Category Archives: Current Events

Mark Plotkin Out at WTOP

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For those in Northern Virginia, if you listened to WTOP on Fridays, you would typically hear Mark Plotkin’s Friday Politics Program. This program would often feature Plotkin’s interviews with various local politicians and candidates about the issues facing the area. It was a great program, even if Plotkin’s politics were liberal leaning.

Imagine my surprise when I read that Plotkin and WTOP have parted ways, creating a void on Fridays. The Washington Post reported today that the decision came as a surprise to many Washingtonians who listened to his commentary, especially when it came down to voting rights in D.C. WTOP would not release any additional details, but it has been speculated that Plotkin’s behavior could be the cause of the separation. Prior to WTOP, he hosted a show with WAMU about politics. He left WAMU in 2002.

While Plotkin’s presence on the airwaves will be missed by some in the D.C. Metropolitan area, it will be interesting to see who will fill the void at WTOP in the meantime.

Cross posted at Bearing Drift

Don’t You Love the Smell of Corruption

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D.C. is the Nation’s capital, but it is also the capital of corruption.  Needless to say, I am not surprised that some on the D.C. City Council are being accused of corruption for various money scandals.  Currently, the FBI is investigating city councilman Harry Thomas, Jr. for charges of corruption and tax evasion.

However, the most recent allegation plaguing the city council is one that is more damning.  According to The Washington Examiner, a live feed from a D.C. Council was recently cut during a press conference, as Council Chairman Kwame Brown was being questions about the ethics scandal and the poor approval ratings.  While the press conference was about upcoming legislation, reporters wanted to focus on the ethics scandal.  After all, people are outraged and questions need to be answered.  The excuse was that Brown, nor his Chief of Staff did not know that the feed was turned off.

What does the D.C. Council have to be afraid of?  The live feed was turned off, which results in a lack of transparency.  Transparency is essential in government.  Shouldn’t the Council answer for their actions?  Whatever the case may be, the people don’t deserve to be left out in the cold in terms of what is happening on the D.C. City Council.

 

Reflections and a change…

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I have been doing a lot of serious reflections over the course of this year, in terms of the direction of CCC. Frankly, I have come to the point where I want to focus on other things outside of politics. Living, breathing, and eating politics over the past five years, I have realized that it has been burning me out. In fact, when I come home at night, the first thing I really want to do is to watch ESPN or Food Network to escape politics as usual. Blogging is usually the last thing I want to do at the end of the day. With this being said, I am still going to write about politics every now and then, but there will be some running and cooking thrown into the mix for a balance.

As I approach the fourth anniversary of CCC, I am grateful to those who read my contributions and to those who challenge me to think outside the box. It means a lot to have your support over the course of this adventure. Not to worry, I am not planning to peace out of the blog world. There is still much work to be done, especially with my contributions over at Bearing Drift too. (Side note: If you like what you read over at Bearing Drift, you should contribute to their efforts…there is a lot of exciting things happening.)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I leave you with the best Christmas greeting ever (H/T to Rep. Scott Rigell (R-Va.)

The Occupy Crowd Wants to Shut Down Wall Street

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Reuters reports that the Occupy crowd wants to shut down Wall Street. Didn’t they try to do this already? I know things have been busy with the election, and maybe, I have neglected a few things when it came to the Occupy crowd. Oh well, I wonder if it will be as successful as it has been in cities like Oakland and Portland, where they have been booted out.

They are probably not succeeding in Springfield.

Occupy [fill in the blank]…because it is better than actually doing something

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When I was growing up, my parents always told me that hard work is the only way you can achieve the American dream. They were right. I got good grades in high school, made it into all of my college choices on my own accord with scholarship offers, and was the first woman (and family member) on both sidesto graduate college with honors. After a few struggles, I was able to enjoy success in my career and have the ability to provide for myself without assistance from my family. I am living my own American dream and responsible for my own success.

With this being said, I am actually disappointed by members of my own generation, as they are protesting in these Occupy movements across the nation. They want the government to provide their own success and feel entitled to receive the rewards of success without working hard for it. This makes me sick. It is not just my generation, but this movement encompasses the “baby boomers,” who also believe the government owes them for their plight. Again, who put us in the situation we are facing? Duh, duh, the “baby boomers.” The Occupy movement is nothing but a big smelly tantrum, and they want the government to give in.

This leads me to question: Why would you want the government to provide prosperity? Former President Ronald Reagan once said, “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” Each man, woman, and child is responsible for working hard for their own prosperity. Hard work is the key to success. Have these protesters forgotten the hard work that made this country flourish? I think so, and this is leading to the demise of our country.

If you want to view the behaviors of these “juveniles”, just watch the clips. Careful, though, there is some flagrant language (not that hurts anyone).

Ready for Irene?

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Hurricane Irene is on a path towards Virginia, and this storm is predicted to be worst than Isabel was in 2003.  While it is too early to say how bad this storm will be, please make sure you are prepared.   The Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Emergency Management has a hurricane preparedness guide that will give you tips to ensure you and your loved ones are safe.  Don’t underestimate this storm!

You can also track the storm through The Virginian-Pilot‘s coverage.  In the meantime, please stay safe.

Cuccinelli helps law enforcement across Virginia target and prosecute human trafficking

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Human trafficking is a growing problem in the United States. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there have been approximately 2,515 suspected incidents of human trafficking between January 2008 and June 2010. If this does not raise the bar for concern, it is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world and is a form of modern day slavery. Human trafficking is not just sex trafficking, where victims are normally forced into prostitution, but labor trafficking is another form where victims are often forced into domestic servitude or sweatshops.

With the rise of human trafficking cases, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and the Department of Criminal Justice Services hosted an all-day training seminar to bring awareness to this crime and help local law enforcement agencies target and prosecute traffickers. Additionally, those in attendance heard from The Polaris Project, an anti-human trafficking organization, who gave advice on how to assist the victims of this deplorable crime.

“The types of crimes that these traffickers are committing are terrifying and deplorable-we certainly have our work cut out for us,” said Cuccinelli. “However, I’m confident that we can make tremendous strides as long as we continue to work together with local and federal law enforcement, prosecutors, and victims’ advocates as a comprehensive team.”

Virginia has improved its human trafficking laws over time. The Polaris Project named Virginia one of the most improved states in prosecuting and handling human trafficking cases.

“Human trafficking is one of the most pressing moral issues of our time, and we our grateful for the leadership Attorney General Cuccinelli has shown in the fight against this form of modern-day slavery,” said Dold. “The attorney general’s office has done an amazing job taking this issue head on and we are looking forward to continuing our work together to further strengthen the laws in Virginia and save lives.”

Hopefully, with this seminar, more traffickers will be prosecuted and victims will be able to receive assistance in recovering from the trauma endured from these heinous crimes.

Cross posted at <a href="Bearing Drift