Tipping the bottle water guy

There's more on WVEC's Bottled Water Leaves Bad Taste in Taxpayers Mouth. Wonder if the taxpayers are paying for delivery of Keurig coffee, too? So much could be said about this one.... wasting tax dollars, plastic in landfills, it isn't what you know but who you know.... Gotta head to the kitchen tap to refill my glass. Cluck! Cluck!

Happy New Year

Everybody has their lists of this and that... best of, worst of, favorite this or worst that. So, what the Hell, I might as well do the same thing. So, here goes and who really cares....

Most significant day of the year (also the decade and since January 1, 1863) - the inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States of America.

Best album/CD of the year - Bruce Springsteen's Working on a Dream.

Most encouraging economic sign of the year - investments are up over 20% from the crappy Bush economy. I hope the improvements on Wall St. soon find their way to Main St.

Best beer (if price is no object) - Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Pet peeve #1 - Staunton's systematic plan to write speeding tickets... unlike most cities that step speed limits down, entering Staunton means going from 55 to 35, right now!

Biggest Shenandoah Valley political surprise - Delegate Chris Saxman announces he won't seek reelection.

Biggest Virginia political disappointment - Creigh Deeds would have made a great governor.

Best beer (when money is tight) - Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Best friend - My wife.

Best four-legged friend - Tucker. Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in. ~Mark Twain

Pet Peeve #2 - Giving money to a charity only to be besieged within days by calls and emails wanting more.

Must see TV - Toss up between The Daily Show and Colbert Report. I DVR and watch 'em both.

Best VA sports news - the firing of Al Groh and hiring of Mike London.

And in national sports - the Green Bay Packers are back in the playoffs.

Pet peeve #3 - drivers on cell phones.

Biggest national political disappointment - Republicans.

Best Christmas gift - a turntable. Burn the old vinyl to CD's.

Biggest misrepresentation of American history - Tea Parties.

Feel free to add your own bests, worsts, ugliest, favorites.... in a comment. You could even say this is the best (or worst) blog! Whatever. Happy New Year. May 2010 be great!

Common Ground

Blogs thrive on drawing lines in the sand and daring the guy on the other side to cross it. Bloggers don't often find a DMZ, much less common ground.

Retiring delegates Chris Saxman (R-Staunton) and Kris Amundson (D-Fairfax) found a bit of common ground as they reflect on their years in the General Assembly. The last paragraph in their joint Washington Post column reads:

"Oh, there is one last thing. We learned that if you really want to get things done in Richmond, you should listen more than you speak, work for others and not for yourself, and be as nice as you can to everyone you meet. Basically, follow the Golden Rule. It works."

There's more good advice for future delegates in What We Learned in Richmond.

Monday, Monday

This promises to be a busy Monday evening. Capturing the Valley headlines is the GOP forum and a decision, perhaps tonight, to nominate a replacement candidate for Chris Saxman who surprised all by quitting the race in the dog days of summer. There is speculation all over the place, including here, of which candidate the local party chairs will pick behind closed doors. One thing is sure, whoever is picked won't please everyone. While the 20th leans R, a split in the GOP will give the Democrat, Erik Curren, an unexpected opening and make this a very interesting contest.

Another meeting in Staunton this evening may start the discussion about the fate of the annual July 4 celebration. Back in the day, it was called Happy Birthday USA and the Statler Brothers performed along with other national names, bringing in tens of thousands of fans and lots of dollars for charities and other local causes. The parade and daylong activities continued even after the Statlers stopped performing. But, the costs of the event are rising and Staunton City Council has cut funds for next year.

Across the mountain, the Orange County Board of Supervisors will take up Walmart's invasion of the Wilderness Battlefield at a forum tonight. It isn't to late to register your views. This may be a local decision but the ramifications go far beyond and will affect Virginia tourism and our heritage.

Karaffa's Red Shirts

There are whispers that David Karaffa is the Republican insiders' choice to replace Del. Chris Saxman. Local GOP chairs are posturing to have someone as a counterweight to Sen. Emmett Hanger, who they don't especially like. Rephrase - despise. Were other candidates told there would be a press release from the district chair announcing all candidates, while they told young David to get the word out a day early? This increasingly has the stench of a done deal, bred in the cesspool of the hard right fanatics who control the local committees.

On his blog (with grammar and spelling errors), Karaffa calls out his "Red Shirts" for Monday's meeting. Maybe someone should clue him in on that poor choice of terms - Red Shirts were paramilitary, racist, anti-Republican groups that formed in southern states after Reconstruction and the term is still used by some racist groups today. But, if the shoe... I mean shirt... fits!

Cleaning out the barnyard

With Del. Chris Saxman's summer surprise, the rumor mill has been running overtime. Speculation centers on why he dropped out? Why now? What's next for him? Some of the rumors about why he quit what looked like a sure thing deserve to be spread on the fields - mostly BS that is unsubstantiated.

Of more interest are the "what next" discussions. Very few buy the school choice campaign that he floated. Yes, he may do that, but only as a stepping stone to something else. Could he have advance word that Bob Goodlatte may not seek reelection in 2010 and he's prepping and posturing for that? Is he betting (far from a sure bet) on an appointment in a McDonnell administration? Or, are there other plans? Yeah, the rumors are all over the board - about the only thing we can be sure of it this - Chris Saxman won't be staying home to redecorate the house. One hint may be what he does (or doesn't do) with campaign funds he's amassed - follow the money, as they say.

The other part of the rumor mill has to do with who (and how) the local GOP nominates as a replacement candidate. Most of the speculation and rumors have swirled around Staunton councilman Dickie Bell. Will the Augusta County School Board give him the leave to run, and if elected, to serve. The running point is really the issue - if elected he'd quickly become the new best friend of the School Board and they'll figure a way to make it work. At least the teaching part; the coaching is probably something he'd have to give up. Other teachers have, and do, serve in the General Assembly.

For about 24 hours it looked like the local GOP committees would rush to anoint Bell, but then a pause. Was it for appearances of fairness? Probably. So now they are going to have a "public" forum and are accepting "nominations." But, make no mistake about it, in spite of this forum, this will not be a public decision. They'll make a display of listening, and the media will report on it, but the deal will be made behind closed doors, maybe before that forum is even held. Unless there's some SNAFU for Bell, or he opts out, if I had to bet it would be on him. But, the delay and the inevitable behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing may give a dark horse an opportunity. Plenty of rumors on that point, including some in CCC's previous post. The scariest and most absurd is about Lynn Mitchell, aka swacgirl. While some Democrats may welcome the right wing gadfly as easy to defeat, any sane person would have to be afraid, very afraid, that she'd somehow back into the seat.

Some pundits are saying the district leans (was gerrymandered) so Republican that Saxman's withdrawal and an open seat won't alter the outcome. But, make no mistake that the dynamic has now significantly changed. Erik Curren, who was out of town on a business trip when the news broke, reacted quickly. Responding to the local media and getting a fresh appeal out to supporters, his campaign took on a new urgency. After wishing Saxman well in future endeavors, Erik said:

"I can win in November. The experts say so. But I can't win without your help."

An open seat, an unknown and unproven opponent, Democrats eager to pick up six seats and capture control of the House of Delegates. You can bet this is a whole new ball game - back in the spring when Curren announced nobody expected the campaign ball to take this bounce. Consider - if Erik hadn't stepped forward and the Democrats hadn't nominated a good candidate, we'd now be leaving the choice of delegate to a backdoor deal made by a handful of Republican activists. That's scary.

You can support positive change and Erik's new fundraising initiative by clicking here.

Cluck, cluck, cluck

This one has woken up the barnyard. The Daily News-Record is reporting that Chris Saxman will drop out of the House of Delegates race in District 20. He will apparently have a press conference late today. Saxman was first elected in 2001. According to the article, Saxman wants to pursue his passion - school choice. Perhaps he's going to go work with Mike Farris, a homeschool advocate who once ran for Lt. Governor and set up the Home School Legal Defense Association? Or maybe he's turning his attention to something in 2010 or beyond?

This is great news for Erik Curren, the Democratic nominee. Everyone, including Erik himself, knew going toe to toe with an established incumbent was going to be difficult, if not impossible. Hard to know who the Republican chairs in Staunton, Augusta, Rockingham, and Highland will nominate, but at a minimum, this is a game changer that will energize Curren supporters and Democrats. You can expect new excitement, more dollars, and more attention from the DPVA for the Curren campaign.

I have no inside knowledge who might be on track for the GOP. Some speculation-

Charles Curry sought the nomination in 2001 but was beaten by Saxman. Curry is retired from teaching at JMU, farms in the Mount Solon area and involved with the Farm Bureau, and is a former member of both the Augusta County School Board and Board of Supervisors. But, trying to make a comeback, he ran as an independent for the Board of Supervisors in 2007, losing a close one. Could running against the GOP candidate be held against him?

Another possibility is Bill Kyger, a teacher at TA and Republican member of the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors. There have been some rumors that he didn't care for Saxman and he might want challenge him at some point. One has to wonder if they'll pick a candidate from that end of the district since the bulk of the population is in Staunton and Augusta Co.

Former Staunton mayor John Avoli could be a long shot. He's now director of the Frontier Culture Museum and has stayed out of partisan politics in that role. This opportunity may be appealing. Rumor is that he considered seeking the GOP nod in 2001, but decided against it.

Stay tuned. This story has as many legs as a centipede.

Worth a 1000 words

Cartoon from The News Leader.

What Repubs do when they got nothing

When they have no issues, no leadership, no vision... Virginia Republicans turn to creating issues through vague innuendo, distortions, and empty rhetoric. Consider the recent demands that Governor Tim Kaine release his travel expenses as chair of the Democratic National Committee. Delegate Chris Saxman (R-Staunton), who has no facts, can only throw out tantalizing tidbits of make believe designed to be red meat for wingnuts and to gin up campaign contributions:

"Where is the governor at any given moment? How did he get there? Did he fly commercial or use someone's private jet? These are legitimate questions that we believe should be answered."

Perhaps Mr. Saxman should look in a mirror. Last fall, as the General Assembly was moving toward its session and constituents likely had much on their minds about the falling economy and the impact on state services, where was the delegate? Out on the campaign trail for McCain and putting out Frederick's fires. During the 2008 session, he even skipped votes to campaign for McCain during the Republican primary.

Truth is, most folks in public office fill various roles - those clearly connected to the office, and others related to politics, family, and charities. Del. Saxman understands this. That's why this demand of Governor Kaine is so transparently a case of cheap political posturing for partisan gain.

Fair play

With today's edition, The News Leader has now given three delegates, Chris Saxman (R-20), Ben Cline (R-24), and Steve Landes (R-25) generous column space to explain why they voted against accepting federal stimulus money to assist unemployed Virginians and boost our local economies.

This is an issue keenly followed across the state, especially in areas with rapidly rising unemployment. In Augusta County and Staunton it tops 7% and things are even more dire in Waynesboro where the unemployment rate is over 10%. There is a possibility the governor will call a special session to that a fresh look ways to use the federal funding to benefit Virginians.

In the spirit of fair play and a robust debate, The News Leader should offer comparable column space to the individuals who will be challenging those delegates this fall. In the 20th, the Democratic nominee is Erik Curren, in the 24th Jeff Price is the only announced candidate for the Democratic nomination, and in the 25th Greg Marrow and James Noel are running for the nomination which will be decided in the June 9 primary.

Erik Curren kicks off campaign

Erik Curren, the Democratic nominee for the 20th District House of Delegates, formally launched his campaign yesterday with a rally at the Train Station in Staunton and a gathering in the assembly hall at the Bridgewater Town Hall. Donning a green hard hat symbolic of jobs, especially green jobs, Curren repeated what may be a theme of his campaign, "We can do better." The crowd enthusiastically agreed! 

Joining Curren at the Train Station was his treasurer, Staunton City Councilman Ophie Kier, shown in the photo "borrowed" from CobaltVA.

At both events, Curren criticized Chris Saxman for voting NO on accepting federal stimulus funds to help Virginia's unemployed and contrasted his views on topics from renewable energy to education with those of the incumbent's. Yes, we CAN do better!

In response to a question about how he see the job of representing the people, Curren emphasized he is committed to actually listening to voters and considering all points of view. Yes, WE can do better!

Curren chose the Staunton Train Station as a subtle jab at Saxman for the lack of progress on dealing with Virginia's transportation needs. House Republicans have again and again rejected honest solutions to dealing with roads, rails, and other transportation needs. Remember how a couple years ago the GOP tried to fix roads with "abusive driver fees" that angered everyone and were later repealed? Yes, we can do BETTER!

There's more at the News Leader, Daily News-Record, and NBC29. One quibble with a couple of those reports - since the deadline for the primary was last Friday and Curren was the only one to file, he is not the "presumptive nominee" or "expected to be nominated later this spring" - Erik Curren is the Democratic nominee for the 20th District House of Delegates.

Time to turn off the wireless?

Perhaps we should turn off the wireless in the State Capitol during floor sessions of the Virginia General Assembly? Or at least install a good firewall like used in schools.

According to student journalists at the Capitol News Service @ VCU, a number of delegates were surfing the web rather than paying attention to the debates and votes that affect all Virginians. Yes, our esteemed "leaders" were found visiting friends on Facebook, shopping for guns and furniture, checking out Civil War relics, and instant messaging. Staunton Delegate Chris Saxman was engrossed in the The Drudge Report.

Come on guys and gals, this ain't middle school. We send you to Richmond to do the people's business, not shop till you drop, social network, or read online tabloids. Besides, even lowly state employees can be disciplined for using state computers for playing games, surfing the net, or visiting irrelevant sites during business hours - shouldn't the same rules apply to the big birds? Cluck!

Deadline passes

The deadline for filing to run in the June 9 Democratic primary was 5:00 PM yesterday and it passed with no last minute surprises in the central Shenandoah Valley.

In the 20th House of Delegates District, Erik Curren was the only person to file and will be declared the nominee. Curren has announced a formal launch of his campaign with two events on Tuesday, April 14: at 11:45 AM at the Staunton Train Station and at 2:00 PM at Bridgewater Town Hall. Curren will take on the incumbent Chris Saxman.

In the 25th House of Delegates District, Dr. Greg Marrow and Jim Noel filed and will square off in the primary. The winner will take on incumbent Steve Landes.

With both Landes and Saxman voting to turn down $125 million in federal stimulus funds to assist the unemployed, it appears the Democrats have a ready-made issue with which to kick off their campaigns. True, employment in the area isn't as high as in other areas of the state, but it is rising and has topped 10% in Waynesboro. The GOP opposition seemed to be based on a fear that when the federal funds ran out, there would be unfunded mandates passed on to businesses in the form of higher taxes. Hey, how about a sunset provision?

Kind of a GOP Déjà vu - remember when Virginia turned down $15 million in Goals 2000 education funding because they didn't like the strings attached only to later accept the funds? Hum.

New Bird in the 20th

Erik Curren, Director of Marketing and Sales at the American Shakespeare Center, will challenge Chris Saxman for the 20th District House of Delegates seat. Curren has been exploring the opportunity for the past couple of months and said he's been encouraged by colleagues in business and the community, by party leaders, and by friends and family. While he knows taking on an incumbent is tough, Curren says folks tell him they want a delegate who will listen, be more responsive, and be less dogmatic.

The filing deadline is April 10 and it appears Curren will be the only candidate to have completed the paperwork and collected the signatures to be certified for the June 9 Democratic primary.

Curren is active in a number of community activities including Staunton Green 2020, a recently formed citizens group focusing on raising awareness about clean energy and economic development for the the Queen City. His campaign for delegate will probably focus on those issues, transportation, and preserving the quality of life in the Shenandoah Valley. He has expressed strong support for public education, a position that stands in sharp contrast to Saxman.

Curren is a graduate of Washington and Lee and earned a PhD at the University of California, Irvine. He's taught English abroad and several places in the United States, including Blue Ridge Community College. He lives in historic downtown Staunton.

The 20th District includes Staunton, Highland County, much of western Augusta County, and several precincts in southern Rockingham County. He promises to run on issues, not personalities, and sees the campaign as "project in participatory democracy for the area where citizens can be involved in a discussion of the most promising opportunities and solutions for the area and state."

Over the past few months, Erik has earned a reputation for asking questions and listening to the answers rather than talking to potential voters. That is as refreshing as our warm spring days!

Delegates and other cracked corn

Todd Gilbert (R-15) announced he'll seek a third term. The 15th district includes Shenandoah, Page, Rappahannock, and part of Rockingham counties. So far, no Democrat has announced a challenge to the far right conservative. Hopefully one will... soon. The clock is ticking on the nomination process.

In the 20th District, Delegate Chris Saxman may be thinking he's home free. According to some GOP blogs, Democrat Tracy Pyles will not run. Pyles had been rumored to be interested in taking on the incumbent who he faced Saxman when the district was first gerrymandered... err, created. Rumors persist that the Democrats will field a strong candidate who has given long thought and study to taking on one of the most ideological and partisan delegates in the General Assembly.

In the 17th District (parts of Roanoke City, Roanoke County, and Botetourt County) there were rumors today that Sam Rasoul would announce his candidacy. Rasoul floated a press release strongly hinting he was running and called a 1:00 PM press conference - it was picked up and reported on TV midday news and several blogs. Instead, Rasoul used his time in the sun to endorse Gwen Mason, a Roanoke City Councilwoman, who had previously announced. Sam misplayed his hand this time - nobody likes to be mislead.

An axe for Saxman's bills

Delegate Chris Saxman (R-20) saw several of his bills get a well-deserved axe in the Virginia Senate yesterday. The delegate had ginned up lots of attention for a constitutional amendment to protect Virginia's right-to-work laws. Totally unnecessary - those laws are well enshrined in state law and culture. It was all grandstanding for the anti-union crowd.

Saxman also saw his bill to designate royalties from off-shore drilling go to Chesapeake Bay cleanup, transportation, and renewable energy. While CCC can support each of those goals, there is one problem - Virginia gets zero royalties because there is currently a federal moratorium on off-shore drilling. Another bit of grandstanding to kiss up to the "Drill Here, Drill Now" fanatics. The delegate's bill was ill-timed - bring it up again if/when there is off-shore drilling. It makes no sense to mandate specific spending today when future priorities may be very different.

And the Staunton delegate again cringed when his tax credits for organizations that provide scholarships bit the dust. He's been pushing some variation of tax credits/vouchers for private schools since he's been in the General Assembly. It is never the right time for public money (either vouchers or tax breaks) to support private schools (unless they meet the same SOL standards of public schools), but these tax credits at a time of severe budget shortfalls was absurd. Senator Emmett Hanger abstained - in previous years he's voted against his GOP friend.

Tonight is the night for Delegate Saxman's 15,000 home conference call for him to listen to voters. He'll probably talk about each of the kill bills to eek out a little political propaganda. Ought to be interesting to find out (not that we ever will) how many people (1) answer the phone, (2) stay on the call more than a few minutes, and (3) get a chance to ask the delegate a question. I'm all in favor of communication between the people and elected officials, but the possibility that Delegate Saxman does more listening than talking is as remote as the Dolly Sods. Bob Dickerman, the Staunton Democratic Chair, said it better in his letter to the editor.

Cross-posted at We Will RockDem.

Quotes from the grist mill

"So I suppose you have to first ask the question, can we improve on a document drafted by George Mason?"

~ House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong commenting on Delegate Chris Saxman's proposed bill to rewrite provisions of Virginia's constitution.

•••••

"Cantor may think the greatest economic crisis in 70 years is a joke, but we don't."

~ AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee remarking on a profanity-laced video clip sent out by U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor's office. More.

Blue Risin'

Success breeds success. With Virginia voting Democratic in a presidential election for the first time since 1964, electing a second Democrat as U.S. Senator, and holding a majority of the seats in the House of Representatives, there is optimism about continuing the blue risin' in November '09. A few examples:

Speaker of the House of Delegates, Bill Howell, will face an opponent for the 28th District seat. Stafford County Board of Supervisors Chairman George Schwartz announced that he will run for the Virginia House of Delegates. Schwartz said:

"My term as supervisor is coming to a close. I think I've accomplished what I set out to do. I have every confidence that the board will continue on the track it is presently on next year, and the time is right to take on this next challenge."

As speaker, Bill Howell hasn't been quite the Darth Vader that his predecessor was, but sometimes it is close. At any rate, on the key partisan issues, House Republicans usually march in carefully controlled lockstep to Howell's marching orders. Signs of a crack - some GOP delegates (along with some tobacco Democrats) watered down the restaurant smoking ban agreed to by Governor Kaine and Speaker Howell.

There will be an open seat 52nd District. Jeff Frederick who wears three hats - delegate, Virginia GOP chair, and dunce - announced he won't seek reelection. He's pushing his wife, Amy, to run for the seat. Many observers think this Prince William district, which is trending Democratic and embarrassed by Frederick's strange behaviors, will flip this year.

Here, in the most Republican area of the commonwealth, the central Shenandoah Valley, it looks like Republicans will face challenges in most districts.

In the 24th District, Jeff Price has been on the campaign trail for months and appears to be the likely nominee to take on Ben Cline. Price is a businessman and family man whose wife is a school teacher. From what I can tell, Price wasn't too political in the past, at least not in a partisan way. But, he became frustrated with the extreme Republican dogma, gridlock in the House of Delegates, and with the inept representation provided by Cline. He's run an energetic and creative campaign for the past six months meeting with small groups in Amherst, Rockbridge, and Augusta.

In the 26th District that comprises Harrisonburg and part of Rockingham, Gene Hart is taking on Matt Lohr. Like Cline, Lohr is a party line type guy. Hart calls for "Leadership That Works" which seems to mean ending partisanship and seeking practical solutions. Hart is an attorney with a solo practice in Harrisonburg and his wife is a special education teacher.

In the 25th District, Steve Landes will certainly face an opponent - two Democrats are apparently seeking the nomination which will be decided at the June 9 primary when the statewide candidates will be chosen. James Noel began gathering signatures on petitions a month or so ago and has visited local committees. More recently, Dr. Greg Marrow has expressed interest in running; he's a laser eye surgeon and a cofounder of Seven Generations. The 25th includes Waynesboro and the NE part of Augusta, eastern Rockingam, and a few western Albemarle precincts. Noel is from Augusta; Marrow from Rockingham.

The 20th District includes Staunton, Highland, parts of Augusta and Rockingham, including Bridgewater and Massanetta Springs. At this point, the very partisan incumbent, Chris Saxman, is unopposed as no Democrat has announced intentions to run. Not too surprising since the 20th is a gerrymandered district with solid Republican leanings in the rural areas. But, Democrats point to Staunton becoming increasingly blue and inroads in other areas as well. Some local party activists are hopeful that Bruce Elder might jump into the race. It sounds enticing, but Elder seems to be enjoying his influential role on Staunton City Council. While other names have surfaced and one individual seems to be actively weighting the pros/cons, there haven't been any announcements. Yet!

Similar Democratic activity can be found around the state and there is a good chance many Republican delegates will face real opposition. All of which bodes well for the Democrats picking up the half dozen seats necessary to control the House of Delegates.

Bowing at the Alter

In what has become an annual pilgrimage, a host of legislators bowed at the alter of Dean Welty and the Valley Family Forum at their annual "Unveiling" last Friday. Attending werethe predictable Republicans: Del. Matt Lohr of Broadway, Del. Steve Landes of Weyers Cave, Del. Chris Saxman of Staunton, Del. Ben Cline of Rockbridge, Sen. Mark Obenshain of Harrisonburg, and Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel of Winchester. Noticeably absent was Sen. Emmett Hanger who, while he may agree on some issues, is clearly not in lockstep with this crowd . Todd Gilbert was also a no-show.

According to Welty, the mission of the Valley Family Forum is

"Our purpose is no different tonight than [in years past]. Our purpose is to defend and rebuild the moral foundation of the nation. Unless we rebuild the foundation that protects our culture, we cannot survive."

No real specifics there, but one can assume they want to ban all abortions, give vouchers or tax breaks for private schools and home schoolers, support abstinence-only sex education, promote prayer in public school, make their God a player in public policy.

So, what did the legislators offer up? Off-shore oil drilling. Anti-union legislation. Kicking Planned Parenthood out of sex education classes. Requiring parental permission for students to join clubs.

I guess off-shore drilling might connect to families by providing some jobs, but it is difficult to see the relationship to VFF goals. How about green jobs like might be provided by wind power? Unions are anti-family? Huh? So, because you disagree with organization's stand on choice/abortion, the state shouldn't work with Planned Parenthood in preventing teen pregnancy? That's hardly productive solution!

Some of the ideas made some sense, but probably aren't high on the VFF wish list. Lohr suggested easing some mandates of SOLs and NCLB because of the coming budget cuts to public schools. And, Landes' idea about donating unused medications to free clinics has merit and should be explored.

Read more at the DNR and check out the long list of comments in their online forum. Make your own comment. Those comments and common sense tell us the "family values" pushed by Valley Family Forum are out of the mainstream of many families in the Shenandoah Valley and most people in the Commonwealth. We can hope that, as they make decisions affecting us all, legislators will listen to the other voices that make up their constituencies. 

Where in the world is Chris?

Where's Chris? Chris Saxman, that is.

Delegate Saxman has been AWOL since his man, McCain, took a drubbing in Virginia last Tuesday. Not only did Virginia go Democratic for the first time since 1964 under his leadership, Saxman's hometown, Staunton turned blue.

Saxman was co-chair of McCain's campaign and had spent weeks discounting the polls and justifying the negative robo-calls that, in the end, may have done more harm than good. He'd dropped the hint that a job in a McCain administration sounded good and he was more than willing to give up his seat in the House of Delegates.

Out at the grist mill there is talk about Delegate Saxman not really being interested in representing this district, but sees it as a stepping stone. He floated his name as a potential candidate for U.S. Senate - that was mostly about getting play in the media and buzz among GOP activists. He's boxed in by Bolling running for Lt. Governor again - yep, Chris really wanted to run for that. With nowhere to go that met his ego, Chris hoped McCain would whisk him away to the nation's capitol.

There is also talk about Saxman being one of the least liked legislators by his colleagues in Richmond. Perhaps it is his self-righteous attitude. There's a hint of arrogance and an unwillingness to compromise. Perhaps that is why he isn't considered a very effective as a legislator.

Residents who journey to Richmond to be citizen-lobbyists report that when pressed on issues with which he disagrees, he is known to change the topic to something totally irrelevant or cut the meeting short - disrespecting his own constituents. He is right and his mind is set in stone, so why waste his valuable time in discussion?

So, as the parties eye the 2009 elections, the speculation that he'll have an opponent isn't too surprising. One name that surfaces is Bruce Elder who previously challenged Saxman and has built a resume on Staunton City Council. There is also talk, without a name as yet, of an individual from Bridgewater who is interested.

It appears Republicans will be challenged throughout their stronghold in the Shenandoah Valley. Jeff Price of Amherst Co. has already announced he'll challenge Ben Cline. And, most Democrats, seeing Valley cities turning blue, expect to nominate candidates to challenge Matt Lohr and Steve Landes as well.

Early prediction: although Democrats won't bump off all of these entrenched incumbents, their new-found strength in Virginia increases their odds of capturing control of the House of Delegates. Stay tuned.