Democracy for Virginia

Leslie Byrne First on Dem. Lt. Gov. Ballot

BYRNE FIRST TO FILE PETITIONS OF CANDIDACY
Wins First Position on June 14 Lieutenant Governor Primary Ballot

Leslie Byrne, Democratic candidate for Virginia Lieutenant Governor, was the first to file the required signatures to place her on the June 14 primary ballot.  This action guarantees Byrne to the first position on the Democratic primary ballot.

Choosing Well in the 45th: VA Partisans Candidates Forum TONIGHT!

Serving an area widely considered to be "safely Democratic", the 45th district in the House of Delegates is a hot open seat this year with the upcoming retirement of Delegate Marian Van Landringham, who has held this seat for Democrats since 1982.  The 45th district consists of 13 precincts in Alexandria City, 6 precincts in Fairfax County, and 3 precincts in Arlington. 

With six Democratic candidates currently in contention for the nomination, which will be decided in a June 14 primary, voters in the 45th have an opportunity to choose a courageous leader who will not only reliably vote the "right way", but who will stand up and serve as a champion of progressive Democratic values.  Following the retirement of Delegate Mitch Van Yahres, the "conscience of the House", it's all the more important that progressive Democrats around Virginia help to elect a courageous and outspoken socially progressive, fiscally responsible leader in the 45th.

Current declared candidates include:

David Englin - a 12-year military veteran and Air Force Academy graduate, Englin was on duty in the Pentagon when it was attacked on September 11, 2001.  David and his wife Shayna, an active volunteer with the Dean for America campaign, are Democratic precinct captains in Alexandria.  They are both active members of the Arlington for Democracy DFA/DFV Meetup.
Libby Garvey - the current Chair of the Arlington County School Board (and Board member since 1996), Garvey served as a Democratic National Convention delegate for Edwards in 2004 and is a longtime party and community leader who has been endorsed by numerous Arlington County elected officials and members of school boards around the state.
Richard (Dick) Hobson (I could find no candidate Web site for Hobson) - a former member of the House of Delegates who served two terms in the late 1970's, Dick Hobson is a longtime party activist from Arlington.
Jim Lay - a self-described "bleeding-heart moderate" with "centrist, Democratic values", Lay is an Alexandria attorney and former prosecutor who has been endorsed by the Arlington Coalition of Police (AFL/CIO local 48), for whom he serves as General Counsel.
Laura Mandala - a small business owner in Alexandria and Chair of the Alexandria Commission on Women, Mandala says, ""I will use my business skills to work in creating greater benefits for Northern Virginia. We need to build coalitions, communicate the values of the Democratic Party, and bring more State legislators to our side."  Mandala recently attended the Arlington for Democracy DFA/DFV Meetup.
Elsie Mosqueda - legislative aide to Delegate Brian Moran (D-46) for nine years, Mosqueda has been endorsed by a number of current and former members of the House of Delegates

As Republicans in Virginia well know, it's in the "safe seats" where party policy can move forward with conviction.  Members in safe seats can serve as a policy and leadership beacon for colleagues in the party throughout the state.  A Democrat in the 45th should be eager to stand up to the extreme right-wing radicals in Richmond (those we don't defeat in November, that is), to support building a stronger party infrastructure statewide, and to help to build the "farm team" of new Democratic leaders throughout the state.

A review of the candidates' Web site reveals much about their relative interests in progressive policies and party building, but nothing beats meeting the candidates in person.

Tonight, the Virginia Partisans host a candidate forum for all Democratic candidates in the 45th House District.  This is a great opportunity to meet all of the candidates in person and decide for yourself who would be the best choice for the 45th and for the whole state.  If you attend the tonight's forum, please share your impressions in comments below!  I'd be happy to feature first-hand accounts as a guest post as well.

Warner Signs Anti-Immigrant HB 1798

Democratic Virginia Governor Mark Warner dealt a significant blow to Latino and poverty activists in Virginia yesterday when he signed HB 1798, patroned by Fairfax County Republican Dave Albo, which requires proof of legal presence from those seeking government assistance. "It's very disappointing," the Washington Post quotes Arlington County Board member Walter Tejada (D) chairman of the Virginia Latino Advisory Commission, "It serves no other purpose but to fan the flames of anti-immigrant sentiment . . . and that is simply wrong."

Social service workers have been concerned that the anti-immigrant sentiment the bill embodies will effect many more people than the adult illegal immigrants who are the new law's targets. Many immigrants are already afraid that if they seek services like the FAMIS child health coverage assistance programs (for which all children are eligible regardless of immigration status) they will be turned in to federal officials and deported.

Social service workers have also expressed their dismay at the additional burden this will place on their already imposing workload. State employees whose job it is to ensure that services reach those in need will now have to do the work that federal immigration officials have failed to do, policing federal immigration law.

In addition to the mean-spirited public policy this legislation enacts, it is a political mistake for Virginia's Democratic party. Virginia is estimated to have as many as 250,000 illegal immigrants, most of whom are hard-working, tax-paying residents who do the dirtiest jobs. Over the next decades, many of these people may settle here, becoming citizens themselves or giving birth to children who are American citizens. Gaining the support of this growing portion of the electorate is essential to the long-term health of the Democratic party. Governor Warner should be taken to task for not only signing this "brochure bill" created by right-wing Republicans looking for an election year advantage, but for helping to alienate this growing constituency.

Political Football: Schiavo, Finn, and Gilmore Revisited

The following guest post was written by the Honorable Clifton A. "Chip" Woodrum of Roanoke, who served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1990 until his retirement in 2004.  Former Delegate Woodrum contacted DFV in response to our recent piece mentioning the Washington Post article about the similarities between the current Terri Schiavo controversy and Hugh Finn case here in Virginia. 

Woodrum was Chairman of the House of Delegates Claims Committee in 1999, which considered a bill to compensate Michele Finn and others in the Finn family for legal fees neccessitated by former Governor Gilmore's intervention in the matter.  The bill passed the Virginia Senate (in substitute form, which also called for a health care decision education program) but was passed by indefinitely in a close 8-7 vote by the Claims committee in the House.

Former Governor Jim Gilmore was quoted in the Washington Post on March 23^rd as saying he would have followed the same course today in the matter of Hugh Finn.  He described his actions as “trying to take a timeout. He added “…that became lost, because it became a political football."

Really? And who made it a “political football?"

The tragic case of Terri Schiavo does bring to mind the equally tragic situation surrounding the death of Hugh Finn and the egregious acts of former governor Jim Gilmore. Hugh Finn, a TV news reporter, was catastrophically injured in an automobile accident in March 1995 which ruptured his aorta and deprived his brain of oxygen. As a result, he was unable to eat or care for himself, he was diagnosed by numerous doctors as being in a persistent vegetative state with no hope of improvement and no chance of recovery.

HB1798: Send Gov. Warner Your Opinions

A source close to Governor Warner says that he still has not decided whether to sign House Bill 1798, which would require people seeking public benefits to prove legal presence in the United States. This bill, patroned by Fairfax Republican Dave Albo, would place already overburdened social service workers in the position of acting as immigration police, hindering them from achieving their mandate to help folks in need. Additionally, because this bill requires applicants provide documentation before receiving benefits, those known as "technically undocumented"—who do not have the papers proving their legal presence or who are in a legal limbo pending the resolution of the immigration process—could be barred from services they are entitled to. Many of these people are children who have lived all their lives in the US, but were brought to this country illegally by their parents.

In addition to cutting off needy people from social services, this bill will also further intimidate immigrants from seeking government services. Misinformation that social workers are working with the INS can keep parents from seeking medical care for their children, and neighbors may be unwilling to report child abuse if they fear Social Services will help deport illegals. The enactment of this legislation will lead to the propagation of such a misimpression.

This bill will fundamentally compromise the ability of Social Service workers to ensure the health and safety of the Commonwealth's most vulnerable. Call Governor Warner at (804) 786-2211, or send him an email him through his website to urge him to veto this bill.

Virginia's Schiavo-Like Case; Moran Speaks Out

The Washington Post this morning has a fascinating article about a 1998 case in Virginia which is very similar to the current bitter personal, political, and legal dispute in the Terri Schiavo case. 

"When this happened to me," Michele Finn said, "I thought and hoped that it would send a message to government to stay out of these decisions, these very heart-wrenching decisions. It is very disappointing to me that this has gotten up to Congress the way it did over the weekend."

In related news, Congressman Jim Moran (VA-8) has released his statement from Sunday's floor debate on the Schiavo issue.  The most dramatic points follow; his full statement appears below the jump:

The reason this issue is before us, I think, is that it is all about religion and politics. But does not every religion teach, first of all, that no human being has the right to play God? And is not one of the very first principles of politics is that we should not use individual human tragedies, people suffering in anguish, political pawns to appease the interest groups that keep us in power.

Mr. Speaker, the night that this was brought up last week, we also voted on a budget resolution, and we decided to cut tens of billions of dollars out of the program that enables the poorest and the sickest and the most dependent among us throughout this country to be able to live in a dignified, safe and sanitary nursing home. We decided to cut that money. I did not agree with cutting that money from Medicaid, but I do agree we have that right. We have the right to cut taxes for the wealthy, while we cut health care for the poor. But we have no legislative, constitutional authority to intervene in these very personal family matters, and most importantly, we have no moral right to be doing this tonight.

Jim Moran and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-3) were the only Virginia Representatives to vote against the bill.  Senator John Warner (R) joined Moran and Scott in opposing the measure, as reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. 

Eric Cantor, Tom Davis, JoAnn Davis, Thelma Drake, Randy Forbes, Virgil Goode, and Bob Goodlatte, all Republican members of Congress from Virginia, voted in favor.  Rick Boucher (D-9) and Frank Wolf (R-10) were not present.

Filling Mitch's Shoes in the 57th - Fewer Are Going to Try

The Charlottesville Daily Progress reports this morning that three of the possible contenders to succeed Mitch Van Yahres in the House (discussed here and here)have decided not to try:

Former Vice Mayor Meredith Richards, former Albemarle party Chairman William B. Harvey and liberal/progressive blogger Waldo Jaquith all said Tuesday that they may seek some future political office but have decided not to run in a June 14 Democratic primary to try to succeed Del. Mitchell Van Yahres, D-Charlottesville.

I have to confess that I'm most disappointed that Waldo Jaquith has decided not to throw his hat in the ring.  Waldo, the founder of Virginia Family Values PAC, is not only my favorite Virginia blogger, but he's a progressive who has demonstrated time and again that he has the courage, convictions, and creativity to be an effective leader, both in the party and in the community.  I know Waldo's got a number of irons in the fire, from classes to upcoming nuptials to his latest grand plan to rebuild the party, and I can't blame him for his decision that now is not the right time...but still.  A girl can dream.  (UPDATE: Our friend Lowell at Raising Kaine, definitely not a girl, also asks, "Where's Waldo?")

Earnie Porta Steps Up To Challenge Del. McQuigg (R-51)

In 2003, Michelle McQuigg (R-51), an incumbent in the Virginia House who has held this seat since 1998, ran unopposed for re-election in her district, which serves an area of Prince William County including Occoquan. 

Thankfully, this year she won't have it so easy.

Earnie Porta, a certified financial planner from Oqqoquan, declared his candidacy in front of a cheering crowd at Occoquan Town Hall on Saturday.  The Potomac News reports:

Porta chided the last session of General Assembly for concentrating on the less lofty goals of license plate slogans, bake sale rules, road names and "the subject that recently brought international fame to Virginia, a bill to fine people if their underwear is showing."

"Now these things are comical," the 41-year-old Porta said, "but they would be funnier if they were not bracketed by more divisive and mean-spirited legislation that so often seems less aimed at solving problems than at stigmatizing, if not demonizing, some of our very own relatives, friends, neighbors and fellow citizens."

Porta further accused some in the General Assembly of taking ideological stances to divide the electorate and "close off debate" instead of doing the "heavy lifting required to solve the problems that face all of us."

Speaking of the heavy lifting of problems important to residents in the 51st, solving transportation problems in Northern Virginia is not just good for business; it's a moral issue, since traffic delays and commuting problems contribute to great stress and result in families having much less time to spend with one another or in service to the community.  Porta advocates innovative systems such as a "modern bus rapid transit system" and more local control over local issues.

As far as I can see, Porta does not yet have a Web presence, but it's great that he's not allowing Del. McQuigg to have a free pass again this year. Occoquan-area residents interested in getting involved in Democracy for Virginia are encouraged to attend the Occoquan DFA Meetup on the first Wednesday of every month!

UPDATE: Earnie Porta does have a Web site - http://www.earnieporta.com.  Visit and help!

Ideas on the Presidential primary season

A commission of the Democratic National Committee is discussing the 2008 Presidential Primary calendar.  Once again, very few people seemed to be satisfied with the "latest" (2004) version, as in spite of most states cramming their primaries and caucuses as early as possible,the selection process seemed over almost as soon as it started.  By the time the Virginia primary came, Kerry was already the nominee apparent, and we were early!

We need to find a way of selecting Presidential candidates which both preserves the opportunity of unknown candidates to be heard and grow, but doesn't place overwhelming power in a small number of unrepresentative states.

"One big primary" would preclude the former, maintaining the current system promotes the latter.

The Democratic Party should spread the process out more.

• have a January primary in a state chosen randomly from blue states in the bottom half by population (to keep costs relatively low to run a campaign),
• then two February primaries separated by at least two weeks from the January primary and from each other in states chosen randomly from those which were blue or within 5% of being blue in the last election.
• The rest of the primary season would be spread out though the beginning of June, with primaries grouped in batches randomly with the two week separation between groups.

In addition, we should eliminate the 15% threshold many states use to force a "winner" on the first ballot.  All it does is take away the voices of those who vote for candidates who get fewer than 15%.  If someone can't get to 50% + 1 without this kind of "cheating" written into the rules, maybe they're not the best candidate.

Governor Dean Goes to Washington

Join Governor Dean in Washington on March 23. 

Details are in this invitation from Andrew Wright:

Dear Friend,

In Frank Capra's classic "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," an inspired
Jefferson Smith pleads, "Just get up off the ground, that's all I ask
... Great principles don't get lost once they come to light. They're
right here -- you just have to see them again!"

With that energy and passion our new Democratic chairman, Governor
Howard Dean, has come to Washington to build our party from the ground
up and fight for the values we all share.

You can welcome him to Washington at his first event in the nation's
capital since becoming chairman. RSVP now for this major event:

http://www.democrats.org/WelcomeDean

Here are the details:

GOVERNOR HOWARD DEAN GOES TO WASHINGTON

March 23, 2005
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

VIP Reception (for hosts and VIPs): 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

H20 on the Waterfront
800 Water Street SW
Washington, DC

Metro: Green Line, Waterfront Station (two and a half blocks from the
station, at the end of 7th Street)

$35 FOR STUDENTS (Please bring your college ID)
$50 PER PERSON
VIP Reception: $250
Host Committee: $1,000 (contribute or raise)

For more information or to join the host committee please contact
Melanie Wong at 202-863-7163 or by email at [email protected] or contact
Andrew Wright at [email protected].

This event is your opportunity to welcome Governor Dean to the nation's
capital and support your Democratic Party. RSVP now:

http://www.democrats.org/WelcomeDean

Thank you, and we'll see you on the 23rd!

Sincerely,
Andrew Wright
Mid-Atlantic Finance Director
Democratic National Committee