Monthly Archives: February 2011
Congratulations Chris and Jess!
Today is a very special day for my friend, Chris (Mason Conservative) as he married his best friend, Jessica. Congratulations Chris and Jess! May you be blessed a you begin your lives together as husband and wife.
Blogger's Day Recap
On Wednesday, I joined with conservative bloggers from throughout the Commonwealth in Richmond for Bloggers Day, which was hosted by Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling and his staff. Upon arriving, we were briefed by Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, his Chief of Staff, Randy Marcus, and Tucker Martin, Director of Communications for Governor Bob McDonnell. Transportation and Economic Development legislation were the main topics discussed during the morning session.
We also heard from Bob Holsworth, Managing Partner of DecideSmart and Founder of VirginiaTomorrow.com, who talked about the 2012 U.S. Senate Race. Boyd Marcus, Partner of Marcus & Allen Consulting talked about the impact of redistricting in the 2011 elections. Del. Bill Janis (R-Goochland) and Sen. Ryan McDougle (R-Mechanicsville) talked about the issues being addressed during this General Assembly session.
The Bloggers Day festivities ended with a reception at the Governor’s Mansion. It was great talking with Governor McDonnell. The Governor’s Mansion was beautiful and well preserved.
Thanks again to the Lieutenant Governor and his staff for hosting us.
Protect Property Rights: Contact Your State Senator Today
Eminent Domain is quite the topic during this General Assembly session in Richmond. While visiting the Capitol yesterday for Blogger’s Day (which I will have a post on later this evening), I was approached by a fellow blogger about bringing some exposure to a piece of legislation currently being debated on in the State Senate regarding property rights. HJ 693 was introduced by Del. Johnny Joannou (D-Portsmouth) as a Constitutional amendment, which would protect private land from being seized for public development.
Revises the prohibition on the enactment by the General Assembly of laws whereby private property may be taken or damaged. An existing provision authorizing the General Assembly to define what constitutes a public use is removed. The proposed amendment states that (i) no private property shall be damaged or taken except for public use without just compensation to its owner for the property taken and for damages to the residue caused by the taking or damaging and (ii) that no more private property may be taken than that which is necessary to achieve the stated public use. Just compensation shall be no less than the value of the property taken and the damages to the residue caused by the taking. A public service company, public service corporation, or railroad exercises the power of eminent domain for public use when such exercise is for the authorized provision of utility, common carrier, or railroad services. In all other cases, a taking or damaging of private property is not for public use if the primary use is for private gain, private benefit, private enterprise, increasing jobs, increasing tax revenue, or economic development, except for the elimination of a public nuisance existing on the property. The condemnor bears the burden of proving that the use is public, without a presumption that it is.
In order to protect property rights, it is imperative that you contact your state senator today.
President Obama Releases Budget Amidst $14 Trillion Deficit
President Obama released his budget plan for fiscal year 2012 today, but it has not come without scrutiny, as it is a $3.7 trillion budget filled with tax increases and more borrowing.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Obama’s budget includes cutting defense spending by $78 billion over the next five years; cuts to programs, such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance, while entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security would not receive any reductions. This budget would include a tax credit for purchasing electric vehicles and loans for nuclear power plant production.
With the nation’s debt amassing $14 trillion, Obama’s proposed budget is being welcomed by criticism. The U.S. House Budget Committee and the Senate Budget Committee found that the President’s budget has $8.7 trillion in new spending, $1.6 trillion in new taxes, and will accumulate $13 trillion in debt.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said, in a statement:
Today, the President missed a unique opportunity to provide real leadership by offering a budget that fails to address the grave fiscal situation facing our country. At a time when unemployment is too high and economic growth is elusive in part because of the uncertainty created by our skyrocketing debt, we need serious reforms that will help restore confidence so that people can get back to work. We need a government that finally does what every other American has to do in their households and their businesses, and that’s to live within our means. Instead, President Obama’s budget doubles down on the bad habits of the past four years by calling for more taxes, spending and borrowing of money that we simply do not have.
“President Obama has used tough rhetoric about the need to get our fiscal house in order, even assembling a bipartisan commission to address entitlement spending which accounts for more than half of our federal budget including Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Unfortunately, the President again failed to put action behind his words by neglecting to even acknowledge these tough issues that everyone knows drive up our debt and must be reformed if they are to meet their obligations for younger Americans.
In fact, the deficit for this year is larger than all of Obama’s budget reductions over 10 years. Perhaps, Obama’s budget should focus on reducing government spending by cutting programs and entitlements to help address the nation’s debt.
The Must-See Movie of 2011
I can’t wait until April 15th. No, not because it’s Tax Day (a day I would rather see eliminated), but Atlas Shrugged will be out in theaters. I can’t wait to watch this movie, and if it is as good as the book, we are all in for a treat.
Northern Virginia Dems Vote Against Transportation
If you live in Northern Virginia, then you know the agony of sitting in gridlock traffic day after day. Traffic is at a stand still most of the time, and it feels like nothing is being done to address the problem. Instead, the gridlock has apparently infected the minds of Northern Virginia Democrats in the House of Delegates.
In a vote Monday, the House of Delegates voted 65-33 in favor of HB 2527, which focuses on Governor Bob McDonnell’s plan to improve transportation through various projects within the Commonwealth. This bill will establish the Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank, which establishes funding for transportation projects, specifically in the Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia regions.
The big surprise is that all of the Delegates in Fairfax County voted against the bill, including four, who are in swing districts. By voting against this bill, they are proving that they would rather have their constituents sitting in gridlock, than spending time with their families. It is even more ironic that they are ignoring the number one issue on the minds of voters in their districts. These delegates include: Mark Keam (D-Oakton), Vivian Watts (D-Fairfax), David Bulova (D-Fairfax), Eileen Filler-Corn (Springfield), Mark Sickles (D-Alexandria), Jim Scott (D-Falls Church), and Scott Surovell (D-Mount Vernon).
Whatever the reason for voting against this legislation, they are certain to face tough races in November. With transportation being the number one issue, many of these Delegates might be replaced with those who will have their constituents’ concerns at mind.
Webb's Out of the U.S. Senate Race in 2012
Breaking News! U.S. Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) will not be seeking re-election in 2012, according to Ben Smith of The Politico. I guess he realized that his vote against the repeal of the health care law was not sitting well with his constituency. Currently, there are three candidates in the running for 2012: Former U.S. Sen. George Allen, whom Webb defeated in 2006; Jamie Radtke, former Chairman of the Virginia Tea Party Patriots; and Bishop E.W. Jackson. The Democrats are trying to recruit former Virginia Governor and current DNC Chairman, Tim Kaine, to run for the seat.
Good riddance, Sen. Webb!
Super Bowl 45: Way to Let Football Fans Down
This has got to be one of the worst Super Bowls in football history. Not because my team lost, but because of the amateur hour known as halftime. It began with a messed up version of our national anthem, thanks to Christina Aguilera botching the lyrics. Aguilera, who was mimicking Cyndi Lauper of 80s fame, sounded off many times throughout her performance.
The real disappointment came with the Halftime show. First, the sound system in the stadium failed. The NFL, not only messed up on the seating, but they royally screwed up with the sound and act. The Black-Eyed Peas sucked. From the Tron remake disaster, the best part of the show came from Twitter with responses like this:
God – never in my life have I wanted @kanyewest to interrupt a performance more. #superbowl #blackeyedpeas
Other than the disastrous entertainment, many fans were also disappointed when the tickets they purchased for the game were denied by NFL officials after a section of seats were not ready by Super Bowl Sunday. 15,000 people were assigned to watch the game from an outside area. What a treat that must have been? Watching the Super Bowl outside the stadium, you would have been better off watching the game at home.
Last, but not least, the commercials were somewhat bland. GM (Government Motors) was trying to revive itself by airing countless commercials with Eminem. $3 million per 30 second slot…so the long two-minute commercial about Detroit was $12 million. Way to waste the bailout money by trying to salvage your image, GM! The Doritos commercials were also pushing the envelope, especially with the guy who licked the chip seasoning off another guy.
Here’s my favorite commercial of the Super Bowl:
Otherwise, this Super Bowl was a fine example of commercialism and horrible entertainment. Hopefully, 2012 will be better.
The Time is Now: De-Fund Planned Parenthood
As we celebrate the 100th Birthday of Ronald Reagan, one only needs to look back on his service to our nation and among the causes he championed, there is one that stands out: His devotion to the sanctity of life. In fact, Reagan passed executive orders condemning abortion, and during his eight years as President, he did not give a dime to Planned Parenthood.
Fast forward to 2011, the tide has changed, as the Federal and State governments are funding Planned Parenthood. This same organization is now in the news, as recently released videos of their clinics in New Jersey and Virginia have surfaced showing clinic workers allegedly aiding and abetting in child prostitution. These videos were released by Live Action, a group devoted to protecting the sanctity of human life.
Lila Rose, Live Action President, said in a statement about the videos:
“It is utterly disgusting that Planned Parenthood’s response to this is that their employee reacted ‘professionally,’” said Live Action President Lila Rose. “The only acceptable response to encountering a self-identified sex-trafficker of underage girls is zero tolerance.
The only ‘professional’ response is to immediately call law enforcement to the scene and push for an arrest. Our investigation – and their response – continues to show that an institutional crisis has engulfed the highest levels of Planned Parenthood. If you’re a sex-trafficker of minors or young women, you have a partner in Planned Parenthood. But if you are a minor or a young woman, you are not safe at Planned Parenthood clinics,” Rose continued.
Planned Parenthood and other liberal groups have been on the defense about the videos. Paulette McElwain, president of the Virginia League for Planned Parenthood, defended the clinic worker in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, by saying she followed protocol and acted professionally.
With the release of these videos, it only proves we need to de-fund Planned Parenthood. Why should Virginia taxpayers be the ones to foot the bill for the services offered by Planned Parenthood?
Falls Church video:
Charlottesville video:
Roanoke video:
Cross posted at Bearing Drift
