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Virginia House of Delegates 48th District!
Virginia’s 48th Delegate District covers much of north Arlington and the area along the Potomac from Chain Bridge to National Airport. I’m proud to have represented the 48th District’s citizens in Richmond since 1998. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read about my background, the legislation I’ve championed in Richmond, and my stand on the issues that matter to Arlington, Northern Virginia, and the Commonwealth.
I encourage you to visit my website often. Through the blog on this page I intend to keep you informed on what I see happening on a state level and what it means for Arlington. Please contact me if you have any questions or if there’s an issue involving state government that I can help you resolve.
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Archive for the 'General' Category
On Sunday the Fire Department of New York memorialized the tie between that city’s first responders and Arlington’s firefighters by presenting a beam from the World Trade Center to the Arlington County Fire Department. The ceremony was held at Fire Station #5 near Pentagon City; that station’s firefighters were the first to respond to the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon.
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n the Washington Post on Sunday 8/15, I asked whether we have fully dealt with all the questions that need to be considered before we jump on the band wagon for privatization of the ABC liquor stores: “It’s 1934. Franklin Roosevelt is president, Prohibition has just been repealed, and Virginia (along with a number of other states) authorizes the sale of bottled liquor through a chain of state-owned and –operated retail outlets. They’re called ABC stores (for Alcoholic Beverage Control) and the emphasis is on the ‘C.’ Now, more than 75 years later Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) is proposing to sell off the state ABC stores to private interests. He promises to use the proceeds of the privatization to provide a one time windfall for Virginia’s cash-starved transportation system…..” Is this really a good deal for the Commonwealth? Read more.
Others have weighed in on the issue: my Charlottesville colleague David Toscano noted, “During campaign season, voters frequently hear the statement, ‘government ought to be run like a business.’ How many businesses do you know would be willing to eliminate a profit center that realizes some $118 million per year in net revenue and another $120 million in taxes for a price that is speculative and which may come with some undesired consequences? Well, that is exactly what the Commonwealth is considering doing if it embraces Gov. McDonnell’s proposal to privatize the ABC stores.”
On the other hand, Washington Post business columnist Steven Pearlstein claims that privatization “offers Virginians the rare opportunity of a free lunch.” Who can argue with a free lunch?
Governor McDonnell’s Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring, on which I serve, has scheduled a series of public town hall meetings to give Virginians a chance to present ideas on improving delivery of government services. The first town hall will be in Northern Virginia this Thursday (July 8th) from 2:00 to 3:30 PM at Capital One headquarters in Tysons Corner. Similar meetings are scheduled across the Commonwealth during the rest of July.