Delegate Keith Hodges debates candidate Sheila Crowley in the race for the delegates seat of the 98th district here in Virginia. Keith Hodges is the present seated candidate here in the 98th district and is a Republican. Sheila Crowley is the Democratic challenger for that seat. This debate happened in Gloucester County, Virginia at the Moose Lodge along route 17 North. Watch the video and then cast your vote on November 7th, 2017 for the candidate you think will serve the 98th district the best.
Defending The Republic, Not some Democracy, and enjoying some of life's rewards along the way.
Showing posts with label Democratic Party (United States). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Democratic Party (United States). Show all posts
Friday, October 27, 2017
Delegate Keith Hodges Debates Sheila Crowley For The 98th District
Delegate Keith Hodges debates candidate Sheila Crowley in the race for the delegates seat of the 98th district here in Virginia. Keith Hodges is the present seated candidate here in the 98th district and is a Republican. Sheila Crowley is the Democratic challenger for that seat. This debate happened in Gloucester County, Virginia at the Moose Lodge along route 17 North. Watch the video and then cast your vote on November 7th, 2017 for the candidate you think will serve the 98th district the best.
Friday, August 25, 2017
Our Present Educational Crisis, Part One, Common Core
In the above video, a mother from Arkansas destroys common core education in front of her local
officials. Watch the video. It's pretty shocking, especially if you do not really know what common core is about. It's not about education folks. It's about the full fledged dumbing down of our youth. It makes no sense whatsoever. And the school boards all across this country are all screaming for more money.
Here is the bottom line on what is really going on. For the past 100 years education has been on a very steady downhill curve. It's by design. Can you think of a better plan to pull more money from people than to tell them you need more money to fix issues with education? This ploy has been used on us for the same amount of time. The state of education is falling, we need more money to fix it. It never gets fixed. It continues to get worse. We need more money to fix this. For a century we have been throwing money at a system that just keeps getting worse. Blame the parents.
Over the next few months we are going to cover many areas on the present state of education in this country and in Gloucester. That is if you want to call it education. It's going to offend a number of people, especially those employed in the field. But hey don't worry about that, we are working on a new sensitivity program for you so that you will no longer be offended, instead you will back everything we say. On some early advice, we recommend a mass exiting of all students from the public school system as fast as possible. You will fully understand why when we are done with this series.
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Governor McAuliffe Announces Restoration of Rights for Over 10,000 People
RICHMOND – Today, Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that his administration restored the voting and civil rights of 10,009 individuals. The McAuliffe administration has restored the rights of more Virginians than any other Governor in a four year term.
“I am so proud of the work my team has done processing more than 10,000 of these important requests, and also making key changes to the process to make it more fair and accessible to Virginians,” said Governor McAuliffe. “Restoring the rights of Virginians who have made a mistake and paid the price is one of my Administration’s top priorities and I look forward to continuing to make history on this critical issue.”
Since the beginning of Governor McAuliffe’s term, he has implemented key changes to the restoration of rights process. First, he removed the requirement to pay court fees before submitting a restoration of rights application. Although individuals still have to pay the fees at a later time, it is no longer a barrier in the application process. Second, serious offenders are now required to wait three years instead of five years to apply. Third, the application is now one page long - down from 13 pages. Fourth, criminal records will have a restoration of rights notation once an individual has been restored. Fifth, all drug convictions are now classified as non-violent offenses.
“It is an honor to work with Governor McAuliffe and our talented team to help more Virginians who have made a mistake get a second chance at meaningful and productive lives,” said Secretary of the Commonwealth Levar Stoney. “Going forward we will continue to process as many applications as we can and encourage the Virginians whose rights we restore to use them to the fullest by registering to vote and participating in the democratic process.” (Here is where we have issues with the information coming out of Richmond: Democratic process? Sorry, we are a republic, not a socialist democracy but that is what the folks in Richmond are driving in here. Full blown socialist and communist ideologies.)
If you or someone you know has been convicted of a felony and served their time, restoration of rights might be available. For more information, call 804-692-0104 or visit commonwealth.virginia.gov.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Governor McAuliffe Launches Statewide Virtual Datathon Challenge
~ Teams from across Virginia will create new and innovative applications ~
(Or, How to get people to work for free)
RICHMOND – Governor Terry McAuliffe today launched the 2015 Virtual Datathon Challenge, a competition that will bring together teams of innovators from across the Commonwealth to create new applications that improve government.
“We can’t have an innovative new Virginia economy without an innovative government,” said Governor McAuliffe. “That’s why last year my administration launched Virginia’s first ever open data portal, and why last September we brought together state agencies to build brand new apps from scratch. This year, I’m challenging innovators across Virginia to use our state data in creative ways that will encourage collaboration and transparency within our government, enhance the services we provide our citizens, and build on our state’s reputation for innovative, efficient and customer-oriented government.”
Virginia Secretary of Technology Karen Jackson continued, “This Virtual Challenge will give all Virginians the opportunity to use data and technology to improve their government and how it serves their communities. Apps are changing lives; we are seeing a movement where longstanding challenges are being solved by technology solutions developed by a growing population of civic coders. We want Virginia to lead the way.”
The Virtual Challenge winner will advance to the final round of competition at the statewide competition where they will compete for the Governor’s Cup.
For more information and competition registration, please visit data.virginia.gov. To join the big data conversation, follow @DataVirginia and #TechInVA.
Friday, May 1, 2015
Governor McAuliffe Announces Invasions On Your Freedoms
RICHMOND – Today Governor Terry McAuliffe announced the actions he has taken on legislative items sent to his desk following the Virginia General Assembly’s consideration of his amendments during the 2015 Reconvened Session.
“As I evaluated the bills the General Assembly returned to me following the Reconvened Session, I applied the same standard I did at the conclusion of the regular session.” said Governor McAuliffe. “If I determined that the bill moved Virginia forward, I signed it. If it did not contribute to economic growth, stronger communities or a higher quality of life, I vetoed it.
“I am proud that the General Assembly adopted so many of the amendments I submitted to them and that they chose not to override any of my vetoes for the second year in a row. This session was marked by bipartisan accomplishment on issues that matter to Virginia families, and I look forward to continuing those important efforts as we work together to build a new Virginia economy.”
On April 15th the General Assembly voted to accept the Governor’s amendments to the following bills, allowing them to become law:
· HB1275
· HB1276
· HB1402
· HB1444
· HB1457
· HB1458
· HB1564
· HB1601
· HB1612
· HB1639
· HB1776
· HB1826
· HB1833
· HB1854
· HB1857
· HB1908
· HB1917
· HB1930
· HB1955
· HB2036
· HB2062
· HB2316
· HB2368
· SB675
· SB676
· SB712
· SB776
· SB848
· SB891
· SB1049
· SB1052
· SB1097
· SB1186
· SB1201
· SB1232
· SB1309
· SB1325
· SB1380
Today the Governor announced that he has signed the following bills, which contained amendments that the General Assembly voted not to accept:
HB 1570 (Identical to SB 1168) - HB 1570 is the omnibus child day care bill. It requires fingerprint-based background checks for licensed day care centers and family day homes. It requires employees and volunteers to notify the provider if they are convicted of a barrier crime or are the subject of a founded complaint of child abuse or neglect. It also expands the list of barrier crimes specific to family day homes. The bill lowers to four from five the number of children unrelated to the provider who can be cared for in a family day home without a license. Local Commissioners of the Revenue must report to the Virginia Department of Social Services the names of child day or family day homes that obtain a business license. It requires child day care centers and family day homes that provide day care services (through DSS) funded by the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant to comply with federal laws and regulations.
HB 1702 Authorizes a federally-licensed firearms dealer to obtain a criminal history records check on an individual purchasing a firearm from the dealer’s personally-owned inventory or collection.
HB 1835 (Identical to SB 1371) Adds independent agencies of the Commonwealth to the definition of public body under the Virginia Public Procurement Act.
HB 1842 Reauthorizes tranches of Virginia Investment Partnership, an economic development incentive fund that encourages capital investments by existing Virginia businesses, and accelerates the Major Eligible Employment (MEI) grant payments to three years from six.
HB 1984 (Identical to SB 1196) Raises the age of mandatory retirement for judges from 70 to 73.
HB 2070 (Identical to SB 1424) The omnibus ethics and conflict of interest reform legislation.
HB 2125 (Identical to SB 1301) Specifies when a warrant is required for the use of unmanned aircraft systems by law enforcement.
HB 2148 (Identical to SB 1333) Includes Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as “minority owned businesses” for DSBSD certification and VPPA purposes.
HB 2206 (Identical to SB 1195) Revises the Special Conservators of the Peace (SCOP) regulatory program.
HB 2286 Deals with the possession or transportation of firearms, ammunition, stun weapons, and explosives.
HB 2323 Moves certain authorities and responsibilities for state information technology management from the Secretary of Technology to the Chief Information Officer.
SB 721 Requires agencies that have seized property for forfeiture to provide an inventory to the property owner.
SB 1193 Requires certain institutions of higher education to include a prominent notation on the transcript of each student who has been suspended for, has been permanently dismissed for, or withdraws from an institution while under investigation for a violation of the institution’s code, rules or set of standards governing student conduct.
SB 1195 Revises the Special Conservators of the Peace (SCOP) regulatory program.
Today the Governor announced that he has vetoed the following bills. Each bill is accompanied by a statement from the Governor explaining his reason for veto:
SB 1066 (as well as identical HB1296)
Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 1066, which prohibits a special election to fill a congressional vacancy from being held on the same day as the general election in which that office is regularly scheduled to be filled.
As written, the bill appears to create a potential conflict with Virginia Code §24.2-228.1 that requires the court to issue a writ for a special election on a general election date for certain constitutional office vacancies. While §24.2-228.1 requires a special election to be held on the same date as a general election, the new provisions of §24.2-682, as contemplated in Senate Bill 1066, would prohibit the court from ordering a special election on the same day as a general election.
I cannot, in good conscience, sign a bill that would create the aforementioned conflict with §24.2-228.1.
SB 1161 (Statement Identical for HB 1879)
Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 1161, which would extend both the ability to claim and to allocate the coal employment and production incentive tax credit and the allowance of the coalfield employment enhancement tax credit by two years without any meaningful reform.
In January 2012, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (“JLARC”) published its final report, Review of the Effectiveness of Virginia Tax Preferences, Senate Document No. 4. In JLARC’s report, it found that tax preferences collectively reduced annual taxpayers’ liability by approximately $12.5 billion. It also found that the effectiveness of tax preferences designed to promote specific activities appeared to be mixed. The purpose of these two tax credits was to slow the decline of coal production and employment. Due to both coal production and coal employment declining at the same or even faster rates than predicted had the credits not been enacted, JLARC’s report concluded that the economic activity had not moved in the desired direction and that the credits had not achieved their goal.
Specifically, from 1988 until 2014, coal mine operators, electricity generators and other coal-related companies claimed more than $573 million in tax credits. However, during the same period, the number of coal miners in Virginia has declined from 11,106 to 3,600. The extension of these tax credits without meaningful reform is inconsistent with these findings.
Each day, I work tirelessly to build a new Virginia economy and ensure that Virginia is the number one place in which to do business. In order to attract new jobs, I must assure business leaders that Virginia has both fair tax policies and is the best choice for employees and their families. The effective and efficient use of revenues raised by these tax policies is an essential part of that assurance. Given the findings of the JLARC study and the lack of meaningful reform in the face of these findings, I believe it is unwise for me to sign this legislation. Accordingly, I veto this bill.
SB 1350
Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 1350, which requires general registrars to cancel the registration of any voter for whom the registrar receives notice that the voter has moved from the Commonwealth in accordance with the Driver License Compact at § 46.2-483 et seq. of the Code of Virginia.
As written, the bill is not compliant with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) requirements related to list maintenance because it requires the immediate removal of Virginia voters from registration lists prior to sufficient notice to the voter. On March 27, 2015, I recommended line amendments to this bill for the purpose of giving general registrars the ability to comply with the NVRA and state law. These amendments were rejected putting Virginia law in conflict with federal statute.
I am committed to protecting the voting rights of all eligible Virginians. Therefore,it would be imprudent for me to sign legislation that may unduly impede the rights of Virginia citizens to vote. Accordingly, I veto this bill.
SB 965 (Statement is identical for HB 1673)
Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto Senate Bill 965, which would significantly restrict the use of License Place Readers (LPRs) and lead to many unintended consequences affecting public safety, transportation and the efficient conduct of business in the Commonwealth.
Despite their proven success in locating stolen vehicles, identifying drivers involved in hit-and-run accidents, locating missing children and enhancing overall public safety, this bill would drastically limit the use of LPRs by law enforcement agencies. In order to use a LPR without a warrant under this legislation, agencies must prove the LPR is being used for “known relevance” data collected that are intended for prompt evaluation and that there is suspected criminal or terrorist activity. This provision is extremely narrow and could impede day-to-day operations.
This bill also sets a strict, seven day retention period for all data collected by LPRs. Many localities in Virginia retain this data for 60 days to two years. Seven days is a substantial reduction. Additionally, law enforcement agencies demonstrate that crimes are often not reported until several weeks later. Under this bill, essential data would not be available at the time of those reports. This is particularly concerning when considering implications for the National Capitol Region, where cross-state collaboration and information-sharing are essential to responding to potential criminal or terrorist activity occurring near Virginia’s borders.
Furthermore, defining vehicle license plate numbers as “personal information” could dramatically impact state and local agency operations and create public confusion. State law requires that license plates be attached to the front and rear of every vehicle, and license plates must be clearly visible and legible.
This new definition of personal information would likely prevent the live Internet transmission of video from VDOT’s traffic cameras as a violation of the state’s Government Data Collection and Dissemination Act.
The bill could potentially cripple the use of innovative, electronically-managed tolling lanes that improve the quality of life for Virginians by reducing commute times and expediting the tolling process. These projects use cameras that record license plate numbers for billing purposes, saving travelers the time they would spend waiting in line at a toll booth. The billing mechanism could be in violation of this legislation, eliminating the use of these time-saving travel options.
It would be unwise for me to sign legislation that could limit the tools available for legitimate law enforcement purposes and negatively impact public safety, or derail major transportation projects and jeopardize time-saving technologies that are essential to our economy, our citizens, tourism and the efficient conduct of business. Accordingly, I veto this bill.
HB 1315
Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 1315, which requires the jury commissioner to retain information obtained from those persons not qualified to serve as jurors for specific reasons and make that information available to the general registrar for that locality. The bill also requires the general registrars to use the requested information received to identify voters who are no longer qualified to vote and to initiate list maintenance procedures pursuant to current law.
My Administration is committed to protecting the voting and civil rights of all Virginians. I believe additional study is needed regarding the use and dissemination of the data before it becomes a permanent part of our court and election processes. Accordingly, I veto this bill.
HB 2322
Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 2322, which allows for limited benefit plans to be offered if federal subsidies or other provisions of the federal Affordable Care Act are eliminated.
Currently, more than 385,000 Virginians have enrolled in the Marketplace. Eighty-four percent of those enrolled are receiving premium subsidies. In June, the Supreme Court will decide on the lawsuit King vs. Burwell, which will determine if subsidies can be received for participation in a federally-facilitated exchange.
House Bill 2322 presupposes that the Supreme Court will rule in favor of King and federal premium subsidies will be eliminated for the 385,000 Virginians relying on the Marketplace for coverage. This legislation is premature and decreases the state’s flexibility and options in reaction to such decision. Accordingly, I veto this bill.
Destroying American Freedom: but who cares?
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