Legal, ethical, and bad for representative democracy

There is something going on that smells like road kill on hot August afternoon in the Shenandoah Valley. Our 140 lawmakers can derive income from various state or local government agencies without it being a conflict of interest or disclosure of the money. In fact, no Virginia law even requires they disclose any income from a government agency. This is a story about something that is quite legal and ethical in most situations... but is it good for our representative democracy? Maybe not, but it is apparently good for some wallets.

Eight members of the General Assembly "earn" income from Virginia colleges and universities. Now some no doubt really do earn their pay. For example, Delegate Dan Bowling of Tazwell County has been a professor at Southwest Virginia Community College for years and earns just over $65,000. He was a professor before being elected to the General Assembly and like a person in any other profession should have the right to purse their occupation and serve as a legislator.

Another good example where all this seems above board and quite legitimate is that of Delegate Bill Janis of Goochland County. Delegate Janis earns a grand total of about $4,500 as an adjunct professor at W&M and VCU. Relatively speaking about the same cracked corn I earn as an adjunct at a private college.

But, the hen house is clucking about Senator Thomas Norment of Williamsburg who is paid $160,000 as a part time professor at W&M. It is hard for many to justify that salary for a part time position - just how many courses/students does Senator Norment teach? Or is the pay based on other "duties?" Then Attorney General Bob McDonnell held the arrangement was not a conflict of interest. Would the ruling have been the same for someone of the other party?

Of course, there is the clear conflict of interest in the case of Delegate Phil Hamilton of Newport News. Totally tossing the moral compass, Hamilton lobbied for and gladly accepted a $40,000 a year salary from ODU for a position he used his seat the House of Delegates to fund. Hamilton is being investigated by a federal grand jury and the House of Delegates. Hopefully, the voters will render those investigations moot.

The General Assembly now requires that members disclose annual income of $10,000 or more. But they are exempt from disclosing any and all income from state agencies or local governments. Some choose to disclose, others do not. Many in the General Assembly argue that voters can always kick out members who are too cozy or do favors for the agency that pays them. That is true... if we know about those relationships. The legal exemption on disclosure and generous conflict of interest rules certainly inhibit that.

Perhaps something good will come out of Phil Hamilton's ethical lapse. In the next session, the General Assembly should require full disclosure of income exceeding $10,000 that legislators earn from any any source including any state agency, local government, or school board. The disclosure should be reasonably specific about the services rendered. Then voters will have at least some of the information needed to decide if they need to kick any of the rascals out.

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On a side (but related) note, Delegate Todd Gilbert works as a prosecutor in the Frederick County Commonwealth's Attorney's office. So, he is employed in the executive branch, working daily in the judicial branch, and was elected to the legislative branch. Can anybody spell "separation of powers?"

Blue Tide Risin' II

CCC has been reporting on the number of Democrats eager to take on incumbent Republicans in the Shenandoah Valley. A challenger in the 15th District has been rumored for a month or so and a story in today's DNR confirms that retired U.S. Marine Corps Col. John Lesinsky, a Democrat from Little Washington, will challenge Todd Gilbert. Gilbert is a reliable vote in the House of Delegate's right wing band of brothers. The 15th includes a small corner of Rockingham County and all of Page, Shenandoah and Rappahannock counties.

Across the mountain in traditionally friendlier Democratic turf, NBC29 reports that Republican Rob Bell will be challenged by Cynthia Neff, a 57 year old former IBM executive, for the 58th District House of Delegates seat. Neff is active in several charitable causes and promises an aggressive campaign pointing out where the incumbent has let the people down. The 58th District includes Fluvanna County and parts of Albemarle, Greene, and Orange counties.

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.

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. 

Scrambled, fried, or just cracked

Todd Gilbert retracted (sort of) and then restated (again, sort of) his absurd statements that Barack Obama is a "borderline communist," a "marxist," and a "socialist." Gilbert told the Northern Virginia Daily, "sometimes to make a point you use exaggeration."

Cluck! That sounds like a step in the right direction. Okay Todd, you were caught up in the moment, the scrambled eggs were hot, you were surrounded by Republican loyalists, and you threw them some red hot sausage.

Then, with the advantage of hindsight and (one would suppose) rational thought (can Republicans do that?), you uttered the following distortions and misrepresentations: "the fact remains that Obama uses the rhetoric of class struggle, his policies rely on heavy progressive taxation and the redistribution of wealth." (emphasis mine)

Whoa. Todd is a Republican who supports president Bush. Talk about a big, prying government kind of guy. Spying on citizens. Tax breaks weighted to help his rich friends in their "class struggle." Tax breaks for big oil. The biggest redistribution of wealth from the middle and lower economic classes to the wealthy since when . . . the Gilded Age? His friend in the White House doesn't mind bailing out the mortgage industry (and neither do I as long it is focused on the little birds instead of the vultures), but what happened to the "invisible hand" of capitalism that you cherish in your bird brain?

"tippingpoint" said it best in his post at the Northern Virginia Daily:

Delegate Gilbert clearly proves that passing the Virginia SOL's is not a requirement to serve in the legislature of this great Commonwealth. He must have been sleeping in his Social Studies classes. Calling Barack Obama a "Marxist" is simply stupid. I doubt Mr. Gilbert knows the difference between Marxism and the Marx Brothers. He couldn't tell the difference between a Socialist and socialite. The King of "big goverment" debt growth is good 'ol "C student" GW Bush. Gilbert's jibber jabber has more in common with the fanatical jihadist rants of Al-Qaeda, than with the common-sense GOP of fair-minded Republicans like Dwight Eisenhower, GHW Bush, Gerald Ford, and good 'ol John Warner. Virginia Republicans - Get a Grip! Don't lose the Grand Old Party to wingnuts like Del. Gilbert!

The good folks of Shenandoah County deserve better representation than they are getting from Todd Gilbert. As voters find out the truth about wingnuts like Gilbert (he has a clone or two south on the 81 corridor), Democrats have been gaining seats in the General Assembly. It may take some time to scour out all the bad eggs here in the Valley where Republicans are entrenched like burnt eggs in a cast iron frying pan. Shenandoah County Democrats have less than a year to find a good candidate to challenge this cracked egg. Happy good egg hunting.

Cluck.

Todd Gilbert is a totally rotten egg

I can't cluck more about this total embarrassment than the posts here and here. Todd Gilbert should disgust us all - just like the totally rotten egg he is. He misrepresents his district in the House of Delegates. He stands in the way of progress. He lies. TODD GILBERT LIES. If you'd like to comment about this dumb yoke of a delegate, go to the Northern Virginia Daily.