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I’m confused — really, really confused — guns and cigarettes

By
ir003436
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0

Richmond’s Channel 6 tonight carried a story about cigarette sales in Virginia.  It seems that we sell cigarettes at a much lower price than they sell for in the NE.  As a result, there’s a lot of traffic in cigarettes:  People buy them in VA by the case and haul them to NY, NJ, etc., and sell them for a nice profit.

According to the Ch. 6 report, investigators have traced some of the profit on these cigarette sales to “terrorist organizations.”

Seems that the VA State Crime Commission has jumped on this threat to the Republic and is now proposing that anyone selling cigs in VA must have a license, thereby subjecting them to the same controls as liquor sales.

http://wtvr.com/2014/12/02/cri…

Hmmmm.

I may be mistaken but, as I recall, a few years ago firearms sold in VA were found to have been used in a large percentage of crimes in the NE.  In fact, it turned out that a small number of VA gunshops were the source of almost all these firearms.  When this fact became known, the VA General Assembly decided that a person could purchase only one handgun a month in VA.  This limitation caused a considerable drop in the percentage of VA-sourced firearms that were used in crimes in the NE.  Of course, last year the GA repealed the one-a-month law.

Let’s see:

— The Second Amendment does not protect cigarettes — right?

— Cigarettes don’t kill people, terrorists who sell cigarettes kill people.

— Gun sales in VA do not support terrorists.

I’m still confused.

Virginia AG Herring Submits Comments on EPA’s Proposed Clean Power Plan

By
lowkell
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2

Overall, this is good stuff (see below) from AG Mark Herring's office. A few points I'd make: a) this is a diametrically different – and better! – point of view on environmental/energy issues than what we were getting with Ken Cuccinelli, and what we would have gotten if (god forbid) Mark Obenshain had won the 2013 election for AG; b) AG Herring states point blank the fact that human emissions of CO2 are causing climate change and threatening Virginia; c) AG Herring also argues, reasonably, that implementation costs must be balanced against the benefits to health, the environment and the economy when considering the proposal; d) because AG Herring understands that this is a draft rule, he's pointed out some legal questions that need to be addressed in the final rule, rather than rushing to sue (as the fossil fuel folks and the Bill Howells of the world want to do); and e) having said, that, I would say the last three bullets are unnecessary, as what the EPA is doing here is not only WELL within its legal authority (e.g., under the Clean Air Act), but frankly overdue and not aggressive enough to achieve the CO2 pollution reductions that scienists like Michael Mann say are required to avert catastrophic global warming. Let's stop procrastinating and get the job done already!

~Outlines a comprehensive approach to evaluating costs and benefits, and changes that can improve the Rule for Virginia ~

 

RICHMOND (December 2, 2014)—In comments submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding its proposed Rule to reduce carbon emissions from power plants, Attorney General Mark R. Herring, in his role as Attorney General and counsel for Virginia consumers, has outlined an evaluation approach that considers economic, health, and environmental benefits alongside implementation costs.  He also recommended policy changes that will give Virginia more flexibility in implementation and more equitable treatment for carbon reduction strategies, and identified potential legal issues that EPA should address prior to issuance of a final Rule.

 

“In 2014, it is beyond good-faith debate that climate change is being caused by greenhouse gas pollution, with CO2acting as a primary pollutant. While estimated implementation costs  for the proposed  Rule to electricity ratepayers have varied widely among stakeholders, a slow or inadequate response to climate change would also produce significant costs and negative impacts on Virginia consumers,” said Attorney General Herring. “Any review of the costs of implementation must be balanced with the benefits to our health, environment, and economy. If Virginians see lower electric bills but higher medical bills or more days of lost work because of air pollution and catastrophic weather, honest accounting must acknowledge the trade-off. The same can be said of farmers struggling through drought or military installations and coastal residents who are staring down the realities of sea level rise. At this stage, this proposed Rule calls for a cooperative, rather than litigious approach. Our comments outline a responsible approach for evaluation, recommend changes that would improve Virginia's ability to implement a carbon reduction plan, and raise some legal questions that EPA should address in developing a final Rule.”

 

Herring's comments on the proposed Rule outline substantive policy changes that will benefit Virginia consumers by giving the state more flexibility to pursue its carbon reduction goals and more equitable treatment to certain carbon reduction strategies:

  • Virginia should receive more credit for recent investments that ratepayers have made in zero-carbon nuclear generation. The significant disparity between the credit given to nuclear and the credit given to solar and wind generation, both zero-carbon generation, should be addressed.
  • The final Rule should make it clear that Virginia and other states can modify their initial compliance plan, without altering their commitment to their carbon reduction goal, if adjustments are needed to maintain grid reliability or respond to changes in energy market conditions.
  • The final Rule should not limit Virginia's ability to receive credit for in-state energy efficiency savings. The proposed Rule appears to give Virginia credit for only 58% of MegaWatt hours avoided through energy efficiency programs, whereas new renewable generation would receive a 100% credit. 
  • The final Rule should promote regional cooperation and help prevent unintended consequences that might incentivize states to shut down facilities that serve customers in neighboring states.

The comments also outline several legal questions that should be addressed by the EPA to ensure the final Rule is firmly grounded in the law and within the EPA's legal authority:

  • Because the Rule establishes different emissions goals for individual states, rather than uniform national standards, the EPA should ensure the final Rule is well within the powers afforded the EPA by the Clean Air Act and the reasonable deference the federal courts would grant the agency to interpret the Act.
  • The EPA should thoroughly analyze the interaction of provisions within the Clean Air Act to ensure there is solid authority to implement regulations on existing facilities that are more stringent than regulations on new sources.
  • The EPA should closely examine its authority to regulate emissions beyond power generation facilities, as that approach is new and, thus far, untested in a court of law.

The Attorney General's comments were developed after months of evaluation and meetings with a wide variety of stakeholders including utility and other business leaders and consumer, health, and environmental advocates. 

Politico Takes Us Back to the ’50s; Refers to Respected Political Strategist as “Chuck Todd’s wife”

By
lowkell
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1

So lame and sexist by Politico, but not surprising. From what I’m told, when this rag launched, “the only woman on their masthead was the gossip columnist…not exactly a bastion of women in leadership.” As another political friend of mine put it a few minutes ago, “Chuck’s relationship w/ her is a nice detail, but nothing worth more than passing mention Unless we’re saying that people are their spouses.” I mean, what next, a headline on Politico about Chuck Todd’s “little Mrs.” or something? What are we, back in the 1950s or something?

Full disclosure: I worked with Kristian on the Webb campaign (she was Communications Director, I was Netroots Coordinator), like her and think she does good work. As for that guy…whatshisname…oh yeah, Kristian Denny’s husband Chuck Todd, I can’t say I’m a huge fan of his. But guess what, message to Politico – Kristian and Chuck are married but they’re not the same person. Difficult concept, apparently, for some folks.

P.S. It IS interesting that Kristian’s working for Webb again, along with former Webb for Senate campaign manager Jessica Vanden Berg. Putting the band back together?

SCC approves Appalachian Power’s “solar tax”

By
ivymain
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3

(The Virginia State Corporation Commission continues to be the horrible, corporate-puppet organization it’s been since…well, forever, pretty much. – promoted by lowkell)

The State Corporation Commission has granted Appalachian Power Company’s request to be allowed to impose “standby” charges on residential customers with solar systems over 10 kilowatts. The charges can range up to more than $100 per month, regardless of how much electricity the homeowner actually draws from the grid.

In its Final Order in case number PUE-2014-00026, dated November 26, the SCC ruled that APCo’s standby charge complies with § 56-594 F of the Virginia Code, which provides for standby charges for net-metered residential systems between 10 and 20 kW. (The law does not allow for net metering of residential systems over 20 kW.)

Environmental groups intervened in the case and ran a grassroots campaign that generated over 1500 comments to the SCC, opposing what has been dubbed a “tax on the sun.” The result, however, was never in much doubt. The SCC has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to accept without scrutiny utility assertions that solar customers impose costs on other customers.

Attorneys at the Southern Environmental Law Center, who argued against the standby charges on behalf of the Sierra Club and other groups, say the SCC’s reasoning is flawed. According to Cale Jaffe, Director of the SELC’s Virginia office, “Appalachian Power actually conceded during the hearing that it was ‘not in a position’ to determine whether solar customers had ‘a positive or negative impact to the distribution cost of service.’  In other words, Appalachian Power said that solar customers might be having a positive impact in helping to reduce APCo’s distribution costs, but that the power company didn’t have the data and didn’t know one way or the other.”

Jaffe added, “We saw that piece of evidence as a fatal concession, at least with respect to the distribution portion of the charge.” Yet a reading of the Final Order suggests the Commission never even considered the point.

The SCC allowed APCo, like Dominion before it, to consider only transmission and distribution costs, ignoring generation costs–and benefits–for now. Advocates urge that solar systems produce power at times of peak demand, reducing the need for utilities to buy expensive peak power, and therefore actually saving them money. The utilities dispute this, but it is worth noting that APCo’s most recent Integrated Resource Plan from March of this year projects that solar power will be cheaper than its avoided cost of energy by 2019. But of course, the point of standby charges isn’t about the cost of solar, but about preventing customers from generating their own power.

In spite of all the time and money APCo has spent to get approval for the standby charges, the utility has said that only five existing customers will be affected. The real impact will be to limit the number of homeowners who choose to install large solar systems going forward. The prospect of paying high standby fees will likely discourage APCo customers from buying systems over 10 kW, as has happened in Dominion’s territory after the SCC allowed Dominion Virginia Power to impose similar standby fees a year ago.

Although a 10 kW system is bigger than the average Virginia home needs by itself, people with electric cars can find their demand exceeds that limit. Moreover, Dominion Virginia Power has signaled that it would like to impose standby charges on all of its solar customers, regardless of system size.

The actions of Virginia utilities and the SCC put the commonwealth in the thick of a nationwide battle over customer-owned, “distributed” solar. While most studies analyzing the value of solar have concluded that distributed solar benefits the public and the grid, utilities fear it will eat into their profit margins. They see Virginia as a good place to establish a precedent friendly to the utility viewpoint, due to the commonwealth’s history of allowing its utilities to dictate energy policy. So far, this episode proves them right.

Virginia News Headlines: Tuesday Morning

By
lowkell
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8

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, December 2.

*UN climate talks begin as global temperatures break records (I feel like a broken record, but obviously we need to move off of fossil fuels rapidly.)

*Oil price decline may drive huge shift in wealth (In this case, if we had smart national and/or state-level policies in place, we’d capture this windfall and put it all into energy efficiency, solar and wind power, all of which would save people huge amounts of money in the long run.)

*How the U.S. economy got its mojo back (No thanks to Republicans, that’s for darn sure.)

*The Torch Is Being Passed to A New Generation of Right-Wing Media (“At the Washington Free Beacon, The Federalist, and the Independent Journal Review, they’re ready to pay any price, bear any burden to defeat Jon Stewart and his ilk.”)

*Rob Portman won’t run for president in 2016

*Hillary Clinton avoids Keystone at conservation group event (Silly headline. Should have been, “The science of climate change is unforgiving, no matter what the deniers may say.”)

*Jim Webb says poorest U.S. counties are in Appalachia and 90 percent white (PolitiFact gives it a “half true.”)

*Christian right’s rage problem: How white fundamentalists are roiling America (“Far-right Christians like Todd Starnes think their nation’s in danger. You won’t believe what they want to do next”)

*Bill O’Reilly: NFL Players Using ‘Hands Up’ Gesture Aren’t “Smart Enough To Know What They’re Doing” (As the top-rated comment on this article states: “Anyone who wants to argue that there’s no racism in America, I give you Bill O’Reilly.”)

*Our view: Can Dye upset Edwards? (Democrats need to hold this seat, and other incumbents, if they are to have any chance of taking back the State Senate next year.)

*A long-term approach (“We find it difficult to believe that, in the current environment, the Democratic governor and Republican lawmakers will reach agreement on such sweeping reform. But we believe in a tax system that is fairer and more streamlined, and this could be an opportunity to pursue it.”)

*Va. ethics panel recommends tougher rules for gifts to public officials (“A panel examining Virginia’s ethics laws Monday called for closing a loophole that allows public officials to accept unlimited gifts of food and travel.” How about ZERO?)

*Pension hijinks among Virginia’s lawmakers (“Voters who send lawmakers to Richmond are entitled to assume their elected representatives will serve full terms, not quit to take a different job with the lure of maximizing their retirement income.”)

*Judge denies new trial request for former Va. Gov. McDonnell, wife (“Robert McDonnell’s convictions stand, but the judge dismisses one count against the former first lady.”)

*Cuccinelli, Earley ask Texas to spare life of mentally ill killer (This falls into the “even a broken clock is correct twice a day” category.)

*Amid safety concerns, some students thinking twice about applying to U-Va. (Is UVA any more dangerous than other schools?)

*Legislators call for stricter rules after University of Virginia rape revelations

*Sullivan: U.Va. ‘too good’ to allow ‘evil to reside’

*Review: More flexibility called for in Virginia schools

*Building surge in Chesapeake expected to burden road, schools (Smart growth is the answer.)

*A wet and dreary day ahead with plenty of rain and some sleet

Video: U.Va. President Teresa Sullivan Addresses Students Regarding Sexual Assault

By
lowkell
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0

The publication of the Rolling Stone article, and the passionate reaction of our students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and community members, have caused many sleepless nights for those of us who care about UVA. The passionate reaction tells me this: the behavior depicted is not something we will accept as normal, and the actions by seven men as described in the story have betrayed us. We have a problem, and we are going to get after it.

The story has raised a number of questions in my mind, and I will make it my highest priority in the coming months to learn the answers. My team is going to spare no effort between now and the time classes reopen for the spring semester. We’re going to address these questions.

And let me say emphatically that how we answer these questions is not about protecting the university’s reputation, it’s about doing the right thing. The reputation I care most about is the reputation for following the truth wherever it may lead. We will not be doing business as usual in the spring of 2015. We will fearlessly examine ourselves and our culture…and cooperate fully with the independent investigation that’s underway….

UVA students and alumni are speaking up, loudly, and saying this will never be tolerated on our grounds. And yet at the same time it’s been tough to hear from many alumni, some of them from decades ago, who recounted their own negative experience and wondered sadly if nothing has changed. If there is a subculture that hurts any UVA students or exploits any of our fellow Wahoos, we must find out where it hides out and root it out…UVA is too good a place to allow this evil to reside. We must make this school a safe and welcoming place for everyone.

Read the rest of President Sullivan’s speech here.

Rep. Jim Moran Introduces NCAA Reform Bill

By
lowkell
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0

The NCAA is in dire need of reform, no doubt. 

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat, Ranking Member on the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee and senior member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, introduced legislation that would establish a Presidential Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Reform. This blue ribbon commission of Members of Congress and sport and education experts would objectively identify and study concerns related to the intercollegiate athletic system and offer recommendations for reform.

 

“Recent scandals involving intercollegiate athletics programs at a number of the nation’s most prestigious institutions reveal the absence of policy and practice that would ensure a level of academic integrity, athlete welfare, and financial soundness appropriate for non-profit institutions of higher education,” said Rep. Moran. “We need to give our colleges and universities the tools they need to sustain healthy intercollegiate athletic programs that benefit the schools and protect our student athletes. The challenges of reform are so complex and important to higher education that a blue ribbon commission of experts and Members of Congress should be convened to objectively study these concerns and offer recommendations for reform.”

 

The highest paid public employee in forty states is the state university’s head football or basketball coach.  The average financial loss among the Power 5 conferences was $2.3 million in 2013 and universities are pulling a larger percentage of institutional funds to cover the loss. Only twenty schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision have athletic departments with revenues exceeding expenses and these schools still graduate players at a rate twenty points below their male campus peers.

 

“As a former college athlete, I am deeply concerned about the welfare of our student athletes and the sustainability of our college sports programs. Despite piecemeal efforts at reform, we still see gaps that leave our student athletes vulnerable, whether through due process or appropriate health protections,” added Rep. Moran.

 

“We know our intercollegiate athletic system is broken. Scandal after scandal in the news continues to undermine our faith in the integrity of the intercollegiate athletic system. It’s time to put our experts together and set us on the path to tangible reforms.” 

New Report Has Energy Policy Recommendations Virginia Should Enact Right Away

By
lowkell
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0

The following policy recommendations, which are most certainly applicable to Virginia, come from this new report (“Mitigating Natural Gas Use in the Electricity Sector: Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and the Role of States in Implementing the Clean Power Plan”).

By acting decisively to implement ambitious renewable energy and energy-efficiency programs, states can help ensure that the United States does not overcommit to natural gas and that it continues on a path toward decarbonization of the economy. States do not need to wait for the EPA to finalize the Clean Power Plan to get started. The Center for American Progress offers the following recommendations to state policymakers:

States should strengthen existing-or enact new-renewable energy standards to deploy additional renewable energy generating capacity as quickly and as aggressively as possible.

States should enact the strongest possible Energy Efficiency Resource Standards to set clear energy-savings targets for electric utilities. States also should adopt and implement stringent building efficiency codes and other product and equipment efficiency standards to cut customer demand for electricity.

States should enact policies to cut methane pollution from the oil and gas sector. This will achieve important reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and maximize the climate benefit of generating electricity from natural gas rather than coal.

States should consider innovative financing approaches, such as green banks, to attract private investment in new, low-carbon clean energy projects.

Without question, switching from coal to natural gas for power generation can reduce carbon pollution from the power sector. But fuel switching does not go far enough to achieve the deep reductions necessary to avert catastrophic climate change. States should make renewable energy and energy efficiency a cornerstone of their Clean Power Plan implementation and climate mitigation strategies.

I couldn’t agree more. Of course, fossil fuel companies and the politicians who do their bidding (mostly Republicans like Bill “ALEC” Howell, but – sad to say – also some Democrats like Dick Saslaw) will continue to work at blocking any move away from polluting energy and towards clean energy in Virginia. Which means the people of Virginia need to speak up, and Gov. McAuliffe’s administration needs to be a champion on this issue. Let’s see if anyone has the cojones to stand up to Dominion et al.

Need Your Post-Thanksgiving Dose of Extremism and Insanity? Heeeere’s Rick Santorum + EW Jackson!

By
lowkell
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3

Nope, can’t get much crazier or more extreme than the gruesome twosome of E.W. Jackson and Rick “Man on Dog” Santorum. A few “highlights” (lowlights?) from this call include:

  • Big Lie #1: Rick Santorum claims that, for the “first time in the history of our country, the government encroaching in a very very forceful way into people’s religious liberty.” That is 100% false, of course. If anything, the main assault on religion and tradition in this country is mass consumerism/materialism, aka the “free market.” But of course you won’t hear that from Santorum or Jackson.
  • Big Lie #2: Santorum claims that “separation of church and state” has never been part of the U.S. political system, while government has forced “religion back into the four walls of the church.” This is just blatantly ignorant and false.
  • Big Lie #3: Santorum repeatedly claims that “religious liberty is under attack” by the government. That is blatantly false; in fact, religion in this country is arguably freer than it is anywhere in the world, possibly in human history.
  • Big Lie #4: Santorum claims that ths sentiment, “once you enter into business, you lose your freedom of religion,” is growing in America. Also utter bull****.
  • E.W. Jackson says too many pastors have bought into the concept of separation of church and state. Well, yeah, perhaps because that’s one of the fundamental underpinnings of our nation?!?
  • Santorum, along with the Family Research Council hate group, is pushing state legislators to watch his crazy/paranoid movie (on January 13, 2015) and to pass something called the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” Keep an eye out for both those things here in Virginia.
  • Santorum says he’s doing “everything consistent with running [for President] in 2016,” but “no decision yet.” Personally, I say “run Rick run” (if for no other reason than comic relief!
  • Santorum says “separation of church and state” was in the constitution of the Soviet Union but not the U.S.,” and that’s where it belongs.
  • On Ferguson, Santorum says President Obama has been the “divider in chief,” that he chose to “use it as a wedge issue.” WTF?
  • Jackson goes on a rant about some member of the “homosexual organization” Human Rights Campaign board (Terry Bean) who is “one of Obama’s biggest donors” was charged (along with “his former boyfriend – it pains me to even say such things”) with “having sex in a hotel with a 15-year-old boy who they recruited online.” Jackson says there’s a “virtual boycott in the news” about this (even though it took me a 5-second Google search to find this CNN article about it – whatever). Jackson proceeds to rip homosexuality, claiming it “promotes this kind of behavior” that Terry Bean allegedly engaged in. Finally, Jackson claims that the media won’t touch this one with a 10-foot pole, apparently because they are hell-bent on protecting President Obama. Seriously. Hahahahahahaha.

  • Jackson urges Congress to not confirm any Obama nominees, to defund anything they can defund, possibly to shut down the government, whatever it takes to stop Obama’s executive order on immigration and to bring this president “to heel”/stop him from “trampling on our freedom.”
  • Jackson blasts President Obama for “us[ing] as an advisor Al Sharpton,” says “that tells you everything you need to know” – “case closed,” there’s “something so skewed about his judgment that it’s just…or so radical in his ideology that it’s just beyond comprehension that we’ve got someone like that actually sitting in White House occupying the office of the presidency, but that’s what we’ve got.” Yep, that’s our EW Jackson! LOL
  • Jackson completely blames Michael Brown and completely absolves Darren Wilson for what happened in Ferguson. He further claims that anyone complaining that what happened in Ferguson might represent a form of discrimination/racism is a “race hustler.” “These young black boys are going to have to be taught to respect authority…that you don’t fight police officers…basic things.”

As always, don’t forget that E.W. Jackson was the Republican nominee for Lt. Governor of Virginia in 2013. Any further questions about this party?

Virginia News Headlines: Monday Morning

By
lowkell
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2

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, December 1. With regard to the photo, that could be a VERY low-turnout, super-close election, so please do what you can to help Democrat Kathleen Murphy win this thing. Thanks.

*EJ Dionne: How Obama and the Democrats can save their agenda (“Now, it will be a Republican Congress vs. a Democratic president. Voters will have a much easier time seeing who stands for what.”)

*Our view: Happy Tax Cheating Day (“When you shop online today, you’re supposed to be paying a sales tax. But you probably won’t be.” And of course Bob Goodlatte et al are blocking action to deal with this situation.)

*Boehner Faces the First Days of New Power in Congress (This should be entertaining, in a dark sorta way.)

*Pope says it is wrong to equate Islam with violence

*Congress on the brink (“Funding deadline, tax breaks come down to the wire.”)

*Rudy Giuliani Finds A Way To Blame African Americans For Police Killings

*Interstate 395 in D.C. reopens after Ferguson protest (Not sure if this is the best way to win people over to your side, frankly…)

*Tobacco commission grant above recommended amount (Massive corporate welfare to Dominion Power? Shocked, shocked I say!)

*The main job for Va. GOP’s next chair: Figure out how to win elections again (“The state party is preparing to choose between two members of a tea party-influenced coalition.”  Which illustrates the main problem right there.)

*Deans respond to Rolling Stone article

*Black Student Alliance reacts to Ferguson decision (“Group to hold vigil Monday night”)

*Slowing cigarette sales could put Virginia tobacco bond payments at risk

*Porterfield: Our resolve is our weapon to defend our land against Mountain Valley Pipeline

*Va. woman is at heart of pregnancy-bias case

*A New Miss Virginia USA is Crowned (Why does this still exist in 2014?)

*Springlike today, but a wintry mix menace for Tuesday morning

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