Although I've heard a lot about blogs and read a few when interesting posts are sent my way, I haven't commented or posted on a blog before. But I am always interested in different ways to communicate with people, and this seems like a great one.I am Margi Vanderhye and I'm running for the House of Delegates from the 34th District (McLean, Great Falls, and northern Fairfax County). Part of running for office is engaging different communities - those that you have been a part of and those you haven't. As I begin this effort, I wanted to reach out the blogosphere, and since Raising Kaine is a community blog, I thought it an excellent place to start.
I am running for the House of Delegates because I believe we deserve honest solutions from our legislators in Richmond, and that's not what we're getting. I am an experienced, effective advocate, and I know how to work with people at all levels of government to get things done. Here in northern Virginia, we are under funded on education, our communities and environment are threatened by unmanaged growth, and we spend too much time sitting in traffic. Yet our own long serving Delegate (Vince Callahan) is ineffectual; time and again, he has failed to deliver the necessary solutions for the people in the District, deferring instead to a small cadre of fellow House leaders. We need to change our representation in the legislature; when I get to Richmond, I will work with and for all of us on the issues we care about: education, transportation, community development, and the environment.
Over the years, I've worked with governments at the local, state, and federal level to improve our communities. Whether speaking before the School Board about the budget, drafting legislation with local elected officials to provide dedicated funding for Metro, or testifying at the General Assembly about proposals to help us manage growth, I have been energized by the genuine concern and deep commitment people share about their communities. We should expect our legislators to express that same commitment on our behalf. When I am elected, that is what I will continue to do. We need more voices in Richmond to support our Democratic Delegates and Senators who are trying to achieve results on the core issues important to Democrats. I can help them, and together we can change the way we do business in Virginia.
As I begin my discussion with this community I am also personally introducing myself to my neighbors in the 34th District. I hope to answer your questions here at Raising Kaine, at other blogs in the coming months, and for those of you in the district, in your neighborhood as we bring this campaign to your doorstep.
This district should be represented by a Democrat. As Not Larry Sabato pointed out, this is the House District left in Fairfax represented by a Republican that is voting consistently Democratic at the statewide level. I ask you all to join my campaign - www.vanderhye.com - and we will complete the work of turning Fairfax blue.
Can you share with us some of your plans on this issues (or a time line on when you might be able to share these plans down the road)?
What restrictions, if any, would you place on abortion?
Should gays be permitted to have civil unions or get married in Virginia? (Assume the new constitutional amendment is found to violate the federal constitution.)
Do you support any form of vouchers for education, outside the public school system?
Would you support adding a new tax bracket for the Virginia state income tax to increase the contribution by the well-to-do?
I share your assumption that the onerous constitutional amendment will be subject to challenge in the federal courts. I believe civil unions should be regognized and that all domestic partner rights should be granted and honored for same gendered couples.
As for vouchers, I think public schools need all the support they can get; we are consistently underfunded here in northern Virginia and therefore, I would not be in favor of vouchers to further drain our limited funds.
I have been a consistent advocate for tax reform in Virginia. I supported Governor Warner's effort in 2004, and I applaud Governor Kaine's proposal this year to remove additional poor from the taxpayer rolls. I don't have a specific answer to your question without going back and reviewing the changes our two Democratic Governors have made, but it's something i'm willing to take a look at!
1) The Tysons Tunnel and "smart growth" in general.
2) Stem cell research.
3) Green buildings, renewable portfolio standards, and other measures we can take here in Virginia to fight global warming.
4) The Dominion Virginia Power-sponsored, lobbyist-written "re-regulation" of the Virginia power market.
Thanks again for stopping by!
As for the general question of "smart growth", I am careful to stipulate that for me, smart growth is not No Growth. Snmart growth means being very deliberate about where you develop and what you leave alone, and how you connect the two. It means having communities and town centers that connect, are accessible by biking and walking, and that transit options are created and enhanced by density that make them affordable and sustainable.
In my family, we purcahse green energy and I have solar panels on my house! I'm a big believer that we should be aggressive in promoting and expecting new construction - particularly for government bulidings - to be green. There's so much we can do; let's help the south side of Virginia develop a switchgrass economy for biofuel, and let's make it economiclly attractive to purchase green energy here in northern Virginia too.
I am opposed to Dominion Power's self serving rewrite of the reregulation of power, particularly because they want to reintroduce nuclear power and increase the use of coal as main energy sources.
One last point - this seat is safe no longer. Along with voters, come November, we will hold Callahan accountable for the poor Republican performance in Richmond.
The gift here was that the candidate the Repugs fielded was from the Grover Norquest stable of ultra religious way right, absolute no-Tax, guns in the schools, home schooling ONLY proponent... and he, the candidate, Chris Craddock (27yrs old)demonstrated how not to run a campaign and address the public especially with his public statements at high schools. Otherwise the final results could have been a lot closer. That is not to take anything away from the effort and expertise that Chuck Caputo brought with him as well. Chuck ran a brilliant campaign with a lot of support and energy besides the money.
My candidacy is distinguished by the depth and breadth of experience I bring to state issues, particularly those that affect northern Virginia, and my level of involvement and activism in the Democratic Party since graduate school. I have been appointed by three Virginia governors and President Bill Clinton to serve on boards and commissions relating to transportation, land use, the environment, and urban planning. I have drafted legislation, advocated for legislation, and testified on legislation at the national, state, and local levels. And along the way, I've worked very hard to elect a generation of good Democrats to public office.
Though experience alone is not a reason to vote for me, it's the results I've been able to bring to the projects I've undertaken that make me the best candidate to deliver honest and realistic solutions for the people of the 34th District in Richmond!
Perhaps the two of you could explore being on Channel 10 for a civilized debate, possibly even with phone calls coming in? I'm sure it could be arranged. Heck, I live in Arlington and I've been on twice, once about blogging and another time about education.
I have met Rip on a couple of occasions, and look forward to meeting you as well.
Peace.
I hope we can continue this discussion in the coming months!
I'll peak back at any comments later tonight.
First, I would just like to say how excited I am by the prospect of having a strong Democratic challanger this year. Republicans should never get a free ride to power and I think it is terrible that Callahan got a free ride for so long!
That being said, I do have a few questions on the issue of illegal immigration as it is becoming somewhat of a concern in this area:
1. Could you please articulate your position on immigration? I know I personally feel that it is simply unfair for such hard working immigrants to be taken advantage of by big business
2. What is your opinion on some of the latest immgration VA House Bills in discussion with examples such as banning state money for social welfare programs at charities that provide services to illegal immigrants, making it a misdemeanor to be in Virginia illegally, denying in-state tuition to illegal immigrants and prohibit them from enrolling in a state university or college, etc
As for your questions about illegal immigration, there are several points to make. First, this is a federal issue, and it is not being addressed in a manner that will get us to solutions soon: the system is broken and it needs to be fixed.
Secondly, everyone is in favor of a lawful society, but I like to think we're in favor of a just society as well. More than eleven million undocumented adults and children are currently in this country; we cannot and should not return them to their home country, and they are meanwhile working and trying to give their children an education and the promise of a better life. Just today, the report of the Herndon Day Laborer Center came out with positive news about the number of workers gainfully employed, their contributions in volunteering, and their concerted attempts to learn English. Nearly 6,000 employers hired laborers for 10,000 jobs during the first year of the Center's existence. We're a full employment economy in northern Virgina; who do we think would have done those jobs if the laborers did not?
Finally, I find the recent actions of some in the General Assembly to punish charities and faith-based organizations for helping undocumented immigrants to be gratuitous, mean-spirited, and devoid of real solutions. These are some of the same people who would otherwise like to have the line between church and state blurred for their own purposes. Let's help the children of these workers succeed in school and become productive tax-paying contributors to society like their parents are trying to do. Do we need to fix this problem? Of course, but we can balance law and justice in doing so!