The Child's Story, Charles Dickens Christmas Story

christmas tree (Photo credit: fsse8info)

Once upon a time, a good many years ago, there was a traveller, and he set out upon a journey. It was a magic journey, and was to seem very long when he began it, and very short when he got half way through.

He travelled along a rather dark path for some little time, without meeting anything, until at last he came to a beautiful child. So he said to the child, "What do you do here?" And the child said, "I am always at play. Come and play with me!"

So, he played with that child, the whole day long, and they were very merry. The sky was so blue, the sun was so bright, the water was so sparkling, the leaves were so green, the flowers were so lovely, and they heard such singing-birds and saw so many butteries, that everything was beautiful. This was in fine weather. When it rained, they loved to watch the falling drops, and to smell the fresh scents. When it blew, it was delightful to listen to the wind, and fancy what it said, as it came rushing from its home— where was that, they wondered!—whistling and howling, driving the clouds before it, bending the trees, rumbling in the chimneys, shaking the house, and making the sea roar in fury. But, when it snowed, that was best of all; for, they liked nothing so well as to look up at the white flakes falling fast and thick, like down from the breasts of millions of white birds; and to see how smooth and deep the drift was; and to listen to the hush upon the paths and roads.

They had plenty of the finest toys in the world, and the most astonishing picture-books: all about scimitars and slippers and turbans, and dwarfs and giants and genii and fairies, and blue- beards and bean-stalks and riches and caverns and forests and Valentines and Orsons: and all new and all true.

But, one day, of a sudden, the traveller lost the child. He called to him over and over again, but got no answer. So, he went upon his road, and went on for a little while without meeting anything, until at last he came to a handsome boy. So, he said to the boy, "What do you do here?" And the boy said, "I am always learning. Come and learn with me."

So he learned with that boy about Jupiter and Juno, and the Greeks and the Romans, and I don't know what, and learned more than I could tell—or he either, for he soon forgot a great deal of it. But, they were not always learning; they had the merriest games that ever were played. They rowed upon the river in summer, and skated on the ice in winter; they were active afoot, and active on horseback; at cricket, and all games at ball; at prisoner's base, hare and hounds, follow my leader, and more sports than I can think of; nobody could beat them. They had holidays too, and Twelfth cakes, and parties where they danced till midnight, and real Theatres where they saw palaces of real gold and silver rise out of the real earth, and saw all the wonders of the world at once. As to friends, they had such dear friends and so many of them, that I want the time to reckon them up. They were all young, like the handsome boy, and were never to be strange to one another all their lives through.

Still, one day, in the midst of all these pleasures, the traveller lost the boy as he had lost the child, and, after calling to him in vain, went on upon his journey. So he went on for a little while without seeing anything, until at last he came to a young man. So, he said to the young man, "What do you do here?" And the young man said, "I am always in love. Come and love with me."

So, he went away with that young man, and presently they came to one of the prettiest girls that ever was seen—just like Fanny in the corner there—and she had eyes like Fanny, and hair like Fanny, and dimples like Fanny's, and she laughed and coloured just as Fanny does while I am talking about her. So, the young man fell in love directly—just as Somebody I won't mention, the first time he came here, did with Fanny. Well! he was teased sometimes—just as Somebody used to be by Fanny; and they quarrelled sometimes—just as Somebody and Fanny used to quarrel; and they made it up, and sat in the dark, and wrote letters every day, and never were happy asunder, and were always looking out for one another and pretending not to, and were engaged at Christmas-time, and sat close to one another by the fire, and were going to be married very soon—all exactly like Somebody I won't mention, and Fanny!

But, the traveller lost them one day, as he had lost the rest of his friends, and, after calling to them to come back, which they never did, went on upon his journey. So, he went on for a little while without seeing anything, until at last he came to a middle-aged gentleman. So, he said to the gentleman, "What are you doing here?" And his answer was, "I am always busy. Come and be busy with me!"

So, he began to be very busy with that gentleman, and they went on through the wood together. The whole journey was through a wood, only it had been open and green at first, like a wood in spring; and now began to be thick and dark, like a wood in summer; some of the little trees that had come out earliest, were even turning brown. The gentleman was not alone, but had a lady of about the same age with him, who was his Wife; and they had children, who were with them too. So, they all went on together through the wood, cutting down the trees, and making a path through the branches and the fallen leaves, and carrying burdens, and working hard.

Sometimes, they came to a long green avenue that opened into deeper woods. Then they would hear a very little, distant voice crying, "Father, father, I am another child! Stop for me!" And presently they would see a very little figure, growing larger as it came along, running to join them. When it came up, they all crowded round it, and kissed and welcomed it; and then they all went on together.

Sometimes, they came to several avenues at once, and then they all stood still, and one of the children said, "Father, I am going to sea," and another said, "Father, I am going to India," and another, "Father, I am going to seek my fortune where I can," and another, "Father, I am going to Heaven!" So, with many tears at parting, they went, solitary, down those avenues, each child upon its way; and the child who went to Heaven, rose into the golden air and vanished.

Whenever these partings happened, the traveller looked at the gentleman, and saw him glance up at the sky above the trees, where the day was beginning to decline, and the sunset to come on. He saw, too, that his hair was turning grey. But, they never could rest long, for they had their journey to perform, and it was necessary for them to be always busy.

At last, there had been so many partings that there were no children left, and only the traveller, the gentleman, and the lady, went upon their way in company. And now the wood was yellow; and now brown; and the leaves, even of the forest trees, began to fall.

So, they came to an avenue that was darker than the rest, and were pressing forward on their journey without looking down it when the lady stopped.

"My husband," said the lady. "I am called."

They listened, and they heard a voice a long way down the avenue, say, "Mother, mother!"

It was the voice of the first child who had said, "I am going to Heaven!" and the father said, "I pray not yet. The sunset is very near. I pray not yet!"

But, the voice cried, "Mother, mother!" without minding him, though his hair was now quite white, and tears were on his face.

Then, the mother, who was already drawn into the shade of the dark avenue and moving away with her arms still round his neck, kissed him, and said, "My dearest, I am summoned, and I go!" And she was gone. And the traveller and he were left alone together.

And they went on and on together, until they came to very near the end of the wood: so near, that they could see the sunset shining red before them through the trees.

Yet, once more, while he broke his way among the branches, the traveller lost his friend. He called and called, but there was no reply, and when he passed out of the wood, and saw the peaceful sun going down upon a wide purple prospect, he came to an old man sitting on a fallen tree. So, he said to the old man, "What do you do here?" And the old man said with a calm smile, "I am always remembering. Come and remember with me!"

So the traveller sat down by the side of that old man, face to face with the serene sunset; and all his friends came softly back and stood around him. The beautiful child, the handsome boy, the young man in love, the father, mother, and children: every one of them was there, and he had lost nothing. So, he loved them all, and was kind and forbearing with them all, and was always pleased to watch them all, and they all honoured and loved him. And I think the traveller must be yourself, dear Grandfather, because this what you do to us, and what we do to you.

Related articles

• CHRISTMAS AT FEZZIWIG'S WAREHOUSE by CHARLES DICKENS
• The Night Before Christmas And Other Short Stories
• If You Do Not See Merry Christmas In The Window, Just Walk On By
• The Raven - The Brother's Grimm
• Christmas Roses - Free Christmas ebook
• Aunt Susanna's Thanksgiving Dinner, Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories

Federalist Papers No. 33. The Same Subject Continued (Concerning the General Power of Taxation)

From The Independent Journal. Wednesday, January 2, 1788.

HAMILTON

To the People of the State of New York:

THE residue of the argument against the provisions of the Constitution in respect to taxation is ingrafted upon the following clause. The last clause of the eighth section of the first article of the plan under consideration authorizes the national legislature "to make all laws which shall be NECESSARY and PROPER for carrying into execution THE POWERS by that Constitution vested in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof"; and the second clause of the sixth article declares, "that the Constitution and the laws of the United States made IN PURSUANCE THEREOF, and the treaties made by their authority shall be the SUPREME LAW of the land, any thing in the constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding."

These two clauses have been the source of much virulent invective and petulant declamation against the proposed Constitution. They have been held up to the people in all the exaggerated colors of misrepresentation as the pernicious engines by which their local governments were to be destroyed and their liberties exterminated; as the hideous monster whose devouring jaws would spare neither sex nor age, nor high nor low, nor sacred nor profane; and yet, strange as it may appear, after all this clamor, to those who may not have happened to contemplate them in the same light, it may be affirmed with perfect confidence that the constitutional operation of the intended government would be precisely the same, if these clauses were entirely obliterated, as if they were repeated in every article. They are only declaratory of a truth which would have resulted by necessary and unavoidable implication from the very act of constituting a federal government, and vesting it with certain specified powers. This is so clear a proposition, that moderation itself can scarcely listen to the railings which have been so copiously vented against this part of the plan, without emotions that disturb its equanimity.

What is a power, but the ability or faculty of doing a thing? What is the ability to do a thing, but the power of employing the MEANS necessary to its execution? What is a LEGISLATIVE power, but a power of making LAWS? What are the MEANS to execute a LEGISLATIVE power but LAWS? What is the power of laying and collecting taxes, but a LEGISLATIVE POWER, or a power of MAKING LAWS, to lay and collect taxes? What are the proper means of executing such a power, but NECESSARY and PROPER laws?

This simple train of inquiry furnishes us at once with a test by which to judge of the true nature of the clause complained of. It conducts us to this palpable truth, that a power to lay and collect taxes must be a power to pass all laws NECESSARY and PROPER for the execution of that power; and what does the unfortunate and calumniated provision in question do more than declare the same truth, to wit, that the national legislature, to whom the power of laying and collecting taxes had been previously given, might, in the execution of that power, pass all laws NECESSARY and PROPER to carry it into effect? I have applied these observations thus particularly to the power of taxation, because it is the immediate subject under consideration, and because it is the most important of the authorities proposed to be conferred upon the Union. But the same process will lead to the same result, in relation to all other powers declared in the Constitution. And it is EXPRESSLY to execute these powers that the sweeping clause, as it has been affectedly called, authorizes the national legislature to pass all NECESSARY and PROPER laws. If there is any thing exceptionable, it must be sought for in the specific powers upon which this general declaration is predicated. The declaration itself, though it may be chargeable with tautology or redundancy, is at least perfectly harmless.

But SUSPICION may ask, Why then was it introduced? The answer is, that it could only have been done for greater caution, and to guard against all cavilling refinements in those who might hereafter feel a disposition to curtail and evade the legitimate authorities of the Union. The Convention probably foresaw, what it has been a principal aim of these papers to inculcate, that the danger which most threatens our political welfare is that the State governments will finally sap the foundations of the Union; and might therefore think it necessary, in so cardinal a point, to leave nothing to construction. Whatever may have been the inducement to it, the wisdom of the precaution is evident from the cry which has been raised against it; as that very cry betrays a disposition to question the great and essential truth which it is manifestly the object of that provision to declare.

But it may be again asked, Who is to judge of the NECESSITY and PROPRIETY of the laws to be passed for executing the powers of the Union? I answer, first, that this question arises as well and as fully upon the simple grant of those powers as upon the declaratory clause; and I answer, in the second place, that the national government, like every other, must judge, in the first instance, of the proper exercise of its powers, and its constituents in the last. If the federal government should overpass the just bounds of its authority and make a tyrannical use of its powers, the people, whose creature it is, must appeal to the standard they have formed, and take such measures to redress the injury done to the Constitution as the exigency may suggest and prudence justify. The propriety of a law, in a constitutional light, must always be determined by the nature of the powers upon which it is founded. Suppose, by some forced constructions of its authority (which, indeed, cannot easily be imagined), the Federal legislature should attempt to vary the law of descent in any State, would it not be evident that, in making such an attempt, it had exceeded its jurisdiction, and infringed upon that of the State? Suppose, again, that upon the pretense of an interference with its revenues, it should undertake to abrogate a landtax imposed by the authority of a State; would it not be equally evident that this was an invasion of that concurrent jurisdiction in respect to this species of tax, which its Constitution plainly supposes to exist in the State governments? If there ever should be a doubt on this head, the credit of it will be entirely due to those reasoners who, in the imprudent zeal of their animosity to the plan of the convention, have labored to envelop it in a cloud calculated to obscure the plainest and simplest truths.

But it is said that the laws of the Union are to be the SUPREME LAW of the land. But what inference can be drawn from this, or what would they amount to, if they were not to be supreme? It is evident they would amount to nothing. A LAW, by the very meaning of the term, includes supremacy. It is a rule which those to whom it is prescribed are bound to observe. This results from every political association. If individuals enter into a state of society, the laws of that society must be the supreme regulator of their conduct. If a number of political societies enter into a larger political society, the laws which the latter may enact, pursuant to the powers intrusted to it by its constitution, must necessarily be supreme over those societies, and the individuals of whom they are composed. It would otherwise be a mere treaty, dependent on the good faith of the parties, and not a government, which is only another word for POLITICAL POWER AND SUPREMACY. But it will not follow from this doctrine that acts of the large society which are NOT PURSUANT to its constitutional powers, but which are invasions of the residuary authorities of the smaller societies, will become the supreme law of the land. These will be merely acts of usurpation, and will deserve to be treated as such. Hence we perceive that the clause which declares the supremacy of the laws of the Union, like the one we have just before considered, only declares a truth, which flows immediately and necessarily from the institution of a federal government. It will not, I presume, have escaped observation, that it EXPRESSLY confines this supremacy to laws made PURSUANT TO THE CONSTITUTION; which I mention merely as an instance of caution in the convention; since that limitation would have been to be understood, though it had not been expressed.

Though a law, therefore, laying a tax for the use of the United States would be supreme in its nature, and could not legally be opposed or controlled, yet a law for abrogating or preventing the collection of a tax laid by the authority of the State, (unless upon imports and exports), would not be the supreme law of the land, but a usurpation of power not granted by the Constitution. As far as an improper accumulation of taxes on the same object might tend to render the collection difficult or precarious, this would be a mutual inconvenience, not arising from a superiority or defect of power on either side, but from an injudicious exercise of power by one or the other, in a manner equally disadvantageous to both. It is to be hoped and presumed, however, that mutual interest would dictate a concert in this respect which would avoid any material inconvenience. The inference from the whole is, that the individual States would, under the proposed Constitution, retain an independent and uncontrollable authority to raise revenue to any extent of which they may stand in need, by every kind of taxation, except duties on imports and exports. It will be shown in the next paper that this CONCURRENT JURISDICTION in the article of taxation was the only admissible substitute for an entire subordination, in respect to this branch of power, of the State authority to that of the Union.

PUBLIUS

Learn more about American History.  Visit Jamestown, Yorktown and Williamsburg, Virginia Living History Museums.

Related articles

• Anti Federalist Papers No. 32 - Federal Taxation And The Doctrine Of Implied Powers (Part 1)
• Federalist Papers No. 32. The Same Subject Continued (Concerning the General Power of Taxation)
• Anti Federalist Papers No. 30-31 - A Virginia Anti-Federalist On The Issue Of Taxation
• Federalist Papers No. 31. The Same Subject Continued (Concerning the General Power of Taxation)
• Federalist Papers No. 30. Concerning the General Power of Taxation
• Federalist Papers No. 29. Concerning the Militia

What Happens When You Remove Religion From Society?

Portrait of Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale in 1800. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We have been watching the pulse of what is coming in the very near future.  That pulse, depending on how one looks at it, does not look good for the majority of the citizenry of this country.  It has now become the hot topics at universities and certain areas of the media.  What we are talking about is further attacks on religion under the guise of separation of church and state.  The separation of church and state are an illusion at best and have never existed in this country at any time.  Here are a few items to take into consideration on the topic.  If there were really a separation of church and state, then religious holidays could never have been declared and George Washington had declared numerous federal religious holidays to include Thanksgiving.  Recently even present governor of Virginia Bob McDonnell acknowledged Thanksgiving as a state religious holiday.

  That is only one tiny area.  What about the federal government as well as the IRS recognizing the church granting tax exemptions for them?  That is official federal recognition of the church by the state.  Arlington cemetery is loaded with crosses marking the graves of dead soldiers as well as the star of David for jewish soldiers.  That is the federal and state recognition of religion.  There is no separation of church and state.  The real story behind the entire argument is a multiphase one that most people have only ever heard one side of, but never the entire story.  So we are going to educate everyone today.

  The case before the Supreme Court many decades ago that removed pray from schools comes from the judges referring to a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to a Baptist Church Minister where Mr Jefferson declined to officially recognize the Baptist church over other churches in an official capacity while Mr Jefferson was President of these United States.  Referred to as the Danbury Letter, Thomas Jefferson stated a separation between church and state, (but would have made that same distinction with any union, corporation, organization or company as well).   You can read the letter from the Baptists here.  http://candst.tripod.com/tnppage/baptist.htm  When you read it, you see that they were asking for special privilages that would have been to the detrement of all other sects of religion had Jefferson acted as they wished.  It was very deceptive in the way they were seeking those privileges, but that is what we are able to see in that letter.

 That is the story that most of us know.  It is only half the story though.  We have never been told about the rest of the story and the part that the courts ignored and would not consider when they made their landmark decision which was not correct based on the rest of the information you are about to learn.

  It was not that Thomas Jefferson was trying to create and or enforce any form of separation of church and state as we have been taught, it was that the new constitution barred the recognition of any class of people.  The Constitution set limits upon what governments could do, and, by implication, denied the force of government to groups who might use it for unlimited ends.  In other words, the United States Constitution did not give legal recognition to groups of any sort, religious or otherwise.  At law, there were no classes, orders, or groupings of men possessing privileges, duties, immunities, or exemptions.  (Now go back and read the Danbury Baptist letter again and you will see that they were seeking state recognition for the purpose of influencing state laws).

  In an opinion rendered before the New York courts in 1836 by a judge on actions of a tailor's union, the following is what the judge had to say;

   "The law leaves every individual master of his own individual acts.  But it will not suffer him to encroach upon the rights of others.  He may work or not, as suits his pleasure, but he shall not enter into a confederacy with a view of controlling others, and take measures to carry it into effect.  The reason for the distinction is manifest.  So long as individual members of the community do not resort to any acts of violence, their hostility can be guarded against.  But who can withstand an extensive combination to injure him in his calling?  When such cases, therefore, occur, the law extends its protecting shield".

  This is the part of history you are never told and most people are unaware of and at great detriment to society.  It is because of this lack of knowledge of this second aspect, that our American Freedoms have been stripped away and easily so.  To state again and make it very clear.  Under the United States Constitution,  all groups, unions, companies, corporations and the like, had a wall of separation between them and the state.  Jefferson's arguments were correct but have since been taken out of context.  That wall of separation was considered a well established fact in that period of time, whether it was any religious group, company, union, organization or corporation.  This caused groups to be devised down to individuals that were and are more easily dealt with and controlled.

  Thomas Jefferson was not arguing a case for the separation of church and state as we have all been led to believe, but instead it was the act of law that the United States Constitution did not recognize any form of groups.  Today, that simply is not the case.  If you think otherwise, please explain to us the Teachers Union.  A very clear violation of Constitutional law if any.  To argue the separation of church and state, then every and all other groups must also surrender their status of recognition and especially the lawyers.  That is not an attack on lawyers on the one hand, it is very clear however that lawyers have made very long and successful strides into serious violations of Constitutional law and taken over the system.

  Now for those willing to surrender to the small fringe groups that are more than willing to mislead you, take into consideration the following.  The backbone of civilization for centuries has always been religion.  If you are to remove religion from society as it's backbone, you must replace it with something else.  We have seen the deterioration of religion as the backbone of society for over a century now and it is being replaced by the police state.  You can argue all you want about the issues behind the police state, but to surrender one form of control is to give permission to another form of control.

  Society, whether anyone likes it or not or accepts the precepts or not, must have a form of control.  Religion has always been that backbone.  Not always just and it has been abused to no end in many areas throughout history.  The Constitution looked to make sure that no one sect of religion was able to control the nation state as it had done in other countries where either the Church of England was the official religion that everyone had to attend or give support to by law and attend service at least twice a month or be jailed.  In other countries it was the Catholic Church that controlled entire continents.  The United States Constitution, by law, made the individual the master of their own choosing in regards to religion and prevented any sect of religion from ever being able to control any area of government but also did this with companies, corporations, organizations and unions as well.

  With control of the masses needed and the removal and decay of religious precepts in our everyday society, the police state has had to take over where the church is no longer allowed and has been barred from making a difference in our society.  But what morals does the police state hold especially when it to is barred from religious precepts?

  Government is not an evil entity in and of itself,  It is the people who seek to take advantage of government for themselves and other special friends that causes evils.  Government has been forced to accept the responsibilities of control of the masses by whatever means needed.  The police state is the only logical way to do so since religion has been removed from it's rightful place and continues to be attacked at every level.

  But let's also look at the other side of the coin.  What would happen if all the churches got together and formed a new union?  It would become the most powerful union in the world bar none.  There are more churches in the United States than any other form of business.  Think about it.  How many gas stations are in your area or any form of stores or even fast food restaurants?  Compare that to the number of churches in your area.  It is a very rare area in the United States where there are not more churches in any given area than any other form of business.  (We are not calling a church a business here).  For all of them to come together and form one Union, the power they would yield is beyond imagination.

  To argue further, the First Amendment clearly states that; "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."  Removal of prayer from schools or anywhere else for that matter is a clear First Amendment violation.  Congress is barred from making laws here and the courts are barred from making any decisions over this area.  Let's look at this again.  Congress can not bar the free exercise of religion.  PROHIBITED from making ANY LAW that hinders the free exercise of religion.  FREE EXERCISE OF RELIGION!!!!!  Removal of prayer from schools or any area of government is a violation of Constitutional law.  The Bill of Rights is a part of the United States Constitution, not a separate document.   School boards are actually violating our rights every time they tell you that your child can not pray in school.

  If you think we are done here, we are not.  Let's now look at the entire First amendment.  "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."  We would put both the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press in the same category of danger here.  Freedom of religion is also part and parcel to the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press.  If the press is prohibited from covering any aspect of religion, it's own freedom has just been expired as well as the full freedom of speech.  When you tell people they do not have the right to say a prayer on government property to include schools, you have just removed the freedom of speech from that person and all people of these United States.  They are all one and the same.

  Every person has the right in these United States to claim, proclaim and or practice or not, any form of religion, so long as it is not violent or infringing on others, or to have no religious beliefs whatsoever.  One person nor any small to mid size group does not have the right to infringe on the rights and freedoms of the entire nation however.  Make no mistake, the fight is coming over the separation of church and state and they are not going to tell you about the real history of the United States Constitution and part of it is because they may not be aware of it themselves, or they do not ever want you to know the real history and truths of this nation's past.  Choose well what side you are on and what future you foresee for the youth of this nation.  For they will have to live with what we choose coming soon.  Are we to surrender them to the police state and the removal of their freedoms?
 

Related articles

• Academic defends separation of church and state
• Barbara Walters Takes Issue With Biblical Oaths Over 'Separation of Church and State'
• Church and State
• The xian burr under atheists' saddles
• Author Stephen Carter says church-state conflict inevitable, healthy (AUDIO)
• New Media Project: Religion in Schools

Governor Bob McDonnell Proposes $11 Million for Richmond Slavery and Freedom Heritage Site

English: The state seal of Virginia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tourism Industry Supports 210,000 Jobs in Commonwealth; 2012 Was Record Tourism Year in State with $21.2 Billion Generated

Virginia Tourism Funding Provides 5:1 Return on Investment

RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell has directed $11 million in his forthcoming biennial budget to the City of Richmond for the development, creation, and enhancement of the Slavery and Freedom Heritage Site in Richmond.  The proposed funding continues the governor’s commitment to strengthening Virginia’s tourism industry, which is a major revenue and job-driver in the Commonwealth. Over the past three years of the McDonnell administration, tourism funding, which has a proven 5:1 return on investment, has increased by over $5 million per year. In 2012, visitors to Virginia generated $21.2 billion in revenue from tourism in 2012, a four percent increase over 2011 and a new record high for the Commonwealth. The tourism industry in Virginia supported 210,000 jobs in 2012, an increase of one percent in employment, and provided more than $1.36 billion in state and local taxes. During the McDonnell administration, tourism revenues have continued to increase each year, with a total revenue increase of 12.3 percent since 2010.

Speaking about his budget proposal, Governor McDonnell remarked, “The institution of slavery on American soil was an abomination and affront to the dignity of every man and woman, all of whom are created in the image and likeness of God. Creating this heritage site in our capital city, where the horrific slave trade flourished, will serve as a critical historical reminder that we must be ever vigilant for the cause of justice and freedom. My recent tours of the Slave Trail and heritage site moved me to act now as we solemnly commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War.”

The governor continued, “Tourism means jobs in Virginia. Over the past four years we have invested in Virginia’s tourism industry, and that investment has paid off at a rate of 5:1. Last year tourism generated $21.2 billion in revenue in our state, and employed 210,000 people. This should come as no surprise. Virginia has a compelling and moving story to tell. Our Commonwealth is where America began, was ripped apart, came back together, and was begun anew. The story of America was written right here in Virginia. Now, we have the duty and the opportunity to tell that story to the world. In the process, we both enlighten visitors from across the globe while creating thousands of good-paying jobs for our fellow Virginians right here at home. That’s what the creation of the Richmond Slavery and Freedom Heritage Site will do. It will bring thousands of visitors to our state’s capital, continue to tell the story of Virginia and America, as imperfect and tough as it is, and spur economic development and job creation. This is a targeted, smart investment of state dollars. It is good for education and history; it is good for our economy; it is even better for our country. I look forward to witnessing the construction and opening of this important historical landmark in the years ahead, and I want to thank Mayor Dwight Jones, Delegate Delores McQuinn, Governor Doug Wilder and others who all provided valuable input on the need for this important project.”

“This investment is so important because we’ve never fully or properly told the story of what happened in Richmond,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones of Richmond. “The trade in enslaved human beings formed the economic backbone of this Commonwealth for centuries. As Richmonders and as Americans, we need to tell the full story of our country’s experience from enslavement to emancipation. Governor McDonnell’s budget proposal will help make it possible to tell this story in a bold way, and it will bring more people to Richmond to learn about the experiences of the men, women, and children who built this Commonwealth while living in bondage.”

Delegate Delores L. McQuinn (D-Richmond) noted, “I am elated that Gov. McDonnell is including 11 million dollars in his biennial budget to help advance the development of the Slave Trail to make Richmond an international destination. The monies will be used to educate citizens about the atrocities of slavery in America and the triumph of those enslaved persons after emancipation. For over a decade The Richmond Slave Trail Commission has worked tirelessly to tell this story of tragedy to triumph. Governor McDonnell’s visionary leadership will create an inheritance for generations to come as they learn about the African-American experiences, contributions and legacy to the United States and world history.”

Specifically, the governor’s budget amendments disburse the $11 million as follows:

·         $5 million for the planning, design and construction of the Pavilion at Lumpkin's Jail

·         $1 million for improvements to the Richmond Slave Trail

·         $5 million for the planning, design and construction of a slavery museum

The City of Richmond is required to provide local matching funds totaling at least $5,000,000 for the same purposes prior to receiving state funds.  In addition to the local matching funds, the City of Richmond shall provide and dedicate appropriate contiguous real estate prior to the receipt of any state funding for the purposes listed above. 

Related articles

• Statement of Governor Bob McDonnell on New Virginia Offshore Wind Research Lease
• Statement of Governor Bob McDonnell on Senator Creigh Deeds
• Statement of Governor Bob McDonnell on Passing of Nelson Mandela
• Governor McDonnell Announces Awarding of $200,000 for the Building Collaborative Communities Program
• Statement of Governor Bob McDonnell on Retirement of Delegate Onzlee Ware
• Governor McDonnell Unveils New "Virginia is for Lovers" License Plate

Governor McDonnell Announces Clean Water Budget Investments

The Chesapeake Bay – Landsat photo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Continues Efforts to Improve Health of the Chesapeake Bay

Total investment in Water Quality During McDonnell Administration Exceeds $460 million

RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell announced today that his upcoming biennial budget will include major funding aimed at continuing the administration’s efforts to improve water quality in Virginia’s rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.  The budget proposals includes investments and allocations for projects such as Chesapeake Bay restoration, pollution reduction efforts, storm water grants, oyster replenishment programs, funding for the Tangier Seawall and other water quality projects.  With this budget the McDonnell Administration has now invested more than $460 million in water quality projects over the course of the last four years.

  Speaking about the budget proposals, Governor McDonnell said, “As the Chesapeake Bay restoration program celebrates its 30^thanniversary, improving the health of the Bay has been one of our most important environmental priorities. The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure and an ecological wonder.  Over the past 30 years, the Chesapeake Bay Partnership has made immense progress in reducing nutrient pollution flows into the Chesapeake Bay.  As Virginians, we are committed to ensuring a clean and vibrant Chesapeake Bay for future generations to cherish.”

            Governor McDonnell continued, “Virginia’s magnificent waterways from the Cheseapeake Bay to the streams running through the Blue Ridge Mountains deserve preservation and protection. With this budget we are continuing our sustained commitment to improving water quality across the Commonwealth, and ensuring that the Chesapeake Bay remains a vibrant, healthy and beautiful Virginia treasure for generations to come.”

The introduced budget allocates over $31 million from the FY2013 budget surplus, generated by sound fiscal management and savings by state agencies and employees, to the Water Quality Improvement Fund (WQIF) to continue these essential programs:

·         $19.78 million will be used to continue pollution reductions activities in agricultural programs through the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR);

·         $800,000 will be used to support the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program;

·         $250,000 will be slated for implementation of forestry best management practices;

·         $100,000 will be used to implement best management practices on golf courses;

·         $6.59 million will be used to support nonpoint activities in the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), including stormwater projects, such as municipal separate stormwater sewer systems (MS4) and grants to local governments; and

·         $3.95 million will be deposited within the WQIF reserve fund.  

            In addition, the budget provides funds to the Department of Conservation and Recreation to support the development of Agricultural Resource Management Plans and to provide engineering support to Soil and Water Conservation Districts, as well as continuing $6.9 million annually to the districts for operational support funding.

            The budget also authorizes an additional $20.0 million of bonds through the Virginia Public Building Authority in FY 2016 to support the Local Stormwater Assistance Program created by the Administration last year.  These funds are intended to supplement the $35.0 million of bond funding authorized for the program by the 2013 General Assembly.

Additionally, the budget:

·         Continues $2.0 million of general fund support for oyster replenishment in both FY 2015 and FY 2016,

·         Provides funding for the Commonwealth’s estimated share of the Tangier Seawall project’s costs based on the most recent estimates provided by the Army Corp of Engineers.  The proposed budget provides $23,000 in FY 2015 and $6,000 in FY 2016.

·         Authorizes $1.0 million of bonds through the Virginia Public Building Authority in FY 2014 to assist the City of Alexandria with improvements to its Combined Sewer Overflow system.  

During the McDonnell Administration, over $440 million was invested in clean water efforts including;

·         More than $218 million deposited to the Water Quality Improvement Fund

·         $101 million water quality bond fund to improve wastewater treatment plants across the state

·         $35 million bond fund to establish the new stormwater local assistance fund

·         $75 million bond fund for improvement to the combined sewer overflow systems in Richmond and Lynchburg

·         $10 million to Hopewell and Appomattox for improvements to their waste water and drinking water systems

·         With the money included in this budget, $5 million will be invested in oyster restoration efforts.

Water Quality Accomplishments During McDonnell Administration

·         Virginia has reduced nitrogen pollution by 7.67 million pounds or 11.1%, phosphorus pollution by 0.68 million pounds or  7.7%, and sediment pollution by 262.0 million pounds or 6.9%

·         Phase I and II of Virginia’s Watershed Implementation Plan was developed and approved by the EPA.

·         The Governor signed legislation eliminating phosphorus from usable fertilizer beginning December 31, 2013.

·         The Governor signed legislation requiring golf courses to implement nutrient management plans by 2017.

·         The Governor signed legislation requiring VDACS to establish reporting requirements for contractor-applicators who apply fertilizer to more than 100 acres annually.

·         The Governor signed legislation allowing farmers who develop agriculture resource management plans to be deemed as being in full compliance with any load allocation contained in a TMDL.

·         Virginia received the EPA’s “Biggest Loser” Award in 2011 for reducing more non point source nitrogen than any other state in Region 3 and second in the nation. 

·         Virginia is exceeding its commitments under the Chesapeake Bay Program to reduce nutrients in the bay from wastewater treatment plants.  Major wastewater facilities in 2011 exceeded pollution reduction goals by more than 2,000% for nitrogen (7 million lbs/yr) and more than 450% for phosphorus (567,000 lbs/yr).  

·         Virginia expects to exceed our 2013 Bay milestones and is well on the way to meeting its commitments.

·         Virginia restored 1,653 acres of wetlands in 2011, more than double that of any other jurisdiction.

·         Virginia established a new fund to support stream exclusion efforts resulting in protecting over 75,000 linear feet or 14.2 miles of stream bank with livestock exclusion fence.  Over $18.6 million in state funds was dedicated to livestock exclusion.

·         Oyster harvest in 2012-2013 was 60% greater than in the previous harvest years increasing dock value to more than $16.2 million. The ripple effects through the economy from last year’s unexpectedly large oyster harvest resulted in an estimated $42.6 million in economic value.

·         The blue crab population reached its highest level in 20 years in 2012, and overfishing is no longer occurring.   The total population of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay reached 764 million. This was a 66 percent increase above the 2011 abundance level and was the highest level recorded since 1993.

·         The bald eagle breeding population within the Virginia portion of the Bay now numbers over 800 pairs, a dramatic recovery for the estimated low of 20 pairs.  The Chesapeake Bay now supports the highest bald eagle chick growth rates and brood size of any population throughout the range.

·         The osprey breeding population within the Chesapeake Bay has recovered from 1,400 pairs in the early 1970s to more than 8,000 pairs today, with the Bay now supporting the largest breeding population of osprey in the world

·         The summer flounder stocks quadrupled under a stock rebuilding plan.  Recreational size limits were reduced, allowing anglers to keep more of the fish they catch.

·         Virginia improved and expanded the use of nutrient credits in Virginia.  Building on our existing nutrient credit trading program and will be a key tool in meeting and maintaining water quality in the Chesapeake Bay as well as offering flexibility in meeting nutrient reduction requirements statewide.

·         Virginia has around 780,000 acres under nutrient management inside the Bay and 950,000 statewide.

Related articles

• Virginia Posts Largest Oyster Harvest Since 1987
• Governor McDonnell's Biennial Budget to Continue Commitment to Improving Virginia's Prisoner Re-Entry and Restoration of Rights Processes
• Governor McDonnell Announces Awarding of $200,000 for the Building Collaborative Communities Program
• Governor McDonnell Announces More than $2 Million in Industrial Revitalization Fund Grants
• Governor McDonnell Continues Commitment to K-12 Education Reform in FY 2015/2016 Budget
• Governor McDonnell's Biennial Budget to Continue Commitment to Making College More Affordable and Accessible for Virginia Students