After attending the Montgomery County and Roanoke City Democratic committee meetings the previous evening, on Friday, March 20, I woke up in Roanoke and drove to the WFIR radio station headquarters to do an interview with the station’s news reporter, Timothy Martin. I was a great interview and I enjoyed meeting Tim and everyone else at WFIR.
After some meetings in Roanoke I traveled down to Southwest Virginia for the Bristol Races – it’s one of my favorite weekends in the year. On Saturday, March 21, I attended a breakfast in Abingdon with U.S. Congressman Rick Boucher that he hosted in my honor. The restaurant, part of the Barter Theater, was packed and it was a wonderful event – thanks again to Congressman Boucher. I spent the rest of the day campaigning in Russell County; I attended a real estate auction with 50 or 60 other people. As I was talking to voters I watched the price of the land being auctioned go higher and higher – I know that we have not yet seen the end of our economic woes, but it was encouraging to see these prices rise as people make the investment into real assets.
On Sunday, March 22, I got an early start and headed to the Bristol Motor Speedway for Bristol Race Day. I was joined by members of the VA Professional Fire Fighters Association, the AFL-CIO, the United Mine Workers, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and well as some good friends and supporters of my campaign to watch the race. It was an exciting race and everyone had a good time – even if my pool drivers did not win.
On Monday, March 23 I attended the Russell County Board of Supervisors budget public hearing, where we discussed the county’s budget for the year and offered residents the chance to comment on proposed changes to the ’09-’10 county budget. I am happy to report that despite the economic downturn our finances are in great shape, and we might actually be able to increase funding in key areas such as education. A great way to end my stay in Southwest Virginia!
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On Tuesday, March 17, I celebrated St. Patrick’s Day like a Democrat should – at Congressman Gerry Connelly’s famed St. Patrick’s Day party in Fairfax! Congressman Connelly certainly knows how to throw a party – food and drinks were plentiful, and every candidate for statewide office attended with mighty entourages. This is a great party building event and I hope that the tradition continues for many years to come.
On Wednesday, March 18, I attended the Fredericksburg Democratic Committee meeting. I ended up having a long conversation with the committee members about topics ranging from education to my specific plan to get our economy back on track to how we can use alternative energy solutions to create jobs in the Commonwealth. It was a very productive meeting, the kind of in-depth discussion I really enjoy.
Today I am heading down to Roanoke and Montgomery for meetings, and this weekend brings the much-anticipated Bristol Race Day. To add to the fun, on Saturday U.S. Congressman Rich Boucher is holding a breakfast in my honor. Looking forward to a great weekend!
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On the evening of Thursday, March 12, I traveled from my campaign headquarters in Alexandria to Newport News to start my tour of Hampton Roads. At 5 AM on Friday, March 13, I was at the Newport News Shipyard to greet workers during their shift change. The morning was cold and damp but it did not stop us from having some great conversations, and I was able to talk to hundreds of workers over during the two-hour period.
During the day on Friday I had a series of meetings in Norfolk and Portsmouth, and in the evening I a wonderful dinner at the Lobscouser Restaurant in downtown Portsmouth. On Saturday, March 14, I attended a pancake breakfast in Chesapeake hosted by Delegate Lionel Spruill, where I was a guest of honor. The pancakes were some of the best I’d ever had, and I met hundreds of Democratic Party activists. It was a great event.
From Chesapeake I headed to Suffolk to attend a lunch hosted by the Suffolk Democratic Committee honoring three Suffolk residents who had made a positive impact on the community throughout their lives. It was inspiring to meet these Virginians who had devoted their lives to serving others – we are blessed to have so many extraordinary Americans in our Commonwealth. That night I drove up to Stafford to attend their first annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner, where I was a featured speaker. It was a very impressive dinner for it’s first time off the ground; Creigh Deeds, Brian Moran, and Steve Shannon were all in attendance, and the event was completely sold out. Congratulations to the Stafford Democratic Committee!
After the Stafford JJ Dinner I drove back down to Chesapeake so I could speak at churches in Chesapeake the next morning. On Sunday, March 15, I attended four churches in the Chesapeake area: First Baptist Church of South Hill, New First Baptist Church Crestwood, New Mount Olive Baptist Church, and Better Life Ministries Church of God in Christ. All congregations welcomed me with open arms, and the upbeat music and inspiring sermons gave me enough energy to last an entire week. After the last church service I made the long drive home to Southwest Virginia so I could attend the Russell County Board of Supervisors budget work session on Monday, March 16.
The budget meeting was extremely productive, and I’m proud to report that despite the economic crisis, our budget is in excellent shape. We are not faced with crippling deficits like many counties in Virginia, and we will most likely be able to increase funding in some critical areas such as education.
On Tuesday I was on the road yet again, headed back up to Northern Virginia. All in all a very successful trip!
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On Saturday, March 07, I woke early to attend the Smyth County Democratic Committee meeting at 8 AM. We had a great discussion about issues ranging from the economy to environment to health care, and it was great to hear their concerns and ideas for helping get our Commonwealth back on track.
I was able to spend quality time with my family in Russell County that Sunday, March 08, and on Monday I attended a Russell County Board of Supervisors meeting, of which I am the at-large member. I pushed to pass the Health Care Services Agreement for Russell County, which will ensure health care services for low-income residents who do not qualify for benefits under the Social Security Act and who are not eligible for assistance under any state health care plan, and I also was a strong proponent of resolution in support of People Incorporated of Virginia, an organization which provides assistance to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to residents of Russell County. It was a very productive and successful meeting.
On Tuesday, March 09, I traveled to Roanoke to attend a VDOT listening session where residents were allowed to voice their concerns and opinions about the recently announced VDOT budget cuts, which include closing some rest stops and combining VDOT offices. I was very disappointed to learn about these cuts, and I attended the hearing to share my opinions and ideas and listen to residents’ reactions. It was a constructive session, and I strongly believe VDOT should take Virginians’ concerns and views into consideration.
Tuesday night I headed up to Northern Virginia, and on Wednesday, March 10, I attended a happy hour with the Loudoun Young Democrats, where Creigh Deeds was the featured speaker. It was great to see so many young people turn out for the event, and we had many interesting conversations. Today I am driving to Newport News for a long weekend in Hampton Roads, and I couldn’t be more excited. Stay tuned . . .
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This past week has been busy and productive. On Monday, March 2, I spoke to members of the Manassas/Manassas Park Democratic Committee at their monthly meeting. The committee discussed Manassas and Manassas Park’s budget woes – Manassas is considering cutting their Parks and Recreation Department to balance the budget, which is very concerning. The conversation highlighted how federal stimulus funds are greatly needed to help our local communities during these difficult economic times.
On Tuesday, March 3, I attended the Springfield District Democratic Committee in Fairfax. I spoke to their members about my experience creating good paying jobs in Virginia and how we need to create these kinds of jobs on a much larger scale. The meeting also discussed the upcoming Fairfax Board of Supervisors special election and how we can help Ilryong Moon win. I encourage everyone to get involved.
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Applauds Bipartisan Cooperation on Budget Compromise
Alexandria, VA - On Saturday the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate reached a bipartisan agreement that allowed a proposal to balance the state budget to pass both chambers. The bill now moves to Governor Kaine for approval. Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate Jon Bowerbank issued the following statement in response:
"I would like to applaud the efforts of Governor Kaine and the General Assembly who worked diligently to pass this budget proposal in a cooperative and timely manner. Cuts to valuable programs were unavoidable, but without federal economic stimulus money Virginia's budget would have faced over $1 billion in additional cuts that would have affected our public schools, state colleges, and health care programs and facilities. I was sorely disappointed that during these challenging economic times, instead of putting the people of Virginia first, Bill Bolling once again chose to play politics and oppose federal funding for these valuable programs. That's not the kind of leadership Virginians deserve.
As a successful business owner, I know what it takes to grow the economy and create good paying jobs all while balancing the books and taking care of essential needs and services. The economic and fiscal challenges Virginia faces aren't going to be fixed with Bill Bolling's partisan games. We need a Lieutenant Governor who has the experience and leadership to work with our state and federal representatives to help move the Commonwealth through these difficult times, and I plan to bring that leadership to Richmond."
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