Dear Mrs. McGuinn,
As you undoubtedly recognize, delivering a balanced budget this year will require heroic decision-making. The task is difficult and yet it is our charge to keep. Former Governor Kaine complicated matters by presenting a draft budget with latent defects and an income tax increase. The resulting effect was a severely imbalanced budget requiring approximately an additional $2 billion in cuts. This impact accounts for declining state revenues and presents this Assembly with a cumulative $4.2 billion budget shortfall over the 2011-12 biennium. The question is whether increasing state revenues from taxes and fees or reductions in spending will best address this dilemma. Virginia legislators are proceeding to protect taxpayers and took the first step Sunday February 21st towards balancing this spending plan for the next two years with as little impact to K-12 education as practicable in this unprecedented economic climate. The initial spending roadmap calls for zero tax increases and eliminates $125 million in additional fees presented by the outgoing administration.
Given that Virginia is dealing with the lingering effects of the worst economic recession in over 70 years or since the Great Depression education, which is the single largest component of the state budget, simply can no longer be held harmless to balance the state budget without a job-killing tax increase. Governor McDonnell and our own legislative leadership indicated that new tax proposals are a nonstarter while we recover. Voters feel the same way. Unfortunately, most the “easy” fixes have already been used in FY09, and closing the shortfall will have to be accomplished in large part through the use of more on-going cuts which will likely have an impact on certain government functions including public education.
Over the last 10 years, the General Assembly has increased the Commonwealth's funding for public education by almost 60%. In the meantime, over the last 10 years, student membership only increased by 7.2%. So, while funding increased by 60%, the number of students increased by less than 10%. Clearly, the Commonwealth has invested significantly more than dollars in education than is required to meet the demands of population growth and more than inflation when times were good. Prior to last year, public education was held harmless while other state agencies and services were reduced during several rounds of budget cuts.
In the House of Delegates budget which was approved February 21 in our Appropriations committee and will later be considered by the full House this week, K-12 spending reductions are inclusive of requests from localities for greater flexibility. The House eliminates many state mandates which bind dollars used locally. This structural reform provides additional local flexibility and by so doing generates approximately $310 million each year for local school divisions. Ultimately with the relaxing of these state mandates the net impact on school divisions is approximately $40 million per year statewide.
Among other areas for saving, the House budget suspends secondary planning period standards and saves $185.7 million in FY 2011 and $188.1 million in FY 2012. The establishment of a Lottery Proceeds Block Grant for At-Risk, Early Reading Intervention and PreK programs provides flexibility to localities to determine levels of participation for each of the three eligible programs. The block grant would be allocated on a per pupil amount. The local school division will be able to fund programs beneficial for their students and not fund programs that are underutilized. The House budget also restores the funds for the School Lunch program with projected additional revenues from the state’s participation in the Lottery Power Ball game and saves $5.8 million each year.
The Local Composite Index (LCI) amendments to former Governor Kaine’s proposed budget provide $29.5 million to unfreeze the LCI update in FY 2011 from reduced rates for the cost of competing adjustment (COCA). The COCA primarily benefits Northern Virginia school divisions. Governor Kaine did not “freeze” 2012 LCI. Savings from COCA provides an additional $91.7 million in FY 2011 in order to provide an 80% hold harmless payment to those school divisions, like ours, whose LCI is increasing based on the re-benchmarking. The budget contains contingent reserve language related to the potential for two additional quarters of enhanced federal funding amounting to $23 million that will fund the remaining 20% needed to hold all localities 100% harmless.
I have long supported enhanced resources and more dollars to the classroom. In the House budget, schools will have the flexibility they asked for to increase class sizes by one student as outlined below without any reduction in state funding. Further, ratio requirements for Prevention, Intervention, and Remediation programs, Limited English Proficiency, Elementary Resource, Gifted and Talented, and Career and Technical have been waived.
Several weeks remain in the budgeting process and there are many other areas of importance such as public safety, transportation and health and human resources that will see similar reductions. I reiterate that delivering a balanced budget this year will require heroic and possibly unpopular decision-making. While the task is difficult the state will have a budget and collectively we will weather this unprecedented economic climate and the effects of the worst economic recession in over 70 years. Right-sizing and creating a more efficient government will be the right decision for the future.
I welcome your continued feedback on the budget proposals as they materialize. Thank you again for your input. I am honored to serve as your Delegate from the 97th District.
Respectfully,
Delegate Christopher K. Peace
97th House District
804-698-1097 (Richmond Office)
804-730-3737 (District Office)
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Email from Representative Christopher Peace ~ A lot of information
Peace Progress: Legislative Session Week 6
Christopher K. Peace to me
11:44 AM (12 hours ago)
Peace Progress
A Central Virginia Newsletter from the General Assembly
February 2010
Click to hear Del. Peace, Del. Cox and Sen. McDougle on the VCTA Comcast Cable Reports
This week featured the second national holiday to fall during the General Assembly session, Washington's Birthday. Capitol Square features two prominent statues of our nation's first president, as well as a recently renovated twelve-story state office building named after him. While Virginia's Capitol commemorates all of the presidents who hailed from our commonwealth, George Washington's presence looms largest.
Virginia's Capitol and Capitol Square are replete with statues, monuments and paintings of great historical and artistic significance. Every day, lawmakers conduct debate on contemporary issues great and small surrounded by works that serve as a reminder of Virginia's rich and significant history.
Crossover, often referred to as the "halfway point" of the General Assembly session, came this week. At this point, both houses have completed work on all legislation filed by its respective members. From this point forward, members of the House of Delegates will be reviewing bills filed by senators, while members of the Senate will be considering measures sponsored by delegates.
If you are an early riser, please tune in to hear me on the Jimmy Barrett show on WRVA AM 1140 Monday, February 22 at 6:35AM. I will be discussing a number of the 10th Amendment/Federalism legislation passed by the House thus far, the budget, and other matters of importance during this 2010 session.
MY LEGISLATION
A majority of the bills I introduced are now under consideration in the Senate. Just as I had to appear before my fellow delegates over the last five weeks to explain my proposals, I now have to appear before committees comprised of senators to repeat the process. This very deliberate approach is intended to ensure that when new laws are enacted, they have received a full vetting and only the most necessary measures may become law.
In the remaining weeks of the session, the Senate will be considering my bill (HB 708) to call for home care and home health care organizations to develop policies regarding a drug free workplace through testing and subsequent reporting to agencies responsible for licensure. HB 708 passed the House of Delegates with unanimous support. I brought this policy forward to ensure that those who are present in the most intimate of settings caring for the most vulnerable of people are doing the right thing. I see this legislation as protecting consumers that contract with home care and home health professionals. Home support services provide an opportunity for elderly, frail or ailing people to stay in their home and perhaps maintain a more independent lifestyle than a group home or nursing home might offer.
Another measure of importance to many of my constituents and citizens across the Commonwealth passed the House this week. I joined Delegate Clay Athey (R-Front Royal) and other fellow legislators in support of House Joint Resolution 125. HJR 125 passed the House of Delegates on Monday by a vote of 76-20. Last year I was the first to introduce a 10th Amendment resolution with HR61 and again this year with HR5. The Athey/Peace Resolution will require the approval of the Senate.
HJR 125 affirms those founding principles of Federalism guaranteed under the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. The resolution sets forth the principle that the Commonwealth of Virginia is sovereign and has authority to claim powers not specified or granted to the federal government. Over the past few years, states around the country have passed resolutions claiming sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment and resolving to serve notice and demand to the federal government to cease and desist mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers. Virginia, upon passage of this legislation, joins the movement that so clearly demonstrates the imbalance and growing concern that the federal government is increasing its dominance over their state policy affairs.
In my Sunday Richmond Times-Dispatch Commentary of February 22, 2009, I wrote: "Printz v. United States held that the federal system limits the ability of the federal government to use state governments as an instrumentality of the national government. But this traditional notion of Federalism has devolved into 'cooperative federalism,' where Congress creates new state programs by affixing certain conditions to the receipt of those funds... and the ultimate danger is the erosion of the principles of Federalism whereby Virginia becomes, effectively, a ward of the federal super state."
In keeping with 10th Amendment principles, additional legislation supporting an individual's right and power to participate in the health care system recently passed. House Bill 722, which I introduced and was incorporated into House Bill 10. This "Health Care Freedom Act" passed the House by a vote of 72-26 and is intended to serve notice to the federal government that Virginians have great concerns about the mandating health insurance against their will. It provides that Virginia will not impose penalty of fines and possibly jail time for not complying.
BUDGET
Governor McDonnell made news this week when he released information on his proposed ideas to bring Virginia's budget into balance. Our new Governor's input is important to the process of completing a budget. Although he had already shared his recommendations on possible spending reductions to address the challenges brought on by declining revenues, the public release of his ideas generated a lot of coverage from the media.
An important point made by the Governor regarding the process of approving a biennial budget was largely absent from much of the reporting. As he noted, Virginia is taking a very different approach in dealing with its budgetary challenges than the federal government.
Discussions in Richmond stand in stark contrast to the budgetary proposals being considered in Washington. The budget being discussed in our nation's capitol features increased spending, higher deficits, and even tax increases. Here in Richmond, we're considering plans to complete a budget that includes spending reductions, no deficits (Virginia's budget must be balanced), and no tax hikes.
Just as families across Virginia have to make difficult decisions - often curtailing spending - during difficult economic times, Virginia's government is doing the same. The goal is to emerge from the recession more quickly, generating more private-sector jobs by practicing government spending restraint. It makes the process of a constructing a budget more challenging in the short run, but also makes our economic outlook brighter in the long run.
To read the January Revenue Letter from Richard D. Brown, Secretary of Finance
http://chrispeace.com/2010/02/17/january-2010-revenue-report
SCHOOLS AND THE BUDGET
As you undoubtedly recognize, delivering a balanced budget this year will be difficult and yet it is our charge to keep. The former Governor exponentially added to our difficulties by presenting a draft budget with latent defects, notably an income tax increase which is unpalatable to most. The resulting effect is a plan laid at the doorstep of the incoming assembly with a severely imbalanced budget.
Governor McDonnell and our own legislative leadership already indicated that new tax proposals are a nonstarter while we recover from the Great Recession. Voters feel the same way. Unfortunately, by focusing on on-going reductions and leaving Car Tax relief as is, the legislature will need to find another $1.9 B in on-going spending reductions and right sizing government in addition to the $1.5 B that the Kaine budget proposes.
Of the $6.3 B of net reductions that have been made to the current FY 2009-10 budget since it was first introduced, fully 70% ($4.9 B) were one-time actions over the biennium. Most the "easy" fixes have been used, and closing the shortfall in the upcoming 2011-12 biennium will have to be accomplished in large part through the use of more on-going cuts which will likely have an impact on certain government functions including public education.
Over the last 10 years, the General Assembly has increased the Commonwealth's funding for public education by almost 60% (58.9) -- from $3.7 billion in FY 2000 up to $5.9 billion in FY 2010 (as adopted during the 2009 session). Furthermore, if one includes the $365.2 million federal stimulus funding budgeted in the 2009 session for FY 2010, the total funding for FY 2010 increased by almost 70% (68.7) over FY 2000.
Over the last 10 years, student membership only increased by 7.2% . So, while funding increased by 60%-70%, the number of students increased by less than 10%. Clearly, the Commonwealth has invested significantly more than population growth and more than inflation when times were good. Remember, too, that prior to last year, public education was held harmless while other state agencies and services were reduced during several rounds of budget cuts .
While Governor Kaine's FY 2010 introduced budget (HB 29 for the current fiscal year that ends on June 20, 2010) for public education does include a decrease to last year's adopted budget, that proposed funding is still 51.9% higher than the FY 2000 funding.
For the next two-year budget (HB 30) that begins July 1, 2010 and ends June 30, 2012, the state's estimates indicate deeper declines in state revenues because of the lingering effects of the worst economic recession in over 70 years or since the Great Depression. That means that education simply can no longer be held harmless to balance the state budget without a job-killing tax increase.
Given that additional cuts to state spending were included in Governor Kaine's two-year budget AND even with the proposed reductions, it's worth noting that:
For FY 2011, K-12 spending of $5.7 billion is 53.4% higher than the FY 2000 level - while student membership is estimated to only increase by 8.1%.
For FY 2012, K-12 spending of $5.8 billion is 55.4% higher than the FY 2000 level - while student membership is estimated to increase by 9.0%.
However, in order to avoid tax increases to the already struggling taxpayers and working families of Virginia, the new biennial budget spending (to which amendments offered by the House and Senate on Sunday, February 21) will have to be reduced further and state agencies will realize additional decreases. However, keep in mind that because of the federal stimulus requirement for a 'maintenance of effort', the public education budget will be funded at least to the FY 2006 level in FY2011. In many jurisdictions in my district those levels approach 2008 levels. I welcome your input on the budget generally and this matter in particular.
VISITORS
Friendly faces from home continued to visit us here in Richmond this week. We were delighted to see our friends from Hanover ARC, Lucy Cantrell, Jennifer Godfrey, Sharon, Linda, Mike and many more. Also visiting this week: Jeff and Tory Purdy of Henrico, David Swynford of Quinton, Alice Zimak, Nan Pilard, Mish Vaden Clay, Frank Hughes all with the Wiliamsburg Realtors Association, Dave Croson, Joanne Payne of the Virginia Land Title Association, Willie and Eddie Good of Richmond, Jerry Benson of Lanexa, Fred and Nancy Ridgeway, Jane Ladd and Wayne Hayden of Quinton, John and Dorothy Stump of New Kent, Lois Smith of Partlow and Betty-Anne Teter of Virginia Economic Developers Association.
CONTACT ME
In the week ahead, the House and Senate are scheduled to approve their respective versions of Virginia's budget. In next week's column, I'll have more details of the progress on the budget.
If you want to contact our office during the General Assembly session, please send me an email at Delcpeace@house.virginia.gov. Have a great week, and thanks for reading this week's installment of the news from Virginia's Capitol.
New Media Services
Website: http://www.chrispeace.com/
Find me on Facebook:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/
If you are a member of Facebook, please login and sign on as a supporter on my page. You may find my supporter page: Christopher K. Peace by using the search box in the top right-hand corner of the main page after you login. Once on the page, click the "Become a Fan" button in the upper right hand corner.
For General Assembly Session Updates please visit the following websites:
Republican Caucus: www.vagopcaucus.com/preview
Conservative Caucus: http://www.vaconservativecaucus.org/
Christopher K. Peace to me
11:44 AM (12 hours ago)
Peace Progress
A Central Virginia Newsletter from the General Assembly
February 2010
Click to hear Del. Peace, Del. Cox and Sen. McDougle on the VCTA Comcast Cable Reports
This week featured the second national holiday to fall during the General Assembly session, Washington's Birthday. Capitol Square features two prominent statues of our nation's first president, as well as a recently renovated twelve-story state office building named after him. While Virginia's Capitol commemorates all of the presidents who hailed from our commonwealth, George Washington's presence looms largest.
Virginia's Capitol and Capitol Square are replete with statues, monuments and paintings of great historical and artistic significance. Every day, lawmakers conduct debate on contemporary issues great and small surrounded by works that serve as a reminder of Virginia's rich and significant history.
Crossover, often referred to as the "halfway point" of the General Assembly session, came this week. At this point, both houses have completed work on all legislation filed by its respective members. From this point forward, members of the House of Delegates will be reviewing bills filed by senators, while members of the Senate will be considering measures sponsored by delegates.
If you are an early riser, please tune in to hear me on the Jimmy Barrett show on WRVA AM 1140 Monday, February 22 at 6:35AM. I will be discussing a number of the 10th Amendment/Federalism legislation passed by the House thus far, the budget, and other matters of importance during this 2010 session.
MY LEGISLATION
A majority of the bills I introduced are now under consideration in the Senate. Just as I had to appear before my fellow delegates over the last five weeks to explain my proposals, I now have to appear before committees comprised of senators to repeat the process. This very deliberate approach is intended to ensure that when new laws are enacted, they have received a full vetting and only the most necessary measures may become law.
In the remaining weeks of the session, the Senate will be considering my bill (HB 708) to call for home care and home health care organizations to develop policies regarding a drug free workplace through testing and subsequent reporting to agencies responsible for licensure. HB 708 passed the House of Delegates with unanimous support. I brought this policy forward to ensure that those who are present in the most intimate of settings caring for the most vulnerable of people are doing the right thing. I see this legislation as protecting consumers that contract with home care and home health professionals. Home support services provide an opportunity for elderly, frail or ailing people to stay in their home and perhaps maintain a more independent lifestyle than a group home or nursing home might offer.
Another measure of importance to many of my constituents and citizens across the Commonwealth passed the House this week. I joined Delegate Clay Athey (R-Front Royal) and other fellow legislators in support of House Joint Resolution 125. HJR 125 passed the House of Delegates on Monday by a vote of 76-20. Last year I was the first to introduce a 10th Amendment resolution with HR61 and again this year with HR5. The Athey/Peace Resolution will require the approval of the Senate.
HJR 125 affirms those founding principles of Federalism guaranteed under the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. The resolution sets forth the principle that the Commonwealth of Virginia is sovereign and has authority to claim powers not specified or granted to the federal government. Over the past few years, states around the country have passed resolutions claiming sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment and resolving to serve notice and demand to the federal government to cease and desist mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers. Virginia, upon passage of this legislation, joins the movement that so clearly demonstrates the imbalance and growing concern that the federal government is increasing its dominance over their state policy affairs.
In my Sunday Richmond Times-Dispatch Commentary of February 22, 2009, I wrote: "Printz v. United States held that the federal system limits the ability of the federal government to use state governments as an instrumentality of the national government. But this traditional notion of Federalism has devolved into 'cooperative federalism,' where Congress creates new state programs by affixing certain conditions to the receipt of those funds... and the ultimate danger is the erosion of the principles of Federalism whereby Virginia becomes, effectively, a ward of the federal super state."
In keeping with 10th Amendment principles, additional legislation supporting an individual's right and power to participate in the health care system recently passed. House Bill 722, which I introduced and was incorporated into House Bill 10. This "Health Care Freedom Act" passed the House by a vote of 72-26 and is intended to serve notice to the federal government that Virginians have great concerns about the mandating health insurance against their will. It provides that Virginia will not impose penalty of fines and possibly jail time for not complying.
BUDGET
Governor McDonnell made news this week when he released information on his proposed ideas to bring Virginia's budget into balance. Our new Governor's input is important to the process of completing a budget. Although he had already shared his recommendations on possible spending reductions to address the challenges brought on by declining revenues, the public release of his ideas generated a lot of coverage from the media.
An important point made by the Governor regarding the process of approving a biennial budget was largely absent from much of the reporting. As he noted, Virginia is taking a very different approach in dealing with its budgetary challenges than the federal government.
Discussions in Richmond stand in stark contrast to the budgetary proposals being considered in Washington. The budget being discussed in our nation's capitol features increased spending, higher deficits, and even tax increases. Here in Richmond, we're considering plans to complete a budget that includes spending reductions, no deficits (Virginia's budget must be balanced), and no tax hikes.
Just as families across Virginia have to make difficult decisions - often curtailing spending - during difficult economic times, Virginia's government is doing the same. The goal is to emerge from the recession more quickly, generating more private-sector jobs by practicing government spending restraint. It makes the process of a constructing a budget more challenging in the short run, but also makes our economic outlook brighter in the long run.
To read the January Revenue Letter from Richard D. Brown, Secretary of Finance
http://chrispeace.com/2010/02/17/january-2010-revenue-report
SCHOOLS AND THE BUDGET
As you undoubtedly recognize, delivering a balanced budget this year will be difficult and yet it is our charge to keep. The former Governor exponentially added to our difficulties by presenting a draft budget with latent defects, notably an income tax increase which is unpalatable to most. The resulting effect is a plan laid at the doorstep of the incoming assembly with a severely imbalanced budget.
Governor McDonnell and our own legislative leadership already indicated that new tax proposals are a nonstarter while we recover from the Great Recession. Voters feel the same way. Unfortunately, by focusing on on-going reductions and leaving Car Tax relief as is, the legislature will need to find another $1.9 B in on-going spending reductions and right sizing government in addition to the $1.5 B that the Kaine budget proposes.
Of the $6.3 B of net reductions that have been made to the current FY 2009-10 budget since it was first introduced, fully 70% ($4.9 B) were one-time actions over the biennium. Most the "easy" fixes have been used, and closing the shortfall in the upcoming 2011-12 biennium will have to be accomplished in large part through the use of more on-going cuts which will likely have an impact on certain government functions including public education.
Over the last 10 years, the General Assembly has increased the Commonwealth's funding for public education by almost 60% (58.9) -- from $3.7 billion in FY 2000 up to $5.9 billion in FY 2010 (as adopted during the 2009 session). Furthermore, if one includes the $365.2 million federal stimulus funding budgeted in the 2009 session for FY 2010, the total funding for FY 2010 increased by almost 70% (68.7) over FY 2000.
Over the last 10 years, student membership only increased by 7.2% . So, while funding increased by 60%-70%, the number of students increased by less than 10%. Clearly, the Commonwealth has invested significantly more than population growth and more than inflation when times were good. Remember, too, that prior to last year, public education was held harmless while other state agencies and services were reduced during several rounds of budget cuts .
While Governor Kaine's FY 2010 introduced budget (HB 29 for the current fiscal year that ends on June 20, 2010) for public education does include a decrease to last year's adopted budget, that proposed funding is still 51.9% higher than the FY 2000 funding.
For the next two-year budget (HB 30) that begins July 1, 2010 and ends June 30, 2012, the state's estimates indicate deeper declines in state revenues because of the lingering effects of the worst economic recession in over 70 years or since the Great Depression. That means that education simply can no longer be held harmless to balance the state budget without a job-killing tax increase.
Given that additional cuts to state spending were included in Governor Kaine's two-year budget AND even with the proposed reductions, it's worth noting that:
For FY 2011, K-12 spending of $5.7 billion is 53.4% higher than the FY 2000 level - while student membership is estimated to only increase by 8.1%.
For FY 2012, K-12 spending of $5.8 billion is 55.4% higher than the FY 2000 level - while student membership is estimated to increase by 9.0%.
However, in order to avoid tax increases to the already struggling taxpayers and working families of Virginia, the new biennial budget spending (to which amendments offered by the House and Senate on Sunday, February 21) will have to be reduced further and state agencies will realize additional decreases. However, keep in mind that because of the federal stimulus requirement for a 'maintenance of effort', the public education budget will be funded at least to the FY 2006 level in FY2011. In many jurisdictions in my district those levels approach 2008 levels. I welcome your input on the budget generally and this matter in particular.
VISITORS
Friendly faces from home continued to visit us here in Richmond this week. We were delighted to see our friends from Hanover ARC, Lucy Cantrell, Jennifer Godfrey, Sharon, Linda, Mike and many more. Also visiting this week: Jeff and Tory Purdy of Henrico, David Swynford of Quinton, Alice Zimak, Nan Pilard, Mish Vaden Clay, Frank Hughes all with the Wiliamsburg Realtors Association, Dave Croson, Joanne Payne of the Virginia Land Title Association, Willie and Eddie Good of Richmond, Jerry Benson of Lanexa, Fred and Nancy Ridgeway, Jane Ladd and Wayne Hayden of Quinton, John and Dorothy Stump of New Kent, Lois Smith of Partlow and Betty-Anne Teter of Virginia Economic Developers Association.
CONTACT ME
In the week ahead, the House and Senate are scheduled to approve their respective versions of Virginia's budget. In next week's column, I'll have more details of the progress on the budget.
If you want to contact our office during the General Assembly session, please send me an email at Delcpeace@house.virginia.gov. Have a great week, and thanks for reading this week's installment of the news from Virginia's Capitol.
New Media Services
Website: http://www.chrispeace.com/
Find me on Facebook:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/
If you are a member of Facebook, please login and sign on as a supporter on my page. You may find my supporter page: Christopher K. Peace by using the search box in the top right-hand corner of the main page after you login. Once on the page, click the "Become a Fan" button in the upper right hand corner.
For General Assembly Session Updates please visit the following websites:
Republican Caucus: www.vagopcaucus.com/preview
Conservative Caucus: http://www.vaconservativecaucus.org/
Email from Senator A. Donald McEachin
district09@senate.virginia.gov to me
show details 12:32 PM (11 hours ago)
Dear Ms. McGuinn,
Thanks for contacting me regarding the proposed educational budget cuts. Please know I share your concerns. Public education is the backbone of a strong vibrant democracy. Moreover, our children deserve every opportunity to succeed and to better themselves. I will continue to fight for educational funding and against the change to the composite index.
Thanks gain for contacting me. Please know that my door is always open and I am always eager to hear from constituents.
Sincerely,
A. Donald McEachin
show details 12:32 PM (11 hours ago)
Dear Ms. McGuinn,
Thanks for contacting me regarding the proposed educational budget cuts. Please know I share your concerns. Public education is the backbone of a strong vibrant democracy. Moreover, our children deserve every opportunity to succeed and to better themselves. I will continue to fight for educational funding and against the change to the composite index.
Thanks gain for contacting me. Please know that my door is always open and I am always eager to hear from constituents.
Sincerely,
A. Donald McEachin
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Major Budget Cuts for Schools and Healthcare in Virginia
Our Governor, whom I did vote for and support, has made his budget cut proposal and of course the top two major cuts will fall within our schools and health care. How is that even fair. I mean our children our the future and if we continue to shove them in overcrowded classrooms the less they will learn and the higher the drop out rate. How will our future look if our future leaders are drop outs and uneducated. Or die because their parents can not afford health care for them and due to budget cuts there is no Famis for them to receive and if they have a major issue their parents will not be able to afford to pay hospital bills. And mental health patients need help not to be roaming with no meds to help their condition and who knows what will happen. People rely on free clinics they rely on their children to get good educations and it is all going down hill. This is a letter that I wrote to the Governor and I will write one to my delegate and congressman and anyone else that I can write to, in order to get it through that we want NO MAJOR BUDGET CUTS FOR SCHOOLS AND HEALTH CARE.....If you are a Virginia I would encourage you to do the same thing.
Dear Mr. McDonnell,
I am a Virginia resident whom voted for and support you. I stand behind my decision in voting for you, however I am quite concerned with your recent budget cuts proposal. I do understand that you have promised to not raise taxes, and I do appreciate that. On the other hand, why is it that our schools and health care is always the ones that get the most cuts. There has to be other areas in which major cuts can come from. See the issue that I have is this, my daughter, my pride and joy, was born at 24 weeks, she is now 7 years old and in school. She is in a full time special needs class with 11 other students. She needs a lot of one on one attention to learn and to me having 12 special needs students in one class is to many, with continued budget cuts for schools then how will they be able to afford more special needs classes in order to lower the number of students in these classes. Teachers are under paid as it is and with even more budget cuts for the school systems means that they will have to lay teachers off, something that we do not need, because we do not need to have more unemployed. I am concerned that special needs classes will be among the hardest hit areas within school systems thus meaning more in classes and less help for these students with special needs. I am disheartened to even feel that my child may not get the help she needs to learn because of budget cuts for schools. Also my oldest child is insured through medicaid and my youngest through Famis and I am concerned that health care budget cuts may interfere with their insurance. My husband and I can not afford to put them on his insurance due to him being the only one whom works and we have a mortgage and other necessary bills that have sadly increased. I am a proud Virginian but cuts to these areas must stop. I would also like to know where the money from lottery goes. I was always under the impression that all proceeds went to the schools, if this is the case then why do schools always lose out?
Thank you for taking the time to address my concerns. I hope that as a father you will understand my concerns and realize that the best way to help this state is to insure that school systems and health care equally have no more major budget cuts. Our children our the future and if we don't teach them the right way now then what will that mean for our future.
Sincerely,
Leslie McGuinn
Proud Virginian and Proud McDonnell Supporter
To send an email to the Governor visit this site: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/TheAdministration/contactGovernor.cfm
I have emailed both my Delegate and Senator to find and email yours please visit this site:
http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform
Dear Mr. McDonnell,
I am a Virginia resident whom voted for and support you. I stand behind my decision in voting for you, however I am quite concerned with your recent budget cuts proposal. I do understand that you have promised to not raise taxes, and I do appreciate that. On the other hand, why is it that our schools and health care is always the ones that get the most cuts. There has to be other areas in which major cuts can come from. See the issue that I have is this, my daughter, my pride and joy, was born at 24 weeks, she is now 7 years old and in school. She is in a full time special needs class with 11 other students. She needs a lot of one on one attention to learn and to me having 12 special needs students in one class is to many, with continued budget cuts for schools then how will they be able to afford more special needs classes in order to lower the number of students in these classes. Teachers are under paid as it is and with even more budget cuts for the school systems means that they will have to lay teachers off, something that we do not need, because we do not need to have more unemployed. I am concerned that special needs classes will be among the hardest hit areas within school systems thus meaning more in classes and less help for these students with special needs. I am disheartened to even feel that my child may not get the help she needs to learn because of budget cuts for schools. Also my oldest child is insured through medicaid and my youngest through Famis and I am concerned that health care budget cuts may interfere with their insurance. My husband and I can not afford to put them on his insurance due to him being the only one whom works and we have a mortgage and other necessary bills that have sadly increased. I am a proud Virginian but cuts to these areas must stop. I would also like to know where the money from lottery goes. I was always under the impression that all proceeds went to the schools, if this is the case then why do schools always lose out?
Thank you for taking the time to address my concerns. I hope that as a father you will understand my concerns and realize that the best way to help this state is to insure that school systems and health care equally have no more major budget cuts. Our children our the future and if we don't teach them the right way now then what will that mean for our future.
Sincerely,
Leslie McGuinn
Proud Virginian and Proud McDonnell Supporter
To send an email to the Governor visit this site: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/TheAdministration/contactGovernor.cfm
I have emailed both my Delegate and Senator to find and email yours please visit this site:
http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Hi
Just a quick post about my other blog if you are interested in checking it out:
http://thehumorinchildrearing.blogspot.com/
http://thehumorinchildrearing.blogspot.com/
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Will need tissues
Such a great read, but warning you will need tissues for this one.
http://enjoyingthesmallthings.blogspot.com/2010/01/nella-cordelia-birth-story.html
http://enjoyingthesmallthings.blogspot.com/2010/01/nella-cordelia-birth-story.html
Monday, February 1, 2010
Haiti
Last week I had posted a status message on my facebook page saying:
"Shame on you America! The US has homeless without shelter, children going to bed without eating, elderly going without needed meds, and mentally ill without treatment - and yet we have a benefit for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations raising over $57 million! 99% of people won't have the guts to copy and repost this. I agree- help our own first"
Some people I guess read it wrong or just took it the wrong way. I NEVER said that we should not help Haiti, never once. Believe me if I had the money I would have been one of the first to have donated to the country. My whole point behind it was not to say do not help Haiti, as Lord knows they need all the help they can get. But to simply say that we need to help our own people, the homeless we have here, the orphans we have here, the people that need meds and can't get it here and ect. I mean our country has so many people that need help and can not get it and yet here we are having had a benefit concert on every local channel commercial free, but you NEVER EVER see anything like that to help the people of America that need help.
I am in no way saying NOT to help Haiti if you can. But Please also help our own people that need help too.
BTW I just got the same statement in a text message and because of all the Shit I go from posting what I believed in I did not forward it even though I feel the message is straight forward and is 100% what I feel.
We complain about our country, we complain about the homeless on the streets making our cities look bad, no one ever thinks about the kids in orphanages that people do not want to adopt because they are to old when they want babies, we have foster kids that go from place to place. We have people with health problems that need medications and insurance that can not get either for whatever reason. And yet we stand around and do nothing to help them, infact we complain about what a strain on society they are, when we could be helping them. If we had a benefit concert for them do you think it would be on all local channels and commercial free? NO! Do you think we would raise the money that was raised for Haiti? NO!
People you can help other countries, but don't turn your back on America and those that need help here!!!
"Shame on you America! The US has homeless without shelter, children going to bed without eating, elderly going without needed meds, and mentally ill without treatment - and yet we have a benefit for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations raising over $57 million! 99% of people won't have the guts to copy and repost this. I agree- help our own first"
Some people I guess read it wrong or just took it the wrong way. I NEVER said that we should not help Haiti, never once. Believe me if I had the money I would have been one of the first to have donated to the country. My whole point behind it was not to say do not help Haiti, as Lord knows they need all the help they can get. But to simply say that we need to help our own people, the homeless we have here, the orphans we have here, the people that need meds and can't get it here and ect. I mean our country has so many people that need help and can not get it and yet here we are having had a benefit concert on every local channel commercial free, but you NEVER EVER see anything like that to help the people of America that need help.
I am in no way saying NOT to help Haiti if you can. But Please also help our own people that need help too.
BTW I just got the same statement in a text message and because of all the Shit I go from posting what I believed in I did not forward it even though I feel the message is straight forward and is 100% what I feel.
We complain about our country, we complain about the homeless on the streets making our cities look bad, no one ever thinks about the kids in orphanages that people do not want to adopt because they are to old when they want babies, we have foster kids that go from place to place. We have people with health problems that need medications and insurance that can not get either for whatever reason. And yet we stand around and do nothing to help them, infact we complain about what a strain on society they are, when we could be helping them. If we had a benefit concert for them do you think it would be on all local channels and commercial free? NO! Do you think we would raise the money that was raised for Haiti? NO!
People you can help other countries, but don't turn your back on America and those that need help here!!!
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