When Jackson Miller first ran for the 50th House of Delegates seat to represent Manassas and Manassas Park, he pooh poohed the idea, from his Democratic opponent, that a dedicated source of funding was needed to address Virginia's growing transportation needs.  Instead, his solution was to use the state's surpluses and to borrow the money needed. 

Now with no more surplus around, the General Assembly, Mr. Miller included, have been called back into session to address, guess what, the state's transportation problem. 

Democrats in the Senate have called for an increase in the state gas tax while House Republicans want to let localities in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads have the power to levy special local fees to go to transportation in their region. 

A stalemate has resulted and it appears that the "no-tax" pinheads, including Mr. Miller, would rather vote against any increase in state funding than solve the problem this summer.

I have wondered what motivates such people like Mr. Miller to think in such short sighted terms until I read an entry by blogger Bob Gibson, Executive Director of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership and former Daily Progress political reporter.

In it, he cites a column by Richmond Times Dispatch writer Jeff Shapiro which provides clarity as to why Mr. Miller and his fellow pinheads in the House won't break this impasse:

Jeff E. Schapiro, ever colorful and never shy to express a point with personal panache, has pronounced Gov. Tim Kaine an increasingly lame duck, thanks to the state’s, and not Kaine’s, constitution.

While implying quacks in quotes ascribed to Kaine, Schapiro points to a more real reason that reaching a transportation compromise is harder than selling gas-tax increases to voters: the state’s current redistricting system and its fruit can make GOP legislators more afraid of a little electorate in June than a bigger one in November.

As Schapiro put it, “Republicans created, in effect, minority districts wherein narrow bands of the electorate, often anti-tax conservatives, have disproportionate influence. The key to winning and holding such House seats: sucking up to the right. It’s not always a pretty sight, but survival compels it.

And it’s not just accommodating the grass roots to prevent nomination challenges. Republicans must kowtow to the House leadership, lest they risk such punishment as losing prized committee seats. Senate Republicans, many of them recovering tax-aholics, have become similarly sheepish.”

This is not the first time that a minority has held sway in the Virginia legislature.  The rural areas have been able to obtain a disproportionate amount of funds for their areas because of their numbers and seniority.  Last year's election changed that with a number of NoVa and Tidewater senators becoming committee leaders after Democrats won control of that body.  And more of the state is becoming urbanized shrinking the rural areas even further.

But focusing on these "narrow bands" of tax conservatives, there is good news, though it will not come this year as the gridlock on transportation will continue.  When redistricting comes up in 2011, Democrats, and particularly urban and suburban Democrats, will be in control of the Senate who will reduce and/or eliminate the obstruction of anti-tax Republcian conservatives.

Finally, our elected representatives will return to the days of solving problems instead of being one of them.

Since the announcement of former Senator Jesse Helms' (R-NC) death last week, apologists for his raciest and homophobic words and actions have come forth trying to change the judgment of history.

While Rush Limbaugh predictably put Helms in the same category as Thomas Jefferson and John Adams (not just because they all died on July 4th); but the latest defense come from a column entitled, "The Jesse Helms You Should Remember."  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-yn/content/article/2008/07/06/AR2008070601767.html

It is written by Marc Thiessen, chief speechwriter to President George W. Bush and former Foreign Relations Committee spokesman for Senator Helms from 1995-2001.

Thiessen says that previous reviews of ...<< MORE >>

While this holiday seems to bring out lots of words from bloggers and pundits as to what is the "real" meaning of this joyous occassion, I think pictures and music do a better job.

Take a look:  http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=37154460

Happy Birthday, America!!!

(Editor's Note:  This was written last month and I did not publish it to see if Virginia Republicans would do anything to cause me to revise what I had written.  Not surprisingly, no change is necessary almost a month later.)

Despite the amazing lack of news and analysis about this past weekend's past Virginia Republican Convention, the message to take from that event is that white, Christian, conservative state residents are mad and they want to be heard. 

Delegate Bob Marshall's 60+ vote loss to former Governor Jim Gilmore demonstrates that the Virginia Republican Party is longer one of moderation, tolerance and live and let live.  When I was growing up in Virginia, it was a welcome voice of balance, integration and inclusiveness in contrast to the various conservative Democrats holding office.  Those Democrats, including the late Delegate Harry Parrish, eventually went to the Republican Party as it lurched backward, I mean rightward.

But back to the present:  Instead, it has become a political party which, at least half of it, wants to dictate to everyone who lives within the Commonwealth's borders how one should live, what we can and can not buy medically, and to set up a class of protection for conservative social objectors who are above Virgina's long standing right to work laws.

I fear for my daughter's right who, in Delegate Marshall's and almost 50% of the Virginia Republican Party's views, would have no say over what happens to her body medically.  I am always amused that it is men who want to keep women under their feet and it seems that almost a majority of Virginia Republicans agreed.  

Posting on Bloggers4Marshall, I reminded readers not to underestimate him  In fact, I would have preferred his victory as the Republican's candidate for the US Senate.  His views of intolerance toward privacy and women, and his inability to successfully handle the real issues facing the state despite his years in the General Assembly (just see if you pay lower taxes or if your trip to work is shorter or you pay less for basic necessities) would be amply demonstrated.

Instead, state Republicans choked and went for a sacrificial lamb...Jim Gilmore, the man who left the state in an economic mess.

It is no wonder that if  one is intolerant, one votes Republican.  But if one wants to solve problems real time, one votes Democratic.


 

Why is Frank Wolfe, Congressman from Virginia, getting such a pass from the anti-illegal immigrant crowd?  http://www.bvbl.net/index.php/category/us-congress/  This crowd loves to beat up on his potential challengers but they rally around him despite the fact that under his watch, the march of illegal immigrants has grown and grown so that they feel the need that local action is needed. 

That sound like intelligence...support the legislator who has done nothing so you have to fight if financially on the local side (no one said Republicans could connect the dots when the mistakes involved one of their own).

I think these guys who defend Congressman Wolfe actually want him reelected so they can continue their local tirades. 

After all, if these rule-of-law girls actually solved the problem by opposing those who created the illegal immigration situation on the national level like Wolfe, they have nothing to bitch about.  And bitching on illegal immigration is the main reason they have any life.

Republicans = Whiners

WitWith Mother's Day coming up this Sunday, word is starting to spread about it orginis.  The first Mother's Day celebration was held on May 10, 1908 in Grafton, WV so this year's celebration marks the 100th Anniversary of the event.



Grafton is located about 3.5 hours west if one takes Route 50 from Winchester.  The road takes you through a variety of historic sites and views of natural beauty particularly this time of year.  It's also a great route to ride one's motorcycle. 

At any rate, Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there.

Is it me, but has anyone noticed how Manassas City Council meetings have become civil events again since Jackson "Jacks" Miller left?

I remember many a business environment where one guy or gal just sucked up all the air and energy with his/her negativity or attitude or strident rhetoric that it make any kind of production difficult at best.

The same is true for City Council meetings.  With Jacks gone, this council actually likes working with each other.  Before, it was strained and difficult to get anything productive going.  That is not surprising if someone is looking to develop a reputation so ...<< MORE >>

Congratulations to the winners of today's City Council election.  Of course, when you don't have any opposition, there is no surprise that you will get elected.

I know that when you have no opposition, H. Parrish, S. Smith, J Way and M. Wolfe have no initiative to make any kind of outreach to voters unless your personal compass suggests that you ought to campaign and ask voter what direction they think think this City ought to be going in.  None of my neighbors ever heard from any of these gentlemen.

More to the point, I was surprised to see NONE of these white guys out at my precinct to campaign and ask for my vote.

I did find what they did say to voters as revealing.  Check out these published comments: 

Hal Parrish, who is going to be our next mayor, could not even reply to the question of what he saw as the biggest issues facing Manassas and what he would do to address them.  What hubris!  I know he has a popular political name in town, but, please, do something to earn my support and not rub my face in the fact you have no challenger.

Steve Smith says that we need to "present a positive image." But wait, hasn't he been on Council for at least 4 years?  Yikes,  if he doesn't think Manassas has a positive image in 4 years, why should be re-elected?  Sounds like he hasn't done anything to help improve the city.

Jon Way says that we need to "control taxes to inflation plus citizen-supported initiatives."  Wait a moment, did he not vote for a 23% increase in the personal tax rate?  Golly, what a candidate will say when he has no opponent.  And he says he is Republican.   With that kind of tax hike, who could afford 4 more years of Mr. Way?

Newcomer Mark Wolfe says that Manassas' quality of life comes from, among other things, "an effective and efficient local government."  Guess he has never seen how many trips it takes the city utility department to change a street light...three iseprate trips with three different trucks in my neighborhood.  Or watched various city inspectors go to a job site only to get into 2 different vehicles and drive away despite the cost of gas these days...or wait over 20 minutes for city police to respond to a gang fight which included destroying local property.

I would have been happy to share all this with these candidates, but since none of them chose to campaign, it is tough to discuss these issues with ghosts.  

My prediction is that with the re-election of Parrish, Smith and Way and election of newcomer Wolfe, I can expect higher taxes, continued government inattention, and no interest in what residents and property owners need and expect unless they can sum it up in the pitiful 3 minutes tossed like a bone to citizens during "Citizen Time" at City Council meeting.

Manassas Republican Delegate Jackson Miller is faced with a conundrum.  Either he follows the lead of his fellow city councilor Republican supporters and supports at least a 23% increase in the gas tax (that is the same property tax percentage increase the gang of 6 shoved through on Manassas property owners) ....

or he takes marching orders from Republican House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith who is quoted in Wednesday's press as stating, " a gas-tax increase would hit the middle class hard and do little to solve the state's long term transportation needs."

Two points: 

First, according to Delegate Griffith, a tax increase will do little to solve problems.  How did his fellow Republicans on Manassas City Council miss that memo?  They thought that a 23% increase would solve problems. Either tax increases will solve problems or they don't.  You can't have it both ways.  Sounds like Virginia Republicans have a problem staying on message.  Or just gouging its citizens.

Second, if the state gas tax is increased by the same percentage Manassas City Council increased the property tax, then those who buy gasoline in the state would see an whopping increase of just $.004 more per gallon. 

The real question is to whom Delegate Miller will respond.  Will he be in tune with the local community and support at least a four cent increase in the gas tax...or will he let his strings be pulled by hierarchy of the General Assembly and oppose any increase in the gas tax?

Given his obvious absence in the public arena responding and reporting to his constituents during the regular session, one would conclude his finger is in the wind waiting to figure out which position betters his political career.

Despite the misleading information given out by the City Manager that "Budget and Capital Improvement documents are available for viewing on the City's Web site at www.manassacity.org." in the most recent edition of "Town Hall," I was able to obtain the handouts of the previous week's City Council meeting.

Those documents show that the Real Estate Tax and Levy Rate will go up 23%.  Can any one in these economic times why such an increase is justified unless they have no fear of voter retribution? 

Whose salary or income is going up that much in one year?

A more detail review of the documents from the City Manager demonstrates that the City run-electric utility fund is going up over 16% followed by a 6 plus % increase in the General/Fire Rescue fund; 5.2% in the Airport Fund; and 5.4% increase in Water Utility Fund.  Perhaps it is time to privatize these utility functions since such increases are beyond the cost of living increases for the same period.

According to city documents, Council is happily sticking it to private enterprise by jacking tax rates in the tangible personal property tax rate, machinery and tools tax rate, pp tax rate, BPOL contractors rate, BPOL retail merchants tax rate. Anyone still want to be in business in Manassas?  

So where to cut?  Here are some suggestions:

1.  Fuel costs should go back to $321,200.  I have observed too many city employees traveling individually to job inspections without carpooling.  They also let their vehicles run especially with air conditioning going, even though they are not in the vehicle at all. 

2.  No increase in the City Attorney Hourly Rate.  If the current attorney is not happy with getting what s/he is paid, there are so many other attorneys out there.  A 13% increase in pay is not justified.

3.  Cut support to school system.  Having been a teacher, I know how important education is.  But I have also seen the incredible waste that goes on from the central office to the classroom.  Eliminating the $2.8+ million increase would go a long ways to eliminating such waste and balancing this budget without a major tax increase.

So, there are some things that can be done.  This Council self identifies as Republican, but they have not practiced Republican principles in this budget.  Republicans often state that taxes should be CUT to stimulate a poor economy.  Guess that message didn't get to this group in Manassas.

One councilor, in his successful bid to get elected stated:  ""Property Taxes are out of control!  When assessments go up 30%, the budget shouldn't go up the same amount.  As your councilman, I will work to begin the budget process in a way that might seem new: the republican way.  We will start with a 0% increase in budget outlays and work from there.  The actual budget amount might go up or down but 50% in 4 years is crazy"

Funny how election rhetoric does not meet reality. I would say a 23% increase is "crazy."