Waldo’s Virginia Political Blogroll

Last month, the bipartisan Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism released its assessment detailing how well the U.S. Government has implemented the recommendations presented in its December 2008 report.  The Commission explains in the overview, “The assessment is not a good one, particularly in the area of biological threats.” What is more, the assessment concludes that unless significant actions are taken “it is more likely than not that a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013.  That weapon is more likely to be biological than nuclear.”

The Commission’s January 2010 report card covers a lot of material in its eighteen pages.  What struck me the most were the three areas in which the Commission gave failing grades: 1) consequence management efforts related to a biological terrorist attack, 2) congressional oversight of the U.S. national security community, and 3) the national security workforce.  I was struck because not one of these three issues is new.  These issues have been documented in countless think tank reports, government-funded studies, and blue ribbon commissions, just like the one that issued this latest report.  The problem(s) have been identified–on several occasions.  The real question is:  will the government take the necessary actions to ensure that the risks in these three areas is reduced?

Given the projected deficits in the Loudoun, Fairfax and Prince William school systems, it was critical that DNC Chairman Tim Kaine’s proposed freeze of the LCI be defeated.  Today, Governor Bob McDonnell issued a press release not only calling for the LCI to be updated, but also showing where he has found offsets in the budget to pay for it.  I’m very happy that the Governor has come down on the right side of this issue.  This is exactly the kind of fiscally conservative solutions I want to see – find a problem, solve  it, pay for it without raising taxes or borrowing.  Governor McDonnell continues to deliver.

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The text of the press release is after the jump.

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Governor McDonnell to Undo Proposed Freeze of Local Composite Index
– Introduced Budget Froze LCI for First Time –

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Governor Identifies Savings to Allow for Annual Update to Index

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RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell announced today that he will support updating the Local Composite Index (LCI), the formula which determines state and local education funding responsibility, in the upcoming budget. The move will mean another proposed change to the introduced budget, which froze the LCI at its current level. The LCI has historically always been adjusted every two years to account for changing local economic conditions. The proposal to freeze the Index was unprecedented, and would have cost certain localities in Northern Virginia $128.3 million in state education funding.

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Speaking about his decision, Governor McDonnell stated, “For nearly forty years, the Local Composite Index has been an impartial means by which to determine state and local responsibility for education funding in Virginia. The application of this Index has always been done in an objective manner, using the most recent fiscal data to most fairly apportion state resources. For many school districts, particularly in Northern Virginia, the biennial update of the Index has meant far less funding from the state than that received by school districts in localities experiencing lesser rates of economic growth. Accordingly, I will not support the proposed freeze in the budget introduced by the previous Administration. The Local Composite Index must be applied to all localities, at all times, in the same objective and fair manner by which it has always been utilized.”

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McDonnell continued, “The decision to continue to update the Local Composite Index is one that I reached after extensive meetings with my finance staff, legislators, and local government officials. I thank all these individuals for their input and thoughts during the process. Ensuring that we have a fair formula that is implemented without regard to temporary or political considerations is the best means by which to appropriate education funding in the Commonwealth. Every time the Index is readjusted some school systems gain funding, while others receive less. This has occurred for nearly forty years, and local officials understand the routine and objective biennial implementation of the Index.”

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In announcing his decision to undo the proposed freeze of the Index, McDonnell also identified specific budget savings to account for the additional state spending required. The update will cost the state $29 million in FY 2011. To cover this increased funding, McDonnell will recommend to the General Assembly the transfer of $13 million from Literary Fund balances; $8 million through the use of available balances in the Health Insurance Fund to reduce state health insurance premiums; $5.2 million will be found in Real ID savings and an available $3 million will be captured in additional Non-General Fund balances. Budget recommendations will continue to be made and communicated to the legislature in the coming days.

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Damon Linker speaks truth to progressives wavering about their commitment to the Democratic Party (and I include myself in that number):

“Anything But The Other Guys” isn’t a particularly inspiring slogan, especially in comparison to the (let’s face it) exaggerated expectations for change many progressives entertained during the 2008 campaign. But the phrase captures the most pressing fact about the present political moment: Today’s Republican Party is unfit to govern and so must not be permitted to win the presidency. Everything else—including health care reform and climate change legislation—can and should be treated as negotiable. If the Democrats conclude that compromise or caution will make a Republican resurgence less likely, then they should take that path, for the good of the country. Until the Republicans come to their collective senses, depriving them of power must be the most urgent aim of progressive politics.

Wall Street, filled with the president's friends and Clintonites who call themselves Democrats, reminding Democrats who controls Washington, sends cash to an equally greedy GOP.  Regular Americans don't stand a chance.

With obstructionist, destructive GOP members, and cowardly, defeatist nominal Democratic members, the 100 club of corporate controlled multimillionaires, the US Senate, is destroying this country.

"Globailization is killing the globe" as "transnational corporations acquire the political power that comes with that control of economies..."they get richer, our nations become poorer, and national sovereignty is reduced."

Political prayer breakfasts are bad religion, and the National Prayer Breakfast is a tradition that "amounts to a religious festival of American Christian nationalism."

Taxpayers defrauded not just in bank bailout as "American political economy guarantees private profits with public subsidies of what should be private losses" but also by the military-industrial complex.

We seem to have a paralyzed Democratic elected leadership in Washington.  Of course, what else can be expected with a DINO president and majority on Capitol Hill.

Instead of strong solutions for the unemployment crisis, tens of millions of jobless people get rhetoric from the president who fobbed off the massive double digit disaster to a do nothing Senate. 

Rather than leading the way, Obama and his administration, especially his Wall Street controlled economic team, seem to have joined the GOP to create an artificial deficit crisis, acting more like Reagan than FDR.

As Dean Baker wrote: "The reality is that we have an unemployment crisis today, not a deficit crisis. The only crisis related to the deficit is that people with vast sums of money (i.e. the people who wrecked the economy) have been able to use that money to make the deficit into a crisis." 

Instead of powerful effective solutions to end the destructive ongoing corrupt, laissez faire practices of the Wall Street financial industry casino, we get namby-pamby half measures and milquetoast follow through even on those.

Where is the reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Act, a simple, yet important first step in strongly regulating Wall Street that caused this economic meltdown? 

Nowhere, as Obama and his Wall Street supporting administration try to polish turds by calling their weak, mediocre "regulatory" plans of the financial industry strong and effective.

Pam Martens writes at Counterpunch: "...."it’s time to take Wall Street literally: they’ve made it abundantly clear they have an insatiable appetite for killing things: the housing market, the financial system, the economy, reform legislation, the next generation’s future.

"Wall Street is so steeped in destruction that the symbols of death are everywhere.  Wall Street calls the big newspaper ads they take out to herald the launch of their market offerings a “tombstone.” (To understand how appropriate that is, consider the billions in bond and stock offerings they raise for Big Tobacco.)  What does Wall Street call the completion of a buy or sell order: an “execution.” (Think of how many derivative trades they “executed” for the now crippled, life support patients Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and AIG; or the off balance sheet vehicles they created for Enron, WorldCom, and dozens of now bankrupt companies.)

"Until a President comes along with a genuine will to deal with the truly rapacious nature of Wall Street, these destructive forces will continue.

"President Obama’s latest Wall Street reform plan to bar commercial banks from owning private equity funds or hedge funds and banning proprietary trading for the benefit of their own firm constitutes needed reform toward unrigging the markets.  But the proposal neglects Wall Street’s most serious threat to the economy.  It’s the commercial banks’ ownership of investment banks and brokerage firms that’s killing innovation and job growth in America."

But is appears that this deliberately woodenheaded so called Democratic president continues to purposely not get it.   And the following is just one example of his wrongheaded decisions.

Martens continues:

"The February 15, 1999 cover of Time magazine lauded Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, and Deputy Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers as The Committee to Save the World.  We now know this was really The Committee to Slave the World.  The economic challenges the world now confronts were of their making; together, of course, with some well placed Washington and Wall Street cronies.

"There has been this intellectual dishonesty and revisionist history suggesting no one could have seen this [economic disaster] coming. Not only did lots of people see it coming but on June 25 and June 26, 1998 a steady stream of public-minded citizens walked through the stately doors of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and testified that repealing the Glass-Steagall Act and allowing commercial banks to merge with Wall Street firms was a preposterously bad idea and would lead to economic ruin.  Why is our President turning to Summers and Rubin for advice instead of the people who got it right? (Underline added?)

"President Obama has now anointed Neal Wolin to join the New Committee to Save the World along with himself and former Fed Chair Paul Volcker.  Who is Neal Wolin? He was confirmed as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury on May 19, 2009.

"In the Clinton administration, Wolin was general counsel to Lawrence Summers, a key proponent of repealing the Glass-Steagall Act.  According to the New York Times, Mr. Summers earned $5.2 million in 2008 working one day a week for the hedge fund, D.E. Shaw & Company, while simultaneously advising Obama.  After leaving government, Wolin worked for Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. for eight years. According to BusinessWeek, if you add up Wolin’s cash compensation, restricted stock awards, options, and other compensation, he made $3.4 million his last year at Hartford in 2008. 

"Robert Scheer wrote the following about Wolin at the San Francisco Chronicle on November 19, 2009:

“Wolin, Geithner and Summers were all proteges of Robert Rubin, who, as Clinton's treasury secretary, was the grand author of the strategy of freeing Wall Street firms from their Depression-era constraints. It was Wolin who, at Rubin's behest, became a key force in drafting the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which ended the barrier between investment and commercial banks and insurance companies, thus permitting the new financial behemoths to become too big to fail. Two stunning examples of such giants that had to be rescued with public funds are Citigroup bank, where Rubin went to ‘earn’ $120 million after leaving the Clinton White House, and the Hartford Insurance Co., where Wolin landed after he left Treasury.” 

Obama, unfortunately, continue to exhibit DINO bona fides....not an FDR, Truman, or Kennedy but a depressing imitation of Nixon who,  though he did a few "good things", e. g. the EPA was created during his administration, overall did more harm than good to this country and its people.

As published in yesterday's Daily Press:

In the heated debate over offshore drilling, policymakers have only addressed "how much": how much gas and oil, how much tax revenue, and how many new jobs they think it would create. Yet, from the standpoint of healthy oceans, they've largely ignored the coastal environment and economies that would be subjected to potential harm from new offshore drilling such as off Virginia's coast.

Sometimes as an aside to their calls to "drill, baby, drill" comes the condition that drilling be done in an "environmentally safe manner." But what does that mean?

Lost in the debate is the realization that drilling has not occurred off our Atlantic coast for almost 30 years, and thus information on the possible effects of Atlantic drilling "is 30 years out of date," as Interior Secretary Ken Salazar points out.

Revealed at a Department of Interior workshop in Williamsburg in December 2008, large data gaps exist when it comes to endangered and protected species, fish and fisheries, the benthos and biology of the ocean floor, the ecosystems found in Virginia's offshore ocean canyons and coral reefs, as well as physical and geological oceanography.

In the interest of thorough environmental study, Salazar is rightly resistant to the rush to drill that is currently sweeping Virginia. For not only are there huge gaps in the scientific information needed to evaluate the impact of drilling off Virginia's coast, but Virginia's offshore zone is a small microcosm in a much larger coastal and oceanic ecosystem.

Rather than singling out a small area off a single state for an environmental study, the Atlantic coast as a whole needs to be studied. Tidal flows, ocean currents and winds often carry oil spills far from their source. Popular beaches, protected wetlands, sensitive marine habitats, and commercial and sports fishing all up and down the East Coast could be threatened by a large spill in Virginia's offshore zone.

Offshore oil and gas platforms continue to experience catastrophic failures despite the technological advances touted by drilling advocates. The recent blowout on the barely 2-year-old oil platform off the coast of Australia spilled an estimated 6-9 million gallons of oil during the 10 weeks it took to cap the well. Growing to almost the footprint size of New Jersey and observable from space, the spill has now contaminated Indonesian waters with its 5,800-square-mile spread.

It is disturbing that in their rush to drill, oil and gas drilling advocates in Virginia would oppose prudent studies on the impact of drilling on our precious Chesapeake Bay, our sensitive coastal wetlands, and our highly lucrative tourism and fishing industries that are completely dependent on clean beaches and healthy ocean waters.

Offshore drilling advocates cannot have it both ways. If they are being honest when they call for drilling to be done in an environmentally safe manner, then they should endorse Salazar's insistence on thorough studies of the environmental impact of drilling. If, instead, they oppose those studies in their rush to drill, then it is clear that they have failed to appreciate the bounty we have in coastal Virginia and how much we stand to lose if oil drilling were to occur irresponsibly.

According to sources close to the aging televangelist, Reverend Pat Robertson was "deeply disappointed" by the New Orleans Saints' victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

"Reverend Pat made a big deal about how Katrina was a punishment for the sins of New Orleans; he was kind of hoping for another holy smackdown," said one of Robertson's assistants.

"Reverend Pat had been up extra late this past week working on the comments he would make when the Saints were crushed by the incredible skill and determination of Peyton Manning and the Colts," said one of Robertson's writers. "He really gets excited about these opportunities to say 'I told you so'."

"The Reverend was extremely happy with the first half of the game," his assistant reports. "He thought the failure of the Saints to score a touchdown was evidence of God's hatred of gays and abortionists. By half time, he was really excited."

"Then half time ended and that onside kick was a terrible surprise for everyone," said Robertson's writer. "When it became clear that the Saints had recovered their own kickoff, Reverend Pat just shook his head and said: 'That's Satan's work'."

"The second half was all down hill from there. When Tracy Porter intercepted that pass and ran it 74 yards for a touchdown, the Reverend began screaming 'Why have you forsaken me?' over and over again. He really hates New Orleans--It was awful."

Robertson's assistant spoke about the additional pressure this has put on the production staff at the 700 Club.

"We are all just hunkered down now, hoping for some terrible disaster to overtake a po-dunk town somewhere, so Reverend Pat can rub their noses in it. He's just not happy unless he's taunting sinners."

Rep. Tom Perriello manages to equate political courage and fighting for middle and working class voters with his positions in favor of a government take-over of health care and the command-and-control nightmare known as cap and trade. And he's keen to spend even more.

Chuck DeVore, who’s running for the GOP nomination out in California to challenge Barbara Boxer, started running this ad recently:

It’s a perfect ad for California and, it appeals to my inner geek.

H/T: Vodkapundit

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This annoys me to no end (via the New York Times):

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, said in a statement that he welcomed the bipartisan meeting on health care and called on the president to begin the dialogue “by shelving the current health spending bill.”

“The fact is Senate Republicans held hundreds of town halls and met with their constituents across the country last year on the need for health care reform, outlining ideas for the step-by-step approach that Americans have asked for,” Mr. McConnell said. “And we know there are a number of issues with bipartisan support that we can start with when the 2,700-page bill is put on the shelf.”

Not only do Republicans — and the media, frankly — act as if Democrats weren’t actually elected by a solid majority of voters, but they hold to this bizarre belief that democratic legitimacy stems from day-to-day polling. Which, you know, is ridiculous. In a system like ours, legitimacy doesn’t vanish when approval ratings dip below 50 percent; it remains up to and until the next election. That isn’t to say that public opinion shouldn’t impact the actions of the majority, but I would prefer it if we at least acknowledged that Democrats can govern as Democrats even when the public isn’t too happy about current conditions.

Local Virginia governments are beside themselves with worry that the General Assembly may cut their funding.But more than a few of these localities do seem to have enough money on hand to pay lobbyists to rake in federal transportation dollars.Consider the example of the monies paid to just one firm, Alcalde & Fay, which is noted for its Virginia ties:Some former aides to Virginia lawmakers are

Memo to Dr. Patrick Murphy, Superintendent, Arlington Public Schools:

Nick Beaudrot:

At the time of the last effort to curtail the filibuster, the Senate’s rules had remained static for 16 years. Since then, we’ve had 34 years of rule stagnation. Rule 22 wasn’t handed down by Moses on a stone tablet; the Senate is populated by adults who can, by consent, change it.

If you’re keeping count, this current period of Democratic control is only the fourth opportunity in a century that progressives have had to pass lasting legislation. Moreover, if you look at the first and the third periods of progressive initiative — the “Progressive Era” and the Johnson Presidency, respectively — you’ll notice that they were almost immediately preceded by an institutional or procedural change that nudged the government, however slightly, from its status quo bias.

What’s so frustrating about the current period of progressive opportunity is that it hasn’t been preceded by anything of the sort. Indeed, what we’ve seen instead is movement towards an even stronger status quo bias, in the form of routine filibusters. At this point, I’m convinced that the central progressive goal — among all others — is to reform our political institutions in such a way as to make governing possible, from the right or left.

See the Press Release below from WDBJ7 and let us know your thoughts on this.

ROANOKE, VA- Roanoke Councilman Court Rosen today proposed an emergency, two-year increase in the city's prepared meal tax of 2% as short term fiscal first aid to provide the Roanoke City Public Schools needed breathing room amid massive state cuts to public education. The measure would help fill an enormous funding deficit within our schools and also alleviate significant pressure on the city's budget, preserving public safety and other essential city programs and services.

"As a small business owner, the last thing I like to see is increased taxes, particularly during difficult economic times," said Rosen. "But within the next eight weeks our schools must adopt a budget for next fiscal year, and we must look at what's best for the education of kids by trying to keep class sizes lower and preserving programs that benefit our urban youth."

If enacted, a 2% increase in the "meals tax" would have the following impact on the cost of meals in the City of Roanoke:

• On a $10 meal, it would add 20 cents to the cost of the meal

• On a $25 meal, it would add 50 cents to the cost of the meal

• On a $100 meal, it would add $2 to the cost of the meal

"This is only one proposal that deserves a public, transparent and vigorous debate," Rosen said. "It's important that city residents also recognize that this measure, while directed to fill a funding gap within our schools, will relieve significant pressure from the city's budget, preserving needed programs and services delivered by hardworking, qualified employees of the City of Roanoke."

The next two fiscal years are projected to be exceptionally difficult in fulfilling needed educational, economic development and social programs. If enacted, City Council should revisit this tax increase at the end of the next fiscal year, and should the economy rebound sooner than expected, the Council should revert the meals tax back to its current level. If, as expected, the next two fiscal years are as tough as expected, the sunset clause written into the proposed ordinance would guarantee the tax would end following the next two fiscal years.

"Additionally, this proposal stresses that any tax increase should sunset and end on June 30, 2012 and should be enacted only as a temporary measure and not as a ‘new' source of revenue that either our schools or the city become reliant on," said Rosen. "It would be a short-term, emergency tax to fill an emergency need that has been forced upon us at the state level."

Rosen stressed that this proposal should be debated in the upcoming budget sessions that City Council will soon begin, and that he looks forward to other discussions, proposals and solutions by others to what soon could be devastating funding cuts leveled by the Commonwealth at our public schools.

Well, I could have told you this was coming:

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin did not discount a 2012 presidential campaign on Sunday.

The 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee said she would run, “if I believed that that is the right thing to do for our country and for the Palin family. Certainly, I would do so.” She said it would be “absurd” to rule it out

The only thing that’s absurd, Sarah, is the idea of you in the White House.

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Here's an interesting report, from today's Wash. Post, on a new book called "Why Boys Fail," which explores a theory on the growing achievement gap between boys and girls in school.

With Snowmageddon still crippling Washington and environs--and another storm on the way tomorrow night (!)--our trusty Washington Post delivery boy hasn't made it down the rutted single snow/ice lane of North Edgewood Street since Friday.

Fortunately, our Amazon Kindle (allegedly soon to be outmoded by the Apple Ipad) allows us to download the Post and keep up with the world in warm coziness.

In our reading, we saw that Sarah Palin (the lady who prematurely quit as Governor of Alaska for reasons that were incoherent) addressed the Tea Baggers (for $100 Grand) and said she's not ruling our running for President. Our only thought: why couldn't Snowmageddon have obliterated the Tea Party idiots who think this woman has anything worthwhile to offer to our country.

Just as Washington D.C. is starting to dig out from Saturday’s blizzard, there’s the prospect of more on the way:

In the aftermath of the weekend’s massive snowstorm, the region came to grips with the fact that digging out will take days, even as more potentially paralyzing winter weather appeared headed this way by Tuesday.

Snow might be falling again by the time the first snowplow arrives to carve a path into some neighborhoods isolated by about two feet of snow from the storm that ended Saturday. Although the National Weather Service said the next storm had the “potential for more than five inches,” other forecasts indicated that as much as a foot might fall.

“Four inches is a pretty good bet, and eight inches or more isn’t out of the question,” said Dan Stillman, a meteorologist with The Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang. “It will start out Tuesday afternoon or evening, possibly as a mix of sleet and snow. But after that, it will be mainly snow, with the heaviest overnight into Wednesday morning.”

Ugh. Just, ugh.

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You may have thought that the snow and ice would have kept the forces of greater government at bay (if only for a brief time). Alas no, as the usual suspects are poised to make a plea for higher income taxes and much more in support of education:The Virginia Education Association and Commonwealth Institute are holding a press conference on Monday with Sen. Mamie Locke about her proposal to raise