Is there a connection between Aneesh Chopra and PRISM?

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With the recent controversy of the government monitoring its own citizens, it is clear for many to point fingers at who is to blame. If anything, we could sit around and point fingers at various entities in the Obama administration.

Today, Bishop E.W. Jackson (R), candidate for Lieutenant Governor might have brought up a series of interesting questions to ask of a possible opponent. Aneesh Chopra is one of the Democrats seeking the Lieutenant Governor’s nomination for his party, and he served in the Obama administration as Chief Technology Officer. During that time, it is unknown whether or not he had connections with the PRISM program and other ways to monitor American citizens. Jackson, in a statement from his campaign, is seeking to find out what Chopra might know about the government surveillance.

:As more information becomes public concerning the government’s efforts to monitor its own citizens in violation of the Fourth Amendment, Virginians have a right to know: What did Aneesh Chopra know about the PRISM program and other federal government efforts to archive our telephone conversations, e-mail and internet activity? If Aneesh Chopra can not stand up to his boss in the White House for the privacy of American citizens, how can Virginians trust him as Lieutenant Governor?”

With the “1984″ style surveillance taking place, Chopra should come clean to voters on what connection he might have had during his tenure as Chief Technology Officer to the PRISM program. If one thing is for certain, this is only causing many people to continue having a deeper distrust in the government.

Thinking about What’s Next

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…in terms of training. You see, I have been silent, as I am starting a new fitness crazy. I am training for my first triathlon. Why would someone who loves running so much considering combining biking and swimming? Well, it would make things more interesting.

After running my first half marathon (ran it in 2:45) on April 28 with little training, I have decided to can the full marathon (even though, Boston was the goal) because I just felt terribly sore and wiped out. One might laugh and say, “You silly woman, you are sore because you ran 13.1 miles on little training.” Yeah, I hear you, but after running 13.1 miles, I just don’t see the point in adding 13.1 more miles to the total. Also, the longer distances tend to become boring. I like for things to be done faster, and the half marathon, 10K, and 5K distances tend to make me feel more satisfied.

So, why am I throwing more things into the mix? Well, I love swimming and biking as forms of cross training, so I think that by adding these two elements to a race…it makes things more interesting. Also, swimming and biking are gentle on the knees. I am excited to have another event to train for, and in the meantime, I will try to find the energy to comment on some of the more interesting scandals and political races soon.

Any recommendations for sprint triathlons, road bikes, etc.?

The No Comment Show Starring Rep. Jim Moran

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It appears that I missed out on a good event last night, as Congressman Jim Moran (D-Va.) showed his “no comment” technique of avoiding questions.  You would think if Rep. Moran is hosting a community panel on gun violence that he would want to hear from both gun control advocates and gun rights advocates.  A female gun owner asked Moran why he wasn’t pro-choice when it comes to a woman’s right to defend herself with a firearm.  Moran avoided the question.  There were more questions asked by the audience that Moran avoided answering as well.   Nicki at The Liberty Zone and Retire Jim Moran have more video of last night’s so-called “Conversation on Gun Violence in America.”

With events like this, it only proves that we need to have better representation for the 8th District in Congress.

Jim Moran to hold Gun Violence Forum

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Guns and gun control has become a hot topic issue.  It seems like we have a government that would rather strip you of your Second Amendment rights more and more, in the wake of shootings.

With politicians pushing gun control, it did not surprise me to see that my Congressman, Jim Moran, is holding a panel discussing gun violence.  According to ARLnow, this panel will feature gun control advocates and mental health professionals to discuss how to prevent violence.  Where is the invitation for gun rights groups?  There is no representation from those who could inform people that guns are not dangerous, if you know how to handle them properly.   No doubt, their solution will be to grab guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens, who know how to use firearms safely.

You see, the delicious irony of this forum:  Moran is hosting it.  Considering he has quite the rap sheet for assaulting others, Moran is quite the expert with violent behaviors.   After all, I am pretty certain he will be yelling at those who disagree with him, so it should be entertaining to witness on Monday, March 11th.

Bill Bolling Needs Your Help…or Maybe Not!

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When you send a survey asking whether people support your third party candidacy, you would want to make the survey available.  Imagine my surprise when there was no survey…I had to chuckle, because I think that someone does not want to hear my opinion.

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One also has to wonder what will happen if Bolling declares a third party candidacy.  What will happen to all of his Republican supporters?  Will they be able to attend the Republican convention and cast a ballot?   Aren’t all delegates to the Republican convention supposed to support the Republican nominee, which will be Ken Cuccinelli?   It is a shame that Bolling is considering a third party run, especially considering that he was “loyal” to the party for so many years.  Cuccinelli is the nominee, so get over it.  You can sit on the sidelines and not endorse…it’s a lot better than tarnishing your reputation as a crybaby.

Kudos to All Around Pizza

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Seriously, when did CNN’s Piers Morgan become relevant?  I mean this guy is a complete moron, who is fascinated by guns and gun control.   Recently, Morgan interviewed Jay Laze, who owns All Around Pizza in Virginia Beach.   All Around Pizza is offering discounts to those who carry firearms or have a concealed carry permit.  Laze got the idea from an ice cream shop in Utah that offered the same discount.  During the interview, Morgan berated Laze calling the discount stupid and saying that lives are put at risk.  Well, Morgan must not know how to operate or store a firearm safely, because the risk of injury is minimal if a firearm is safely stored.  Additionally, we are granted the right to bear arms, and in Virginia, concealed carry permits are allowed.   Kudos to Mr. Laze and All Around Pizza for being a good friend to liberty and gun owners.

Broken Promises Lie on the Roads

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Well, I am mad as hell.  Normally, it takes a lot for me to become irate as I am generally level headed for the most part, but there are some things that drive me towards the irate nature.  For example, I hate when people do not uphold promises.  It shows that their priorities are more important than upholding what they pledged to do.  You can only imagine my disdain for our Governor, Bob McDonnell.  Recently, both the Virginia House and Senate passed the Governor’s legislation (HB2313) which will raise the taxes on Virginians.  It couldn’t come at a worst time with the dismal economic situation and high unemployment numbers, and this deal also has constitutional violations as well.

It is not just the fact that both legislative chambers passed this legislation, but it is the fact that Governor Bob McDonnell promised from the time he was running for Governor in 2009 that he would not raise taxes.  With his slogan, “Bob’s for Jobs,” McDonnell painted himself as a fiscal conservative.  However, with this $1.3 billion transportation tax hike, he has broken a promise to lead on sound fiscal principles and has shown his true stripes.  It is this type of behavior that makes me regret casting my ballot for him in 2009.

There is another point that is being neglected in the midst of this bill.   In Sunday’s Wall Street Journal, there was a great editorial focusing on the transportation tax proposal and the factors that could have played into the finite details of the legislation.   State Sen. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) was even quoted in the article, saying:

“a grotesque combination of tax cuts, tax rebates, tax increases, new taxes, old taxes which are phased out (and then reappear elsewhere), regional alliances … special projects, and exceptions to all of the above.”

Of course, there was a compromise to get the Democrats in the General Assembly to support the bill, but there was also pandering to unions and real estate developers.   After all, the unions were pitching a fit about the Metro to Dulles, and there is such a great need to fund this project, which hasn’t come without controversy.  Add to that, the real estate developers are going to benefit from the Metro expansion project as well.  Governor McDonnell is looking out for his friends, considering that Real Estate Developers contributed $627,884 dollars in 2009. (Source:  VPAP)

Granted, this behavior is appalling, but we come to expect nothing better from politics. However, we expected better from our Governor, and there is no doubt that while he has done some things right during his term in office, the decision to raise taxes will tarnish his legacy.

Yes, transportation is a problem.  It is something that each locality should address, but it can be handled in other ways.  As my friend, Shaun Kenney points out in his recent post on Bearing Drift, there are other solutions that would have been better than raising the sales tax, imposing a hybrid tax, and expanding Medicaid (this was also featured in the bill to gain Democratic support).   Shaun proposed eight solutions in his post, which would have been better than raising taxes, like a private-public partnership for roads, a flat income tax that would have abolished transportation fees and taxes, and forgetting light rail/metro developments to improve existing road infrastructures.

Hopefully, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli will find the Governor’s transportation legislation unconstitutional or that the Governor will have the common sense to veto the legislation and go back to the drawing board that will be fiscally prudent for improving transportation projects. In the meantime, you can also take action against the transportation tax hike by sending a message to the Governor.  There is also a Facebook group slamming the Governor’s decision and No Hybrid Tax petition.