tagged w/ Virginia
-
Richmond, Va. --
It not only could have been worse -- it most assuredly would have.
The longest, deepest recession since the Great Depression knocked the pins out from under Americans from all walks of life. People lost jobs and, with them, health coverage. Consumer spending withered, putting even more jobs in jeopardy.
Private-sector expansion ground to a halt; businesspeople without customers can't be optimists.
The recession caused record-breaking declines in state revenues nationally. Virginia's general fund tax revenue fell for two years in a row for the first time in 50 years.
And that didn't happen in isolation. At the same time revenues were collapsing, the need for essential services was going up. More families needed help with health care, food assistance, job training; meanwhile, K-12 school and college enrollments were rising. Somehow that widening gap between needs and resources had to be met.
It makes for good TV sound bites to say we should just slash spending. But that's no way to help struggling families and protect Virginia's economy. It's no way to make sure investments are made that will help the commonwealth make the most of prosperity when it returns.
Someone had to do something; luckily, the federal government did. The primary vehicle for assistance has been the federal Recovery Act adopted in February 2009. By the end of this year, the act will have provided Virginia and its citizens with about $9 billion.
Recovery Act money sent directly to the state budget closed a large portion of state budget shortfalls, which helped preserve jobs and maintain many services. Virginia also is receiving valuable federal funding for schools, jobs, housing, transportation, public safety, health, and social services.
And Virginia households benefited directly from Recovery Act provisions like tax credits for working families, economic recovery payments to seniors, disabled adults, and veterans, and extended unemployment payments.
But this is about more than dollar figures and program names. Direct aid to Virginians and fiscal relief for the state budget put money back into the Virginia's economy at a time when consumer demand was plummeting.
When people lose their jobs or see their hours reduced, families cut back on purchasing to reflect their loss of income. That only makes the recession worse: As consumers cut back on what they buy, business profits fall and they too scale back employment, further reducing demand. Someone has to break that vicious downward cycle.
Enter the Recovery Act.
Yes, we are not out of the woods yet. Yes, unemployment is still too high. Yes, it would have been nice if the Recovery Act had provided even more assistance, but that's politics. There is no denying that people are working today, and spending money, who wouldn't be if Congress and the president had listened to the do-nothing voices.
The widely respected, nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has found that the Recovery Act created between 1.8 and 4.1 million jobs nationwide through March 2010 and raised inflation-adjusted gross domestic product by 1.7 to 4.2 percent. Virginia's proportionate share would come to between 46,000 and 105,000 jobs.
Critics say the Recovery Act will make the federal deficit worse. They are wrong.
First, it's important to point out that most of the deficit comes from the huge tax cuts of the Bush years, fighting two wars, and the monumental economic downturn of the recession. When the economy is back on its feet, we need to turn more attention to the deficit. But the first priority needs to be the nation's jobs deficit.
What the federal government is spending on recovery is but a fraction of the deficit and by preventing a deeper recession and returning the economy to normal more quickly, Recovery Act spending may well reduce long-term deficits.
Looking forward, Virginia still has work to do. Despite crucial assistance from the Recovery Act, many important public services have been cut.
State leaders have repeatedly decided to follow primarily a cuts-only strategy (only raising taxes on low-income working families by slashing the state earned income tax credit in the latest budget, for example) instead of a balanced approach that would position us to provide the services we expect from our public sector and help create the kind of state we all want.Richmond, Va. --
It not only could have been worse -- it most assuredly would have.... more
-
-
Veterans and anti-war activists from several groups organized a rally for Wikileaks whistleblower Private Bradley Manning yesterday in Quantico, VA. Manning is being held in solitary confinement in a military brig in Quantico.
Medea Benjamin of Code Pink told CNN, “We are here to say that if, indeed, he was the whistle-blower, then we are proud of him. We as Americans want to expose the truth of what’s happening in both Iraq and Afghanistan and we think that it will hasten the day to bring the troops home. We want our troops protecting us here in the United States, not fighting in what we consider unwinnable, unnecessary wars.”
Private Bradley Manning, a 22 year old intelligence analyst with the US Army, stands accused of disclosing a classified video of American troops shooting civilians from an Apache helicopter. New evidence links Manning to the Afghan War Logs posted on WikiLeaks this week. He faces up to 52 years in jail for his role in the leak. The whistleblower behind the Vietnam era’s Pentagon Papers, Daniel Ellsberg, has called Mr. Manning a “hero.”
CODEPINK participated in the rally with a diverse group of activists and veterans. Groups who participated along with CODEPINK in the rally were: Courage to Resist, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace, ANSWER, Virginia Catholic Worker, Gray Panthers, World Can’t Wait, and the National Lawyers Guild.
A counter-rally was organized by protesters and is also featured in the CNN video.Veterans and anti-war activists from several groups organized a rally for Wikileaks... more
-
-
The University of Virginia has just published an online audio archive of the Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author's two-year term as the writer-in-residence at Virginia during the late 1950s. In the recordings, William Faulkner talks about his books, his career and events of the day.
This piece includes vintage photographs, a slide show, audio recordings and three documentary short films about Faulkner at the University of Virginia.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/faulkner-at-virginia-prophet-and-poet/The University of Virginia has just published an online audio archive of the Nobel and... more
-
-
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli will be the special guest at the Capital Pride Festival this weekend -- only he doesn't know it yet.
The Virginia Partisans, a gay rights group with thousands of members in the state, will ask parade attendees to "kiss" a life-size cutout of the controversial attorney general in an event they are affectionately calling "Smooches for Cooch."
The group will send a collection of photos of people kissing Cuccinelli to the attorney general along with the message that Virginia is for all lovers. The same motto will appear on stickers and banners at the group's booth along the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route Sunday.
Cuccinelli, who advised public colleges that they could not legally prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, has called the practice of homosexuality "a detriment to our culture" and "wrong."
The Partisans hope Cuccinelli will be just the draw they need to recruit members. The group considered a petition drive, but abandoned it because members thought it was too passé.
"We're sending our love to Ken Cuccinelli,'' said Terry Mansberger, president of the Virginia Partisans. "He's the gift that keeps on giving."
A spokesman for Cuccinelli had no comment.Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli will be the special guest at the Capital Pride... more
-
-
June 3, 2010 |
The 2010 midterm election cycle is in full swing, with right-wing pundits predicting a Congressional turnover just as sweeping as the Gingrich revolution of 1994, while the left is mostly hoping a loss of seats won't damage Obama's presidency as badly as the GOP's triumph did Bill Clinton's. So what should grassroots activists and candidates do? Consultants have made campaigns seem like rocket science, but they aren't. The basic formula is "50 percent + 1 = power," but there are a lot of ways to reach that goal. Malia Lazu, Mel King Community Fellow at MIT, has come up with ten things progressives can do to build a campaign for candidates who deserve to win.
1. Raise money. Until we reform our campaign finance laws with the Fair Elections Now Act, money matters. In a majority of the races, the winner outspends his opponent. If you don't have access to wealth, familiarize yourself with public financing options. Go to commoncause.org to see if your state provides public financing. Learn about grassroots fundraising from groups like grassrootsfundraising.org.
2. Poll smartly. Polling allows you to quantify your position in contrast to other candidates, decide where resources need to be spent and hone your campaign message. To save expenses, find another candidate in your state who is polling, and buy a few questions on his or her survey. Don't poll to find out what to say; learn the best way to say it. For more counsel, go to pinedaconsulting.com.
3. Buy media time. We all hate that campaigns are reduced to thirty-second ads, but they do get a message out to a lot of voters when you need to reach them. Find smart consultants to show you creative and ethical ways to communicate (start with devinemulvey.com), and check out nontraditional venues, like agitprop.org, that produce not only commercials for radio and TV but also ads for the web that can allow your supporters to create and distribute media content.
4. Don't blame the voters. Politics is the only industry that blames the consumer for not buying its product. Elections are a one-day sale; it's your campaign's job to get people excited enough to vote. The best way to do this is by studying candidates who understand how to build not just campaigns but movements. Check out how Keith Ellison does it in Minnesota and how Chellie Pingree does it in Maine.
5. Find your margin of victory. With Obama in 2008, the huge number of "nontraditional voters" who were inspired by his campaign helped put him over the top. But don't just attach yourself to Obama; channel the ideals and values that excited and engaged people in 2008. Look at what Joe Sestak did in Pennsylvania.
6. Engage young people. Ask them about the issues that are important to them. Don't sideline their potential -- if they are genuinely included in your campaign, they can give you the energy needed to win. For more, see yda.org/tools/18/youth-voting-research and campusprogress.org/features/295/so-you-want-to-run-for-office) .
7. Make precinct captains sexy again. The key to victory is still the power of personal contact. Hire people from the community, train them and give them the tools they need. You can learn a lot at wellstone.org.
8. Energize the grassroots, and nourish the grass shoots. Encourage your base to self-organize using the web, SMS, Twitter and meet-ups. Go to theurbanlabs;.com to find out the most efficient way to use these tools to win.
9. Use culture. While it's great to feature a celebrity at your campaign events, local cultural leaders like barbers, disc jockeys and bloggers can also lead you to your voters. Injecting your campaign into citizens' everyday life will foster a deeper connection with voters. Take a look at how Rock the Vote and Common Cause are using DJs and rock bands (blog.rockthevote.com).
10. Make election day fun. Puerto Ricans do election day right; they celebrate it. Use your get-out-the-vote plan to create energy and excitement. Encourage your voters to go to the polls en masse, and help them by organizing vans and buses to get there. See how groups like Virginia New Majority do this by hiring taxis. Have music and poetry, and celebrate democracy!June 3, 2010 |
The 2010 midterm election cycle is in full swing, with... more
-
-
Many churches tell the congregation, “Come as you are.“
For a chapel in Ivor, VA, that’s especially true. People come without even bothering to get dressed. It’s a church at a nudist colony. Members say it’s nice to worship in a place where there is total freedom and where everyone is equal.Many churches tell the congregation, “Come as you are.“
For a chapel in... more
-
-
Are you going to be at Trail Days this year? There are so many new reasons! Ahhhhh Trail Days!Are you going to be at Trail Days this year? There are so many new reasons! Ahhhhh... more
-
-
The 10th annual Virginia Fly Fishing Festival
Held outside each spring on the banks of the South River in Waynesboro, Virginia.
April 17-18 2010
The Virginia Fly Fishing Festival will draw anglers from across the Mid-Atlantic with nonstop free lectures and tips on where, when, and how to fly fish in the Old Dominion and across the globe as well as wine-tasting and live music.The 10th annual Virginia Fly Fishing Festival
Held outside each spring on the... more
-
-
-
JMU Riot Video: Dozens Arrested in James Madison University Riot
I
T WAS
The crowd had gathered for the Spring Fest. Every year almost four thousand students and outsiders used to attend the party. But since the party was promoted online, this year about eight thousand people had gathered at JMU
James Madison University…. Block Party Turns Into RIOT!!!…. VIDEO...http://ctpatriot1970.wordpress.com/2010/04/11/james-madison-university-block-party-turns-into-riot-video/
The riot was not started by the students of the university. Police had to use tear gas to disperse the crowd. The rioters threw beer bottles at the Police and several students were injured due to broken glass. Police was called from Harrisonburg, VirginiaJMU Riot Video: Dozens Arrested in James Madison University Riot
I
T WAS
The... more
-
-
What kind of complete idiot doesn't know Confederate History Month is a bad idea? And what sort of idiot would then extend that very faulty logic to say the role of slavery in the Civil War isn't worth mentioning because it isn't "significant" enough? Meet Virginia's Goobernator, Bob McDonnell.What kind of complete idiot doesn't know Confederate History Month is a bad idea?... more
-
-
"He's not the lead singer of Coldplay but he has had sex with Gwyneth Paltrow." MC Jason Klingman introduces stand-up comedian Chris Martin at the Curmudgeons of Comedy World Tour at Wabi-Sabi in Petersburg, Virginia March 5, 2010."He's not the lead singer of Coldplay but he has had sex with Gwyneth... more
-
-
Russell Young is an up and coming artist from Virginia. Nominated the best "Underground Rap Artist" in the south at the "Underground Music Awards Show" in 2008, Russell Young is now releasing his video debut, showcasing his versatility and songwriting skills.
His music is a well balanced mix, influenced by 50 Cent's warm beats which add a southern flavor to them. Young's music has been praised by GarageBand.com, with his tracks receiving both Track Of The Day and Track Of The Week awards. He has been featured on various magazines and websites, which is quite a feat considering that he began his career as a professional just 2 years ago.
Please visit for more http://www.myspace.com/russellyoungmusicRussell Young is an up and coming artist from Virginia. Nominated the best... more
-
-
Neal McDonough Refused Love Scenes with Virginia Madsen
By Katrina Robinson
April 1st, 2010
Virginia Madsen Love Scene Causes Casting Change
Virginia Madsen is gorgeous. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Even I, a heterosexual woman, wouldn’t hesitate to act in a love scene with her. After all, there are a lot less attractive women that I could find myself in bed with (if I were an actress), right?
click here for full story ..Scoundrel Neal McDonough Quits Over Sex Scenes with Virginia Madsen…See What He Missed…Madsen Nude (PHOTOS)...http://ctpatriot1970.wordpress.com/2010/04/01/scoundrel-neal-mcdonough-quits-over-sex-scenes-with-virginia-madsen-see-what-he-missed-madsen-nude-photos/
Neal McDonough of Desperate Housewives fame apparently doesn’t see it that way. He and Madsen were both slotted to appear in ABC’s upcoming series Scoundrels, a remake of the New Zealand show Outrageous Fortune.Neal McDonough Refused Love Scenes with Virginia Madsen
By Katrina Robinson... more
-
-
Unless Virginia Governor Tim Kaine steps in, the state will execute John Allen Muhammad the "Beltway sniper" tonight at 9pm. Yesterday the Supreme Court declined to hear Muhammad's appeal (clipped by LadybugLady). UPDATE: Gov. Kaine has denied Muhammad's clemency appeal.
Muhammad, along with his teenage accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo, was responsible for a 2002 killing spree in the DC area that left 10 people dead. The shootings targeted everyday people in everyday locations like gas stations. They were all the more frightening because they were unpredictable and without motive. It had just been a year since the September 11th attacks and for the period while the shootings were taking place, it was a a new wave of terror for Washington-area residents.
Muhammad has maintained his innocence. His accomplice, Malvo, is serving life in prison without parole. (Ironically, a case that the Supreme Court did hear yesterday was on whether life without parole was cruel and unusual punishment for teenagers.)
We've been looking at the death penalty a lot in the last few weeks, mostly because of the case of Cameron Todd Willingham in Texas - where the state may have executed an innocent man. With a case like that, opposition to the death penalty seems practical: let's prevent mistakes from occurring. The Muhammad case is a bit different. It falls along the line of retribution - why Obama says he's supports the death penalty, despite doubts about its efficacy: "the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage."
What do you think? Is the community justified in this instance? In any instance?
Recently on the Current News Blog:
- How safe are Pakistani nukes?
- Real Recovery college stories
- Fall of the Berlin Wall
- Chavez: Prepare for war
- Al Qaeda has a magazine!Unless Virginia Governor Tim Kaine steps in, the state will execute John Allen... more
-
-
-
-
suzane
-
added this
-
2 years ago
- |
-
This song is written, produced, and performed by 6 Killer of 6 Killer Productions / Sope Productions / Indie Heat Video. Representing P-City aka P-Town, This Portsmouth Virginia native, is back to shed light on the untapped talent thats rooted in his home town. This is Filmed and Directed by Sope of Sope Productions/ Indie Heat Video MagazineThis song is written, produced, and performed by 6 Killer of 6 Killer Productions /... more
-
-
Virginia will file suit against the federal government if the Democrats' health care reform bill is approved, said a spokesman for Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) this afternoon.
Cuccinelli (right) has suggested previously he would likely file suit, but spokesman Brian Gottstein said that Virginia's lawsuit over government health care is now certain. Although Gottstein gave no details of the legal basis for this kind of lawsuit, he indicated that the process is "still being worked out."
In a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Cuccinelli warns Democrats of using the "deem and pass" approach, which would not permit a freestanding vote on the Senate-passed health care reform bill.
“Based upon media interviews and statements which I have seen, you are considering this approach because it might somehow shield members of Congress from taking a recorded vote on an overwhelmingly unpopular Senate bill," Cucinelli wrote in the letter.
Cuccinelli has already been the source of political controversy this year for removing sexual orientation from the state's non-discrimination policies.
But Virginia isn't the only Republican state that is considering lawsuits to combat Democrats strategies that “raise grave constitutional questions," as Cuccinelli put it.
Prominent Republican lawyers have said legal arguments are already being drafted to throw Washington into a legal battle if health care reform passes Congress. And the "deem and pass" rule is front and center of the debate.
“There is a lot of discussion among various lawyers and we’ve had some conference calls,” said Cleta Mitchell, a Washington attorney long active in GOP circles. “People are just distraught that the Democrats are even contemplating doing something like this. It’s utter lawlessness to deem a bill passed without voting for it. It’s horrific.”
Legally, the rule is somewhat of a gray area in politics. But Tim Jost, a law professor at Washington & Lee University, believes the health care bill would be perfectly legitimate even if Democrats are forced to use "deem and pass."
“The Constitution says that each house can write its own rules. Those rules are up to Congress to adopt and they’re not going to be second-guessed by the courts,” said Tim Jost, a law professor at Washington & Lee University. “As long as there is a vote on the language of the Senate bill, however they go about doing this, then the Senate bill is adopted by the house and they’ve met the requirements of the Constitution.”Virginia will file suit against the federal government if the Democrats' health... more
-
-
The Department of Motor Vehicles has sure changed since when I lived the US. For example, I once had a cast on my foot and was told to wait to renew my driver's license until after the cast had been removed. When I see what these two guys managed to do, I admit I feel somewhat put out because after all, DMV wasn't photographing my foot!The Department of Motor Vehicles has sure changed since when I lived the US. For... more
-
-
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli says Virginia's public colleges and universities cannot prohibit discrimination against gays because the General Assembly has not authorized them to do so.
In his first weeks as the state's top lawyer, Cuccinelli has not tried to hide his conservative political philosophy.
He filed petitions seeking to block a decision by the Environmental Protection Agency that global warming poses a threat to people.
He also said he would be eager to defend a proposed state law that says Virginians are not required to buy health insurance, against any national health-care law that mandated such coverage.
As a Dem in the VA I have to say I can't wait for Nat'l Media to shed more light on what happens when Republicans try to make a statement when they come back to office.
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/state_regional/state_regional_govtpolitics/article/CUCC06_20100305-222004/328673/#commentsAttorney General Ken Cuccinelli says Virginia's public colleges and universities... more
-
