...Getting Grandma to the Polls Just Got Easier
Last year my lovely wife did a little research and discovered that our local polling place in Jollivue was more than willing to help voters with mobility issues. If we drove her 95 year old Father and 85 year old Mother to the polling place election officials would actually bring the touchpad voting machine out to the car for them and register their votes.
I can't vouch for every polling place but I would assume this policy exists statewide.
One more excuse bites the dust!
Showing posts with label Virginia politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virginia politics. Show all posts
Monday, November 2, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Del. Saxman on Bearing Drift today
Jim Hoeft will be interviewing Del. Chris Saxman (R-20th House) today at noon. After yesterday's unveiling of eight candidates vying for Del. Saxman's House seat, it will be interesting to hear his thoughts about the issue.
Cross-posted at SWAC Girl
Cross-posted at SixtyFour81.com
Cross-posted at SWAC Girl
Cross-posted at SixtyFour81.com
Monday, July 20, 2009
Bob McDonnell: "Keep rest areas open"
~Bob McDonnell Proposes New Ways to Keep Facilities Open Now; If Closed, Pledges to Re-Open All within 90 Days of Taking Office in January~
The Democrats are playing games with Virginia's rest areas in the middle of summer when more travelers on the road vacationing than any other time of the year.
Saturday morning I stopped at the I-64 rest area just west of Richmond, something I often do because it's location is convenient from Staunton to Richmond and there are few businesses along that Charlottesville-to-Richmond stretch of the interstate.
The rest area was packed with vehicles just as it always is, and I had to wait for a parking place. Yet this is one that is slated to closure on July 21.
Since taking a stand on rest areas, I have heard from many people who agree and have relayed their various stories about why they use them, how they rely on them, and why they feel Democrat Governor Tim Kaine is playing politics.
Today Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell took a definite stand on the rest area controversy with the following press release:
McDonnell continued, "With the rejection of recent efforts in Congress to seek a waiver from federal regulations prohibiting the commercialization of our rest stops, it appears this administration is content to let our rest stops be shuttered tomorrow. We should not give up on this issue so quickly. We can still fix this problem. By being creative, working across party lines, making rest stop safety a priority, and involving the private sector, we can keep our rest stops open for the benefit of all motorists and the entire Commonwealth. We should initiate an "Adopt a Rest Stop" program to be funded by private sector companies, wherein they would sponsor the continuing operation of a rest stop by the Commonwealth. You can "Adopt a Highway" why not "Adopt a Rest Stop"? I will contact members of the Virginia Business Council, an organization comprised of the Commonwealth's largest corporate citizens, and ask for their immediate assistance in keeping the rest areas open in the short term. There are also ways to construct a more limited budget to keep the rest stops open that should be explored fully."
McDonnell also stated, "I refuse to believe that we can't work together to make sure our highways stay safe and Virginia stays "open" to travelers, truckers and everyday motorists. And I make this pledge. If the rest stops do close tomorrow, and remain dark in the months ahead, that will end when I am elected governor. I will work with the General Assembly to find a way to fund the operation of these facilities. And within 90 days of my taking office all 19 rest stops will be open again. We have a two-year budget of nearly $80 billion. To keep the rest stops open we need $9 million, or less if we get smart about how we manage things in Richmond. We can do this. It just takes commitment and creativity."
Rest stops play an important role in keeping Virginia's highways safe. They provide a secure location for weary travelers and truckers to rest, reducing the number of accidents. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Board, driver fatigue results in 100,000 accidents and 1,500 deaths a year in the United States. Studies show that truck-driver fatigue could be a factor in up to 40 percent of truck crashes, and night-time truck crashes increase when the distance between rest areas increases. Rest stops also play an important economic role in Virginia, as they are a place where out of state travelers can pick up promotion sources for the tourism and hospitality industries. Further, according to a recent article in the Richmond Times Dispatch, the closing of the safety rest stops and welcome centers will mean 209 contract workers and 3 welcome-center employees will be laid off, and the state will lose about $800,000 in revenue from vending machines.Bob McDonnell for Governor
Cross-posted at SixtyFour81.com
Cross-posted at SWAC Girl
The Democrats are playing games with Virginia's rest areas in the middle of summer when more travelers on the road vacationing than any other time of the year.
Saturday morning I stopped at the I-64 rest area just west of Richmond, something I often do because it's location is convenient from Staunton to Richmond and there are few businesses along that Charlottesville-to-Richmond stretch of the interstate.
The rest area was packed with vehicles just as it always is, and I had to wait for a parking place. Yet this is one that is slated to closure on July 21.
Since taking a stand on rest areas, I have heard from many people who agree and have relayed their various stories about why they use them, how they rely on them, and why they feel Democrat Governor Tim Kaine is playing politics.
Today Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell took a definite stand on the rest area controversy with the following press release:
RICHMOND- One day before Virginia begins to shutter eighteen safety rest stops and one welcome center statewide, Bob McDonnell, Republican gubernatorial nominee and former Attorney General of Virginia, announced his support for prompt, proactive and creative measures to keep the facilities open. McDonnell further pledged that if the rest stops are closed, he will open them back up within 90 days of taking office as governor in January 2010. Eighteen interstate-highway safety rest areas are set to close tomorrow, and the Interstate 66 West Welcome Center at Manassas will close on September 16th, due to budget choices made by the Kaine administration.Speaking about his proposals McDonnell noted, "Any person, whether a candidate for statewide office or a parent who has been on a family vacation, can tell you about the importance of Virginia's rest stops. Our rest stops provide a safe place for truckers and motorists to rest, and serve as information centers for tourists looking to find out about Virginia's many attractions. Shutting down Virginia's rest stops will negatively impact motorists, impair public safety, weaken our tourism industry, and slap a "Closed" sign on the Commonwealth. That's not what Virginia needs right now."
McDonnell called for a series of steps to be taken, all of which would help keep the rest stops open to the benefit of motorists, public safety, and Virginia's tourism and hospitality industry.
Specifically McDonnell proposes the following:
· The immediate creation of an "Adopt a Safety Rest Stop" program with Virginia businesses, community and civic organizations, modeled on the successful "Adopt a Highway" initiative, to help keep the safety rest stops open in the near term, without providing commercial services. Leaders of the Virginia Business Council have already been contacted and have indicated their willingness to help fund rest stop operations in the near term to help the State.
· The General Assembly must explore creative financing structures to fund rest stop operations and maintenance during the 2010 session, and engage the private sector in new partnerships.
· Governor Kaine and the Virginia Department of Transportation should promptly construct a more limited budget for rest stop operations, below the current 9 million dollar annual budget. We must work with local sheriffs, community corrections officers, as well as the state DOC to explore the feasibility of landscaping and clean-up of rest areas as an option for those currently sentenced to community service or eligible for work release programs. Many non-violent offenders are already successfully assigned to roadside clean-up work crews around the state.
· The CTB budget should be reprioritized to allocate the necessary money to keep the rest stops open.
McDonnell continued, "With the rejection of recent efforts in Congress to seek a waiver from federal regulations prohibiting the commercialization of our rest stops, it appears this administration is content to let our rest stops be shuttered tomorrow. We should not give up on this issue so quickly. We can still fix this problem. By being creative, working across party lines, making rest stop safety a priority, and involving the private sector, we can keep our rest stops open for the benefit of all motorists and the entire Commonwealth. We should initiate an "Adopt a Rest Stop" program to be funded by private sector companies, wherein they would sponsor the continuing operation of a rest stop by the Commonwealth. You can "Adopt a Highway" why not "Adopt a Rest Stop"? I will contact members of the Virginia Business Council, an organization comprised of the Commonwealth's largest corporate citizens, and ask for their immediate assistance in keeping the rest areas open in the short term. There are also ways to construct a more limited budget to keep the rest stops open that should be explored fully."
McDonnell also stated, "I refuse to believe that we can't work together to make sure our highways stay safe and Virginia stays "open" to travelers, truckers and everyday motorists. And I make this pledge. If the rest stops do close tomorrow, and remain dark in the months ahead, that will end when I am elected governor. I will work with the General Assembly to find a way to fund the operation of these facilities. And within 90 days of my taking office all 19 rest stops will be open again. We have a two-year budget of nearly $80 billion. To keep the rest stops open we need $9 million, or less if we get smart about how we manage things in Richmond. We can do this. It just takes commitment and creativity."
Rest stops play an important role in keeping Virginia's highways safe. They provide a secure location for weary travelers and truckers to rest, reducing the number of accidents. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Board, driver fatigue results in 100,000 accidents and 1,500 deaths a year in the United States. Studies show that truck-driver fatigue could be a factor in up to 40 percent of truck crashes, and night-time truck crashes increase when the distance between rest areas increases. Rest stops also play an important economic role in Virginia, as they are a place where out of state travelers can pick up promotion sources for the tourism and hospitality industries. Further, according to a recent article in the Richmond Times Dispatch, the closing of the safety rest stops and welcome centers will mean 209 contract workers and 3 welcome-center employees will be laid off, and the state will lose about $800,000 in revenue from vending machines.Bob McDonnell for Governor
Cross-posted at SixtyFour81.com
Cross-posted at SWAC Girl
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
What Republican death spiral?
For today's primary election day, I have a guest editorial up at NTCnews.
For those who say the Republican party is in a death spiral, how come Republican candidates lead by double digits in this year's two gubernatorial elections?
In New Jersey, Chris Christie leads incumbent Jon Corzine 51-38 in the latest Rasmussen Poll. In Virginia, three Democrats are beating each other up for the right to face Bob McDonnell in November.
Christie has led Corzine for several months in polling, as having “Wall Street Wizard” on your resume doesn’t seem helpful this election year.
In my home state of Virginia, Democrats thought they had the state going in their direction. Instead, their fractures are showing as another big talker – Terry McAuliffe – has failed to pull away despite big money and big endorsements.
It recalls 1992-93, when Republicans won both states after Bill Clinton’s election. They won with a cowboy conservative – George Allen in Virginia – and a moderate in Christie Todd Whitman, setting the stage for the 1994 takeover of Congress.
The Democrats’ road to holding these seats grows harder each day. Because their best attacks revolve around scaring voters about the past.
Corzine opened his re-election campaign Tuesday by bashing former President George W. Bush. Sorry, he’s gone back to Texas.
The Democrats’ anti-Bob McDonnell website features Pat Robertson. If Jerry Falwell were still alive, he’d be there too. But McDonnell’s favorability polling continues to surpass his Democratic rivals.
Winning both of these states would do wonders for the GOP. It creates a positive bandwagon effect, and in Virginia would keep control of redistricting in Republican hands.
Better yet, the Democrats will be at each others’ throats with losses. Their confidence and cockiness will take a hit. The news story won’t be Limbaugh vs. Frum, but angry Democrats feeling the magic slip away.
also cross-posted at Fishersvillemike
For those who say the Republican party is in a death spiral, how come Republican candidates lead by double digits in this year's two gubernatorial elections?
In New Jersey, Chris Christie leads incumbent Jon Corzine 51-38 in the latest Rasmussen Poll. In Virginia, three Democrats are beating each other up for the right to face Bob McDonnell in November.
Christie has led Corzine for several months in polling, as having “Wall Street Wizard” on your resume doesn’t seem helpful this election year.
In my home state of Virginia, Democrats thought they had the state going in their direction. Instead, their fractures are showing as another big talker – Terry McAuliffe – has failed to pull away despite big money and big endorsements.
It recalls 1992-93, when Republicans won both states after Bill Clinton’s election. They won with a cowboy conservative – George Allen in Virginia – and a moderate in Christie Todd Whitman, setting the stage for the 1994 takeover of Congress.
The Democrats’ road to holding these seats grows harder each day. Because their best attacks revolve around scaring voters about the past.
Corzine opened his re-election campaign Tuesday by bashing former President George W. Bush. Sorry, he’s gone back to Texas.
The Democrats’ anti-Bob McDonnell website features Pat Robertson. If Jerry Falwell were still alive, he’d be there too. But McDonnell’s favorability polling continues to surpass his Democratic rivals.
Winning both of these states would do wonders for the GOP. It creates a positive bandwagon effect, and in Virginia would keep control of redistricting in Republican hands.
Better yet, the Democrats will be at each others’ throats with losses. Their confidence and cockiness will take a hit. The news story won’t be Limbaugh vs. Frum, but angry Democrats feeling the magic slip away.
also cross-posted at Fishersvillemike
Monday, June 8, 2009
Looking to November
The Washington Post asked several political experts for their opinions on the upcoming Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial elections.
Here's a thought from Karl Rove
Democratic defeats in Virginia or New Jersey -- or even narrow victories -- would be discombobulating for the Obama White House and signal trouble in 2010.
Here's a thought from Karl Rove
Democratic defeats in Virginia or New Jersey -- or even narrow victories -- would be discombobulating for the Obama White House and signal trouble in 2010.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Democratic Governors Association fined for campaign finance law violation
Anita Kumar at the Washington Post is reporting that the Democratic Governors Association tripped over the red tape of campaign finance laws:
The State Board of Elections will fine the Democratic Governors Association $2,500 [Wednesday] for failing to comply with state campaign finance laws involving the group's donations in the governor's race.Where the DGA tripped up was failing to report donations to a PAC exceeding $2,500 as required by Virginia law, according to the WaPo. Their last report was April 15.
The DGA has contributed $2.15 million to Common Sense Virginia, a political action committee that is running TV ads attacking Republican gubernatorial nominee Bob McDonnell across the state.
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