To conserve and protect
Biscuit Run grant pushes state past Kaine’s 400K-acre conservation goal
Staff Report
News Tips: freepress2@ntelos.net
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine today announced that more than 400,000 acres has been conserved since the first fiscal year of his administration in 2006. Several major acquisitions in Albemarle, King and Queen and Rockbridge counties, along with end-of-the-year easement recordings, helped the Commonwealth meet one of Gov. Kaine’s signature goals. The final total is 424,103 acres.
“This land conservation goal is one that strongly resonated with me personally, and it obviously resonated with other Virginians as well,” Gov. Kaine said. “It was truly a team effort among state agencies, land trusts and private landowners to make this a reality.” Read more
Petersen: Car-tax cut not a ‘mistake’
Democrat critical of Kaine on car tax; will push gas-tax index to boost transportation dollars
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
Remember how upset Fairfax Democrat Chap Petersen was right after Gov. Tim Kaine proposed last month to replace the car-tax relief program that dates back to the administration of Jim Gilmore with a 1 percent state income-tax hike that would go to localities in exchange for their agreement to eliminate car taxes completely?
It doesn’t get much better than “hell, no, not for this Democrat.”
Petersen has had three weeks to mull the proposal over. “My thoughts haven’t changed a bit,” the state senator said in an interview with VirginiaPoliticsToday.com on Wednesday.
“People say the car-tax cut was a mistake. But that’s basically saying that helping middle-class families is a mistake. And I don’t think it’s a mistake. It’s a program that has helped families directly by giving them several hundred dollars of tax relief every year. So you may say that’s a misallocation of resources, and certainly we can debate that, but I would hardly call it a mistake when the money is going to the general population as opposed to a special interests,” Petersen said. Read more
IDA taps developer on Western State project
Staunton Gateway Partners to work with city
Staff Report
News Tips: freepress2@ntelos.net
The Staunton Industrial Development Authority took the next step toward the future redevelopment of the Western State Hospital property by designating a preferred developer for the property and authorizing the company to undertake preliminary development activities.
In preparation to acquire and redevelop the property, Staunton Gateway Partners will complete a master development plan and a stormwater management plan for the property and begin marketing the site to potential business tenants. SG Partners was chosen as the preferred developer from among companies that responded to a solicitation by the Authority in May 2009.
“After more than four years of hard work to acquire the property, we are pleased to begin moving forward with planning for the future redevelopment of this strategically located site,” said IDA Chairman Joe Leigh. Read more
Biscuit Run to become state park
Former largest planned development in Albemarle history to be preserved as open space
Staff Report
News Tips: freepress2@ntelos.net
Gov. Tim Kaine on Wednesday announced the purchase of approximately 1,200 acres in Albemarle County known as “Biscuit Run” to be held by the state as a site for a future state park.
“When developed as a state park, this extraordinary piece of land will benefit the citizens of Albemarle, Charlottesville and the Commonwealth for recreation, natural resource protection and the preservation of open space in a fast growing area,” Gov. Kaine said. “This property is a real jewel and I am very pleased to add it to the long list of properties preserved during my Administration.”
This purchase will add to the goal of 400,000 acres of open space preserved during Governor Kaine’s Administration.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the state to acquire such a valuable property which offers spectacular mountain views, abundant flora and fauna and is in the viewshed of Mr. Jefferson’s Monticello estate and farms,” said Secretary of Natural Resources L. Preston Bryant Jr. Read more
McDonnell: Current state-budget system ‘needs to be reformed’
Gov.-elect will propose moving development of budget to odd-numbered years
Statement by Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell
www.bobmcdonnell.com
On Friday, Dec. 18th, Gov. Tim Kaine proposed his biennial budget for Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012. The governor made his proposal with only 28 days left in his single four-year term, carrying out his obligation as determined by our current budgetary calendar.
Unfortunately, the current budget development process leads to a situation, repeated every four years, in which the consideration, debate and adoption of one governor’s proposed budget takes place during the administration of his successor. Thus, one out of every two budgets submitted requires no subsequent accountability or management from the governor who proposed it.
The current system also requires a new governor to potentially submit sweeping changes to a budget just days after taking office with limited preparation and input. A sitting governor usually takes many months to analyze and develop a comprehensive state budget. It is likewise burdensome on the General Assembly to have to review and consider the potentially divergent budget recommendations of two governors in such a short period of time. Read more
Two surprises in McDonnell appointments
Gov.-elect appoints former Bolling rival, Kaine holdover to Cabinet posts
Story by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
A former political rival to Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and a holdover from the outgoing administration of Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine highlight the Cabinet appointments announced today by Republican Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell.
McDonnell appointed Sean Connaughton, former chairman of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors and later administrator of the Maritime Administration in the United States Department of Transportation, as Secretary of Transportation. Connaughton challenged Bolling for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor in 2005 and lost to Bolling in the hotly contested ’05 primary for the nomination. Read more
The Rant | Free market forces, sure
Posted by afp on December 31, 2009 · 1 Comment
Video Essay by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
AFP editor Chris Graham points out other examples of free-market forces responding to consumer demand that are just as harmful as payday lenders in the course of shedding light on the hows and whys of the watered-down payday-lending reform effort in Virginia. Read more
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