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On ‘Make Medicine Affordable’ Tour, Richmond Area Community Leaders Urge Gov. Youngkin to Sign Bill for Lower Medicine Costs

By
Blue Virginia
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5

From Virginians for Affordable Medicine:

On ‘Make Medicine Affordable’ Tour, Richmond Area Community Leaders Urge Gov. Youngkin to Sign Bill for Lower Medicine Costs

Community Members & Legislators Urge Governor to Sign Bipartisan Bill to Create Prescription Drug Affordability Board  

Savannah Morris, a Richmond area resident living with Crohn’s Disease, calls on Governor Youngkin to sign the Prescription Drug Affordability Board legislation.

RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond area community groups, patients and legislators came together Wednesday as part of the ‘Make Medicine Affordable’ tour to call on Governor Glenn Youngkin to lower prescription drug costs by signing a key bill on his desk to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board.

The third stop of the ‘Make Medicine Affordable Tour’ took place 3 at Diversity Thrift in Richmond. The tour kicked off on March 20th in Roanoke and continued on March 21st in Charlottesville. On Wednesday, Richmond area community advocates joined Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg (D-Henrico), Del. Destiny LeVere Bolling (D-Henrico) and Freedom Virginia to share their stories of the impact that the soaring costs of medicine have had on their lives and health.

In March, a bipartisan group of legislators passed legislation to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board, an independent body of health and medical experts, using proven, data-based strategies to lower prescription drug prices. Senator Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville) carried the bill in the Senate (SB274) alongside co-patron Sen. Bill Stanley (R-Franklin), while the House bill (HB570) was carried by Del. Karrie Delaney (D-Fairfax).

“As a Virginian living with a chronic illness, I strongly support the Prescription Drug Affordability Board,” said Savannah Morris, a Richmond area resident living with Crohn’s Disease. “I am using my voice to call on Governor Youngkin to sign this legislation and lower the cost of medicine for people like me.”

Following November’s elections, Governor Youngkin called for “working across party lines” on legislation “reining in the cost of living” for Virginians. The bipartisan prescription drug affordability legislation to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) would lower the cost of living by setting reasonable cost limits on how much Virginia consumers will pay for certain burdensome medications.

“It is time to pass a Prescription Drug Affordability Board to help all Virginians, including those struggling with substance use disorders,” said Victor McKenzie Jr. of Substance Abuse & Addiction Recovery Alliance of Virginia (SAARA). “We must make medicine that treats addiction affordable and accessible to everyone, in every region of the Commonwealth.”

Prescription drug costs are taking up a greater share of the average family’s health care costs, rising to be responsible for nearly 25% of health insurance costs since 2018.

“This past session I was proud to join a bipartisan group of Senators and Delegates working on legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs through a multipronged approach,” said Senator VanValkenburg. “Together we were able to pass the Prescription Drug Affordability Board, and now it’s on Governor Youngkin to sign the bill and bring down the cost of medicine for all Virginians.”

Sen. VanValkenburg and Del. LeVere Bolling carried legislation that was part of a package of bills to lower the cost of prescription drugs. SB 122 and HB 1348 would have directed the Department of Government Services to create a plan for how the Commonwealth could save money when purchasing medicine; these bills were continued to the 2025 session.

“The healthcare system is so stacked against families that people are rationing medicine or simply skipping doses, all while multinational pharmaceutical manufacturers announce record profits year after year,” said Delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling. “This important proposal levels the playing field and benefits all Virginians, in both urban and rural communities.”

“I hope that Governor Youngkin will hear the voices of Virginians who overwhelmingly support this legislation, regardless of their partisan preferences,” Chief Co-Patron of SB274 Senator Bill Stanley (R-Franklin) wrote this week in the Cardinal News. “And it is my sincere hope that he will sign this legislation, which will send a clear message to Virginians struggling with high prescription drug costs that help is on the way.”

PDABs have been established in both Republican and Democratic administrations across eight states, including most recently in Minnesota and Colorado.

“No one should have to choose between basic necessities like rent and groceries and filling their medicine as prescribed, especially while big pharmaceutical companies rake in millions.” said Rhena Hicks, Executive Director of Freedom Virginia. “It’s time for Governor Youngkin to sign the Prescription Drug Affordability Board and lower the cost of medicine for all Virginians.”

Virginians in poll after poll name making prescription drugs more affordable as one of their top priorities for the General Assembly. A recent poll from AARP found three-quarters of Virginia voters want their legislators to pass a PDAB, including 85% of Democrats, 71% of Republicans and 70% of Independents. A 2022 Mason-Dixon poll showed similar support for the proposal in the six regions of the Commonwealth.

Governor Youngkin has until April 8th to sign SB274 and HB570.

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Established in 2020, Virginians for Affordable Medicine is an advocacy organization made up of frontline doctors and local Virginia non-profits which engage in direct advocacy and communications in support of a stronger, more affordable healthcare system in America. To learn more: http://virginiaforaffordablemedicine.org. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Video: UVA Center for Politics Director Larry Sabato Says After Florida 6-Week Abortion Ban Ruling, This Issue Is Trump’s and GOP’s “Achille’s Heel”; Could Make Florida Winnable for Dems (Who Should Talk About This for the Next 217 Days)

By
lowkell
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2

Good stuff from UVA Professor/Center for Politics Director Larry Sabato on Florida’s Supreme Court ruling “putting abortion at the forefront of 2024.”

First, is Florida winnable for Democrats?

“Well it’s April, sure I’ll go along with that, anything’s possible in Aprill; we’ll believe it when there’s cash on the barrelhead for a major TV program. But it at least opens the door to it…Because this really is a terrible development for Trump and the Republicans generally, not just in Florida but in all those other states you just mentioned, including maybe Arizona and Nevada, two other swing states. And beyond that, anything that happens in a mega state like Florida, any horror story that may be coming forth because of this six-week ban beginning in May, that’s going to be a national story so it’s going to affect voters everywhere.”

 

Is Joe Biden “going all out in telling this story?”

“Oh absolutely. And it has to be done day after day after day. I think you said there were 217 days left, so I’d suggest that it be done for 217 days. This is the Achille’s heel, not just for Trump but also for the Republican Party, and Trump knows he’s corrnered. He has known this all along; he’s worried about the abortion issue, because there is no way for him to evade responsibility for what has happened. He’s the one who put those three critical Supreme Court Justices on the Supreme Court; they’re the ones who have made the difference, they’re the ones who have caused all of this pain and angst throughout the country, and there’s going to be a lot more of it because of this 6-week abortion ban in Florida. Even many people in the anti-abortion movement say 6 weeks is ridiculous. So congratulations, be careful what you wish for, you got it, you’re gonna have to live with it, and if Democrats are smart – and on this issue they are – they’re going to make sure that Trump owns it morning noon and night, and maybe in the middle of the night when he’s on Truth Social.”

Team Biden-Harris Reaches Millions of Voters Across the Battlegrounds During March Month of Action

By
Blue Virginia
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3

From President Joe Biden’s and VP Kamala Harris’ 2024 reelection campaign:

Team Biden-Harris Reaches Millions of Voters Across the Battlegrounds During March Month of Action

Over 100,000 supporters and volunteers sent millions of texts and calls to reach voters as President Biden and Vice President Harris barnstormed the battlegrounds throughout March

On the heels of a decisive Super Tuesday and President Biden’s powerful State of the Union address, the Biden-Harris campaign launched a March “I’m on Board” Month of Action, designed to engage and mobilize voters and volunteers in the fight for the soul of the nation. Throughout the month, the campaign has been scaling up its battleground states operations for the general election, traveling the country, and communicating early and often with the voters who will decide this election. The effort has been powered by a historic, grassroots-powered fundraising operation to strengthen the Biden-Harris coalition and begin the critical work to break through a fragmented media environment to define the stakes of this election as campaign season gears up – all the while Donald Trump remained cooped up in Mar-a-Lago, weighed down by crises and legal fees.

Throughout March, the Biden-Harris campaign  reached millions of voters, opened more than one hundred coordinated offices, hired hundreds of coordinated staff, and trained thousands of volunteers across the battlegrounds, building on strong relationships in communities of color and rural and suburban areas. By the numbers:

  • The Biden-Harris campaign opened more than 100 coordinated offices and scaled up battleground staff.
  • Volunteers sent more than 2 million text messages and made more than 385,000 calls to recruit and engage volunteers.
  • More than 20,000 volunteers reached out to voters to invite them to join the effort and nearly 120,000 supporters tuned into organizing calls.
  • President Biden held events in every battleground state in 19 days.
  • Team Biden-Harris launched a $30 million, six-week paid media campaign, including ad buys targeting Latino, Black, and AAPI voters, after kicking off Students for Biden, Latinos con Biden, and Women for Biden.
  • And the campaign held the most successful political fundraiser in history, raising $26 million in one night – $6 million more than Donald Trump raised in all of February.

Meanwhile, the Trump campaign still has no public presence in the critical battleground states that will decide the election – and the RNC is closing offices across the country and cutting staff. Last week alone, Republicans sold their Arizona headquarters, the RNC’s former minority outreach center in Wisconsin was taken over by an ice cream shop, and they revealed they have zero presence in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and North Carolina.

“Our campaign is making early investments to connect directly with voters on the issues that will define this election and to build the infrastructure we need to win,” said Biden-Harris campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez. “Capitalizing on the incredible energy coming off of President Biden’s State of the Union address, our campaign made smart, strategic investments throughout the month of March, to lay the groundwork to expand our electorate and earn the support of the coalition that sent President Biden to the White House in 2020. The difference between our ground game and Donald Trump’s nonexistent presence in the battleground states couldn’t be more clear – and the failing Trump campaign and the RNC can’t get this time back.”

Here are a few more highlights from across the battlegrounds:

In Wisconsin:

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Biden campaign announces Milwaukee headquarters for Wisconsin election push

[Molly Beck, 3/12/24]

President Joe Biden will base its Wisconsin campaign operation out of Milwaukee ahead of the 2024 election, the first time a Democratic presidential nominee has made the state’s largest city a state campaign headquarters in at least two decades.

Biden campaign officials said Tuesday the move to center efforts in Milwaukee reflects the campaign’s focus on Black and Latino voters and suburban women in the Milwaukee area. The headquarters, the exact location of which was not immediately disclosed, will be one of 44 offices across the state operated by the Biden campaign and state and national Democrats, according to the Biden campaign.

In Pennsylvania:

Pennsylvania Capital-Star: Democrats open coordinated campaign offices across Pennsylvania

[John Cole and Kim Lyons, 3/26/24]

The Pennsylvania Democratic Party coordinated campaign is opening 14 offices across the commonwealth this week, culminating with the opening of the Philadelphia office on March 30.

Democrats will also have offices in traditionally red counties, including York, where former president Donald Trump bested Biden in 2020 61% to 37%, and Lancaster, where Trump won 57% to 41%. Swing county Erie, along with Northampton, Scranton and Monroe are also on the list of Democratic coordinated offices opening this week.

In Arizona:

AZ Republic: President Biden visits a longtime Phoenix Mexican restaurant. Why it was the perfect venue
[Bahar Anooshahr, 3/19/24]

President Joe Biden visited longtime Phoenix Mexican restaurant El Portal on Tuesday, Mar. 19. He was in Arizona for an early evening campaign event and to kick off a new campaign initiative called Latinos con Biden-Harris, which aims to “engage and mobilize Latino voters, communities, and leaders across the country,” his reelection campaign said.

In Nevada:

Nevada Independent: During Nevada swing, Biden lays out housing agenda, draws contrast with Trump

[Gabby Birenbaum, Carly Sauvageau, Eric Neugeboren, 3/19/24]

President Joe Biden made two stops in Nevada on Tuesday to meet with supporters and give a campaign address on high housing prices, signifying the importance of both the Silver State and cost-of-living issues in the upcoming election.

Biden first stopped in Reno to rally his supporters as the campaign turns its focus from the sleepy primary to what will be a grueling general election. Then, he went to Las Vegas to talk about housing — an issue he hopes resonates particularly in Nevada, a critical swing state that has the worst affordable housing shortage in the country by several metrics.

“As more folks move to Nevada for good-paying jobs, we need housing that’s affordable,” Biden said.

In Michigan:

WJRT (ABC – Flint, MI): President Biden speaks with local families during his trip to Saginaw

[Alyssa Erwin, 3/14/24]

With the campaign season heating up, President Biden has made it a priority to have intimate conversations with families and small groups to discuss policy matters most impact their lives a set part of his travels around the country. […]

The Coleman’s are active in the Saginaw community. Coleman III says that it was exhilarating to even think that they were going to talk to the President of the United States. He explained to Biden how golf and especially Pleasant View Golf Course was “the great melting pot” of our society.

In North Carolina:

Axios North Carolina: Biden campaign ramps up NC staff amid multimillion-dollar ad buy

[Zachery Eanes, 3/14/24]

President Biden’s re-election team in North Carolina is growing, as the president gets ready to visit the state for the second time this year and launch a multimillion-dollar ad push here.

Why it matters: North Carolina is once again seen as a key swing state for both Biden and former President Trump in this November’s election, and the two parties will compete heavily and at a high price for its votes.

In New Hampshire:

Concord Monitor: On the trail: NH Dems beef up 2024 efforts

[Paul Steinhauser, 3/22/24]

The state party says it will open satellite campaign offices this weekend in Laconia and Exeter, following next week with openings in Concord and Lebanon. The state party, which is already operating a field office in Manchester, advertises that more offices will be added in the coming weeks and months.

In Georgia:

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: In Atlanta stump speech, Biden promises to restore Roe, preserve democracy

[Michelle Baruchman, 3/9/24]

President Joe Biden told a crowd of supporters in Atlanta Saturday he is “fighting like hell” for women’s access to reproductive care and to preserve democracy, during his first campaign stop in Georgia this year. “It’s not hyperbole to suggest our freedoms are literally on the ballot this November,” he said to a roar of applause. […]

Biden made Georgia the second stop on a multi-state campaign swing to kick off his general election campaign against former President Donald Trump. With Georgia crucial to another victory, he noted that Trump was also in the state today, but campaigning in north Georgia with U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

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Paid for by Biden for President

Wednesday News: “The agonizing story told by two Israeli airstrikes”; “Judge” Cannon Needs to Go; Sen. Tim Kaine Launches 2024 Reelection Campaign; Rep. Bob Good (R-VA05) “backs Capitol rioter’s bid for Congress” – and Is Being Challenged By One (John McGuire)

By
lowkell
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16

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, April 3.

Rename Dulles Airport After Trump? “Another in a long line of instances where extreme House Republicans have shown how unserious & delusional they are”

By
lowkell
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6

“This is just another in a long list of instances where extreme House Republicans have shown how unserious & delusional they are.” – Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA10)

“Donald Trump is facing 91 felony charges. If Republicans want to name something after him, I’d suggest they find a federal prison.” – Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11)

“This idea is ridiculous, but sadly real” – Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07)

“One of Trump’s first acts as president was a racist Muslim ban…I went to Dulles to try to help innocent people caught up in the chaos.” – Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA08)

“Congress already renamed Washington National Airport without local input or consent & now a Congressman wants to rename Dulles airport after Trump” – VA Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell

Video: In Wake of Inspector General Report, Sen. Tim Kaine Says It’s “clear that Virginians have been getting very poor service from the Postal Service, particularly in the aftermath of this ‘process reform improvement'”

By
lowkell
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3

See below for video of Sen. Tim Kaine speaking this morning about the U.S. Postal Service Inspector General’s  on the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center in Sandston. As Sen. Kaine’s office explains, “the report was released [Monday] following an audit of the facility. Kaine has been pushing USPS to address mail delivery and distribution issues in the greater Richmond region.” This morning, Sen. Kaine said that he’s now had a chance to review a lot of the report, and that:

“It’s clear that Virginians have been getting very poor service from the Postal Service, particularly in the aftermath of this ‘process reform improvement’ and the creation of this Richmond distribution center. This center was touted as kind of the new wave of the Postal Service, it was going to be more efficient, and also lead to better customer service, but in fact the opposite has been true. And Virginia has been ranked among the poorest in terms of delivery times, lost mail, etc. in the last few months…beginning in the fall of last year, the customer service complaints, particularly in and around Richmond, really skyrocketed, and really was troubling…The thing that was really the last straw for me was a bunch of veterans  who had been getting treatment at the V.A. who had given colon cancer screening samples, the samples were mailed to the lab, and because of delays, the samples by the time they got to the lab were not good, people had to resubmit samples. This is no way to treat veterans who are waiting on potentially very tough news about their medical conditions…”

On a related note, how on earth is Louis DeJoy *still* U.S. Postmaster General? Ugh.

DNC – “Let’s be clear: Florida’s extreme abortion ban wouldn’t be possible without Trump paving the way for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade”

By
Blue Virginia
-
6

From the DNC:

DNC Statement on Florida Supreme Court Upholding Extreme Abortion Ban 
In response to the Florida Supreme Court’s ruling, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison released the following statement: 

“Because of Donald Trump, millions of women in Florida and across the South will have their reproductive freedom ripped away by one of the most extreme abortion bans in the country. Trump has already proudly claimed credit for making Florida’s dangerous and unpopular abortion ban possible after he paved the way for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. This is the extreme, anti-freedom agenda Trump wants to force on the entire country, and his MAGA allies are already laying the groundwork for a national abortion ban. But in election after election, the American people have proven that they will not stand for Trump and MAGA Republicans’ assaults on their right to choose. The stakes couldn’t be higher this November, and voters nationwide will choose to stand with President Biden and Vice President Harris once again to safeguard our freedoms.”

Let’s be clear: Florida’s extreme abortion ban wouldn’t be possible without Trump paving the way for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade — and he’s proud to have ripped away rights from women all over the country.

Trump: “First of all, I’m the one that got rid of Roe v. Wade and everybody said that was an impossible thing to do.”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Claims Credit for All Abortion Bans”

Trump: “I’m the one that got rid of Roe v. Wade, and everybody said that was an impossible thing to do. I put on three Supreme Court justices. Very few people have had that privilege or honor.”

Trump: “Getting rid of Roe v. Wade was an incredible thing for pro-life because it gave pro-life something to negotiate with. Pro-life had absolutely nothing, being stuck in Roe v. Wade, to negotiate with. … And look, everybody that was president wanted to get rid and tried to get rid of Roe v. Wade … For fifty years, this has been going on. I was able to do it, and I was very honored to do it.”

Trump: “For 54 years they were trying to get Roe v. Wade terminated, and I did it, and I’m proud to have done it. … Nobody else was going to get that done but me, and we did it, and we did something that was a miracle.”

Trump: “After 50 years of failure, with nobody coming even close, I was able to kill Roe v. Wade, much to the ‘shock’ of everyone … Without me there would be no 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 15 weeks, or whatever is finally agreed to. Without me the pro Life movement would have just kept losing. Thank you President TRUMP!!!”

Business Insider: “Trump boasts he’s ‘proud’ about his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, the issue that has become ballot-box poison for Republicans”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Says He’s ‘Proud’ to Have ‘Terminated’ Abortion Rights”

Trump campaign radio ad: “And Trump nominated conservative judges, leading to Roe v. Wade being overturned.”

FWIW: “This week, we found more evidence that the Trump campaign has no interest in ‘moderating’ on the issue of abortion. On Monday, his team began running new Facebook video ads targeting voters in Iowa, referring to Trump as ‘THE MOST Pro-Life President in history.’”

Donald Trump supports banning abortion nationwide and has an extreme anti-abortion record. 

Trump: “There of course remains a vital role for the federal government in protecting unborn life. And it’s very important.” 

Trump on if he would sign a six-week national abortion ban: “I’m looking at all [options].”

Trump: “We’ll pick something that’s going to be very, very good for pro-life … I’m going to be in there pushing.”

Trump: “There has to be some form of punishment [for women who have abortions].”

The Hill: “The Trump administration formally backed a House bill Monday that would ban abortions after 20 weeks. … It would make it a crime to perform or attempt an abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with the possibility of a fine, up to five years in prison or both.”

Alabama: “Abortions became almost entirely illegal in Alabama on June 24. A 2019 state abortion ban took effect making it a felony to perform an abortion at any stage of pregnancy, with no exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest.”

Mississippi: “How abortion ban has impacted Mississippi one year after Roe v. Wade was overturned”

Since Trump appointed Supreme Court justices who helped to overturn Roe v. Wade, states across the country have enacted unpopular, extreme abortion bans. 

Alabama: “Abortions became almost entirely illegal in Alabama on June 24. A 2019 state abortion ban took effect making it a felony to perform an abortion at any stage of pregnancy, with no exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest.”

Arkansas: “Arkansas bans nearly all abortions after Roe v. Wade overturned”

Idaho: “More Idahoans than not think state is on the ‘wrong track,’ want less strict abortion laws”

Indiana: “Indiana governor signs bill banning nearly all abortions into law”

Georgia: “Georgia abortion ban remains in effect after state Supreme Court ruling”

Kentucky: “Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances.”

Louisiana: “Louisiana abortion ban preserved after lawmakers kill bill to call public vote”

Mississippi: “How abortion ban has impacted Mississippi one year after Roe v. Wade was overturned”

Missouri: “Missouri bans abortion with ‘trigger law’ after U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade”

North Dakota: “North Dakota court keeps strict abortion ban in place even in cases of medical emergencies”

Oklahoma: “Abortion is banned in almost all circumstances.”

South Carolina: “South Carolina’s new all-male highest court reverses course on abortion, upholding strict 6-week ban”

South Dakota: “Noem defends no exception for rape, incest in South Dakota trigger law: No reason for “another tragedy” to occur”

Tennessee: “Amid uncertainty and anger, Tennessee’s abortion ban takes effect”

Texas: “Teen pregnancies on the rise for the first time in 15 years after Texas bans abortion, study shows”

West Virginia: “West Virginia passes sweeping abortion ban with few exceptions”

Tuesday News: “The Israel-Iran Shadow War Reaches a Dangerous New Phase”; “Supporting Trump Means Supporting a Culture of Violence”; Speaker Mike Johnson and RFK, Jr. Are Both Unhinged; “Two powerful women determined the fate of Leonsis’s arena”

By
lowkell
-
17

by Lowell

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

After Demise of Potomac Yard Arena, Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson Says “there were things that occurred during this process that pushed the limits of what is appropriate”

By
lowkell
-
21

With the proposed Potomac Yard Wizards/Caps arena now dead, there’s a lot of finger pointing and analysis going on by people who wanted the arena, opposed the arena (e.g., Sen. Louise Lucas, Alexandria citizen activists), would have built the arena, etc. Not surprisingly, Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson – who was at the center of the effort to bring the arena to his city – has a lot of thoughts on how this all went down. See his monthly newsletter and below for what he has to say, including:

  • “With a new 20-year lease within the existing shopping center now taking effect with the death of this proposal, very little will likely change in much of North Potomac Yard for quite some time. While there are developable properties on the site, they will be constrained by the persistence of the shopping center and its large surface parking lot. This will also significantly delay the City’s receipt of important proffers required with development, most importantly a new school.”
  • “The City was never able to bring a formal, fully-formed proposal to the community for its consideration. To do so, required General Assembly action. Ultimately, the Senate of Virginia never held a vote on the legislation adopted by the House of Delegates, nor was the proposal included in the budget adopted by the General Assembly.”
  • “While this proposal is gone, all Virginians should be wary of economic development proposals becoming just another vehicle for partisan warfare”
  • “There were legitimate concerns raised in Alexandria and Richmond about this proposal. Those concerns enriched the discussion and the creativity of the proposal as it began to evolve. At the same time, there were things that occurred during this process that pushed the limits of what is appropriate.“
  • “If we simply gave up on considering any worthy initiative at the first sign of adversity, we would not have a Potomac Yard Metro Station, a Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, a redeveloped waterfront, new schools, new sewer infrastructure, a redeveloping Landmark Mall, etc. Big, transformational projects are difficult. They require negotiation, collaboration and concessions. Unfortunately, there was never a productive collaboration between the Governor and the General Assembly leadership to work through the concerns raised during this process.”
  • “The fact that this partisan warfare ended a potential economic development initiative before it could be considered fully, is unfortunate. The fact that this happened while the General Assembly considers another budget that places over 80% of the cost of Alexandria schools on the backs of Alexandria taxpayers, while systematically underfunding state services so that local governments must pick up the tab, is particularly galling.”
  • “With this proposal now dead and the shopping center likely to remain for the foreseeable future, we must now pursue large-scale economic growth elsewhere in the City, pursue greater austerity in the provision of City services or prepare taxpayers for a more significant burden in the future.”
Potomac Yard Proposal Concludes
In my installation speech when I was first sworn in as Mayor over 5 years ago, I talked about the intersection of policy decisions and the municipal services they support: “A development decision is also a decision about public safety, about schools, and about human services, because that is what it supports.”

If my words at the beginning of my tenure as Mayor were correct, the announcement of the end of Entertainment District proposal for Potomac Yard last week, near the end of my tenure, was perhaps the most negative financial event for our schools, public safety and human services in recent history. Regardless of your perspective on the North Potomac Yard proposal, it held the potential to dramatically reshape Alexandria’s economy, easing the burden on our residential taxpayers and enabling expanded investment in critical services to our residents, as well as yielding new land for a school, open space and committed affordable housing.

A month ago, Alexandria’s Finance staff provided the most detailed view yet of the estimated financial impact on the City’s budget. The net return to the City’s balance sheet was projected to be cash flow positive in the first year and continue to appreciate, leading to a $490 impact (either tax decrease or service increase) for the average Alexandria household after only the first phase.

But that is now in the past, as this proposal, and the economic potential it represented, will remain unrealized. With a new 20-year lease within the existing shopping center now taking effect with the death of this proposal, very little will likely change in much of North Potomac Yard for quite some time. While there are developable properties on the site, they will be constrained by the persistence of the shopping center and its large surface parking lot. This will also significantly delay the City’s receipt of important proffers required with development, most importantly a new school.

Since the December economic development announcement for North Potomac Yard, a lot has happened. There will be much to unpack about our experience over the past 3.5 months of public consideration of this proposal. The City (myself included!), the Governor, the General Assembly, Monumental Sports and Entertainment and JBG all made significant mistakes during this process. We’ll all take lessons from the experience.

The City was never able to bring a formal, fully-formed proposal to the community for its consideration. To do so, required General Assembly action. Ultimately, the Senate of Virginia never held a vote on the legislation adopted by the House of Delegates, nor was the proposal included in the budget adopted by the General Assembly.

Economic growth in Virginia has enjoyed bipartisan support, particularly during eras of divided government in Richmond. While this proposal is gone, all Virginians should be wary of economic development proposals becoming just another vehicle for partisan warfare. The high quality of life that Virginians enjoy with relatively low taxation is the product of that bipartisan work.

There were legitimate concerns raised in Alexandria and Richmond about this proposal. Those concerns enriched the discussion and the creativity of the proposal as it began to evolve. At the same time, there were things that occurred during this process that pushed the limits of what is appropriate.

If we simply gave up on considering any worthy initiative at the first sign of adversity, we would not have a Potomac Yard Metro Station, a Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, a redeveloped waterfront, new schools, new sewer infrastructure, a redeveloping Landmark Mall, etc. Big, transformational projects are difficult. They require negotiation, collaboration and concessions. Unfortunately, there was never a productive collaboration between the Governor and the General Assembly leadership to work through the concerns raised during this process.

The fact that this partisan warfare ended a potential economic development initiative before it could be considered fully, is unfortunate. The fact that this happened while the General Assembly considers another budget that places over 80% of the cost of Alexandria schools on the backs of Alexandria taxpayers, while systematically underfunding state services so that local governments must pick up the tab, is particularly galling.

But to understand why this proposal was on the table in the first place requires a step back a bit.

 

This year, the City will collect $856.4 million from a variety of tax and fee revenue sources to fund the costs of the City’s government, including our schools, public safety, human services, transportation, infrastructure investment, debt service and more.

A little over 62% of that money will be raised from the real estate tax. Twenty years ago, 51.5% of our budget was funded by the real estate tax. By digging a little deeper, the story becomes even more stark. Two decades ago, 69.6% of our real estate tax revenue came from residential sources, either residential taxpayers or the owners of residential multi-family buildings. Today nearly 81% of real estate tax revenues come from those sources, with only 19% coming from our commercial tax base.

As a contrast, while our friends in Arlington have faced some of the same factors, their commercial tax base is 23% of their total tax base, which has led to Arlington having the lowest real estate tax rate of any major jurisdiction in the region. In Fairfax County, their commercial tax base is now just a little over 16% of their overall base.

What happened? The short answer: A lot of things:

  • Obsolete office space converted to other uses, demand for office space dropped and retail space consumption plummeted, leading our office and retail sector to drop from over 24% of our tax base to 17%.
  • With high demand for multi-family rentals, our multi-family rentals went from 12% of our tax base to 20.5%
  • Our residential properties generally appreciated at a much higher rate than commercial properties over those two decades.

That leaves us in a place where today residents of Alexandria are footing a larger percentage of the cost of their government than they ever have. The trajectory that we have seen over the past two decades shows no sign of abating in the future.

The only true way to change this trajectory is through economic development. Alexandria has had some successes:

That Metro Station is a key component of a larger vision for a mixed-use North Potomac Yard. For decades, City plans have assumed that over time, the existing shopping center and its acres of surface parking, would give way to a new mixed-use neighborhood, with residential, commercial, entertainment, a school, park land and much more. The North Potomac Yard Plan, includes the area north of East Glebe Road continuing to the City border, and allows over 7.6 million square feet of development.

Much has changed since those plans were originally approved. New office development was on life support before the pandemic. In a post-pandemic world, there is essentially zero new office development occurring in the DC region. Existing office portfolios are defaulting at an alarming rate as tenants decide not to renew their leases. The economic growth of our region’s future will be experiential, the types of non-residential uses that cannot be virtualized.

With this proposal now dead and the shopping center likely to remain for the foreseeable future, we must now pursue large-scale economic growth elsewhere in the City, pursue greater austerity in the provision of City services or prepare taxpayers for a more significant burden in the future. Those are challenges that future City Councils will grapple with along with Alexandria residents.

I am appreciative of the dedicated work of our Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP) team and our City staff from so many different agencies who worked to present this concept to the public. I am also appreciative of the detailed engagement by residents of our community throughout this process.

New Report on Richmond USPS Regional Processing and Distribution Center Highlights Lack of Attention to Detail, Poor Synchronization Between Processing Machines & Delivery Trucks, Workforce Shortages, Inadequate Communication at USPS

By
Blue Virginia
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From Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07)’s office:

Spanberger, Virginia Lawmakers Issue Statement on New Report on Richmond USPS Regional Processing and Distribution Center

The New Report Highlights Lack of Attention to Detail, Poor Synchronization Between Processing Machines & Delivery Trucks, Workforce Shortages, Inadequate Communication at USPS

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger and a bipartisan group of Virginia congressional lawmakers today released a statement in response to the new audit report from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) on the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC) in Sandston, Virginia. The USPS OIG audited the RPDC, because the center is one of the first consolidated processing centers in the country that was opened to centralize outgoing mail and package processing.

“It couldn’t be clearer that USPS has not been providing reliable service to Virginians, and we’ve been pressing for answers. This report pinpoints a number of issues, including a lack of coordination between USPS and staff at the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center,” said Spanberger and her colleagues.

They continued, “Going forward, USPS must provide more resources and clearer guidance to management and staff at RPDC, among other steps. We look forward to working with USPS to ensure that happens, the recommendations in the IG report are implemented, and mail delivery is timely for Virginians.”

The report highlighted various issues on the local, regional, and national levels that have impacted service in Virginia — including an egregious lack of attention to detail, pieces of mail falling off conveyor belts and being lost, poor synchronization between machines processing mail at the facility and the schedules of trucks transporting mail to and from the facility, and broader questions about whether the RPDC model is generating the cost savings and efficiency improvements this model has promised. Workforce shortages — including reducing the number of contracted drivers to operate delivery trucks when the in-house workforce was insufficient — have further strained USPS staff and increased overtime costs. Meanwhile, internal communication among headquarters, regional, and on-site local staff has been inadequate. Additionally, the report made 10 distinct recommendations for USPS to address service delays.

In addition to Spanberger, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) and U.S. Representatives Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Rob Wittman (R-VA-01), Bob Good (R-VA-05), and Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02).

Click here for the full audit report.

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