Radtke claims foul on debate snub
Republican Senate-nomination candidate Jamie Radtke is raising issue with criteria established by the Virginia Associated Press Managing Editors and the Virginia Capital Correspondents Association for a Senate debate scheduled for December.
Candidates must average 15 percent or better in published non-candidate polls and have raised at least 20 percent as much money as their party’s frontrunner by the end of October to qualify for the debate. It would appear that only Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican George Allen would qualify given those criteria.
“Virginia voters: The Mainstream Media wants to choose your Senate candidates for you – and guess what? They picked Washington politicians,” the Radtke campaign stated in an e-mail to supporters sent out on Tuesday afternoon.
The Radtke campaign noted the relatively strong showing of the Tea Party leader in a July 27 Public Policy Polling survey of Virginia voters that had Radtke at 31 percent in a head-to-head race with Kaine.
“This is well over the 15% threshold set by the AP and VCCA. This is a general election debate, so why wouldn’t they use general election poll numbers?” asked the campaign in its e-mail to supporters today.
McDonnell backs local delegate on balanced-budget amendment
A resolution proposed by Rockbridge Republican Del. Ben Cline that calls on Congress to pass an amendment to the United States Constitution requiring it to adopt a balanced budget has the support of Gov. Bob McDonnell.
“Over the last two years, the federal government has added approximately $3.37 trillion to the national debt, making the total national debt an unsustainable $14 trillion. It is critical that Washington gets its fiscal house in order and reduces spending to ensure the future prosperity and security of our great nation,” McDonnell said in a statement on the resolution, which also calls for a constitutional convention for adoption of a balanced-budget amendment.
McDonnell has been under fire of late from Democrats and the Tea Party for his $4 billion transportation-improvements plan that relies heavily on the assumption of public debt for financing. Cline voted against the McDonnell plan in the House earlier this week, though it passed with largely Republican support by a 65-33 vote.
“Families must make tough decisions every day to balance their checkbooks, and states like Virginia have balanced budgets every year — the federal government should be no different,” Cline said. “The resolution I am introducing today requesting a constitutional convention on a balanced budget amendment is a step in the right direction toward reining in federal government spending and tackling the federal debt. A balanced budget amendment in the U.S. Constitution will set us on a path toward fiscal responsibility in Washington.”
Story by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.
Tea Party to McDonnell: Don’t borrow and spend
Tea Party leaders in Virginia have a message for Gov. Bob McDonnell regarding the Republican’s plans to jumpstart transportation improvements with a large issuance of public debt.
“Now is the time for Virginia to cut spending and ensure that the essential functions of government, including transportation, are funded without borrowing money or increasing the tax burden on its citizens who have been the most impacted by the economic downturn,” said Bruce Richmond, the spokesman for the Virginia Tea Party Patriot Federation and a leader in the Shenandoah Valley Tea Party.
McDonnell’s $4 billion roads plan relies heavily on bonds. The plan has been decried by some Democrats as a “borrow and spend” approach to solving the state’s transportation crisis that Democrats and some Republicans have been saying for years can only be solved with some sort of tax increase providing new funding for roads projects.
Richmond said the McDonnell proposal would limit the financial flexibility of future governors.
“Transportation is an important issue to Virginians and needs addressing, but not at the risk of our economic future,” Richmond said. “We call on our state representatives to keep their promise of promoting fiscal responsibility and challenge them to come up with a better solution to fund transportation. There are budget proposals out there that have cited spending cuts in other areas that could provide the needed funds for transportation without putting Virginia deeper in debt. They should be seriously examined before we take this risky and dangerous course of action.”
Virginia Tea Party Patriot Federation chairman Mark Lloyd reminded state leaders that “out-of-control spending in Washington was one of the catalysts for the Tea Party movement.”
“The national economy is on the brink of collapse with the national debt roughly equal to its annual economic output. The present and coming serious problems with the national economy will continue to negatively impact citizens of the Commonwealth as federal spending mandates strangle our state budget,” Lloyd said.
Story by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.
David Reynolds: Think Virginia
This column is not for wine lovers. Rather, it is directed to my conservative friends who have no love for government, who think that all governments are nothing more than intrusions into our private lives, who never met a tax they liked and who believe that all public budgets should be filed under fiction.
Sorry, fellow conservatives, your anger does not hold water. It will get you nowhere. Except more frustration. And frustration is where the tea party movement is headed unless it learns to separate the good from the bad from the ugly.
Instead of reducing government spending, why not first try to redirect it? The argument to shift public expenditures from a one-size-fits-all national government to fifty states is a compelling one. Besides it has the backing of the United States Constitution.
So, how about a short primer on Virginia’s budget? Purpose: To turn the current negative mood into something positive.
Next month our state reps will again follow the cold waters of the James to look inside the budget numbers. When they get to Richmond this is what they will see.
First, they will see double. Virginia has two major funds spread over two years. But in essence, its “Biennium Budget” is a book set, two budgets adjusted annually.
Of its two funds, the smaller (40%) General Fund is key. It is a discretionary fund drawn from instate revenues, mainly the income tax (71%) and the sales tax (21%). The fund must balance.
The other fund, the Nongeneral Fund, is a nondiscretionary fund. Its principal revenue sources are the Federal Government (42%), institutional fees charged by schools and hospitals (24%) and the gas tax (10%).
The 2011-12 Biennium Budget for both funds currently totals $76 billion with education receiving 40%, health programs 28%, transportation 12% and public safety 7%. About a third goes to localities, principally for schools (poor districts get more; rich get less) and for maintenance of secondary roads. VDOT will spend over $6 billion.
Now compare essential state spending with federal spending which, outside of defense and interest, primarily results in the redistribution of wealth and income.
So, fellow conservatives, there is nothing wrong with tying up federal revenues in the form of block grants and shipping money down I-95 to Richmond to be spent on schools, roads and our health and safety. As long as there are no strings attached.
But there is a problem, one of accountability. One government collects the tax; another government spends it. The problem arises because our national government has preempted the major revenues sources, mainly the individual income tax and corporate taxes. This leaves the states holding a tax bag with limited income taxes, a regressive sales tax and an unpopular property tax for its localities.
Not a good system of tax-and-spend. Remember the original (Boston) Tea Party? It was about a distant government imposing a tax. We have made progress since 1775, but none during my lifetime. Americans are now at the point that many feel that Washington is as foreign a tax collector as London.
We have lost the marvel of federalism. Government is no longer close to the people. It is foreign to the people. Solution: Reinvent federalism. Enforce Amendment X to the Constitution. Think Richmond, not Washington.
With your help we can make good state (and local) government better. That means that you and I need to better follow what The Commonwealth of Virginia is up to, how the state is spending our money and which state laws are have a direct impact on our lives. (Most do.) That is often difficult with so little news being reported from Richmond. How about televising the proceedings of the General Assembly? Or how about attempting to make the state budget more understandable?
Yes, there are many ways to “Think Virginia,” to make its government as good as its people. After all, isn’t that the objective of every democracy? It’s been 403 years since the landing at Jamestown. It is about time we learn more about Virginia than as a place for lovers.
Column by David Reynolds
David Reynolds: One more time
I know that many of you are sick and tired of reading and hearing about the election. Only, please, allow one who is in the September of his years to enjoy this November. His football teams are not doing well. Therefore a victory on the field of politics becomes more enjoyable. Thank you.
First, we are reminded about conventional wisdom. It is usually wrong. For example, we are constantly told that you and I do not have a political compass. That there is nothing to guide us in elections. That we don’t vote the party label, except for those who always look for the union label. As the election proved, this is hogwash.
The president said, “We took a shellacking.” And those who did the shellacking agree. Unfortunately, that is where all agreement ends. On the national stage.
But here we seem to agree on everything. At least publicly. Southern manners, you know. Instead, we handle differences the old-fashioned way. We gossip. Talking over the grape vine is much more enjoyable than trashing out our policy differences. Here party labels are not only frowned upon, they are not allowed. So we stick the meaningless word “Independent” next to the names of too many local candidates. No wonder our home grown leaders do not know in which direction to go. There is no political compass to guide them! In fact, we don’t even tolerate slates, such as a “Smart Growth” slate.
As a result of our failure to define basic positions local consensus building is difficult. No Democrats. No Republicans. No one to persuade. Every city council member and county supervisor becomes a member of the Party of One. When these individual members hold public hearings they behave accordingly. Just like our Supreme Court – nine little law firms.
Is it too much to ask that those who run for local office display a little common ground with at least one other guy or gal who is also running?
Now for a few questions still burning on the national stage.
Q: Why no third party movement by the Tea Party?
A: Tea drinkers are too smart. They know that influencing a major party pays bigger dividends. They also know that in the past we have tried three parties. All folded like bad plays. Meanwhile, our two golden oldies keep on ticking like two Energizer bunnies.
Q: What happened to the great American experiment?
A: There was an unpopular chemical reaction over the past two years. Nonetheless, the 234-year-old experiment is still going strong. What happened is that the 2009-2010 formula change did not pan out. A majority of Americans decided that the old original formula concocted by Messrs. Madison and Jefferson works better.
Q: What happened in 2009?
A: While the president may not have had the whole world in his hands, he did have most of this nation. Then his hand slipped.
Q: What caused his hand to slip?
A: He moved too fast. Politics is like any other sport. Speed is what gets noticed. Few notice when major legislation moves slowly. Besides fast forward change doesn’t work in America. It endangers our stability. That is why we give our presidents up to eight years to do their job. The current one tried to do it in two. And he failed to take my suggestion of using one of our 50 laboratories to carry out his experiments. As long as it was not Virginia.
Q: Why did Nancy not step down?
A: Ms. Pelosi did consult with her late father, Thomas D’Alesandro, Jr., the good mayor of Baltimore for twelve years, However, she failed to consult with her dictionary that defines insanity as doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result.
Q: Was there anything surprising about this election?
A: Only if you live on Mars or an Ivy League campus. If you live in Britain, France, Germany, Italy and other spots on the globe you would have seen this coming. There is a tidal wave of popular disapproval of social democratic parties. That wave finally hit our shores.
Q: What will happen over dinner at the White House next Thursday, November 18?
A: That’s a tough one. I’m not even sure what is on the menu. But I am sure who is paying the check. As you know, the new GOP leadership has been invited. Along with directions to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. If we go by past performance I will say that John Boehner and Mitch McConnell will both play the role of Charlie Brown. Barack Obama, of course, is Lucy Van Pelt. Lucy will once again fool Charlie and pull away the football causing all Congressional Republicans to fall flat on their backsides. And in 2012 the Democrats will again take over both houses of Congress. On the other hand, 2010 may be the start of something big. Stay tuned.
Column by David Reynolds
The AFP on WREL: Nov. 5, 2010
AFP editor Chris Graham joins WREL’s “Online with Jim Bresnahan” for their weekly wrap on Virginia news.
The focus this week is on the midterm elections. The segment kicks off with a breakdown of the upset in the Fifth District, where Republican Robert Hurt knocked off Democratic incumbent Tom Perriello. Chris also analyzes the upset in the Ninth District, where long-time Democratic incumbent Rick Boucher was defeated by Republican Morgan Griffith.
A look ahead to Virginia politics in 2011 and 2012 wraps us up.
Sanford D. Horn: Whitewashing 9/11
Posted by afp on September 5, 2011 · 2 Comments
George Orwell would be proud and disturbed all at once. This administration, coupled with the cow-towing of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, are assuming Americans have short memories and will be able to whitewash the heinous evils of the 9-11 terrorist attacks to something they were not.
On September 11, 2001 four airplanes were hijacked. By whom? Redheaded Irishmen? Orthodox Jews? Wait – how about 75 year old nuns? The cast of House? The starting five of the Boston Celtics? No; none of the above. The four planes were hijacked by 19 Muslim extremists hell bent on the greatest possible amount of destruction they could muster on a clear, beautiful sunny Tuesday morning.
No amount of downplaying or ignoring the facts by the conciliator in chief will ever be able to alter the facts and reality of what happened on that horrible day. This country, the United States of America, not Canada, not Belgium, not Laos, was attacked by 19 Muslim extremists on a specific day and date – September 11, 2001.
But according to Obama administration edict and “guidelines” that is not the manner in which September 11, 2011 is to be observed.
“The important theme is to show the world how much we realize that 9-11 – the attacks themselves and violent extremism… is not just about us,” said an anonymous White House source in an August 29, 2011 New York Times article.
As usual, the Obama administration, either Obama or his people by fiat, are just plain obtuse. Yes, 9-11 IS exactly about us. The attacks being commemorated and memorialized were perpetrated on American soil – the first two planes slammed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, the third plane hit the Pentagon in Arlington, VA and the fourth plane, on a flight path to the Capitol Building was diverted by the 40 passengers and crew who heroically inexorably altered the route of that plane causing it to crash in an open field in Shanksville, Pa.
The Obama administration stated that public commemorations “should not cast the United States as the sole victim of terrorism,” added the Times article.
Administration “guidelines” state: “We honor all victims of terrorism in every nation around the world…. Whether in New York or Nairobi, Bali or Belfast, Mumbai or Manila or Lahore or London.”
Notice the omission of Madrid? How about the glaring omission of Israel as a whole – a nation leading the league in terror attacks against her.
While the United States clearly is not the sole victim of terror, we the people are observing and memorializing the specific attacks that occurred on a specific date. And how we the people choose to remember the victims – be they the passengers on the four airplanes, the people who worked at the World Trade Center, the people employed at the Pentagon, the bystanders or the first responders and volunteers – is up to the individual.
Each individual or group will conduct their ceremonies, services and remembrances as they choose – not according to some sanitized government guidelines. This isn’t Communist China – we do not tap dance according to the government’s tune. But apparently the Obama administration is worried about how the huddled masses will conduct themselves while, according to the Times article, “the world’s attention will be on… Obama.”
Could the New York Times be more sycophantic? Could Obama be more egomaniacal to think the attention of the world won’t be focused upon the survivors and the families of the victims? The Times and the Obama administration are two obsequious peas in the same pod. Their mutual love-fest is simply nauseating.
Additionally, the guidelines call for events that “minimize references to Al Qaeda.” Why do we care what Al Qaeda thinks? They are the enemy like the Taliban and every other terrorist outfit attempting to destroy the fabric of American life.
It is not Islamophobia to speak the truth when remembering the brutal attacks on American soil. Nor is it Islamophobia to remind people that the Muslim extremist terrorists were operating under the guise of so-called Koranic values in an effort to destroy the Judeo-Christian society in the United States of America.
A religion of peace does not hide behind children and strap bombs onto women and mentally retarded people. Remember the words of former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. “We will have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us.”
Americans should commemorate the terrorist attacks on the United States in whatever meaningful way they determine appropriate. Special services in churches and synagogues, remembering specific friends and loved ones who were murdered on September 11, 2001, visiting a cemetery or museum, or even being angry and resentful if one chooses as the way to get through the day.
We the people will make those decisions, not the government. We still live in a semi-free nation where free will still rules the day.
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