Showing posts with label Mark Warner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Warner. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Governor McAuliffe Announces Special Election Date for Eric Cantor’s Congressional Seat

English: The state seal of Virginia. Српски / ...
. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
 Governor Terry McAuliffe signed a writ of elections declaring a special election to replace the congressional seat vacated by Representative Eric Cantor for November 4th, 2014:
                                                           
“I thank Congressman Cantor for his years of service to Virginia and for his fierce commitment to protecting Virginia’s economic and military assets as majority leader in Congress. Eric Cantor has dedicated his life to public service and I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

“In order to make this transition as smooth as possible for Congressman Cantor’s constituents and use Virginia resources most efficiently, a special election to fill the vacant seat will be held on Election Day, Tuesday, November 4th, 2014. Holding a special election on this day will ensure that the people of the 7th District will be represented as soon as practicable during the lame duck session and put Virginia’s congressional delegation in the strongest position possible at the beginning of the next congress.”

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Gloucester, VA What Glo-Quips Didn't Tell You, July, 2014


If you caught this paper or if you missed it, there is a good deal you were not told about the story.  So we are going to fill in the holes for you.

Here is the crux of the story.

 Sec. 3-18. Animals in enclosed vehicles.permanent link to this piece of content

(a)
It shall be unlawful to leave any animal in a vehicle without the benefit of air conditioning when the outside temperature reaches eighty (80) degrees fahrenheit or greater.
(b)
Any person who confines an animal in an unattended vehicle so as to cause the animal to suffer from heat stress, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The animal control officer or other officer shall have the authority to remove any animal found in an enclosed vehicle that appears to be suffering from heat stress. The animal shall be provided immediate veterinary care. The animal owner or custodian shall be responsible for all expenses incurred during the removal of the animal or its subsequent treatment and impoundment.
(c)
In the event that the person responsible for the violation cannot be ascertained, the registered owner of the vehicle, as required by Chapter 6 of Title 46.2 of the Code of Virginia, shall constitute in evidence a prima facie presumption that such registered owner was the person who committed the violation.
(Ord. of 7-1-2008(1), § (2); Ord. of 2-5-2013(1))

That's the entire story inside the paper.  It came out after we brought up the following with a number of county officials.




Now what is interesting here is that a local ordinance can not supersede state code nor Federal Laws.  According to everything we have looked up, neither the local government nor the state government can regulate vehicle manufacturers and what is required in a vehicle.  So we see Gloucester thinks it can supersede state and Federal rules?

Here is a copy of an email we sent to the Sheriff's department.

 Greetings;

  We want to help.  Since we can not find any State codes that are equal to Gloucester County AC Section 3-18, we have started a campaign to help get this to both the State and Federal Government.  We have contacted the State Attorney General asking him to look into getting state codes created to fall into compliance with our county ordinance.  We have also contacted Congressman Rob Wittman and Senator Mark Warner as well as President Obama asking that they get together and create laws to get into compliance with Gloucester County.

The following is exactly what we sent out to the above;

Greetings (Addressed to the person in question);

  I am wondering why I am unable to find a state code or Federal Law that is in compliance with a Gloucester County, Virginia Ordinance, Animal Control Ordinance 3-18.

 Sec. 3-18. Animals in enclosed vehicles.permanent link to this piece of content

(a)
It shall be unlawful to leave any animal in a vehicle without the benefit of air conditioning when the outside temperature reaches eighty (80) degrees fahrenheit or greater.
(b)
Any person who confines an animal in an unattended vehicle so as to cause the animal to suffer from heat stress, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The animal control officer or other officer shall have the authority to remove any animal found in an enclosed vehicle that appears to be suffering from heat stress. The animal shall be provided immediate veterinary care. The animal owner or custodian shall be responsible for all expenses incurred during the removal of the animal or its subsequent treatment and impoundment.
(c)
In the event that the person responsible for the violation cannot be ascertained, the registered owner of the vehicle, as required by Chapter 6 of Title 46.2 of the Code of Virginia, shall constitute in evidence a prima facie presumption that such registered owner was the person who committed the violation.
(Ord. of 7-1-2008(1), § (2); Ord. of 2-5-2013(1))

  I am asking that the state of Virginia and Federal Government work together and please look into this and get into compliance with Gloucester County, VA ordinance 3-18.  Municode Link is https://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientID=10843&stateID=46&statename=Virginia

  To show how the state and Federal Government is in fact out of compliance with local ordinance.

Now to offer some more ideas, we are working on building an email campaign to send to all of the vehicle manufacturers demanding that all vehicles sold in the USA and Canada now be equipped with Air Conditioning as it is unknown if any of those vehicles will ever come through Gloucester County transporting an animal during temperatures above 80 Degrees and we do not need people committing criminal acts in this county.

  We see several opportunities for generating revenue from this that we would like to share with you.  

1.)  We would recommend that deputies now go throughout the county, to each car lot and or anyone who is selling a vehicle and make sure that the vehicle has a working air conditioner.  If it does not, then a fine should be imposed on the seller for each violation and the vehicle should be removed from future sale until it meets compliance.

2.)  Meeting this compliance may cause some people undue burdens, so we are also recommending selling a mandatory county decal that creates a statement from the owner that the vehicle does not have air conditioning and thus will never be used for transporting animals at anytime where temperatures meet or exceed 80 degrees.  Even if the purchaser does not own an animal, this decal should still be made mandatory as one never knows when they will be called on to transport any animal from a neighbor, friend or road emergency.  This would take care of any issues from 1 above.

We also believe that people should be prosecuted for violations to this county ordinance.  We would like to suggest that the Sheriff's office please start with 4 people we know who are violating this policy right now.  Gloucester Animal Control has 4 trucks in violation of this code right now and these criminals need to be made examples of.

Please forward a copy of this email to Sheriff Darrell Warren.

If you have any comments, suggestions or more ideas, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We are more than happy to help with this vital issue.

We sent out emails last night and have already heard from Senator Mark Warner.  His email is as follows.

I appreciate the trust and confidence you have shown in me by contacting me with your letter in which you requested my assistance with your question regarding federal codes protecting animals. 

In an effort to be of assistance to you, I have referred your letter to the Congressional Research Service (CRS)I will promptly forward any information I may receive from CRS to you.

My staff and I stand ready to be of assistance in any other matter that is of concern to you.

Sincerely,
MARK R. WARNER
United States Senator

All we can say at this point is that if the county government is going to make up it's own ordinances, it better be prepared for the consequences that go along with them.  We will keep you up to date with this story as it progresses.  

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Governor McAuliffe Announces First Shipment of Poultry Exports to China from Virginia in Seven Years

National emblem of the People's Republic of China
National emblem of the People's Republic of China (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
~ China Lifted Long-Standing Ban on Virginia Poultry Products in May; Commonwealth Estimates at least $20 Million in New Exports to China in 2014 ~

NORFOLK – Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today that after almost seven years Virginia poultry exports resumed to the People’s Republic of China, with the first shipment leaving Perdue Foods Incorporated’s cold-storage export facility in Norfolk.  This shipment from Perdue’s facility includes chicken wing tips, which will leave the Port of Virginia on Friday, and is expected to arrive in Shenzhen, Guangdong State, China on August 3rd.  The Governor, who witnessed the poultry products being loaded at the Perdue facility, was joined by Perdue Foods Vice President, International Carlos Ayala and Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore.  Perdue anticipates increasing its volumes shipped from Virginia by roughly 35% this year as a result of the ban being lifted.

Commenting on the now-resumed poultry export business to China, Governor McAuliffe said, “I am thrilled to see poultry products being exported from Virginia to China for the first time since 2007.  I made having the long-standing ban removed a top economic priority of my administration, so I wanted to be in Norfolk to witness firsthand the vessel being loaded.  The resumption of business means more trade and revenue generation opportunities for Virginia’s poultry industry and the many related businesses that work to move product from our family farms into the global marketplace.  This will also bring significant benefits to the Port of Virginia, an entity that I want to become the East Coast capital for agricultural and forestry product exports.”

In 2007, following an isolated case of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) reported on a single farm in Virginia, China placed a ban on all poultry produced in Virginia, poultry transiting through Virginia, and poultry that is exported from any port in Virginia.  Virginia and federal officials contended that China’s ban was not justified by scientific data, as the isolated LPAI occurrence did not pose a food safety or poultry health risk.  Because of the ban, Virginia had been excluded from taking advantage of business in this high growth market.  China is currently one of the top foreign markets for U.S. poultry, purchasing more than $416 million last year, with Georgia, Mississippi, and North Carolina as leading suppliers. 

Secretary Haymore noted, “Today’s shipment marks a great day for Virginia’s poultry industry and Virginia’s growing relationship with China, our largest export customer of agricultural and forestry products.  We estimate conservatively that Virginia will see at least $20 million in poultry exports to China during the first full year the market is open, but we’re hoping to far exceed that number. We have great assets that will allow us to accomplish that goal including: Virginia’s existing business with China; the Governor’s commitment to expanding that business; our agricultural trade representative in Shanghai working to generate new sales leads; and an aggressive poultry industry producing high quality and wholesome products. I am confident that we have the infrastructure in place to quickly re-establish Virginia as one of China’s top poultry purchasers.”

On May 5, Chinese and U.S. officials notified the McAuliffe Administration that the ban, instituted in July 2007, was rescinded by China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and China’s Ministry of Agriculture (MOA).  From January until late April, Governor McAuliffe and Secretary Haymore met and worked with numerous partners to lift the ban, including: Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai; U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus; U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack; and U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Michael Froman.  The McAuliffe administration’s focus on resolving this trade issue built upon work that Virginia officials, including former Governor Bob McDonnell, Senator Mark Warner, Senator Tim Kaine, Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA 7th), Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA 6th), and Congressman Robert Hurt (R-VA 5th), among others, did over the last seven years to re-open the Chinese market to Virginia poultry.  Hobey Bauhan of the Virginia Poultry Federation and Jim Sumner of the U.S.A. Poultry & Egg Export Council were also instrumental in Virginia’s work with U.S. authorities and Chinese government officials.

China ranked as the number one market for Virginia’s agricultural exports in 2013 with more than $580 million in purchases.  However, the country’s market has remained closed to Virginia poultry products for the past seven years.  The total value of Virginia poultry exports exceeded $186 million in 2013, with China absent as a major potential market for Virginia.  Agricultural and forestry exports from Virginia reached a record high of $2.85 billion in 2013.

The poultry industry is the largest individual sector of Virginia’s agriculture industry.  With annual farm cash receipts in excess of $950 million, poultry accounts for more than 30 percent of all Virginia's cash receipts from agriculture.  Virginia's poultry industry depends on fair access to foreign markets in order to support continued prosperity.

According to a 2013 economic impact study conducted by Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia, agriculture is Virginia’s largest industry, generating more than $52 billion per annum. The industry also provides more than 310,000 jobs in the Commonwealth.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Senator Mark R Warner, Saving Every Dollar

English: Mark Warner, member of the United Sta...
English: Mark Warner, member of the United States Senate from Virginia since 2009. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
There is one thing in Washington that everyone should be able to agree on, and that is we must improve how our government works. I’m happy to report the President has signed our bipartisan Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, or DATA Act into law. This groundbreaking government reform legislation will allow Virginians to track exactly how their tax dollars are being spent by the federal government.

Because of the DATA Act, every federal agency must now display their financial data in the same format on a single easy-to-read website. The public should be able to see clearly how much each agency and program across government spends. With a national debt of $17 trillion (and growing every day), I know it’s more important than ever that we reduce unnecessary spending. 




And I’ve only just begun – I’m working on several other bills that will improve government efficiency. For example, I recently introduced another bipartisan bill that would eliminate duplication, wasteful and unnecessary reports that federal agencies produce. The Washington Post had a story about our legislation, and reported that Congress is still ordering up six reports about the Soviet Union, a country that dissolved in 1991, as well as about Spanish-American War veterans, the last of whom died in 1994. I think that’s ridiculous. My legislation would eliminate or modify more than 300 of the worst offenders that are wasting money and staff hours.    

None of these initiatives will fix all of our budget problems, but increasing transparency is critical to accountability. That’s what I learned over more than 20 years in business and as Virginia’s governor, when I was proud that Virginia was named the best managed state. The passage of the DATA Act proves that Washington still can come together on a bipartisan basis to pass commonsense reforms that put the taxpayers first. I promise to keep working in the Senate to continue to hold the federal government accountable for waste, fraud, and inefficiency, and give the taxpayers the transparency they deserve. 

Regards, 

Mark R. Warner


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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Governor McAuliffe Announces Administration Appointments

Terry McAuliffe by David Shankbone, New York City
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
RICHMOND – Governor Terry McAuliffe announced additional appointments to his administration today. The appointees will join McAuliffe’s administration focused on finding common ground with members of both parties on issues that will grow Virginia’s economy and create more jobs across the Commonwealth.


Secretariat of Commerce and Trade

Carlton “Ray” Davenport, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry
Carlton “Ray” Davenport previously served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Virginia AFL-CIO, one of two executive officers of the organization.  Prior to being elected an officer at the Virginia AFL-CIO, Ray served as Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry from 2002-2009 in Governor Mark Warner and Governor Tim Kaine’s administrations. He was responsible for general management/supervision of Virginia’s occupational safety & health state plan, enforcement of labor & employment laws, registered apprenticeship programs, and overseeing the certification and safe operation of commercial boilers and pressure vessels. Ray is a product of Virginia’s registered apprenticeship program graduating as a journeyman crane operator, and was later elected as business manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 147.  He served 13 years as principal officer of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 147 as well as 7 years as President of the Virginia State Building and Construction Trades prior to being appointed as Virginia’s Commissioner of Labor & Industry. Ray holds a B.A. in Labor Studies from George Meany Center for Labor Studies/Antioch University and a M.S. from University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Lawrence D. “Larry” Wilder, Jr., Advisor for Social Entrepreneurism and Innovation of the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity
Lawrence D. “Larry” Wilder, Jr. previously served as Assistant Secretary of Education focusing on issues of charter schools, college laboratory schools, and financial literacy. Prior to that role, he was a Special Assistant for Reentry Education, working on the Governor’s Prisoner Reentry Initiative on issues of education, housing and workforce development. Larry has served as a consultant with Unisphere Development Strategies, which focused on economic development in low-income communities; Strategic Markets Director in the Los Angeles office of Urban America, an investment advisor and asset manager specializing in urban commercial and mixed-use real estate investment; and practiced law for 14 years with the law firm of Wilder & Gregory in Richmond. Additionally, Larry held a variety of finance and advisory positions including with the Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System, Jackson Securities, The World Bank’s International Finance Corporation, and Pacific Community Ventures. Larry also served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1992-1994. Larry earned both a B.A in Economics and a J.D. from the University of Virginia, and is a member of the Virginia State Bar. He also holds a M.B.A. from the University of Southern California.



Andrew K. Block, Jr., Director of the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice
Block was an Associate Professor and Director of the Child Advocacy Clinic at the University of Virginia School of Law from 2010-2014.  From 1998 until the spring of 2010 he was the founder and Legal Director of the JustChildren Program of the Legal Aid Justice Center.  He started the program to meet the unaddressed legal needs of court-involved youth in the Charlottesville area. Over time the program expanded and included lawyers in Charlottesville, Richmond, and Petersburg, statewide policy advocacy for vulnerable young people, and training for judges, lawyers, child-serving professionals, and parents. Andy received various awards for his innovative and successful work at JustChildren, including the American Bar Association Young Lawyer’s Division Child Advocacy Award, the Virginia State Bar’s Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year, the Virginia Bar Association’s Robert F. Shepherd, Jr. Award, and the Charlottesville Daily Progress Distinguished Dozen. Block graduated from Yale University in 1987 and from the Northwestern University School of Law in 1994.

Francine C. Ecker, Director of the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services
Ecker was the Senior Policy Advisor for Strategic Planning for the National Criminal Justice Association, where she consulted with federal, state, and local government in the areas of criminal justice planning, evidence-based program development, and organizational management.  She previously served as a Division Director at the Department of Criminal Justice Services, where she was responsible for the Corrections, Juvenile, and Victim Services Sections of the agency, as well as for Department training activities. Ecker has over 25 years of management experience in state and local government.  Throughout her career in government service, and previous work as the Executive Director of a rural victim services program in the New River Valley, she has been instrumental in the design, development, and implementation of state and local criminal justice, prosecution, law enforcement, child welfare, and domestic and sexual violence grant programs.  She served for several years as a clinical consultant to a local community corrections program in Central Virginia. Ms. Ecker earned her B.S.W. in Social Welfare in 1978 and Ed.M. in Counseling Psychology in 1981 from Temple University.
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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Governor McAuliffe Announces Appointments to the Virginia Commission on Higher Education Board Appointments

Dr. Charles Steger (en) on the field to thank ...
Dr. Charles Steger  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
RICHMOND – While speaking at today’s Charter Day Celebration at the College of William and Mary, Governor Terry McAuliffe announced his appointments to the Virginia Commission on Higher Education Board Appointments today. The appointees will work with the Governor to choose the best leaders for Virginia’s colleges and universities.



Virginia Commission on Higher Education Board Appointments

When Dr. Charles Steger completes his tenure as President of Virginia Tech on June 1st, he will join the Virginia Commission on Higher Education Board Appointments. Dr. Steger has held the position of President of Virginia Tech for 13 years, where he has helped grow the university and solidify its position as a leading institution of higher education in Virginia and across the globe. Prior to becoming President, Dr. Steger served in a range of positions including Dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Studies and Vice President for Development and University Relations. He is chairman of the Council of Presidents of Virginia Colleges and Universities and has been appointed by five Governors of Virginia to various boards dealing with higher education, homeland security, information technology, and international education. Steger received his Bachelor of Architecture degree, Master of Architecture degree, and Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering from Virginia Tech.

Eva Teig Hardy
Eva Teig Hardy retired as executive vice president of Public Policy and Corporate Communications at Dominion Resources in 2008 after 20 years as an executive with the company.  She currently serves as a consultant to the Chairman, President and CEO of Dominion. A native of Egypt, Hardy immigrated to Portsmouth, Virginia with her family when she was 13 years old.  She received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Hood College in Frederick, MD and a master’s degree in government and public administration from the American University, Washington, DC. In addition to her private-sector experience, Hardy spent 17 years in local and state government, serving in several positions with the City of Portsmouth, Virginia from 1972 to 1981.  She became Commissioner of Labor for Virginia in 1983, and served as Secretary of Health and Human Resources from 1986 to 1990 in the administration of Virginia Gov. Gerald L. Baliles. She served as Interim State Director for US Senator Mark R. Warner in 2009. She has served as Vice Chair of the State Council of Higher Education and on the Board of Trustees of her alma mater, Hood College.

Joni L. Ivey
Joni L. Ivey serves as the Chief of Staff for Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, a position she has held since 1994.  Prior to 1994, Ms. Ivey was Representative Scott’s Legislative Assistant in the Virginia General Assembly.  This year marks her 37th year with Congressman Scott. Active in the community for more than 3 decades, Ms. Ivey was the first woman to be elected President of the Newport News Branch NAACP.  She is a member of the Hampton Links and the Junior League of Hampton Roads. Ms. Ivey is a native of Newport News, a graduate of George Washington Carver High School and Norfolk State University.

Leonard W. Sandridge, Jr.
In July 2011, Leonard Sandridge retired as executive vice president and chief operating officer of the University of Virginia, having served the university for 44 years. From July 2011 until January 2014, he served as special advisor to the President of the University of Virginia. Leonard joined UVa in 1967 as a member of the internal audit staff and held various administrative and finance positions prior to being named executive vice president in 1993.  In 1999, he was appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer.  A native of Crozet, Virginia, Leonard served in the U.S. Army from 1964 to 1966 and from 1966 to 1984 he was an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve.  Since July 2012, he has served as a senior advisor to the UVa Board of Visitors.  Leonard received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond in 1964 and his master’s degree. from the University of Virginia in 1974.

Jeffrey B. Trammell
Jeffrey Trammell served as Rector of the College of William & Mary from 2011 to 2013.  He served on William & Mary’s Board of Visitors from 2005 to 2013, where he chaired the Strategic Initiatives Committee, which developed a new long-term plan for the College.  He is a member of the Board of Trustees, Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges and the Board of Advisors, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland Medical School. Trammell was the founding chair of the board of the Thomas Jefferson Program in Public Policy at William and Mary. In his non-academic activities, Jeff Trammell is president and founder of Trammell and Company, a consulting firm in Washington, D.C., which advises corporations on external affairs. Previously, Trammell served as Senior Managing Director of Public Affairs at Hill & Knowlton, a worldwide communications firm for twelve years. Trammell worked in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served as counsel to the chair of the subcommittee on health and the environment. Trammell received a bachelor’s degree in History in 1973 from the College of William and Mary and a juris doctor in 1977 from Florida State University.
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