Governor Bob McDonnell Unveils 2015-2016 Budget

Governor of Virginia Bob McDonnell speaking at CPAC. Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

RICHMOND- Governor Bob McDonnell unveiled the Commonwealth’s budget for the next two fiscal years in a morning address to the Joint Money Committees of the General Assembly. The budget, totaling approximately $95.9 billion for the biennium (General Fund: $37.7 billion; Non-General Fund: $58.2 billion), continues the governor’s focus on promoting private-sector job creation and growing the Commonwealth’s economy in spite of ongoing fiscal uncertainty at the federal level.

In addressing the Joint Money Committees, the governor remarked, “We have talked many times about the “Virginia Way” by which we govern.  We analyze and debate budget and policy issues passionately but civilly.  Then we find common ground and solve problems.  The Virginia Way is one of sharing credit for getting positive results for the good of our people.  Eight million people are counting on the Virginia Way continuing! 

“This approach is especially important today when my introduced budget is handed off to a governor-elect of a different party.  Accomplishments and progress require statesmanship in both branches of government.  I hope you will find the Virginia Way at work in these budget recommendations.  The major spending recommendations focus on the core public services which lead to prosperity.  They also decrease our reliance on budgetary gimmicks that helped in the past but run counter to structural balance and sound financial judgment.  You will also find a fair amount of embedded caution, given the global economic and national political uncertainty.”

The governor concluded his remarks noting, “Over the past four years we have worked together to put the “Virginia Way” to work in building a “Commonwealth of Opportunity” for all Virginians. With your cooperation, we have gotten very good results for our citizens. Unemployment has fallen from 7.4% to 5.6%. Over 172,000 net new jobs have been created, and we are the country’s most business friendly state! We passed the first long-term transportation funding plan in a generation. Our colleges and universities are more affordable and accessible, and on the way to issuing 100,000 new degrees for Virginia students. We reduced the future liability in our pension system by $9 billion. We’ve brought more innovation, accountability, and choice to our K-12 system and rewarded our excellent, hard-working teachers. We’ve cared for the prisoners, the orphans, the hungry, the mentally ill, and the homeless, as the Scriptures say we must. Today, as I enter my last weeks as governor, I sincerely thank you for your strong partnership, your warm friendship, and your can-do, results-oriented leadership.  By any metric, Virginia is stronger today, and we left the campground better than we found it. Our economy is growing. Our schools, roads, pensions, people, natural resources, and jobs are stronger. Now, as you consider this biennial budget, I ask that you keep this progress going and work with Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe and his team to accomplish even more in the years ahead.”

The governor’s full remarks can be read here.

General Fund revenue growth of 4.2 percent is expected in fiscal year 2015, with growth of 3.9 percent anticipated in fiscal year 2016

Selected Highlights of the Governor's Biennial Budget:

·         Triples the Rainy Day Fund from beginning of governor’s term; Fund will reach $1 billion by 2016

·         Allocates $183.1 million in additional, new higher education funding; Brings new administration investment in Virginia’s colleges and universities to nearly $600 million

·         Provides $38.3 million in new funding for mental health priorities

·         Leaves unappropriated balance of $50.9 Million in general fund to provide for greater budget flexibility and latitude for General Assembly and incoming McAuliffe Administration; Largest unappropriated balance since 1991

·         Identifies $261 million in targeted savings

·         Provides for another performance bonus payment of up to 3% for state employees before Christmas 2014; Bonus contingent upon satisfactory employee performance and savings generated at end of current Fiscal Year equal to twice cost of bonus

·         Includes $582.6 million in increased funding in biennium for K-12 and Pre-K

·         Dedicates $16.2 million to cover biennial cost of providing foster care and adoption payments. Includes 3% increase in foster care payment rates; Beginning in FY 2016, provides funds to expand foster care and adoption subsidies to age 21 for the most vulnerable youth

·         Makes available $6.5 million to address study requirements that must be met to allow additional dredging at Norfolk Harbor, as well as for the deepening of the Elizabeth River channel

·         Supplies additional $1.5 Million for Port of Virginia Economic and Infrastructure Development Zone Grant Fund to encourage private-sector companies to locate along transportation corridors leading to Port

·         Presents additional $196.7 million to fund debt service on all capital projects previously authorized by General Assembly, as well as debt service on select new projects

·         Fully funds pension reform commitment of phasing-in increases to state and teacher retirement contributions to reduce future unfunded liabilities

·         Provides additional $315.3 million for the general fund share of state and teacher pension benefits representing funding at 80 percent of the full pension contribution rates, as well as funding for the 10-year scheduled payback of deferred employee retirement contributions from fiscal years 2011 and 2012.

·         Dedicates $55.3 million To Support Public Safety Efforts; Includes $22.2 million for Sheriffs, Commonwealth's Attorneys, and Circuit Court Clerk Deputies to fund new hires, reduce overcrowding in jails, fund long overdue pay increases, and support other critical operations; Also $21.3 million in additional funding to assist local law enforcement through the "599" program

·         Directs $11 million to the City of Richmond for the development, creation, and enhancement of the Slavery and Freedom Heritage Site

·         Continues governor’s commitment to improving Virginia’s prisoner re-entry process with $2.8 million in new funding to help prisoners successfully rejoin society; additionally appropriates nearly $450,000 for additional staffing to further streamline and expedite the state’s restoration of rights process

·         Ensures $4 million for oyster restoration efforts; $2 million each year of the biennium. Virginia’s recent efforts to revitalize the state’s historic oyster industry have resulted in 2012 seeing the largest harvest in the Commonwealth since 1987; the oyster industry had an economic impact of $42.6 million last year

·         Dedicates over $31 million from the FY2013 budget surplus to the Water Quality Improvement Fund

·         Provides $7.2 million for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program to provide access to life-saving medications for the treatment of HIV and related illnesses for low-income clients

·         Directs $8 million over the biennium to the Virginia Housing Trust Fund, and $500,000 in additional revenue each year to Virginia’s rapid re-housing program, all designed to continue the administration’s homelessness prevention and reduction efforts. Over the last four years, overall homelessness in Virginia has declined by 16%

The full budget document is available here.

Related articles

• Governor McDonnell's Biennial Budget to Continue Commitment to Improving Foster Care Adoption
• Governor McDonnell's Biennial Budget to Include Significant New State Funding for Fort Monroe Authority
• Governor Bob McDonnell Proposes $11 Million for Richmond Slavery and Freedom Heritage Site

Governor McDonnell’s Budget to Provide $55 Million in Funding for Public Safety

English: Governor of Virginia at CPAC in . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Investment of $22.2 Million for Sheriffs, Commonwealth’s Attorneys and County Clerks Deputies

$21.3 Million in New 599 Funding Will Support Local Public Safety Services in Virginia

RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell announced today that his biennial budget will provide $55.3 million in targeted funding to support public safety around Virginia.  The governor’s budget proposals include $22.2 million for sheriffs, Commonwealth’s Attorneys, and Circuit Court Clerk Deputies to fund new hires, reduce overcrowding in jails, fund long overdue pay increases and support other critical operations. Governor McDonnell also proposed $21.3 million in additional funding to assist local law enforcement through the “599” program.

            Speaking about today’s announcement, Governor McDonnell said, “Local law enforcement plays a critical role in ensuring that Virginia’s streets and communities are safe.  I began my career in public service as a prosecutor in the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office. I know firsthand how hard the men and women who serve as Sheriffs, Commonwealth Attorney’s and in clerk’s offices work day in and day out to protect their communities and preserve justice for their fellow Virginians.  These funds will provide the critical resources necessary to better serve the public and will play a vital role in ensuring a safe and prosperous Commonwealth in the years ahead.”

            Governor McDonnell continued, “Additionally, 599 funding is an important way to provide local departments with the tools, facilities and support necessary to do their job and do it well.  Over the last four years we have advanced legislation and provided funding for important public safety initiatives that support law enforcement, keep offenders off the street, and help transition those who have served their time back into their communities.  This is good government.  The additional 599 funding I have appropriated for the next biennium will help support local public safety services so that Virginia continues to be a safe place to live, work and raise a family. ”

The governor’s budget proposals include the following funding:

Sheriffs: 

·         Provide $3.2 million in funding for 48 temporary corrections officers for local and regional jails that are experiencing jail overcrowding issues through the Compensation Board.  This funding is to help alleviate some of the overcrowding issues some localities are experiencing. Localities experiencing overcrowding will be identified by the Compensation Board.  ($1,536,315 the first year and $1,679,216 the second year).

·         Provide $3.0 million in funding to support 29 law enforcement deputies FY15 and 33 additional law enforcement deputies in FY16, for a total of 62 positions.  These positions represent 25 percent and 50 percent of the necessary law enforcement deputies to meet the current requirement of 1:1,500 ratio.  The Compensation Board will distribute these positions to sheriff’s offices with law enforcement responsibilities. ($928,203 the first year and $2.1 million the second year).

·         Provide $1 million in funding to expand the Career Development Programs for certain constitutional officers, including Sheriff’s and Commonwealth’s Attorneys, as well as members of their staff.  This funding is targeted for those individuals who have already qualified but have been waiting to participate in career development programs due to insufficient funding. (Total of $770,513 each year).

·         Provide $9.3 million to support a two percent salary adjustment for entry level (grade 7 and 8) sheriff deputy positions working in a sheriff office and regional jail.  (Total $4.7 million each year).

·         Provided $12.4 million over the biennium to support the opening of Rappahannock/Shenandoah/Warren (RSW) Regional Jail on October 1, 2014, and Southwest Virginia Regional Jail on November 1, 2014. (Total $4,589,971 the first year and $7,767,497). This covers funding positions to staff the new jails.

Commonwealth’s Attorneys:

·         Provide $4.2 million in funding to support the second phase of assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney’s salary increase to achieve a starting salary level of $52,000 per year ($2.1 million each year).  The first phase was provided in the 2013 Session of the General Assembly. Each of the 577 full-time assistant Commonwealth’s attorneys will receive a $3,308 increase and the 11 part-time assistant Commonwealth’s attorneys will receive a $1,654 increase. 

Circuit Court Clerks Deputies:  

·         Provide over $860,000 in funding to support a four percent salary adjustment for Circuit Court Deputy Clerk I positions, and a two percent salary adjustment for Circuit Court Deputy Clerk II positions.  (Total $430,789 each year). 

·         State Aid to Localities with Police Departments (“599” Program)

·         Provide $21.3 million over the biennium to assist localities with qualified law enforcement departments through the “599” program.    The Department of Criminal Justice Services administers the program to enhance public safety efforts across the Commonwealth. To be eligible for “599” funds, a locality must have a police department as defined in §9.1-165, and all of the department's law enforcement personnel must meet the state's minimum training requirements.

Public Safety Accomplishments during McDonnell Administration

·         In 2012, successfully spearheaded the most aggressive tough-on-crime legislative agenda by a governor since the abolition of parole in 1995, including: tougher penalties for violent sex offenders and repeat drug dealers; mandatory minimum life sentences for rape or forcible sodomy of a child under 13

·         Successfully advanced legislation to add 19 additional felonies to the gang predicate criminal statute, including burglary, grand larceny, aggravated malicious wounding, and violations of manufacturing and distributing a controlled substance or marijuana

·         Established first statewide prisoner re-entry plan and re-entry coordinator, contributing to Virginia having the second lowest recidivism rate in the country at 23%

·         Managed state response, recovery, and mitigation activities associated with 7 federally declared natural disasters

·         Along with the Secretaries of Education and Health and Human Resources, convened the Governor’s School and Campus Safety Taskforce to identify legislative and policy enhancements for school and campus safety and increase effectiveness of training and programs, and implemented multiple legislative and budget policies

·         Established first statewide anti-gang plan and appointed first statewide anti-gang coordinator

·         First Department of Forensic Science implementation of familial DNA searching

·         Completed state-of-the-art Virginia State Police driver training center at Fort Pickett

·         Improved Virginia’s laws against human trafficking resulting in Commonwealth going from bottom (red) to top (green) in Polaris project rankings

·         Directed the Department of Social Services to develop plan for providing services to victims of human trafficking and increased penalty from a misdemeanor to a felony for soliciting prostitution from a minor

·         Established the Domestic Violence Prevention and Response Advisory Board to reduce domestic and sexual violence, improve services to victims, and hold offenders accountable; the advisory board made 33 recommendations to enhance policies and procedures

·         Initiated the public safety compact: a local, state and federal partnership designed to prevent and reduce crime, and increase inter-agency cooperation and coordination

·         Opened the new state-of-the art River North Correctional Center in Grayson County

·         Developed and opened the public safety training center at the site of the former Hanover Juvenile Correctional Center

·         Partnered with localities to implement Operation Rolling Thunder: a strategic law enforcement initiative to reduce violent crime and property crime

·         Eliminated an agency and merged core services into two other public safety agencies

Related articles

• Governor McDonnell Announces Board and Commission Appointments
• Governor McDonnell Proclaims December 9th-13th School and Campus Safety Week in Virginia
• Governor Bob McDonnell Proposes $11 Million for Richmond Slavery and Freedom Heritage Site
• McDonnell makes final budget pitch to lawmakers
• McDonnell makes final budget pitch to lawmakers

Bone Broth—One of Your Most Healing Diet Staples

Broth (Photo credit: beautyredefined)

By Dr. Mercola

According to an old South American proverb, "good broth will resurrect the dead." While that’s undoubtedly an exaggeration, it speaks to the value placed on this wholesome food, going back through the annals of time.

The featured article by Dr. Amy Myers1 lists 10 health benefits of bone broth. Sally Fallon with the Weston A. Price Foundation2 has previously published information about this healing food as well.

First and foremost, homemade bone broth is excellent for speeding healing and recuperation from illness. You’ve undoubtedly heard the old adage that chicken soup will help cure a cold, and there’s scientific support for such a statement.

For starters, chicken contains a natural amino acid called cysteine, which can thin the mucus in your lungs and make it less sticky so you can expel it more easily. Processed, canned soups will not work as well as the homemade version made from slow-cooked bone broth.

For best results, you really need to make up a fresh batch yourself (or ask a friend or family member to do so). If combating a cold, make the soup hot and spicy with plenty of pepper. The spices will trigger a sudden release of watery fluids in your mouth, throat, and lungs, which will help thin down the respiratory mucus so it's easier to expel.

But the benefits of broth don’t end there. As explained by Sally Fallon:3

“Stock contains minerals in a form the body can absorb easily—not just calcium but also magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulfur and trace minerals. It contains the broken down material from cartilage and tendons--stuff like chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain.”

The Healing Influence of Broth on Your Gut

In later years, medical scientists have discovered that your health is in large part dependent on the health of your intestinal tract. Many of our modern diseases appear to be rooted in an unbalanced mix of microorganisms in your digestive system, courtesy of an inappropriate and unbalanced diet that is too high in sugars and too low in healthful fats and beneficial bacteria.

Bone broth is excellent for “healing and sealing” your gut, to use Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride term. Dr. Campbell’s GAPS Nutritional Protocol, described in her book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS), centers around the concept of “healing and sealing” your gut through your diet.

Broth or “stock” plays an important role as it’s easily digestible, helps heal the lining of your gut, and contains valuable nutrients. Abnormalities in your immune system are a common outcome of GAPS, and such immune abnormalities can then allow for the development of virtually any degenerative disease...

The Healing Benefits of Bone Broth

As the featured article states, there are many reasons for incorporating good-old-fashioned bone broth into your diet. The following health benefits attest to its status as “good medicine.”

Helps heal and seal your gut, and promotes healthy digestion: The gelatin found in bone broth is a hydrophilic colloid. It attracts and holds liquids, including digestive juices, thereby supporting proper digestion.	Inhibits infection caused by cold and flu viruses, etc.: A study4published over a decade ago found that chicken soup indeed has medicinal qualities, significantly mitigating infection
Reduces joint pain and inflammation, courtesy of chondroitin sulphates, glucosamine, and other compounds extracted from the boiled down cartilage	Fights inflammation: Amino acids such as glycine, proline, and arginine all have anti-inflammatory effects. Arginine, for example, has been found to be particularly beneficial for the treatment of sepsis5 (whole-body inflammation). Glycine also has calming effects, which may help you sleep better
Promotes strong, healthy bones: As mentioned above, bone broth contains high amounts of calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients that play an important role in healthy bone formation	Promotes healthy hair and nail growth, thanks to the gelatin in the broth

Making your own bone broth is extremely cost effective, as you can make use of left over carcass bones that would otherwise be thrown away. And while the thought of making your own broth may seem intimidating at first, it’s actually quite easy. It can also save you money by reducing your need for dietary supplements. As mentioned above, bone broth provides you with a variety of important nutrients—such as calcium, magnesium, chondroitin, glucosamine, and arginine—that you may otherwise be spending a good deal of money on in the form of supplements.

Easy Chicken Broth Recipe

Both featured articles include a sample recipe for homemade chicken broth. The following recipe was provided by Sally Fallon, writing for the Weston A. Price Foundation.6 Her article also contains a recipe for beef and fish broth. (You could also use turkey, duck, or lamb, following the same basic directions.) For Dr. Myers’ chicken broth recipe, please see the original article.7

Perhaps the most important caveat when making broth, whether you’re using chicken or beef, is to make sure they’re from organically-raised, pastured or grass-fed animals. As noted by Fallon, chickens raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) tend to produce stock that doesn’t gel, and this gelatin has long been valued for its therapeutic properties.8 As explained by Fallon:

“Gelatin was universally acclaimed as a most nutritious foodstuff particularly by the French, who were seeking ways to feed their armies and vast numbers of homeless in Paris and other cities. Although gelatin is not a complete protein, containing only the amino acids arginine and glycine in large amounts, it acts as a protein sparer, helping the poor stretch a few morsels of meat into a complete meal.”

Besides that, CAFO animals are fed an unnatural diet that is not beneficial for their intestinal makeup, and they’re also given a variety of veterinary drugs and growth promoters. You don’t want any of these potentially harmful additives in your broth, so make sure to start off with an organically-raised product.

Ingredients for homemade chicken broth9

1 whole free-range chicken or 2 to 3 pounds of bony chicken parts, such as necks, backs, breastbones, and wings

Gizzards from one chicken (optional)

2-4 chicken feet (optional)

4 quarts cold filtered water

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

1 bunch parsley

Please note the addition of vinegar. Not only are fats are ideally combined with acids like vinegar, but when it comes to making broth, the vinegar helps leech all those valuable minerals from the bones into the stockpot water, which is ultimately what you’ll be eating. The goal is to extract as many minerals as possible out of the bones into the broth water. Bragg’s raw apple cider vinegar is a good choice as it’s unfiltered and unpasteurized.

Cooking Directions

There are lots of different ways to make bone broth, and there really isn’t a wrong way. You can find different variations online. Here, I’ll offer some basic directions. If you’re starting out with a whole chicken, you’ll of course have plenty of meat as well, which can be added back into the broth later with extra herbs and spices to make a chicken soup. I also use it on my salad.

1. Fill up a large stockpot (or large crockpot) with pure, filtered water. (A crockpot is recommended for safety reasons if you have to leave home while it’s cooking.)
2. Add vinegar and all vegetables except parsley to the water.
3. Place the whole chicken or chicken carcass into the pot.
4. Bring to a boil, and remove any scum that rises to the top.
5. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let simmer.
6. If cooking a whole chicken, the meat should start separating from the bone after about 2 hours. Simply remove the chicken from the pot and separate the meat from the bones. Place the carcass back into the pot and continue simmering the bones for another 12-24 hours and follow with step 8 and 9.
7. If cooking bones only, simply let them simmer for about 24 hours.
8. Fallon suggests adding the fresh parsley about 10 minutes before finishing the stock, as this will add healthy mineral ions to your broth.
9. Remove remaining bones from the broth with a slotted spoon and strain the rest through a strainer to remove any bone fragments.

Bone Broth—A Medicinal ‘Soul Food’

Simmering bones over low heat for an entire day will create one of the most nutritious and healing foods there is. You can use this broth for soups, stews, or drink it straight. The broth can also be frozen for future use. Keep in mind that the "skin" that forms on the top is the best part. It contains valuable nutrients, such as sulfur, along with healthful fats, so just stir it back into the broth.

Bone broth used to be a dietary staple, as were fermented foods, and the elimination of these foods from our modern diet is largely to blame for our increasingly poor health, and the need for dietary supplements.

Both broth and fermented foods, such as fermented veggies, are simple and inexpensive to make at home, and both also allow you to make use of a wide variety of leftovers. When you add all the benefits together, it’s hard to imagine a food that will give you more bang for your buck.

Related articles

• Bone Broth - One of Your Most Healing Diet Staples
• The Missing Link to Better Health? Magnesium
• Tree Nuts, Chockfull of Healthful Fats, May Help You Live Longer
• FDA Sued, Forced to Remove Safety Status on Trans Fats
• What's Causing the Rise in ADHD?
• Happiness and Laughter Are Natural Immune Boosters

Gloucester, VA Officials Continue To Ignore The Will of The People

Right in this weeks Gloucester Mathews - Gazette Journal newspaper, Thursday December 12th, 2013, page 9A at the top left hand side is an article titles as follows; "County Asks Legislators For Ability To Compel Residents To Tie Into Utilities".  County officials are seeking state legislators, Keith Hodges, Delegate and Tommy Normant, Senator, to consider putting forth legislation to force Gloucester County residents to pay for services it neither wants nor wants to hook up into.

  A water and sewer system that the county sued the citizens over to have built and put into place to begin with.  The county is asking the state to legalize theft from the citizens in our view.  County officials claim it is for the support and viability of that system and would serve to protect public health and safety.

  Could someone please explain to us how forcing citizens to pay for a service they neither need nor want and still will not be using but still forced to pay for is protecting public health and safety?  Is this new math or something?  Or are county officials just looking to take more money out of the pockets of it's citizens?  And who's pockets will all that extra money go into?  We think that is a very fair question.

  Have county officials forgotten that government is at the will of the people?  How can these people even think about forcing it's citizens to pay for something they do not want or need?  Guess we have become the servants to the masters of the county?  One of the many last great acts of some of the criminals that have served on the board of supervisors?  What is the kickback for any of them if this is pushed through?

  Let's hope the new board members put a stop to this insanity and start getting rid of the enemy from within this county.

Related articles

• Gloucester, VA County Employees Continue To Abuse Taxpayers
• Gloucester, VA County Employees At Hardees December 10th, 2013
• Board of Supervisors Rulers of Gloucester County?
• Gloucester, VA Student Activity Funds, Fraud (Part 5 of 10)
• Gloucester, VA Judges Requests Private Chambers For Personal Vehicles At Taxpayer Expense of Course
• Gloucester, VA Old Page Middle School Site, What Should We Do With It?

God And Gun Control - What You Might Not Know

For Christians wondering about what faith says about gun control, well we thought we would share his words with you and allow you to see for yourself.  

Luke 22:35-38

New International Version (NIV)

35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”

“Nothing,” they answered.

36 He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. 37 It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’[a];and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”

38 The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.”

“That’s enough!” he replied.

For those seeking to destroy 2nd Amendment rights?  Not a good idea.  For even God tells us to maintain our weapons.  For those wishing to argue this on the level that he was talking about a sword?  That was the weapon of mass destruction in those days.  They did not have guns.  If they had guns, then Jesus would have told them to buy and hide their guns.  In other words, for those seeking to control the masses against the wishes of the masses?  Not happening.

Second Amendment:  "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

What is it that those seeking to steal rights do not understand about the above rights?  The language is very simple and straight forward, so it is clear that those seeking to control guns are seeking to infringe on our rights and take those rights away for their own self interest and also in violation of God's law.  

"The United States Constitution was written for a Christian People and will serve no other."  John Adams