Governor McAuliffe announces 16% economic impact increase of the Virginia Film Industry in 2013

~ AMC’s “TURN,” National Geographic’s “Killing Kennedy” among most significant projects ~

RICHMOND -- Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that the total economic impact of the film industry in Virginia in 2013 was $382.5 million, providing $19.4 million in state and local tax revenue for the Commonwealth.  This is a 16% increase from 2012 when the economic impact was $328.4 million.   In 2013, a total of 2,014 full-time jobs were available in the film industry.    

Among the major projects filmed in Virginia in 2013 were Killing Kennedy for the National Geographic Channel and the AMC television series TURN: Washington’s Spies.  Feature-length films included The Field of Lost Shoes, filmed in Lexington and Richmond, and Big Stone Gap,filmed in Wise County.  Significant TV production activity occurred in the Hampton Roads area, locally-produced indie feature films worked around Roanoke and Lynchburg, and Northern Virginia hosted a portion of the major motion picture Foxcatcher – releasing this weekend.  

“I am pleased to see Virginia’s film industry growing, which helps boost our local economy,” said Governor McAuliffe.  “Bringing jobs and revenue to the Commonwealth is my top priority, and the sixteen percent increase shows that our incentive program has been successful in generating more business and jobs for the Commonwealth.”

Many productions filmed in Virginia benefit from incentive programs designed to support the Commonwealth’s film production industry while making the filming experience in Virginia as economical and efficient as possible for production groups that choose Virginia for their projects.

Virginia has two separate incentive funds. One is the Governor’s Motion Picture Opportunity Fund, which is a grant fund. The other is the Virginia Motion Picture Tax Credit fund, which is a refundable tax credit program.  In addition to the incentive funds, the Commonwealth also has a Sales and Use Tax Exemption that applies to the purchase of production related supplies and equipment. 

“Film and television production provide solid, good-paying jobs, and the industry has proven to be important for the diversification of our economy.” said Maurice Jones, Secretary of Commerce and Trade.  “This is an asset we have that we need to maximize for continued growth.”

“We are particularly interested in continuing to bring episodic television series to Virginia,” said Andy Edmunds, Director of the Virginia Film Office.  “These productions stay longer, hire more Virginians, and provide a greater impact on the economy.  With the support of the Governor and the General Assembly, I believe that TURN: Washington’s Spies will be the first of many major TV series that will choose Virginia.” 

The economic impact data was collected in a November 2014 study by Fletcher Mangum of Mangum Economics, based on information from the Virginia Employment Commission and the Virginia Film Office.

The Virginia Film Office is a division of the Virginia Tourism Corporation. Tourism is an instant revenue generator in Virginia. In 2013, visitors spent $21.5 billion, supporting 213,000 jobs and contributing $1.42 billion in state and local taxes.

(Hope you do not mind that we are taking credit for what another Governor did before we got into office.  We do deserve to after all don't we?  Besides, he got arrested and went to jail.)

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First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe Unveils New Ornament at the Executive Mansion

RICHMOND, VA – First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe, along with leaders of the Virginia Capitol Foundation, unveiled this year’s Official Capitol Square Ornament at the Executive Mansion. 

The third ornament in the series features Virginia’s Executive Mansion.  The Official Capitol Square ornament program, established in 2012, celebrates the landmarks of Capitol Square and raises funds to support their preservation and interpretation.  The first two ornaments, from 2012 and 2013, feature the Virginia State Capitol and the Bell Tower, respectively. Proceeds from the ornaments, priced at $23.50 each, benefit the Virginia Capitol Foundation, the nonprofit organization supporting the Capitol, Capitol Square, and Executive Mansion.

All three ornaments are available for sale online at VirginiaCapitol.gov, by phone at (804) 786-1010, and in the Capitol.  The Executive Mansion ornament, along with the Capitol and Bell Tower ornaments, will also be sold at the Museum Stores of Richmond Holiday Shoppers Fair at the Library of Virginia Friday, November 7; 9:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m., & Saturday, November 8, 2014; 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. in the Virginia Historical Society booth.

The Executive Mansion was chosen as the subject of the third ornament in the series because of the importance of the building and its prominence on Capitol Square.  The Virginia Executive Mansion has served as home, office, and center of official entertaining for governors and their families since 1813.  Located on Capitol Square, the Mansion is the oldest governor’s residence in the 50 states still serving its original purpose.  The Mansion is both a Virginia Landmark and a National Historic Landmark.

“It is wonderful that the Virginia Capitol Foundation has chosen to feature the Executive Mansion for this year’s holiday ornament,” said First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe. “This beautiful, historic home is a treasure for all of Virginia.”

Alexander Parris designed the Mansion in the Federal style, an architectural style influenced by English architecture but uniquely American.  The front rooms on the first floor retain their original woodwork, plaster cornices, and ornamental ceiling detail.  An extensive renovation in 1906 by architect Duncan Lee added a large oval dining room.  In 2002, a major restoration of the Mansion was completed under the supervision of Roxanne Gilmore, wife of Governor James Gilmore, which returned historic interiors to their original Federal style. 

Several garden spaces surround the Mansion, the most prominent of which is the Gillette Garden, designed in 1954 by noted Richmond landscape architect Charles Gillette.  The Garden Club of Virginia restored the Gillette Garden in 1999, utilizing archival information including Gillette’s own plans and records. 

To the south of the Mansion stand several outbuildings, including a two-story structure housing the original 19th century kitchen and slave quarters.  Plans are underway to recreate and interpret the 19th century kitchen to share the stories of the individuals who worked there, including enslaved persons. 

Distinguished visitors to the Mansion include Sir Winston Churchill, President Theodore Roosevelt, Charles Lindbergh, Margaret Thatcher, Sidney Poitier, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Queen Elizabeth II, and Steven Spielberg, just to name a few.

The Virginia Capitol Foundation is the nonprofit advocate for the Capitol, Capitol Square, and Executive Mansion. It enhances the educational, cultural, and economic potential of Capitol Square’s historic treasures through program development, community engagement, and fundraising.

The Virginia Capitol Foundation Board of Trustees:  Officers – Ric A. Arenstein, Chairman;

Wendy Church Sydnor, Vice Chairman; The Honorable Susan Clarke Schaar, Secretary; Diana J. Beran, Treasurer.  Trustees: The Honorable Sandra D. Bowen, Susan Allen, Samuel W. Daniel, Janet T. Geldzahler, Adrienne G. Hines, Joseph W. Montgomery, The Honorable Brian Moran, The Honorable G. Paul Nardo, Anita O. Poston, The Honorable Nancy Rodrigues, S. Buford Scott, Charles H. Seilheimer, Jr., The Honorable John Charles Thomas

For information about the Virginia Capitol Foundation and the Virginia State Capitol including visitor services, go to www.VirginiaCapitol.gov. 

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Governor McAuliffe Statement on Supreme Court’s Gay Marriage Decision

Kissing girls. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What Happens At The Beginning Of The Fall Of Every Great Civilization:

Governor Terry McAuliffe released the following statement today on the U.S. Supreme Court’s denial of a writ of certiorari in the case that overturned Virginia’s ban on gay marriages:

“This is a historic and long overdue moment for our Commonwealth and our country. On issues ranging from recognizing same-sex marriages to extending health care benefits to same-sex spouses of state employees, Virginia is already well-prepared to implement this historic decision. Going forward we will act quickly to continue to bring all of our policies and practices into compliance so that we can give marriages between same-sex partners the full faith and credit they deserve.”

“I applaud all of the Virginians who gave so much time and effort in the fight for equality, and congratulate my friend Attorney General Mark Herring on this important victory for justice and equal treatment under the law.

“Equality for all men and women regardless of their race, color, creed or sexual orientation is intrinsic to the values that make us Virginians, and now it is officially inscribed in our laws as well.”

{A complete violation of the Virginia Constitution.  Thanks for nothing to Governor McAuliffe and Mark (Red) Herring.}

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Governor McAuliffe and Attorney General Herring Announce Agenda for Virginia Heroin and Prescription Drug Summit

Police State 2- The Takeover (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Beware The Coming Police State:

Governor McAuliffe and Attorney General Herring today released the full agenda for the Virginia Heroin and Prescription Drug Summit, to be held on October 2, 2014 in Charlottesville, and hosted by Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran and Attorney General Mark Herring. The summit will include law enforcement representatives from the local, state, and federal levels, and will feature Michael Botticelli, the Acting Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy, as the keynote speaker.

Director Botticelli has more than two decades of experience supporting Americans who have been affected by substance use disorders.  Prior to joining ONDCP, Mr. Botticelli served as Director of the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, where he successfully expanded innovative and nationally recognized prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. During the summit, Director Botticelli will discuss the federal government’s role in working with localities to reduce drug trafficking and abuse, and resources available to combat this issue.

The Virginia Heroin and Prescription Drug Summit is held by the Virginia Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security and the Office of the Attorney General, with the goal of addressing the  growing and dangerous epidemic of prescription opioid and heroin abuse in the Commonwealth. Governor McAuliffe also recently signed Executive Order 29, establishing the Governor’s Task Force on Prescription Drug and Heroin Abuse, co-chaired by Secretary of Health and Human Resources Bill Hazel, and Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Brian Moran. The order asked the task force to suggest strategies that will raise public awareness about the dangers of misuse and abuse of prescription drugs, train health care providers on best practices for pain management, identify treatment options and alternatives to incarceration for people with addiction, and promote the safe storage and disposal of prescription drugs. The recommendations outlined and issues discussed in the Charlottesville summit will be factored into the overall recommendations by the task force.

The full agenda is below.

Virginia Heroin and Prescription Drug Summit

October 2, 2014

Charlottesville Doubletree Hotel

AGENDA

8:30 a.m.         Opening Remarks           

                        The Honorable Brian Moran

                        Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security

                               

            The Honorable Mark Herring

            Attorney General            

9:00 a.m.          Plenary Session

Personal Impact: Stories of Tragedy and Survival

               

Moderator:        Phillip Figura

Assistant Attorney General

Panelists:

Teresa Nelson, Stephens City, Virginia

Carolyn Weems, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Honesty Brackett Liller, Richmond, Virginia

10:30 a.m.       Plenary Session                                                                                               

Heroin by the Numbers: Data in Virginia

                               

Moderator:        Victoria Cochran

Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security

Panelists:

William Gormley, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Examiner, Virginia Department of Health

Linda Jackson, Director, Virginia Department of Forensic Science

Jayne Thatcher, Ph.D., Toxicology Group Supervisor, Virginia Department of Forensic Science

Mellie Randall, Director, Office of Substance Abuse Services, Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services

Captain Gary Settle, Division Commander, Virginia State Police, Culpeper Field Office

Gregory Cherundolo, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration

12:15 p.m.        Keynote Speaker:           

The Honorable Michael Botticelli

Acting Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy

                               

1:00 p.m.          Director Botticelli, Attorney General Herring, and Secretary Moran media availability

1:15 p.m.          Plenary Session

Policy and Legislation: Strategies for Virginia

                               

Moderator:        Marc Birnbaum

Assistant Attorney General

Panelists:

The Honorable Timothy Heaphy, U.S. Attorney, Western District of Virginia

Tonya Vincent, Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security  

The Honorable Nancy Parr, Commonwealth’s Attorney, City of Chesapeake

Chief Timothy Longo, Sr., Charlottesville Police Department

The Honorable Timothy Carter, Sheriff, Shenandoah County and Chairman, Northwest Virginia Regional Drug/Gang Task Force

2:30 p.m.         Regional Breakout Sessions

4:00 p.m.         Regional Reports and Recommendations                                            

                               

4:30 p.m.         Adjourn

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Virginia Governor and Attorney General Thumb Nose At State Constitution

3 girls kissing. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 5129 Offered June 19, 2014 Directing the Speaker of the House of Delegates to appoint counsel in the court in whichBostic v. Rainey is pending to permit the General Assembly to intervene and defend vigorously the constitutionality of Article I, Section 15-A in such court and in all other proceedings in any other court.


---------- Patron-- Marshall, R.G. ---------- Committee Referral Pending ----------

WHEREAS, the plaintiffs in Bostic v. Rainey (Bostic),  now pending in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, attack the constitutionality of Article I, Section 15-A of the Constitution of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, engagement of special counsel in Bostic is necessary because Mark R. Herring, the Attorney General of Virginia, without legal  authority and without precedent, not only ceased defending the validity of Article I, Section 15-A but joined the plaintiffs in convincing the trial judge to hold that Article I, Section 15-A was unconstitutional; and

WHEREAS, engagement of special counsel in Bostic is also necessary because the Governor of Virginia, violating his constitutional obligation under Article V, § 7 of the Constitution of Virginia to ensure that the laws of the Commonwealth be faithfully executed,  has refused to exercise the authority granted to him by § 2.2-510 of the Code of Virginia to employ special counsel to defend the constitutionality of Article I, Section 15-A of the Constitution of Virginia; and

WHEREAS, the case of INS v. Chada, 462 U.S. 919 (1983), involved a situation analogous to that involved in Bostic in which the United States House of Representatives and Senate successfully intervened, and the United States Supreme Court stated that Congress is the proper party to defend the validity of a statute when an agency of government, as a defendant charged with enforcing the statute, agrees with plaintiffs that the statute is inapplicable or unconstitutional; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Speaker of the House of Delegates engage special legal counsel to move the court in which Bostic v. Raineyis pending to permit the General Assembly to intervene and defend vigorously the constitutionality of Article I, Section 15-A in such court and in all other proceedings in any other court.

(The Governor and the Attorney General both took oaths of office and in that oath, swore to uphold the Constitution of Virginia.  Neither one of them is willing to do so and if they are not willing to do so here, what other areas are they going to destroy?  What laws are they willing to break to get their way?  Why are Virginians allowing this?  In a democratic republic, the people decide.  That decision was already made by the people.  Now these two clowns are doing everything they can to destroy the state Constitution.  They both need to be thrown out of office once and for all.  They are no friends to "WE THE PEOPLE", but instead they are political terrorists!)

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Virginia Attorney General; Private Law Firm For State Officials Only?

This was recently sent to us by one of our readers.  It shows something rather disturbing and it comes straight out of the Virginia Attorney General, Mark Herring's, office.  We are reprinting the message below.

Thank you for contacting the office of Attorney General Mark Herring.  We appreciate your taking the time to write to our office.

            The Office of the Attorney General functions as the law firm for state government and does not provide legal advice to private individuals.  The Office advises state officials and represents the various state agencies and departments, as well as renders opinions at the request of state officials.  Due to statutory restrictions, conflict of interest rules and other policy considerations, we are unable to render private legal advice or otherwise assist citizens in legal matters. 

            Having said this and after further review of your letter, I regret that this Office does not have the jurisdiction to assist in this matter.  I encourage you to reach out to the Virginia State Police for assistance with this investigation.

            If our office can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

Brittany,

Director of Constituent Service

The name of the reader that this was addressed to has been removed.  Now this is where it gets interesting.  The reason for the contact had nothing to do with asking for legal advice.  It asked specifically for an investigation into interstate fraud.  Looking at the statement coming out of Mr Herring's office, it would seem that the statement made is that the Attorney General's office here in the state of Virginia is to serve only as the private law firm for state officials.  

Let's take a look back in time to about the year 1902.  We are going to quote straight from a text book that was written about the Virginia Constitution.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL.

 Elected. By the people for four years. Salary, $2,500 and mileage. Duties. Shall give his opinion and advice when required to do so by the Governor, or by any of the public boards and officers at the seat of government; shall appear as counsel for the State in all cases in which the commonwealth is interested, depending in the Supreme Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of the United States, the District and Circuit Courts of the United States for the State of Virginia, and shall discharge such other duties as may be imposed by the General Assembly.

 Member of the State Board of Education. An attorney is a person who acts for and in the place of another. The word is usually applied to a lawyer who is employed by another to act for him in any law business he wishes to have done. An attorney who appears in a court of law and acts or defends a person, or acts against a person accused of crime, is called a counsel.

 The attorney-general is a lawyer who is elected to do law business for the State. He must appear in court as counsel for the State in every case in which the commonwealth (meaning the whole people) is interested. The commonwealth is interested in every case of crime, because it is for the interest or well-being of the people that those who commit crime should be punished. If this were not done— if criminals, persons who commit murder or burglary or theft—were not arrested and punished, no man's life or property would be safe. The attorney-general must appear and act for the commonwealth in any of the courts above mentioned whenever there is a case in any of them in which the people of the State are interested.

Now maybe this is why we have Commonwealth attorneys throughout the state.  But it does not answer why this office should not be looking into any issues of Interstate fraud. 

Civil Government of Virginia, Constitutional Law from Chuck Thompson

This is the book where that information has been taken from.  See page 25 of the above book for that quote.

Let's now look at what the online information says about the duties and responsibilities of the Virginia Attorney General.

Duties

The duties and powers of the office of the attorney general include:^[1]

• Provide legal advice and representation to the Governor and executive agencies, state boards and commissions, and institutions of higher education. The advice commonly includes help with personnel issues, contracts, purchasing, regulatory and real estate matters and the review of proposed legislation. The Office also represents those agencies in court.
• Provide written legal advice in the form of official opinions to members of the General Assembly and government officials.
• Defend criminal convictions on appeal, and defend the state when prisoners sue concerning their incarceration.
• Defend the constitutionality of state laws when they are challenged in court.
• Enforce state laws that protect businesses and consumers when there are violations. Individual consumer complaints are usually handled by another agency.
• Represent consumers in utility matters before the State Corporation Commission.
• Collect debts owed to state agencies, hospitals and universities.
• Conduct or assist criminal investigations and prosecutions in certain limited cases (for example Medicaid fraud, money laundering, theft of state property, environmental crimes, and computer crimes).
• Represent the Department of Social Services in its efforts to collect child support on behalf of children and families.
• Supervise the appointment and payment of private attorneys hired by other state agencies for various matters.
• Assist victims of crime who are following criminal cases at the appellate level.
• Provide information to the public on Identity Theft prevention and remediation.
• Administer grants to help reduce crimes involving gangs, drugs and sex predators.
• Administer the Sexually Violent Predator Civil Commitment Program to protect children from the most dangerous predators.

A complete list of the duties of the office is outlined in the Virginia state code.^[2]

The above comes from this website.

http://ballotpedia.org/Attorney_General_of_Virginia

But our present Virginia state Constitution says as follows;

Section 2. People the source of power.

That all power is vested in, and consequently derived from, the people, that magistrates are their trustees and servants, and at all times amenable to them.

The Virginia Attorney General is an elected official.  That means he is a servant of the people, not the private law firm for state officials only.  Yet as we move more to a total socialist nation, we are seeing that the term elected official no longer has any real meaning to it other than our rights no longer exist.  It's right there in the history before your eyes.  One could argue that society has become more complex and therefore the need to limit powers to this office is much needed.  It's an argument that does not stand.  More complex than what?  It's always been complex.  The bottom line is this, that answer that came out of Mark Herring's office is unacceptable.  At the very least, a contact person should have been setup for the person and the information passed on to the office recommended.  It was not.  Why?  Was his office trying to send the person who contacted them on some kind of wild goose chase and good luck, don't come back situation?  

  Did someone just decide they did not want to do something that resembled work?  Imagine.

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