Governor McAuliffe Announces Personnel Transition at Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control

Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Police patch (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

DMV’s Holcomb to Oversee Transition at ABC as Chief Operating Officer Coleburn retires

Richmond, VA – Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced that Rick Holcomb, the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, will become acting Chief Operating Officer at the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) following the retirement of W. Curtis Coleburn.

“Rick Holcomb is a proven leader in Virginia government who has excelled at DMV, an agency where customer service, sound financial management and responsible law enforcement are key,” said Governor McAuliffe. “I am glad he has agreed to take on this new temporary role while continuing the great work he is doing at DMV as my team and I search for a permanent replacement to fill Curtis Coleburn’s shoes and lead the Virginia ABC into the future.”

W. Curtis Coleburn III will retire as Chief Operating Officer of the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control after more than 30 years of service to the Commonwealth.

“I want to thank Curtis Coleburn for his leadership and service to the people of Virginia,” said Governor McAuliffe. “During his time as Chief Operating Officer, the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control became the professional and profitable state agency it is today. Few people have earned their retirement more than Curtis has.

“Giving Virginians the best possible customer experience and the highest return on their tax dollars is one of my top priorities. I am looking forward to working with Rick Holcomb, Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran and their entire team to continue modernizing the ABC and making it as successful, responsible and responsive to taxpayers as it can possibly be.” 

Richard D. Holcomb was reappointed as Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles by Governor Terry McAuliffe in 2014, after serving in the same capacity for four years under Governor Robert F. McDonnell. 

As DMV Commissioner, Holcomb manages a state agency with a budget of approximately $215 million and a statewide workforce of about 2,000 employees. Holcomb oversees the collection of approximately $2.2 billion dollars in revenue annually, which funds a significant portion of the state’s highway construction and maintenance.

In addition, he serves as the Governor's Highway Safety Representative, on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission, and as vice chair of the Virginia's Information Technology Advisory Council. He is chairman of the Virginia Motor Vehicle Dealer Board and serves as Secretary of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators International Board of Directors.  In 2014, he was nominated to receive the White House’s “Champions of Change” award.

Prior to his 2010 appointment, Holcomb served as DMV Commissioner from 1994 to 2001.  During Holcomb's initial seven-year tenure at DMV, he oversaw a dramatic transformation of the agency’s workforce training model and approach to customer service that improved Virginians’ experience at DMV branches and increased the agency’s efficiency.

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Governor McAuliffe Makes Major Women’s Health Announcements

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RICHMOND – Today, Governor Terry McAuliffe kicked off National Women’s Health Week with four significant announcements demonstrating his commitment to protecting Virginia women’s rights to make their own healthcare decisions. 

“This is not just a health issue – it’s an economic issue,” McAuliffe said during his announcement at the state Capitol. “In order to grow and diversify our economy, Virginia needs to be open and welcoming to all, and we need to ensure that all Virginia women have access to the healthcare resources they need.”

The governor highlighted three initiatives he is pursuing to meet that goal:

Board of Health directive. McAuliffe issued a directive asking members of the Board of Health to immediately begin a review of last year’s regulations on women’s health centers to ensure that those regulations guarantee Virginians’ access to the centers’ services.

“I am concerned that the extreme and punitive regulations adopted last year jeopardize the ability of most women’s health centers to keep their doors open and place in jeopardy the health and reproductive rights of Virginia women,” McAuliffe said.

Board of Health appointments. The governor also announced the appointment of new members to the Board of Health who share his commitment to women’s health and support his plan to review the health center regulations. Governor McAuliffe noted that he has “a right and a responsibility to have reasonable people of my own choosing at the table for that review.”

The new board members are as follows:

Dr. Benita Miller, DDS

Dr. Benita Miller is a Richmond dentist who practices Periodontics. Dr. Miller has been a member of the American Dental Association since 1980 and has held many leadership positions in the Richmond Dental Society and the Virginia Dental Association since 1986.

Dr. Miller was inducted as a Fellow to the International College of Dentists in 2000 and previously served as an Assistant Clinical Instructor at the Department of Peridontics at the VCU School of Dentistry. Miller received a B.S. from Duke University and a D.D.S. degree from VCU/MCV School of Dentistry.

Faye O. Prichard, Ashland

 Faye O. Prichard is the mayor of Ashland. She has been serving the residents of Ashland on the Town Council since 2002. Ms. Prichard earned her master's degree in literature from Virginia Commonwealth University and has taught composition there for approximately 15 years. Currently, she is the Director of Writing at the Honors College at VCU. 

Before her entry into academia, she held certification and state licensure in respiratory care and worked in a number of Richmond hospitals and for several local home health care companies.

James Edmondson, McLean

Mr. Edmondson, principal of E&G Group, has been in the real estate business as consultant, developer, property owner and manager since 1972. He has served as vice chair of the Health Systems Agency of Northern Virginia for many years. Gov. Mark Warner appointed him to the Virginia Board of Health in 2005. He was re-appointed to the board in 2009 by Gov. Tim Kaine. Edmondson has an A.B. in economics from Princeton and an M.B.A. from the University of Virginia’s Darden School. 

Linda Hines, RN, MS, Chester

Ms. Hines earned her bachelor of science degree in nursing and her master of science in executive nursing administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. She currently serves as the vice president of medical management for Virginia Premier Health Plan, Inc. Ms. Hines has worked in managed care for more than 17 years and brings a strong clinical, administrative and management background to her work in managed care.

She is active in a variety of professional activities, including the Virginia Maternal and Child Health Council and Leadership Metro Richmond. She is a task force member to Gov. Kaine’s health care policy committee and a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Ms. Hines has served as adjunct faculty for the VCU School of Nursing.

Tommy East, Salem

Tommy East is the president and chief executive officer for American HealthCare, LLC in Roanoke.  American HealthCare is the management company for 17 Heritage Hall Healthcare and Rehabilitation Centers throughout the commonwealth.

Mr. East, who has served as the company’s chief executive officer since 2012, is a 30-year veteran of eldercare, having managed nursing facilities and assisted living facilities, and worked in home health and hospice. The Salem native is an accomplished businessman who has served on the board of directors and the executive board for the Virginia Health Care Association.

Discounted drug pricing program. The governor announced that he is directing the Virginia Health Commissioner to register and enroll Virginia’s eligible women’s health clinics in the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which allows eligible clinics to obtain pharmaceutical drugs from manufacturers at a significant discount.

Expanded access to testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. The Virginia Department of Health will also sign a Memorandum of Agreement with Virginia’s four Planned Parenthood affiliates to provide free HIV testing to more than 1,800 women and men by the end of 2014. The initiative is part of a directive from the governor to pursue programs that expand access to testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, the leading cause of infertility in women.

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Governor McAuliffe Announces Administration Appointments

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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 Agriculture and Forestry

Crafton O. Wilkes, Administrator, State Milk Commission

Crafton Wilkes currently serves as the Dairy Audit Supervisor for the State Milk Commission.  Previously, Wilkes worked as a Territory Manager for Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. in eastern New York and New England, and served a broad range of dairy veterinarians, producers, retailers, and consumers.  Throughout his career, Wilkes has worked in support of animal agriculture and the dairy industry.  He is a native of Franklin County, one of the state’s top dairy producing counties.  Wilkes earned his B.S. and M.S. in Dairy Science at Virginia Tech.

Secretariat of the Commonwealth

Board Appointments

Commerce and Trade

Virginia-Asian Advisory Council

• Eric Lin* of Chesterfield, Principal at Vie Group
• Dilip Sarkar, MD* of Norfolk, Associate Professor of  Surgery (Retired) at Eastern Virginia Medical School
• Francis Stevens of Midlothian, Senior Police Officer for the Division of Capitol Police

Health and Human Resources

Statewide Independent Living Council

·       Kenneth Jessup* of Virginia Beach, disability advocate

·       Kathryn Marks Merritt of Henrico, disability advocate

·       Lauren Snyder Roche* of Poquoson, teacher, disability advocate

·       Trisha Stevenson* of Charlottesville, freelance writer, editor

*Denotes reappointment

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Governor McAuliffe Announces Railroad Safety and Security Taskforce

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~Taskforce follows Lynchburg Train Derailment ~ 

LYNCHBURG – Today, Governor Terry McAuliffe announced the creation of the Commonwealth’s Railroad Safety and Security Taskforce.  The Governor’s announcement follows the April 30^th derailment of a CSX freight train carrying crude oil shipped from the Midwest to Yorktown.  The accident occurred in downtown Lynchburg adjacent to the James River.

“The train derailment that occurred on April 30 raises important public safety and health concerns,” said Governor Terry McAuliffe. “While fortunately no one was hurt, it is critical that we determine the cause of this accident to help better protect Virginia’s families. The Railroad Safety and Security Taskforce will help ensure that the Commonwealth is a national leader in preventing, preparing for, and responding to these types of events.”

Earlier this week, Governor McAuliffe sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx highlighting his support to strengthen federal rules regarding the safety of rail cars carrying crude oil, as well as improved communication between the rail companies, first responders, and community officials.

The Governor’s new taskforce will include state agencies officials and subject matter experts. Members of the taskforce will be responsible for making recommendations—and taking action—to enhance Virginia’s capability to protect lives, property, and the environment along our many rail lines.

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Senior EPA Official Steals Millions from Taxpayers

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Dr. Mercola

Have you ever awakened in the morning dreading another monotonous day at a job that you hate? Have you ever fantasized about faking a sudden illness, taking a personal day—or how about a personal year?

Maybe book a flight to Bermuda and spend a few months eating pineapple and getting massages on the beach? Or perhaps better yet, tell your boss you're a CIA spook on a top-secret mission, so you won't be showing up at the office for some indeterminate length of time.

Chances are, these are just idle fantasies that you quickly snap out of as you blink your way back into reality... unless, of course, you work for the US Government where you might just get away with it.

EPA Hoodwinked by Its Highest Paid Climate Specialist

Senior policy advisor John C. Beale of the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Air and Radiation pulled off a million dollar con in which he found a fix for his career doldrums by convincing his bosses that he was a top-secret CIA operative.

This required him to be out of the office for extended periods of time—claiming to be traveling the globe on clandestine missions in the interest of homeland security.

Yes, this EPA official was vicariously acting out some sort of James Bond fantasy instead of going to work—and getting paid for it.1 He occupied his time taking lavish vacations on the government's dime.

Beale took 33 airplane trips between 2003 and 2011, costing the government $266,190. On 70 percent of those, he traveled first class and stayed in five-star hotels, traveled by limo, and charged more than twice the government's allowed per diem limit.

Between vacations, he would just putter around his Northern Virginia home doing pretty much nothing at all—and certainly not working. Beale told one shameless lie after another.

For example, in order to be granted a handicap parking space, he claimed to have contracted malaria in Vietnam. However, not only did he never have malaria, he never served in Vietnam!2 How long would you guess he got away with this fraudulent scheme—a month? A year? Try two decades!

Justice, After a 20 Year Long Con...

For well over 10 years and possibly closer to 20, Beale was able to collect his salary—as well as his regular bonuses—while performing almost no work, bilking the government out of close to a million dollars.

Court documents trace his fabrications back through 2000, but additional evidence suggests he may have been lying and manipulating as far back as 1989.

The man was no slouch. A graduate of NYU and Princeton, Beale was making $206,000 a year, making him the highest paid official at the EPA—including the administrator. Pulling off such an elaborate scheme on such a massive scale is quite complicated and requires the skills of a master con. As Michelle Cottle writes in the Daily Beast:3

"You gotta admit: As crackpot lies go, Beale's spy cover was a stroke of genius. Whenever someone grew suspicious about his work activities (or lack thereof),

Beale could simply whip out the national security card: I'd love to tell you why I haven't been at work the past six months, but then I'd have to kill you."

Once caught, Beale admitted to his elaborate deception and on December 18, 2013, was sentenced to 32 months in federal prison and payment of nearly 1.4 million dollars restitution.4  

But why did it take more than a decade for the EPA to realize their highest paid climate specialist was not really a CIA agent—in fact, he had no relationship with the CIA at all, not even a security clearance. How did such an elaborate scheme ever escape notice?

Beale Is 'A Poster Child for What's Wrong with the Government'

Two new reports by the EPA Inspector General's office concluded that the agency "enabled" Beale by failing to verify any of his phony cover stories, and failed to check out hundreds of thousands of dollars him in undeserved bonuses and travel expenses.

Inspector General Arthur Elkins said Beale was able to get away with it due to "an absence of basic internal controls at the EPA."2 Prosecutor Jim Smith said Beale's crimes made him a "poster child for what is wrong with government," a statement prompting immediate investigations by two congressional committees into the EPA, including EPA administrator Gina McCarthy, who was Beale's immediate boss.

This was not the first EPA scandal of 2013. EPA official Robert Brenner was scrutinized for accepting an $8,000 discount on a luxury car arranged by a lobbyist. And in the wake of the Beale scandal, another high-level EPA official is under scrutiny for allegedly approving expenses for Beale—an official also under the direction of Gina McCarthy.

Evidence suggests EPA knew as early as 2010 that Beale's story was false, yet did not take action. Congressman Darrell Issa said these EPA cases "raise serious questions about McCarthy's capabilities as a manager and leader."5 This problem, unfortunately, is much larger than one government official or agency. The Beale scandal is just one more example of waste, fraud, and general corruption within the US government.

Government Can't Manage Taxpayer Dollars—Much Less Protect Your Environment

The EPA cannot keep your money safe, much less make the environment safe. Some of the EPA's high-level employees have come from the same companies the EPA is supposed to regulate—they've become a revolving door for industry. The two largest private sector sources for EPA positions are Monsanto and Waste Management Inc. Since 1970, at least 12 high-level EPA employees have come from one of these two companies, including William Ruckelshaus, Linda Fisher, and Lidia Watrud.6, 7

EPA also has a history of being caught in money laundering schemes. Take, for example, former EPA project manager Gordon McDonald who was convicted in 2009 for rigging bids, accepting kickbacks totaling 1.5 million dollars, and funneling big payoffs to insiders via an EPA "superfund" in New Jersey.8, 9

And you may recall the EPA "warehouse" scandal in Landover earlier in 2013. An EPA warehouse had been converted into a swanky man-cave housing a sizeable athletic center, complete with cushy furniture and televisions and a nicely stocked fridge. All of this was, of course, carefully hidden from security cameras by partitions and piles of strategically stacked boxes.10

Even more disturbing is the fact that EPA doles out hundreds of millions of dollars per year to certain organizations of their choice with no accountability, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Sometimes these funds are directed to organizations for non-environmental purposes.11 Other branches of government are even more irresponsible—including the Pentagon itself. As written in this Reuters Special Report:12

"The Pentagon is the only federal agency that has not complied with a law that requires annual audits of all government departments. That means that the $8.5 trillion in taxpayer money doled out by Congress to the Pentagon since 1996, the first year it was supposed to be audited, has never been accounted for. That sum exceeds the value of China's economic output last year."

Another Massive Source of Waste: Medicare Fraud

The US healthcare system is one of the largest sources of waste. Thirty cents of every healthcare dollar is wasted, adding up to $750 billion annually. Healthcare waste is a result of unnecessary services, inefficient delivery of care, excess administrative costs, inflated prices, prevention failures, and fraud—especially within Medicare and disability programs. Seniors make perfect targets for fraud and abuse.

The Federal Disability Insurance Program has a $135-billion budget and serves close to 12 million people, but its funds are in danger of running out. The Senate Subcommittee for Investigations believes the program is being abused—by lawyers, doctors and even some recipients—putting the benefits for those who truly need them at risk.

According to the Senate investigation, up to 25 percent of disability files should not have been approved and another 20 percent are highly questionable. Some recipients are using disability benefits as a financial bridge after their unemployment benefits run out, which is easy to do since so many Americans have chronic conditions or impairments.

The Biggest Defrauder of the Government Is the Drug Industry

Many drug companies are repeatedly found guilty of fraud, cover-ups of fatal side effects, paying huge kickbacks to doctors, and manipulating scientific research. The worst of the worst are GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and Schering-Plough. These four companies accounted for 53 percent of all financial penalties imposed on pharmaceutical companies between 1990 and 2010.

Between 2009 and 2012, criminal and civil penalties have totaled $18 billion. GlaxoSmithKline tops the list of repeat offenders with penalties since 1991 totaling $7.56 billion.13 Recently, GlaxoSmithKline pleaded guilty in the largest health fraud settlement in US history. The company was fined $3 billion to resolve criminal and civil liability charges related to illegal drug marketing and withholding information about health hazards associated with its diabetes drug Avandia.

Many drug companies are now being investigated for using bribes to boost sales outside the US as well. For example, in August 2012, Pfizer, the world's largest drug maker, paid $60.2 million in fines to settle charges that the company had bribed an assortment of government health officials in China, Russia, Italy, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, and Kazakhstan. Are these the folks to whom you wish to entrust your health? These corporations are some of the biggest goons on the planet.

The Drug Industry as 'Organized Crime'

The unfortunate thing is, whether you're talking about Big Pharma, Big Ag, or Big Banks, the US government has been "bought" by industry thugs. Despite stiffer financial penalties, criminal activity has increased dramatically over the past several years, indicating that criminal prosecution of company leadership may be needed to quell unlawful behavior by the drug industry. Due to the astronomical profits made by these companies, there appears to be no fine large enough to make a difference—even hundreds of millions of dollars!

The size of the penalty must outweigh the size of the gain from breaking the law, and thus far, this has not been the case. In fact, it appears that for some drug companies, commission of such criminal and civil violations has become part of their business model. As an article in The British Medical Journal concludes:13

"Are criminal and civil penalties of hundreds of millions of dollars an important deterrent to law breaking by international drug companies? We are forced to conclude that neither the current level of penalties nor corporate integrity agreements are effective and that there is a pathological lack of corporate integrity in many drug companies."

Take Control of Your Own Health

Ultimately, the take-home message here is that you have to take responsibility for your own welfare, and that of your environment. You cannot entrust your health to the government, in the hopes that someone else will make the appropriate decisions based on what's right and true, opposed to taking the opportunity to make a buck at your expense.

When it comes to your health, an ounce of prevention is certainly better than a pound of cure, especially when the cure comes in a pill. Please keep in mind that leading a common-sense, healthy lifestyle is your best bet to achieve and maintain a healthy body and mind. And while conventional medical science may flip-flop back and forth in its recommendations, there are certain basic tenets of optimal health (and healthy weight) that do not change, including the following:

1. Proper Food Choices: For a comprehensive guide on which foods to eat and which to avoid, see my nutrition plan. Generally speaking, you should be looking to focus your diet on whole, ideally organic, unprocessed foods. For the best nutrition and health benefits, you will want to eat a good portion of your food raw.
Avoid sugar, and fructose in particular. All forms of sugar have toxic effects when consumed in excess, and drive multiple disease processes in your body, not the least of which is insulin resistance, a major cause of chronic disease and accelerated aging. I believe the two primary keys for successful weight management are severely restricting carbohydrates (sugars, fructose, and grains) in your diet, and increasing healthy fat consumption. This will optimize insulin and leptin levels, which is key for maintaining a healthy weight and optimal health.
2. Regular exercise: Even if you're eating the healthiest diet in the world, you still need to exercise to reach the highest levels of health, and you need to be exercising effectively, which means including high-intensity activities into your rotation. High-intensity interval-type training boosts human growth hormone (HGH) production, which is essential for optimal health, strength and vigor. HGH also helps boost weight loss.
So along with core-strengthening exercises, strength training, and stretching, I highly recommend that twice a week you doPeak Fitness exercises, which raise your heart rate up to your anaerobic threshold for 20 to 30 seconds, followed by a 90-second recovery period.
3. Stress Reduction: You cannot be optimally healthy if you avoid addressing the emotional component of your health and longevity, as your emotional state plays a role in nearly every physical disease -- from heart disease and depression, to arthritis and cancer. Meditation, prayer, social support, and exercise are all viable options that can help you maintain emotional and mental equilibrium. I also strongly believe in using simple tools such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to address deeper, oftentimes hidden, emotional problems.
4. Drink plenty of clean water
5. Maintain a healthy gut: About 80 percent of your immune system resides in your gut, and research is stacking up showing that probiotics—beneficial bacteria—affect your health in a myriad of ways; it can even influence your ability to lose weight. A healthy diet is the ideal way to maintain a healthy gut, and regularly consuming traditionally fermented foods is the easiest, most cost effective way to ensure optimal gut flora.
6. Optimize your vitamin D levels: Research has shown that increasing your vitamin D levels can reduce your risk of death from ALL causes. For practical guidelines on how to use natural sun exposure to optimize your vitamin D benefits, please see my previous article on how to determine if enough UVB is able to penetrate the atmosphere to allow for vitamin Dproduction in your skin.
7. Avoid as many chemicals, toxins, and pollutants as possible: This includes tossing out your toxic household cleaners, soaps, personal hygiene products, air fresheners, bug sprays, lawn pesticides, and insecticides, just to name a few, and replacing them with non-toxic alternatives.
8. Get plenty of high-quality sleep: Regularly catching only a few hours of sleep can hinder metabolism and hormone production in a way that is similar to the effects of aging and the early stages of diabetes. Chronic sleep loss may speed the onset or increase the severity of age-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and memory loss.

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