RICHMOND - Virginia’s “pothole blitz” has been so successful that Gov. Bob McDonnell has extended the initiative until April 15. The pothole blitz originally was scheduled only for the month of March.
This article was published on the Midlothian Exchange Web site - Pothole blitz continues until April 15.
Showing posts with label virginia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label virginia. Show all posts
Friday, April 9, 2010
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
From community organizations to gubernatorial candidate
Brian Moran has worked hard in community organizations, the House of Delegates and, now, running for governor, fighting for the issues he considers important to the community.
By Samantha Downing
Education. Economy. Environment.
Brian Moran, one of the men in the race to be the Democrat candidate for Virginia governor, believes these three issues are of great importance.
“I grew up with parents who really instilled in us a belief that you have an obligation to leave the world a better place than you found it for your children,” Moran said. “It’s always been engrained in me.”
Because of what his parents taught him, Moran has been involved in the community for many years. He volunteered for a multitude of community organizations – many of them dealing with children.
“One thing led to another,” he said. “One evening 15 years ago [Governor] Mark Warner suggested I should run for the House of Delegates.”
His involvement increased in the legislature. Moran was Chairman of the Virginia House Democratic Caucus for several years. He worked closely with Warner and Governor Tim Kaine, and wants to continue their legacy of progressivism in Virginia.
Kaine’s changes to the budget and the effect on schools have some students at Virginia Commonwealth University concerned about what the future will bring.
“I hope that we get more funding to VCU,” said Stormy Holt, a mass communications student. “There’s a lot of budget cuts going on right now.”
Holt said she doesn’t want any more classes to be cut or majors to be discontinued.
Britt Smith works with VCU Students for Brian Moran, and he has confidence in Moran when it comes to education.
“Brian has put an extreme amount of importance on educating youth – just in the most general terms – because that’s where it all begins,” Smith said.
“If you give people that firm foundation and throw the money at the schools and do what you need to do…then you will, in a sense, produce the most viable next generation.”
Moran said he understands what college students go through, and he wants to set their minds at ease.
“We have to make sure our colleges are affordable for all incomes in Virginia,” he said. “I worked at a lot of jobs – gas station attendant, construction, work-study programs – all to afford college. So I get that.”
Moran said he knows the apprehension families face when considering the present economy. He has plans to create green jobs to boost the economy and improve the environment at the same time.
“There’s some wonderful research being conducted at colleges and universities,” Moran said. “We need to coordinate that.”
As a result of this research, Moran said, technology would improve and jobs would be created. In addition, the new technology could be exported from Virginia, which would also help improve the economy in this state, Moran said.
Moran said he wants to make it easier for homes and businesses to implement cleaner forms of energy – such as solar power.
“I want to make it more affordable for folks to put panels in the homes and give them tax credits to do that,” he said. “I also want to use the $160 million we’re receiving from the government to weatherize homes of low-income families and schools.”
In addition, Moran is the only candidate who opposes offshore drilling, emphasizing that he believes we should not continue to rely on nineteenth century fossil fuel.
“It poses an environmental hazard to Virginia Beach,” he said. “The U.S. Navy opposes it as well.”
His energy plan says he “understands that offshore drilling would continue our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.”
How exactly would offshore drilling continue this dependence?
“I don’t know,” Moran said.
Moran has strong opinions about some other issues that have been prominent in recent weeks, such as gun control.
“I would oppose legislation that would allow guns to be in bars,” he said. “I support closing the gun show loophole.”
His campaign is using a social networking site the campaign created, Organize Virginia, to inform people about Moran and what he stands for.
Moran said that now is the time for college students to start getting involved in the community and support the causes they believe in.
“It’s imperative that you commit yourself to the community to try to improve it,” he said. “One person can make a difference.”
By Samantha Downing
Education. Economy. Environment.
Brian Moran, one of the men in the race to be the Democrat candidate for Virginia governor, believes these three issues are of great importance.
“I grew up with parents who really instilled in us a belief that you have an obligation to leave the world a better place than you found it for your children,” Moran said. “It’s always been engrained in me.”
Because of what his parents taught him, Moran has been involved in the community for many years. He volunteered for a multitude of community organizations – many of them dealing with children.
“One thing led to another,” he said. “One evening 15 years ago [Governor] Mark Warner suggested I should run for the House of Delegates.”
His involvement increased in the legislature. Moran was Chairman of the Virginia House Democratic Caucus for several years. He worked closely with Warner and Governor Tim Kaine, and wants to continue their legacy of progressivism in Virginia.
Kaine’s changes to the budget and the effect on schools have some students at Virginia Commonwealth University concerned about what the future will bring.
“I hope that we get more funding to VCU,” said Stormy Holt, a mass communications student. “There’s a lot of budget cuts going on right now.”
Holt said she doesn’t want any more classes to be cut or majors to be discontinued.
Britt Smith works with VCU Students for Brian Moran, and he has confidence in Moran when it comes to education.“Brian has put an extreme amount of importance on educating youth – just in the most general terms – because that’s where it all begins,” Smith said.
“If you give people that firm foundation and throw the money at the schools and do what you need to do…then you will, in a sense, produce the most viable next generation.”
Moran said he understands what college students go through, and he wants to set their minds at ease.
“We have to make sure our colleges are affordable for all incomes in Virginia,” he said. “I worked at a lot of jobs – gas station attendant, construction, work-study programs – all to afford college. So I get that.”
Moran said he knows the apprehension families face when considering the present economy. He has plans to create green jobs to boost the economy and improve the environment at the same time.
“There’s some wonderful research being conducted at colleges and universities,” Moran said. “We need to coordinate that.”
As a result of this research, Moran said, technology would improve and jobs would be created. In addition, the new technology could be exported from Virginia, which would also help improve the economy in this state, Moran said.
Moran said he wants to make it easier for homes and businesses to implement cleaner forms of energy – such as solar power.
“I want to make it more affordable for folks to put panels in the homes and give them tax credits to do that,” he said. “I also want to use the $160 million we’re receiving from the government to weatherize homes of low-income families and schools.”
In addition, Moran is the only candidate who opposes offshore drilling, emphasizing that he believes we should not continue to rely on nineteenth century fossil fuel.
“It poses an environmental hazard to Virginia Beach,” he said. “The U.S. Navy opposes it as well.”
His energy plan says he “understands that offshore drilling would continue our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.”
How exactly would offshore drilling continue this dependence?
“I don’t know,” Moran said.
Moran has strong opinions about some other issues that have been prominent in recent weeks, such as gun control.
“I would oppose legislation that would allow guns to be in bars,” he said. “I support closing the gun show loophole.”
His campaign is using a social networking site the campaign created, Organize Virginia, to inform people about Moran and what he stands for.
Moran said that now is the time for college students to start getting involved in the community and support the causes they believe in.
“It’s imperative that you commit yourself to the community to try to improve it,” he said. “One person can make a difference.”
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Reaching out to undecided voters
Phone banking is a popular way for volunteers to help with a political campaign, especially with today’s technology allowing flexible hours.
By Samantha Downing
In the evening of almost every day of the week, the political action committee Virginians for Brian Moran holds a phone bank in Northern Virginia.
The volunteers call phone numbers obtained from lists of registered voters and explain why they support Moran for governor.
“There’s actually nothing more important in a campaign than reaching out to undecided voters,” said Jesse Ferguson, communications director for Virginians for Brian Moran.
Etenesh Brown, a junior at Virginia Commonwealth University majoring in religious studies, helped with President Barack Obama’s extensive phone bank last year, making calls to women in the Midwest.
“The Web site made it very easy to answer their questions,” she said, adding that the Web site had detailed talking points and a structure to follow. “‘If they say this, click here and say this. But if they say this, then thank them for their time and end the conversation.’”
Brown thinks that the way phone banks function now, through the Internet and cell phones, is much more efficient than the way they used to function.
Virginians for Brian Moran is using today’s technology to its full advantage.
“We do phone-from-home programs where students or any voter can work with our campaign,” Ferguson said.
Volunteers can sign up to participate in Moran’s phone bank via the committee’s Web site. Because of the use of cell phones and phone-from-home programs, they don’t have to meet at a set location. This makes it possible for more people to participate.
“Any volunteer can help out whenever they can, even if it’s only a few minutes a day, making a few calls a week,” Brown said.
Brown said the ability to use cell phones is not the only advantage to phone banks.
“I think one of the benefits of phone banks is the opportunity it gives the receivers to talk to a real person about any concerns or questions they have,” Brown said. “These volunteers are dedicated enough to this candidate that they will call a stranger. That itself says that this may be something worth at least hearing.”
Ferguson said that is the reason their phone bank has been so successful.
“People like to know…that the people who are reaching out on behalf of the campaign aren’t an army of paid staff,” he said.
Susen Wilcox, who worked with Dave Weldon’s campaign in Florida, said a big advantage to a phone bank is the ability to contact so many people in a short amount of time.
“You have the ability to speak to more people than you would if you were just going door to door,” she said.
In addition to the phone bank, the Moran campaign is actively seeking support in other ways, including through a social networking site called Organize Virginia.
“We are truly building a grassroots campaign,” Ferguson said. “That’s how we’re going to win.”
By Samantha Downing
In the evening of almost every day of the week, the political action committee Virginians for Brian Moran holds a phone bank in Northern Virginia.
The volunteers call phone numbers obtained from lists of registered voters and explain why they support Moran for governor.
“There’s actually nothing more important in a campaign than reaching out to undecided voters,” said Jesse Ferguson, communications director for Virginians for Brian Moran.
Etenesh Brown, a junior at Virginia Commonwealth University majoring in religious studies, helped with President Barack Obama’s extensive phone bank last year, making calls to women in the Midwest.
“The Web site made it very easy to answer their questions,” she said, adding that the Web site had detailed talking points and a structure to follow. “‘If they say this, click here and say this. But if they say this, then thank them for their time and end the conversation.’”
Brown thinks that the way phone banks function now, through the Internet and cell phones, is much more efficient than the way they used to function.
Virginians for Brian Moran is using today’s technology to its full advantage.
“We do phone-from-home programs where students or any voter can work with our campaign,” Ferguson said.
Volunteers can sign up to participate in Moran’s phone bank via the committee’s Web site. Because of the use of cell phones and phone-from-home programs, they don’t have to meet at a set location. This makes it possible for more people to participate.
“Any volunteer can help out whenever they can, even if it’s only a few minutes a day, making a few calls a week,” Brown said.
Brown said the ability to use cell phones is not the only advantage to phone banks.
“I think one of the benefits of phone banks is the opportunity it gives the receivers to talk to a real person about any concerns or questions they have,” Brown said. “These volunteers are dedicated enough to this candidate that they will call a stranger. That itself says that this may be something worth at least hearing.”
Ferguson said that is the reason their phone bank has been so successful.
“People like to know…that the people who are reaching out on behalf of the campaign aren’t an army of paid staff,” he said.
Susen Wilcox, who worked with Dave Weldon’s campaign in Florida, said a big advantage to a phone bank is the ability to contact so many people in a short amount of time.
“You have the ability to speak to more people than you would if you were just going door to door,” she said.
In addition to the phone bank, the Moran campaign is actively seeking support in other ways, including through a social networking site called Organize Virginia.
“We are truly building a grassroots campaign,” Ferguson said. “That’s how we’re going to win.”
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Libertarian party for smaller government
By: Samantha Downing
Redpath and the Libertarian party say the government has too much power.
When it comes to election time, most voters choose sides between Republican and Democrat.
But some look elsewhere when preparing to cast their ballots.
“The greatest problem with our political system today is the special interest-driven two-party system that provides the American people with two big-government ‘solutions’ and asks them to choose between the two evils,” said Vladimir Rudenko, vice chairman of the organization Libertarians at VCU.
The chairman of the organization, Steven Latimer, agreed.
“America was founded on a tax revolt, and the Libertarian Party and its candidates are aware of this,” said Latimer.
William Redpath is Virginia’s Libertarian candidate for Senate.
The most important issue in his campaign is national security, without which, he says on his Web site, “The benefits of a free society and prosperity cannot be enjoyed.”
Redpath says the U.S. should adopt a non-interventionist foreign policy. He promotes withdrawing from Iraq and focusing on Al-Qaeda as the greatest security threat.
Regarding the economy, Redpath encourages a reduction in federal government spending.
“Stop the cheesy, half-baked, short-sighted federal responses to the current economic situation,” he says. “Implement long-term solutions now.”
Redpath and the Libertarian party support reducing federal income tax.
“It is time to end this confiscation of our earnings and get the government out of our pocketbooks,” says the party’s Web site.
Seniors should have control of their own Medicare benefits, says Redpath, and Medicaid should be financed by state and local governments rather than the federal government.
“Health care is not a right, because it requires the talents and resources of other people,” Redpath says. “The federal government is not empowered by the U.S. Constitution to provide health care.”
Redpath supports a health care system driven by consumers, not based on employers.
He says Americans should be allowed to make their own decisions regarding consensual crimes, and the individual states should address the issue of drug prohibition.
Born and raised in Ohio, Redpath worked for NBC and ABC in New York, and WISH-TV in Indianapolis before joining BIA Financial Network, Inc. – a Chantilly, Va., company that appraises media and telecommunications businesses.
The Libertarian Party was created in December 1971, and Redpath has been a member since 1984. He is currently the chairman of the Libertarian National Committee.
According to its Web site, the Libertarian Party seeks “a return to the basic principles that made America great,” with a smaller government than either Democrats or Republicans want.
“Government at all levels is too large, too expensive, woefully inefficient, arrogant, intrusive and downright dangerous.”
Rudenko said the government should be shrunk to “its original Constitutional boundaries.”
The Libertarian Party supports the idea of individual responsibility, which means that each person has “the right to control his or her own body, action, speech and property.”
The Libertarian Party says it is the only political party that respects people as individuals and wants the government to do the same.
Redpath formerly ran for the House of Delegates in 1993, for the state Senate in the special election in January 1998, and for governor in 2001 – where he won less than 1 percent of votes.
This election, as he runs for a seat in the U.S. Senate, Redpath’s motto is, “Anything that’s peaceful.”
Also running for Senate in Virginia are Republican Jim Gilmore and Democrat Mark Warner.
Redpath’s name does not often appear alongside his opponents’ in polls, but people like Latimer still support him.
“By voting Libertarian, I made my personal vote as powerful as possible.”
Rudenko said the reason he voted Libertarian is that our country is in trouble because our liberties are being taken away from us.
“Freedom is on the run, in short, and the tiny libertarian minority is trying to shout ‘come back and hold your ground.’ This is America, this is where freedom belongs.”
Redpath and the Libertarian party say the government has too much power.
When it comes to election time, most voters choose sides between Republican and Democrat.
But some look elsewhere when preparing to cast their ballots.
“The greatest problem with our political system today is the special interest-driven two-party system that provides the American people with two big-government ‘solutions’ and asks them to choose between the two evils,” said Vladimir Rudenko, vice chairman of the organization Libertarians at VCU.
The chairman of the organization, Steven Latimer, agreed.
“America was founded on a tax revolt, and the Libertarian Party and its candidates are aware of this,” said Latimer.
William Redpath is Virginia’s Libertarian candidate for Senate.
The most important issue in his campaign is national security, without which, he says on his Web site, “The benefits of a free society and prosperity cannot be enjoyed.”
Redpath says the U.S. should adopt a non-interventionist foreign policy. He promotes withdrawing from Iraq and focusing on Al-Qaeda as the greatest security threat.
Regarding the economy, Redpath encourages a reduction in federal government spending.
“Stop the cheesy, half-baked, short-sighted federal responses to the current economic situation,” he says. “Implement long-term solutions now.”
Redpath and the Libertarian party support reducing federal income tax.
“It is time to end this confiscation of our earnings and get the government out of our pocketbooks,” says the party’s Web site.
Seniors should have control of their own Medicare benefits, says Redpath, and Medicaid should be financed by state and local governments rather than the federal government.
“Health care is not a right, because it requires the talents and resources of other people,” Redpath says. “The federal government is not empowered by the U.S. Constitution to provide health care.”
Redpath supports a health care system driven by consumers, not based on employers.
He says Americans should be allowed to make their own decisions regarding consensual crimes, and the individual states should address the issue of drug prohibition.
Born and raised in Ohio, Redpath worked for NBC and ABC in New York, and WISH-TV in Indianapolis before joining BIA Financial Network, Inc. – a Chantilly, Va., company that appraises media and telecommunications businesses.
The Libertarian Party was created in December 1971, and Redpath has been a member since 1984. He is currently the chairman of the Libertarian National Committee.
According to its Web site, the Libertarian Party seeks “a return to the basic principles that made America great,” with a smaller government than either Democrats or Republicans want.
“Government at all levels is too large, too expensive, woefully inefficient, arrogant, intrusive and downright dangerous.”
Rudenko said the government should be shrunk to “its original Constitutional boundaries.”
The Libertarian Party supports the idea of individual responsibility, which means that each person has “the right to control his or her own body, action, speech and property.”
The Libertarian Party says it is the only political party that respects people as individuals and wants the government to do the same.
Redpath formerly ran for the House of Delegates in 1993, for the state Senate in the special election in January 1998, and for governor in 2001 – where he won less than 1 percent of votes.
This election, as he runs for a seat in the U.S. Senate, Redpath’s motto is, “Anything that’s peaceful.”
Also running for Senate in Virginia are Republican Jim Gilmore and Democrat Mark Warner.
Redpath’s name does not often appear alongside his opponents’ in polls, but people like Latimer still support him.
“By voting Libertarian, I made my personal vote as powerful as possible.”
Rudenko said the reason he voted Libertarian is that our country is in trouble because our liberties are being taken away from us.
“Freedom is on the run, in short, and the tiny libertarian minority is trying to shout ‘come back and hold your ground.’ This is America, this is where freedom belongs.”
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