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Here's Your Friday Laugh
It looks Del. Tim Hugo (R-Clifton) will have an interesting opponent in the general election.
Virginia is better than Maryland…just in case, you didn't know
For the full disclosure, I was born and raised in Maryland. In fact, there are times I miss the place due to family and friends. However, in terms of the taxes and excessive regulations brought on by years of Democratic leadership, I am glad to be a Virginian.
Recently, The Washington Times had an editorial, which cited a recent American Legislative Exchange Council study that shows Virginia ranking as one of top ten states in terms of economic outlook. Maryland ranked 21st in terms of economic outlook.
Maryland is a very expensive state to live in, as property and income tax rates are higher than some of the surrounding areas. However, Virginia has been placing more focus on bringing business into the state, thus boosting the economy. Recently, CNBC ranked Virginia as the top state for business, and the state government has been placing focus on providing more tax incentives for companies looking to relocate to the Commonwealth. Maryland was ranked 29th, as the cost of living and cost of business were higher in the rankings.
Will this news serve as a wake-up call for Maryland? Probably not. It will not change until new leadership takes over the state government.
Today's Shocker: Terry McAuliffe Caught in a Lie
Granted, there are times when you can’t take people at their words. In the bloodsport of politics, there seems to be a lot of fallacies spread around, and there are times when both parties are guilty. There are times when the truth can be stretched too far.
Case in point, during a recent campaign kickoff for Del. Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax), former Democratic National Committeeman Terry McAuliffe was caught “stretching the truth,” when he made this statement:
“The $1.8 billion in [transportation] bonding, we don’t have a repayment mechanism.”
Well, this seems odd…no repayment plan for the transportation debt? Something doesn’t seem quite right here, so PolitiFact Virginia did some research and pointed out that McAuliffe hit the Pants on Fire on the Truth-o-Meter.
The General Assembly, during the 2007 session, had a plan that involved setting aside some proceeds from a tax on insurance proceeds, along with taxes on wholesale gasoline to pay for the transportation debt. Revenues are also used to repay the transportation loan.
It seems that desperation has been hitting the Democrats lately, as they try to do and say anything to get a vote.
Redistricting…Oh, You Mean Gerrymandering!
On Tuesday, the redistricting maps were released showing the proposals from the Senate Democratic Caucus (the Howell plan) and the Republican plan (the Watkins plan). The House proposal (Del. Chris Jones’ plan) would basically move House District 2, which is currently represented by Del. Bud Phillips in Southwest Virginia, to Prince William and Stafford Counties. The new District 2 is more conservative leaning, and it would be a perfect fit for Jim Riley, who was considering running for a seat on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors. Could we be hearing Del. Riley in the future? The plan would also move District 10 from Southside Virginia to Clarke/Frederick/Loudoun Counties, and this would eliminate Del. Ward Armstrong (D-Statewide)’s seat, and Del. Paula Miller’s seat in District 87 in Virginia Beach to Loudoun and Prince William Counties. The suburbs in Northern Virginia are growing, and this will explain the shifting of the House seats.
However, the State Senate Boundaries are a disaster. The Howell plan, created by my state senator, Janet Howell, is drawn to protect incumbents and create primary challenges for two GOP seats. Virginia Beach, which is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the Commonwealth, will be losing a seat, and will be forcing Sens. Jeffrey McWaters and Frank Wagner into the same district. Why would Virginia Beach need to lose a seat? Something really doesn’t make sense here. Additionally, two state senators in the Roanoke area, Steve Newman and Ralph Smith, would be placed in the same district. If that sounds bad, the district lines have changed here in Northern Virginia. Senate District 31, which was retiring Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple’s district, will spread from Arlington, cover most of the Dranesville District, and go out as far west as the Northern part of Sterling. This seat could be very competitive.
The Watkins plan, created by Sen. John Watkins, would keep the districts basically the same as they are now.
There will be public hearings tomorrow and Saturday to address the redistricting plans before Monday’s General Assembly session.
Below are the maps:
Del. Chris Jones' House GOP Caucus Plan
Sen. Janet Howell--Senate Democratic Caucus Plan
Senate GOP Caucus Plan
Michael "Spike" Williams Announces Candidacy for Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
There was some exciting news in Fairfax County today, as Michael “Spike” Williams announced his candidacy for Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. Williams will be a great candidate and will provide a strong challenge to current Chairman, Sharon Bulova. As a small business owner, who is active in the community, Williams will provide strong leadership for Fairfax County.
“The current majority on the Board of Supervisors has a spending problem,” stated Williams. “There is a lack of understanding of what it takes to create jobs and economic opportunity for Fairfax County, and they have not provided the visionary leadership necessary to move us forward. Oppressive traffic congestion caused by poor planning, an ever expanding bureaucracy bent on being the largest landlord in the county, and a government that wants to absorb the private sector instead of supporting it, are just a few examples.”
Fairfax County has been lacking in leadership for several years now, and with taxes rising across the board, change is needed. You can read more about Williams’ candidacy by clicking here to learn about his plan for moving the county forward.
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
Victory for Prince William Health System
Back in April and June, I reported that Prince William Hospital System was planning to build a hospital in Haymarket and that plans were halted due to some issues being posed by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Good news abounds! In December, the Commonwealth of Virginia has approved Prince William Health System’s proposal of building a hospital in Haymarket. The site of this new hospital will be at the intersection of Route 15 and I-66, and it bring close to 400 new jobs to Prince William County. The hospital is scheduled to open in 2015.
Where the Candidates Stand: George Allen on Earmarks
This is the first part in a series that CCC will be running for the 2012 Republican U.S. Senate Primary. Yes, I know 2012 is some time away, but it never hurts to use this as a reference throughout the year to ponder. The first part in this series focuses on earmarks, and it does not count as an endorsement of any candidate featured.
When George Allen was serving in the U.S. Senate, he was voted against legislation that included government waste and would abuse the taxpayer dollars. When it came to the Senate voting on funding the “Bridge to Nowhere,” Allen was one of fifteen Senators at the time who voted in favor of shifting funding to help New Orleans and surrounding region recover from the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina.
Allen has been criticized in the past for supporting earmarks. However, Allen voted in favor of earmark reform in the Senate, as he supported legislation that would create a 60-vote point of order against earmarks added in conference to appropriations or authorization bill (the earmark would be killed if point of order was upheld). Allen also voted in favor of expanding the definition of earmarks and to increase transparency. In terms of transparency, Allen was co-sponsor of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, which passed the Senate. Additionally, Allen has spoken out in support of the work that Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) has been doing in terms of eliminating earmarks. In his blog entry, Allen said:
“The people have spoken. Travelling around Virginia the past few months, one thing is clear
to me: Virginians and Americans are tired of wasteful Bridges to Nowhere, orchid gardens
in Pittsburgh, and indoor rainforests in Iowa. These wasteful projects have tainted their view
of all earmarks. And, the Republicans should forego earmarks and cut much more spending
than just earmarks. I am proud of the leadership that Eric Cantor, Jim DeMint and others
showed on this issue.”
During the 2012 elections, there will be no doubt that the economy will still be one of the most important issues in the U.S. Senate race in Virginia. Government spending reforms need to be addressed by every candidate.
School Choice Tax Credits Causing Contention in Virginia
Could legislation involving school choice tax credits become a hot issue during the General Assembly session? Apparently so. Yesterday, John Taylor, President of Tertium Quids sent out an email regarding his disappointment on Del. Tag Greason’s (R-Loudoun) decision not to sponsor their school choice tax credit legislation. The Tertium Quids legislation was modeled after a study authored by Dr. Adam Schaeffer of the Cato Institute and would provide 100 percent income tax credit for individuals and corporations that spend their own money to help educate a child.
Taylor said in the email:
Now for the bad news. In addition to property rights, Tertium Quids has fought to bring competition and choice to Virginia’s school system. Cato’s Dr. Adam Schaeffer, the author of our policy study on the subject, has drafted a bill that would provide a 100 percent income tax credit for individuals and corporations that spend their own money to help educate a child. His plan is modeled after laws that have been extremely successful and now enjoy broad bipartisan support in both Florida and Pennsylvania.
Delegate Thomas “Tag” Greason (R-32) of Loudoun County contacted us last year about that policy study and our bill. After several frank discussions Del. Greason committed to being our patron in 2011. Unfortunately, with less than three weeks to go before the start of the session, Del. Greason has gone back on his word, allowing some of the more timid members of his party to convince him that this year is not “ideal” for a strong school choice bill. Instead, Del. Greason wants to try yet another “camel’s nose under the tent” approach, the same approach that has utterly failed every year for the past decade.
That’s not political leadership. In fact, Del. Greason and his Republican cohorts seem to have missed the message the grassroots has been sending for the last 18 months. We don’t want any more excuses; we want courageous, principled leaders who are unafraid to get results.
Greason, in an interview, regarding his decision not to support the Tertium Quids legislation
I am actually carrying a Bill (Chief Co-Patron with Del. Jimmie Massie) that pushes VA further on School Choice than we have ever been.
I am a huge proponent of School Choice, and will continue to work hard to make it a reality in Virginia. My goal is to ensure that every child has the ability to benefit from a broad based Universal Tax Credit program, and that every citizen and corporation has the ability to donate their state income tax liability to help pay for the expenses associated with educating a child outside of the Public School System. I will continue to talk about it, learn about it, and convince people of the many benefits that a Tax Credit program can bring to Virginia.
When I began studying this issue….(remember, I am NOT a career politician or a life time legislator, so there is much to learn)….I realized that MANY people had gone before me while working on this issue. Mr. Taylor and I crossed paths somewhere along my journey and we agreed that our goals on Tax Credits were in alignment. Being new to this issue, I accepted what Mr. Taylor had to say, and I gave my WORD that I would study the issue and come back to him to let him know if I would in fact carry the Bill or not. This is the only WORD that I gave to Mr. Taylor…and I kept it.
While Mr. Taylor and I believe in the same end game, we do not necessarily agree on how to get there. And since my approach to solving this problem is not the same as Mr. Taylor’s approach, he has decided to mis-represent our “agreement” and has put into question my “word.” As a graduate of the United States Military Academy, I do not react kindly to someone who questions my integrity and honor…and I certainly do not appreciate it when someone does it dis-honestly, like Mr. Taylor has.
Notwithstanding Mr. Taylor’s attempt to tarnish my reputation, I will continue to fight for what I think is right….in the way I think we can get the best result. I do not pretend to know everything on this or any other subject, but I have done a ton of research and I believe the effort to bring real School Choice to VA will make more progress on this path than on any other.
While I agree with the premise of the legislation proposed by Tertium Quids, I think we need to look at this from a fiscally responsible perspective. If you grant 100 percent tax credit to families, there is the potential that this could cost the state more over time. This could be viewed as another example of an unnecessary government expenditure by many taxpayers, etc. A more appropriate tax credit is being proposed in the legislation co-patroned by both Greason and Massie.
School choice is needed now more than ever, since educational standards in public education continue to decline. Parents should have the opportunity to choose the best education for their children, regardless if it is public or private. There has been successful legislation introduced in both Florida and Pennsylvania regarding tax credits for school choice. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush pointed this out in his Wall Street Journal editorial yesterday, when he said, “Choice is the catalytic converter here, accelerating the benefits of other educational reforms.” Florida’s public schools improved academically due to school choice reforms.
With the success of school choice reforms in Florida and Pennsylvania, the question remains: Will Virginia embrace tax credits for school choice?
Jamie Radtke Files for U.S. Senate
While this was anticipated for some time now, WTVR reports that Jamie Radtke, former Chairwoman of the Virginia Tea Party Patriots, filed the paperwork to run for U.S. Senate in 2012. Radtke joins former U.S. Senator George Allen, who is expected to run again for the seat currently held by Sen. Jim Webb.
Radtke’s name recognition is growing especially after the successful Virginia Tea Party Convention held in October, and she will definitely be a more conservative alternative to Allen. Riley over at Virginia Virtucon has a statement regarding her candidacy.
While I think Radtke offers conservative credentials, her name recognition is not nearly as well known as Corey Stewart or Bob Marshall. However, she could definitely provide a challenge to Webb, who has disappointed many Virginians with his votes in favor of President Obama’s agenda.
