Virginia Beach Progressives

Rigell Opposes Wall Street Reform Bill

Joel McDonald — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 03:47:23 +0000

At least Scott Rigell is actually answering questions instead of claiming that he doesn’t do impromptu videos. The problem for him is that his answers should be enough for people to think twice before casting a vote for him. It’s obvious that Rigell will fit right in with the obstructionist Republican minority in the House of Representatives. Here’s Rigell on the record as being opposed to the historic Wall Street Reform Bill, signed into law today by President Barack Obama.

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Scott Rigell FAILS question on New GI Bill

Joel McDonald — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 22:38:48 +0000

So, you’re a Republican running for Congress in a district that is heavily military and someone asks you a question about the New GI Bill that has sent over a quarter of a million veterans to college who otherwise might not have had the ability to attend, providing the same kind of benefits today to veterans that were provided after World War II, paying for tuition, books and a living stipend. What do you do?

The obvious answer for this candidate is to respond positively, in favor of our military men and women who have served our nation, right?

Not for this candidate!

Scott Rigell seemed ignorant, or at least confused, of what the New GI Bill does, and refused to respond to the question!

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So much for Republicans being the party that supports the military.

Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Jim Webb who introduced the New GI Bill and pushed for its passage, on the one-year anniversary of its launch remarked that, “We can all take pride today.”

What about Democratic Congressman Glenn Nye, what has he said about the New GI Bill? During his campaign, he hammered Republican Thelma Drake for her flip-flopping on the bill (she voted against it, before she voted for it), and after he was elected, Congressman Nye has fought to ensure the program is fair to veterans.

On the issue of who will support our troops and veterans, I think the choice is clear: Congressman Glenn Nye.

Contribute and/or Volunteer for Congressman Nye’s reelection campaign

Google to compensate same-sex couples for discriminatory taxes

Joel McDonald — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:22:34 +0000

Say what you want about Google being the mother of big brothers, there’s many reasons why I’m a huge fan of the company, and this is an addition to that list.

Google is going to begin covering a cost that gay and lesbian employees must pay when their partners receive domestic partner health benefits, largely to compensate them for an extra tax that heterosexual married couples do not pay. The increase will be retroactive to the beginning of the year. Read the story over at The New York Times.

There are two reasons why I’m pretty excited about Google doing this, even though I’ll likely never work for the company. The first reason is obvious: Google is gay friendly. The second reason is that Google’s decision to compensate gay employees who pay higher taxes on their insurance when covering their partner puts a big name on an issue that most people don’t consider while engaging in the debate on LGBT equality and gay marriage. The laws of our nation and states decriminate against same-sex couples and the cost of this descrimination can easily be tens of thousands of dollars. As long as our government favors one committed relationship over another, it is descrminating. To me, this is a clear violation of the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution which states that, “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

Sadly, our Attoney General Ken Cuccinelli doesn’t believe LGBT people are citizens covered by the 14th Amendment, and would probably sue if Congress tried to tell Virginia to legalize gay marriage…just as he’s done with Health Care Reform and EPA regulations.

Senator Robert Byrd: 1917 – 2010

Joel McDonald — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:05:05 +0000

West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd, 92, passed away peacefully early this morning, ending a 51 year career in the United States Senate. Byrd was the longest serving member in congressional history, oldest member of congress, and the first person to serve uninterrupted for a half-century.

Senator Byrd would be the first to admit that he made mistakes in the past, and he would also be the first to apologize for those mistakes.

What I will remember is a Senator who served faithfully and was a pillar of the institution that is our United States Senate, and someone not afraid to do what he believed to be right.

Oil on the Beaches of Florida, Take a Stand in Virginia

Joel McDonald — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:04:59 +0000

I know there are people out there who are sick of hearing about the largest environmental disaster in history, but the gulf oil spill continues, and the results are becoming very visible. Oil is now washing up on the beaches of Pensacola, Florida, turning pristine beaches into toxic dumps.

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If you’re in the Hampton Roads area, consider taking a stand against offshore drilling, and against future disaters like the gulf spill, by taking part in Hands Across the Sand this Saturday.

The Perfect Political Ad

Joel McDonald — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:53:45 +0000

What do you get when candidates get real and are honest with voters? Well, I think for many, you’d get something like the mock compaign ad below. Thanks to YouTube user tryntreznyr and Political Wire for getting this out!

Watch Video

Hands Across the Sand on Saturday, June 26

Joel McDonald — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:32:30 +0000

We’re in the home stretch! Just a few more day until we line up strong along the shorelines in Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Hampton to send a clear and strong message to Richmond and Washington that Virginians don’t “overwhelmingly” support offshore drilling. Let’s fast-track instead our clean energy future.

We’re doing some last minute canvassing in North End tomorrow evening (Thursday, June 24). We’ll meet at 6:30pm behind the old Cavalier Hotel. Email me at eileen.levandoski@sierraclub.org if you can join us.

Volunteers ready for “beach assignments” on Saturday are invited to a volunteer meet up on Friday, June 25 at 6:30pm at Croc’s 19th Street Bistro. Again email me if you plan to attend.

Lots of before and after-HANDS get-togethers:

Laura at Croc’s 19th Street Bistro invites HANDS participants to enjoy $3 Bloody Mary’s & Mimosas! Come early for the Old Beach Farmers Market 8-noon in the parking lot of Croc’s, free parking across 19th Street, a 6 block walk to the oceanfront and start line of HANDS.

Sandbridge folks are meeting after HANDS at the Baja, 3701 Sandpiper Road. Ocean View folks are meeting up at Mick’s Too, 905 East Ocean View Ave. in Norfolk. Buckroe folks are meeting up at Mugzy’s Grill, 1312 East Pembroke Ave. in Hampton.

Thanks,

Eileen Levandoski
Hands Across The Sand, Virginia Organizer

McDonnell’s Shell Game

Joel McDonald — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:24:42 +0000

We all know Bob McDonnell is committed to conservative values. We’ve witnessed him devalue LGBT people in the workplace, try to sweep the nastiness of slavery under the rug while celebrating Virginia’s confederate heritage, and stand back while our loon of an Attorney General sues the Federal Government for passing Health Care Reform and trying to move the nation forward on environmental protection and alternative, green, energy. Let’s also not forget that McDonnell’s transportation plan is so conservative, it can’t be found.

Funny enough, I stumbled onto what I thought was a clash with conservatism. Bob McDonnell is playing a little shell game with money essentially borrowed from the Virginia Retirement System, calling it a surplus in order to make him and his administration look good. If that wasn’t bad enough, McDonnell is dangling this surplus in front of state employees, telling them the commonwealth is well on its way to hitting a benchmark in surplus funds needed to issue bonuses to them. Nice.

Last time I checked, one of the pillars of conservatism was fiscal conservatism. Usually this assumes a certain level of fiscal responsibility, where budgets are balanced, tax dollars used appropriately, and spending is kept in check with either increases in taxes or decreases in other spending. With this whole notion of a surplus of borrowed money and the promise of bonuses to commonwealth employees, McDonnell seems to have abandoned fiscal conservatism with this little shell game. Seems like this is a way to work around a budget, an inappropriate use of tax dollars, and a disregard for spending to me.

Out in the Park this Sunday, June 27

Joel McDonald — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:52:53 +0000

The 22nd annual Out in the Park is scheduled for June 27th at Chesapeake City Park. This is the largest GLBT Pride event in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Chesapeake City Park will be full of friends, family, vendors, sponsors and food for you to enjoy and show the Hampton Roads community that we are a vital part of this great community.

There will be musical performances from live bands, local male and female impersonators, and other local performers. There will be over 60 vendors including local businesses and non profits, with large and small food vendors providing a carnival-like atmosphere.

Additionally, there will be a continuation of the Hampton Roads Pride GLBT History Project, a durable visual and audio display of the history of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community in Hampton Roads.

The event starts at noon. Look for me at the Virginia Beach Democratic Committee booth!

Beach Council Outlaws New LCD Signs

Joel McDonald — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:34:18 +0000

Because this is exactly what we want our City Council to be focused on, a 6-5 vote on the issue of future LCD signs for businesses and churches has outlawed the signs in Virginia Beach. The argument against the signs, led by the “garden and beautification club”, was that somehow the signs were “garish”, “distracting”, and “an aesthetic nosedive” (Virginian-Pilot).

Personally, I find this decision to be far reaching and based on nothing but subjective opinion of those who are quick to turn their noses at anything new. Included in this group seem council members Barbara Henley, Vice-Mayor Louis Jones, Harry Diezel, Mayor Will Sessoms, Rosemary Wilson and Jim Wood who voted for the ban.

If a business can afford an LCD sign, let them get an LCD sign. A less invasive ordinance would have been to regulate the size, height, brightness, etc. of the signs. Let’s keep the signs from being too big and too bright, but let’s allow businesses to take advantage of new technology in advertising.

Contrary to what the gardeners and beautifiers exchanging hugs after the ordinance was passed think, the citizens aren’t going to be overjoyed by the ban on LCD signs. We’re worried about more important things that actually have an impact on our lives. You know, things like jobs, traffic, crime, and education.

Most couldn’t care less about LCD signs, and this issue was a waste of time.