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By O.Hank!, March 10, 2013 6:59 pm

March 10, 2013 – Republican Attorney General Ken Cucinelli, the presumptive Republican nominee for Governor, opened up his Fredericksburg area campaign office over the weekend.  Joining him were Cong. Rob Wittman, Del. Mark Cole and Sen. Bryce Reeves, all of whom spoke of their support for less government.

Of course, all Republicans talk of smaller government, except when it comes to wanting government in your bedrooms or involved in women’s Ob Gyn appointments.  Or when they vote for more government benefits for their friends and benefactors.  Or when they rely on government jobs and take government paychecks, like Wittman (a long-time state employee before his election to Congress), Reeves (long-time government employee until his wife hired him) and Cole (government contractor for over 20 years and now local government employee).  They are largely forgiven by constituents, many of whom are government employees or retirees who profess a belief in less government and who elect these gentlemen.  Amazing how paychecks and retirement benefits can quickly blind principles.

I guess it’s not surprising that these Republicans support Cucinelli, the darling of the right-wing.  Cole and Reeves’ actions and voting records on social issues clearly show their right-wing credentials, and Wittman is so scared of a primary challenger that he will say and do anything to appease the far right.  As I wrote in a previous blog, Wittman has put his intelligence and common sense in a blind trust to secure his place on the Republican ballot.  He has chosen to even forget his career as a biologist to endorse Cucinelli, who doesn’t believe in science or evolution, and spent a lot of his time as A.G. and taxpayer money to sue a UVA researcher, who wrote about the dangers of climate change.

In addition to their rhetoric about smaller government, Cucinelli, Wittman, Reeves and Cole will tell you that they are pro-business and worship at the altar of the private sector, though they haven’t spent any real-time working in the private sector.  They will repeat the Republican mantra that less government, less taxes and less regulation will cure all of our ills and create economic nirvana.

However, Virginia’s economy is at a crossroads, and it’ll take more than this worn-out talking point to create a prosperous path of opportunities for all Virginians.   Our over-dependence on federal contracts will become tested over the next several months as federal budget cuts kick in.  Some business leaders and politicians understand the challenge.  They have been working together to lay the groundwork with public investments and policies to foster innovation and tech-based economic development.

This is a new economic era – the innovation economy – that requires a new mindset.  It requires leaders willing to rise above their narrow ideologies and partisan needs to understand the needs of this new innovation economy – e.g., collaboration between government and business on research, investments and workforce development - including an understanding of the more tolerant social beliefs of new workers needed to make this economy thrive.

What this new innovation economy does NOT need is Ken Cucinelli, or people who think like him: Wittman, Reeves and Cole for starters.  Cucinelli wants to cripple and shrink government.  He attacks researchers.  He attacks women’s rights and gays.  He attacks the very things necessary to transition Virginia to this new future.  A Governor Cucinelli will do things and say things that will brand Virginia as an intolerant place to work and live.  He will promote policies that discourage public-private collaboration and investments.  No emerging technology company, and no young worker who works there will want to stay or come here.

In short, if we want to wean ourselves off the federal dole and transition to the innovation economy; if we want to enhance Virginia’s brand as the best place for these new emerging businesses; if business leaders care about their bottom lines; if voters care about creating a better future, they do not need to hire Governor Cucinelli as Virginia’s CEO and top salesman.  They need to vote for McAuliffe, a successful businessman who gets it.

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By O.Hank!, March 4, 2013 7:04 pm

March 4, 2013 – Once again, because Republicans in Congress would rather play politics and avoid potential primary challenges instead of doing what’s right for America, we are facing yet another crisis of their own making.  Of course, like Pavlov’s dog when that alarm bell rings, they foam at the mouth and blame the President.

They say that this was President Obama’s idea.  They are partly right, because THEY agreed to it during the 2011 Budget Control Act, which incorporated the sequester in case Congress and the President couldn’t agree on a compromise plan to develop a budget while tackling long-term debt.  The thinking of the Administration in suggesting the sequester was that no one in Congress would be so stupid as to let the sequester happen.  They’d HAVE to compromise.

Well, the Administration was wrong.  Evidently, there ARE enough stupid people in Congress to let it happen.  We have a Congress now that is sabotaging the economy because Republican Speaker John Boehner can’t control his unruly House and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell still wants the President to fail.

Just so folks know, in addition to slowing economic recovery and increasing unemployment, this is what we face if the Republicans allow the sequester to happen (White House document):

Impact of March 1st Cuts on Middle Class Families, Jobs and Economic Security: Virginia

Unless Congress acts by March 1st, a series of automatic cuts—called the sequester—will take effect that threaten hundreds of thousands of middle class jobs, and cut vital services for children, seniors, people with mental illness and our men and women in uniform.

There is no question that we need to cut the deficit, but the President believes it should be done in a balanced way that protects investments that the middle class relies on. Already, the President has worked with Congress to reduce the deficit by more than $2.5 trillion, but there’s more to do.

The President has put forward a balanced plan to not only avoid the harmful effects of the sequester but also to reduce the deficit by more than $4 trillion in total. The President’s plan meets Republicans more than halfway and includes twice as many spending cuts as it does tax revenue from the wealthy.

Unfortunately, many Republicans in Congress refuse to ask the wealthy to pay a little more by closing tax loopholes so that we can protect investments that are helping grow our economy and keep our country safe. By not asking the wealthy to pay a little more, Republicans are forcing our children, seniors, troops, military families and the entire middle class to bear the burden of deficit reduction. The President is determined to cut spending and reduce the deficit in a balanced way, but he won’t stick the middle class with the bill. The President is willing to compromise, but on behalf the middle class he cannot accept a deal that undercuts their economic security.

Our economy is continuing to strengthen but we cannot afford a self-inflicted wound from Washington. Republicans should compromise and meet the President in the middle. We cannot simply cut our way to prosperity, and if Republicans continue to insist on an unreasonable, cuts-only approach, Virginia risks paying the price.

VIRGINIA IMPACTS

 If sequestration were to take effect, some examples of the impacts on Virginia this year alone are:

Teachers and Schools: Virginia will lose approximately $14 million in funding for primary and secondary education, putting around 190 teacher and aide jobs at risk. In addition about 14,000 fewer students would be served and approximately 40 fewer schools would receive funding.

•  Education for Children with Disabilities: In addition, Virginia will lose approximately $13.9 million in funds for about 170 teachers, aides, and staff who help children with disabilities.

 Work-Study Jobs: Around 2,120 fewer low income students in Virginia would receive aid to help them finance the costs of college and around 840 fewer students will get work-study jobs that help them pay for college.

 Head Start: Head Start and Early Head Start services would be eliminated for approximately 1,000 children in Virginia, reducing access to critical early education.

Protections for Clean Air and Clean Water: Virginia would lose about $2,997,000 in environmental funding to ensure clean water and air quality, as well as prevent pollution from pesticides and hazardous waste. In addition, Virginia could lose another $826,000 in grants for fish and wildlife protection.

Military Readiness: In Virginia, approximately 90,000 civilian Department of Defense employees would be furloughed, reducing gross pay by around $648.4 million in total.

o Army: Base operation funding would be cut by about $146 million in Virginia.

o Air Force: Funding for Air Force operations in Virginia would be cut by about $8 million.

o Navy: Cancel the maintenance of 11 ships in Norfolk, defer four projects at Dahlgren, Oceana, and Norfolk, and delay other modernization and demolition projects.

 Law Enforcement and Public Safety Funds for Crime Prevention and Prosecution: Virginia will lose about $276,000 in Justice Assistance Grants that support law enforcement, prosecution and courts, crime prevention and education, corrections and community corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, and crime victim and witness initiatives.

 Job Search Assistance to Help those in Virginia find Employment and Training: Virginia will lose about $348,000 in funding for job search assistance, referral, and placement, meaning around 18,390 fewer people will get the help and skills they need to find employment.

Child Care: Up to 400 disadvantaged and vulnerable children could lose access to child care, which is also essential for working parents to hold down a job.

 Vaccines for Children: In Virginia around 3,530 fewer children will receive vaccines for diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, whooping cough, influenza, and Hepatitis B due to reduced funding for vaccinations of about $241,000.

Public Health: Virginia will lose approximately $764,000 in funds to help upgrade its ability to respond to public health threats including infectious diseases, natural disasters, and biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological events. In addition, Virginia will lose about $2,140,000 in grants to help prevent and treat substance abuse, resulting in around 1,700 fewer admissions to substance abuse programs. And the Virginia State Department of Health will lose about $337,000 resulting in around 8,400 fewer HIV tests.

STOP Violence Against Women Program: Virginia could lose up to $172,000 in funds that provide services to victims of domestic violence, resulting in up to 700 fewer victims being served.

 Nutrition Assistance for Seniors: Virginia would lose approximately $1,215,000 in funds that provide meals for seniors.

I would close by urging you to contact our Congressman, Republican Rob Wittman, who is a smart man.  But, it’s no use.  Sadly, it seems that he has put those smarts and commonsense in a blind trust in order to tow the Party line dictated by Republican Leader Eric Can’t-or and to avoid a primary challenge.  Profiles in courage?  Doing what’s right for America?  Not here in the 1^st and 7^th Congressional Districts.

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By O.Hank!, February 12, 2013 12:19 pm

Feb. 12, 2013 — After a year in office, we know that the new Republican majority on the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors has broken campaign promises. They also promised to be more open and ethical than the previous Board. Looking at their actions, it looks like the Republicans have broken that promise, too.

In 2004, the previous Board adopted a Code of Ethics  ”to  assure public confidence in the integrity of local government and its effective and fair operation.” It has been endorsed and signed by Board members, top officials and appointees ever since.  Out of the 18 ethical tenets, these are perhaps the most important ones that govern the actions of Board members:

Act in the Public Interest
Recognizing that stewardship of the public interest must be their primary concern, members will work for the common good of the people of Spotsylvania County and not for any private or personal interest….

Comply with the Law
Members shall comply with the laws of the nation, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the County of Spotsylvania in the performance of their public duties. These laws include, but are not limited to: the United States and Virginia constitutions; the Code of the County of Spotsylvania; laws pertaining to conflicts of interest, election campaigns, financial disclosures, employer responsibilities, and open processes of government; and County ordinances and policies.

Conduct of Members
The professional and personal conduct of members must be above reproach and avoid even the appearance of impropriety….

Decisions Based on Merit
Members shall base their decisions on the merits and substance of the matter at hand, rather than on unrelated considerations.

Conflict of Interest
In order to assure their independence and impartiality on behalf of the common good, members shall not use their official positions to influence government decisions in which they have a material financial interest, or where they have an organizational responsibility or personal relationship that may give the appearance of a conflict of interest.

In accordance with the law, members shall disclose investments, interests in real property, sources of income, and gifts; and they shall abstain from participating in deliberations and decision-making where conflicts may exist.

Gifts and Favors
Members shall not take any special advantage of services or opportunities for personal gain, by virtue of their public office, which are not available to the public in general….

Policy Role of Members
The Board of Supervisors determines the policies of the County with the advice, information and analysis provided by the public, boards, commissions, and committees, and County staff. The Board of Supervisors delegates authority for the administration of the County to the County Administrator.

Members therefore shall not interfere with the administrative functions of the County or the professional duties of County staff; nor shall they impair the ability of staff to implement Board policy decisions.

Looking at these once again, I would say that the new Republican Spotsylvania Board has violated all of these ethical guidelines.  For instance, the proposed Route 3 bypass had been reviewed and advanced by state and regional government officials, experts and private sector partners for eight years. They invested hundreds of thousands of public-private dollars.  Studies showed that the road would alleviate congestion on hated Route 3 for 30 years, and its alignment was the least intrusive of other alternatives studied, perhaps impacting four or five properties. Granted, any property impact is problematic, but this alternative was better than others that would have destroyed hundred of homes, not to mention the historic  battlefield and the beautiful Rappahannock River.

But the new bypass might’ve impacted Supervisor David Ross’s property. Ross, a retired Marine and government employee who had never been involved in local affairs, ran for office for the sole purpose of killing the road project to save his property. He was subsequently elected, and two months later on the night of his first meeting, the first vote he made was to stop the project, and his Republican cohorts followed suit. With that one vote, Ross killed the road project, saved his property from being impacted and therefore, personally benefitted, and violated six, if not more, tenets in the Code of Ethics. Legally and according to the County’s Code of Ethics, Ross should have recused himself from voting, but he did not. No one, not even the County Attorney, said a thing.  Oh, he and his Republican colleagues, all of whom were backed by the Tea Party and like to brag about saving tax dollars, ended up wasting hundreds of thousands of your tax dollars.

It was bad enough that Ross and his Republican Board killed the badly needed road project and wasted tax dollars. They also forced the Commonwealth Transportation Board to take away the $14 million dedicated to the project and give it to a project in Stafford County. Moreover, Ross and his Republicans didn’t have an alternative plan to fix Route 3 traffic for the next 30 years. Their big idea was to get VDOT to synchronize the lights on Route 3, which made things better for a week – until someone “unsynchronized” them during Sunday church service at Life Point - but it’s not a 30-year solution.

In their ignorance and arrogance, Ross and his colleague, Tim McLaughlin, started bragging to people, as recently as a November HOA meeting in Lake Wilderness, that they had a plan to build the outer connector along the Route 20 corridor in Orange County. This came as news to property owners, preservationists and state and regional officials, who have never seen any real plans and would have to approve and fund the project. Of course, Ross and McLaughlin don’t have a plan, nor do they have any idea where the money would come from. They are finding out that they are no longer barking orders in the Marines; they are finding out that the pesky thing about being an elected official is that you have to govern….

Fast forward to the budget and tax vote in April.  At least two of the four Republican Board members – Heidig and McLaughlin – are substantial property owners.  Heidig owns the Lake Anna Winery, and McLaughlin owns over $3 million in commercial and residential properties, which he manages on the side in his real estate business.  During the tax deliberations, McLaughlin and Heidig led the charge to cut the property tax, directly benefitting themselves.  Furthermore, McLaughlin led the plan to cut the BPOL tax, which, again, directly benefitted his real estate business. Again, legally and according to their Code of Ethics, Heidig and McLaughlin should have recused themselves from voting. But, again, no one, not even the County Attorney, said a thing.

(As a side note, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that McLaughlin is ethically challenged. It was reported by LeavingMyMarc during the 2011 election that public documents indicated that McLaughlin committed voter fraud and dodged Virginia state taxes by claiming as his primary residence in Florida a house that he sold in 2005, while also claiming to live in Spotsylvania since 2002.)

God knows what these guys did over the summer months when no one was watching, but jumping to the fall, the Republican Majority came up with the plan to directly hire the deputy county administrator and other department heads. This move not only subverts the authority of the County Administrator, but it also violates another tenet in the Code of Ethics:

The Board of Supervisors delegates authority for the administration of the County to the County Administrator…. Members therefore shall not interfere with the administrative functions of the County….

Then, to add insult to injury and to commit more ethical violations, the Republicans worked with Republican State Delegate Mark Cole to hire him as the new deputy county administrator.  (As was noted in reports, Cole, a professed government-hater, was laid off from his government contracting job.) Cole and the Republican Majority had campaigned together in 2011, and exchanged campaign contributions. One would think that hiring Cole was and is an outright conflict of interest, not to mention the appearance of one, but they were allowed to vote and give Cole his new cushy job with a salary and benefits approximating $150-160,000 a year.

It is almost comical and very Spotsyltucky-esque that the government-hatin’ Republican Majority, who each now receive 2-3 government paychecks a month, would turn around and give a top government job to their friend and fellow government-hater, Del. Mark Cole, who is also on the government dole. But, as they say, we get the government we deserve, and Spotsylvania voters elected this bunch….

As I mentioned in a post last month, the ethical violations surrounding Cole’s hiring go beyond Spotsylvania. According to the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Code of Ethics, the hiring and retention of Cole violates at least two of the tenets, possibly more: personal relationships, conflicting roles and participation in elections.  In any case, his hiring does violate common sense and our intelligence when he and the Board try to convince us that out of 104 candidates, Cole was the most qualified.

After a year in office, the new Republican Majority has broken promises and committed ethical violations that would sound alarms in most towns and counties. But, no one, not even the Freelance Star, or the Spotsylvania Democratic Committee, or the County Attorney, or the people of Spotsyltucky say a thing. And so it goes….

[Read: Spotsy GOP Board: Do as We Say, Not as We Do - Part 1]

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By O.Hank!, January 29, 2013 4:39 am

January 29, 2013 — This past week, we witnessed a Republican Party that is becoming increasingly out of touch – and desperate to hold on to power and the past!

On the state level in Virginia, GOP leaders continued their attempts to change the rules on voting and how Presidential elections are tallied.  They are still simmering over the President’s SECOND victory in Virginia, which propelled him to a second term. This happened even after GOP leaders spent last year passing legislation to disenfranchise minorities, college students and the poor.  So, this year, the GOP ramped up their efforts to make it even HARDER for these voters to exercise their Constitutional rights.

As if that weren’t bad enough, GOP leaders in the state Senate, split evenly between 20 Republicans and 20 Democrats, snuck in a redistricting bill on Monday, January 21, Inauguration Day, when Sen. Henry Marsh (D-Richmond), a noted civil rights leader in Virginia, went to D.C. to attend the Inaugural ceremonies.  With the Senate now divided 20-19, the GOP had the advantage and rammed through this bill.  Even Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, Republican, was ashamed.  Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell distanced himself from the Senate action, but whether or not he will veto the bill remains to be seen.

And as if THAT weren’t bad enough, Virginia GOP Sen. Bill Carrico led the fight to change the electoral rules of Presidential elections from winner-take-all to proportional allotments by Congressional Districts, which the Tea Party/GOP Congress gerrymandered in 2011 and which would give the GOP the advantage.  This paralleled action in other states controlled by the GOP that were won by Obama.

With these actions, the GOP motto has become: If you can’t beat ‘em, cheat ‘em.  Remember, this is the “values” Party….

Let’s face it, Republican leaders are mad!  They HATE the fact that Obama is President – and won again!  They will do anything to gain and keep power, including lying, cheating and stealing.  They and their shrinking base of old white guys HATE the fact that the face of America and Virginia is changing, so they fuel the flames of fear and use lies to divide people, and pass laws that keep people from voting and change the rules so they can win.  They continue to call the President names, and on and on and on….

Sadly for the country, it’s SOS from the GOP – a bunch of Grumpy Old Pfarts.

The day after the Inauguration, GOP Speaker John Boehner accused the President of trying to “annihilate” the GOP.   At the rate they are going, Boehner and his GOP/Tea Party right-wingers will accomplish this feat all on their own.  Here’s to their success!

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By Marc, May 15, 2012 8:26 pm

Glad to see that SOMEONE is getting help from VDOT. Yes, that’s Mark Dudenhefer’s (R-VA-2nd) (a.k.a. Mudslide Mark) house on Legal Court in North Stafford (the one with the car backed into the driveway). And yes, he got VDOT to completely repave the area in front of it. As you can see, VDOT also paved a small portion in front of his next door neighbor’s property. But still…

Between having the 2^nd house district line drawn less than 30 feet from his property line—to getting VDOT to spend money it doesn’t have budgeted to completely repave the part of the street in front of his property—we know at least one person is benefiting from Mark Dudenhefer’s incumbency…MARK DUDENHEFER!

And OBTW, nice vote last night Delegate Dudliness.

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By Marc, October 31, 2011 8:42 pm

On Sunday, Sen. Mark Warner appeared at a rally in support of Virginia State Senator Edd Houck’s (D-VA-17th) re-election campaign.

Sen. Warner noted how Sen. Houck has been critical in helping to maintain and protect Virginia’s AAA bond rating. He also talked about how if Washington doesn’t deal with its’ huge debt in a fair and balanced way that there would be cuts that disproportionally effect education, infrastructure, law enforcement and research. This trickle down effect will have a devastating effect on local communities.

Virginia, under Gov. Bob McDonnell, has already cut billions of dollars in education and health care the past couple of years. This is all while his biggest donors get hefty tax breaks while Virginians struggle.

Combine what’s happening on the federal level and on the state level and you have a recipe for disaster. Virginia’s AAA bond rating has been assigned a “negative outlook” by Moody’s. Sen. Edd Houck has consistently supported a balanced approach to our state budgets, which has helped to preserve Virginia’s AAA bond.

As Sen. Warner put it, “the last thing we want to do is turn Richmond into Washington.” He went on to say:

If we turn Richmond over to all one party and not the John Chichester types because their voices will not be heard in a legislature where compromise is not viewed as an essential trade of government, but compromise is somehow viewed the way it is now in Washington as a sign of weakness.

Sen. Houck’s Koch Brothers backed opponent doesn’t comprehend the words “balance” and “compromise.” The Republicans have lurched so far to the right that moderate’s in the party, who understand “balance” and “compromise,” have no home.

One such person is former State Senate Finance Chairman John Chichester (R-VA) who recently endorsed Sen. Houck. In his endorsement, he had the following to say:

Senator Houck worked closely with me and other Republicans to pass common sense legislation that helped to protect and create jobs, make create jobs, make critical investments in core services, and cut taxes.

Party labels are not as important as someone’s commitment to principle and willingness to work in a bipartisan fashion to find solutions. Edd will continue to be a leader on issues important to Virginias like improving our economy and keeping taxes low…I strongly encourage all of my fellow Republicans and other friends in the 17th District to send Edd Houck back to the State Senate.

Vote on November 8 to re-elect Virginia Sen. Edd Houck, our futures depend on it! The 17th District consists of all or parts of the counties of Albermarle, Culpeper, Louisa, Orange, and Spotsylvania and the City of Fredericksburg.

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By Marc, October 18, 2011 8:23 pm

You can read more about Cindy Colasanto’s emotional struggle to change the way emergency responders drive through red light intersections here – after her daughter was killed in a tragic car crash with a Fairfax County police officer. It’s a truly heartbreaking story with a happy ending. Ashley’s Law was signed into law on July 26, 2011, in large part to 3 years of hard work by Cindy and the help of Sen. Toddy Puller.