Election Picks - Virginia Peninsula

Weather Forecast on the Peninsula: showers tomorrow morning, clearing in the afternoon.

Senate Races
1st Tricia Stall 99,334 active registered voters
2nd Mamie Locke unopposed
3rd Tommie Norment unopposed

House Races
91st Tom Gear unopposed
92nd Jeion Ward unopposed
93rd Phil Hamilton unopposed
94th Glen Oder 41,320 active registered voters
95th Mamye BaCote unopposed
96th Brenda Pogge 55,326 active registered voters Read More. . . .

Democrats Agree: Conservative Principles Will Win in 07

Even the Democrats agree that they way to win is with Conservative Principles. Look at the attack that the Democrats are making on the Republicans. Across the board they are claiming Republicans raised taxes with the Abuser fees. Ralph Northam (D) is challenging Nick Rerras (R-6th) on immigration. Northam is taking the conservative stance, claiming that Rerras is soft on illegal immigration. Beside the point that the person he has doing the attacking is giving his unsubstantiated personal opinion, Northam is trying to look like the conservative.

Take a look at his add. Does he ever mention that he is a Democrat?

NO!

On the other hand Russ Potts and John Chichester are endorsing and financially supporting the Democrats. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that they are two of the most Liberal Senators in Virginia. They don’t get it.

Where are Republicans winning? They are winning where the Candidate is more conservative than the Democrat, and they are loosing where the Democrat is conservative enough to fool the public. Senator Cuccinelli is winning in NOVA and just down the Road the more liberal Devolites-Davis is loosing. Virginians still want conservative principles. The question on Election Day is who will give those principles to them? Read More. . . .

Peninsula Endorsements - NRA PVF

Jerry Fuhrman at From On High alerts us to the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund endorsements for Virginia General Assembly candidates.
Of interest to Peninsula voters, the PVF gives an A rating and endorses:

1 Senate District - Tricia Stall
91st House District - Tom Gear
94th House District - Glen Oder
96th House District - Brenda Pogge

Read More. . . .

Peninsula Candidate Forum, Examining the Entrails

Oracles of old divined future events by examining the entrails of sacrificed animals. The only bloody stumps from Thursdays Peninsula Candidates Forum were at the end of my fingers after typing for two hours. I must be digitally out of shape. Having provided a close to verbatim account of the event, it seems fitting to examine the remains in more detail.

Delegate Tom Gear's initial attack on Senate candidate John Miller focused on Miller's refusal to take a no tax pledge. In his own opening remarks Miller explained that such a pledge would be irresponsible. Events like a hurricane or terrorist attack might require more state spending and new or higher taxes. This line of reasoning falls flat however, considering the sizable "Rainy Day" fund the commonwealth maintains. New taxes would not result in an immediate increase in state revenue to tide the state over an emergency, as they must be put into effect first, typically on July 1 following passage.

The initial statement from Pam Pouchot, an independent running in the 96th District, contained a curious item. She stated that "out of state" auditors are needed to check Virginia state government agencies for efficiency and effectiveness. I am not sure why out of state auditors would be better at this than residents of Virginia and any such audit would require someone to agree on the measures of efficiency and effectiveness to be used. Her other opening comments about her long advocacy of gun control measures suggest a candidate with less than a passing familiarity with the U.S. Constitution.

In response to a question, What is your position on HRTA both Pouchot and William Pelkey, an independent candidate in the 94th District suggested their position was to impose tolls at the state border on interstate highways. Given the traffic mess on the interstate in Northern Virginia at the Maryland and DC borders, I expect such tolls would not be an improvement, even if frequent border crossers used electronic payments. Fortunately for Pouchot and Pelkey our northern Virginia brethren will not be voting in the Peninsula district races.

In response to the same question Delegate Tom Gear gave perhaps the most cogent, if not well articulated, response.
The gist of his thought was that priorities should be important. If transportation was truly the most important funding priority, the it should have been funded first. All the lesser priorities should have then been funded with what was left. It is indeed incongruous for the legislature to leave what is claimed to be a top priority for last after funding everything less important. As Gear suggested, it doesn't work at home, we should not permit it at the state level.

The absolute gem of the evening nearly slipped by all those anticipating the rapidly approaching end of the forum. In her closing remarks, Tricia Stall clearly laid out a principle of good government that was breathtaking in its simplicity and clarity. Stall stated that as a matter of principle a legislator should ask this of every bill before voting: Is this legislation constitutional, necessary, and affordable? The citizens of the 1st Senate District, the Commonwealth and the nation could not be better served if their representatives honestly applied this principle. My vote on this alone is with Stall.


Read More. . . .

Back in Action

After a little bit of rest of the weary, all of the members of the TVF Editorial Board are back. We will be looking at the local races over the next few weeks with commentary, predictions, and endorsements.

The race for Virginia’s Senate is closer than ever. We will be looking at the close races that have seemed to clump in two areas – Hampton Roads and NOVA. Brian Kirwin over at Bearing Drift has an excellent post up about the money race and where some of the candidates are spending their money.

We will have the latest as the 2007 race for the General Assembly is
Developing . . .

Read More. . . .