Politics

Tell the General Assembly to Stop APCo's Rate Hikes

Whereas, Appalachian Power has requested 13 rate increases in Virginia since 2005 resulting in residential and commercial power bills that have nearly doubled; and,

Whereas, skyrocketing electric rates are crippling southwest and Southside Virginia forcing families to choose between food, medicine and the electric bill; and,

Martin Luther King Jr.

Friday would have been Martin's 81st birthday. It will be celebrated on the third Monday in January - January 18th.

Is your church a water carrier for Bob McDonnell?

Some local churches acting as water carriers for the Family Foundation, handed out carefully constructed political propaganda this Sunday claiming to be the "2009 Official Virginia Voter Guide".

The Family Foundation is chaired by Ken Newsome, president of AMF Bakery Systems of Richmond Virginia. Ken donated $2300 to Jim Gilmore's Senatorial race last year and $2200 to the American Baker Political Action Committee headed by Steva Avera of Flowers Food of Thomasville, Georgia which contributed most of the money it raised to Republican congressional candidates.

The President of the Family Foundation, Victoria Cobb is an ally of James Dobson of Focus on the Family. Her husband worked for Bob McDonnell until Bob resigned to run as the Republican candidate for governor. She gave Bob McDonnell the "Legislator of the Year" award on behalf of the Family Foundation.

So we know who they are and what they want. What we don't know is why churches distribute their propaganda. It is hard to keep up with Jesus carrying water for politicians.

Senator Webb replies to a question on health reform.

            At the outset, I believe that the Obama administration should have begun the reform process with a clear proposal that could have been the starting point for our work here in Congress.  Without a specific framework, Congress has had difficulty crafting a bill of such challenging scope and complexity. 
 
            Currently in the Senate, the bills from the two committees that have jurisdiction over health care – the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the Finance Committee – are being combined into a single package, to be considered by the entire Senate in the coming weeks.  As this legislation moves forward, I believe it is important that the process be as transparent and open to public engagement as possible.  For this reason, I joined seven of my Senate colleagues in urging Senate Leadership to post legislative text and cost estimates from the Congressional Budget Office for public viewing at least 72 hours before the measure is debated or voted on in the full Senate.  This will allow our constituents to evaluate the proposal in detail and make their views known.  It is important for us to be very deliberate on an issue of such importance to the lives of so many Americans.
 
            While most people are understandably satisfied with their health care, the system is not working for millions of American families.  Spiraling costs for health care have placed our biggest industries at a severe competitive disadvantage, as employers struggle to provide insurance for their workers.  By the same token, families are increasingly unable to depend on their health care plans when they need them the most.  This has contributed to the mortgage foreclosure crisis and the rise in personal bankruptcies.  In short, our nation’s continued economic recovery would be advanced by meaningful and effective health care reform that contains costs, expands access to health care, and addresses systemic concerns such as health insurance reform.  At the same time, such reform must emphatically be reasonable in scope, cost, and impact.
 
            In the coming weeks and months, I encourage you to visit my website at www.webb.senate.gov for updated information about the health care reform debate.  Additionally, the Senate Committee on Finance www.finance.senate.gov  and HELP Committee www.help.senate.gov/index.html have posted on their websites useful information about their respective proposals.
 
As the Senate continues to debate health care reform, please be assured that your views will be very helpful to me and my staff.  I hope that you will continue to share your views with us in the years ahead.
 
Thank you once again for contacting my office.
 
                                                                        Sincerely,
 
                                                                        Jim Webb
                                                                        United States Senator

Where have all the bullies gone

Fresh with the blood of Van Jones dripping from their jowls, the bullies have sunk their teeth into Kevin Jennings and have their eyes on Carol Browner, Cass Sunstein, Steven Chu, Mark Lloyd and John Holdren. Having no bounds to their rhetorical violence - neither truth nor respect nor civility, they feed upon each other's lies and distortions.

My teacher urges me to see the wounded eight year old child in these (expletive deleted), all I see are middle aged bigots. Cultural warfare will find us all wrestling in the mud but there comes a time to take a stand.

This is for me
my friends today
And my friends tomorrow.
I think being mean stinks!
I won't watch someone get picked on
Because I am a do something person
not a do nothing person.
I care
I can help change things
I can be a leader
In my world there are no bullies allowed.
Bullying is bad
Bullying bites
Bullying bothers me.
I know sticking up for someone is the right thing to do
My name is Jim Tarvid
And I won't stand by
I will stand up.

Obama to Corrupt America's Youth

 

Health Care in America

The health care debate that's going on around this country is backed by shills like United health care. Big business who pays people to disrupt town hall meetings and come up with out right lies about the current situation.. like death panels..

To be honest ive all but given up on the sanity and common sense of the greater population of this country. The politicians in this country are bought and payed for by the upper 1% of the populous and the bottom 98% are so ignorant that they let it go on.. the remaining 1% doesn't want to be hung or put before a firing squad so WE just hunker down....

When all of our industry is finally exported, we become sick, our national debt hits 20 Trillion.. This country will be bankrupt and sold out by our cronies in Washington. Then were going to see just what its like to be a third world country. And a bankrupt third world country at that!

I suggest everyone take two hours and watch this movie "sicko"  by Michael Moore

 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6646340600856118396&hl=en&emb=1

This is not drama folks, this is reality in America today!

Soon their will be a new topic here "POVERTY"

Cheers,

Tom Wickline

Renew Virginia

/00/00
Renew Virginia

Bastille Day

2009/07/14
2009/07/14
Etc/GMT+3

The representatives of the French people, organized as a National Assembly, believing that the ignorance, neglect, or contempt of the rights of man are the sole cause of public calamities and of the corruption of governments, have determined to set forth in a solemn declaration the natural, unalienable, and sacred rights of man, in order that this declaration, being constantly before all the members of the Social body, shall remind them continually of their rights and duties; in order that the acts of the legislative power, as well as those of the executive power, may be compared at any moment with the objects and purposes of all political institutions and may thus be more respected, and, lastly, in order that the grievances of the citizens, based hereafter upon simple and incontestable principles, shall tend to the maintenance of the constitution and redound to the happiness of all. Therefore the National Assembly recognizes and proclaims, in the presence and under the auspices of the Supreme Being, the following rights of man and of the citizen:

Articles:

1.  Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.

2.  The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.

3.  The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation. No body nor individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from the nation.

4.  Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else; hence the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assure to the other members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights. These limits can only be determined by law.

5.  Law can only prohibit such actions as are hurtful to society. Nothing may be prevented which is not forbidden by law, and no one may be forced to do anything not provided for by law.

6.  Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents.

7.  No person shall be accused, arrested, or imprisoned except in the cases and according to the forms prescribed by law. Any one soliciting, transmitting, executing, or causing to be executed, any arbitrary order, shall be punished. But any citizen summoned or arrested in virtue of the law shall submit without delay, as resistance constitutes an offense.

8.  The law shall provide for such punishments only as are strictly and obviously necessary, and no one shall suffer punishment except it be legally inflicted in virtue of a law passed and promulgated before the commission of the offense.

9.  As all persons are held innocent until they shall have been declared guilty, if arrest shall be deemed indispensable, all harshness not essential to the securing of the prisoner's person shall be severely repressed by law.

10.  No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law.

11.  The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law.

12.  The security of the rights of man and of the citizen requires public military forces. These forces are, therefore, established for the good of all and not for the personal advantage of those to whom they shall be intrusted.

13.  A common contribution is essential for the maintenance of the public forces and for the cost of administration. This should be equitably distributed among all the citizens in proportion to their means.

14.  All the citizens have a right to decide, either personally or by their representatives, as to the necessity of the public contribution; to grant this freely; to know to what uses it is put; and to fix the proportion, the mode of assessment and of collection and the duration of the taxes.

15.  Society has the right to require of every public agent an account of his administration.

16.  A society in which the observance of the law is not assured, nor the separation of powers defined, has no constitution at all.

17.  Since property is an inviolable and sacred right, no one shall be deprived thereof except where public necessity, legally determined, shall clearly demand it, and then only on condition that the owner shall have been previously and equitably indemnified.

Support local food / please oppose H.R. 875

The goal is laudable:

Protect the public Health by preventing food borne illness.

The reality however means much goverment control, and would affect even the home gardner.

Extreme fines for non-compliance.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/green/?p=5827

http://www.examiner.com/x-13840-FDA-Policy-Examiner~y2009m6d22-HR-875-Fo...

 

Tarvid voting for Brian Moran in the Virginia Democratic Primary this afternoon

I went over the issues, abortion, gun control, the death penalty, energy,education. Perhaps enough on which to base a decision. In the end I chucked them all and asked the simple question "Who shows the most compassion?"

That doesn't always lead to the best Governor. I am mixed about the Kaines record although Tim still strikes me as compassionate.

Choose your own basis but remember whoever you vote for, the Government always gets in.

Blessed Unrest

I waited for one "normal" night's sleep before deciding to wade in. It wasn't enough. Unrest persists.

Terry McAuliffe in Galax, 11:30 this Monday

2008/11/03 11:30
2008/11/03 12:30
Etc/GMT-5

Galax Obama office at the corner of Grayson and Jefferson.

Terry McAuliffe is a candidate for Governor of Virginia in 2009. He was Chairman  of the Hillary Clinton for President Committee and a former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Election '08: The Purple Shoe

My Shoeful of children have expressed a lot of opinions about the upcoming election.  They are not pleased to hear that mom is "Moderate, Independent, Undecided."  They've heard from a lot of people who aren't waffling like dear old Mom.  One day household opinion is running "red"; the next day it's slanted "blue."  Just call this house the Purple Shoe.  Only my high schooler has made up his mind.  Were he empowered to cast a ballot, he would vote for:  no one.  Neither candidate "impresses" him, he says, with youthful confidence that someone "impressive"—an obviously Great Leader—will appear on the political scene when he is 20, or 24, or 28.

Tarvid endorses Mary Fant Donnan

Harry Payne, former NC Commissioner of Labor:

Tarvid endorses Barack Obama

Powell said the election of Obama would "electrify the world."

"I think he is a transformational figure," Powell said. "He is a new generation coming ... onto the world stage and on the American stage. And for that reason, I'll be voting for Sen. Barack Obama."

Me too.

 

Derivatives - food for the high information voter

Events of the past week remind me that we are all like "Howard the Duck" - "trapped in a world we never made".

Polls - food for the low information voter

My vote goes to http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/.These people have applied all of the numerical techniques of sports bookies to politics. Using a combination of regression on polling data and micro-simulations of election outcomes, they have reduced election prediction to a science.

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