Do you know where your representative in Virginia’s General Assembly’s district office is?

Did you know he or she gets $15,000 a year to operate that office.. but are not required to actually open one?

Friday night on NBc12 at 11, we investigate to see just how the money is tracked.

You might be surprised to see what some high ranking government leaders think about the system.

Friday night at 11 on NBC12-TV .. and then posted in it’s entirety later on Decision Virginia.

Gingrich was joined in his discussion by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. The former Speaker did not mince words in his criticism for the Obama health care plan. He called it “unsustainable and unrealistic”. Gingrich said that the more than 2 thousand page plan was akin to giving a nine-year old a credit card. He said that in his belief, the plan is nothing more than a back door move to socialized medicine in America.

The focal point of Gingrich’s talk was to warn local governments,  patients and health care providers that they need to innovate before the government can implement. He said the most successful health care systems will be the ones that develop, low-cost effective care without the government’s help.

He also offered his plan for how Republicans can stop the implementation of the law, which won’t take full effect for several years. Gingrich, (and McDonnell for that matter) support an outright repeal of the law, but realize that won’t happen without a Republican president and Congress in 2012.  Gingrich believes the process can be slowed down immeasurably if the GOP can take control of at least part of congress and defund the program.

The DNC responded to the Gingrich visit claiming that he had his chance to reform health care and did nothing.

“After months of delay tactics, Republicans are in no position to offer advice on how best to offer Americans accessible, affordable health care. And when presented with the opportunity to offer a solution, Newt Gingrich failed to act. The fact is that Newt Gingrich and Republicans offered no comprehensive solutions when they controlled Congress and the White House. And despite the inclusion of several Republican ideas, Republicans chose instead to play politics and aimed to hand the President a loss rather than work with the President and Democrats toward a solution providing quality, affordable care to American families.”
- Alec Gerlach, Democratic National Committee

At multiple times during his discussion, the former Speaker pointed to Massachusetts and their public health care initiative as an example of what could happen on a large-scale once the Federal plan is implemented. Gingrich, who has not ruled out a run for President in 2012, would be in direct competition in the Republican primary with the man who was Governor at the time that program was passed, Mitt Romney.  Romney who is an early front-runner for the GOP nod, has taken heat from conservatives because of his role in the health care reform efforts in the Bay State. Gingrich passed on the opportunity to give Romney the blame for Massachusetts plan.

“I suspect he wouldn’t do it again,” Gingrich said. “Romney is a very smart guy and he was trying very hard to find a solution to a very big problem.”

Gingrich said that Romney vetoed large portions of the plan, but was overruled by the overwhelmingly Democratic Massachusettes legislature. They are the ones, who passed a plan that Gingrich calls an “unaffordable disaster that serves as a pretty good warning about the Obama plan.”

Here is video of Gingrich’s comments on Romney:

Meanwhile, in the wake of today’s Health Care forum, the McDonnell administration unveiled their health care reform iniatives for Virginia. You can see their plan after the jump.

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Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources Dr. Bill Hazel Announces Virginia Health Reform Initiative

RICHMOND – Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources Dr. Bill Hazel announced today the establishment of a statewide health reform initiative.

The intent of the Health Care Reform Initiative, which will be within the Health and Human Resources Secretariat, is to prepare Virginia for the implementation of federal health reform by planning for the expansion of Medicaid eligibility.  It is estimated that this expansion will increase the number of Medicaid enrollees in Virginia from 270,000 to 425,000, at a cost of $1.5 billion dollars between 2017 and 2022. There exists a pressing need for the Commonwealth to begin planning for the implementation of federal Health Care Reform, while also implementing other innovative healthcare solutions.

Speaking about the Health Care Reform Initiative, Secretary Hazel remarked, “Expanding access to reasonably priced high quality and safe healthcare is a bipartisan goal. The Commonwealth must make it easier for Virginians to be healthier and to purchase and retain health insurance. Virginia is one of many states challenging the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Healthcare and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act.  However this lawsuit could take two to three years to be settled.  As we wait for court decisions, the Commonwealth must comply with the acts and begin preparing for implementation of federal health care reform.”

Secretary Hazel continued, “In Virginia, we will work to provide incentives for health promotion and disease prevention and encourage individuals to remain healthy.  We will also encourage individuals to make informed decisions in purchasing healthcare by promoting consumer directed healthcare.  We will study our medical delivery systems with the objective of reforming them to work better for our citizens and ensuring that we have a strong healthcare workforce. We will be aggressive in finding every way to continue providing care to our most vulnerable citizens, while identifying ways by which we can reduce the cost of our Medicaid system, which has grown 1,600% in the past 25 years and is unsustainable in its current structure”

Secretary Hazel also remarked, “The Health Reform Initiative will not be limited to federal health reform.  It will also pursue reforms to ensure a safe, effective, and high quality health care delivery system while reducing costs.  The Initiative will promote innovation, quality and cost-effectiveness within Virginia’s health care delivery system and seek to reduce the regulatory burden on all Virginians.”

Health Care Reform Initiative

The Health Care Reform Initiative shall be established within the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Resources.  The Health Care Reform Initiative will manage activities related to federal health care reform.  The Health Care Reform Initiative will serve as the liaison between the Governor’s office, agencies and entities affected by health care reform, lead development of the required Health Insurance Exchange and identify and coordinate grants to fund health care reform.

The Health Care Reform Initiative will consider the impact and requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Healthcare and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, explore the current state of the Department of Medical Assistance Services, best practices for Medicaid programs across the nation, pursue other independent reforms to ensure a safe effective, and high quality health care delivery system while reducing costs, and will make findings and recommendations for addressing the following priorities:

1. Medicaid Reform:
   1. Plan for the expansion of Medicaid to cover all Virginians under the age of 65 up to 133% of the Federal Poverty Level by 2014;
   2. Consider implementing best practices for Medicaid programs across the nation;
   3. Examine the audit, when completed, of the Department of Medical Assistance Services and recommend reforms and improvements to the Medicaid program; and
   4. Explore consumer driven reforms to Virginia’s Medicaid program.
   5. Insurance Reform:
      1. Plan for the organization and creation of a Health Insurance Exchange for implementation in 2014;
      2. Prepare for required insurance reforms, including the requirements for guaranteed issue and renewability; prohibition on pre-existing conditions, rating bands that include age, family structure, geography, actuarial value and tobacco use;
      3. Examine alternatives to the required insurance reforms; and
      4. Explore avenues to improve competition among health insurers.
      5. Healthcare Delivery Reform:
         1. Propose reforms to Virginia’s health care delivery system to make it more effective and efficient;
         2. Plan for implementation of near term and long term federal requirements for Health Care Reform;
         3. Evaluate Virginia’s existing health care infrastructure to handle mandated federal programs;
         4. Determine existing resources in state government for implementation of Health Care Reform and gaps that need to be addressed;
         5. Examine timelines associated with federal legislation and ensure there is ample time to enact legislative and regulatory action to comply with federal deadlines for implementation;
         6. Address the current and anticipated health care workforce shortage;
         7. Develop a communications plan for stakeholders, the general public and state agencies on the effects of Health Care Reform;
         8. Propose market incentives to lower costs and improve efficiencies and effectiveness; and
         9. Reduce the regulatory burden on businesses and individuals.

The Health Care Reform Initiative will set forth a comprehensive strategy for implementing health care reform.  The Health Care Reform Initiative will establish an advisory workgroup of stakeholders and interested parties to provide input and advice.  The membership of the advisory workgroup will be appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Resources.

The Health Care Reform Initiative will submit to the Governor its findings and recommendations on matters potentially impacting the development of the Executive Budget no later than September 30, 2010.  The Health Care Reform Initiative will submit to the Governor reports of its activities, findings and recommendations no later than January 10, 2011, January 10, 2012, January 10, 2013, and a final report no later than January 10, 2014.

The Health Care Reform Initiative will be funded from existing resources.  Staff support as necessary for the conduct of the Health Care Reform Initiative’s work during the term of its existence will be provided by the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, the Department of Planning and Budget, the Department of Medical Assistance Services, and such other agencies as may be necessary with the approval of the Chief of Staff.

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Gingrich has become a prominent voice in the conservative movement in the United States, a movement with plenty of momentum, but no clear leader. Among the many ways he has set himself apart is his opposition to the Obama Health Care plan.  Gingrich has held forums, similar to the one he is holding in Richmond, all over the country through his think tank American Solutions.

Friday’s event, which will be held at the brand new MeadWest Vaco facility along the James River, is called “Creating a 21st Century Intelligent Health System in Virginia”.  It will include remarks from Gingrich, and then a forum with Virginia’s  Secretary of Health and Human Resources Dr. Bill Hazel. Governor McDonnell will join a panel discussion on the topic.

Gingrich has plans to head to Iowa next week and the Presidential buzz constantly follows his frequent TV and radio talk show appearances.  During his last trip to Central Virginia,  (he spoke at Randolph Macon in Ashland). I asked him if he planned to run for president.

Here is his response:

We’ll have coverage of Friday’s event on NBc12-TV and here on Decision Virginia.

The Governor unveiled the program this morning and introduced the program’s coordinator Banci Tewolde. Tewolde will be assisted in this effort by Public Safety Marla Graff Decker and the son of former Governor L. Douglas Wilder,  Lawrence “Larry” D. Wilder Jr. You can see the entire press release on the program after the jump.

The younger Wilder will serve as the Special Assistant on Re-entry Education. Wilder is an attorney and former member of the Virginia House of Delegates.

He also had his own trouble with the law.  In 2000, Larry Wilder pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of simple cocaine possession. He was given probation at the time.  In 2007, he pleaded guilty to mismanaging more than $170,000 of his father’s gubernatorial campaign fund. The charge led to a 12 month suspended sentence and several fines.

According to McDonnell Communications Director Tucker Martin,  Wilder’s entire background is part of what makes him the best candidate for this position.  ” (Wilder) possesses a valuable personal perspective on this issue,”  said Martin.  “The Governor believes everyone deserves an opportunity, that is what his prisoner re-entry program is all about.”

Wilder’s father, the former Governor of Virginia and Mayor of Richmond, played a major role in McDonnell’s campaign for Governor.  McDonnell often spoke glowingly of his relationship with the first black Governor in America, especially when he spoke to African-American crowds.  Wilder did not end up endorsing McDonnell, but his decision to not endorse the Democrat Creigh Deeds, was seen as a major coup for the Republican.

You can see the bio the McDonnell Administration released regarding the Wilder appointment after the jump:

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Lawrence D. “Larry” Wilder, Special Assistant on Re-entry Education

Lawrence D. “Larry” Wilder, Jr. has over 20 years experience in designing, developing and implementing community and economic development models. Wilder most recently served as a consultant with Unisphere Development Strategies, which focused on creating innovative business and investment strategies that fostered economic opportunity in low-income communities.

Immediately prior to Unisphere, Wilder served as Strategic Markets Director in the Los Angeles office for Urban America, an investment advisor and asset manager specializing in the urban real estate investment niche.  In addition, he served as political liaison and worked on special projects for the President/CEO.

Wilder began his legal career at Wilder & Gregory in Richmond, Virginia. During 14 years practicing law Wilder served as counsel to state and local governmental entities. Subsequent to his law practice, Wilder held a variety of finance-related positions with public and private sector entities, including the Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement System, Jackson Securities, and The World Bank’s International Finance Corporation.

Wilder earned both his BA (Economics) and JD degrees from the University of Virginia.  He also holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. He served as a business advisor with Pacific Community Ventures. Wilder is a member of the Richmond Community Development Alliance.  Wilder served in the Virginia General Assembly House of Delegates from 1992-1994.

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Here is their release on the prisoner re-entry program

Governor McDonnell Unveils Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative

~Issues Executive Order #11 Establishing Virginia Prisoner and Juvenile Offender Re-Entry Council~

Banci Tewolde Serving as State’s First Prisoner Re-Entry Coordinator

Signs Public Safety Legislation Which Will Divert Non-Violent Offenders from Incarceration, Assist Prisoners in Working Off Court Costs

RICHMOND- At a press conference this morning, Governor McDonnell announced his initiatives to strengthen the prisoner re-entry program in Virginia, thus increasing safety in communities and neighborhoods and lessening the chances of recidivism.  The Governor was joined by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, State Senators Ryan McDougle (R-Hanover) and Dave Marsden (D-Burke), Delegates Tommy Wright (R-Victoria) and Mark Keam (D-Vienna), and other state and local officials at today’s event.  As a part of this initiative, the Governor issued Executive Order #11 that establishes the Virginia Prisoner and Juvenile Offender Re-Entry Council, with the intent to promote collaborative re-entry strategies for adult and juvenile offenders.  The Governor also signed two pieces of public safety legislation during the press conference which will divert non-violent offenders from incarceration and assist prisoners in working off court costs accrued.  Both as a delegate for 14 years and as Attorney General, Governor McDonnell was a champion for public safety and the rehabilitation of offenders before and after their release.  He was a patron or co-patron of several pieces of legislation to improve the likihood of offenders becoming productive members of society.

Speaking about the initiative, Governor McDonnell remarked, “As Governor, and throughout my career in public service, my number one priority has been, and continues to be to ensure the safety of Virginians and to find ways to make Virginia a safer place to live, work and raise a family.  Effective re-entry policies can improve public safety, reduce victimization, improve outcomes for offenders returning to their communities, and reduce recidivism.  We must assist prisoners re-entering the community in their effort to succeed, rather to re-offend.”

The Governor continued by saying, “This Council established today is a state-wide effort.  We must recognize the efforts of non-profit and faith-based organizations, as well as local governments, who have been integral in this cause, and find ways to support them as they continue to provide opportunities to offenders to facilitate successful community re-integration.  By implementing a comprehensive re-entry strategy, this Council will take the necessary steps to ensure that we are doing all we can do to assist offenders who have accepted responsibility for their actions and want to become productive members of society.”

Attorney General, Ken Cuccinelli added, “Individual re-entry plans that recognize some individuals’ need for mental health treatment are important to me.  I look forward to working with the Governor to design and implement a re-entry program that will improve the lives of adult and juvenile offenders, as well as the safety of our communities.”

The Virginia Prisoner and Juvenile Offender Re-Entry Council will identify existing barriers that impede successful transition of offenders returning to their communities and develop and implement recommend actions to overcome those obstacles.  Additionally, the Council will establish partnerships among community colleges, business partners, local service agencies, community-based social service and faith-based communities to promote successful re-entry policies and programs.  Each year, the Council will provide the Governor with recommendations and updates regarding actions taken to improve offender transitional and re-entry services.  Banci Tewolde, the state’s first Prisoner Re-Entry Coordinator, will join Secretary of Public Safety Marla Graff Decker in leading the Council.

*Executive Order #11 can be found here:

Public Safety Legislation Signed by Governor McDonnell:

SB 670 (McDougle) – Payment of fines and costs by DOC inmates

HB 927 (R Bell) – Immediate sanction probation

Governor Bob McDonnell has submitted an application to the Federal Highway Administration to begin tolling I-95 near the North Carolina border. The proposal was a key component to the Governor’s transportation plan when he was a candidate. His administration is forecasting a windfall of $30-$60 million dollars in revenue depending on whether they decide to charge $1 or $2 per axle.

McDonnell was very clear in the campaign that he could raise the necessary revenue to fix the transportation mess without raising taxes. It became a serious bone of contention between he and Sen. Creigh Deeds, who refused to make the same pledge.

However, since being elected, McDonnell has faced a number of setbacks in his aggressive plan to raise transportation funds without taxes. The legislature passed on a plan to privatize ABC stores and his hope of using offshore oil revenues down the road, has taken a serious hit with the now uncertain future of the proposal in the wake of the Gulf Coast oil disaster.

Setting up tolls could be dicey as well, and it appears that McDonnell is putting one toe in the water before jumping in head first. His transportation plan called for new tolls on the I-95 and I-85 entrance into the Commonwealth from North Carolina, but at this point he is only submitting an application for I-95.

Here is the language from his transportation plan that deals with tolls:

I-95 and I-85 Interstate Border Tolling at North Carolina Border

As Governor, Bob McDonnell will provide an additional dedicated revenue stream for essential transportation needs by tolling travelers coming into Virginia at the North Carolina border on I- 95 and I-85. These tolls are intended to capture revenue to offset the additional burdens placed on Virginia’s roadways by out-of-state tractor trailers and personal vehicles.

The tolls will cover travelers going northbound into Virginia near the North Carolina border. Public private partnerships will be utilized to accomplish this project and we will maximize technology such as electronic tolling to maintain high speeds on the interstates.

The I-95 toll will be used to help fund improvements along the transportation corridor and the I-85 toll will help expand Route 460 by integrating it with the highway system. Ultimately these proposals will have to be approved by federal highway authorities, but we believe that based on legal precedence establish with Pennsylvania’s application to toll I-80, we have a clear path.

We have estimated that revenue generated from these tolls would be around $50 million annually in the beginning years. We will also evaluate a concession for a long term lease to generate subsequent upfront revenue, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars.

-Bob McDonnell for Governor Transportation plan
Source: Washington Post

We want to know what you think about the idea of tolling a I-95. Weigh in on our online poll at NBC12.com.

You are also free to leave comments below as well.

You can read the Governor’s latest proposal after the jump. ———————————————————–

Governor Files Application to Toll Interstate 95 Near North Carolina Border

Estimated $1-$2 Toll Per Axle Will Provide Revenue for Improvements Along Virginia’s I-95 Corridor

RICHMOND – Today, Governor Bob McDonnell announced his Administration’s first step forward in implementing tolling along Virginia’s border.  An application has been submitted to the Federal Highway Administration to toll Interstate 95 near the North Carolina Border.

Speaking about the application, Governor McDonnell noted “After a careful review of the Commonwealth’s transportation needs, I believe the ability to toll Interstate 95 at the border will quickly enable the Commonwealth to begin addressing some of our greatest areas of concern.  Such user fees will help the Commonwealth generate the revenue necessary to make much needed infrastructure and safety improvements in the I-95 corridor to better serve the traveling public and increase economic productivity.”

At the direction of the Governor, Secretary of Transportation Sean T. Connaughton submitted the tolling request under the Interstate System Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Pilot Program.  Virginia currently has approval to toll Interstate Route 81 under that Pilot Program and is requesting to switch that authority to Interstate Route 95.

The Governor has written to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood urging a positive response to Virginia’s request.

Interstate Route 95 is one of the nation’s largest and most important transportation corridors, linking commercial and economic centers and tourist destinations up and down the East Coast.  However, significant portions of Interstate Route 95 have deficient pavements and structures.  These deficiencies contribute to Interstate Route 95 having one of the highest accident rates of all of the Commonwealth’s major transportation corridors.

The Virginia Department of Transportation estimates that tolling along Interstate 95 can generate between $30 to $60 million annually, if tolls are $1 to $2 per axle. All revenues generated through tolling will be used exclusively in the Interstate 95 corridor.  Revenues will first be directed towards making a number of safety improvements throughout the corridor, and then making improvements to the pavement conditions and infrastructure.  Once these improvements are made, the Commonwealth will begin making capacity improvements where needed.

Tolling Interstate 95 is the latest step in Governor McDonnell’s plan to improve the Commonwealth’s roadways. Last week, the Virginia Department of Transportation issued a new Request for Proposals for the Route 460 PPTA project designed to improve emergency and military preparedness and reduce truck traffic on the Commonwealth’s interstates.  The week previously, the Governor announced his approval of the immediate sale of $500 million of transportation bonds as part of a plan to sell nearly $2.3 billion over the next 6 years.  Further, while closing a $4.6 billion budget deficit, Governor McDonnell’s administration has successfully re-opened the Commonwealth’s nineteen closed safety rest areas, and will shortly be announcing a plan to implement innovative concepts on reducing the costs of operating and maintaining all of Virginia’s safety rest areas. Following the most difficult winter weather in generations, VDOT has filled more than 160,000 potholes, and pavement resurfacing operations are underway.  In conjunction with these projects, Governor McDonnell has ordered, and is in the process of implementing, several significant financial and performance audits designed to re-organize and identify ways VDOT and the other transportation agencies can best meet the Commonwealth’s transportation needs. Finally, the Transportation Secretariat is developing proposals to address state, federal and funding challenges and opportunities.

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“I think it’s time to take a time out. I want to find out what happened. This will be revisited,” Warner said.  “But to say that never ever again in terms of drilling that would be imprudent.”

Warner has a history of being open to offshore drilling, without outright endorsing the concept. This time around, against the backdrop of the disaster,  Warner has sided with the Obama administration’s plan to pause, but he has also found a way to agree with Governor Bob McDonnell that cutting off exploration all together is a bad idea.

Here are his comments on the subject:

I also asked the Senator to weigh in on Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli‘s latest controversies. In particular I asked Warner if he agreed with Cuccinelli that the media was making too much of the lapel pin flap. Cuccinelli has said that the media is zeroing in on a small gesture, not paid for with taxpayer funds, meant only for his staff.

Cuccinelli has been so concerned with the media’s focus on the pins that he only granted an interview with our affiliate  WSLS in Roanoke if they agreed not to ask him about the topic.

Warner agreed that the issue, by itself was rather innocuous, but when taken as part of a broader Cuccinelli narrative, it becomes a much bigger deal.

Here are his comments:

Update:

The University of Virginia agreed today to comply with the Cuccinelli subpoena.

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell took questions from reporters today on two hot topics in state news. The Republican was wrapping up the first meeting of his council of economic advisers. The group has been tasked with give the Governor a list of recommendations to build job growth in the Commonwealth.

You can read more about that event on NBC12.com.

It was after this meeting, that McDonnell talked about the growing problem in the Gulf of Mexico and a controversial  civil investigative demand filed by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli over the work of a former UVA professor on climate change.

McDonnell has been asked numerous times about his push to begin drilling offshore, and each time he has resisted any plea to stop the process from moving forward. Today he said he is “very concerned” about the dangers that offshore drilling may pose, but that was not a reason to give up on the idea all together.

“I just think it is counter to the American spirit of entrepreneurship and progress to say that every time we have and accident that we have to end the pursuit in that area,” McDonnell said.  “That is never the way we have done things in America.”

McDonnell said that there is still a lot to be learned about what led to the drilling platform disaster and that the next step for Virginia is to study the environmental impact of drilling, and all of these developments would be taken into account.  In his mind, that is not a reason to slow down the process.

Here are his entire comments:

While McDonnell had a lot to say about the future of oil drilling off the coast, he was relatively muted on Cuccinelli requesting the files of a former University of Virginia professor.  Cuccinelli has filed a civil investigative demand against the University, related to the work of Professor Michael Mann. Cuccinelli is attempting to determine that Mann defrauded the citizens of Virginia in a search of grants related to research into global warming.

McDonnell, did not have an opinion at all as to whether the Attorney General’s actions were warranted.

“I’d have to let you defer to the attorney general on that on that one, on what he is doing and why he is doing it. He is seperatley elected,” said the Governor.

McDonnell did say that he could not recall filing a similar demand to a public institution during his time in the Attorney General’s office.

He did not cast doubt on Cuccinelli’s effort, he simply claimed he knew nothing about what he was up to.

“What the Attorney General’s theroies are, I only know what I read in the paper about it,” he said. “I have not spoken to him about it.”

His entire remarks on the Cuccinelli CID are below:

Here is a breakdown.

Ashland-

This town in Hanover County, has two seats open on its Town Council. Two candidates have filed to get on the ballot and one other is running as a write in candidate.  Faye Prichard is already the town’s mayor and is running for a seat on the council. James R. Foley is another candidate on the ballot. Lucida Jones is running as a write in candidate.

Hopewell-

Four of Hopewell’s seven City Council seats are open in Tuesday’s election.

In the 1st Ward- Three candidates will vye for the seat  including the current incumbent. Christina J. Luman-Bailey will attempt to hold on to her seat despite a challenge from Deborah B. Randolph and G. Wayne Taylor

In the 2nd Ward- Four candidates have gained access to the ballot. Their goal will be to defeat 23 year incumbent Curtis W. Harris, Sr. Roosevelt Edwards, Jr., David Wayne Silvestro and Yolanda Wyche Stokes will attempt to challenge the veteran lawmaker.

In the 3rd Ward- Incumbent Kenneth B. Emerson faces a challenge from Michael C. Bujakowski.

In the 4th Ward- Incumbent N. Greg Cuffey will attempt to fend off Jackie M. Shornak.

Williamsburg-

Voters will choose from five candidates for two open seats. All the seats are at-large.

The candidates are: Robert A. “Bobby” Braxton, David D. Dafashy, Sean F. Driscoll, D. Scott Foster, Jr., and Doug G. Pons

The story was first reported by Julian Walker of the Virginian-Pilot.

Cuccinelli has not granted an interview on the topic, but today he released the following statement on the issue. He said that this is a “media-made issue” that has become “distracting to his office”. In order to put a lid on the flap, he has decided to forgo the use of the pins.

Here is the full statement from Cuccinelli:

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Statement on office lapel pin from Attorney General Cuccinelli

RICHMOND (May 3, 2010) — Statement from Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli on his office lapel pin:

“The image on my office lapel pin is similar to that of a large antique state flag that hangs in the Virginia Capitol.  That is where I got the idea for my pin.  I liked this particular image and thought it would be something unique for my employees.

“I cannot believe that joking with my staff about Virtue being a little more ‘virtuous’ in this antique version has become news.  This is simply a media-made issue that has become distracting to the work of my office.  I am going to end this distraction by discontinuing future use of the pin.  I think we all do the citizens a service by getting back to talking about things that are more important to them, including my office’s work last week to get four sexually violent predators committed to mental health treatment, the collection of $225,000 in back debt owed to the commonwealth, and assisting local law enforcement in an investigation that resulted in a drug kingpin being sentenced to life without parole.”

Note:  The pins were not paid for with taxpayer dollars.  The image from the flag was not altered in any way by the attorney general or his staff.

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Meanwhile.. the Democratic Party of Virginia seems to agree that the pin flap is a distraction. Here is a statement released by Dick Cranwell, Party Chairman.

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Does Ken Cuccinelli have nothing better to do?

RICHMOND “Attorney General Cuccinelli has the wrong priorities for Virginia.  This is the latest in a series of embarrassing actions that distract from the real challenges facing our citizens,” said Democratic Party of Virginia Chairman Dick Cranwell.  ” All Virginians should be concerned that Ken Cuccinelli is wasting the people’s time applying his ultra-conservative political agenda to every aspect of his job, even classical art. Under Governors Warner and Kaine, Virginia was recognized by Forbes.com and Governing Magazine.  Under Ken Cuccinelli we’re only recognized by the Daily Show.”

Carnwell further stated “After the rulings which remove protections against discrimination, lawsuits that waste taxpayer money, and actions which cause Virginia to be a national laughingstock, Attorney General Cuccinelli’s good will has run out with our citizens. Virginians demand common sense results-oriented government, not distractions, embarrassments, and misplaced priorities.”

# # #

“I have not served my country, and that is something I need to do,” Burton said. “So when I step back from this, than that is what I am going to set out to do.”

Burton’s interest in politics and government is well-known around NASCAR tracks and he has flirted with the idea of running for office in interviews in the past.  The South Boston native has been known to wade into complex political controversies, that most of his counterparts would probably not dare.  It was clear from his comments today, that he feels that he needs to contribute to his country in a meaningful way.

“I never served in the military,” said the driver of the number 31 Caterpillar Chevy. “I lived my life to be the best NASCAR driver and a good husband and father. That has been my mission.”

Burton spent a brief moment with Republican Governor Bob McDonnell at the NASCAR events in Martinsville last month. He and McDonnell did not talk politics, but the Governor did chat about his political ambitious with Burton’s parents, who still live in Virginia.

While in the past, Burton has said that he had his eye on a Senate seat, this time around he left his future plans a lot wider open.

“I don’t know if that is going to be in the political arena, I don’t know if it is going to be volunteering. I don’t know what that means, other than to say, I haven’t done my part.”

You can see Burton’s entire comments below:

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WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK–

Would you vote for Jeff Burton?

Take our online poll at NBC12.com.

The move today by VCU effectively keeps everything at status-quo and means that they are prepared to defend the policy in court, despite the Attorney General’s advice. VCU joins a number of other Virginia state institutions that chose to extend their policies despite what Cuccinelli had recommended.

VCU President Michael Rao, who has been on the job for less than a year, spoke to our Rachel DePompa about the school’s decision. His complete, uncut, interview is below:

Here is the VCU policy that was reaffirmed today:

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RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF VISITORS AND PRESIDENT OF VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY

Whereas, a diverse and inclusive learning environment that respects and enhances the potential of all members of our community is vitally important to the mission of Virginia Commonwealth University to achieve excellence in teaching, research and service; and

Whereas, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender faculty, students, administrators and staff make important and valued contributions to the advancement of the university’s mission; and

Whereas, the Governor of the Commonwealth has affirmed that discrimination based upon factors such as one’s sexual orientation or parental status violates the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution; and

Whereas, all employees and students of the Commonwealth deserve statutory protection against discrimination;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Board of Visitors and President of Virginia Commonwealth University that each remains deeply committed to equal treatment of all persons in their dealings with the university in any and all contexts as such commitment is reflected in the University’s statements and policies pertaining to equal opportunity and nondiscrimination.

“We’ve got to encourage businesses to move to Virginia,” said McAuliffe. “It’s very competitive today, let’s not put something in the way that doesn’t look like we are making are arms open for people to come to Virginia.”

McAuliffe also said that he and McDonnell’s budget priorities would’ve been sharply different. He said the push to open highway rest stops, was not as important teacher’s jobs. However, when pressed on his plan to close the budget gap without raising taxes, the Democrat said it would be difficult for him to say, because he “wasn’t in on final budget negotiations.”

You can see the entire interview from NBC12 First at 4 below:

McDonnell, who has had his share of ups and downs, has worked hard to carve out an image as a job creating governor. Incidents like the declaration of  Confederate History Month and the fight over the State’s non-discrimination policy have interrupted that message a bit, but this news is sure to help his narrative.

I spoke to the Governor about a month ago and asked him what type of impact Northrup-Grumman could have on Virginia’s economy. Here is what he told me:

The Governor is expected to make a formal announcement about the move at some point tomorrow. It could be then where we learn exactly where in Virginia the new headquarters will be located. It is widely expected to be somewhere in Northern Virginia.

The full release from the McDonnell administration can be found after the jump:

———————————————–

Governor McDonnell Announces Northrop Grumman Chooses Virginia for Corporate Headquarters

~After a competitive four-month search, global security giant to create 300 new jobs in Virginia~

RICHMOND- Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that Northrop Grumman Corporation, a leading global security company, will relocate its corporate headquarters from Los Angeles to Virginia, creating 300 new jobs in the Commonwealth.

Speaking about today’s announcement, Governor McDonnell commented, “The foremost priority of our Administration is creating new jobs and getting our economy back on track. Today’s announcement that Northrop Grumman, a Fortune 100 company, is moving to Virginia is a major step forward in this effort. Northrop Grumman and the Commonwealth of Virginia have long shared a close and positive working relationship. To gain the corporate headquarters of one of the largest global security contractors in the world is a testament to the strong business climate that  we are focused on continually improving. This Administration will keep taxes and regulations and litigation at a minimum to attract job-creators from around the world to our state to ensure more new opportunities for all Virginians. I welcome Northrop Grumman to Virginia. I know the company will be a great corporate citizen and partner, and I thank Chairman Wes Bush and his team for their investment in the future of Virginia.”

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

“We are pleased to have identified Virginia as the home for our new corporate office.  Virginia, Maryland and the District put forward compelling, competitive offers.  Our final decision was driven largely by facility considerations, proximity to our customers, and overall economics,” said Wes Bush, chief executive officer and president.  “We are very appreciative for the tremendous assistance we received from Governor O’Malley and the State of Maryland, Mayor Fenty and the District of Columbia, and Governor McDonnell and the Commonwealth of Virginia as well as many local counties and municipalities.  We look forward to opening our new corporate office next year.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked closely with company and local officials to secure the project for Virginia.

About the Virginia Economic Development Partnership

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), a marketing organization, was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1995 to encourage, stimulate, and support the development and expansion of the economy of the Commonwealth. The Partnership is a state authority, which is governed by a 22-member Board of Directors appointed by the Governor and the Virginia General Assembly. To accomplish its objectives of promoting economic expansion within the Commonwealth, the Partnership focuses its efforts on business recruitment, expansion and international trade. VEDP has offices in Virginia, Belgium, Hong Kong, Mexico and Japan.

###

As outlined in the Washington Post Virginia Politics blog, McAuliffe is staffing up, traveling and acting very much like a man poised to take another run at the Commonwealth’s top office. In addition to his work trying to drum up new business in Virginia, McAuliffe has been very active politically. He teamed up with Governor George Allen to tout a plan to help schools invest in upgrades to buildings, he made an appearance at this year’s Shad Planking and he even gave his opinion on Governor Bob McDonnell‘s decision to honor Confederate History Month.

Mr. McAuliffe is in Richmond today (Monday) and will join me live on NBC12 First at 4. You can see the live interview on NBC12-TV and streamed live on NBC12.com.

I’ll have a recap of his interview later on Decision Virginia.

Warner touched on a number of important topics during our discussion, including his work on financial regulatory reform, the federal stimulus plan and the climate in Washington. Warner told me that he is “frustrated” by the way Republicans and Democrats a fight over every single issue and seem unwilling to find common ground for the benefit of the country.

“It frustrates the heck out of me. There are days when I go, ‘this is crazy’,” Warner said. “There are days when I long for the days of the General assembly in Richmond, they look rational compared to what goes on in Washington.”

Warner often cites his work convincing Virginia Republicans to overhaul the state budget with him as one of his proudest accomplishments.  He is hopeful to bring that same level of bipartisan effort to his work on the financial systems.

Warner wasn’t afraid to take a few shots on some of the decisions his party and President Barack Obama have made. He said that the Government should “never bailout big banks ever again.” He gave only lukewarm support to the final health care plan saying that when the dust clears most people will see that it is “not as good or as bad as some of the folks had said”.  Finally, when it comes to spending Senator Warner said there is “hypocrisy on both sides”.

You can see my entire interview with Senator Mark Warner below:

Virginia’s junior Senator Mark Warner, will be my live guest today (Friday) on NBC12 First at 4. You can watch First at 4 on NBC12-TV and streamed live on NBC12.com.

Warner is in the midst of searching for a bi-partisan plan to establish federal oversight of Wall Street. Bi-partisan solutions have been hard to come by in Washington in general and in the Senate in particular. But Warner and his Democratic colleagues must have at least one Republican on board to prevent the whole effort from being brought down by filibuster.

We will talk to Warner about this challenge and some of the other projects he is working today at 4 on NBC12-TV and NBC12.com.

I’ll have a recap of our discussion, later here on Decision Virginia.

The election will be held Tuesday, June 15th. Candidates interested in running for the spot, must file their intentions by Friday May 14th at 5pm.

In addition to the race in 26th district, voters will also choose a new representative from the 27th district on the same day. That seat came open when McDonnell appointed Del. Matt Lohr as the head of the Commissioner for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The full release from McDonnell’s office can be found after the jump.

———————————————–

Governor McDonnell Sets Date for Special Elections in Two Virginia House Districts

–Special elections in 26^th and 27^th Districts–

Governor Previously Announced Appointments of Delegate Matt Lohr as Commissioner of Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Delegate Sam Nixon as Virginia’s Chief Information Officer

RICHMOND – Governor  Bob McDonnell has set Tuesday, June 15, 2010, as the date of a special election to fill vacancies in the 26^th and 27^th House of Delegates Districts. Voters will be selecting successors to Delegate Matt Lohr in the 26^th District, and Delegate Sam Nixon in the 27^th. Both have accepted appointments to serve in the McDonnell Administration.

Governor McDonnell remarked, “All Virginians will benefit from having two great public servants like Matt Lohr and Sam Nixon serving in our Administration. They were exceptional representatives of the citizens of their districts, and I know they will be missed. It is important we move quickly to fill these vacancies in order to ensure that voters in Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley have effective representation in Richmond. Accordingly, I have called for a special election to be held on Tuesday, June 15^th.”

The 26^th House District includes the City of Harrisonburg and northern portions of Rockingham County.  The 27^th House District consists of parts of Chesterfield County. The deadline for candidates to file to run in the 26^th or 27^th District seats is Friday, May 14, 2010, at 5:00 p.m.

Lt. Gov. Hager is of course, the former Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. He lost re-election to his post back in 2008 to Jeff Frederick, who was later pushed out of the position.

Matt filed this report for Decision Virginia and included his entire interview with the daughter of the former President:

Bush Hager in RVA

By: Matt Butner

Former first daughter Jenna Bush Hager was in Richmond Friday.  She was the guest speaker at an event benefitting the Hospital Hospitality House, which serves a  home away from home for VCU Medical Center patients and their families.  I caught her for a brief interview.  We talked about her visit, her ties to Richmond (she is of course married to Richmonder Henry Hager) and her life away from the White House.  Mrs. Hager was warm and friendly the crowd, which included transplant patients and their families, as well as Richmond women in fancy hats.  She showed genuine interest in the former group while mixing easily with the latter crowd.  All in all, a lovely visit.

See my entire interview with Mrs. Bush Hager below:

Btw… You can follow Matt Butner on Twitter. I promise you will enjoy his witty take on life and work.

The Commonwealth’s system has long been used by Democrats and Republicans for political gain. Democrats (as they have in this case) often claim that Republicans use the statute as way to suppress minority voters, who are disproportionately  represented in the group of people looking to gain their voting rights back.  Republicans, however argue that voting is one of the countries most sacred and fundamental rights and should not just be handed back without a careful vetting of each individual. The GOP often accuses the Democrats of pushing to have “rapists and robbers” given their voting rights back, only because they tend to vote Democrat.

Rudy Giuliani, the former Mayor of New York City and a one-time Presidential candidate used this tactic against Gov. Tim Kaine while stumping on behalf of Sen. John McCain during the 2008 Presidential Campaign.

Here is a clip from our one on one interview with him at the time:

Our Laura Geller filed an excellent report that covers the important points in this debate Monday night on NBC12. She spoke to Janet Polarek, the current Secretary of the Commonwealth and the person in the McDonnell administration responsible for this policy.

Tuesday morning the Washington-Post filed this blistering editorial on the subject, calling the move “disgraceful”.

The McDonnell administration has said they will continue to meet with key stakeholders to review the policy going forward.

UPDATE: RPV pushing video of Governor Tim Kaine, backing the McDonnell position, despite attacks from the Virginia Democrats.  During Kaine’s time as Governor he too, took heat from liberals who felt that he did not do enough to restore the rights of felons who had paid their debt to society.

The last time the Commonwealth recognized the event was 2001, the last time a Republican was in the Governor’s office.  McDonnell said in a conference call yesterday that the observance was an important history lesson for Virginians and it could help generate interest ahead of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War.

NBC12 reporter Evrod Cassimy covered the story Tuesday night on NBC12. You can see his story here.

The story has already gone national, as today Democratic Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple will appear on MSNBC at 12:30 on Wednesday.

McDonnell began the changes to VITA a few weeks ago, by naming local Del. Sam Nixon as the CIO of the troubled agency.   Nixon and McDonnell’s Secretary of Technology Jim Duffey have been tasked with overhauling the agencies efforts.

“As soon as I was elected Governor,” McDonnell said during a conference call today, “It was clear to me that VITA needed vast improvements.”

Among the many changes to the system, based on legislation passed in the General Assembly, VITA will now report directly to the Governor’s office.  “It is a much better structure,” McDonnell said.

In addition to the legislative changes, McDonnell and Duffey worked to dramatically to restructure the contract between VITA and Northrup Grumman.  The new agreement was based on initial negotiations that began during the Kaine administration. As a result of these adjustments, the contract will now be extended by three years.

McDonnell said that these new contract terms will guarantee that Northrup Gumman will be held accountable for their work. “I’m going to personally invested in this process to make sure that it works,”  he said.

McDonnell is in the process of wooing Northrup Grumman to bring their headquarters from California to Northern Virginia.  The Governor said he was glad the contract issues have been cleared up before the Northrup Grumman makes the final decision on the headquarters, but said the two topics are separate issues.

The full details on the new agreement from the Governor’s press office can be found after the jump.

———————————————

Governor McDonnell Announces Successful Revision of Virginia Information Technologies Agency Contract with Northrop Grumman

–Agreement Finalizes Outstanding Financial, Performance and Operational Issues; Creates Rapid Response Teams to Handle IT Issues; Expedites Repairs of Equipment; Improves Help Desk Functions; Institutes Enhanced Dispute Resolution Process; Adds New Services–

Follows Successful McDonnell Legislation to Restructure VITA and Create Direct Accountability to Governor; Appointment of Sam Nixon as New VITA CIO and Jim Duffey as New Secretary of Technology

RICHMOND- Governor Bob McDonnell announced today that his Administration has successfully concluded a major contract revision between the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) and private sector partner Northrop Grumman. The outsourcing contract was entered into in 2005 during the Warner Administration at a cost of $2.36 billion over 10 years. Contract renegotiations were initiated during the last months of the Kaine Administration. The revision resolves all outstanding contractual, performance and financial issues between the Commonwealth and the company. Under the terms of the renegotiated contract, Northrop Grumman agreed to introduce a large number of new customer service features and benefits, all designed to dramatically improve IT functions for all state agency customers. The revised contract extends the contract for three years and keeps the annual costs for the originally agreed upon services within the initial $236 million annual contract cap, as well as contracting for new hardware and services. The estimated new costs incurred for the additional hardware and services received by the Commonwealth are $105 million to be paid over the next nine years. A proposal put forward by the prior Administration to address the same issues would have had the Commonwealth pay $196 million over the next six years. Additionally, the Commonwealth will release $15 million in previously withheld payments, and add $47 million in new data services to better support state agencies.

Speaking about the successful contract revision Governor McDonnell remarked, “It is critically important that the contract between the Commonwealth and Northrop Grumman provides the best service for state agencies at the best price for Virginia’s taxpayers. In the five years following the inception of this outsourcing agreement, a number of conflicts and performance issues have arisen. This significant contract revision was necessary to address all these matters at one time and in one document in order for both parties to move forward with the important work of ensuring that Virginia’s state government stays online and on the job.”

The Governor continued, “When we took office we outlined a number of clear steps that needed to be taken promptly to make VITA work better for the people of Virginia. Both the law and the state agency needed to be restructured to provide more transparency and accountability. Our legislation to accomplish this goal was successful, and our office, through the Secretary of Technology, now has direct management control of VITA. We called for new leadership in the organization. Yesterday, former Delegate Sam Nixon, my appointee to manage VITA as Virginia’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), officially took office. We called for significant modifications to the existing VITA-Northrop Grumman outsourcing contract to address outstanding issues at one time and increase vendor accountability. With the revised contract now executed, we have taken the third major step in ensuring a more efficient and effective information technology system for our state agencies and employees.”

McDonnell further noted, “Through this renegotiation we have implemented a number of new features that will make the system work more smoothly. We will demand a much better managed VITA and a much more responsive Northrop Grumman. Northrop Grumman will create rapid response teams to better address IT service issues as they happen. Virginia employees will find a completely restructured help desk operation that is more responsive and service-oriented. These and other operational improvements will allow VITA to better manage IT functions for the Commonwealth. Finally, Northrop Grumman will now bill VITA on a usage basis, rather than on a fixed baseline. This makes far more sense in a contract of this nature. All of this was accomplished within the existing yearly cap on payments, a significant and important accomplishment, especially in these tough economic times. I want to thank the Office of the Attorney General for its excellent legal work throughout the revision process. I also thank Northrop Grumman for their cooperation, and the state workers at VITA dedicated to providing excellent technology support for our state agencies. I am confident that all these important changes give me the tools we need to solve past problems and manage this important agency far more effectively.”

Highlights of the Revised Contract

Performance Improvements
• Creates Rapid Response Teams – Assignment of additional onsite resources with additional abilities to quickly resolve individual IT issues
• Provides agencies greater flexibility over routine administrative tasks
• Expedites replacement of damaged desktops/laptops by replacing equipment within 24 hours of repair determination
• Overhauls Help Desk Services– a thorough top to bottom review of current procedures to implement changes outlined in the agreement and other suggested improvements. Changes include the creation of 1 hour password reset and encryption password reset that were reduced from 3-5 days.
• Redesigns work order process. Changes in procurement process to more automated format to ensure a more timely response.
• Formalizes agreement for Northrop Grumman to develop a new technology investment council for agency involvement.
• Moves forward on long delayed migration plans for all desktop OS upgrades, exchange server and MS office platform upgrades, all beginning in 2010.

Operational Efficiencies
• Consolidates and strengthens Performance Level Standards with a 15% increase in penalties across the board if Northrop Grumman fails to perform on clearly identified and measured performance standards.
• Improves Incident Response teams to determine technology failures and expedite repair
• Institutes clear performance measurements for Northrop Grumman that agencies can easily track
• Creates an enhanced dispute resolution process that’s fast and predictable.
• Adds new services to contract such as improved disaster recovery and enhanced security features
• Establishes a three-month review period for performance under the revised agreement ending June 25, 2010 which allows the Commonwealth to test new operational, financial and contractual changes to ensure significantly improved contractor performance in a short time frame

Financial
• Commonwealth releases $15 million in previously withheld contract payments after deducting $1 million in performance level penalties
• Prior administration negotiated contract modification included $196 million in additional cash payments over 6 years with an average payment of $32.5 million a year.
• Current revision includes $105 million in additional cash payments over 9 years with a net present value cost of $63 million
• Northrop Grumman will not recover any increased costs incurred for additional hardware, storage or licenses provided during the first 4 years of the contract, nor increase the base price in the extension period of three years
• Addresses all outstanding financial and contractual issues, including additional storage, hardware and license costs incurred by vendor, estimated to be at least $30 million a year
• Adds payment for new services of $47 million not in original contract for additional security measures and enhanced disaster recovery
• Provides a one-time cost of living adjustment in year 10 of the base agreement
• The 3 year extension is at the Year 10 base price
• Northrop Grumman will retain any efficiency discount realized in years 11-13
• Presents much better option than tremendous cost and uncertainty of terminating agreement at the stated contract price of at least $353 million if terminated for cause, and $685 million if terminated for convenience. This doesn’t include the cost of keeping IT servers up and running.

###

**UPDATE** The NY Times is reporting this morning that Virginia will be a part of the President’s plan for offshore drilling.

from the paper:

The first lease sale off the coast of Virginia could occur as early as next year in a triangular tract 50 miles off the coast that had already been approved for development but was held up by a court challenge and additional Interior Department review, officials said.

It seems Governor Bob McDonnell won’t have much to worry about.. see our report from Tuesday night.

*UPDATE ENDS*

President Barack Obama is set to unveil an updated plan for oil and natural gas drilling off the coast of the United States and Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell wants to make sure his state gets a piece of the action.  “My big concern is that Virginia, which is the only state that is set to go forward with leasing in 2011 stays on schedule and stays first.” said McDonnell. The Governor said he is getting “mixed signals” as to exactly what the President plans to announce on Wednesday and he would be “disappointed” if Obama’s plans don’t include the Commonwealth.

“The majority of the Virginia Congressional delegation is for it, both U.S. Senators are for it,” said the Governor Tuesday night. ” If we have an announcement that doesn’t included Virginia in 2011 as part of it, I’m going to be very disappointed in what the administration has done.”

Mister Obama will deliver a speech on Wednesday in which he will discuss energy security. Several reports indicate that he will include his plans for off-shore drilling.

McDonnell’s full comments can be seen below:

Burton is not afraid to share his opinion on politics during media sessions in NASCAR garages. He is close friends with Arizona Senator John Kyl, a Republican and told the Performance Racing  Network back in 2006, that if he does run it would be for a major office like U.S. Senate. (He has since told other media outlets that he would consider a run for a lower office if the opportunity presents itself.)

Enter Governor Bob McDonnell. This past weekend, McDonnell served as the grand marshall of the NASCAR Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. McDonnell spent Sunday morning making his way through the garages and talking about the sport with drivers and team owners. (The race itself was postponed because to Monday because of rain) Among those, he got to spend time with: Jeff Burton. McDonnell said that he spoke briefly with all three Virginia drivers (Burton, Eliott Sadler and Chesterfield’s Denny Hamlin), but it was his conversation with Burton’s parents that left an impression on him.

“They are very nice people,” McDonnell said of Burton’s mother and father (John and Meredith Burton). ”We talked about any number of races that Jeff might be involved in, on and off the track.”

McDonnell said that their conversation was not too specific about Burton’s future plans, but he did get the sense, at least from the family, that there is some serious interest. McDonnell confessed that he wasn’t sure what state the driver was eyeing or even what party line he planned to run under.

If Burton were interested in running for the U.S. Senate as soon as 2012, he’d have quite a bit of company on the Republican side. Former U.S. Senator and Governor George Allen is reportedly gunning for a rematch with Sen. Jim Webb. Of course, there is also the possibility that even McDonnell or his Lt. Governor Bill Bolling might be interested.

Stay tuned..  

note: Thanks to WSLS-TV in Roanoke for the photo of McDonnell and Burton from Sunday.

I sat down with the Governor today for a lengthy interview about these challenges and how he would judge his progress on the lofty goals he has set for himself.

Here is a recap of some of the topics that we discussed.

Health Care
There is perhaps no greater issue in today’s political landscape than the debate over health care reform and McDonnell and the Commonwealth of Virginia are right in the middle of fray. McDonnell continues his steadfast opposition to the Washington plan, but admitted today that he needs to prepare Virginia in the event that the legal and political opposition to the plan fails. The Governor said without proper planning, Virginia could be in an even more difficult position.  “As the Chief Executive Officer of Virginia, I need to know, what does exactly mean for our state and what do we need to do to prepare for the fact that it may actually go forward and be implemented.”

Beyond the implementation of the policy itself, the Governor spoke at length about his concern over the level of discourse surrounding health care and politics in general. While he said that he “understood the frustration” of people upset about the direction of the country, he said that violence was never an option. Those threats came very close to the Governor, when the FBI announced the arrest of man with plans to kill his friend and fellow Republican leader Rep. Eric Cantor. Here is an excerpt of what the Governor had to say about the volatility connected to the political discourse in America.

Budget cuts
The one thing McDonnell promised the most on the campaign trail no new tax increases. A daunting pledge in the face of a horrendous budget picture. He stuck to that pledge, but was forced to add an additional $2.2 billion in cuts on top of $2 billion already proposed by Governor Tim Kaine. The cuts hit in many quality of life areas, such as education and health care. Teachers are facing bigger class sizes and programs are going away all together. In some communities, teachers have been responding by doing exactly what is required of them by their contracts with their districts. That strict interpretation of their responsibilities has made life difficult for parents and students. The Governor told me that is not the way he is hoping government employees respond to this crisis.

Economic development
Of course McDonnell is hoping that this budget crisis, brought on by an economic crisis won’t be permanent. The Governor was successful in passing through a number of legislative initiatives that he hopes will help the Commonwealth attract new business and by an extension jobs. One of the employers the Governor is hoping to attract is the monster government contractor Northrup-Grumman. The company is planning to relocate its headquarters from California to somewhere in or around Washington, D.C. by the end of 2011. McDonnell is still holding out high hopes that their final decision will be Northern Virginia.

McDonnell and Cuccinelli
Much has been written not only in the Virginia press, but nationally about the relationship McDonnell has with Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Cuccinelli has taken a number of controversial stands on the issues of the day. Many political pundits have speculated that Cuccinelli’s bold work as Attorney General has rankled McDonnell, who has worked hard to paint himself as a common sense, center-right moderate. McDonnell said, there is nothing to these reports and that his working relationship with Cuccinelli couldn’t be better.

Richmond police are not speculating on the motivation for the gunfire, but in a press event broadcast on several national cable news outlets, Cantor denounced the violence and then went on to call out Democrats for their reaction to similar threats. He also said that he had received threatening emails.

In a statement, Richmond Police describe in detail what they found at the scene. They say it appears that  “the a bullet was fired into the air and struck the window in a downward direction, landing on the floor about a foot from the window.  The round struck with enough force to break the windowpane but did not penetrate the window blinds.”   The building, as you can see from this picture, does not show any visible sign that it belongs to Cantor.

Cantor used the opportunity as way to lash out at Democrats who he believes have attempted to capitalize on the threats against them. “Security threats against a member of Congress is not a partisan issue and they  should never be treated that way,” Cantor said. “To use such threats as political weapons is reprehensible.”  He specifically made mention of former Governor Tim Kaine and Democratic Congressional Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen.

You can see Cantor’s entire statement on our web site NBC12.com.

You can also see the Richmond Police Department’s statement regarding their initial investigation, in its entirety after the jump.

UPDATE: The Richmond Police Department has officially ruled that the bullet was a “random stray”.

—————————————————–

Bryan T. Norwood
Chief of Police

News Release

Richmond Police Investigate Cantor Building Vandalism

March 25, 2010
The Richmond Police Department is investigating an act of vandalism at the Reagan Building, 25 E. Main St., Richmond, Virginia. A first floor window was struck by a bullet at approximately 1 a.m. on Tuesday, March 23. The building, which has several tenants including an office used by Congressman Eric Cantor, was unoccupied at the time.

A Richmond Police detective was assigned to the case. A preliminary investigation shows that a bullet was fired into the air and struck the window in a downward direction, landing on the floor about a foot from the window. The round struck with enough force to break the windowpane but did not penetrate the window blinds. There was no other damage to the room, which is used occasionally for meetings by the congressman.

The Richmond Police Department is sharing information about the incident with appropriate law enforcement agencies.

At this time there are no suspects.

Virginia Democrats stepped up their attacks on Attorney Ken Cuccinelli‘s lawsuit against the federal government regarding health care. The Democratic Party of Virginia filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to get a list of the expenses the AG’s office is mounting in waging this legal battle.

Not surprisingly, the Attorney General is not jumping at the chance to comply. Cuccinelli said that all he is doing is “defending the constitution.” He said he has nothing to respond to, because all of the work that was done on the lawsuit was done inside the Attorney General’s office. He said his only response to the FOIA request was the $350 it cost to physically file the suit.

While Cuccinelli was defending the cost associated with the suit, Governor Bob McDonnell himself broke in and offered a unique perspective from his time as Attorney General. He said the Democrat’s claims were nothing more than a “complete straw man and hollow argument.” He said that he and Governor Tim Kaine worked together to file suit against the Bush Administration, and no Democrat, or Republican for that matter, ever voiced concern. 

“This is something Attorney’s General do on a regular basis,” said the Governor. ”Democrat and Republican usually with the consent of their governors to discharge their constitutional duties.”

Here is an extended clip of the Governor’s remarks:

On the other side of the argument,  Democratic Senator Donald McEachin, an attorney himself and a former colleague of Cuccinelli pointed out that the lawsuits the Attorney General chooses to persue are relevant and that taxpayers deserve to know how much of their money is being spent.

“All a lawyer has to offer is his time,” said McEachin. “and those lawyers that are going to be working on this lawsuit which is what we pay them to do to work for the state of Virginia on a frivolous action.”

You can see an extended clip of McEachin’s remarks below:

The DPVA gave the Attorney General’s office a very specific list requesting the cost of the actions regarding this lawsuit. It appears that if they are serious about learning the information, they may need to go to court themselves.

See more: You can watch and read my story from NBC12 news at 6, by clicking here.

This afternoon Governor Bob McDonnell will sign into law the “Virginia Healthcare Freedom Act Legislation”. The bill was passed with bi-partisan support by the General Assembly during this past legislative session. It attempts to make mandated health insurance illegal in Virginia. The mandate is a key part in President Barack Obama’s health care reform plan. The new law is also a cornerstone of Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s lawsuit against the federal government regarding the implementation of the health care plan.

A few hours prior to the Governor’s event, The Democratic Party of Virginia will hold a press conference designed to attack the Attorney General’s legal action. The event will feature, Sen. Don McEachin (who I spoke to about this issue on Monday) and Del. Jennifer McClellan as well as “Virginia taxpayers affected by health care legislation”. Not surprisingly, even though many Democrats in both houses supported the bill McDonnell is set to sign, both McEachin and McClellan did not.

These two events perhaps best demonstrate the great divide on this issue. There is not much middle ground and both parties seem to be running to the safe ground of their motivated bases.

We will have complete coverage of the dueling events tonight on NBC12 News start on First at 4. I will also have more later here on Decision Virginia.

The paperwork is only 7 pages long. You can see it, in its’ entirety by clicking here.

And to get you up to speed, here are a few stories from yesterday on Virginia’s role in the national debate over health care reform.

First, Ken Cuccinelli’s constitutional argument.

Second, the Democrats claim that he is wasting time and money.

Tell us what you think. You can vote in our NBC12.com poll.

We will have much more on this critical stage in the Health Care Reform battle today at 5 and 6 on NBC12- TV.

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli sent a letter warning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that the use of a little known legislative procedure could be unconstitutional. Cuccinelli sent a letter to the Speaker today, outlining his legal views of the procedure known as “deem and pass”.  The tactic, known officially as a “self-executing” rule, has been tossed about as one of several options that the House could use to get health care reform passed.

In his letter to the Speaker, Cuccinelli warns that if the House decides to use that tactic, instead of a traditional up or down vote, the passed legislation could be subject to a constitutional challenge.

“A bill of this magnitude should not be passed using this maneuver,” writes the Attorney General, in a short 5 paragraph letter.  ” As the President noted last week, the American people are entitled to an up or down vote.”

Cuccinelli cites a case-law example that he believes would render the move unconstitutional. He does not go as far as to say that he, on behalf of the people of Virginia would be willing to offer that challenge.

UPDATE: Cuccinelli spokesman Brian J. Gottstein confirmed for me that the Attorney General’s office will “definitely” file suit, if the reform measure passes via “deem and pass”

This is bound to be yet another, in a string of controversial moves, by the Attorney General.

The entire text of Cuccinelli’s letter can be found below:

————————————————————————–

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Office of the Speaker
H-232, U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C.

Dear Speaker Pelosi:

I am writing to urge you not to proceed with the Senate Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act under a so-called “deem and pass” rule because such a course of action would raise grave constitutional questions.

Based upon media interviews and statements which I have seen, you are considering this approach because it might somehow shield members of Congress from taking a recorded vote on an overwhelmingly unpopular Senate bill.  This is an improper purpose under the bicameralism requirements of Article I, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution, one of the purposes of which is to make our representatives fully accountable for their votes.

Furthermore, to be validly enacted, the Senate bill would have to be accepted by the House in a form that is word-for-word identical (Clinton v. City of New York, 524 U.S. 417 (1998)).

Should you employ the deem and pass tactic, you expose any act which may pass to yet another constitutional challenge.

A bill of this magnitude should not be passed using this maneuver.  As the President noted last week, the American people are entitled to an up or down vote.

Sincerely,

Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II

Attorney General of Virginia
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Antoine Green

Green has been the President of the Crusade, an organization with a rich history in Virginia politics, for three years. He is considered a local rising star in political circles and was featured as one of Style Weekly’s “40 under 40” in 2008.

Our reporter, Evrod Cassimy was at tonight’s meeting to talk to Green about the progress of Patrick Henry opening. During the meeting, Crusade members went on the attack, accusing Green of conflict of interest in his role with the political group and the charter school. Patrick Henry has been a divisive issue in the City of Richmond. While some families are excited about the potential the school may provide to underprivileged youth, many others are concerned that it will drain already depleted resources from the overall district budget. The Patrick Henry effort has received the support at many high levels of Virginia Government, including Governor Bob McDonnell himself.

The upheavel at tonight’s meeting also led J.J Minor, the organization’s Vice-President to resign as well. Minor has been one of the leading critics of Green holding both the role of CEO at Patrick Henry and President of the Crusade.

This is not the first controversy that the Crusade has found themselves in. This summer their endorsement of Terry McAuliffe in the Democratic Gubernatorial primary came under fire by supporters of Sen. Creigh Deeds, including Mayor Dwight Jones and Sen. Henry Marsh. McAuliffe ended up holding on to the endorsement, after an awkward press event that was held in Church Hill, overlooking the city skyline.

Evrod will have more on this story tonight, including some of the fireworks from the meeting tonight at 11.

UPDATE: You can see Evrod’s report from NBC12, by clicking here