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Video: Arlington Streetcar Forum Makes Strong Case FOR this Important Project

By
lowkell
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3

I strongly recommend that anyone concerned about the Arlington County streetcar project watch this video. Why? Because, as a strong supporter, I believe it makes an overwhelming case FOR the streetcar (and against the arguments of the streetcar opponents). Don’t believe me? Again, watch the video for yourself. As you do, listen to the Arlington County professional staff thoroughly, methodically lay make the case for why a streetcar makes sense; why there’s no possibility of “bus rapid transit” along the Columbia Pike corridor (no dedicated lane, no chance of “rapid” – end of story); why the money for this project is NOT “fungible” with other needs in the county; why this will add tremendous value to the Columbia Pike corridor, even as it protects low-income housing stock; why this is a crucial part of Arlington’s vision for a sustainable, prosperous future; etc, etc.  As the Arlington Patch reported:

Several residents stayed afterward to thank the board members for their leadership on what’s turning out to be an increasingly difficult issue. “I came in skeptical but now I think the streetcar is a no-brainer,” one woman told Tejada after shaking his hand.

Watch the video, think about this one, and I believe you’ll agree with what that woman said to Arlington County Board Chair Walter Tejada.

P.S. The Coalition for Smarter Growth handed out a Columbia Pike Streetcar flyer that sums up the arguments FOR the streetcar very well: 1) “Economic Development” (“Streetcars outperform regular buses in spurring economic development”); 2) “Streetcars Can Carry More People;” 3) “We Need the Capacity;” 4) “Planning & Community Input Has Been Significant” (“Arlington County has completed a planning and community input process of almost 10 years.”).

P.P.S. For lots more information, please see Streetcarnow.org and Arlington County’s page on the streetcar.  

Yale/GMU Survey of Republicans Shows Strong Support for Expanding Clean Energy

By
lowkell
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0

Cross posted from Scaling Green

A brand new survey by Yale and George Mason Universities looks at the attitudes of Republicans and “Republican-leaning Independent” voters towards energy and climate change. The results are highly encouraging for those of us who support a rapid transition towards clean energy and away from carbon-based fuels. Here are a few highlights.

  • Only 22% of respondents believe that the United States should use more fossil fuel in the future, while 51% believe we should use “less” fossil fuel.
  • Support for increased renewable energy is overwhelming, with 77% of respondents saying the U.S. should use “more” renewables in the future, versus just 9% who say “less.”
  • “A majority of respondents believe that taking steps to reduce our use of fossil fuels will benefit the nation in a number of ways – for example, by helping free us from dependence on foreign oil (66%), saving resources for our children and grandchildren to use (57%), and providing a better life for our children and grandchildren (56%) – while none of the potential costs associated with taking action were seen as likely by a majority of respondents.”
  • “Respondents selected more benefits of reducing fossil fuels than costs (51% of benefits were selected vs. 33% of costs were selected, on average).”
  • “When presented with one of two conservative arguments saying America should respond to climate change, a solid majority (62%) say America absolutely should (23%) or probably should (39%) take steps to address climate change.“

Those are strong numbers for both clean energy and action on climate change, although they’re muddied somewhat by other numbers which show both support for the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, which would worsen global warming, and also an upward trend in global warming. Still, the Yale numbers are encouraging, and are consistent with numerous other surveys showing that Americans of all political persuasions prefer a clean future.

Virginia News Headlines: Saturday Morning

By
lowkell
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1

Here are a few Virginia (and national) news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, April 6. Also, check out President Obama’s weekly address, in which he tells “the American people about the budget he is sending to Congress, which makes the tough choices required to grow our economy and shrink our deficits.”

*Obama: Proposed budget not his ‘ideal plan’ but lowers deficits while spending on needs

*Liberals, GOP both critical of Obama’s budget proposal

*THE GOP IS OFFICIALLY BROKEN (“Washington’s problem isn’t partisanship or a fatally flawed system. It’s that one party is massively dysfunctional”)

*Conservative Democrats Take Joint Plunge On Gay Marriage

*NRA’s tactics eroding support for gun control (Ugh.)

*McAuliffe quietly quit electric car company in December

*McDonnell, Cuccinelli on defensive over Star Scientific (And rightfully so. This reeks.)

*Cuccinelli steps away from case involving company he invests in (Way too little, way too late!)

*McAuliffe agrees to five debates in Virginia governor’s race

*No Reform Three Years After Massey Disaster

*Booker, Warner to attend Equality Virginia gala

*Virginia school to bear Norfolk senator’s name

*Nationals trounced by Reds

“Sideshow Bob” Marshall: “Anybody here can go out in front of an abortion clinic and blow it up…”

By
lowkell
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0



More of Del. “Sideshow Bob” Marshall (R-Manassas) being…well, “Sideshow Bob.” Completely insane, in other words.

Access versus Integrity: Virginia’s Voter ID Law and the myth of In-Person Voter Fraud

By
frankoanderson
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0

( – promoted by lowkell)

by Frank Anderson

Executive Director, Fairfax County Democratic Committee

Also published in our monthly newsletter, The Democrat

By signing the new Voter ID law, SB 1256, Governor Bob McDonnell (R-VA) has given up a lot of access in exchange for the false notion of increasing “ballot integrity.”

Access and integrity are the two competing ideas in the debate over the recent wave of voter ID laws. Democrats and progressives want to expand access to the ballot for all U.S. citizens.  The access concept is pretty straightforward: it means every citizen should have the right to vote, and the ability to exercise that right should be made as simple as possible in order to expand civic participation. Republicans and conservatives are more focused on the integrity of the ballot. They believe that supposed voter fraud threatens that integrity, diluting the power of “one man, one vote.”

Most Voter ID advocates have never had any difficulty obtaining an ID. They don’t understand that for some Virginians, this will deter them from going to the polls. It is inevitable that thousands of Virginians will believe, either correctly or incorrectly, that they are unable to obtain a current ID for voting.

We received an email from an elderly, home-bound absentee voter who was concerned that the new law would bar her from voting.  Her ID had long since expired and she was unable to travel to get a new one.  I explained that the new law only covers in-person voting, not mail-in absentee voting.  (However, first-time voters voting by mail must provide a copy of their ID.)

But this is one of the faults of the new law.  It only addresses the supposed problem of voter impersonation at the polls, which almost never happens.  Out of the extremely rare cases of voter fraud, very, very few cases of actual voter impersonation are reported – so few that, according to a recent study, they account for less than one out of 15 million voters.  

Unfortunately, facts don’t matter to the Republicans who pushed for this legislation.  A survey conducted last December revealed that almost 50% of Republicans believe ACORN stole the 2012 election. Similarly, last year conservative radio host Mark Levin told his listeners that Mitt Romney would need to compensate for an expected 3% rate of voter fraud.  (That would translate to a staggering 1.8 million fraudulent votes nationwide for President Obama.)  This utterly false and unpatriotic notion is what is fueling the actions of the Virginia Republican legislators.

The sad truth is that this law will result in fewer people voting.  When Virginians hear that a voter ID law was passed, many will assume that a current DMV ID is required – which is difficult to obtain for those who have lost their Social Security card or birth certificate, and those without a stable home address.  And even though the law would not be implemented until mid-2014 and requires clearance by the Justice Department, it will have the effect of decreasing turnout this year.  Any time you put up additional obstacles to voting, you cause confusion and discourage people from participating.  And when Republicans do it for no defensible reason whatsoever – to solve a problem that frankly does not exist – they reveal their true motivations.

Fewer people voting is exactly what Republicans want.  They know that when more citizens vote, Democrats win.  That’s why they are doing everything they can to reduce voter participation and hold on to power.  Republican strategist and Reagan advisor Paul Weyrich explained this back in 1980, saying “I don’t want everybody to vote.  Elections are not won by a majority of people… our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.”

In advocating for voter ID, Republicans have either been duped into believing that voter impersonation is an actual problem, or they’re going along with it because they cynically know that this will reduce Democratic votes, or both.  No matter what you believe, the truth is that the amount of integrity gained is infinitesimally small or nonexistent compared to the number of voters this will turn off.

At the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, we will work to inform our voters of changes in the ID requirements, whatever they will be after the Justice Department reviews the law.  In the meantime, we remind voters that they still have many options for voter ID – both photo and non-photo.  Visit www.sbe.virginia.gov and click on “What ID do I need to bring?” to view the full list.

Where’s Pete Snyder’s Money Coming From?

By
lowkell
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0

A story posted back in February on JH Politics about one of the leading Republican candidates for Virginia’s next Lt. Governor should have received a lot more attention than it did. The gist of it is that a “huge chunk” of Pete Snyder’s funding has come from one source – “the Ending Spending Fund, an independent Super PAC,” which has “invested $235,000 in Snyder, and this is before he’s even the Republican standard bearer.” As JH Politics points out, “It’s a dazzling sum at this stage in the race.” It also makes “Ending Spending” by far and away Snyder’s top donor, with the runner trailing by $225,000.

To put it in perspective, JH Politics compares the ginormous amount of money “Ending Spending” has poured into Snyder’s 2013 campaign with how much they spent against Tim Kaine in 2012, and finds that it’s a great deal more for Snyder. Which raises the question, “Is Pete Snyder’s election to Lieutenant Governor, a part-time position that five other viable Republicans are running for, worth $100,000 more than a United States Senate seat?” Apparently, “Ending Spending” sees having Snyder breaking ties in our State Senate as highly valuable, the only real question is “what’s in it for them, exactly?”

Who is behind “Ending Spending?” According to Open Secrets:

Ending Spending is a conservative 501(c)4 group that focuses on federal spending and the national debt. The group originally targeted earmarks, but broadened its message to include balancing the federal budget and paying down the national debt. The group was founded by Joe Ricketts, the former CEO of TD Ameritrade and a known conservative backer. Brian Baker, the current president of Ending Spending, was an adviser to former Sens. Robert Dole and Richard Shelby. The group does not disclose its donors, and its money goes towards electioneering expenses.

Also, according to Open Secrets, in the 2011-2012 cycle, “Ending Spending” had $13,250,766 in independent expenditures ($6,452,125 for Republican candidates and $6,674,460 against Democratic candidates). It all kind of gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling, doesn’t it? No, I didn’t think so.

Just to give you a flavor for how slimy this group is, check this out:

On May 17, 2012, The New York Times published a story by Jeff Zeleny and Jim Rutenberg reporting that The Ending Spending Action fund had been presented with a 54-page proposal entitled, “The Defeat of Barack Hussein Obama: the Ricketts Plan to End His Spending for Good.” According to the Times, the proposal, written by a vendor seeking to be hired by Ending Spending, suggested a $10-million ad campaign to “attack President Obama in ways that Republicans have so far shied away” and called for “running commercials linking Mr. Obama to incendiary comments by his former spiritual adviser, the Reverend Jeremiah A. Wright.”

As if all that’s not bad enough, there’s this issue as well:

Virginia Republicans deserve to know whether Snyder was involved in discussions with Ending Spending PAC (which would be a violation of campaign finance law due to his position as Victory Chairman) [in 2012]. If he was involved in illegal conversations, did he ask Ending Spending to withhold money for his inevitable run? Inquiring minds want to know.

Hmmmm.

Speaking of 2012, on February 18 of that year, “Ending Spending” staff posted this endorsement of Snyder on their blog. Then, on December 26, 2012, Snyder got $235k from “Ending Spending.” Interestingly, it is unclear whether the contribution came from the “Ending Spending PAC” (a federal political action committee) or the “Ending Spending Fund” (a 501(c)4 Super PAC). But either way, my understanding is that under Virginia campaign finance law, “Ending Spending” should have to register in Virginia if they are involved in expressly advocating for a Virginia candidate. In fact, I’ve been told by a knowledgeable source that under a certain Virginia designation, they could even be forced to disclose their donors. According to this same source, Snyder is also supposed to confirm that the PAC is registered upon receipt of a contribution. From what I can tell, they have not done so. So could there be a potential technical violation of Virginia law, or an attempt – for whatever reason(s) – to cover up the real source of the money? It’s hard to say.

In sum, what we have here is a shady out-of-state group, funded by a single, reclusive, far-right-wing, anti-Obama billionaire, trying to single-handedly select our next lieutenant governor. Oh, and that potential lieutenant governor appears to be skirting Virginia campaign finance laws, if not outright violating them. I don’t know about you, but none of that makes me particularly comfortable.

P.S. Here’s some interesting reading on “Ending Spending”/Joe Ricketts’ (failed) foray into Harry Reid’s reelection.

Who just endorsed Scott Lingamfelter?

By
ChopraForVirginia
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2

( – promoted by lowkell)

Lingamfelter: Wrong for Virginia

You’ll never believe who just endorsed Scott Lingamfelter for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.
Who could chime in to help Scott Lingamfelter stand out in a crowd of seven Republicans? Who would help him move even farther to the right? Who does Lingamfelter want on his team to help him win?
Tom Tancredo, that’s who.
Wait. Who?

Tom Tancredo. From Colorado. A former Congressman and a former candidate for President.
Tom Tancredo, who doesn’t believe in evolution. Who voted against renewing the Voting Rights Act. Who said that President Obama is a greater threat to America than Al Qaeda. Who suggested a “civics literacy test” as a requirement to exercise the right to vote. Who said that Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was a member of the “Latino KKK.” Who said that President Obama should be sent back to Kenya.
“I am honored to have the support of former Colorado Congressman and great American patriot, Tom Tancredo!” – Scott Lingamfelter
Tom Tancredo and Scott Lingamfelter want to move Virginia backwards. On Election Day, we can turn the page and choose leaders who will move our Commonwealth forward.

Train Wreck in the Commonwealth

By
kindler
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3

It turns out that Mr. Cuccinelli does in fact have a transportation plan.  It’s called the train wreck.  Or that at least appears to be his campaign strategy.  

Even as stalwart a Cuccinelli critic as myself did not foresee what a disaster this man would be as a candidate for governor.  I figured that he might have learned a lesson from the political successes of Gov. McDonnell and at least make some moves to the center — I mean, at least throw political moderates and independents an occasional bone.  But it seems that he is way too busy throwing raw meat to the radicals in his party to make any concessions to the actual electorate.  

It is true that according to current, early polls, he remains tied with Democrat Terry McAuliffe.  But the bigger picture is that every single day, he is supplying his opponents with fresh ammunition, reinforcing his image as an unrepentant fanatic, in bed with industry, and giving his enemies more inspiration to fight him even as he daily adds to their ranks.  At a time when he needs to be expanding his appeal, he seems steadfastly determined to narrow it.

The news cycle reflects near-daily hemorrhaging, from the stories about his conflicts of interest with Big Tobacco company Star Scientific last Saturday, to his archaic defense of sodomy laws on Wednesday back to his campaign’s refusal on Thursday to say if he personally has committed any “crimes against nature” to Friday’s revelations that two of his staff also have inappropriate ties to Star Scientific and that his Star Scientific buddies sell tobacco candies, perhaps to minors.  All this not long after his new book reinforced his extremist image (even considering Social Security and Medicare to be socialist plots) and his speech to the CPAC conference and interviews with Iowa and New Hampshire radio stations raised questions as to whether he’s more focused on 2016 than 2013.  

It’s not just his failure to appeal to anyone outside of the Tea Party circle.  Few commentators have noted that Cuccinelli just lost what was likely to be his best weapon against Terry McAuliffe — the charge of practicing “crony capitalism.”  The next time Republicans make such an accusation, the McAuliffe campaign need articulate only two words: Star Scientific.

Nor can anyone blame a bad campaign manager or bad luck or the so-called “liberal media” for any of this, when it is quite clear that all of this garbage is coming directly from candidate Cuccinelli himself.  As Jim Webb likes to say, “The fish rots from the head down.”

I am certainly not suggesting that this situation should in any way make Democrats feel overconfident nor that McAuliffe’s team should take their foot off the accelerator for even a moment.  Tragically, we’ve seen enough examples over the years of Democrats blowing golden opportunities.  My point is precisely that Terry needs to seize this opportunity and take full advantage of it.  While Cuccinelli constantly reinforces his extremist image, Terry needs to spend more money and time introducing himself to the voters as the moderate, reasonable alternative.  

The train wreck vs. the efficient high-speed train that gets you where you want to go — that’s a race we can win.  So let’s get out there, capitalize on Cuccinelli’s lunacy, and give this disaster movie the happy ending that the people of the Commonwealth deserve.  

Cautionary Tale: What Happens When the Tea Party Takes Over (Alternative Fuel Standards, Watch Out)

By
KathyinBlacksburg
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0

North Carolina WAS a pretty progressive state for an increasingly purple one. It had even enshrined North Carolinians’ right to clean air and water in the state constitution. That was then. The Tea Party has shoved NC into a headlong list of “never minds” and rewrites of law sending our state back to the 19th Century. Sound familiar? The NC House of Delegates became a laughing stock, when in 2012, it forbade state scientists study of the rise of sea levels.  (You wouldn’t want to provide evidence that global warming is real, would you. Snark, for the literalists out there.) Also in 2012 it went headlong into an effort to open the state to horizontal fracking and pretend to protect the public against its ravages.

Then, yesterday, the NC House Commerce Committee passed a bill to repeal NC’s alternate fuels standards. The downward trajectory of NC continues in full bloom. If you have been asking how low can NC go, you haven’t seen the end of the absurdity the GA, or Art Pope’s puppet governor are concocting. Here is the background:


In 2007, North Carolina became the first state in the Southeast to adopt such a standard – Senate Bill 3 passed both chambers with overwhelming bipartisan support and requires state utilities to supply 12.5 percent of renewable energy by 2021. Since then, clean energy companies have generated billions in revenue and have created thousands of in-state jobs – all while reducing pollution and saving ratepayers money.

But now, North Carolina has joined the growing list of states in which organizations like the Heartland Institute and the American Legislative Council, or ALEC, and Koch-backed Grover Norquist have been lobbying against renewable energy policy, and pushing “model legislation” to undo these standards. House Bill 298, called the “Affordable and Reliable Energy Act,” was introduced by known ALEC member Representative Mike Hager, and aims to fully repeal the energy standard.

Of course, 2007 was before the Tea Party (TP) took over the House. And the TPs are fast ruining our once-great state. NC, fifth in the nation for solar power, will before long fall like a rock. Ironically, realizing a good thing when they see it, even the normally stodgy power companies opposed a previous effort to repeal the standards.  But never mind. The Tea Party is on a race to the bottom.

But here’s the thing. The bill passed out of committee with a single vote. (See how important a single race is? Have you helped Jennifer Boysko in her 86th District HoD race yet?)

Virginia’s Next AG, Mark Herring, Announces “Equality Agenda” for LGBT, and All, Virginians

By
lowkell
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2

Please click here or on the image to view the entire “Equality Agenda,” in .pdf format, from Virginia’s next Attorney General – one we can all be proud of for a change! – Mark Herring. Here are a few highlights, and note the glaring contrast with Ken Cuccinelli’s far-right-wing, ideologically extremist, homophobic and anti-women’s-rights agenda. Note also that the two Republicans (Mark Obenshain and Rob Bell) running for AG have talked about how Cuccinelli is a model for them. In short, they are “Cuccinelli clones,” as Mark Herring puts it. And that’s the LAST thing Virginia needs!  Instead, how about….

*”Mark will use the power of the Attorney General to support initiatives to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Virginians from discrimination and disparate treatment in state and local agencies and programs.”

*”As Attorney General, Mark will partner with local school divisions to implement the new law and adopt anti-bullying policies that include and protect LGBT students”

*”Mark Herring believes that civil marriage is a fundamental right, and he supports marriage equality for same-gender couples.”

*”Mark believes that it is wrong that Virginia law currently requires state and local government social services agencies to contract with, and fund with taxpayer dollars, adoption and foster care agencies that actively discriminate against LGBT Virginians seeking to adopt children.”

This is great stuff, far beyond what any other candidate for Virginia Attorney General has ever proposed, and a strong reason to enthusiastically support Mark Herring’s campaign. Thanks.

UPDATE: On a conference call a few minutes ago, Sen. Adam Ebbin said that Sen. Herring is “running without reservation…about his support for [the LGBT] community.” More broadly, Ebbin argued that Mark Herring is the best person to restore the integrity of the office of Attorney General after Ken Cuccinelli has “lowered it in a non-professional way.” Ebbin added that the public is more than ready for – in fact expects – an AG like Mark Herring who stands up for equality for all Virginians, and has done so for many years. Ebbin added that Mark Herring has shown his electability over the years by winning votes from independents, and is the most electable Democratic candidate as well as the best candidate for AG on the merits. Ebbin added, “the Republican alternatives are frightening.”

Respected Virginia LGBT activist Charley Conrad talked about his strong support for Mark Herring. Conrad talked specifically about the importance of strong anti-bullying measures being implemented, and praised Sen. Herring for supporting these measures. Conrad also said he is very pleased by Sen. Herring’s non-discrimination pledge in his own office. Conrad added that we can’t afford any more of the “craziness” we’ve seen from the AG’s office, but instead we need “true equality leadership” from Mark Herring.

UPDATE #2: Sen. Herring was asked (by the Washington Blade) about the controversy over Cuccinelli’s defense of Virginia’s “Crimes Against Nature” (anti-sodomy) law. Herring responded, “Ken Cuccinelli is wrong on this, and it shows he is captive of the hard right wing of the Republican Party and he’s using this to try to galvanize the far right in his campaign, and shows why he would be a bad governor and why he’s not been a good Attorney General.”

Sen. Herring ripped Ken Cuccinelli on his persecution of leading climate scientist Michael Mann as “wrong” and “downright unAmerican.” Herring added, “That kind of attack on science went out with Galileo..”

Sen. Herring said that Mark Obenshain and Rob Bell would take the AG office in the same direction as Ken Cuccinelli has done – they’ve both voted in lockstep against a woman’s right to choose, supported anti-LGBT legislation, etc. Sen. Ebbin added that Sen. Obenshain carried the bill to allow discrimination at Virginia universities. Herring emphasized that “Virginia deserves better” than the type of policies pushed by Ken Cuccinelli and his clones, Mark Obenshain and Rob Bell.

P.S. Yet again, this makes me proud to be supporting – and consulting for – Mark Herring for Attorney General!

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