis Randall in Broad Run next Tuesday.
The Senate is considering a bill that would grant immunity to any telecom company that assisted in the administration's illegal wiretapping. Chris Dodd promised to put a hold on any such bill, and Joe Biden and Barack Obama pledged to uphold it. We believe that any bill coming before the Senate that includes provisions for so-called 'amnesty' for large companies involved in illegally spying on Americans should be opposed, and have authored a letter to this effect addressed to Majority Leader Reid. - The Lefty Blogosphere
It is completely inappropriate for both the government, and the telecom companies to have gambled away our 4th Amendment rights in a secret deal with The Executive.
We are slowly holding the government perpetrators to account, but the only mechanism for holding the corporate perpetrators to account is through the courts. Don't take my word for it, take the word of Robert Kennedy.
But the very concept of retroactive amnesty -- the idea that corporations could break the law and then have Congress pass a special law legalizing their lawbreaking conduct -- was so profoundly offensive to Sen. Robert Kennedy (who had been the Attorney General when the banks broke the law with their mergers), as well as then-Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach, that they engaged in extraordinary efforts to try to put a stop to this Congressional travesty. - Glenn Greenwald
If you are like many other folks who work on computers much of the day, friends and relatives may send you some interesting emails, with anecdotes and observations about certain candidates or events. In the vast majority of cases, these tales are misleading, if not utterly false. The Nation has done a great story on this new method of misinformation.
"A lot of the chain letters that were accusing Al Gore of things in 2000 were recycled in 2004 and changed to Kerry," says John Ratliff, who runs a site called BreakTheChain.org, which, like Snopes, devotes itself to debunking chain e-mails. One e-mail falsely described a Senate committee hearing in the 1980s where Oliver North offered an impassioned Cassandra-like warning about the threat of Osama bin Laden, only to be dismissed by a condescending Democratic senator. Originally it was Al Gore who played the role of the senator, but by 2004 it had changed to John Kerry. "You just plug in your political front-runner du jour," Ratliff says. - The Nation
One side of the political race that culminates on November 6th seems to have an inherent problem with revealing private information to intimidate political opponents. The playbook seems to be "when in trouble, leak the home address and phone number of your opponent, and let your unsavory allies hound them into tears." This is what one side has done all year, from Graeme Frost to Chap Peterson to Milari Madison to a western Loudoun citizen, this practice has become de rigeur for the Grand Old Party this year.
And this brings us all the way back to Greg Ahlemann. Distribution of private information such as Social Security Numbers may be a violation of the Privacy Act. But that did not stop Candidate Ahlemann from disregarding Federal law earlier this year.
Ahlemann distributed copies of the complaint against the motorist to about 100 people at a Republican Party meeting. The complaint contained personal information about the man, a prominent farmer, including his address, birth date and Social Security number. - The Washington Post
With developer corruption, grand jury leaks from the Commonwealth's Attorney, fixed tickets and Privacy Act violations from the Republican candidate for Sheriff, the FBI may need to open a Loudoun County extension office before this is all done.
Loudoun can do better. Vote for honesty, accountability and responsibility on November 6th. Vote Democratic.
(With a tip-o-the hat to Runo who pointed out that the discussion of Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis signs and its reference back to Candidate Ahlemann was a bit disjointed.)
In the discussion of whether some candidates for office in Loudoun County respect the laws they purport to uphold, enter candidate Greg Ahlemann, Republican for Sheriff.
Ahlemann, a pastor's son and former Loudoun deputy who promises to "restore integrity" to the sheriff's office, said he also asked fellow deputies to tear up traffic tickets issued to his friends, but never for offenses more serious than speeding. - The Washington Post
Candidate Ahlemann, who thinks more law enforcement resources and taxpayer money should go towards finding and persecuting the 3-5% of Loudoun Residents who are here but undocumented, sees no problem selectively enforcing traffic laws (misdemeanors) for the benefit of his friends and family. This is the classic manifestation of the "it's not illegal if I do it" mentality, and the polar opposite of the respect for the rule of law required from a Sheriff.
Contrast that with a man who has spent his life enforcing laws and improving law enforcement:
Michael E. George, 54, the Democratic candidate and a former narcotics and gang-unit supervisor in the Fairfax County Police Department, said he never fixed a ticket during 22 years in law enforcement. "It's done, but it's not a sound practice," he said. - The Washington Post
Selective enforcement of the law is at the root of many problems with law enforcement in large cities and beyond. Loudoun County does not need a Sheriff whose own actions contribute to wider national problems. We do not need the debate over racial profiling to come home because our Sheriff fixed tickets for his friends.
Apparently, not all laws are created equal. In Loudoun County's 2007 elections, it must be perfectly acceptable to break the law in some ways in order to have the opportunity to uphold the law in other ways. For some candidates, it's okay to have a double standard, as long as it's applied against an underrepresented minority, and ignored for those already in power.
In Loudoun County, it is illegal to place campaign signs in the median of roads and in public rights of way. It is also illegal to let your work or visitation visa expire if you are not an American citizen. Both are violations of the law, but for some reason, some candidates feel it is okay to violate one law themselves as they decry the violation of another.
It's illegal for campaign signs to immigrate to public rights-of-way, they cross a border without proper authorization, and ruin the quality of our median strips. They make them ugly, and steal resources like sunlight and soil which would otherwise go to the natives of the region, grasses. Sure, they are only there because their circumstances force them to go there. If they stayed at home, they would do no good for their friends and family. They don't really have much choice in the manner, and while they are illegaly in median strips and rights-of-way, they do a lot of good for the people who sent them there. But come on,
What part of "illegal" do these signs not understand?
If the scenario above seems a little contrived, consider that the largest employer of undocumented migrants in the commonwealth, Smithfield Foods, is also one of the largest Republican donor companies in the commonwealth. Consider that the ordinance against political signs in public rights-of-way is well known. That's why there is such a stark transition in signage when you cross the border from Fairfax into Loudoun on Rt 7. Consider that the people who are busy claiming that we need to do something to deal with illegal immigration are the same people who have been in charge of Loudoun's government for four years, but have only now decided this is an important issue.
If some candidates are going to run on a strict definition of following-the-law, they cannot pick and choose which misdemeanors to avoid.
Candidates who choose to break the law in campaigning for office do not deserve the trust of the public for that office.
If anyone receives any election information which reports election day as anything other than November 6th, please let us know in the comments! If it can happen in Fairfax, it can happen here. It's not a long jump to intentional voter confusion if you start from handing out private information like candy.
In late summer, after defeating Simpson for the Republican nomination, Ahlemann distributed copies of the complaint against the motorist to about 100 people at a Republican Party meeting. The complaint contained personal information about the man, a prominent farmer, including his address, birth date and Social Security number.
"That blew my mind," Simpson said. "We give an hour-long program at senior centers and homeowner association meetings about identity theft, and one of the biggest things we talk about is securing your Social Security number."
Ahlemann said he shared a document that was available to the general public. "Anybody could pay 50 cents to the court clerk and get the same document," he said. - The Washington Post (with a tip-o-the-hat to RaisingKaine)
On Friday afternoon a group of progressive bloggers in Virginia joined a conversation with the AFL-CIO about the state of working families in Virginia, and the importance of the 2007 and 2008 elections here. Virginia may not be thought of as a union state, but we do have a number of union companies (Phillip Morris, Wesvaco), and the modern labor movement has aligned its goals closely to the needs and concerns of all workers, not just those traditionally thought of as union workers.
At the core, all people who have a boss have very similar concerns when it comes to work. Healthcare, retirement, job security, workplace safety, time off for those things that are more important than work, every employee, everywhere would agree that these things are important and worth preserving. But these things were only granted to the working population of America at the demand of organized labor. And it is unions who are leading the way in preserving the guarantees that allow a 40 hour a week job to pay for a reasonable way of life.
Unions have a mixed image among some voters. In my own life, the two truly formative experiences with unions happend in New York City. First, when moving into an apartment, we did without running hot water for a weekend because I was told that the union wouldn't allow anyone but the union engineer to turn on the hot water, and he had gone home for the weekend. Second, the Transit Strike of 2005. Needless to say, neither were experiences which initially inclined me to favor unions.
But I later discovered a few things. First, do not trust a landlord when he blames the local union for something, because it usually turns out to be the landlord's fault. In this case, it led to my first experience with activism as I helped lead a rent strike, and wound up trying to organize an entire building. Needless to say, my perspective on the value of collective action and bargaining changed.
Second, my issue is not with unions and labor activism, per se, but with specific union actions from time to time. For example, the Transit Strike of 2005 was illegal. Regardless of the legitimate labor/management issues at point during the contract negotiations, and regardless of whether the union should have the right to strike, that strike was illegal, which puts it outside the realm of standard practice for unions.
Today's unions are much more concerned with the well being of working Americans than any other major issue. Unions stand for healthcare, well-paying jobs, retirement security (which means Social Security), and education.
The biggest single budget item the next Board of Supervisors will face in the coming years; the largest Richmond funding disparity next to transportation; education in Virginia is one of the core issues that the AFL-CIO is working on for 2007.
We are literally walking the walk and talking the talk to support working families on issues that matter. This is about us laying the foundation to elect people that support SCHIP [State Children’s Health Insurance Program], who will fund our children’s schools, and who will fight for workers’ right to organize unions. - Eileen Toback, AFL-CIO political organizer/Voice@Work campaign
The AFL-CIO represents union members, but what is in the best interests of union members is is also in the best interests of non-members. Raising the quality of life for workers helps everyone.
The AFL-CIO wants to elect an Assembly that supports working families. That means working for the election of Democrats in Virginia, and towards that effort the AFL-CIO has made thousands of calls and knocked on thousands of doors. They are doing their part to Turn Virginia Blue. And in the next ten days, we all have the opportunity to do the same.
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If you're interesting in doing more, Working America is a way for individuals to get involved in labor advocacy, without needing to join a workplace union.
Working America, the AFL-CIO community affiliate, is now involved in Northern Virginia, signing up non-union members. They're targeted to talk to 15,000 non-union members by the 2007 election. Working America is based on door-to-door canvassing around issues like health care, jobs, and retirement security. Having this organization allows us to communicate with working people who don't have a union at their job. - The AFL-CIO
Incidentally, for a wonderful example of Republican doublespeak (for example, "Clear Skies" means less corporate oversight and more pollution), check out the "Campaign for Working Families," a Gary Bauer/James Dobson vehicle that seems to think that being anti-choice and pro-business is the same thing as supporting working families. Perhaps the most interesting element is their "Compare the Parties" link, which references officials like "Speaker Dennis Hastert." Apparently the "Campaign for Working Families" thinks that it is still October, 2006.
When discussing reforming the SCC a few days ago, an important data point was missing from the analysis. Former Sen. Charles Waddell has endorsed Marty Martinez's plan to reform the SCC when Marty is elected to the House of Delegates in November.
Marty Martinez has a plan to reform and reorganize the State Corporation Commission, one of the most powerful bodies in Virginia today. The SCC has a history of giving corporations such as Dominion Power about anything they ask for, all at the expense of the Virginia consumer and worker.
At issue now is Dominion Power’s refusal to put power lines underground. Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike agree on this environmental need, but Dominion Power stubbornly refuses, to the extent that even Republican Congressman Frank Wolf calls the company “arrogant.”
Marty Martinez, in his candidacy for the House of Delegates from the 33rd District, has pledged he will work for legislation to change the SCC and make it responsible to the people of Virginia and of Loudoun and Clarke Counties. This is a change long overdue. Even the name needs to be changed -- many states call their regulatory bodies Public Service Commissions. The Virginia SCC’s very title says it’s concerned with corporations, not people. ... Marty Martinez will fight for these changes and for our best interests. He will oppose abuse by powerful corporations such as Dominion Power. That is one of the reasons I support and endorse Marty Martinez to be my delegate. His opponent has never taken the lead and worked seriously to change the SCC. That alone is reason not to reelect Joe May, who likes to call the SCC members “judge,” an honorific title awarded only by admirers, instead of the legal title of commissioner.
It's time for change. We need to change the SCC. We need to change our delegate. - Charles Waddell, in The Loudoun Times-Mirror
Marty Martinez will represent us in Richmond, vote for Marty on November 6th.
Marty Martinez, candidate for the House of Delegates in the 33rd District running against Joe May, took a few minutes out of his very busy schedule to answer four questions from Leesburg Tomorrow. Many thanks to Council member Martinez for doing so.
What is the most important issue facing Loudoun that our Delegate should address?
Transportation.
How should we deal with the issues of traffic and transportation in Loudoun?
We cannot pave our way to a solution. In a fragment of the amount of time it would take to invest in rail, we can have a real bus network up and running throughout the 33rd district with discounts for senior citizens and veterans. Pouring more dollars into our road infrastructure is only step one. We also need to encourage reverse commuting to undo the massive area bottlenecks and offer telecommuting as a solution.
How can our Delegate help the County deal with the rising costs of schools and education?
Ensure that funding education is a priority. Work to change the funding formula to direct more Northern Virginia dollars are direct to Northern Virginia.
There has been a lot of discussion about Dominion and power lines, what can our Delegate actually do about this if the SCC and Federal Government have pre-empted so much action on this issue?
We can petition our state and federal elected officials, as well as the governor, both to reverse this decision, force the undergrounding of power lines if they must be built, and, alternatively, have the area in question declared a federal heritage area. We are not without recourse and I will be the principle advocate of the needs of our community.
There is a story in LoudounExtra about developers pushing a large and varied number of applications through the County planning process in the hopes of getting them approved before a new Board takes office.
Developers and other companies are rushing to have their projects approved by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors before the end of the year, fearing a shift to a slow-growth board after the Nov. 6 election could hamper their plans.
In the six weeks between the election and the end of the term, the board is expected to consider more than 50 items, so many that at least one extra public hearing has been scheduled to get through them. Not all the items involve development, but the meeting agendas include six controversial cellphone towers and three large developments that could add thousands of homes to the county.
Plowing through 50 items in that period is unprecedented, and the timing of some of the more contentious projects is suspicious, said board Chairman Scott K. York (I).
“I think that some of this stuff — not all of it — has been put on hold by the applicant for the pure purpose to end up after the election but to be voted on before the end of this board’s term,” he said. - LoudounExtra
The question is whether the Board will side with the residents, who have shown a clear desire for controlled, smart growth, or the developers who fund them. There are surely some good developments among the 50 pending review, as observed by Sally Kurtz, "Good projects are going to be good projects even though they have public scrutiny. When they are controversial and appear to be rushed through, you’ve got to wonder." (quoted in the LoudounExtra article)
Some of these projects will directly impact our lives here in Leesburg, as the traffic to the East of town may be widely affected.
And not to be outdone, Thursday’s Washington Post also informed us that McLean Bible Church, the mega-congregation located just outside of Tyson’s Corner on Route 7, is planning to lease space for Sunday morning services at the Prison Fellowship Building on Woodridge Parkway (just down the street from the Lansdowne Resort). Granted, it is only Sunday traffic, but if anyone has tried to negotiate traffic in Tyson’s when the church is letting out, the snarls there can rival the worst rush-hour gridlock. - Lansdowne...and Out in the Open
Will the Board be able to truly consider the merits of all of these applications in the time remaining in its term? Will they be able to solicit and internalize the public comments which are so vital to our system of local government? Or will they adhere merely to the letter of the law, and leave the next Board with four dozen approved developments to manage?
Will the Republicans once again leave a giant mess for the Democrats to clean up?
It is important to note that the Democrats running for Board of Supervisors are not against any development, they are against rushed development, bad development, and developers who seek to make deals and solicit promises in the back rooms of Loudoun. There is no question that we are a growing county, with growing needs, and that means investment in our physical infrastructure: buildings, roads, facilities, schools and the like. Those investments are going to be built by private companies - developers - and done correctly, will benefit Loudoun residents for generations to come.
The issue is doing development well. The Democratic party is the party of responsible, accountable government, and our candidates for Board of Supervisors stand for responsible, accountable development.
We have reason to have faith in the future of America. We have reason to believe we might yet recover from the nadir in our Republic that is the Bush Administration.
Over at Open Left Chris Bowers picks out an interesting tidbit from the poll: Republicans actually run third behind Clinton and Colbert among younger voters, a truly remarkable development.
The remarkable thing is not that Colbert beats the Republicans among young voters, it is that Democrats beat Colbert among young voters.
On issues like gay marriage, we will win, thanks to time. In the words of President Bartlett "Demographics are destiny, and the kids don't care." Young people are Democratic, their population is growing, and their (our?) values of tolerance and self-directed help for others are closely aligned with the principles for which the Democratic Party stands.
In honor of one of my favorite new corners of the Internet, The Scofflaw's Den, I offer my own contribution to the land of libations.
The Orange Vest 0.5 oz Peach Schnapps 0.5 oz Amaretto 0.5 oz Bourbon (note: not Jack Daniels, please!)
This drink was conceived in honor of UVa's trip to the Peach Bowl in 1995. It is quite sweet, and can be balanced into a full drink with the addition of Coca Cola.
The Loudoun County Democrats are excited and enthusiastic about our candidates for election on November 6th. The last big political event of the year is coming up, and it isn't what you expect.
The Leesburg Halloween Parade is the longest running Halloween parade in the Commonwealth, and always yields a big turn out in local officials. Last year, Democrats (such as myself) had the distinct pleasure of being able to shout "Go Jim Webb!" as then-Senator Allen walked by, with a sheepish look on his face. This year, a remarkable slate of Democrats will be marching together in the parade (starting at 6pm on North King Street in Leesburg, by the entrance to Ida Lee), marching to take back Loudoun from the corrupt and arrogant Board majority currently in control. Together with the candidates, teams of volunteers will also be marching and handing out candy to the children who line the parade route.
This parade is a big deal in Loudoun. Last year, the lack of enthusiasm for George Allen could be felt along the route a week before the election, and Jim Webb went on to win his Senate seat in part because of his victory in Loudoun County. This year, Loudoun votes will help make the difference in returning the Assembly to the Democrats, as Jay Donahue, Bruce Roemmelt, and Marty Martinez, along with Karen Schultz in Senate district 27 turn four seats from Red to Blue.
Part of the key to the parade, and driving enthusiasm and turnout on election day in Loudoun, is crowd support. While many of us will be marching in the parade, we also need people in the crowds cheering for our candidates as they walk by. Enthusiasm is contagious, as is voting Democratic. So if you live within driving distance of Leesburg, come to the parade and cheer us on!
Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott York has endorsed five challengers in this year's elections: Kelly Burk, Jeanne West, Andrea McGimsey, Stevens Miller, Susan Buckley.
There is a practical majority looking for change in County Government, change for the better.
Even as Supervisors debate moving the county government from Leesburg, the Town continues to basically subsidize the county recreation budget. The Town of Leesburg is responsible for the management and operation of Ida Lee Recreation Center, but County residents are offered full privileges at the center for the same price as Town residents. This arrangement was put in place when Ida Lee was built, and the agreement between the Town and the County is set to expire on January 1, 2009.
Town Agreement with Loudoun County for Use of Ida Lee Recreation Center The Town and Loudoun County have both named a group who will sit down to discuss the relationship going forward allowing County residents to use Ida Lee Rec Center at the same price schedule as Town residents. The agreement establishing that relationship was made in 1998 for a period of 20 years, which will end January 1, 2009. At that point, County residents may be required to pay a different price scale to use the facility. The driver on this issue is a long range plan to potentially expand Ida Lee Rec Center to the tune of $15 million. If County residents are able to continue to use Ida Lee, there will be a need for expansion of the facility. If County resident usage declines (due to higher prices for County residents and a potential drop-off in County usage) or is no longer allowed, the need to expand Ida Lee will not be an issue and therefore not an expense (or as great an expense) for the Town to incur. - Vice Mayor Susan Horne, in an update to her constiutents in Woodlea Manor
Parks and Recreation is a major issue for County residents west of Leesburg. At the LWV debate lat month, residents of Western Loudoun asked the candidates about the stalled status of parks, fields and recreation facilities in Western Loudoun. To date, the primary, full-service, public recreation center available for western Loudoun is Ida Lee, in Leesburg.
The good news is that the Town and the County are talking, and talking early, about what it will take to insure the needs of the Town, and western Loudoun residents, are both met in a new, fair deail.
Members of the Leesburg Parks & Recreation Commission met with representatives from the county parks and recreation department Saturday to discuss the pending expiration of the 1990 town/county agreement that prevents Leesburg from charging higher user rates for out-of-town customers at Ida Lee Park. Citing the need to not catch Ida Lee users off guard, the town and county have already begun talks about whether that type of deal would continue. - Leesburg Today
The bad news is the Town and the County have differing ideas about how to accommodate those needs.
Dentler said that, if the town and county make a new agreement, an expansion to the recreation center would be necessary to keep up with the growing population of the county.
"Within two years of the 2002 expansion the recreation center was built out," Dentler said. "We thought it would take 10 years. We would need to expand the building another 50,000 square feet," to continue to accommodate county and town residents.
Dentler said that another potential expansion could cost around $20 million. The 2002 expansion, which totaled $9 million, was paid for exclusively by the town.
But county representatives cited financial concerns, and say that they have not allotted money for a recreation center comparable to Ida Lee in their 10-year plan. County parks and recreation department director Diane Ryburn said that the Claude Moore Recreation Center in Sterling and two others set to open in the coming years could give county residents more options. - Leesburg Today
In order for Ida Lee to continue serving the (growing) resident population of western Loudoun, the facilities would need to expand. In order to do this, money must be made available. If the County would be willing and able to fund an expansion, the rates for County residents at Ida Lee could remain the same as Leesburg residents. If the County is unwilling to fund an expansion, then rates for non-Town residents using Ida Lee would have to increase. Considering the fact that the Town funded the last expansion entirely on its own, and did not increase the fees to non-Town residents to do so, County residents received, in effect, a "free ride" on town Taxpayer expense.
In this manner has Leesburg effectively subsidized County recreation for the past few years. Some of the cost of parks and recreation which would otherwise have been borne by the County, have been borne by Leesburg.
(Incidentally, this is another area in which the Leesburg Supervisor, Jim Clem, has shown neither leadership, nor care for the Town's taxpayers.)
The Town has shown leadership in stating, up front, that the Council's preference is for the rates to remain the same for County residents, and by starting the negotiations for a new agreement fourteen months in advance of the expiration of the current agreement. If the County has no budget for western recreation, and no budget to fund an expansion of Ida Lee, then it is the County's responsibility if rates must increase for County residents at Ida Lee.
It will be interesting to hear if Jim Clem and Frank Holtz have anything to say on this issue.
The beginning of a solution to the Town/County divide is available to Leesburg's residents: elect Kelly Burk to the Board of Supervisors. On the Board, Kelly will use her experience from the Town Council to bridge the gap between the Town of Leesburg and Loudoun County. She as already proven her ability to do so in the creation of a joint committee with Town and County residents to review water rates for non-Town residents served by Town water. This kinda of collaborative, practical problem-solving is what we need to bring to the Board of Supervisors.
I want to provide a link to a great piece on Loudoun County Traffic. There, it is explained where to complain about traffic and lights here in Loudoun.
Well Jim M., according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, you can send non-emergency traffic information to their online "traffic complaint form" where you can submit info about traffic lights, speeding, stop signs or other traffic complaints. You even get to submit the location and a detailed description. - Loudoun County Traffic
Loudoun Traffic also provides a link to the complaint form.
Write-in campaigns invariably face remarkable obstacles and rarely succeed, but sometimes an incumbent is so in need of replacement, a write-in campaign catches fire and succeeds. It is possible Jim Plowman is just such an incumbent.
John P. Flannery, a Leesburg attorney and former chairman of the Loudoun County Democratic Committee, announced today his write-in candidacy to become the county’s top prosecutor. Until now, Commonwealth’s Attorney James E. Plowman has been unopposed for reelection.
Flannery said he decided to challenge Plowman last week after a judge dismissed charges against a former state Senate candidate accused of falsifying his campaign finance statements. Mark D. Tate was indicted by a grand jury three weeks before the June Republican primary. - LoudounExtra
John P. Flannery is a superior candidate for Commonwealth's attorney. His experience as a Federal Prosecutor will serve Loudoun well. His dedication to making sure the right people are caught and prosecuted, is an asset of critical importance in these times when politcians seek to demonize the undefended to gain political points.
For example, this is from a letter he wrote to the Washington Post in 2005.
When I was sworn in as a federal prosecutor, I was instructed, in the words of former Supreme Court Justice George Sutherland, that the prosecuting attorney "may prosecute with earnestness and vigor -- indeed, he should do so. But, while he may strike hard blows, he is not at liberty to strike foul ones. It is as much his duty to refrain from improper methods calculated to produce a wrongful conviction as it is to use every legitimate means to bring about a just one."
Sadly, Virginia is not unique in disregarding those sage words. But the remedy is clear. Virginia should put an end to ambush prosecutions and to the prosecutorial practice of withholding evidence, especially evidence exclusively within the government's control. Defendants deserve to know about witnesses who have deals with the government and anything else that sheds light on their guilt or innocence. Defendants should also have a right to depose witnesses before trial, to avoid surprise at trial. Finally, evidence of a crime should never be destroyed while the person is awaiting execution or is incarcerated. These are matters of simple justice -- but it is justice that so far has been elusive in Virginia. - John P. Flannery
This man deserves to beat the odds and be our next Commonwealth's Attorney in Loudoun County.
If nothing else, I bet he fixes the link to the Loudoun Commonwealth's Attorney site on the Loudoun Government website.
If you need more evidence of why we need people like John Flannery in our Justice system, just read this.
[update] RaisingKaine has the detailed story. It includes John's FOIA request for Jim Plowman's records on the case.
Leesburg Today reports that Frank Holtz, who is currently the campaign manager for Jim Clem, will be running for Leesburg Town Council next year.
Although voters working to sort through the campaign rhetoric for next month's local election, one Leesburg resident already is looking ahead to May's municipal balloting.
Frank Holtz, a 12-year Leesburg [sic, Leesburg Today probably meant "Leesburg Resident" -P13], today became the first candidate to announce his candidacy for a town council seat. - Leesburg Today
This begs two questions.
1. Why is Frank Holtz announcing his own campaign before the campaign he's working on is even over? And what does that say about his priorities?
2. Will Frank Holtz run his own campaign against the Town the way he has run Jim Clem's campaign against the Town?
The State Corporation Commission (SCC) is the latest government entity to be raised as a scapegoat for problems that the current Assembly leadership brought upon themselves. This time, the SCC was excoriated for its oversight of the company that operates the Dulles Greenway. Today, the SCC hit back.
The chairman of Virginia's State Corporation Commission has rebuffed a request by a state House candidate to suspend toll increases approved for the Dulles Greenway. ... Morrison said the SCC only has jurisdiction over the local operator — Toll Road Investors Partnership II (TRIP II) — not over its investors.
"This is exactly the same way our regulation of all public service corporations is accomplished," he wrote. "For example, we regulate the rates and service of Virginia Electric and Power Company, but we cannot and do not analyze or consider the finances of its beneficial owner, Dominion Resources Inc., in fulfilling our regulatory responsibilities." - LoudounExtra
Under existing legislation, the SCC limits its oversight to the entity operating the public asset, and usually ignores the ownership behind that entity. Thus, the entity operating the Greenway, TRIPP II, can be operating at a loss, leading to the approval of higher tolls, even if the Australian parent company is itself profitable. The SCC has in fact done its duty in acting within the law and avoiding an expensive lawsuit against the state, which would have been a likely outcome if the toll increases had been denied.
The SCC only exercises as much authority as the Assembly grants it. For the past eight years, the Republicans have been in control of both houses of the Assembly, and have had numerous opportunities to give the SCC direction and authority to look more deeply into the companies that own the enities that provide Virginia public goods such as insurance, power and roads. The Republican Assembly, in their wisdom, has chosen to keep the SCC limited in its oversight powers, and not incidentally, the Republican Attorney General, Bob McDonnell is able to use his independent authority to investigate the Australian parent company.
In fact the Republican Assembly has previously sought to eviscerate the important oversight function that the SCC provides, and was only prevented from doing so by a veto from Governor Kaine earlier this year.
The Governor vetoed House Bill 1755, which would eliminate the requirement that the State Corporation Commission approve the acquisition or disposal of the assets or control of a telephone company.
“Such a change would represent a significant deviation from established practice and remove an important layer of oversight that the SCC has long exercised to protect Virginia customers,” said Governor Kaine. “Access to telephone service continues to be vital for residents across the Commonwealth, and it is imperative that we act reasonably to ensure that this access is not diminished. - Governor Kaine Announces Action on General Assembly Legislation
The SCC should be given the flexibility and authority to broaden its oversight and investigation of the companies that deliver public goods and services to Virginians. Health insurance, electrical power and transportation are critical issues facing Virginia, and the state needs more, not less, information about the companies that drive so much of the action in these areas. This is not a call for more regulation, merely more transparancy and more information on which rational and effective public policy an be based. Transparency and disclosureonly comes from active legal tools and entities dedicated to informing the public.
These limits on the SCC have a wide impact. For example, Leesburg Tomorrow discussed the regulation of electricity in Virginia in the Greenway posting on October 17th. Since then, the SCC has graciously clarified the state of electrical regulation in Virginia. My thanks to the hardworking state employees who do their best to make sure the facts are accurate in discussions of public policy.
And so, a clarification of the state of electrical regulation in Virginia.
In the latest legislative session, The General Assembly ended the availability of electrical competition, due to the lack of competitive rates and vendors entering the market after it was deregulated. The Assembly chose to pass a bill providing a modified form of re-regulation of the electrical market in Virginia. This new monitoring and regulation by the SCC creates incentives for conservation and diversity, instead of mandating rate-of-return profitability. However, the structure and nature of these incentives were suggested by the utilities themselves (read: Dominion Power), and were accepted by the Assembly.
During the debate over this bill, the SCC told the Assembly that the new model would be likely to mean higher electrical rates than traditional rate-of-return regulation. The Assembly chose to approve the new model. After amending the bill to increase incentives for conservation and clean generation, Governor Kaine signed it into law.
It is simply remarkable that the Supervisor who appeared so incensed when he failed to get his majority colleagues on the Board to vote against push-polling would associate himself with Jill Holtzman-Vogel, a candidate who was involved in electoral dirty tricks in Pennsylvania. It is remarkable that a Supervisor who claims to be in favor of public debates between opponents is associating with a candidate who has failed to debate so regularly. It is remarkable that Jim Clem would choose to take money from the same people as a candidate who sought to restrict free speech as the chief counsel for the RNC in 2004.
It is the end of the campaign, and the true colors of Jim Clem are beginning to show. Follow the money to Jim Clem's real friends.
Exactly three weeks from an election that will determine the future of development in Loudoun County, County Chairman Scott York has stepped down from his position with the developer Service Star. Leesburg Today has the story:
County Chairman Scott K. York (R-At Large) confirmed today that he is leaving his position as executive vice president with Service Star Development Company.
York said that he is wrapping up work this week on pending projects. The firm is based in Colorado and York was responsible for projects in the Mid-Atlantic region.
York's employment with the company, which developed two retail centers in Loudoun, has given rise to allegations that his elected position helped the company clear regulatory hurdles in connection with one Ashburn project, a charge he called "absurd." - Leesburg Today
Scott York has grown in office as Chairman, and withstood adversity when his powers were stripped by Bruce Tulloch, Jim Clem, Eugene Delgaudio, Stephen Snow and Mick Staton. From a backround in real estate, he has come to stand against the excesses in development in Loudoun to the point where he is strongly endorsed by Voters for Loudoun's Future. Today, he took a remarkable step away from the developers and towards the citizens by giving up his job with a company that has been involved in two relatively minor shopping center developments in Loudoun.
Given the appearance of conflict which could be interpreted by York's employment by Service Star, he should be commended for resigning from that company. It is remarkable to note that when questioned on the ethics of his employment, Chairman York quit his full-time job, even after repeatedly recusing himself from votes and discussions which may impinge on his employer, rather than let such a potential conflict stand. Meanwhile, the Gang of Five continues to take money from developers, and vote on issues that impact those developers' business.
In American democracy, the voters are asked to select the better of two options. The system is based on the idea of balancing interests. Given the choice between Mike Firetti and Scott York, the choice is clear. York for Chairman.
The new design is intended to make it easier for users to find the information they want, and to give the website a fresher, more attractive look.
As part of the redesign process, the county website has converted to a content management system that will enable the county to add new information to the website more efficiently, and will allow for more interactivity with users.
We are making every effort to make the transition to the new design occur as smoothly as possible. But if you need to report broken links or any other functions that are not working properly, please e-mail the Loudoun County Webmaster. - Loudoun County website
Leesburg Tomorrow would like to report that almost all of our links have been broken by this change. These links provided crucial primary source evidence for so many of the issues and positions discussed here.
At a minimum, old links should still route to some kind of "sorry, search here" page on the Loudoun County website, instead of returning a "404 not found" error, which is what they do now.
This utterly unscientific and therefore nearly worthless poll does illustrate an interesting point. Though the actual percentage of undocumented migrants in Loudoun County is somewhere between 3% and 5%, a large plurality of poll respondents believe the number to be much higher than that (5% or above).
Thus, people are grouping the documented migrant population with the undocumented migrant population, and in doing so judging people by group and not by individual.
There is an almost throwaway story in the news this morning about The Executive's promotion of recreational fishing and Executive Order limiting commercial fishing of two popular types of sport fish. It was the subject of his weekly radio address, and today he is taking a recreational fishing trip on the Chesapeake.
After the bruising political battles over SCHIP of the past few weeks, it may seem odd that the President is taking such a sharp turn from that issue towards one as mundane as recreational fishing. And such a turn from such a calculating adminstration is enough to make us wonder whether something fishy is going on. (The jokes only get worse folks.)
With Bush's approval rating continuting to crater through historic lows, the narrowness of Bush's success at scuttling an override of his SCHIP veto must have served as a wake-up call to this, the most politically tone-deaf administration in years. Only 13 votes stand between President Bush and relative political irrelevance. At times like these it is critical for a President to shore up his base. Without the support of a fixed minority, the President will be unable to sustain the 1/3 + 1 support in the House of Representative he needs to obstruct progress on national priorities like Iraq, health insurance and civil liberties.
And that brings the discussion back to fish. During the 2004 election, when every news outlet in America was looking to get an interview with President Bush, (and he was turning them down) one relatively obscure network got a 1 hour exclusive with the President: The Outdoor Life Network (which has since becom Versus).
Bush goes fishing for votes on OLN
Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Aug 10, 2004 by David Bauder Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Roland Martin reeled in a big one for his weekly fishing show on the Outdoor Life Network.
Baiting a hook beside him on a dock in Crawford, Texas, was President Bush, whose leisurely afternoon casting for bass was chronicled for "Fishing With Roland Martin" in an episode that first aired on Friday. (It re-airs Wednesday and Thursday at 4:30 p.m. MDT.) - Deseret News
For The Executive, the relationship between fishing and the SCHIP veto is immediate and obvious. All President Bush needs to do is retain enough support from voters in a handful of critical Congressional districts to allow those Republicans in Congress to keep sustaining his vetoes. But there is a floor below which his approval ratings cannot be allowed to fall, for fear of losing even those handful of Republicans necessary to sustain his vetoes.
And so the President issues an extremely targeted, extremely political Executive Order, and goes fishing on the Chesapeake for a day. The President's objective is not conservation of a natural resource, nor drawing attention to an issue, but rather the objective of goosing up his approval rating a few percentage points in a few key Congressional districts so that those Republicans will continute to sustain his vetoes and stand in the way of progress.
The Executive knows that it will not take much for someone to swing from 49% "like" to 51% "like," and that is all it takes to swing a disapprove to approve in some polls. And The Executive also knows that a mind can be nudged by a reminder of why so many of his voters liked him in the first place. Perhaps a few thousand recreational fisherman will think differently about the President on Monday, and perhaps that is all it will take.
We are lucky, however, that for all the President's targeted politics with this effort, we are rewarded with the ability to counter. The President is going fishing this weekend, fishing for approval, and fishing for support.
Let's all remember what happened the last time he went fishing.
Anchor of Bush's fishing boat gets stuck KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine (AP) — President Bush's presidency is stuck in low gear. On Sunday, his fishing boat was stuck on stop.
Fellow Republicans may not be rushing to rescue his legislative agenda, but the Secret Service bailed Bush out of a jam when his boat anchor got wedged in rocks along the Atlantic Coast. - USA Today
With his approval sinking ever lower after his veto, the image of The Executive ship wedged and sinking is only more apt.
There's news from LoudounExtra that Dick Black (of "BlackOut" fame) is seriously considering a run for the 1st District Congressional seat held until recently by Jo Ann Davis.
Richard H. Black, a conservative Republican from Loudoun County who served four terms in the Virginia House of Delegates, said today that he has rented a house in Fredericksburg and is considering a run for U.S. Congress.
Black said he expects to announce soon his bid to fill the 1st Congressional District seat that was held by Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R), who died Oct. 7 of breast cancer. Her successor will be selected in a special election that has not yet been scheduled. - LoudounExtra
Dick Black was defeated in 2005 by Delegate Dave Poisson, thus replacing a conservative ideologue, who made opposition to a woman's right to choose the cornerstone of his political philosophy, with a Democrat dedicated to such issues as the well-being of our troops.
Here's an exceprt of what the 1st District has to expect from this candidate.
Delegate Black also spends time in the interview repeating the discredited claims of one of his star witnesses, pseudo-sociologist Paul Cameron. Black said, "The fact [sic] is, in children that have a homosexual parent, approximately 29% of children are molested by that parent. That contrasts with .6 percent of normal parents....a 50 to 1 increase in risk for molestation." No reputable scientific study backs up these claims. Black continues by saying, "No structure is more unstable than a homosexual relationship." - Democracy for Virginia
The 1st District can do a lot better than a man who makes things up to support his ideology.
It has been widely reported that Congress is only viewed favorably by 11% of Americans today. That is a shameful, horrible figure. What is worse is the fact that it is at least partially the result of the narrative about Congress that has been constructed in the past five years. It is impossible for Congress to get a fair shake, no matter what they do, because the narrative constructed about Congressional "inaction" does not account for the fact that "inaction" is the essence of our system of government. Until a majority of Americans are reminded that there are limits on Congressional action, just as there are (or should be) limits on Presidential action, Congressional approval will always lag Presidential approval, and horribly so.
The news media is inherently biased towards action and conflict. Action and conflict sell papers and retain eyeballs, and typically precedes accuracy in reporting. This is the reason that political reporting is so focused on horse races. Policies and facts are merely important, not interesting. Congress, as an institution is fundamentally a place where action and conflict are diluted and restrained. It runs on deliberation and incrementalism.
Thus, in the interest of selling papers and ads on television, media coverage of our government will always have an inherent bias towards the Executive branch, due to the fact that that branch has far more freedom of action and capability for conflict than the legislative branch.
The "slow, obstructionist Congress" narrative operates regardless of the reality of circumstances. For example, did you know that our Democratic Congress is on pace to call over 1000 roll call votes this year? The House of Representatives has already broken the 1978 record for votes (942).
Democrats say they're living up to promises made during the 2006 campaign, when they said they would worker harder, remain in session more days and hold more votes on American priorities.
“Not only did we finish the work the previous Congress left undone, we advanced our new direction agenda, with nearly 70 percent of our key measures receiving significant bipartisan support," said Kristie Greco, spokesman for House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.). - Politico.com
By the standards set during the Republican Congress of the Bush Administration, the present Congress has been remarkably active in doing the people's business. But this fact lies buried in a corner blog of a political website.
Furthermore, Congress has been doing more because that is what Americans say they want.
The voters support more programs and help for people who cannot help themselves. And that is what the Democratic Congress has been doing.
Recent successes include passage of the Student Loan Bill, implementing all the 9/11 Commission Recommendations, returning the proper role of the Senate to the appointment of U.S. Attorneys, raising the minimum wage, funding quality treatment of our wounded soldiers and funding water projects that have gone unfunded throughout the Bush administration. - Leesburg Tomorrow, September 13, 2007
Instead of reports about the bills which have passed, become law, and are on their way to making the lives of Americans a little bit easier, the narrative is focused on those two or three areas which retain the drama of action and conflict: Iraq and now SCHIP.
It is undeniable that Congress should be acting to mitigate the evils to which our excursion into Iraq trend. On this, the most critical issue before our country, Congress has been too timid. (We can only be grateful that Senator Jim Webb is speaking for the Virginians serving abroad with force and authority.)
But to say Congress should be acting is not the same as saying the Democratic Leadership has done nothing. On the contrary, the Democratic Leadership in Congress has led on the issues critical to Iraq. In fact, a majority in Congress has voted, many times, to reduce our role in Iraq, scale back the mission, or at a minimum, allow our soldiers as much time at home as they spend abroad. In each case, the Republicans blocked progress. In fact, the Republicans have blocked progress more frequently than any Congressional minority in history. (Including one Senator with more than 100 holds.) The Democratic Leadership has been able to lead on important issues and pass important bills, in spite of the monolithic obstruction of the Republican minority.
If there is a narrative which is in concert with the facts it is that of overcoming remarkable opposition and adversity to do the business of the American people.
But that narrative does not sell advertising.
And so, even as the news is dominated for the next day by the failure to override President Bush's SCHIP veto, please take notice of how many times the override is explained in terms of the missing Republican votes in the House of Representatives. Please listen closely to hear if the story explains that an overwhelming majority in Congress voted in favor of this bill, multiple times, but a handful of obstructionist Republicans stood in the way of childrens' health insurance. And as you do that, please listen for any indication that the media makes note of the fact that this bill could have easily become law, insuring the children, if only President Bush had been willing to compromise.
Rather, the coverage will read like this:
House Democrats were unable Thursday to override President Bush's veto of their pre-election year effort to expand a popular government health insurance program to cover 10 million children.
The bill had bipartisan support but the 273-156 roll call was 13 votes short of the two-thirds that majority supporters needed to enact the bill into law over Bush's objections. The bill had passed the Senate with a veto-proof margin. - The Associated Press, via NPR
Nevermind that there was a strong bipartisan majority and the Democrats were able to muster unity in their caucus to override the veto. Nevermind that it was actually the failure of the Republicans to muster enough votes for a veto. This is a failure of "House Democrats." Nevermind that Congress has voted dozens of times, through committees and hearings and procedural motions, to move this program forward, to fund it, and to make it the law of the land. This is a failure of "House Democrats." Because the 11% narrative must be maintained.
But at the end of the day, the override failed because the system worked the way it is supposed to work. The rights of the minority were retained, the passions of the moment were diluted and Congress forced into more deliberation. And that is the narrative which is missing from our national media discourse.
Glenn Smith gets the last word.
Of course, it would be as damaging to idealize the legislative branch as it is to hero-worship a president. Congress is not a team, it is a meeting place for competing teams, and so its actions are, by design, contentious and argumentative. In this context, it is supposed to produce "good enough" laws and inhibit tyrannies of either majorities or minorities. It should be responsive enough that all of us can consent to its decisions even as we might work passionately to overturn them. - The Rockridge Institute
RaisingKaine is running a fundraiser right now by which the RaisingKaine PAC will match $1000 across some state candidates, depending on which candidates raise money in the next seven days.
We're heading into the home stretch of the 2007 election season, and it's time for one last netroots fueled fundraising drive. This time, Raising Kaine is putting its money where its mouth is -- you guys make donations to candidates listed on the RK Act Blue page (or at the Donation Station) over the next 7 days, and RK will match the first $1,000 and donate it to eight of the candidates.
How is this grand going to be doled out? RK will split the match evenly among eight candidates. Which eight? Well, that's another place where you all come in -- let us know who you want us to give the money to and we'll take that strongly into account. Thanks. The bottom line: let's give our candidates a little push heading into the last couple weeks leading up to November 6. Every little bit will help in this important election, so please give what you can! - Lowell at RaisingKaine
Marty Martinez and Karen Schultz are two of the candidates RK is supporting, and donations can be made in any amount, using a credit card. So go on over and give $20 to Karen and (or) Marty. This year it makes a difference, so this year, go make a difference!
Here in Leesburg, we have many people with very long commutes to and from their jobs. It's the nature of the beast when you live in suburbia. But that does not mean you have to add stopping to vote onto your commute on November 6th. A long commute is a perfectly valid reason to vote absentee in advance of the polling on November 6th.
If you are a commuter or for other reasons can not make it to the polls on Nov 6th you can VOTE NOW. The registrar’s office will take your word on the commuting time and require no additional verification other than your signature that you will not be available to vote on Nov 6th. So if there is a chance you might have to work late and miss voting, VOTE NOW!
Check out the Saturdays you can vote Absentee in CASCADES at the LIBRARY in addition to the office in Leesburg. Thom Beres Chair, LCDC
The Loudoun County Voter Registration Office will offer extended hours for absentee voting for the November 6, 2007, general election.
Beginning Monday, October 22, through Friday, November 2, the Voter Registration Office at 801 Sycolin Road, S.E., Suite 102, Leesburg, will be open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., and on Saturday, October 27, and Saturday, November 3, from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Beginning October 22, absentee voting services also will be offered at the Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling (near the Cascades Library) Monday through Friday, from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., and on Saturday, October 27, and Saturday, November 3, from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 3, is the last day to vote an absentee ballot in person for the upcoming election.
Anyone voting an absentee ballot by mail must submit their complete Absentee Ballot Application by Tuesday, October 30. Applications can be submitted by mail, fax or e-mail.
Anyone who will be away at school, out of town on Election Day - on business, personal business or vacation - is eligible to apply for an absentee ballot. Anyone with a physical disability or illness or who is the caregiver of someone who has a disability or illness may apply for an absentee ballot. Anyone who will be working and commuting to and from home for eleven or more hours between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. can also vote by absentee ballot.
So if you commute, consider voting Absentee for this year's election. It's an "off-year" election, and every vote counts!
Soon the U.S. Congress will vote on whether to override President Bush's veto of SCHIP legislation. There are five Virginia Representatives who are currently planning on voting against the veto override, and in so doing vote against healthcare for children. This is a real issue, today, in our grand Old Dominion.
The Number of Virginia Residents Without Health Insurance Increased 191,000 From 1999-2000 to 2005-2006. The number of Americans without health insurance totaled 47.0 million in 2006, up 8.6 million since President Bush took office. During the 2005-2006 period, an average of 978,000 Virginia residents, 13.1 percent of the state’s population, had no health insurance – 191,000 more than during the 1999-2000 period. Furthermore, the number of Virginia’s uninsured children amounted to 9.3 percent of the state’s population under the age of 18. - The U.S. Congress, Joint Economic Committee
When nearly one in ten children in Virginia goes without health insurance, the costs and risks of sick children in our community are too high. One in ten children means that two or three kids in each of your child's classes may be undertreated for such common ailments as chicken pox, bronchitis or mononucleosis. Uninsured children is a public health concern, and opposition to the most basic form of coverage for all children, SCHIP, is simply irresponsible.
The argument against SCHIP is that it is "government" insurance. But this begs the question as to whether "government" insurance is inherently a bad thing. Unemployment insurance is "government" insurance, and I am certain that our 750 neighbors who work at AOL who are losing their jobs rather appreciate that that government insurance will be there when they are laid off. Similarly, Social Security is a Federal program (though not strictly insurance, since it is pay-as-you-go) that has been remarkably successful in reducing poverty among the elderly for over seventy years.
But what about government health insurance? Well, there are many indications that on a small-scale (such as SCHIP) it is much more efficient than private insurance.
Contrary to a common assumption that private health insurance is more efficient or effective, evidence indicates that public health coverage is less expensive than private insurance and more affordable for families. Public coverage provides access to care that is usually as good as, and sometimes better than, private health insurance. - The Center on Budget Priorities
And when compared with everything else the Federal Government spends money on, SCHIP is a remarkably well-designed, efficient program that actually helps solve the problem it sets out to solve. In Virginia, SCHIP is called "FAMIS" (Family Access to Medical Insurance Security), and the program is well-designed to help those most in need of assistance.
In fact, the presence of SCHIP program money in Virginia means that the Attorney General has time to tilt at Greenway toll windmills instead of investigating Virginia's health insurance companies, because only 9% of kids are uninsured. Without SCHIP, over 80,000 Virginia kids in Virginia would be without health insurance, and the Attorney General might have to do something about that. (Since he saw fit to concern himself with Greenway tolls, he certainly must have a concern for other household expenses, right?)
Frank Wolf did the right thing in voting for SCHIP, and as the senior member of the Virginia delegation in Congress, he should join Governor Kaine and lobby his colleagues to change their votes and override President Bush's veto. 80,000 Virginia children are waiting.
Unless he feels he has something better to do than help sick kids?
We must stand together to stop an invasion from our southern border which threatens to severely damage our way of life and our community.
Prince William County supervisors early this morning voted to move forward with a nationally watched plan to crack down on illegal immigrants by increasing local police enforcement and restricting certain public services. - The Washington Post
That is why we must stop those horrible horrible immigrants: ideas, from crossing our southern border from Prince William County into our idyllic Loudoun.
Of course I meant the anti-immigrant policies that were passed last night. What did you think I was referring to?
It should come as no surprise that 2009 Virginia Gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell has announced that he will be investigating Macquarie, the owners of the Greenway, at the behest of Frank Wolf.
Virginia Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell (R) plans to review the business practices of an Australia-based company that controls the local operator of the Dulles Greenway, his spokesman said Tuesday. McDonnell agreed to the inquiry after U.S. Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.) raised concerns about whether the toll road’s owners misled state regulators who recently approved increases in the toll rates.
“We are looking into the overall situation and the financial questions that have been raised by the congressman and others,” said J. Tucker Martin, spokesman for the attorney general.
The Greenway owners recently won approval to increase tolls for a one-way trip from $3 to as much as $4.80 by 2012, a hike that has been denounced by Wolf and many state lawmakers. - LoudounExtra
The investigation to the financial structure and operations of an Australian company is a convenient scapegoat for the economic unease felt by many here in Loudoun. It is another example of the Republicans seizing on a false issue in the face of real problems facing our citizens.
Let's do some math to evaluate the criticality of this issue. In doing so, we will examine a wost-case scenario in which a person takes the road far more frequently than the average commuter, and Macquarie raises the tolls to the maximum, immediately.
Macquarie has received approval to increase the toll from $3.00 to $4.80 by 2012. Assuming a person takes the road twice a day, 300 days/year, and the toll is raised to 4.80 starting in 2008, the driver will be paying an extra $1,080 / year in tolls.
Delving deeper into these numbers, however, we need to account for things like inflation, by which prices for things go up marginally every year. Inflation in the Washington DC-Baltimore metropolitan area has averaged 2.76% / year since 1997. Inflation alone would push the current $3.00 toll to $3.44 by 2012. That means that inflation alone would increase the annual cost of tolls by $264/year by 2012. Thus, the increase in 2012 is $816 above what would occur naturally by inflation. That is an increase of approximately $68/month in 2012 above that which would naturally occur due to inflation. (And remember, this is assuming 600 Greenway trips per year.)
So Frank Wolf, Bob McDonnell and the other Republicans in Virginia deem it appropriate to spend taxpayer money investigating a $68/month increase in consumer expenses by a state-regulated corporation. That is wonderful news for Virginia consumers. After all, it must mean that any state-regulated corporation whose cost increases are greater than $68/month must be even more worthy of investigation.
I welcome the Attorney General's investigation of state-regulated health insurance companies. These companies premiums have increased over 7% per year over the past two years. And the problem may even be worse than that.
Health Care Premiums Have Risen 35.8 Percent in Virginia Since 2000. Health insurance premiums have risen four times faster than wages over the past six years on a national level. Between 2000 and 2005, the average monthly premium paid by workers for family health coverage rose 39.7 percent, after adjusting for inflation. In 2005, the average inflation-adjusted health care premium for family coverage in Virginia was $10,628, which is 35.8 percent higher than it was in 2000. Similarly, the average health care premium for individual coverage in Virginia has risen 27.9 percent since 2000, to an estimated $3,856 in 2005. - U.S. Congress, Joint Economic Committee
That means that the increase in health insurance premiums in one year is $828 (7.7% above the 2005 family coverage premium). That is greater than the increase in the cost of the Greenway to the consumer in four years ($816).
Using the Republican's own logic, the health-insurance companies should be investigated first, as their increases in consumer costs are even greater than those of the Greenway. Oh, and incidentally those increases affect all Virginians, not just those in Loudoun.
And what about another set of state-regulated corporations, the utilities? Dominion power recently asked for an increase to its rates.
Dominion Virginia Power has asked state regulators for permission to raise electricity rates this year to cover rising fuel costs, translating into a monthly bill increase of about 4 percent, or $3.41, for the typical residential customer.
Dominion, one of the country's 10 largest public utilities, is likely to ask for similar increases next year and the year after that, company spokesman David Botkins said. - The Washington Post
This is just the tip of the iceberg, however, as has been noted by the State Corporation Commission.
While these retail rate caps [on electrical utilities] will remain in place through 2010, we note that through various provisions of the Restructuring Act, Virginia’s electric utilities will have several legally permissible avenues to increase rates between now and the end of 2010.
For example, Dominion Virginia Power is authorized to seek yearly changes in rates for fuel costs beginning in 2007, and other Virginia electric utilities, including Appalachian Power and electric co-operatives, may seek rate increases for environmental, reliability, and fuel costs, and two general rate increases, before 2011. Appalachian has already twice applied to this Commission for increases in base rates and Delmarva Power was recently granted a 25% overall rate increase. The Act’s ability to protect Virginia’s homes and businesses from increases in the market-based price of electricity via the Act’s capped base rate mechanism is limited. More Virginia retail customers could see precipitous increases in their electric bills as utilities apply for permitted increases for base and fuel charges prior to the expiration of capped rates on January 1, 2011. - "Status Report: The Development of a Competitive Retail Market for Electric Generation within the Commonwealth of Virginia," The State Corporation Commission
Electricity rate caps expire in 2011, which is before the 2012 date for the maximum toll increase on the Greenway. Thus, these increases represent a more immediate cause for concern than those on the Greenway. Consumers can choose to drive other roads than the Greenway, but electricity is much less of a discretionary cost in the household budget of Loudoun County residents. (And once again, electrical rate increases impact all Virginians, not just those in Loudoun County.) If the Attorney General is serious about investigating price increases by regulated corporations which impact household budgets, it is wise to start with increases in non-discretionary items first.
The squeaking about the Greenway toll increases coming from the Republicans is only so much election year politics. Of course the Attorney General won't investigate price increases by Dominion, they gave him $25,000 last year. Of course the health insurance industry won't be investigated, they gave over $200,000 to Virginia politicians this year.
Macquarie is a convenient scapegoat who has given no money Virginia politicians, thus, it is perfectly appropriate for Frank Wolf, Bob McDonnell and other Republicans to lambaste a private company for legally making a profit under the rules of the game established by Richmond.
As Delegate Dave Poisson has said, "We’re three weeks from an election." And that is the only reason this is coming up now, not in previous years, when Frank Wolf could have done something about it in Congress. And it is the reason they're going after the Greenway tolls, and not issues that actually matter.
But Loudoun's voters are too smart to be fooled by this Kabuki theater. In November, they will show Bob McDonnell and Frank Wolf what really matters.
Delegate Poisson gets the last word.
"In every other case, we have worked together, Republicans and Democrats. When you look at who was there [at the press conference], it was being done to draw attention to their candidacies. I wish it were not being done. I have been [involved with trying to curb the toll increases] every step at the way. I've met with the management of Trip II, and have tried very hard to find ways to reduce the tolls. I don't take a backseat to anyone on this issue," Poisson said. - Leesburg Today
[update]And just to hammer the point home, the Washington Post has an article in the paper, 1/3 of people in our area are without health insurance. So what's the real issue? $68 more/month in tolls, or the millions spent on crisis care for people without health insurance.
The Maryland Health Insurance Program is an insurer of last resort for the state's adults who have been rejected for an individual policy, who are too young or not disabled enough to qualify for Medicare, and who are too wealthy to qualify for Medicaid. Thirty-three other states have similar programs. (Virginia and the District do not.) - The Washington Post
Frank Wolf either has an issue with the free-market and private ownership, or is making political hay while the sun is shining on the issue of Greenway toll increases.
How accurate is the financial information the company that owns the Dulles Greenway provided to Virginia? Rep. Frank R. Wolf, R-Va., wants Virginia's attorney general to investigate.
"I think they are going to find it's a Ponzi scheme," Wolf tells WTOP. "It think they're going to find that this whole setup is set up in such a way that the toll payer has no protection."
Wolf opposes the toll increases that will more than double what commuters pay now. The increase will make the Dulles Greenway the most expensive toll road in the nation. The road carries an average of 57,000 vehicles a day. - WTOP News
This statement comes after Wolf's previous statements suggesting that the state should take over the Greenway. In 2005, an Australian company, Macquarie, took over the Greenway from TRIP II, then the road's operating company. In the original statements about the takeover, Macquarie estimated the tolls of the Greenway to be $3.00 in 2007.
Current peak toll of US$2.40 for cars (US$2.30 for ETC motorists) with a schedule of staged increases to reach US$3.00 in 2007. Tolls are regulated by the SCC and tolls beyond 2007 will be set through application to the SCC.
And there they are today. The application recently approved by the SCC will raise those tolls in the coming five years. The basis for this increase is that the owners of the road are due a "reasonable return" based on their investment, in accordance with the original legislation authorizing the road. The Greenway is operated as a Public/Private Parternship, a program promoted by the Federal government.
The dirty secret about Frank Wolf's Greenway complaints is that he has had the power to affect change since the original idea was penned in 1988. For almost twenty years, he chose not to.
Frank Wolf has been in Congress since 1981, and during the period of Republican control of Congress, from 1995-2007, Frank Wolf could have taken action in Congress to mitigate the iniquities of a private-public toll road in his district. He has been a senior member of one of the most powerful Committees in the House of Representatives: the Appropriations Committee. He has inserted earmarks in legislation to make sure that retired cops could get paid to look at online porn. If iniquitous tolls were truly an issue close to his heart, surely in the twelve years of the Republican Congressional majority, during which the Toll Road was operable, Frank Wolf could have crafted legislation to provide for better regulation of the road's owners?
Unless, of course, this issue has only become important now that he is in the minority, and faces a real challenge to his seat? Unless it is now convenient to blame Richmond under a Democratic administration there? This is a state road, governed by a state law, and overseen by a state regulator, so why should our Congressional representative get involved? Surely there are more important issues Congress should be dealing with? If Frank Wolf needs a suggestion, the Federal issue of immigration sits unreformed, and the 10th District could use some help finding jobs for the 750 AOL employees about to get laid off.
There can be no doubt that tolls on the Greenway are an issue, but Frank Wolf's credibility on the issue is doubtful.
Imagine we could generate all the power we needed by flying kites. It sounds like an idea from a children's story, or a mocking critique of the environmental movement, but it may also be a glimpse of the future.
The problem with wind power is that much of the time there isn't enough of it available to even justify energizing the alternators attached to the large windmills used in wind farms. Unless the wind speed is over, say, 10 miles per hour, it isn't worth running the windmills at all. And above some speed on the order of 40 mph, it again isn't worth the effort, this time because of fear that high winds will damage the windmills — windmills sometimes costing hundreds of thousands of dollars each.
But power-generating tension kites are different, as Lynn so ably explained: "the numbers strongly infer that such a wind turbine system can produce power for around a fifth to a tenth the cost of current generation systems, depending on site costs. This is roughly US 0.5 cents a kilowatt hour, with the likelihood that this will reduce further with mass production."
Five tenths of a cent per kilowatt-hour is VASTLY cheaper than the average retail price was for electricity anywhere in the U.S. in 2005, where electricity costs ran as high as 12 cents per kilowatt-hour in California and 14 cents per kilowatt-hour in the state of New York. So even though the kits would have to be all new construction and the old coal, gas, and oil-fired power plants mothballed or dismantled, the payback period for doing so would be measured in months, not years or decades as most such capital expenses are today. Today, with energy costs even higher, the payback would be even quicker. - I, Cringely
With an idea like this, we do not need to despoil the Blue Ridge in a futile effort to offset a tiny fraction of our power needs. Let us not forget that the push for wind power in western Virginia is driven at least partially by Dominion Power's financial considerations. (Dominion power bought 50% of a West Virginia wind energy producer in 2006). There is evidence that wind power, as currently structured using huge turbines, is not price competitive without expensive government subsidies. As with solar power, it is the price-point that matters.
All this changes with the idea explained above. The price point of electricity from these wind-power kites is remarkably low. The technology to implement the idea on a global scale is merely a generation away, and the economic benefits are remarkable. The first-mover advantage in this technology should be significant, as the savings from generating power this way will enable us to produce high-altitude wind solutions cheaply, at the same time that our dependence on fossil fuels decreases. This is a path to energy independence.
But Google appears to have recognized this already.
Enter Google, stage left.
Pete Lynn no longer works in New Zealand. Today he works in Emeryville, CA at a company called Makani Power, which is developing exactly the sort of power-generating kites Lynn envisioned six years ago. Go to the people section of Makani's website and you'll see the healthiest bunch of windsurfer/engineers imaginable, including Pete Lynn, who actually seems to play a minor role in the company.
Google is Makani Power's major investor, having put $10 million into the company back in 2006. If Makani makes it possible to convert a huge percentage of American power generating capability to wind, it will be because of Google.
Whenever anyone says the world is on an irreversible path to tragedy, there is cause to be skeptical.
In the 1960s, there was a popular idea that the world had a carrying capacity of human beings, which was rapidly being exceeded. The rules of Mathusian economics would take hold and entire generations of people would die of malnutrition and starvation in a horrifying global calamity. A funny thing happened on the way to catastrophe: a plant pathologist solved the problem. Norman Borlaug invented a form of high-yield wheat which completely revolutionized agriculture in the developing world, and as a result, India can feed its billion people today.
"When you can trigger enthusiasm ... it's amazing what you can do." - Norman Borlaug
That is exactly what it will take to solve the climate change problem. And that is exactly what things like Al Gore's Nobel Peace Prize inspire. Our hope must lie not in fundamentally altering human nature (the failure of Marxism gives lie to the perfectibility of human behavior), but in innovation and inspiration, those highest advantages of mankind.
And as a result, one day soon we might be flying kites for the good of the world.
Perennial crops by their nature increase carbon in the soil, reduce erosion and improve water quality, Rush said. Perennial wheat also offers the chance for producers to put cattle in the field earlier and graze longer in the spring, while still harvesting grain. - ScienceDaily
With a tip-o-the-hat to DailyKos, here's a link to a graph which shows exactly where our Federal Taxes go. It really puts things in perspective (Hint, type [shift] and [ctrl] to zoom in and out.)
I wanted to provide a quick link to a DailyKos post on blogger linking conventions. If you're wondering how bloggers get off pushing their opinions as news, its because good bloggers do their best to make sure their assertions are backed up by facts, and their opinions are clearly opinions. Reading blogs, you get twice the value for your money (still only $0.00!), you get news and opinon, in the same story, but clearly delineated with the use of block quoting (that's the indented text in postings used to indicate direct quotes from source materials, like below) and links.
Kagro X says it well.
Bloggers use links to give readers the opportunity to view their source material. When a blogger makes an assertion, you can typically check the validity of that assertion by following links to that blogger's source, and decide for yourself whether it's been properly analyzed.
When traditional media use links, they tend to point to that media outlet's collection of archived articles on the proper noun they've attached the link to. - Kagro X, "One quick note on Frank Rich"
Now, bloggers also link proper nouns to previously composed materials in the interest of providing context, but the "original source link" standard is the basis for all blogger authority. Our sources are right there for you to read, and we encourage you to draw your own conclusions.
Even as AOL lays off 19% of its employees in his district, Stephen Snow is entangled in a confusing conflict-of-interest incident with the developers that bankroll him. In this case, one developer cites their relationship with Supervisor Snow as evidence that they can get development through in Loudoun County, regardless of opposition.
Dietze Construction Group sent at least two bid letters to prospective Loudoun clients in June indicating the benefit the company could provide if selected for construction projects because of Snow's employment with the company. - Leesburg Today
Of course, Supervisor Snow's name was not supposed to be used in this manner.
A marketing assistant at Dietze issued the letter without his knowledge, Snow said. He said he is not involved in the company's bidding process and had no way of knowing his name and position as a county supervisor was being used to lure new clients.
"It violated the agreement that I would not be used in any marketing capacity in any application," Snow said, referring to an arrangement with Dietze. "My name is not to be used in a marketing capacity. It's not the right way to do things and not what we agreed my position would be."
But that's not really the point. The problem is not just conflict of interest, but the appearance of such a conflict, and this is the very definition of an apparent conflict. This is the reason it is completely inappropriate for Supervisors to be employed by developers and construction companies with applications that may come before the Board.
As Stevens Miller has pointed out, even if the actions were not corrupt, they demonstrate a failure of judgement on the part of Stephen Snow in taking the job with Dietze in the first place.
"This raises serious questions of judgment and integrity, and I think those are the principle issues," [Stevens] Miller said. "I would say it showed very questionable judgment on Mr. Snow's part to take this job in the first place. And his dismissive attitude about the discovery of this letter raises serious questions about his judgment today."
Supreme Kudos to Tammi Marcoullier of Living in LoCo for the tale.
Over the next couple of months, AOL will lay off 2,000 people out of a worldwide workforce of 10,000, according to a letter to company employees sent by CEO Randy Falco today. These staff reductions begin tomorrow, as have long been rumored throughout the company and in the blogsphere. The Associated Press is reporting that about 750 staff will be cut from Northern Virginia offices, including former headquarters in Dulles; 1,200 total in the U.S. - "AOL's Falco Says 2,000 Layoffs" Living in LoCo
AOL's senior decision makers are leaving town, which makes them much less likely to take the concerns and interests of Loudoun into effect when making decisions about the future of AOL. To put it more simply, it is a lot easier to fire a block of employees if you don't have to run into them in Wegmans. - Leesburg Tomorrow, September 17, 2007
In one action, Loudoun just lost all the jobs gained in the Orbital Sciences announcement. Orbital Sciences is only adding about 600 jobs, so there is a net loss of 150 jobs in the announcements in the past two months. And those are relatively well-paying jobs, representing anywhere from 75-150 households and their taxes and local purchases. Those are 75-150 families who will have to worry about foreclosure, who will consider selling their houses, and who will spend less money. This is not welcome news in the face of a $100 million budget deficit in Loudoun.
It is not coincidence that AOL announced their headquarters move before these layoffs. It was their strategy from the start. And through it all the silence from Stephen Snow and Frank Wolf has been deafening. If Frank Wolf could sponsor a legislative earmark dealing with Internet porn, you might think he would be able to pay attention to local Internet jobs.
[update] From the comments at the LoudounExtra story: "750 workers is a whopping 19% of the personnel at the Dulles location." Think about that, one in five AOL employees in Dulles are going to lose their jobs.
If the average cow produces 100 pounds of manure a day, how does a dairy farmer manage all the excess waste? Tom Herlihy, an agricultural engineer, created a unique and environmentally friendly technology to deal with this very problem. ... Worm Power benefits from its process-controlled and quality-engineered vermicomposting process. Vermicomposting is the process of breaking down organic matter using earthworms. The worms eat the organic matter and generate castings that serve as a nutrient-rich, natural fertilizer. - ScienceDaily
If people ever question the ingenuity of the American economy, I just shake my head. Similarly, if people question the role of the government in fostering innovation and economic development, I just smile.
This project received Phase I and Phase II funding from the USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) for developing and marketing this product. SBIR awards competitive grants to qualified small businesses to support high quality, advanced-concepts research related to important scientific problems and opportunities in agriculture that could lead to significant public benefit if successful.
There is an important and fundamental role for the government to play in fostering the economy.
It appears that the next Board of Supervisors will have its hands full dealing with the fiscal iniquities left by the current Board. According to a report in LoudounExtra, the County budget could see a $100 million shortfall in the next fiscal year.
Loudoun County could lose close to $100 million in tax revenue next fiscal year because of the ongoing residential real estate slump, county treasurer H. Roger Zurn Jr. said last week. The shortfall could mean a drop in funding for Loudoun schools and public safety agencies in the fiscal year that begins July 1, Zurn said in an interview. - LoudounExtra
The fact of the housing slump does not mitigate the responsibility of the current Board of Supervisors for the sorry state of the County's finances going into fiscal 2008. Just like the mess the Republicans left to Governor Warner in 2002, this Board made a conscious choice to leave a mess to the next Board. But don't take my word for it, take the word of the County Treasurer:
Zurn said some Loudoun supervisors and administrators didn't prepare for a housing slump even though he had predicted declining values about 18 months ago.
"There were people on the Board of Supervisors and county staff — and I'll leave them nameless — who felt this was just a little blip and felt that everything would remain stable," Zurn said. If they had acknowledged the coming downturn, "they could have tightened their belts a bit versus adding more staffing [in county agencies] that was perhaps discretionary," he added.
Let us recall who is responsible for this. In 2004, Bruce Tulloch led the gang of five, in stripping the powers of the Board Chairman. In doing so, Supervisors Jim Clem (R-Leesburg), Stephen J. Snow (R-Dulles), Bruce E. Tulloch (R-Potomac) Mick Staton (R-Sugarland Run) and Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling) inherited overwhelming responsibility for the policies and actions (or inactions) of the Board. Responsibility for ignoring the prescient warnings of County Treasurer Zurn lies with these five.
Loudoun County is facing a fiscal deficit, mounting lawsuits, Federal investigations and a drought. The current Board majority has been completely ineffective in serving the citizens of Loudoun County. It is time for a change.
Karen Schultz is truly the bipartisan best candidate for state Senate in the 27th District.
Four local Republicans from past presidential administrations said they would back Democrat Karen Schultz rather than Republican Jill Holtzman Vogel in the race for the State Senate's 27th District Seat. All four Republicans live in the district. - The Loudoun Times-Mirror
Upon the release of the news, a spokesperson for Jill Hotlzman-Vogel immediately began obfuscating about the Republican past of the four.
“Overall, [the four Republicans] gave only about 10% of the money to Republicans in the last decade,” Spellings said.
VPAP's information did not support that statement.
The Loudoun Times-mirror is being generous. The fact is that VPAP shows the majority of the money these four have given up until this point has been to Republicans. It is illustrative that when faced with unflattering news the Republican party, from top to bottom, resorts to lies and distortions when speaking to the media.
According to the endorsement letter, these four Republicans and others in their communities began considering Karen Schultz for her personal ethics, fairness and willingness to listen to the voters.
Ethics. Fairness. Willingness to Listen to Voters. That is the essence of the Democratic promise to Virginia in 2007. That is the reason the voters are responding.
There might not be a better way to get to know a neighborhood than to walk a dog through it. Walking through a neighborhood forces you to slow down and pay attention to things you would not otherwise notice while diving. And your dog brings attention to things that your brain might just edit out, like cable boxes and squirrels on fences. But neighborhoods where people walk their dogs regularly have another interesting characterstic, they just might be safer.
In New York, Central Park has an unwritten rule that dogs are allowed off their leashes (with their owners, of course) between 9pm and 9am. As a result, the Park has seen much less crime and is a far less dangerous place at night. It appears that people out, walking their dogs, tie streets and houses to the people living and walking them.
There is another thing about people and their dogs: they talk to each other. Upon passing each other on the street, dog owners at least wave and smile, and often stop to talk as their dogs greet each other. In this way, people meet their neighbors, and gain a sense of ownership in their community. I personally experienced a great example of this over the weekend.
An older gentleman was walking his dog through our neighborhood, even as I took my dog out the door for our afternoon stroll. He seemed a little confused and lost. After a brief discussion, I found out he was lost, and couldn't quite remember how to get back to the house where he was staying. My neighbor at the end of the street was helping him, and my other neighbor (also a dog owner) came by with his dogs to offer a hand as well.
I submit to you that it is highly unlikely that any of us would have gotten involved as quickly as we did if not for the dogs, which immediately went to investigate each other. As a result, our neighborhood helped this gentleman find his way home.
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
It may be the case that we believe our rights are strong, and protected by the Bill of Rights and the oaths taken by our elected officials. The truth is much different.
A former Qwest Communications International executive, appealing a conviction for insider trading, has alleged that the government withdrew opportunities for contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars after Qwest refused to participate in an unidentified National Security Agency program that the company thought might be illegal. - The Washington Post
The head of one of the country's major telecom companies has alleged that the Federal Government effectively blackmailed his company in an effort to get access to the private conversations of American citizens.
That bears repeating.
The Federal Government effectively blackmailed an American company in an effort to get access to the private conversations of American citizens.
As if that's not frightening enough.
Nacchio's account, which places the NSA proposal at a meeting on Feb. 27, 2001, suggests that the Bush administration was seeking to enlist telecommunications firms in programs without court oversight before the terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon. The Sept. 11 attacks have been cited by the government as the main impetus for its warrantless surveillance efforts.
If you look at that Oath of Office above, there's a funny fact. Nothing in there says "protect American citizens." No, on the contrary it says "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." For all The Executive's assertions that his duty is to "protect the American people." That is not his highest duty. His highest duty is to protect the Constitution, and in doing so protect Americans' rights and freedoms.
Accordingly, when the Federal Government uses economic coersion to induce a company to eviscerate the Fourth Amendment, it is an explicit violation of the oath of office of every Executive branch employee that led such an action.
It is inappropriate for the government, or any agent of the government, to step beyond their bounds of authority. In this, I will hope you will allow me to quote myself.
Please remember, the police (and other people in positions of authority, like your boss or your state Delegate) have the right to ask for anything they please, the same as anyone else. They do not always have the right to receive what they ask for. If you wonder about this fact, imagine you are standing next to a police officer, and she asks you for $100. Do you say "no!" Of course you do. When it comes to our rights, it's the same thing. The police, or your employer can always ask to come inside your house, to search your car, or to reveal private, personal information. You do not have to let them.
Here's the dirty secret about all these encroachments on our liberties: If they have the legal right to do it, they won't ask. They might tell you they'll do it, have you acknowledge some kind of statement saying they will do it, but they won't ask to do it.
So the next time they ask for something, like your social security number for example, say "no." the greatest defense against encroachment of our liberties is an informed citizenry.
These are the reasons why it is important who is in charge of our government. These are the reasons why the Courts are a voting issue in every Federal Election. These are the reasons why we have to care about accuracy in our media, and deny eyeballs to talking heads who put their ratings above our rights.
At the end of the day, the best protectors of our rights are ourselves, and our votes.
John Stevens is a School Board member (Potomac District) who blogs about schools and educational issues in Loudoun County. Today, he posted an interesting entry about housing and school employees. Affordable housing is a critical issue for the Board of Supervisors, and for the County as a whole. It is a critical issue for our teachers, police and firefighters.
Generally, John's blog is an excellent source of first-hand information about the schools. I encourage anyone interested in the LCPS to read it. John should be commended for taking on such a difficult, but important issue.
Kelly Burk, the Leesburg Town Council member who is running for Board of Supervisors from the Leesburg District, graciously agreed to answer a few questions for Leesburg Tomorrow.
What is the biggest issue facing Leesburg and Loudoun in the next four years?
The biggest issue facing Leesburg and Loudoun in the next four years is how to deal with the over-development the present board will be leaving to the new board. The present Board of Supervisors has spent its time approving CPAMs and re-zoning areas that were zoned commercial, changing them to residential. The Board did this without tying transportation, education, public services and environmental needs to the development. They failed to take into consideration the needs of the current residents and allowed over 15,000 new homes to be approved. This means that our roads, which are already close to gridlock, will have even more cars using them daily.
I will make sure that development is evaluated on it merit and benefit to people that live here now. I will demand that development be tied to transportation, schools, public service and environmental needs. I will not be in the pocket of the developers.
How should we deal with the issues of traffic and transportation in Loudoun?
Transportation is the next major issue facing Leesburg and Loudoun. We are at a crossroads. If we don’t get handle on our traffic issues now we are going to lose the opportunity to ever get major improvement to our problems. The next Board of Supervisors needs to work with the NVTA to make sure that the money coming back to Northern Virginia goes into projects that will make the most impact here in Loudoun. The next Board of Supervisors needs to work to encourage the use of public transit, telecommuting, flex schedules and simple things such as retiming traffic lights.
I wrote to the governor on this very issue. In town I requested that staff look at the lights driving out of town on Rt. 7. They did, and found their timing was slightly off. This simple change has made a small, but measurable, improvement on th route out of town.
Our transportation problems will only grow if we continue to allow over development in residential development. My opponent has voted for over 90% of the rezoning that has come before him. He would rather you sit in traffic so his developer buddies can build houses that create more traffic.
It is time for a change.
How should the County manage school funding during the next Board term?
School funding is a huge part of the budget. This will continue to be the case as long as we continue to allow over development. (As more houses are built, more schools are needed.)
We need to work with the school board to create an environment that will allow communication and compromise. We should be meeting with the school board on a regular basis to review their budget.
Last year my opponent voted to cut 79 million dollars out of the school budget. That would have meant that my class of 28 would then go to 30, the salary increases to keep our brightest and best teachers here would not have happened. If the cut had gone through, salaries would have had to be lowered.
In this time and place we should not have trailers as classrooms. What a terribly inefficient way to solve a problem. We must continue to support our schools so that they they continue to produce an educated work force.
There has been a lot of controversy over the water rate that Leesburg charges out-of-town customers, would your care to explain that?
The town has a Utility Fund (water/sewer system fund) that, like many towns, is an Enterprise Fund. It is expected to be run as a business and sustain itself from the rates it charges. The fund serves customers both in town and out. There is no additional cost to serve the out–of- town customers. It costs the Utility Fund the same to service the in town resident as it does the out of town resident. However, there is a 50% surcharge on out of town users.
The council before my term approved hiring a consultant to look at the Utility Fund (water/sewer fund) and make any recommendation to improve it. The report came back that we had not raised Utility Funds Rates (water/sewer rates) since 1992 and the fund was in trouble. So the consultant recommended that customers that were not in town continue to be charge a special fee of 50% and that everyone’s rate, in town and out, would go up 9%.
Instead of doing what the paid consultant suggested, a member of the council made a motion to increase out of town surcharge rate to 100% with an rate increase of 8%, so that in town residents would only see a 2% increase. To me this was terribly unfair. Since taxes do not pay the Utility Fund and it costs no more to service the out of town customers than in town customers, I could not see the justification to raise the out of town rates so dramatically in such a short period of time.
There were no numbers, no data to support the increase for the out of town customers. So for that reason I was the sole vote in opposition. If it cost more to service the out of town customers, I could understand the need to charge them more. Since the fund has nothing to do with our taxes and it costs the same to serve out of town and in town customers, I could find no justification to penalize one group over the other.
The fight over immigration, the false issue of immigration, has faces. The people who seek to divide us are driving our community down a dangerous road, a road which can only lead to violence and tears.
Prince William County has learned that the hard way.
(With a tip-o-the-hat to RaisingKaine, this video powerfully documents the way hatred and fear is tearing the soul of our neighbors to the south.)
It is no coincidence that the KKK distributed leaflets in Prince William. The root of these policies is fear of the different. And fear too easily turns to hate, which too easily turns to violence. Anti-immigrant policies, which purport to be advocated in response to crime, can only lead to worse crime themselves.
My comfort lies in the fact that seven folks elected by town residents have a better idea of what town residents want," Wright said. "Not everybody on the board of supervisors lives and breathes Leesburg." - Kevin Wright, Leesburg Town Council, as quoted in Leesburg Today
There is one Supervisor on the Board of Supervisors who represents one of the oldest incorporated Towns in Virginia. One Supervisor for whom there is a clear, delineated constiuency that has been on the books for nearly two hundred and fifty years. There is only one Supervisor whose job is to advocate for Leesburg. That Supervisor has been derelict in these duties.
Jim Clem may be the Supervisor from Leesburg, but he is not a Supervisor for Leesburg.
Jim Clem's words and actions as a Supervisor have not served Leesburg. At the League of Women Voters Debate on Wednesday night, Jim Clem's statements and plans were interesting, perhaps even valuable, but remarkably few of them specifically responded to the needs of Leesburg's citizens.
Mr. Clem raised the false issue of immigration, an "issue" which effects eastern Loudoun far more than Leesburg. Only about 8% of Leesburg Residents are even of Latin American origin, and most of those are here legally. Traffic on Route 15 North, for example, is a much more pressing issue to Leesburg than immigration.
Mr. Clem raised public safety in the County as one of the most important actvities of his term on the Board. His work on public safety in Loudoun County is admirable, but the Town of Leesburg maintains its own police force, and is one of the safest towns around. Surely, other Districts have a much greater interest and concern with the County police than the residents of a town with its own police force? If the public safety responsibilities were transferred to a Supervisor whose district has a greater need of County public safety services, the Leesburg Supervisor could focus on another pressing Leesburg issue, perhaps affordable housing.
Mr. Clem lambasted the Town Council (and has continuously done so for years) for denyng or opposing governmental decisions which would ease development in and around the town. This brings us back to Councilmember Wright's quote above. Mr. Clem is one man, elected four years ago with the assistance of developers, after significantly expanding development in Leesburg.
Since serving on the Board of Supervisors, Jim Clem has actively thwarted the express preferences of the very Town he represents. He admitted as much at the Leage of Women Voters Debate this week when he said, "If the town had stepped up to the plate, I wouldn't have had to put pressure on them." Mr. Clem found it necessary to pressure the representitives of his own constituents who were elected more recently than he was!
The Leesburg Town Council was elected more recently, and more broadly, by the residents of Leesburg. Seven people spend their time listening and responding to the concerns of Leesburg, even as Supervisor Clem concerns himself with plumbing in western Loudoun.
At Wednesday's debate, Supervisor Clem agreed that keeping the Loudoun County government center in Leesburg was "paramount" and to lose it to another location would be "devastating." Clearly, he is in line with the Town on at least this issue.
Or is he?
“If the county government center moves out [of Leesburg],” there will be an economic hole and the local businesses will feel the “pinch,” he said. “[Council members] need to find some other avenue to generate revenue if the county government should leave.” - Jim Clem, in the Loudoun Times-Mirror
On Wednesday night, Supervisor Clem is discussing how paramount retention of the government center is. But in Tuesday's Loudoun Times-Mirror, he is calling upon the Town to seek alternatives to the government center.
It is no accident that Mr. Clem originally had two Town Council members opposing him for Leesburg Supervisor.
Jim Clem may have been a good Mayor of Leesburg, but he has been a bad Supervisor for Leesburg. As Supervisor, he has stood in the way of the Town's elected leadership, concerned himself with every issue but those that matter to Leesburg, and has voted for every development put before him, except one. On his watch, the County belittled cooperation with the Town and denied even the most reasonable requests put forward for Leesburg's citizens. Even as a member of the Board majority, Mr. Clem could not get the Board to refrain from using push polls in campaigning!
Supervisor Jim Clem has been an ineffective and absent advocate for Leesburg.
There is an interesting post up on MyDD today talking about media ownership and editorial slant. In it, they provide a link to a tool which shows the media ownership in localities.
The Center for Public Integrity maintains an online website which cross-references media ownership records with campaign finance records, called MediaTracker. By typing in your zip code or city and state in the search form on the front page, you can discover which companies own the media in area - including TV, radio, cable, broadband and newspapers. What's more, those companies are cross-referenced with campaign finance records, to give us some idea of the ideological bias of the media owners. For example, here's the political influence of Clear Channel - unsurprisingly, employees and PACs of the company contribute much more to Republicans than to Democrats (nearly 70% to Republicans, and 30% to Democrats). - Shai Sachs, MyDD
The tool allows the user to delve deeply into the ownership and political activities of media, including analyzing, in depth, which companies gave money to which politicians.
When you analyze the media ownership in our area, it is interesting to see the results.
For example, in radio, the top four ownership groups are Clear Channel, Walt Disney Co., Bonneville Radio (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) and CBS. Between these four, over $9.8 million has been given to politicians, PACs and parties. Approximately $5.4 million was given to Democrats, mostly Walt Disney and CBS, and $4.4 million given to Republicans, mostly Walt Disney and Clear Channel. Walt Disney gave a lot of money to both sides over the past ten years.
Some notable recipients of the radio industry's good fortune include Eric Cantor, Bob Goodlatte and Rich Boucher. Eric Cantor received the largest contributions by far, no doubt because of his role in the Republican House Ledership. Many of them also gave to George Allen (which turned out to be a poor investment).
For television, there was much less conglomeration of ownership, although News Corp, Sinclair Broadcasting Group and Ion Media Networks own two stations each. This group of ownership gave $2.1 million to the Democrats and $3.7 million to the Republicans. Frank Wolf himself has received $3000 from News Corp in the past five years. Though television is the dominant medium of our age (at least for now), the radio industry eclipsed the television industry in terms of political giving. Across both industries, political giving to the Republicans ($8.1 million) outstripped political giving to the Democrats ($7.5 million).
It is important not only to get the news, but to understand who we are getting the news from.
On Wednesday night, the League of Women Voters (LWV) held one of its Board of Supervisors' candidate forums, at which the candidates gave brief opening remarks, and then spent nearly two hours answering questions from the press and citizens. Representatives of the Loudoun Times-Mirror, Leesburg Today and the Purcellville Gazette were on-hand to ask the press questions. The moderator was Patricia Morrisey of the LWV. Patricia has a background in national security and government, and did an excellent job of keeping the forum generally civil and to the schedule.
The local papers have covered this forum in detail (The Loudoun Times-Mirror, for example), but it is interesting to note some specific quotes from the event.
"These people" - This was the term Jim Clem used to refer to the Leesburg Town Council in response to a question about the disconnect between the Board of Supervisors and the Town.
"A fortune" - Supervisor Clem's professional opinion of the actual costs of illegal immigration in response to a question from the Purcellville Gazette about whether the County should arrest and detain undocumented migrants, disregarding the costs of doing so. There has yet to be any definitive analysis or factual estimation of the costs of migration in Loudoun County, so Supervisor Clem's position is speculative.
Supervisor Clem went on to tell the audience how difficult is to handle a Mexican funeral. Apparently, it involves sending forms back and forth from various government entities. It was unclear from his response why the convenience of the funeral home operator should take precedence over the needs of mourning families forced to provide a funeral service for their loved ones while in a foreign land. Apparently funeral homes serve a purpose other than taking on such complicated and difficult responsibilities on behalf of the mourning family in exchange for money.
"How can you disregard cost?" - Councilmember Kelly Burk's response to the Purcellville Gazette question. This is the key factor when discussion the false issue of immigration in Loudoun County: you cannot disregard cost. Kelly Burk demonstrated that she is focused on the good stewardship of our tax dollars in the face of political expediency.
"There has never been a hostile environment between the School Board and the County." - Supervisor Clem's response to a question from the Loudoun Times-Mirror about sites for Western Loudoun Schools. If this is truly the case then why did a reporter ask a question about cooperation between the two Boards? And furthermore, why are so many candidates running on platforms of improving the relationship between the Boards? It is unclear as to whether Mr. Clem is even aware of one of the key issues of this campaign.
"I can't help." - Supervisor Clem's answer to question from Leesburg Today asking "what is the role of the Leesburg Supervisor." Specifically, Mr. Clem blamed the Town for many problems, and asserted he was unable to help on them. It remains unclear how the Leesburg Supervisor cannot help a Leesburg constituent with a Leesburg problem, unless there is a lack of interest in cooperation with the Town on the part of that Supervisor.
"We have people who are treated like slaves!" - Supervisor Clem (Note: Yes, this is an actual quote.) in an extended response to a question from the Purcellville Gazette as to whether Supervisor should be a full-time job. Mr. Clem responded to the question, in part, by noting that there were people in the County, though not in his district, who did not have indoor plumbing, which is the context in which this quote was said.
"I don't intend to rebut Ms. Kurtz, but I don't know what she's been reading, or smoking." - Jim Clem. Regardless of context, such an assertion about the character of a fellow Supervisor is inappropriate and rude.
"They will have their babies at home, where they should be having them." - Geary Higgins, in a discussion about immigration. Apparently Mr. Higgins doesn't understand that all babies born in America are U.S. Citizens, and as such are already home. (It's unclear why Republicans have such a disdain for children.)
"If the town had stepped up to the plate, I wouldn't have had to put pressure on them." - Jim Clem, admitting that he purposefully inhibited the interests of the Town in County matters in an effort to advance his own agenda in a discussion of Crosstrail.
"I have a clear vision." - Jim Clem, in his closing remarks. At no point did he identify what he saw, what his vision entailed, or what specific actions would be taken other than "working hard."
Just in case people think the furor over the attacks on the child who delivered a defense of SCHIP for the Democratic party is silly and overdone, please take note that it was the Republican Leader in the Senate who launched the assault. Think Progress has the details:
The New York Times reported yesterday that “an aide” to Sen. McConnell “expressed relief that his office had not issued a press release criticizing the Frosts.” No, what the McConnell staffer did was worse — he used the power and privilege of the Senate office to secretly propagate a baseless smear campaign against a 12-year old boy and his family simply because they disagreed on policy.
There is even a copy of the email in which Sen. McConnell's staffer pushes the attack on the 12-year-old out to the media:
On Monday morning, Don Stewart sent an email with the following text to reporters:
Seen the latest blogswarm? Apparently, there’s more to the story on the kid (Graeme Frost) that did the Dems’ radio response on SCHIP. Bloggers have done a little digging and turned up that the Dad owns his own business (and the building it’s in), seems to have some commercial rental income and Graeme and a sister go to a private school that, according to its website, costs about $20k a year ‹for each kid‹ despite the news profiles reporting a family income of only $45k for the Frosts. Could the Dems really have done that bad of a job vetting this family? - From Think Progress
Time did an excellent story on the details of how utterly false and misleading the attack on this child is. Once again, these are reasons to be a Democrat. There is a difference between the two parties.
Civil rights groups filed a lawsuit yesterday targeting Prince William County’s closely watched crackdown on illegal immigration, arguing that a measure ordering police to check the immigration status of people in custody violates federal law.
Immigration is a false issue in the 2007 elections. Undocumented migrants represent only a tiny fraction of the population, local legislation on these issues is premature and ill-advised, and Prince William County demonstrates that further local government action against migrants will lead to more costly lawsuits for Loudoun.
There was a lot of discussion of this false issue at the Board of Supervisors forum last night. There will be a post up about that later.
There's also news (with a tip-o-the-hat to Raising Kaine) that taxes will be up sharply in Prince William County, thanks to the policies adopted by the Board of Supervisors in the past few years. Specifically, the collapse in housing values. Does following Prince William's lead still look like such a great idea?
One of the significant correlations in public health is that between urban poverty and poor nutrition.
Research has shown that many low-income urban neighborhoods have low quality food resources, and that food prices are often higher in poor areas. At the same time, a disproportionate percentage of Americans suffering from nutrition-related health problems like obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are low-income. - Emily Farr, "Rethinking Urban Poverty: Food and Nutrition in West Philadelphia and Organizations as Agents of Change"
It is significant that low-income citizens suffer from some of the highest risks of ill health which is preventable with high-quality nutrition. In Philadelphia, Penn State University has been doing extensive studies of these questions.
“Consider the average income in this neighborhood, a sum of $15,000. Can we change what $15,000 means in our neighborhood?” Yapa asks. “For example, adequate nutritious food is made expensive in this neighborhood, while all the messages and images about nutrition point to fast food. We need to create knowledge about good food. This leads to questions I would pose to the University: Could you produce a literature of urban nutrition? Could you create food co-ops? How can we make it ‘cool’ for young people to have urban gardens? We need to deconstruct and reconstruct the way we think about food to fit the needs of this community. When you start thinking about solutions in this way, the answers are everywhere.” - Dr. Lakshman Yapa
While community gardens and cultural change is important, it is less an issue in places like Loudoun than in cities like Philadelphia. Poverty in Loudoun means a more distributed and less visible population in need of consideration. But this population has the same health issues and income limitations which drive poor nutrition in major cities.
An idea which has been gaining ground in other cities, and which may be worth considering in Loudoun, is ensuring food stamps are valid at farmers' markets. There is a federal program which exists to promote this very idea, and the state of Virginia receives over $320,000 from it. The Virginia Department of Health administers the program in Virginia, but none of the participating Farmers Markets listed there were in Loudoun. (No doubt, this subject will come up at the poverty symposium planned for later this month.)
The Leesburg Farmers Market is held within a decent walk from some of the areas in the greatest need of help. (Heck, the Leesburg Trolley runs right there for $0.50!) If arrangements were made for WIC payments to be accepted at the Leesburg Farmers Market, and that information communicated to our neighbors who can make the best use of it, we may make a small dent in the health risks faced by our neighbors living below the poverty line.
This is a win-win-win for our community. Our neighbors in need win by gaining access to better nutrition through a program with which they are already familiar. Our farmers win by gaining more local customers for their crops. And Loudoun County's budget wins because at least some of the funding for this program should be available from the state (Fairfax County and Arlington use it, after all).
No, we've been through all this before, and we'll no doubt go through it again; if someone at any point so much as sends Malkin a nasty email, she writes an entire outraged self-ego-humping book about it. Someone calls out O'Reilly for a statement of appalling and unapologetic bigotry, he goes into seizures of anti-entire-planet rage. And God forbid someone dares make a schoolyard play off of an Army general's name -- the entire conservative movement freaks out and wet their goddamn pants in unison about the fucking horror of it all. But going after a kid and his family, because he read a statement on the radio? Fair. Fucking. Game. Hey, the twelve year old is an enemy. Get him. - A Movement of Petty Thugs, Hunter
Distilling the point from the vitriol, it remains remarkably salient and valid.
It is not okay for the Right to lambaste and excoriate a child advocating for health insurance. It is not okay for the Right to cry unnameable horror at anyone's expression of freedom of speech. And it is especially not okay for them to do so when they utterly and completely refuse to hold themselves to the same standard.
This is why I am a Democrat (among somanyotherreasons). Democrats adhere to the basic rules of rational debate and decency, for the most part. Republicans do not.
[update] Washington DC has acknowledged that the tax break mistake was their own, see the comments. The Vogels never applied for the homestead tax break. However, it remains true that Candidate Holtzman-Vogel decided it would be a good idea to buy a million-dollar condo in DC to stay in the city when traffic was bad. That is not a solution that will work for the citizens of the 27th who commute into Washington every day. - P13
Jill Holtzman-Vogel and her family own two homes. One is in Upperville, the other is in Washington DC. She has been receiving a "homestead" tax break on the DC condo she owns since 2005, but that tax break is only available if the property is the taxpayer's primary residence.
Since 2005, city records show Jill Holtzman Vogel (R) and her husband have received a homestead deduction on the property taxes they pay on a condominium they own near Washington Circle. To get the $60,000 annual deduction, the owner must declare the home as their primary residence. - The Washington Post
Jill Holtzman-Vogel is capable of filing detailed campaign finance reports, but claims to be unaware of a tax break claimed on her taxes. It is interesting to note that candidate Holtzman-Vogel received a $60,000 tax deduction even as her family self-financed $84,000 of her state senate campaign.
The couple paid $995,000 for the condominium at The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton in November 2005. It was a place to sleep occasionally instead of commuting back to Upperville every night, he [Alex Vogel, Jill's husband -P13] said. Vogel said he gets a tax statement from the D.C. government in the mail, but that he doesn’t look at it. He said he just files it. The mortgage company pays the property taxes.
It's interesting to note that Holtzman-Vogel's solution to our traffic problems was just to buy another home closer to where she'd like to be: Washington DC. It's unfortunate that most of her prospective constituents do not have the option of just buying a million-dollar condo in Washington DC to make the commute a little bit easier.
Giving candidate Holtzman-Vogel the benefit of the doubt, perhaps she was simply ignorant of the niceties of law, taxes and financing.
Jill currently has a nationally recognized law practice in Warrenton, counseling non-profits, corporations, and other clients on tax exempt regulations, ethics rules, corporate law and campaign finance. - "Jill Vogel for Senate" website
Then again, maybe she should have known (or did know) exactly what she was doing. Either way, she should not represent the 27th District in the state senate.
Senator Jeannemarie Devolites Davis drops out of Fairfax City Debate Republican refuses to debate Democrat Chap Petersen
Fairfax City - Tonight was supposed to be the next debate in the 34th Senate District between Democratic challenger Chap Petersen and Republican Jeannemarie Devolites Davis. Instead residents of Fairfax City will be treated to a Town Hall forum with Chap Petersen.
This change of scheduled events is due to the refusal of Sen. Devolites Davis to debate her Democratic challenger in front of an audience with recording devices present. According to communications between the City Democratic and Republican Committees, it became clear that Sen. Devolites Davis would not be willing to participate if her words were to be recorded in any manner.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. By definition, the job of a member of the Assembly is debate and public discussion. Debates during elections are job interviews, period.
There is a letter on LoudounExtra discussing the funding of the political races in Loudoun County which adds a little more information to the campaign contribution analysis that's been done recently.
In the case of Jim Clem, there is another situation. The occupation of 41 of his 43 donors cannot be determined because the amount donated was less than $100. Candidates are not required to disclose the names of people who contribute below that threshold. It makes one suspicious because each of those 41 donations was at least $99, but we really don’t know why his supporters are inclined not to have their identity and occupation reported to the election board.
The true extent of the ties between pro-development politicians and the developers who help fund their campaigns is camouflaged and can be uncovered only with extensive research. The only way to break these ties is to prevent any member of the board from voting on any development connected to a developer who helped pay for his campaign. - Joe Maio, Spokesman, Voters for Loudoun’s Future
The voters of Loudoun County need to be sure that their representatives represent them, not some hidden interest. My complements to Voters for Loudoun's Future for making this point so forthrightly.
Loudoun County, Virginia- The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a report of gunfire in the Ashburn area Monday.
Loudoun Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a residence in the 19900 block of Interlachen Circle around 7:39 PM where homeowners found a bullet lodged in between two glass panes in an upstairs bathroom.
The homeowner reported hearing a loud bang and the sound of glass shattering at the time of the incident. The residence was occupied by two adults and four children.
A neighbor told authorities they saw two vehicles in the area and heard possible gunfire. The area was searched but no other evidence of gunfire was located. - The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.
The issue in the Sheriff's race is crime, not anything else. Loudoun County is going to be facing Fairfax County's crime problems in the next five years, and the problems are not going to stay in the East. Mike George spent his career dealing with Fairfax County's crime issues. Mike George should be elected Sheriff in November.
After all the hot air in this year's Loudoun elections clears, education stands tall as the important issue of the 2007 campaign for Board of Supervisors. There are three fundamental reasons why.
First, education is one of the few items in the public discussion which is almost entirely under the authority of the County. Of course we are assisted and limited by state funding and Federal mandates, but on the whole education is a County responsibility.
Second, education represents the largest single item in the Loudoun County budget. Regardless of any other item or issue, education is the single largest driver of our taxes and our prosperity.
Finally, education will be a critical issue during the next Board of Supervisors' term because it will be under deep scrutiny as our County's growth slows, but our educational needs increase. The student population in Loudoun County is projected to grow by an additional 32% in the next five years. That means we will be building more schools, hiring more teachers, and expanding more programs throughout the term of the next Board of Supervisors, regardless of what we do about growth and transportation.
Given these facts, it is important that the people elected to the Board of Supervisors on November 6th are well versed in education issues. What does it take to comply with Federal mandates? How do we manage the growth in the school population? And perhaps most importantly, how do we manage growth in the special education costs, which is one of the fastest growing portions of the growing educational budget in Loudoun. This is a critical consideration as elements of Loudoun County's special education programs were found to be in non-compliance with Federal standards in 2005.
Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) Special Education Department did not maintain appropriate effort-reporting documentation in compliance with OMB Circular A-87, Cost Principles for State, Local, and Indian Tribal Governments, to support payroll costs charged to the Special Education grant for four of the 25 employees selected for testing. We reviewed the personnel file for these four employees and noted that their job description indicated that they are special education professionals. Biweekly payroll costs charged to the Special Education program during fiscal year 2005 for these four employees amounted to $10,887.52. During our audit, we noted that there are no documented controls to ensure that all applicable employees submit the semi-annual Time and Effort Certifications required by OMB Circular A-87 in a timely manner.
Given the importance of Federal money to the special education budget in Loudoun County, it is critical that the Board of Supervisors pay close attention to these programs when managing the schools budget.
In Leesburg, we have the opportunity to elect a Supervisor who is singularly versed in these critical education questions facing our County in the coming four years. Kelly Burk has been a special education teacher in Loudoun County's public schools for years, and that experience provides her with a uniquely informed perspective on the educational challenges the County faces. With the importance and scrutiny of special education, the Board of Supervisors can only benefit from a special education teacher being among its members.
Kelly Burk is the only Board of Supervisors candidate truly qualified to handle the difficult issues arising from increased needs and limited County resources. She has the perspective of a teacher and parent, as a past President of the Loudoun Education Association, as well as that of an elected representative, as a member of the Leesburg Town Council. This combination of experience will provide the citizens of Loudoun County with a compassionate and diligent steward of our educational legacy on the Board of Supervisors.
There is a very interesting quote from Supervisor Lori Waters, buried in the text of an article in last week's Leesburg Today. In the extended discussion last week over the County's immigration policy, the debate got heated, with agitated assertions flying across the dais. The basic conflict was over the question of immigration policy and compassion. Did the fact that the Board of Supervisors was interested in restricting County services to undocumented migrants necessarily mean that the Board was being heartless? That is the point at which Lori Waters spoke up:
"This discussion needs to happen. I think this is a healthy discussion and each of us will vote with our conscience. A vote on this doesn't make anyone more Christian or less Christian." - Supervisor Lori Water, quoted in Leesburg Today
Setting aside for the moment the Christian teachings on migration, there is the question of whether it is appropriate to be categorizing "Christian" as a term with the political equivalence of "good." I think a number of Loudoun's citizens would consider being "more" or "less" Christian as a silly way to measure the work done by their Supervisors.
The Bible is clear. According to Exodus 22:21: "You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." And Exodus 23:9 reinforces this: “Also you shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the heart of a stranger because you were strangers in the land of Egypt."
And those strangers were Israelites fleeing famine, fleeing war, and fleeing oppression. The same things our European ancestors were fleeing when they came to America, whether as Pilgrims running from England in search of religious freedom, or Italians, Poles, and Germans seeking escape from poverty, and the Irish leaving a murderous potato famine that took so many lives through starvation. Or Jews fleeing religious persecution and seeking freedom to worship. All of us were strangers in the land. And all of us should be cautioned not to oppress the stranger in our land today.
County Pit Bull Adoption Ban Sparks Lawsuit by Samantha Bartram
The Animal Rescue League of Tidewater is suing to force Loudoun County to abandon its prohibition on the adoption of pit bulls brought to the animal shelter. The lawsuit, which includes a request for an injunction to immediately block any other pit bulls from being euthanized, is set for a Loudoun County Circuit Court hearing next Monday. The litigation was filed by Ron Litz and the Animal Rescue of Tidewater. They allege that county's policy forbidding the adoption of pit bull and pit bull mix breeds violates sate law.
Although county leaders acknowledged earlier this year that the adoption policy must change to comply with Virginia law, they have been slow to put an alternative policy in place.- Leesburg Today
Regardless of the merits of the suit, it is difficult to understand why the Board of Supervisors could not have anticipated such a suit when debating the County policy in question. After being subjected to a series of lawsuits over the past year, it would be good stewardship for the Board to consider the legal risks of policies before adopting them. Furthermore, it is unacceptable that the Board of Supervisors does not act expeditiously to avoid lawsuits in the face of changing mandates from Richmond. These are the most basic of County Supervisor responsibilities.
It appears that this Board of Supervisors has difficulty avoiding lawsuits in general. Lawsuits only serve to increase our County costs, and thus our need for County revenues. As property values fall, it is going to be interesting to see where the majority on the Board of Supervisors suggests we get the money to defend these suits.
At the end of the day, candidates like Jim Clem, Bruce Tulloch, Eugene Delgaudio, Steven Snow, Mick Staton, Lori Waters and Greg Ahlemann are running on policies which increase our County costs, while undermining our County tax base, even as they offer only division and arrogance in their interactions with citizens. Loudoun needs new leadership before these Supervisors dig the County into a hole that it cannot get out of.
There is a great post over at RaisingKaine today (crossposted from DailyKos) by Teacherken, talking about the importance of this year's Virginia elections.
As many people already know, Virginia is the most significant battle ground this election day, which is but 4 weeks away on November 6. While there are several governor's races, there is no real mystery about their outcomes. Meanwhile control of the Virginia General Assembly is up for grabs, with the State Senate being quite competitive, and even the possibility of the House of Delegates turning.
Several weeks ago I had a conversation with Creigh Deeds, state senator from Bath County (where the Homestead is located). Creigh narrowly lost the AG race in in 2005, and is positioning himself to possibly run for Governor in 2009. He told me that when they came out of the last legislative session the Dems thought they might have 4 Republican Senate seats in play, in which case they would have to run the table to flip it from its current 23-17 split. Now there may be as many as 9 Republican seats in play. In the House of Delegates, where Dems hold only 40 of the 100 districts, no one had expected the Dems to have a shot at more than perhaps 4-5, but now Creigh thinks even that body could flip.
This year matters, a lot. It matters because Democrats just govern better. It matters because of 2010 redistricting, in which it will be critical that the Democrats control the legislature and Governorship. It matters because a vibrant and successful Virginia Democratic Party will make a big difference on the national stage in 2008.
We're in the home stretch folks, let's keep pushing!
It's not that Loudoun is an especially dangerous place, teeming with criminals, he said. Homicides are rare, as they have always been in Loudoun. But with gang activity on the rise, and destruction of property crimes steadily increasing as more people move into the county, the average inmate population has grown from about 100 in 1997 to almost 400 this year. And one county estimate predicts the number could approach 1,000 within 20 years. - The Washington Post
This is partially the result of a growing population, and partially the result of crimes and punishments that are unbalanced. The percentage of Americans at odds with the law is too high.
A record 7 million people -- one in every 32 U.S. adults -- were behind bars, on probation or on parole by the end of last year, a Justice Department report released yesterday shows. Of those, 2.2 million were in prison or jail, an increase of 2.7 percent over the previous year, according to the report. - The Washington Post
The only way our society is going to be able to redress the balance between the law and the citizens who violate it is to make sure that when people have paid their debt to society, society allows them to return. One of the causes of recidivism is the difficulty of convict re-entry to society. That is why it is encouraging to see that Virginia is taking steps to help these people to return to their communities successfully.
On Sept. 25, five newly released prisoners, one a juvenile, gathered in the Leesburg Police Department's community room to hear what 10 local and state agencies had to offer. ... The Loudoun program is being billed by county and state officials as a way to reduce crime by cutting the number of repeat offenders. Twenty-nine percent of state inmates released in 1999 were sent back to prison within three years, according to a 2005 report by the Virginia Department of Corrections. ... The former inmates were introduced to Gates, Leesburg Police Chief Joseph R. Price and officials from the Sheriff's Office and the Loudoun County departments of health, family services and parks and recreation, and other agencies. Loudoun Aftercare, a private, faith-based mentoring group, also was on the scene. - "Program Helps Ex-Inmates Find Their Way Back" The Washington Post
With programs like these, we stand a much better chance of reintegrating former inmates and providing alternatives for people who make that first awful mistake.
Disclosure and openess is at the core of good governance principles. As pointed out in a recent editorial in Leesburg Today, it is important that voters know who their elected officials are talking to. In the case of Loudoun County, Supervisor Burton had his constituent email list revealed by a FOIA request, in an effort to understand the interests of the people he has been communicating with on a regular basis. The issue came to the floor at a Board of Supervisors meeting, when Supervisor Tulloch criticized Supervisor Burton for his response to a FOIA request for his email list. Burton has been roundly criticized (an appropriately so!) for counterpublishing the requesters' personal contact information over that same email list.
In August, Madison filed a FOIA request demanding to see Burton’s newsletter subscriber list. Burton in turn, sent out a mass e-mail, containing Madison's contact information, to everyone in his list advising them of her request. - The Loudoun Times
The story has another side, however, which is the impact of name revelations on those who have been named. In Loudoun County, anti-development constituents, whose names are revealed through FOIA requests, might be subjected to SLAPP suits. Basically, many developers have a rather annoying habit of suing people critical of development to keep them quiet. This happened in 2004 in a lawsuit over a development near Oatlands plantation.
Even the most silly of lawsuits can require a busy citizen to appear at court, or hire a lawyer to make it go away. Most of our neighbors have neither the time, money nor inclination to fight ridiculous lawsuits because they chose to express their opinions to public officials. For the developers, however, a succesful SLAPP suit, which may be filed a the critical time when public comment is being considered by elected officials, may result in the approval of a multi-million dollar development, even as the finances and home life of the citizen sued is ruined.
This is why it was so important that the anti-SLAPP suit bill is now law in Virginia. This law, which was proposed by Senator Mark Herring and signed into law by Governor Kaine in April, prohibits lawsuits based on comments delivered by citizens in public hearings. (As long as the citizen does not make knowingly false statements.) This law will prevent powerful interests from initiating SLAPP suits to inhibit public comment on development and other important issues.
However, this law does not prevent lawsuits against people who are corresponding with their elected representatives by email. It will be interesting to see whether the citizens who Supervisor Burton has been corresponding with are named in any "tortious interference" lawsuits in the future.
Two more items of note from this issue. First, I will simply quote from the Loudoun Times.
Chairman Scott York (I-at large), himself FOIAed on occasion, then demanded to know why Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling), also FOIAed, has not complied with a request to turn over his list of newsletter subscribers. The reason why, according to Delgaudio, is that his newsletter is paid for by his own political action committee.
Does anyone else want to know why a county supervisor needs a political action committee? Or why having such a committee should make a politician immune from disclosure requirements?
And second, at the time of this entry, this was the first paragraph from that Loudoun Times story.
The question of are they "getting it enough?” is crass and inappropriate for a newspaper Web site and it will not be addressed here. Sorry. We can’t go there. But in terms of getting it, we now know that Supervisor Jim Burton (I-Blue Ridge) will not be getting his request granted to dim some of the sunshine cast by the Freedom of Information Act.
Sounds like an editor might have missed something, there.
The report consists of three sections: - The first section is a summary of growth statistics for the past twelve months (from July 1 to June 30). - The second section contains measures for each element of the Town Plan. This summarizes progress toward achieving the Plan’s objectives. - The third section is a review of the action program in the Town Plan. The review indicates the current status of all the action items scheduled to be completed within the period under review.
In the review, there are detailed actions and objectives for each agency of town government, and there are specific statements of status on each action and objective. When items need to be evaluated in light of new information (changes in prospective tax revenues, growth) that is noted and acted upon.
Kos got there first, but it must be discussed. This is the actual logo for the 2008 Republican Convention in Minneapolis.
As was said earlier today, irony is just the state of the world we live in, but the powers-that-be don't understand their actions are ironic.
To make it absolutely clear: The Larry Craig scandal is the result of an incident in a Minneapolis airport bathroom. The catch-phrase from the scandal is "I have a wide stance." The 2008 Republican Convention is in Minneapolis, and its logo has an elephant with a wide stance.
Karen Schultz's first television advertisement is now airing on local cable.
There has been much debate in the blogosphere about the value of cable television advertising to political campaigns. There are very compelling arguments that cable advertising is the best possible advertising for political candidates to use. It allows microtargeting, which is critical for name-recognition and get-out-the-vote purposes. It reduces waste, as the buy can be structured so that ads are played within the relevant election districts, and 27th district ads aren't playing in 33rd district homes. Finally, it is far lest expensive than advertising on major media outlets, meaning that your message can be played more frequently per dollar on cable than on network TV.
It is great to see these lessons, which began for Virginia in the 2005 governor's race, being applied to local races today.
(P.S. It should go without saying that Karen Schultz is the right candidate to replace Russ Potts in the 27th. But just in case, there, it's been said.)
(P.P.S. Interested in learning why Del. John Welch should be replaced by Bobby Mathieson next month? Well, check out this effort by VBDems.org -- 10 reasons to give John Welch the pink slip.)
There is an interesting, unintended side-effect from the anti-immigrant policies being considered and adopted in Prince William County: the exacerbation of the mortgage crisis.
Prince William County's home prices and its Hispanic population rose in tandem during the first half of this decade, a result of a home-building frenzy that became a powerful magnet for immigrant laborers. They arrived by the thousands, sending housing values even higher. ... That arrangement has unraveled. Prince William has some of the highest foreclosure rates in the region, with a glut of unsold, depreciating homes. And its elected officials have embarked on one of the most ambitious efforts in the nation to drive out and deport illegal immigrants.
That combination -- an excess of housing and new anti-illegal immigrant policies -- is likely to exacerbate the county's weak real estate market, agents and lenders say. Regardless of one's views on immigration, they say, simple arithmetic dictates that if a lot of residents leave the county, the housing meltdown will only worsen. - The Washington Post
Not only are anti-immigrant policies drains on the cost side of localities ledgers, there is emerging evidence that they also have significant, negative impacts on the revenue side of local government funding as well. Fundamentally, government actions which appear anti-immigrant reduce the demand for housing (by reducing the number of potential buyers) while increasing the supply of available houses. When supply and demand become unbalanced in this manner, prices fall. If Loudoun County puts our immigrant community on notice that they are not welcome, through policies or procedures, there will be a significant impact on home prices in districts with immigrant populations.
Spoken simply, Eugene Delgaudio, Stephen Snow, Bruce Tulloch, Mick Staton, Lori Waters and Jim Clem are putting fears ahead of finances. Their anti-immigrant ordinance would negatively impact our home values, and in doing so further erode our tax base, forcing the County to raise taxes in the future. All this supposedly in the name of "saving money" by reducing services to migrants. There has never been a clearer lose-lose proposition. And that is why the Board of Supervisors should be commended for postponing future discussion of the ordinance. Hopefully, this ordinance can die the slow death of neglect if it is not to be voted down directly. If nothing else, it will hopefully remain tabled until a new board takes over in January.
(With a tip-o-the-hat to Lowell over at RaisingKaine.)
Earlier this week, Chris Matthews went on The Daily Show to promote his new book, Life's a Campaign. The interview got rather heated as Jon called the book "a recipie for sadness."
This morning, Chris Matthews went on the Jack Diamond morning show and lamented the treatment he received at the hands of Jon Stewart. He lamented the decline of cordiality in our political discourse, and cooperation and friendship among politicians from differing sides. In doing so, he demonstrated that he had completely misunderstood Jon Stewart's point in challenging his philosophy on The Daily Show.
Chris Matthews, like most pundits, was shocked that he was challenged for reciting the conventional wisdom, and assuming that the experience of politics in Washington DC was somehow a metaphor for the state of our nation as a whole. (Hence the entire premise of his book, "Life's a Campaign.") And if you question whether he is really part of the Washington DC echo chamber, watch his interview on the Cobert Report from June. There he says Maliki is a "good guy" and was proud of the fact that Tom DeLay went on his show when he decided to retire. Chris Matthews is a prime example of the "institutional capture" that happens to otherwise savvy newsmen when they become ensconced in Washington. There is a reason the best news comes out of New York.
It is likely that there are many people who misunderstood the Jon Stewart interview. Since so many new voters (i.e. the under-30 crowd, and some folks over 30 like me) consider Jon Stewart a critical part of their news, it is valuable for other folks to understand where he is coming from and why that is important. There are two defining moments in the rise of Jon Stewart, and it is informative to take a look at them. The first is the speech Jon Stewart made on the Daily Show after 9/11.
While millions of Americans were watching the 24 hour cable networks for weeks, millions of other Americans watched Jon Stewart's emotional, powerful response to the 9/11 attacks, and heard an eloquent enunciation of the emotion and the hope felt in our hearts. This is the man who made an artform of snark, setting it all aside for a moment to simply unify an audience by saying, "I grieve, but I don’t despair..." It is on that day that he won our loyalty. This was ourCronkite moment. And yet, some members of the media mocked Jon Stewart for his emotional response to 9/11 on the Daily Show. No wonder many of us dismiss those who dismiss the Daily Show as simply fart jokes and disdain.
The second defining moment in the rise of Jon Stewart is the Crossfire appearance.
On Crossfire, Jon Stewart dismantles the conceit that the pundits and their shows matter.
STEWART: See, the thing is, we need your help. Right now, you're helping the politicians and the corporations. And we're left out there to mow our lawns.
BEGALA: By beating up on them? You just said we're too rough on them when they make mistakes.
STEWART: No, no, no, you're not too rough on them. You're part of their strategies. You are partisan, what do you call it, hacks.
Once again Jon Stewart shows an uncanny ability to express the very impressions that so many of us feel when we look across the media and political landscape. All these talking heads are part of the entrenched political system which so many consider broken.
Outside the Village, citizens of the United States live in a parallel universe where the war is loathed, just like the president who led us into it, and where Republican phony sanctimony is seen for the cheap political theater it is, just as it was during the Lewinsky scandal, when Democrats tripped over Republicans to condemn the president. Then, as now, the denizens of the Village showed their loyalty to the Village.
But now, as then, when they look at the polling numbers they should realize that while Drudge may rule their world, the rest of the country is on another page entirely. The voters may not care about Move On (although Move-On's three million plus members surely do) but they do care about the war.
And herein lies the essence of Jon Stewart's strength as a voice of the people. He talks about what matters to us.
The defining political event of the Jon Stewart generation's youth was the impeachment of President Clinton. Even as millions of American teenagers were spending countless hours trying to figure out how to get, or whether to give, a blowjob, the President was impeached for it! And guess what folks, we didn't care! The entire country was shanghaied by a supposed "scandal" that rang absolutely false to everyone, and yet the Republican Congress kept flogging it and the media kept reporting it. And then, at the very height of the impeachment, the Speaker-designate steps down because of his own infidelity?
And people don't understand why younger voters consider irony the highest commentary. Irony was the entire name of the game when we became politically aware, but the people in DC did not see these events as ironic!
And so we responded to pretentious hubris with the best weapon in human history - humor itself. The enlightenment had Candide, and we have Comedy Central (The Daily Show, South Park, Colbert Report). Because the "serious" issues that were raised and debated in Washington were not the actual issues that were serious at the time. Billions of dollars lost in Iraq, New Orleans still unrecovered and faceless American mercenaries killing people for money, and the punditry gets up in arms about "an ad. In a newspaper." That is ridiculous, in the sense of being deserving of ridicule. And yet, when ridiculed for being ridiculous, the Village gets the vapors.
The neglect of the issues that actually matter in favor of false issues the pundits themselves care about only continues. Which brings us back to Chris Matthews. He did not stop to consider Jon Stewart's critique. He did not ask whether perhaps his own position was wrong. (Though Jon Stewart frequently reports and mocks his own mistakes.) Instead he got indignant for being made fun of, on a show whose entire premise is to make fun of things! As Jon Stewart so frequently says "we're fake news!"
According to Chris Matthews and people like him, the issue that "matters" is the lack of cordiality in Washington and the decline of bipartisanship. There is absolutely no evidence that this is actually the case. The truth is that the majority agree with the Democratic Party's approach to governing. The majority care most about Iraq, health care and the economy. And on the most important question of Iraq, the vast majority want us out. (58% want fewer troops in Iraq, and 62% want them to start coming home now.) And yet, on this issue which 2/3 of the American people have clear opinions that are completely at odds with The Executive's current strategy, how many pundits are spending a proportional amount of time talking about how the Administration is thwarting the expressed will of the people? How many pundits are questioning the wisdom of vetoing SCHIP, the most popular program on one of the most important issues of the day?
No, the questions being asked are "is it wise for the Democrats to..." And because of this, we tune out. And we tune into Jon Stewart. His jokes touch the issues that matter, and deliver truth and facts with humor. Satire matters in America today, because we are tired of unserious people talking about unserious issues, and taking themselves too seriously.
I bet that made Chris Matthews fart.
(I linked to an article published in the online journal SCAN earlier in this posting, but wanted to point it out specifically. In this article, the author goes into exquisite detail analyzing the phenomenon of The Daily Show. While my statements above are opinion, the article provides the fundamental backup analysis for my opinion: The Daily Show, Crossfire, and the Will to Truth by Megan Boler)
As I look with excitement and trepidation upon the prospect of becoming a father for the first time, I begin to notice tangible differences between myself and my parents when it comes to the venerable institution of fatherhood. I hate the idea of generation gaps, but I fear they're there. From politics to entertainment to the most intimate of family behaviors, my family is just going to be different from my parents'. And that's okay.
Newsweek has a column on the new generation of dads.
Still, the bottom line is that today's guys are procreating, parenting and pleased with ourselves. Sure, you'll have to endure the occasional hipster dad who slaps a Sex Pistols decal on his $800 Bugaboo stroller. Some of us will give our kids offbeat names like Freya and diligently document our every self-important, profanity-laced insight on our blogs. And it will be another generation who will tell us if this grand experiment has worked. But one thing is clear: we tend to have a different outlook than our fathers did. - Brian Braiker
Isn't that what life and family is? A grand experiment?
A group that represents Loudoun County real estate agents is endorsing seven Republicans and a former member of the county's Republican Committee as candidates for the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. The Dulles Area Association of Realtors is endorsing Republicans Bruce Tulloch (Potomac), Mark Albright (Blue Ridge), Geary higgins (Catoctin), Stephen Snow (Dulles), Jim Clem (Leesburg), Edugene Delagaudio (Sterling), and Mike Staton (Sugarland Run). The grou pis also endorsing independent Jack Ryan (Broad Run), who took part in June's Republican conventoin, but lost the nomination to Supervisor Lori Waters (R-Broad Run). - Loudoun Times-Mirror (print edition)
You have to give these candidates for Board of Supervisors credit for being openly and candidly endorsed by the Real Estate industry. After all, their campaign money comes from the industry. Of course real estate agents are most interested in the volume and size of transactions, not what happens to families after they have bought or sold a house. Their best interests are served by the sales themselves. Some real estate agents have gone to jail for the lengths they have gone to close sales. Meanwhile, many neighbors are losing houses they could not afford to foreclosure.
The Republican candidates are to be commended for the candor with which they receive the endorsement of the mortgage crisis industry. Loudoun's voters will surely know what they will be voting for if they vote Republican in November.
There is a very interesting article in last month's "Arts & Sciences" magazine from U.Va. It's about the South Lawn Project, which is expanding the University's Arts and Science's facilities over the next few years.
The project will be among the first LEED-certified building efforts at U.Va. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system has become the ultimate benchmark for green building in America, providing a “whole building” approach to sustainability. The system focuses on five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. - "Going Green," A&S Magazine
(The South Lawn Project will include green rooftops covered by living plant material. Image courtesty of the U.Va. Office of the Architect.)
LEED construction is one of the things that was being considered for future Loudoun County schools earlier this year. School Board Member John Stevens blogged about a presentation given to the Board about LEED construction. Over in Fairfax County, many schools are already applying green construction principles when being built or renovated.
It is interesting to note one of the leaders of the LEED efforts at the University of Virginia is L.F. Payne. He is a former Democratic Congressman and former candidate for Lieutenant Governor who has been mentioned as a possible future statewide candidate. In 2003, Governor Warner appointed him to U.Va.'s Board of Visitors. It is very encouraging that from that position, Mr. Payne has been advocating sustainable development.
“The Board is committed to the whole notion of sustainability,” said L.F. Payne, chairman of the Buildings and Grounds Committee. “We think it is really important that the South Lawn Project — the high-profile project that it is — be LEED-certified and show the commitment that the University has to sustainability.”
The state's premier university is an excellent model for sustainable development of schools statewide. Sustainable and environmentally conscious schools provide significant benefits to the students who attend them, the teachers who work there, and even the communities who need to pay for their maintenance and upkeep. Loudoun County should watch carefully.
Buried in a page 3 article in the Washington Post is perhaps the most telling political statistic of our age.
The hold is one of the Senate's most controversial procedural tactics. It allows a single lawmaker to block a vote on legislation. Coburn has holds on about 100 pieces of legislation he opposes. - The Washington Post
You read that correctly. Senator Coburn of Oklahoma has issued approximately 100 currentholds on legislation pending in the Senate. While it is appropriate to assign responsibility for the roadblocking of the Senate to the Republican party, it is illustrative to see the kind of power one contrarian Senator in the minority party can wield.
In the article we discover that Senator Coburn is responsible for blocking gun purchase background check legislation which grew out of the Virginia Tech tragedy. Apparently, making sure crazy people are allowed to carry guns is an issue close to Senator Coburn's heart. Perhaps he's worried the legislation would impact his own ability to purchase a gun?
Even the NRA supports this bill!
"There is not one person legally able to buy a firearm today who would be banned under the new law," said NRA chief lobbyist Chris W. Cox. The measure is not gun control, he said. If it were, "we would withdraw our support."
Oklahoma is lucky to have the opportunity to balance out Senator Coburn this year, as Senator "In denial" Inhofe (With a tip-o-the-hat to Senate 2008 Guru.) is up for re-election this year and being challenged by the pragmatic and rational Democrat Andrew Rice.
The hold has a long and important role in Senate procedure. It should not be eliminated, but perhaps it should be limited in some manner. For example, all holds should be made public, and each Senator should be limited in the number of holds they can issue in a given session of Congress. It is interesting to note that the Republicans were in favor of making holds public when they were in charge. While the hold is a venerable procedural tool, Senator Coburn has demonstrated the reductio ad absurdum argument for its reform.
Even while Republicans are avoiding things that matter to Virginians, the Democrats in this year's elections are campaigning for Virginia. It is useful to see just how connected to the concerns of regular Virginians the Democratic candidates are.
The Washington Post does a regular, comprehensive poll of American political opinion in cooperation with ABC News. This poll can serve as a good proxy for what average Americans are thinking and concerned with. The poll lists the following as the top issues Americans are concerned with today:
The number one issue listed was the war in Iraq. Iraq was ranked first or second by a full 55% of those surveyed. While our state candidates cannot make national policy, they can do something about the effects of national policy. In Virginia, they are: Veterans' Bill of Rights
The number two issue listed was the economy. It was ranked first or second by 30% of those surveyed. In Virginia, governors Warner and Kaine have taken the lead to sustain and build the Virginia economy. Our state legislative candidates have also pledged to do their part, such as the Student Bill of Rights. (It should be noted that education was the first or second most important issue to 7% of the respondents.)
The number three issue listed was health care. It was ranked first or second by 29% of those surveyed. The biggest thing Virginia can do in the Health Care arena in 2007/2008 is to keep SCHIP running. Of course, The Executive cannot have that. The Democratic candidates for the Assembly have made health care a major issue of the campaign, and will not back down when elected.
As Governor Kaine has said:
Democratic leadership has made our state the best managed state in America, the most business friendly state in America, and the state where a child born today is most likely to have a successful life.
If Virginians want to continue reaping the type of accolades received by the Warner and Kaine administrations, it is important to elect legislators who share those values and who are committed to solving problms. - Governor Tim Kaine, on RaisingKaine
The entire slate of televised debates that were to be held has been scrapped. As I mentioned before, the League of Women Voters were arranging these debates in conjunction with the local cable company, Cox Communications. I understand the Democratic candidates were willing to tape but that the Republican candidates were not, even when given a number of different dates to choose from. - Vivian Paige
It is extremely interesting that the Republicans at either end of the state are withdrawing from League of Women Voters debates. Republicans nationally are avoiding debates in front of constituencies that do not traditionally support them such as gays and African-Americans. Perhaps Virginia's Republicans consider women a hostile constituency?
Other areas of Virginia should be concerned if this trend picks up steam in other races. It is inappropriate for candidates to "blame the venue" when declining to debate. It is inappropriate for candidates to use "scheduling conflicts" to avoid debates. In Virginia, the vast majority of offices up for election this year are legislative in nature. The very role these candidates will play in government is one of deliberation and debate. For legislators, public debates are job interviews, pure and simple. People who skip job interviews shouldn't get the job.
Everywhere we turn this year, one party is avoiding the people, while the other is engaging the people. From fundraising, to debates, to the simple act of governing itself, the Democratic Party and its candidates have been acting on behalf of the people, even while the Republicans do their best to mislead and avoid the people.
[Update] Vivian Paige reports this morning that the debate ducking may have been more coordinated than originally thought. This is definitely a contagion among Virginia Republicans.
There have been some reports locally (I found out from a colleague who speaks to the Leesburg Police from time to time) of the re-emergence of a popular Lottery Winning Check Scam. If you receive a letter in the mail, with a check, saying you won a lottery, please be cautious! FraudAid has a ton of information to help identify the scam. The bottom line is this:
If someone unknown to you asks you to wire money somewhere, don't.
Loudoun County now has mandatory water restrictions in effect. Lansdowne...and Out in the Open had the story first.
Under this Ordinance, use of the LCSA central service water supply for any of the following purposes is prohibited until further notice:
(1) Watering of shrubbery, trees, lawns, grass, plants or any other vegetation, except from a watering can or other container not exceeding three gallons in capacity, excluding plant nurseries, golf course greens and commercial agricultural activities. Any new grass, sod or vegetation planted since September 1, 2007 may be watered on an odd-even schedule. The over-seeding of existing turf does not qualify for this exemption.
(2) Washing of automobiles, trucks, trailers or other mobile equipment, except from a bucket or other container not exceeding three gallons in capacity. Use of a commercial car wash facility is allowed.
(3) Washing of streets, driveways, parking lots, service station aprons, the exterior of commercial or residential buildings or any other outdoor surfaces, except from a bucket or other container not exceeding three gallons in capacity, unless such washing is required to eliminate a hazard;
(4) Operation of any ornamental fountain or other structure making similar use of water;
(5) Filling of swimming and/or wading pools, from an empty or less than three-quarters full condition, except for home wading pools requiring not more than five gallons of water;
(6) Service of drinking water in restaurants, except upon request; ... Violating these restrictions is a Class III misdemeanor and carries a $500 fine for each instance. Repeat violators may have their water service shut off for a period of up to five (5) days, under the County Administrator’s discretion. To report a violation, email drought@lcsa.org or call 571-291-7870, and provide a street address, time and date of the violation. All messages received by LCSA will be reported to the County Sheriff for action. LCSA’s Community Systems customers are not subject to these restrictions. - From the LCSA Press Release
Five days without water is a pretty strong penalty for violations of this ordinance, but given the damage repeat offenders can do to our water supply, it is entirely appropriate. Please comply with these restrictions, it is for the good of us all.
A tip-o-the-hat to SeanMike who does a great dissection of one of the great bait-and-switch bogeymen of our times: video games and violence.
1. Gangs are using attacks on police officers as initiation rituals. The kids aren't going out there saying "Hey, I saw this in Grand Theft Auto" any more than they'd say that 'cause they saw it in a movie or whatever. In fact, think of what happens if you attack a cop in GTA - you get all of them on you. Anyone who thinks that they can act like a character in GTA is already deluded enough.
2. We're not just desensitized by video games. Look at the fact that we've been in a violent, often brutal state of war for the past, oh, 6 years. Look at the fact that gangs are using the military as a training ground. Not to mention that sometimes the soldiers smuggle weapons back home from Iraq. [Read the article for the links that back up his facts. -P13]
3. Of course you're going to find video games there. You probably also find DVDs and other things. The fact is that the prevalence of video games in society is unprecedented; it would probably be more of a statistical point if they DIDN'T have video games in there. Every one of my coworkers below the age of 35 has a video game console of some sort - from Xboxes to Xbox 360s to PS3s - not to mention PCs capable of playing video games. None of us have killed anyone thanks to them... - The Words of SeanMike, at Gamersinfo.net
It is an unfortunate truth that people like to associate things that are bad with things they are uncomfortable with. Youth culture, immigration, the poor, have all been blamed by The Powers That Be for societal harms to which they can only tenuously be linked. And why? Because that is an easy way to win votes, and it's easier to misassign blame than it is to build a real solution.
Perhaps one of the reasons the Republicans are loathe to debate this years is that they are apt to lose, or at least look foolish. The link leads to a story on RaisingKaine with a video of the Oleszek-Cuccinelli debate in which Janet is the clear winner and Cuccinelli appears to not even know the bills he sponsored in the last Assembly session.
This is a running theme this cycle, Republicans avoiding debates, or at least looking out-of-touch and ignorant when debating. Who can forget the way the Presidential candidates on the Republican side answered the evolution question:
It is not clear whether Republican elected representatives in Loudoun County are allowed to think for themselves and make their own decisions.
On Friday, LCRC Chairman Paul Protic threatened to pull the Republican board of supervisors' candidates from the debates unless the additional state forums are held for the 33rd Senate District held by Mark Herring (D) and 33rd District House seat, held by David Poisson (D). - Leesburg Today
What the story does not say is that these candidates could choose to attend these debates independent of the opinions of the LCRC Chairman. Should Loudoun County be run by people willing to deny the voters their presence a respected forum at the request of one man? Shouldn't the opinions of thousands of voters count more than the LCRC Chair to these elected representatives?
In November, we're the decider; not the Republican or Democratic Chair, not the League of Women Voters, not even Staton, Snow, Delgaudio, Tulloch and Clem. We are.
The Loudoun County Sanitation Authority announced today that it plans to ask the Loudoun Board of Supervisors to declare a water shortage emergency and impose mandatory water restrictions in the county. The board of supervisors is scheduled to take up the LCSA request at its meeting tomorrow. Residents will be asked to restrict their water usage to no more than 75 gallons per person per day. - Leesburg Today
Even though much of the grass we see as we drive to work in the morning is green once again, that does not mean the drought has dissipated. On the contrary, now is a sensitive time. Our reservoirs must recover, our land must recover, our watersheds must recover.
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management has a number of good ideas for saving water. Here are a few:
Using washing machines and dishwashers only when fully loaded.
Using a pan when washing vegetables and dishes instead of letting water run continuously.
Not allowing the water to run continuously when brushing teeth, washing hands, shaving or taking a shower. By turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth, you can save as much as 14 gallons of water a day.
There is an emerging controversy over the League of Women Voter's (LWV) debates in this year's Loudoun County elections. Basically, the LWV determined that their membership was most interested in the Board of Supervisors' elections this year, and so made an effort to schedule their respected and excellent candidate fora for those races. In doing so, their limited resources did not allow the LWV to provide venues for debate for all races in the county, since there are 23 of them.
The Loudoun County Republican Committee objected to this fact, and used that objection as the reason for some of its candidates withdrawing from previously scheduled and agreed-upon debates. In an effort to expand the venues for debate, former LCRC Chair Randy Minchew offered a compromise by which an extra debate among Assembly candidates would be hosted, with co-moderation by a Republican and a Democrat. Since cost and resources were a factor in the number of debates the LWV could support, Chairman Thom Beres offered the Loudoun County Democratic Committee's financial support for the debate in reply.
This discussion was being held over private email, and was until that time confined to a set of concerned citizens of Loudoun County, working to expand the venues for debate in this important election season. Taking advantage of these email exchanges, but without conferring with Mr. Beres or Mr. Minchew (as far as has been discernable), the Loudoun County Republican Committee took it upon themselves to issue a press release which mischaracterized the nature of the email exchanges and sought to construe the discussion as one of blame of the League of Women Voters, rather than what it was, assistance to the League of Women Voters.
Here is the LCRC Press Release:
CONTACT: Bob Maistros rmaistros@aol.com 703-728-1648
LCRC Chairman Joins Democratic Counterpart in Offering
To Help Pay For State Senate and Delegate Debates
Paul Protic, Chairman of the Loudoun County Republican Committee (LCRC), today issued the following statement:
"The Chairmen of the Loudoun County Republican and Democratic Committees don't agree on much, but there's one thing we do agree on: the League of Women Voters debate series must include the local candidates for State Senate and Delegate, and we are willing to put our money where our mouth is.
"I'm gratified that my counterpart on the Democratic Committee has indicated his willingness to make funds available to finance such a debate. The LCRC is also ready and willing to provide funding for that purpose.
"The ball is now firmly in the League's court. This discussion is not about Republicans or Democrats. It's about the voters, and their interest in hearing from all the candidates this fall.
"We look forward to the League changing its position to sponsor debates with the State Senate and Delegate candidates, and seeing the entire series go off as planned with full participation from all candidates."
In the interest of insuring the accuracy of the record, here is the email exchange which has been grossly mischaracterized by this press release:
-----Original Message----- From: thom beres Sent: Oct 1, 2007 3:33 PM To: [snip]loudoundemocrats.org Subject: [LCDems-news] FW: Loudoun LWV Debate Matters
To All
Below is an email trail of an offer by Randy Minchew for the LCRC and LCDC to co-host a debate/forum to take the place of the LWV forums the LCRC has demanded. Notice how Mr Protic’s LCRC press release totally misrepresents this offer by Randy Minchew and my willingness to support a co-hosted forum. The LCRC seems intent on making the LWV the bad guy in all this and trying to make it appear the LCDC agrees with them. Nothing is further from the truth. The LWV does not have the time nor volunteers to make this happen at this late date. We should be thanking them not calling into question their good works. [note: emphasis mine - P13] Rest assured the papers got my true position and the real story is the LCRC once again lying to the public and press.
Thom
From: thom beres Sent: Monday, October 01, 2007 3:01 PM To: 'thom beres'; 'Minchew, J. Randall' Cc: [snip]loudoungop.com; [snip]loudoundemocrats.org; [snip]aol.com; [snip]loudoun.va.lwvnet.org; [snip]aol.com Subject: RE: Loudoun LWV Debate Matters
Mr Protic
I am extremely disappointed by this release by you to the press. It neither reflects my offer or the intent of Randy for us to co-host forums. You obviously are trying to pin the problem on the LWV and that is in itself reprehensible. The LWV does great work and are under funded and just do not have the time for this kind of effort.
Please in the future do not speak for the LCDC, especially if you are not accurate.
Thom Beres
From: thom beres Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2007 2:52 PM To: 'Minchew, J. Randall' Cc: [snip]loudoungop.com'; [snip]loudoundemocrats.org'; [snip]aol.com'; [snip]loudoun.va.lwvnet.org'; [snip]aol.com' Subject: RE: Loudoun LWV Debate Matters
Randy
The LCDC is more than willing to co-host a debate or forum. We also would like to include Del Joe May and Councilman Marty Martinez in an event.
The LCDC is willing to support you in arranging the agreement and then help defray the costs of the event(s).
Thom Beres
From: Minchew, J. Randall Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2007 9:50 AM To: [snip]aol.com; Kristen Kalina; [snip]loudoun.va.lwvnet.org; [snip]aol.com Cc: [snip]loudoungop.com; [snip]loudoundemocrats.org Subject: Loudoun LWV Debate Matters
Dear Loudoun LWV Leadership, Chairman Beres, and Chairman Protic,
I enter the fray concerning the Loudoun LWV debate matter with great trepidation.
But, my admiration for the great job the LWV does in providing debate fora at the local, state and federal levels prompts me to write to you.
I do not know all of the issues and background facts, but as I understand it, there is a concern that the two Republican challengers for the Eastern Loudoun House and Senate seats, (32nd House-Poisson and 33rd Senate-Herring) are not being given the same LWV opportunity to debate their Democratic incumbent opponents that are being given to the Democratic challengers for the Board of Supervisors' seats now being held by Republican incumbents. I know that there are more relevant facts, but a use of Occam's Razor seems to reduce the core issue to that point.
I think that it would be a real service to the voters if the already-scheduled Board debates could go on and that a night of debate be scheduled between the 32nd House candidates (Poisson & Chapman) and 33rd Senate (Herring & Phillips). I know Delegate Poisson and Senator Herring well and both are quality gentlemen who would probably relish the opportunity to debate their challengers. Even though the election is barely over a month away, I think that this additional night of debate could probably be scheduled and advertised without too much problem.
Since I know well from Scouting that those who put forth good ideas should also offer to staff implementation of these good ideas, I would also offer to serve as a Moderator or Co-Moderator. It may be possible to get one of the Chairman Emeritii of the LCDC, (such as Rollie Winter, Dave Whitmer, Steve Deak, or Doug Reimel) to serve as Co-Moderator. I have not seen Rollie, Dave, Steve or Doug in a long time and it would be good to see them again for a night of political fellowship.
Best Regards, Randy
J. Randall Minchew
All of Loudoun owes a debt of gratitude and admiration to Randy Minchew for his service in stepping in to create a coalition to provide more information to the voters. Similarly, we should applaud Chairman Beres for taking the next step to offer funding and support for an additional debate. Let none of the iniquities of this situation tarnish their leadership in the simple matter of informing the citizenry.
At this point, I leave it to the reader to make up their own mind about the actions of the LCRC in this matter. Actions do speak louder than any words.
If the Republican candidates on the November ballot are so afraid of facing the voters during the campaign, why are they running?
Supervisor Candidates Pull Out of Debates
Two GOP incumbents, Stephen J. Snow (Dulles) and Mick Staton Jr. (Sugarland Run), had months ago told the league they would participate. But on Friday, they said were withdrawing from league sponsored debates. They said they changed their minds because the league had not planned debates between some of the candidates for state legislative offices.
The exclusion of some candidates shows "they're favoring Democrats," said Paul Protic, chairman of the Loudoun County Republican Committee. "It's more about the voters of Loudoun," Protic said. "They need to hear from all the candidates." - The Washington Post
It is unclear how not attending a debate helps the voters of Loudoun hear from all the candidates. But let us leave that logical conundrum to the Republican candidates.
This announcement comes after Eugene Delgaudio and and Mark Albright (Republican candidates in Sterling and Catoctin, respectively) already declined to debate. While candidates like Stevens Miller in Dulles, Jeanne West in Sterling, and Susan Klimek Buckley in Sugarland Run have been out directly engaging with voters for months, walking the streets of their districts and listening, their Republican opponents cannot be bothered to show up to "the most respected" debate venue of this election.
Jim Clem could not get his Republican brethren on to oppose push polls, and now he cannot even convince them to answer questions in a respected public forum. It is unclear what he can possibly do for Leesburg on the Board of Supervisors if he cannot convince other members of the Board to respect the voters enough to refrain from push polls and attend one debate. Meanwhile, every Democratic Board of Supervisors candidate has pledged not to use push polls.
The contrast could not be more stark: Democrats respect citizens, Republicans do not.
Once again, Leesburg has demonstrated the importance of small, simple, practical solutions to some of the larger problems which vex our society. In this case, the donation of power-saving light bulbs to low-income households, which reduces electricity usage in homes where utilities make up a greater proportion of the family budget than most residents of Loudoun are used to.
The Leesburg Environmental Advisory Commission arranged for donations of these power-saving bulbs to Loudoun Interfaith Relief. Thus showing that government can make a difference, even at the lowest levels, by looking for and executing on small, simple solutions that benefit the citizens. It should come as no surprise that Kelly Burk is the Town Council Representative on the EAC. Councilmember Burk has shown her dedication to practical, effective governance throughout her tenure on Town Concil.
This kind of practical leadership is what Leesburg has excelled at in the past few years. Leesburg only fights when it has to. In most circumstances, the town looks for an effective solution and gets the job done. Just as states are laboratories of democracy for the nation, so too may towns be laboratories of governance for the county. And just as Virginia benefits when mayors like Tim Kaine become governor, so too will Loudoun County benefit by putting Leesburg Town Councilmember Kelly Burk on the Board of Supervisors. And so too will the Virginia benefit from putting fellow Town Councilmember Marty Martinez in the House of Delegates. Leesburg has shown how to run an effective and responsible government. Kelly and Marty can and should take that experience in serving and leading effectively to other layers of our government.
There are three choices the voters face for Sheriff this November, Steve Simpson (the incumbent), Greg Ahlemann (the Republican nominee) and Mike George (the Democratic nominee). Last week, the three met at a candidates' forum hosted by the League of Women Voters. At the forum, a wide range of questions were asked, but some of the most in-depth discussion was around immigration. The Loudoun Times-Mirror covered the event.
Ahlemann called illegal immigration “the issue in this race.” He spoke of his experience working as a deputy in Sterling Park when he arrested many people with no documentation who could not speak English. “Trying to say crime statistics have gone down doesn't seem to make the single mother feel safer as she goes out to buy groceries at night,” Ahlemann said.
George, who worked in gang intelligence with the Fairfax County Police Department, noted that all of the gang members arrested are not illegal immigrants. “From what I've seen working with gangs, about 10 percent were illegals,” he said. “I don't think you can [conclude] that one is related to the other.”
Simpson said only about one in 20 gang members the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office deals with is an illegal immigrant.
“It's wrong to assume that everyone who's in Sterling is first of all illegal and second of all gang bangers because that's just not true,” he said to lots of applause from the crowd, which numbered about 80 people. - The Loudoun Times-Mirror
It is informative to examine what candidate Ahlemann is doing in this instance. His comments are playing on irrational fears and baseless assumptions about an entire class of neighbors. It has been shown that the majority of Spanish speakers in Loudoun are here legally, and furthermore, shown that fewer immigrants commit crimes than the population at large, but these facts do not stop candidate Ahlemann from inspiring fear in his rhetoric. The politics of fear know no facts, only emotional appeals designed to stir reaction instead of consideration.
That is why it is so heartening to read that our neighbors applauded when assertions based on fear were challenged at the forum. Our community values its neighbors, and our community values are not represented by people who would introduce false divisions among the residents of Loudoun County.
Mike George stands as the strongest candidate for Loudoun's values in the Sherriff's race. He is our neighbor, a citizen of Loudoun County, with a passion for maintaining and improving our quality of life. His experience fighting drugs and gangs in Fairfax County is exactly the experience we need to lead Loudoun County law enforcement in the next four years. If we want Loudoun County to remain a great place for families, we need a Sheriff who has proven his ability to fight the crime problems that come with growth and development. But in fighting that crime, we need a candidate who will build a coalition from our community, not turn it upon itself. It is for these reasons, among many others, that we need to elect Mike George Sheriff of Loudoun County.
Part time geek, full time suit. All time source of argumentation and rhetoric. I am a volunteer for Del. David Poisson's re-election campaign. I am not a lawyer, just a taxpayer.
Leesburg
