Note:  The following comes courtesy of  the Joint Economic Committee of the United States Congress that includes:

• Senator Jim Webb of Virginia
• Senator Mark Warner of Virginia

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES REMAIN SCARCE.
The latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that there are 5 unemployed workers for every one job opening.  Despite the high unemployment rate, the Senate failed to extend unemployment insurance benefits, causing an estimated 1.7 million unemployed workers to lose benefits before the July 4th recess is over (read more here).

Happy 234th Birthday, USA!

Note: While you and yours are celebrating the birth of this “Nation of Immigrants” … please take time to remember all those who helped build this extraordinary country …

Note: I will always remember Senator Byrd for the speech and vote against then President George W. Bush’s 2003 illegal invasion of Iraq … here is what he said on the Senate floor … before the ongoing losses of men and women of our military now officially showing 4,412 dead and over 32,000 wounded:

Note: I applaud Senator Warner’s personal involvement in pushing for improvements at Arlington National Cemetery …

Like most Virginians, I was appalled when we recently learned of widespread problems at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia: misplaced and misidentified remains, a chaotic management environment and a total lack of accountability at our nation’s most pre-eminent military burial site.

The report by the Army’s Inspector General on June 10th documented many of these problems, and I appreciate Army Secretary John McHugh’s willingness to publicly disclose, and his pledge to correct, the mess at Arlington.

What we’ve seen and read in recent weeks seriously disrespects the memories and the service of the 330,000 military men and women buried at the nearly 150-year-old cemetery in Northern Virginia.

These challenges have been on mind almost every day as I drive by Arlington National Cemetery on my way to work on Capitol Hill. In fact, my father — an 85-year-old U.S. Marine veteran of Iwo Jima — often has mentioned to me that he would be honored to be interred at Arlington alongside our nation’s other military heroes when his time comes.

This week, I asked the Army Inspector General to visit my office to provide a more detailed briefing on the management lapses and challenges at Arlington. Afterwards, I had a good conversation with Army Secretary McHugh to further explore ways that we might be helpful in fixing what’s obviously broken at Arlington.

As a guy who comes from the IT world, and as a public official who focuses on government accountability and management competence, I was especially troubled to learn that the Army has spent at least $5.5 million in recent years on three separate contracts to digitize and automate the burial registration records at Arlington. I was extremely surprised to learn this week that cemetery officials never made a serious effort to incorporate computerized records or adopt other modern IT processes in their day-to-day functions at Arlington.

In fact, they continued to rely on paper records. According to the Inspector General, most of Arlington’s burial information is handwritten on tens of thousand of 3×5 index cards.

I told Secretary McHugh that this situation is simply unacceptable: it means we are just one fire, flood or coffee spill away from losing the only records of who is buried at Arlington, and where. That is extremely disrespectful to the memories of the brave men and women who have answered the call to duty and proudly served our nation.

The Army has announced an aggressive effort to further identify and correct the challenges at Arlington. The cemetery’s top two managers have been relieved of their duties, and military officials have launched a longer-term effort to fix these problems.

But as I told the Secretary of the Army this week, there are certain steps we can and must take today to preserve and protect these fragile records.

I have reached out to our friends in Northern Virginia’s vibrant IT community to see if they might be willing to help. I was not surprised to find that leaders of the Northern Virginia Technology Council are eager to provide, at no cost, whatever short-term technical assistance is needed to begin digitizing the paper records at Arlington.

This certainly would go a long way toward restoring the credibility of the mission at Arlington National Cemetery, and I am committed to work with the Army and the NVTC to provide whatever assistance we might be able to provide to help fix this mess.

Since 1864, Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia has occupied a special place in the hearts and minds of Americans. To me, and most likely to you, it represents hallowed ground.

We owe our military men and women, our veterans and their families, a respectful and competent effort that fully honors their service and sacrifice to our nation.

Army officials have established a call center for families to try to address concerns about burial discrepancies at Arlington. The phone number is (703) 607-8199, and it operates from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., EDT, Monday through Friday.

I’ll keep you posted on our efforts, and, as always, I urge you to contact our office if we can be of assistance to you on this or any other issue.

Best regards,
Mark Warner

Bill Clinton to U.S. soccer team: “You are amazing!”.

Note: Former DNC Chair and one of the unsuccessful candidates for the Democratic nomination for Virginia Governor, Terry McAuliffe makes appearance in victorious US’s World Cup locker room … way to go US Team !!!

My first car was a 1965 Chevy Impala much like the one pictured here … mine was white

1. National Criminal Justice Commission Act.

The Senator’s National Criminal Justice Commission Act has gained momentum in past weeks with the House introduction of the legislation, led by Reps. Bill Delahunt (D-MA) and Darrell Issa (R-CA), both active Judiciary Committee members.

In addition to strong bipartisan support in the Senate with 34 cosponsors, the Senator’s bill has garnered support from across the political spectrum. As he said recently: “I want you to ask yourself the last time you saw a piece of criminal justice legislation that was supported universally by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Marijuana Policy Institute, the NAACP, the ACLU and the American Bar Association.”

The bill, which would create a blue-ribbon commission charged with comprehensively reviewing the nation’s criminal justice system and offering concrete recommendations for reform, passed out of the Judiciary Committee earlier this year.  The bill is strongly supported by Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate leadership, and we expect that it will come before the full Senate in the coming weeks. We will keep you updated with movement.

Some notable editorials of the past month:

• LA Times, “We Need National Criminal Justice Commission,” May 31, 2010
• New York Times, “They Don’t Agree Often,” May 10, 2010

2. Bringing Jobs to Virginia .

• Cobham Industries = 200 Jobs for Suffolk , VA

On May 3, Senator Webb traveled to Suffolk , VA for the official opening of the Cobham Composite Products’ new state-of-the-art, energy efficient manufacturing facility. An estimated 200 new jobs are expected to be created in the first five years. Webb was an early and consistent supporter of Cobham’s move to the Suffolk area.  In FY 2010, he secured $1.6 million for production of the U.S. Air Force’s Miniature Air-Launched Decoy fuselage at the facility.

The 73,500-sq. ft. facility will manufacture advanced aircraft engine components, aircraft and rotorcraft structural products, unmanned aerial vehicle components, as well as missile and munitions products for the U.S. aerospace and defense industry.

• EcomNets = 160 New Jobs for Danville , VA

Senator Webb and our staff worked with Fairfax-based EcomNets to connect the company with the City of Danville .  The information technology company will establish a computer manufacturing facility in Danville , creating an estimated 160 jobs. EcomNets expects to locate the facility in the Airside Industrial Park , east of Danville ’s airport. The company will produce “Verdio PCs,” energy-efficient computers constructed from recyclable materials.

• Stimulus Funding for VA Communities

Virginia has received more than $2 billion in stimulus funds, and state officials report these funds have supported nearly 8,000 education jobs so far this year. In the past month, the following projects have been funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA):

-  $2 million to expand clean energy workforce in Hampton and Christiansburg

-  $324.6 million to support public education

-  $3.7 million for Portsmouth ’s Lakeview Elementary School to improve air quality and energy efficiency

- $19 million in funding to bring affordable high-speed internet services to the cities of Emporia and Franklin

- $15 Million to Protect Water Quality in City of Norton and Buckingham County

-  $59.8 million to turn around Virginia ’s persistently lowest achieving schools through the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program

3. Restoring Fairness to Our Financial System.

Invoking Andrew Jackson’s principles of economic fairness, Senator Webb voted to pass the Senate financial reform bill, which could be an important step forward in reining in some of the worst abuses of recent years and bringing enhanced oversight and transparency to our financial system.  He specifically fought for the following provisions:

• Executive compensation. Webb introduced his Taxpayer Fairness Act as an amendment to give American taxpayers an upside in the recovery of our economic system, which became possible only because their tax dollars saved it.  If passed, it would have placed a one-time windfall tax on bonuses paid in 2010 to executives of the thirteen financial institutions that received $5 billion or more of taxpayer support under TARP or the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. He will continue to make this legislation a priority.
• Bad banks. Webb cosponsored an amendment to put reasonable limits on the size of financial institutions and an amendment to prevent banks from engaging in some of the riskiest behavior—proprietary trading for their own benefit—to the detriment of their own clients and depositors.
• Consumer protection. Webb cosponsored two amendments that would crack down on outrageous credit card rates, by allowing states to regulate interest rates within their own borders—as they could prior to 1978—and by capping the maximum allowable rate at 15%. He also voted to preserve a strong, independent consumer protection agency that will have the ability to conduct meaningful oversight, while exempting smaller banks and other businesses from potentially onerous regulations.
• Transparency. Senator Webb cosponsored an amendment that would require an audit of the Federal Reserve, in order to determine the extent of the taxpayer assistance that was provided to these private companies.

For more on Senator Webb’s fight for economic fairness, please see: http://webb.senate.gov/issuesandlegislation/economyworkforceandtrade/index.cfm

Read Senator Webb’s Washington Post Op-Ed: “We helped the bankers. Now it’s their turn,” March 21, 2010

4. Strong U.S. Engagement in Asia .

Senator Webb—who serves at chairman of the East Asia and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations—is traveling home today from a week-long visit to Thailand and Korea to underscore the importance of economic and diplomatic engagement in East Asia. His trip was timely, considering the great unrest in the region (ie. the North Korean torpedo attack on a South Korean vessel, violent protests in Thailand and provocations from the Burmese regime).  As he said before leaving:  “Recent events have underscored the need for the United States to step up its commitment to the region.”

He postponed a third stop in Burma due to new allegations that the Burmese government has been working with North Korea to develop a nuclear program. A defecting officer from the Burmese military claims direct knowledge of such plans, and reportedly has furnished documents to corroborate his claims. Assist. Sec. of State Kurt Campbell recently accused Burma of violating a UN Security Council Resolution, with respect to a suspected shipment of arms from North Korea .  Given the unresolved claims related to activities of serious concern between these two countries, Webb said yesterday in a statement: “Until there is further clarification on these matters, I believe it would be unwise and potentially counterproductive for me to visit Burma .”

Senator Webb has expressed frustration in recent months about the lack of resources that the United States has committed to the region. “If we are serious about crafting proactive, smart foreign policy, we must begin by providing our diplomats with the necessary tools and resources.”  He has also cautioned about China ’s rapidly growing influence throughout Asia .  He has said that it’s time for the United States , together with our allies and partners, to call on China to act in a responsible way that improves the stability and prosperity of the region.

Senator Webb was interviewed on MSNBC’s Chris Matthews Show last Wednesday about the growing unrest in the region: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/37365285#37365285

5. Travels Around the Commonwealth.

Senator Webb completed an extremely busy Spring work period that saw him travel to almost every corner of Virginia .

Some of the highlights of Senator Webb’s travel schedule during this period included:

• Touring the Applied Felts Martinsville facility and meeting with Virginia’s Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership
• Meeting with students, administrators and community leaders involved in the New College Institute in Martinsville
• Participating in a GI Bill event at Tidewater Community College to celebrate the school’s 2,300 GI Bill recipients, the second highest enrollment in the country
• Ribbon-cutting at the grand opening of the Cobham Composite Products facility in Suffolk , VA —estimated to bring 200 jobs to the region
• Touring Danville’s Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) with community leaders
• Meeting with administrators and employees of the Goodyear Tire Danville plant
• Speaking to the Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce
• Keynoting the Charlottesville Committee on Foreign Relations luncheon
• Guest-lecturing Prof. Larry Sabato’s class at UVA

Senator Webb delivered 3 commencement addresses in as many weeks, serving as the Commencement speaker at:

• Ferrum College , Southside VA —Saturday, May 8
• George Mason University , Fairfax , VA —Saturday, May 15
• Patrick County Education Foundation (GED commencement), Southwest VA —Friday, May 21
  

Across our country and around the world Americans will take time out on Memorial Day to honor generations of men and women who lost their lives in service to our nation. We will also remember and thank those serving in our Armed Forces today.

Note: Want to help our troops this Memorial Day? VoteVets has a way you can help …

For weeks now, we’ve watched oil gush into the Gulf of Mexico. But, did you know that over 11,000 National Guardsmen have been sent to clean it up? 11,000 men and women that signed up to protect America, not clean up an oil company’s mess. Well, we’ve got a $1.5 million ad campaign making that point, and making clear that only by clean energy reform can we get off this addiction to oil that has us drilling so much, and so close to the shoreline.

The new ad features a veteran of the Louisiana National Guard, who served in the clean up effort. In the ad, he says, “When I signed on with the National Guard, I did it to help protect America from our enemies… Not to clean up an oil company’s mess here in the Gulf of Mexico… But America needs a new mission. Because whether it’s deep-drilling oil out here, or spending a billion dollars a day on oil from our enemies overseas, our dependence on oil is threatening our national security.”

By passing a clean energy plan, we can cut our foreign oil dependence in half, invest billions in new energy technologies, and set up new rules that govern off-shore drilling. That’s a fight worth taking on.

Note: I hope every mother enjoys this special day … check out this video of our  First Lady, Michelle Obama welcoming special guests to the White House for an event honoring mothers and daughters everywhere …

FYI: Webb to Offer his Amendment to Tax Excessive Corporate Bonuses During Financial Regulation Debate

Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) plans to reintroduce his Taxpayer Fairness Act as an amendment to the financial reform bill, S. 3217.  “During this debate on financial regulation, nothing seems more fair or appropriate than to make the American taxpayers whole after they infused our financial markets with capital in 2008 and saw them to recovery,” said Webb.

Webb’s measure, which he first introduced with Senator Boxer in February and again as an amendment to the tax extenders bill in March, puts a one-time windfall tax on bonuses paid in 2010 to executives of financial institutions that received $5 billion or more of taxpayer support under the TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) or the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.  CBO conservatively estimates that this amendment will raise at least $3.5 billion, revealing the enormous bonuses handed out by the 13 institutions that received the largest bailouts.

“Our political leaders should have the fortitude to require that excessive bonuses from these companies be repaid to the American people,” said Webb. “It is a targeted, sensible approach to ensure that the taxpayers who made possible the success of the biggest financial institutions benefit from that success—not just the executives of those institutions.”

Webb’s amendment, which has the support of Senators Boxer, Durbin, Murray, Lincoln, and Sanders, will place a one-time, 50 percent excise tax on bonuses above $400,000 paid to individuals working for institutions that received at least $5 billion in taxpayer bailouts. Webb does not favor recurring taxes on windfall profits.

Said Webb: “This situation is different than most. The risks were mitigated, if not eliminated. There is no risk or inventiveness to reward. These executives got lucky, to the exact degree that our middle-class taxpayers got the shaft.”

Some of the world’s most conservative financial analysts agree that the approach in this amendment is fair and equitable.  In November 2009, Martin Wolf of the Financial Times wrote:

“Ordinary people can accept that risk takers receive huge rewards.  But such rewards for those who have been rescued by the state and bear substantial responsibility for the crisis are surely intolerable….  Public finances will be devastated for decades: taxes will be higher and public spending lower.  Meanwhile, bankers are about to reap huge rewards.  This damages the legitimacy of the market economy…. ‘Windfall’ support should be matched by windfall taxes.”

Dan Gerstein of Forbes wrote in an article about the Taxpayer Fairness Act on April 15, 2010:

“The logic behind this proposal…is about as black-and-white as these issues come. Taxpayers fronted a handful of bankrupt companies trillions of dollars with almost no strings attached…In return, we deserve a share of the profit from our investment, not just a modest interest payment. Since we assumed all the risk, 50% of the bonus payout seems more than reasonable, especially when you consider it would only apply to wealthier executives. That’s not retribution, as some bank apologists will claim; it’s repayment.”

To read the full text of the Boxer-Webb “Taxpayer Fairness Act,” visit: http://www.scribd.com/doc/26377327/Taxpayer-Fairness-Act

A summary of the legislation follows.

Description of The Taxpayer Fairness Act

• This legislation imposes a 50 percent excise tax on all bonus payments from major recipients of Federal economic assistance that exceed the President’s annual cash salary of $400,000.
• For example, out of a one million dollar bonus:

o       $400,000 of the bonus would be exempt from the special fee.

o       $600,000 of the bonus would be subject to a 50 percent fee.

o       the excise tax would thus total $300,000 on a million dollar bonus.

• The legislation affects all 2009 bonus payments from major recipients of Federal emergency economic assistance.
• “Major recipients” are defined as companies receiving $5 billion or more from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), including the two largest housing agencies (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac).
• Base salary and sales commissions are not defined as bonuses and thus not affected.
• However, stock options and grants of stock are included as bonuses.
• This proposal affects only bonuses given for 2009, and no other year. This is an extraordinary year when the success and in many cases the survival of these companies depended on Federal assistance.
• The excise tax is imposed on individual recipients of bonuses from these companies, not the company itself.
• Revenues raised would be returned to the Treasury to be used for deficit reduction.

///

Note:  Thanks to Progressive States Network for the following analysis of the recently completed legislative session of the General Assembly in Richmond … if you find this information useful you can can:

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By: ENZO PASTORE

Session Roundup: Virginia

The 2010 General Assembly adjourned March 14th, one day later than scheduled, and was dominated by a single overriding issue:  unprecedented cuts to state spending and core services once thought to be untouchable.  After grappling with the greatest decline in state revenues since World War II, the legislature enacted major budget reductions in all areas of state government, while failing to enact any real revenue increases to offset the damage to state services.  And with the latest state revenue report for February showing tax collections for that month down nearly 7 percent from February 2009, there’s every indication that things will worsen before they improve.

The two-year $83 billion HB 30 blueprint for state operations, which takes effect on July 1st, cuts billions in necessary funding for education, health care, public safety and transportation.  As the new budget imposes no new taxes and only about $100 million in new fees, it leaves city and county governments to make up for state cuts with the choice of curbing local services, boosting local taxes or a combination of both.  Although the cuts were not as severe as once expected, the budget crisis will continue as vital services and local governments feel the effects of the cuts.

Thankfully, despite vocal right-wing support, the legislature refused to make the budget problem worse and rejected HB 119 and its companion, SB 671, which would have eliminated Virginia’s corporate income tax beginning in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

Education Cuts: Included in the two year budget was a huge $253 million cut in state support for local public school districts.  This will mean larger class sizes, an extension in the life of school buses from 12 to 15 years, eliminating non-teaching staff jobs, and reductions in public library funding.  At one time during the 2010 legislative session, K-12 cuts were forecast to approach $700 million.  But even though the education cuts were not nearly as deep as initially proposed, advocates for teachers and other school staff say a $253 million decrease in public education funds will still result in the elimination of tens of thousands of jobs.

Health Care Cuts and Grandstanding Against Federal Reform: Even as some state leaders attacked federal health reform efforts, they based their state health budget on help from the federal government.  Health care for the indigent, disabled and elderly, will also take a big budget hit unless the state receives about $370 million in federal Medicaid funding. In addition to new restrictions on program eligibility, without the federal aid, hospitals, nursing homes, doctors and other health providers will see their already lean reimbursements for treating Medicaid patients reduced by another 7 percent by 2012.

By passing HB 10, Virginia became the first state to supposedly ban the new federal provision that requires individuals to purchase health insurance, although the law will no doubt be thrown out in court. The law was also accompanied by similar political grandstanding by the Attorney General’s lawsuit to block the mandate contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  The legislature did reject HB 345, which would have required the state to withdraw from the Medicaid program upon passage of federal health care reform.

In other anti-consumer health legislation, SB 642 authorizes health maintenance organizations to offer and sell to small employers group health care plans for health care services that do not include all of the state-mandated health insurance benefits.

Transparency on Tax Expenditures: In a positive move for transparency, the enactment of HB 355 will require the State Tax Commissioner to issue an annual tax expenditure report to the General Assembly and to post on its website a summary of information of taxpayers claiming corporate income tax relief.

Big Steps Back, But a Few Steps Forward on Clean Energy and Conservation: A number of bills seeking to expand offshore oil drilling  were enacted (HB 756, HB 787, SB 394), while the state Air Board will be barred from requiring power plants in non-attainment areas to reduce pollution under HB 1300/SB 128.

A group of seventeen state legislators denounced Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli for the financial costs to the state and misguided public policy in filing a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency’s finding that carbon dioxide is a threat to human health and may be regulated by the EPA.  Cuccinelli has added to his “states rights” grandstanding in declaring his intention to file a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new Clean Car Rule.

Land conservation programs faced drastic cuts, although the cap on the transfer fee for the state Land Preservation Tax Credit was lifted (HB 447 and SB 264) which s expected to raise around $2 million a year for organizations that hold conservation easements throughout Virginia.

Environmentalists were able to defeat SB 181 and HB 1395, which would have subsidized sprawl by handing out potentially unlimited bonus payments to private developers of toll roads, while the legislature did enact HB 1071 to encourage density in urban development areas.

Two progressive bills addressing clean energy legislation were signed by the Governor.  House Bill 803 and its Senate companion, S623 allows a $500 income tax credit for the creation of green jobs for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2010. The credit is provided for up to 350 new green jobs and may qualify the taxpayer for the Enterprise Zone Grant program if the job is located in an enterprise zone.

Capital Punishment: With a governor supportive of expanding capital punishment finally in office, many observers were relieved at the defeat of a number of death penalty bills.  SB 7 to make accomplices to murder eligible for the death penalty was defeated in a Senate committee that had approved the effort in past years, apparently swayed by arguments about the costs of making more crimes eligible for the death penalty.  Also defeated in committee was SB 54 to expand capital punishment to include those who killed various emergency responders while on duty, including fire marshals, firefighters, special forest wardens and emergency medical technicians.  The Legislature however did pass House Bill 934, which added auxiliary police officers and auxiliary deputy sheriffs to the capital murder statute so that the death sentence can be imposed for their murder.

Other notable defeats for progressives included:

• Government Transparency: HB 778 was killed in the Senate Rules Committee this session on a 13-2 vote. The bill would have provided legislators’ voting records on the General Assembly’s website. (The website already tracks the outcome of every recorded vote, it simply doesn’t allow visitors to list the votes by legislator.) Officially, the bill was “continued to 2011″ (meaning held over for further consideration next year) but most bills continued to the next year are quietly killed before the session even begins.
  
• Gay Rights: Two bills, HB 1116 and SB 66, would have established non-discrimination requirements for all state employees, including the category of sexual orientation. Unfortunately, both bills were killed in subcommittee.
• Immigration: Senate Bill 462 was designed to prevent law enforcement officers from asking crime victims and cooperating witnesses about their immigration status during the course of their criminal investigation

More Resources

“Please shoot us an email at dispatch@progressivestates.org if you have feedback, tips, suggestions, criticisms, or nominations for any of our sidebar features.”

By: ENZO PASTORE

Session Roundup: Virginia

The 2010 General Assembly adjourned March 14th, one day later than scheduled, and was dominated by a single overriding issue:  unprecedented cuts to state spending and core services once thought to be untouchable.  After grappling with the greatest decline in state revenues since World War II, the legislature enacted major budget reductions in all areas of state government, while failing to enact any real revenue increases to offset the damage to state services.  And with the latest state revenue report for February showing tax collections for that month down nearly 7 percent from February 2009, there’s every indication that things will worsen before they improve.

The two-year $83 billion HB 30 blueprint for state operations, which takes effect on July 1st, cuts billions in necessary funding for education, health care, public safety and transportation.  As the new budget imposes no new taxes and only about $100 million in new fees, it leaves city and county governments to make up for state cuts with the choice of curbing local services, boosting local taxes or a combination of both.  Although the cuts were not as severe as once expected, the budget crisis will continue as vital services and local governments feel the effects of the cuts.

Thankfully, despite vocal right-wing support, the legislature refused to make the budget problem worse and rejected HB 119 and its companion, SB 671, which would have eliminated Virginia’s corporate income tax beginning in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

Education Cuts: Included in the two year budget was a huge $253 million cut in state support for local public school districts.  This will mean larger class sizes, an extension in the life of school buses from 12 to 15 years, eliminating non-teaching staff jobs, and reductions in public library funding.  At one time during the 2010 legislative session, K-12 cuts were forecast to approach $700 million.  But even though the education cuts were not nearly as deep as initially proposed, advocates for teachers and other school staff say a $253 million decrease in public education funds will still result in the elimination of tens of thousands of jobs.

Health Care Cuts and Grandstanding Against Federal Reform: Even as some state leaders attacked federal health reform efforts, they based their state health budget on help from the federal government.  Health care for the indigent, disabled and elderly, will also take a big budget hit unless the state receives about $370 million in federal Medicaid funding. In addition to new restrictions on program eligibility, without the federal aid, hospitals, nursing homes, doctors and other health providers will see their already lean reimbursements for treating Medicaid patients reduced by another 7 percent by 2012.

By passing HB 10, Virginia became the first state to supposedly ban the new federal provision that requires individuals to purchase health insurance, although the law will no doubt be thrown out in court. The law was also accompanied by similar political grandstanding by the Attorney General’s lawsuit to block the mandate contained in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  The legislature did reject HB 345, which would have required the state to withdraw from the Medicaid program upon passage of federal health care reform.

In other anti-consumer health legislation, SB 642 authorizes health maintenance organizations to offer and sell to small employers group health care plans for health care services that do not include all of the state-mandated health insurance benefits.

Transparency on Tax Expenditures: In a positive move for transparency, the enactment of HB 355 will require the State Tax Commissioner to issue an annual tax expenditure report to the General Assembly and to post on its website a summary of information of taxpayers claiming corporate income tax relief.

Big Steps Back, But a Few Steps Forward on Clean Energy and Conservation: A number of bills seeking to expand offshore oil drilling  were enacted (HB 756, HB 787, SB 394), while the state Air Board will be barred from requiring power plants in non-attainment areas to reduce pollution under HB 1300/SB 128.

A group of seventeen state legislators denounced Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli for the financial costs to the state and misguided public policy in filing a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency’s finding that carbon dioxide is a threat to human health and may be regulated by the EPA.  Cuccinelli has added to his “states rights” grandstanding in declaring his intention to file a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new Clean Car Rule.

Land conservation programs faced drastic cuts, although the cap on the transfer fee for the state Land Preservation Tax Credit was lifted (HB 447 and SB 264) which s expected to raise around $2 million a year for organizations that hold conservation easements throughout Virginia.

Environmentalists were able to defeat SB 181 and HB 1395, which would have subsidized sprawl by handing out potentially unlimited bonus payments to private developers of toll roads, while the legislature did enact HB 1071 to encourage density in urban development areas.

Two progressive bills addressing clean energy legislation were signed by the Governor.  House Bill 803 and its Senate companion, S623 allows a $500 income tax credit for the creation of green jobs for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2010. The credit is provided for up to 350 new green jobs and may qualify the taxpayer for the Enterprise Zone Grant program if the job is located in an enterprise zone.

Capital Punishment: With a governor supportive of expanding capital punishment finally in office, many observers were relieved at the defeat of a number of death penalty bills.  SB 7 to make accomplices to murder eligible for the death penalty was defeated in a Senate committee that had approved the effort in past years, apparently swayed by arguments about the costs of making more crimes eligible for the death penalty.  Also defeated in committee was SB 54 to expand capital punishment to include those who killed various emergency responders while on duty, including fire marshals, firefighters, special forest wardens and emergency medical technicians.  The Legislature however did pass House Bill 934, which added auxiliary police officers and auxiliary deputy sheriffs to the capital murder statute so that the death sentence can be imposed for their murder.

Other notable defeats for progressives included:

• Government Transparency: HB 778 was killed in the Senate Rules Committee this session on a 13-2 vote. The bill would have provided legislators’ voting records on the General Assembly’s website. (The website already tracks the outcome of every recorded vote, it simply doesn’t allow visitors to list the votes by legislator.) Officially, the bill was “continued to 2011″ (meaning held over for further consideration next year) but most bills continued to the next year are quietly killed before the session even begins.
  
• Gay Rights: Two bills, HB 1116 and SB 66, would have established non-discrimination requirements for all state employees, including the category of sexual orientation. Unfortunately, both bills were killed in subcommittee.
• Immigration: Senate Bill 462 was designed to prevent law enforcement officers from asking crime victims and cooperating witnesses about their immigration status during the course of their criminal investigation

More Resources

Note:  The following are links to information prepared by the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee about the impact of the for each Virginia Congressional District  … you can download it in pdf format …

Benefits of Health Care Reform, District by District Impact

Virginia

• Robert J. Wittman (VA-1) Voted NO Reform
• Glenn C. Nye (VA-2) Voted NO Reform
• Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-3) Vote YES to Reform
• J. Randy Forbes (VA-4) Voted NO Reform
• Thomas S. P. Perriello (VA-5) Voted YES to Reform
• Bob Goodlatte (VA-6) Voted NO Reform
• Eric Cantor (VA-7) Voted NO Reform
• James P. Moran (VA-8) Voted YES to Reform
• Rick Boucher (VA-9) Voted NO to Reform
• Frank R. Wolf (VA-10) Voted NO to Reform
• Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11) Voted YES to Reform

James Webb, D-Va., a take-charge senator who in just his second year conceived and negotiated passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, made clear Wednesday he will continue to influence issues that impact on the lives of servicemembers, retirees, reservists and their families.

Webb has more leverage now as the new chairman of the Senate armed services’ personnel subcommittee. He also has more knowledge of — and curiosity about — military people and policy than arguably anyone in Congress.

At his first hearing, Webb called as witnesses the four political appointees who have day-to-day control of personnel policy in the Pentagon.

Webb promised “continuous and active oversight of all our military personnel matters through hearings, through consideration of the Department of Defense budget and legislative proposals, and also through day-to-day interaction with you and people who work with you.”

Note: Follow the link below to read the entire article

Military Update: Webb takes lead of personnel subcommittee | Stars and Stripes.

Latest News – Newsroom – Mark R. Warner

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By the time Virginia Senator Mark Warner arrived today at the University of Mary Washington’s College of Graduate and Professional Studies, University Hall was already pushing well past “standing room only” capacity … the line to enter had started forming by 6 a.m. and by 8:30 UMW’s parking lots were filled … Senator Warner saw thousands standing in line who would experience wait times to enter the building from a minimum of two to over three hours …

By 12:15 Senator Warner’s office was sending out emails to people who had RSVP’d but were not already in line advising:

“Thank you for your interest in today’s federal job fair in Fredericksburg hosted by Senator Mark Warner.

The interest and turn-out at today’s event has been tremendous — so tremendous, in fact, that participants are encountering lengthy lines and extensive wait-times at the event site.

We will make every effort to accommodate the individuals who presently are on-site, but it is unlikely that new arrivals will be able to access the job fair before its scheduled completion at 4:00 p.m. today.

We will work with the federal agency representatives to schedule an additional job fair in the area in coming weeks, and we will inform you of the specific details when they become available.

Thanks again for your interest in today’s job fair, and please be sure to visit our website for more information.

Best,
Senator Mark Warner’s Office

Note: The following arrived via email from Senator Warner’s office:

PLEASE NOTE: Due to overwhelming interest, we have extended the hours until 4 p.m to accommodate the high demand.  A high volume of applicants is expected and attendees are encouraged to join us throughout the day.  Representatives from all the federal agencies will remain until the job fair ends at 4 p.m.

Once again, here are the details:

For driving and parking directions, please visit: http://warner.senate.gov/jobsfair

U.S. Senator Mark Warner is hosting a job fair on Monday, March 8th, for Virginians looking for work in the federal government.  The event is free and open to the public.

More than three-dozen federal agencies will participate, including: the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Defense Intelligence Agency, FBI, IRS, the Office of Personnel Management, FEMA, the Peace Corps, the Transportation Security Administration, the Department of Labor, and the U.S. Secret Service.

Here are the details:

DATE: Monday, March 8, 2010

TIME: 9 a.m. – Noon

LOCATION: Univ. of Mary Washington – Stafford campus

College of Graduate and Professional Studies, University Hall

125 University Boulevard, Fredericksburg , VA
For more information, and to RSVP, visit: http://warner.senate.gov/jobsfair

WASHINGTON, DC – House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today on the schedule for the U.S. House of Representatives:

“As a result of the inclement weather affecting Members’ ability to travel to Washington, DC this week, there will be no votes in the House for the remainder of the week. The change this week means that we will add two days to the schedule as we look to take action on a jobs bill and other critical measures. Therefore, the House will reconvene on Monday, February 22, one day earlier than previously scheduled. The House will now also be in session on Friday, February 26th.”

Note:  This advice comes by way of a press release … “Let’s be careful out there”
RICHMOND, VA – The approaching winter storm will bring hazardous conditions to Virginia, ranging from freezing rain and high winds to sleet, snow and ice.  Residents should take the time now to look at their specific needs and talk with their families and neighbors about what they would do in an emergency.

“Several Virginians have lost their lives due to winter weather this season, and we don’t want to lose any more,” said Michael Cline, state coordinator for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.  “It is very important that everyone follow basic winter weather safety instructions and stay aware of the current weather forecast for their area.”

Basic weather safety involves staying off the roads, dressing in layers, having emergency supplies ready and avoiding overexertion.

Driving

• Once freezing rain or snow begins to fall, stay off the roads.  Only travel if absolutely necessary, and if you do, wear a seat belt.
• Know roads conditions before you leave.  Current road conditions are available by calling 5-1-1 or visiting 511Virginia.gov.
• Have emergency supplies in your car.  If you become stranded, you will need water, food, blankets, a radio, flashlight and extra batteries. Stay with your car.  The Virginia Department of Transportation recommends running the car engine for heat for 10 minutes and then turning off the engine for 20 minutes.

Health concerns

• Wear loose layers and a hat.
• Avoid overexertion during clean up, no matter your age or physical condition.  Shoveling snow or pushing a car can bring on a heart attack or make other medical conditions worse.

Emergency heat

• Generators should always be run outside, in well-ventilated areas.  Get to fresh air immediately if you start to feel sick, weak or dizzy.
• Never use a portable generator in any enclosed or partially enclosed space. Windows and doors do not provide enough ventilation.
• Kerosene and propane heaters can cause fires if left unsupervised.  If you use one, use only the recommended fuel.  Always refuel outdoors safely away from your home.
• Keep an eye on your heater at all times while it is running. Shut it off before you go to bed or when you leave the house.

Emergency assistanceIf you have a life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1.

If you are seeking assistance for an elderly or disabled person during the storm, need information on warming shelters in the area or concerned about an unsheltered individual or family at risk of hypothermia, please dial 2-1-1 or visit 211virginia.org.

When you dial 2-1-1, a trained professional will listen to your situation and suggest sources of help using one of the largest databases of health and human services in your community and statewide.  All referrals are confidential, and you can search for these same services on 211virginia.org.

Detailed safety information is available at http://www.ReadyVirginia.gov.

Note: Looks like Virginia has another snow storm with results much like what’s pictured here …. from December … hitting us hard … cancellations include the DPVA quarterly meetings … and …

General Assembly not meeting on Friday, February 5th

Due to inclement weather, the General Assembly will not meet on Friday, February 5th. All House and Senate committee and subcommittee meetings are also canceled.

2010 Legislative Session

The 2010 Regular Session convened Wednesday, January 13, 2010 and is scheduled to adjourn sine die on Saturday, March 13, 2010.

House and Senate offer live video of 2010 Session.

The House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia will offer live streaming video of the 2010 Legislative Session, broadcasting from each chamber every day of the session. The broadcasts will begin when each body convenes for session.

NOTE: an “audio only” stream is being offered for those users with a low speed connection to the internet.

Links to the session streams with helpful information about the day’s session can be found below.

Latest News – Newsroom – Mark R. Warner

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The very difficult economic environment has had a significant impact on Air America’s business. This past year has seen a “perfect storm” in the media industry generally. National and local advertising revenues have fallen drastically, causing many media companies nationwide to fold or seek bankruptcy protection. From large to small, recent bankruptcies like Citadel Broadcasting and closures like that of the industry’s long-time trade publication Radio and Records have signaled that these are very difficult and rapidly changing times.

Those companies that remain are facing audience fragmentation as a result of new media technologies, are often saddled with crushing debt, and have generally found it difficult to obtain operating or investment capital from traditional sources of funding. In this climate, our painstaking search for new investors has come close several times right up into this week, but ultimately fell short of success.

With radio industry ad revenues down for 10 consecutive quarters, and reportedly off 21% in 2009, signs of improvement have consisted of hoping things will be less bad. And though Internet/new media revenues are projected to grow, our expanding online efforts face the same monetization and profitability challenges in the short term confronting the Web operations of most media companies

When Air America Radio launched in April, 2004 with already-known personalities like Al Franken and then-unknown future stars like Rachel Maddow, it was the only full-time progressive voice in the mainstream broadcast media world. At a critical time in our nation’s history — when dissent on issues such as the Iraq war were often denounced as “un-American” — Air America and its talented team helped millions of Americans remember the importance of compelling discussion about the most pivotal events and decisions of our generation.

Through some 100 radio outlets nationwide, Air America helped build a new sense of purpose and determination among American progressives. With this revival, the progressive movement made major gains in the 2006 mid-term elections and, more recently, in the election of President Barack Obama and a strongly Democratic Congress.

Laws have changed for the better thanks to this revival…..but all the same our company cannot escape the laws of economics. So we intend a rapid, orderly closure over the next few days. All current employees will be paid through today, January 21. A severance package will be offered tomorrow to full-time current employees with more than six months of tenure.

We will strive to assist affiliates and partners in achieving a smooth transition. Starting at 6 pm EST today, we will provide our affiliates, listeners and users a selection of encore programming until 9 pm EST on Monday, January 25, at which time Air America programming will end.

We are proud that Air America’s mission lives on through the words and actions of so many former radio hosts who are active today in progressive causes and media nationwide. In the years ahead, as we look back, we should all be proud of our passionate determination to assure that our nation’s progressive voice would be heard loud and clear. Through the hard work and dedication of current staff, and those who preceded you, a lasting legacy was forged which will now continue through other voices and venues.

Thank you.

Blame the all-powerful left!

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One year ago, our country came together to celebrate an event we’ll remember for the rest of our lives: the historic inauguration of Barack Obama.

Now you can relive those amazing memories with a special two-disc DVD set that offers the fullest, richest documentation of the inauguration made available.

As a friend of the Inaugural Committee, we’d like to offer you the opportunity to pre-order “The Official Inaugural Celebration” DVD set today:

http://action.pic2009.org/dvdset

With your purchase of “The Official Inaugural Celebration” set, you’ll have a vivid record of the performances and joyous spirit of celebration – all in one exclusive package.

Along with President Obama’s inaugural address, the DVD set includes the star-studded “We Are One” concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, as well as the first-ever Neighborhood Inaugural Ball.

In all, the DVD set offers 30 exclusive musical performances from stars including Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Jay-Z, U2, Usher, Renée Fleming, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Pete Seeger, Faith Hill, Stevie Wonder and more.

Be the first to own “The Official Inaugural Celebration” DVD set:

http://action.pic2009.org/dvdset

Wishing you a good New Year,

The Presidential Inaugural Committee

Note: Here’s a video memory not included in the “official” DVD set … it’s a group of grassroots supporters from the Rappahannock Region for Obama gathering in Fredericksburg, Virginia

Note: After the results of Virginia’s last election and now the loss in Massachusetts this announcement becomes even more significant …

Dear Friends,
I write today with pride and exciting news about GenerationEngage, which several young people and I co-founded five years ago.

GenerationEngage’s Board of Directors recently voted unanimously to bring our programming and staff under the umbrella of Mobilize.org.  We have transferred GenGage’s assets and full staff to Mobilize.org, where GenGage’s work and mission will continue, and grow.

Mobilize.org shares GenerationEngage’s values along with a nearly identical mission.  Over the past few years, our two organizations have worked together particularly closely and successfully.  Rather than continue working on the same issues while operating separately and competing for limited dollars behind the scenes, we know we will have greater impact by coming together; the resulting sum will be more powerful than our parts could have been.

GenGage’s first-rate and entrepreneurial community directors have worked with thousands of community college students across the country and have built strong organizing networks in Raleigh, Charlotte, Miami, San Jose, and New York City.  GenGage has pioneered a winning formula for politicians – both national and local – and young Americans to engage one another.  We’ve worked in nonpartisan coalitions on electoral, civic, and educational issues to advance engagement opportunities for the Millennial Generation.  Strategic partnerships with several like-minded organizations have shown us the value of true collaboration.  We’re excited to take that collaboration to the next level: convergence.

GenGage Executive Director Decker Ngongang is now Mobilize.org Vice President of Programs, and I will join the Mobilize.org Board of Directors at its next meeting.

Soon, we’ll unveil a new Website and a full calendar of programming in communities and on campuses around the country.  In the mean time, I’m happy to introduce you to my friend and colleague, Mobilize.org CEO Maya Enista, who is cc’d here and can be reached at Maya@Mobilize.org.

I remain enormously grateful for the generous and ongoing support of The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which will fund Mobilize.org in 2010.

Most importantly, thank YOU for your tremendous participation and continued support in 2010 and beyond.
Onward together!

With endless thanks and great anticipation,

Justin Rockefeller
Chairman and Co-Founder, GenerationEngage
Justin@Mobilize.org

Mobilize.org makes democracy work better by investing in Millennial-driven solutions.

Hi, I’m Congressman John Lewis.

Tomorrow, our nation will commemorate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. It’s a day of special significance to me. As a young man, it was Rev. King who inspired me to join the civil rights movement.

His words sparked an amazing journey. As Chairman of the the Student Non-Violent Coordination Committee, I spoke during the March on Washington, and led protestors across Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma, Alabama on “Bloody Sunday.” Years later, I continued working toward a more just and equal nation by registering nearly 4 million new voters as head of the Voter Education Project, and later, as a U.S. Congressman.

Last year, decades after I was beaten while marching peacefully for the right of people of color to vote, we witnessed the inauguration of the first African American president of the United States.

So tomorrow is a day to remember how far we’ve come, and how close we are to fulfilling Dr. King’s dream. It’s a day to reflect on how regular people, organizing their friends and neighbors and their communities — even if the opposition is fierce and progress slow — can transform a nation.

But it is also a day to reflect on how many barriers still remain for Americans simply trying to vote.

Our nation has put behind us the days when people were beaten, put in jail, were asked questions they could never answer to register to vote.

But just last month, a federal court found that voter suppression continues today. Minority voters are still intimidated at the polls, and there are still politically-motivated challenges to voters’ right to cast a ballot.

And the court found that voter protections are just as necessary today as they were ten, or twenty, or thirty years ago.

The court’s finding was important. But courts alone won’t guarantee the right to vote. It takes an extra measure of dedication from each of us to expand and strengthen this great democracy. It’s why the Democratic National Committee created the Voting Rights Institute, and why, this year, Democrats are investing more than ever before in a nationwide voter protection program.

So tomorrow, let’s honor the sacrifice of Dr. King and the brave men and women who have made progress possible. And let’s rededicate ourselves to ensuring that every eligible American — regardless of class, color, or creed — can cast a ballot and have it counted.

Thank you.