The chicken and the pot hole

Every newspaper and state blog is blasting the failure of the General Assembly to find a compromise to fix Virginia's roads. Governor Kaine said it best: "It was like a 'Seinfeld' episode; I mean a show about nothing. In the House, it was a road session about nothing."

Delegate Steve Landes (R-Augusta) said the House of Delegates were called "delegates" because they are supposed to do what the people want. I guess that means the people want nothing done - perhaps so.

Sometimes problems have to get worse before they get better. Such is obviously the case with Virginia's pot holes. By any measure this is a political loss for the governor as well as the state. Guess we'll have to see how it plays out in the '09 elections when all 100 members of the House of Delegates stand for accountability before the voters. My guess is that some GOP delegates, especially from NOVA and Hampton Roads, will have some explaining to do. That's when the chicken will cross the road.

The stalemate on appointments probably works out as win for the governor. The legislature failed to make appointments to the Virginia Supreme Court, several circuit courts, and the State Corporation Commission. Governor Kaine will now make recess appointments that next year's session will have to confirm. Time will tell if House Republicans will kick out a judge who has already been seated.

For now, our political leaders have dropped the basket and broken all the eggs. Cluck.

The answer is blowin' in the wind

Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, of which Shenandoah Valley Electric Co-op is a member, has announced that it signed a long term contract to purchase wind generated power from AES's wind energy project in central Pennsylvania. With wind energy farms on the horizon for Highland Co., Shenandoah Co., and other western Virginia locations this deal could signal commercial viability of this renewable resource. While there are some environmental concerns - mostly issues with bats and migratory birds - wind energy has to be part of a clean and renewable energy future. 

The co-op also plans to purchase power from the Hydro FS hydroelectric project in Alleghany County, Virginia.

This is certainly worth crowing about! Two clucks for ODEC!!

Peck, Peck.

Why didn't the chicken cross the road?

It is very likely the Virginia General Assembly, more specifically the House of Delegates, will drop all the eggs on Virginia's transportation fix. As the Roanoke Times points out, the House GOP will likely block any statewide solution coming to the floor for a vote - except the one with a gas tax increase, figuring they can put the Democrats between a rock and a hard place. Instead the Republicans want some sort of regional solution - but neither NOVA nor Hampton Roads are buying it. Politics as usual. Road needs will continue to be unfunded. The health of Virginia's economy is jeopardized. The chicken wants a good road to cross.

In my cackle of yesterday, I commented on Jim Gilmore's I-81 road trip. Seems Jim is a bit camera shy, perhaps not trusting what he'll say or do (like his buddy George . . . you pick which one). According to a post on Raising Kaine, Gilmore's Gang worked hard to stop a Warner supporter from filming at an event at a Salem convenience store. Maybe denying freedom is a campaign technique of choice for some Republicans.

Goose Egg

Jim Gilmore passed through the Valley yesterday. From the coverage, it looks like he stopped by friendly businesses where he was guaranteed an audience. Few other residents took notice. Although he dubbed this a "working families tour," other than talking about gas prices he really didn't address much of concern to the average families I know.

His main point was off-shore drilling, just the decision to do it, would lower gas prices tomorrow. Apparently Mr. Gilmore is unaware that in 2006 Congress cleared 8.3 million acres 125 miles off the Florida coast for exploration and drilling. The oil companies viewed it as cost prohibitive until the recently. 3-D mapping and other studies will take at least two years and only then will the first hole be drilled, if it is believed to be commercially viable. So, Mr. Gilmore, it is more than a little bit dishonest to suggest a decision today will give give us relief at the pump tomorrow. Election pandering - but cluck, cluck - you are a master at that!

Mr. Gilmore failed to talk about saber rattling on Iran, unbridled speculation, and the weak dollar as causes of increased oil prices. How about raising the margin for speculators? Or making them take at least partial delivery of a futures contract? Perhaps moving toward a balanced budget to help strengthen the dollar (but that might mean spending less in Iraq)?

Mr. Gilmore, next time you come to the Valley, be prepared to talk about all the possible solutions. Guess I'm just crowing in the wind. You will continue to pander. Voters fell for your slogans a few years ago. They won't again.

Fool the voters once, shame on you. This time voters "Won't get fooled again!"

Flew the Coop

Flew the coop for a few days of camping and kayaking on the Shenandoah River. Nice change of scenery and activities. Visited one night by four screech owls who roosted in a tree less than 20 feet above our campsite. Although I hear them often, I only occasionally see an owl and this was the most up close and personal I've ever been with one, not to mention four. They stayed close well into the night.

One early morning while heading out for ice I was scanning AM radio for a weather forecast. Ah, the "soothing" voice of Pat Robertson coming from the cheap speakers in my truck. My "favorite" minister was introducing a tape of a speaker addressing the intentions of the Founding Fathers in creating a Christian nation. The speaker's credentials were "well-established" as holding a bachelors degree from some Bible college and an honorary masters from some seminary. I'd never heard of either institution but if you weren't listening closely, I suppose it sounded great. I'd never heard of him either, which is why, I guess, that I can't remember his name right now.

He began railing against the "secular humanists" and the ACLU who are taking God out of the public square. Giving selected facts from a couple court cases, he clearly was having no trouble working up the friendly audience in whatever venue (it was supposed to be in our heathen capitol, Washington, D.C.) he was speaking. Establishment Clause, Free Exercise, nowhere is "separation of church and state" found in the Constitution . . . . On and on he went in a carefully moderated voice (don't want to sound unreasonable like some fire and brimstone revival preacher) designed to sooth and reassure the listener.

Blessedly, I rounded a mountain and the radio went to static. Punching seek, I quickly found a station with the sought after weather forecast.

I've been reading Jon Meacham's American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation. It is a great refresher course in the role of religion in politics and government as it developed during the colonial period, the Revolutionary War and Declaration of Independence, the drafting of the Constitution and First Amendment, and how religion has been used and abused by presidents and other political and religious leaders. Meacham does a great job with the early history but seems to skim over more recent controversies and extremist uses of religion in the public square.

It is not my intent to rehash American Gospel, but rather to encourage you to give some thought to the proper role of religion in American government and politics as we get deeper in the presidential campaign. Religion will be a factor - both John McCain and Barack Obama spoke to evangelicals over the past weekend. Religious prejudice has entered some blogs commenting on the congressional race in Virginia's 6th District.

It is clear to me that "public religion" has a role in campaigns, political rhetoric, elections, and governing. By public religion I mean the notion of a "Creator" or "Nature's God" as expressed by the deist, Thomas Jefferson, in the Declaration of Independence. Public religion speaks to our fundamental rights and liberties. The term as coined by Ben Franklin and supported by many presidents beginning with George Washington, that held that "religion and morality" were important aspects of society, but did not control it. Public religion is not the same thing as private belief. Public religion unites. Private belief divides.

The past two elections (actually, this has gone on since at least the election of 1800) have seen the corrosive effects of using religion, especially private belief, to divide us, to foster hate, to win elections at the cost of governing a more united American people. We will be far better off by following the excellent advice of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor:

Reasonable minds can disagree about how to apply the Religion Clauses in a given case, but the goal of the Clauses is clear - to carry out the Founder's plan of preserving religious liberty to the fullest extent in a pluralistic society. By enforcing the Clauses, we have kept religion a matter for the individual conscience, not for the prosecutor or bureaucrat. At a time when we see around the world the violent consequences of the assumption of religious authority by government, Americans may count themselves fortunate - our regard for constitutional boundaries has protected us from similar travails, while allowing private religious exercise to flourish.

In spite of what Pat Robertson and others would have you believe, religion is indeed flourishing in our nation. Extreme voices like Robertson would have their private belief trump our public religion.

There will be other extreme voices screaming for attention on talk radio, in blogs, and in commercials between now and November. Some will be brazen, hateful, and easy to spot and debunk. Other messengers will be more subtle, more polished, and spread their disgusting message with a wink and a smile. Whenever and wherever you confront the politics of religious bigotry and extremism speak out to reject the message. This November we should elect candidates based on character, qualification, issues and their ability to bring us together as a people. The Rovian politics of divide and conquer have no place.

Peck, peck.

Valley Omelet

David Bowers was sworn in as Roanoke mayor yesterday, marking a political comeback. He'd served on City Council from 1992 to 2000 and was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for House of Representatives in 1998. The Roanoke Times has more in "Back in the catbird seat."Joining Bowers are three new Democrats who were elected in May: Anita Price, Sherman Lea, and Court Rosen.

It was harmony in the Staunton City Council reorganization which unanimously reelected Lacy King as mayor and also chose Dave Metz vice mayor with only Dickie Bell dissenting. New on the council are Ophie Kier and Andrea Oakes. While city council elections are nonpartisan, Kier got some support from city Democrats while Oakes, who had been vocal about the "porn store," garnered support from many Republicans.

Travel across the county to Waynesboro, and all the hens weren't clucking in unison. They unanimously elected Tim Williams mayor but divided sharply over selection of the vice mayor. The so-called "new majority" of Williams, Frank Lucente, and Bruce Allen elected Lucent as vice mayor with strong dissents from Lorie Smith and Nancy Dowdy. If this "new majority" coalition holds together it will mark changes in Waynesboro's direction. You'll recall that City Manager Douglas Walker was forced to resign after the "new majority" was elected. Most of the talk coming from that trio focuses on cost cutting and changing the priorities of the city. All of them are talking about building "trust," "respect," and "unity." Could be some cracked eggs until they are successful at that.

Cuppa joe? How many Starbucks in the Shenandoah Valley are on the closing list? With an economy squeezing many families in the valley, that home brewed cup looks better all the time. In some towns and cities there seems to be coffee shops everywhere. How many can a market support? Plus, even McDonald's has upscale coffee to go with that Egg McMuffin. Starbucks success brought competition, but thinking they were unstoppable, the company probably grew too fast, too far. I don't give a cluck about the big corporate roosters, but I do feel for the employees who will be losing jobs.

Peck. Peck.

Good eggs - good Deeds

Lost in the General Assembly gridlock over transportation are two bills by Senator Creigh Deeds (D-Bath) that passed the Senate and deserve to pass the House of Delegates. SB 6012 offers tax credits for businesses that provide flex schedules for employees. SB 6013 provides similar credits for businesses that encourage telecommuting. 

Deeds has announced his candidacy for governor and ideas like these illustrate creative approaches that help solve problems. But, will House Republicans want a Democratic gubernatorial candidate taking credit for this legislation? Or in their political calculus will they supports the Deeds' bills figuring Delegate Brian Moran (D-Fairfax) would be the more formidable statewide candidate?

At any rate, the tax credit approach will probably appeal to the anti-taxers in the House of Delegates. Maybe, just maybe, they'll leave partisan politics out of the equation and pass these bills on their merit.