On Iran: “If the only agreement is one in which there is no enrichment, then there will be no agreement. Neither the U.S. nor Israel should let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”

On a two-state solution: “Israel’s future, absent a two-state solution, could be very difficult at best.”

Yes, believe it or not, Virginia – which we’ve heard politicians claims SHOULD be the “energy capital of the east coast” – is not only failing miserably in that goal, it’s even falling behind politically “redder” states like North Carolina and Georgia.  Read it and weep (or better yet, get vocal!)

National solar installers like SolarCity, SunPower, SunEdison and Vivint are likely to benefit from the legislation, which would allow residential customers to lease rooftop solar installations and sell the excess power they generate.

Signaling a major compromise, the state’s largest utility, Southern Company subsidiary Georgia Power, backed the legislation passed today…

…The “Solar Power Free-Market Financing Act of 2015,” spearheaded by Rep. Mike Dudgeon (R), was a year and a half in the making, with a strong push from the conservative grassroots group Georgians for Solar Freedom.

Meanwhile, here in Virginia, it’s very VERY difficult for rooftop solar power leasing companies like SolarCity, SunPower, SunEdison and Vivint to operate, as Dominion Power and its bought-and-paid-for political puppets throw obstacles in their path, while keeping the playing field heavily tilted in the direction of dirty energy  (through taxpayer-funded corporate welfare of various types, failure to make the “polluter pay,” refusal to adopt a serious Renewable Portfolio Standard for Virginia, etc.).

As a result, Virginia has fallen wayyyy behind many other states when it comes to distributed (or even utility-scale) solar power (see 2014 Top 10 Solar States and note that you won’t find Virginia anywhere on there — #FAIL). So when is this pathetic situation going to change?  Simple: when we forbid state-regulated monopoly Dominion Power from buying our political system, and when we elect more pro-clean-energy legislators to our state legislature.

On that latter point, note that some of the strongest supporters of solar power are conservatives and even Tea Partiers. For instance, see Thanks To Conservatives, Florida Is Now One Step Closer To Making Solar Energy More Accessible, which explains how a “pro-solar conservative group in Florida cleared a major hurdle this week in its journey to make solar more accessible in the state.” Also see ‘Green Tea Coalition’: Strange bedfellows fight for solar power in Sunshine State. So where’s the Virginia version of the “Green Tea Coalition?”

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, March 28. Also, check out President Obama’s weekly address, in which he “highlighted the progress made protecting American consumers since he signed Wall Street reform into law five years ago, including an important new step taken by the independent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau earlier this week toward preventing abuses in payday lending.”

*Elon Musk: Burning Fossil Fuels Is the ‘Dumbest Experiment in History, By Far’ (It is particularly dumb, not to mention nuts, now that we have clean energy — efficiency, of course, plus wind and solar – at plummeting cost.)

*In Yemen crisis, risk of wider war between rivals

*Co-pilot in jet crash said to have had depression

*An Obamacare checkup (“The law has lived up to many of its promises.”)

*Harry Reid Goes Down Fighting (“With the bruised-and-battered Democratic leader’s resignation, the Senate loses one of its toughest and most fascinating characters.”)

*Inside Chuck Schumer’s 24-hour campaign for leader (“The New York senator got emotional over Harry Reid’s retirement. Then he got to work to take his job.”)

*The economy is a Democrat: Why recent history shows the value of a progressive president (“When Dems control the White House, the middle class wins. And under Republicans? Not so much…”)

*Ted Cruz Is Trying To Gut The Clean Air Act And Repeal All Climate Regulation (This is simply evil.)

*Va. Gov. McAuliffe amends license plate reader bill, angers legislators

*Virginia senator speaking at SC Democratic dinner (“Sen. Mark Warner will speak at the party’s annual Jefferson-Jackson fundraising dinner on April 24, a year after his Old Dominion senate counterpart Tim Kaine headlined the same event.”)

*McAuliffe reworks ethics bill, will veto Tebow, gun bills

*McAuliffe proposes tighter gift limits in ethics legislation (“The governor said his amendments include an aggregate cap of $100 annually per lobbyist or entity seeking a contract with the state, a policy he said his administration already follows.”)

*McAuliffe runs afoul of the feds (“Gov. Terry McAuliffe has never shied away from his reputation as a hustler. This week, he shrugged off the latest complaints of his aggressive style during his regular appearance on WRVA’s ‘Ask the governor’ program. ‘I pick up the phone, and I raise heck,’ McAuliffe said, likening his business strategy to his approach as Virginia’s chief executive.”)

*Balancing the tuition scales at U-Va. (“The larger payment from better-off in-staters will free up resources that the university gets from the state and elsewhere so that U-Va. can expand access to talented Virginians of more modest means. Sounds like money well spent to us.” Agreed.)

*Swecker takes helm of state Democratic Party (Good luck!)

*Toxic emissions in Va. increase 10 percent in 2013; Radford arsenal remains atop list

*A wind-chilled start to the weekend

From Gov. McAuliffe's office… 

RICHMOND – At a press conference today in Richmond, Governor Terry McAuliffe announced his actions on the 800 bills passed by the Virginia General Assembly during the 2015 legislative session.

“When I began the process of evaluating the 800 bills that were sent to my desk this year, I applied one simple standard: Does this legislation make Virginia more competitive and improve people’s lives, and if not, can I amend it to ensure that it does?

“As I have said, this session was marked by bipartisan cooperation on issues that are important to Virginia families. We passed a balanced budget that closed a revenue shortfall, protected core priorities like education, and invested in economic development, health care and school nutrition. 

“We took significant steps forward reforming our workforce development system, strengthening our transportation planning process, enhancing the resources we offer Virginia veterans, and building on our efforts to grow a 21st Century energy economy.  My focus this session was on laying a foundation for a new Virginia economy, and I am proud to say that we did just that this year.”

The Governor also announced his vetoes to 17 bills that he determined did not comply with his standard of growing and diversifying our economy and moving Virginia forward.

“The bills that I vetoed this year sought changes in law that I viewed to be counterproductive to the economic and social progress we need to better serve Virginia families. From drawing legislative lines outside of the constitutional process, to loosening Virginia gun laws and unnecessarily disrupting the ability of law enforcement and the Virginia Board of Education to do their jobs, these bills do not make Virginia stronger or more competitive. Accordingly, I have vetoed them.”

In addition to the six bills dealing with redistricting which the Governor vetoed yesterday, he vetoed the following bills today:

SB 948 – Provides that information on concealed handgun permitees in the Virginia Criminal Information Network may not be shared with law enforcement in states that do not have reciprocity agreements with Virginia for the carrying of concealed handguns

This bill could unnecessarily hamper criminal investigations in other states and put our law enforcement officers at risk.

SB 1059 – Requires the Attorney General to make a public written determination as to the need for special counsel, and places reporting requirements on the use of outside counsel

This bill limits the Attorney General’s authority to appoint outside counsel and could present challenges to attorney-client privilege.

SB 1137 – Provides that lawful concealed carry permit holders be permitted to carry a loaded shotgun or rifle in any vehicle on public streets, highways and roads

This legislation ignores long-established fire arm safety procedures and could endanger law enforcement officers in the line of duty.

HB 1318 – Requires photo identification for persons seeking absentee ballots by mail, telephone or electronic transmission.

Governor McAuliffe determined that this bill imposes barriers on eligible voters being able to obtain and cast an absentee ballot.

HB 1473 – Allows a General Registrar who lives and is registered to vote in one locality to serve as registrar in an adjoining locality

Governor McAuliffe determined that this bill makes unnecessary changes to current law, which requires that the person who runs elections in a given locality should be a voter in that locality.

HB 1608 – Prohibiting any local government from requiring contractors to have a wage floor or other employee benefit above what is otherwise required by state law.

This bill would unduly limit the ability of local governments to decide their own labor practices and could negatively impact the utilization of registered apprenticeship programs.

HB 1626 – Prohibiting public schools from joining any organization which does not permit home schooled students to participate in sports program (such as the Virginia High School League)

This bill would create a double standard, as students who are not subject to academic or attendance requirements of public schools would now compete with students on public school athletic teams. He also recognized the wide availability of athletic programs that operate outside the public school system.

HB 1752 and SB 724 – Prohibits the Board of Education from adopting the Common Core State Standards without prior approval of the General Assembly

This bill infringes on the authority of the Virginia Board of Education, particularly given that fact that Virginia has no plans to adopt the Common Core State Standards.    

HB 2009 – Requires the chief law enforcement officer to provide a certification for transfer of a machine gun within 60 days if the applicant is not prohibited by law from receiving the machine gun

This bill restricts the authority of local law enforcement to make its own decisions about machine gun transfers.

HB 2395 – Prohibits a state agency from requiring a bidder, offeror, contractors, or subcontractors to perform services at rates based on wages and benefits for the corresponding classes of laborers and mechanics

This legislation is a solution in search of a problem. This bill responds to a future circumstance that has not arisen because Virginia does not have a prevailing wage law.   

In addition to his vetoes, Governor McAuliffe announced that he would amend around 50 pieces of legislation in order to align them with his goals. Those amendments include significant substantive and technical changes to the ethics legislation that was passed in the final hours of the legislative session.

“The ethics bill that was sent to my desk represented a significant step forward, but it was not perfect. While my amendments do not make it perfect, they do further strengthen our ethics laws so that Virginians can have greater confidence that their leaders are putting them first.

“While I sought a much stronger bill, my top priority is amending this bill to include a $100 aggregate cap on gifts, so that leaders cannot receive unlimited $100 gifts from lobbyists and those seeking influence with the state. That is a reasonable step that I hope the General Assembly will accept this year, so that we can begin preparing to further advance this important cause in the next legislative session.”

The Governor’s amendments to this year’s ethics bill include:

Record Review

Conference report: Forms reviewed only for completeness. If incomplete, the filer is notified confidentially to file a completed disclosure.

Governor’s amendment: The Council will conduct semiannual, random inspections for compliance with disclosure requirements, limitations on gifts, accuracy of information and deadlines.

Appointments to Council

Conference report:  Governor’s appointees would be a retired judge and two individuals from a list suggested by VML and VACO.

Governor’s amendment: Governor’s appointees would be an Executive Branch appointee and the two proposed by local government organizations.

Travel waivers

Conference report: Exemptions to the waiver requirement include travel paid by any government, travel to facilitate attendance at the legislative session, a legislative or commission meeting or a national conference approved by House/Senate Rules committee, and travel related to a meeting that an official has been appointed to because of his/her office.

Governor’s amendment: All travel paid by a third party to the legislative session, the NCSL and similar organizations must be disclosed.

Gifts

Conference report: A $100 cap per gift to state and local officials and legislators from a lobbyist or lobbyist principal. For state and local officials, the cap also applies to entities seeking a contract with an official’s agency. Exemptions/waivers for personal friends and widely attended events in addition to the travel exemption discussed above.

Governor’s amendment: A $100 aggregate gift cap. That cap also applies to gifts to legislators from entities seeking a contract with the state. This is existing law.

Definition of widely attended event

Conference report:  Officials may accept food and beverages with a value exceeding $100 at widely attended events. Widely attended events are defined as events at which 25 or more people are expected to attend. The event must also be open to the public or to individuals with a common interest; members of a civic, public or professional organization; or individuals from a particular industry.

Governor’s amendment: Removes language in the definition that exempts events that are open to the public in order to clarify that major sports events such as the Super Bowl are not included in the definition and exempted from the gift cap. 

Yet again, the difference between having right-wing extremist Mark Obenshain (shudddderrrr) as Virginia Attorney General, and having Mark Herring as our AG, is immense. In this case, Herring is fighting against a despicable practice – predatory lending. “…on matters large and on matters small, we are going to fight for the rights of Virginia consumers. But there’s one place where we need to do more and we’re going to do more. I read a few weeks ago that Virginia is now considered the predatory lending capital of the East Coast, and I cannot accept that. It hurts our reputation as a state, and more than that, it means that here are Virginians who are being hurt, and I cannot accept that.” Full remarks on the “flip.”

P.S. “Democrats” like Dick Saslaw who support predatory lending should be ashamed of themselves.

Thank you very much Ms. Martinez, great to be with Commissioner Face, and Director

Cordray, welcome to Richmond and thank you so much for coming to Virginia and shining a spotlight on this issue.

Director Cordray is actually a former Attorney General of Ohio, so it’s great to know that we have someone at the helm of the CFPB who understands the job and role of state attorneys general in protecting consumers. A few months ago he spoke about predatory lending at the National Association of Attorneys General and his address really helped sharpen my focus on these issues.

So again, thank you Director Cordray for being here, and for being such a great partner

with my office and other attorneys general in protecting our citizens.

As attorney general, it’s my job to look out for Virginia consumers. My office and I are the voice of consumers on regulatory matters like electric rates, and we defend your rights when business try to take short cuts, or abuse customers, or exploit consumers with illegal business practices.

It’s a duty I take seriously, and we’ve been able to do some really good work over the last year.

Just a few months ago, we partnered with Director Cordray and the CFPB to end some really egregious debt collection practices by a company called Freedom Furniture and Electronics that was targeting veterans, military servicemembers, and their families.

We’re going after big Wall Street investment banks that defrauded Virginians and our state-government retirement system during the height of the mortgage and financial crisis.

And we do great work on behalf of individual constituents every single day. Maybe someone’s cable company charged them $16.82 cents when they shouldn’t have. Well we will fight to get that $16.82 back.

So on matters large and small, we are here to defend the rights of Virginia consumers.

But there’s one place where we need to do more, and we’re going to do more.

I read a few weeks ago that Virginia was considered the “predatory lending capital of the East Coast” and I cannot accept that.

It hurts our reputation as a state, and more than that, it means that people are being hurt. We should be ashamed of that.

Back when I was in the Senate I worked to crack down on predatory lending and enact some regulations on these operations, though they didn’t go nearly as far as I would have liked. While we made some important reforms with respect to payday loans, we saw abusive tactics shift over to car title loans and then to open ended loans.

We’ve learned that some of these lenders are creative, they’re determined, and too many are willing to play fast and loose with the rules, even at the expense of Virginia consumers.

So now I’m in a new role, as attorney general. And we have resources and authorities that I think have been underutilized.

I’m tired of seeing our citizens get taken advantage of and their financial lives ruined just because they found themselves in a difficult situation, and I’m not going to stand for it.

In addition to some great news that Director Cordray is going to be discussing later, I’m really excited to announce today that we’re going to be launching a multi-faceted effort from the Attorney General’s Office to fight predatory lending here in Virginia.

By May 1, I will have on my desk, a plan for reorganizing and revitalizing my entire Consumer Protection Section, with a core focus on fighting predatory lending.

This is a process that’s underway and we’re exploring a number of strategies, including:

Enforcement actions against lenders who withhold terms or operate outside of their licenses.

Education and prevention through financial literacy resources that we can make available on a revamped consumer protection website.

Strengthened and expanded partnerships with the CFPB or other states when we need additional resources or when bad actors are crossing state lines.

A reexamination our statutory authority to see if we need additional tools to help protect Virginian consumers, or whether additional legislation is needed to close loopholes that lenders have exploited.

And we may even look at ways to encourage and support financial tools, like low dollar loans, that meet the needs of Virginians without ensnaring them in an endless cycle of debt.

You all know, and I know, that too many Virginians are getting caught in financial quicksand with these products, that in some cases are designed to fail from the second they’re sold.

So the status quo is not working for Virginians, and we are now taking a closer look at the situation here in Virginia. We’re looking at what our office HAS done, and what we CAN do to protect Virginians from predatory loans.

And today is a big part of that process. I have my entire consumer protection team here with me today because we want to hear from Director Cordray, Commissioner Face, our assembled experts, and most importantly, from the public about what’s going on and how we can help protect Virginians.

As we’re working to determine the best way forward for our office, we look forward to working collaboratively with the public, our partners at the CFPB and SCC, the Poverty Law Center, Virginia Interfaith, and others to determine what we should do in terms of:

 enforcement actions,

 education and prevention,

 partnerships,

 new legislation, or

 other financial tools for borrowers.

**This is one of my top priorities this year–a revitalized consumer protection operation that helps keep financially vulnerable Virginians out of the debt trap.**

So again to Director Cordray, thank you for coming here, thank you for shining a light on this problem, and I look forward to hearing more from you today about federal efforts, and I hope you know that you will always have a ready and willing partner here in Virginia.

Tuesday night, the Stafford County (Virginia) School Board, prior to voting on whether or not to abide by federal law, took public feedback on a debate over transgender students’ bathroom access. For some background,  see Think Progress, which explains:

Hartwood Elementary School, part of the Stafford County school system, started by accommodating the student’s identity. She was allowed to use the girls’ room per her gender identity and in consultation with her parents. When another parent complained, the district’s Executive Director of Human Resources, Rick L. Fitzgerald, released a message on behalf of the district referring to recent guidance from the Department of Justice that indicates that the “sex” protections under Title IX protect transgender students’ use of facilities that match the gender with which they identify. Allowing the fourth-grader to use the girls’ room was simply the district complying with the law.

…The transgender student’s father, Jonathan Adams, also testified. He admitted to having some of the same misconceptions when the child he thought was his son insisted she was a girl. “And then I watched my little girl grow up,” he said. Adams proclaimed that he was “very proud to have a special little girl,” and implored others “not to trade understanding for fear or trade misconceptions for hate.”

Later in the evening, however, the school board voted 6-0 to direct the superintendent to restrict the girl’s bathroom use.

Also interesting were the comments by the public. For the entire debate, most of which involved parents opposed to allowing the transgender student (who identifies as female) to use the girls’ bathroom, see here. The above video is of a courageous parent of two students in the Stafford County school system, delivering an impassioned plea for respect and tolerance for the transgender student. Sadly, her pleas feel on deaf ears…and a cowardly School Board.  

Also note that this courageous woman was outnumbered probably 10:1 by Tea Party/Fox/Rush-style speakers (sporting Orwellian “Save Our Schools” stickers – save them from WHAT? a fourth-grade transgender girl who’s not a threat to anyone?!?) at the event. For “highlights” of their ignorant, bigoted, hysteria-infused remarks, see the “flip.”

*”Boys should dress as boys and girls as girls, or at LEAST dress gender neutral.”

*”You’re…inviting…bullying, rape, sodomization, and god forbid anything worse…and possibly leading to death as a medical concern on the other end.”

*”…the school board is prepared to throw away the rights of the parents and the students to support the wants of just a few confused children.”

*”What I don’t understand is for a few select children that the disruption has to be made…you’re forcing it upon our children.”

*”This is dangerous. It’s not only dangerous, but it doesn’t…it shouldn’t be what our democracy is all about. We were founded based off of the fact that all people are created equal…BUT you cannot force the values of other people just in the name of saying that it’s discrimination or anything, because we instill our own values into our children. And please do not try to go in and make this a political matter. It shouldn’t be. It should be as easy as a person is made the way that they are, and that is what we raise our girls to understand, and I don’t want to enter into a conversation with them to be able to try to say why is this person this way? We have male and female. We have men and women. The last time I checked on the bathroom, those didn’t change.”

*”…Who is protecting my two children and the thousands of others that are not protected under Title IX provisions?”

*”What law are we talking about? Is this a federal law that our Congress passed? Or is this just something that Eric Holder, our Attorney General, happened to decree. I would like to know. We are a nation of laws….If it is from Eric Holder, I would like to remind you, this is the only Attorney General who has been held in contempt of Congress.”

*”First of all, our Pledge of Allegiance states that we are one nation under god, but we have ignored that word ‘under.’  Indeed, we are under god’s command.  And yes, we are guaranteed the liberty to do god’s will. But when we abuse our liberty and transgress from god’s command, we  sin – and yes I said the word ‘sin’ – and sin is not a civil right. Martin Luther King…would be rolling over in his grave at this abomination to defy god and bring sin…into the same footing as human rights.”

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, March 27. Also, check out comedian Aasif Mandvi at the 2015 RTCA Dinner ripping the corporate media’s incompetence and idiocy.

*Plane crash called deliberate act (“French prosecutor blames co-pilot in chilling scenario”)

*How can airlines prevent crashes like this in future?

*Egypt warships steam toward Yemen coast (“Saudi Arabia continued its bombardment as Egypt prepared to join the Arab-led offensive against Shiite rebels in Yemen.”)

*Pat Robertson: ‘Was the co-pilot a Muslim? Why did he want to kill all those people?’ (More right-wing bigotry and lunacy.)

*GOP’s “religious freedom” riot: How a bigoted Indiana law could roil GOP primary (Did I just say “more right-wing bigotry and lunacy?” Yes, yes I did!)

*Senate Approves Budget of G.O.P. Wishes in All-Night Session (This budget would be ruinous for America.)

*Scott Walker Adjusts Stance on Immigration at Private Dinner

*Krugman: Mornings in Blue America (“So, as I said at the beginning, the fact that we’re now seeing mornings in blue America – solid job growth both at the national level and in states that have defied the right’s tax-cutting, deregulatory orthodoxy – is a big problem for conservatives. Although they would never admit it, events have proved their most cherished beliefs wrong.”)

*Derik Jones enters Senate race for Dance’s seat

*McAuliffe says he will amend ethics bill before signing (“The bill would cap gifts from lobbyists to lawmakers at $100. But it has come under fire for a variety of perceived loopholes, including elimination of an aggregate cap on gifts.” This thing needs a TON of help!)

*McAuliffe vetoes redistricting bills, defends Atlantic Coast Pipeline project (The Atlantic Coast Pipeline is not particularly defensible, and it certainly shouldn’t be defended by a Democratic governor.)

*Press Pass: McAuliffe stands by Atlantic Coast Pipeline (Utter bull****.)

*Va. Attorney General Herring to focus on predatory lending (We badly need alternatives to these predators.)

*McAuliffe signs clean budget, bill vetoes coming

*U-Va. student involved in violent arrest makes brief court appearance

*Virginia lawmakers break from party on budget

*Prosecutors urge appeals court to uphold McDonnell conviction

*Fairfax County supervisor race heats up over ‘troll’ remark on Twitter

*Big Problems for Republicans in Fairfax County

*Firehouse primary will now include all Prince William GOP candidates (And big problems for Republicans in Prince William County too!)

*How U-Va. engineered a tuition cut for some with a price hike for others

*At U-Va., a price hike for some will fund a price cut for others (As always, David Ramadan is wrong.)

*Local lawmakers concerned with federal spending plans

*Ideas for boosting affordable housing in Arlington to be aired on Saturday

*Arlington, Alexandria Democrats line up for local, state races this spring

*A damp Friday as winter returns (“It’s almost April, but we’re still talking about wind chills and snow flakes.” Blech.)

( – promoted by lowkell)

I used to think I was working to “stop climate change”. I can’t tell you how many times I used those words while working as a volunteer and student activist back in my home state of Mississippi. The renewable energy campaigns, organizing skills workshops, and multitudes of events that we hosted all focused on building people power to stop the climate crisis. It was good work, it was fun work, it was difficult work, and in retrospect it was a bit naïve. That last statement needs to qualified; the concept of “stopping climate change” was naïve in the sense that it portrays the issue as one with a simple solution. It probably also contributed to the difficulty of the work because it didn’t convey the true urgency of climate change.  

Fast forward five years and a lot has changed. We are no longer talking about climate change as just something we will experience in the future. A myriad of reports, studies, and articles have been written and released over the past several years that discuss the impacts of climate change that we are seeing now. Hampton Roads has consistently been getting national media attention because we’re one of the places that climate change impacts (specifically sea level rise) are most visible.

This brings me to the title of the article, Adaptation and Mitigation Goes Hand In Hand. First it is helpful to define these two terms. Adaptation is to “become adjusted to new conditions” and in terms of climate change and sea level rise in Hampton Roads includes things like raising roads and houses and changing building standards to account for rising seas and resulting flooding.  Mitigation is “the action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something” and in terms of climate change basically boils down to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions which includes things like transitioning from fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas to clean, renewable energy like wind, solar, geothermal, reducing wasted energy through energy efficiency, as well as addressing emissions generated by our system of food production.

As I mentioned earlier, portraying an issue as something far off in the future downplays the urgency and doesn’t help when trying to get people involved in a social movement. But on the other end of the spectrum, specifically with regards to climate change, the urgency of the issue can also push the conversation to focus more heavily on the adaptation side of the solutions, things that people will see and feel in the immediate future (for example someone’s house being elevated to adapt to flooding). It is critical for the future of Hampton Roads for us to keep the focus on both mitigation and adaptation. No matter how much we adapt to climate change if we ignore the need to drastically reduce our carbon emissions the problem will only persist and get worse, and all the effort and money put towards adaptation efforts will eventually be all for nothing.