Your Vote Really Counts

November 4, 2019 by David Toscano

IT’S TIME TO VOTE

Two years ago, ONE VOTE denied Democrats a 50-50 House of Delegates. Your vote counts! Don’t wake up Wednesday to find that your candidates lost because you didn’t exercise your right.

This “off-off year” election is traditionally one where Republicans have their biggest advantage in voter turnout. Let’s flip that upside down, Democratic voters, and keep the Blue Wave rising in Virginia!

Democrats in Albemarle and Charlottesville have fielded some wonderful candidates who deserve your support.

VIRGINIA SENATE

Please return Creigh Deeds to the Virginia Senate and vote for Amy Laufer, who will make a terrific addition to that body.

HOUSE OF DELEGATES

In local House races, Sally Hudson does not have an opponent in the 57th but she still needs your votes to become our next Delegate. In other local Delegate races, be sure to vote for Elizabeth Alcorn in the 58th, Tim Hickey in the 59th, and Jennifer Kitchen in the 25th.

ALBEMARLE COUNTY

In Albemarle, there are two countywide races. Jim Hingeley, who understands the strengths and the flaws of our justice system based on decades of direct experience, will make a terrific Commonwealth’s Attorney, and Chan Bryant can be the first female sheriff in the county’s history. And if you live in one of these magisterial districts, please support veteran supervisor Ann Mallek (White Hall), veteran Donna Price (Scottsville), and Bea Lapisto Kirtley (Rivanna).

CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY

In the city, don’t forget to support Llezelle Dugger, who does such a wonderful job as Circuit Court Clerk.

If there is a local race where one vote may make a difference, it would be Charlottesville City Council. We have all witnessed the turmoil surrounding the council and this is your opportunity to express your view about it. Democrats are fielding three candidates for three seats: Lloyd Snook (my dear friend for more than 30 years), Sena Magill, and Michael Payne.

There will also be nonpartisan School Board and Soil & Water District seats on your ballot: don’t miss those votes.

KNOW YOUR POLLING PLACE

Polls are open from 6:00am to 7:00pm on Tuesday. If you’re in line at your polling place at 7:00pm, you will be allowed to vote! If you need to double-check where your polling place is, you can do it online at https://vote.elections.virginia.gov/VoterInformation or call the local registrar’s office for assistance: Albemarle (434-972-4173) or Charlottesville (434-970-3250).

And thank you for participating in the most basic of all of our rights—voting.

David

General Assembly Update: Optima Health and Tax Rebates

October 2, 2019 by David Toscano

WATCH YOUR MAILBOX!

Local residents should watch their mailboxes carefully in the next several weeks because about 2.7 million eligible taxpayers will receive a one-time refund from the Commonwealth as the result of action the General Assembly took last spring.

STATE TAX REBATES

Those eligible should receive $110 if they filed state taxes individually, or $220 if they filed jointly. The check should arrive by October 15. So, if you see a letter from the Department of Taxation – OPEN IT! If you have questions, visit the Virginia Department of Taxation’s website at https://www.tax.virginia.gov/news/2019-virginia-tax-relief-refund or call 804.367.8031.

PREMIUM REBATES FROM OPTIMA

Another rebate for residents in our area may soon be coming from Optima Health as the result of actions by a local advocacy group, Charlottesville for Reasonable Health Insurance (CRHI) (https://www.facebook.com/groups/142730106368938/) and the state Bureau of Insurance (BOI), with a little nudge from yours truly. Under requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), insurance providers are required to spend 80¢ out of every dollar in premiums collected on healthcare claims and quality improvements (in policy parlance, this is called Medical Loss Ratio – MLR). [Read more…]

Gun Safety Not A Republican Priority

August 22, 2019 by David Toscano

IT’S JUST NOT A PRIORITY – Republicans Continue to Delay Gun Safety Measures

In the aftermath of the horrific Virginia Beach shooting, and prior to the two mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, on June 4 Gov. Northam called for a Special Session of the Virginia General Assembly to consider gun safety measures. Democrats introduced eight measures, including proposals for universal background checks and the creation of a “Red Flag” protective order that would remove guns from people who are experiencing mental health challenges that pose a risk to themselves or others. Most of the measures were bills that had been filed for the regular 2019 Session, but were defeated in a small subcommittee. Despite considerable fanfare, when the Assembly met on July 9, it adjourned after only 90 minutes. Republican leaders in the House and Senate could have called us back later this summer or early this fall, but instead decided to delay any further consideration until two weeks after the 2019 election.

Most people saw this quite properly as a “delaying tactic,” which was recently confirmed in a statement made by a Republican Delegate from the Roanoke area. “We needed to make it go away,” said the Delegate to a group of political activists; “We came up with a strategy that would neutralize the issues.”

TACTICS TO DELAY

The Republican strategy has been clear from the beginning – delay, delay, delay. Their plan was to refer all of the bills to the Virginia Crime Commission, a House/Senate committee controlled by Republicans. The Crime Commission met on Monday and Tuesday and a number of us who had filed Special Session bills got 3 minutes to present our proposals. Some presenters felt they should take only 30 seconds to explain their bills — the same amount of time it took the Dayton gunman to kill 9 and injure 27. [Read more…]

GA Update: Jamestown Commemoration, Democracy and Trump

July 30, 2019 by David Toscano

The plans for Virginia’s commemoration of 400 years of democratic governance on July 30 were proceeding without too much drama — until President Trump decided he would attend and speak at the event. He’s arriving after one of the most bizarre months of his presidency. This has led to some creative arranging for those of us who want to commemorate this important milestone for democracy, but would prefer not to participate in an event where Trump is on the program.

DIVERSITY OF PURPOSE

The events of this month include a commemoration of the origins of Democratic institutions in this hemisphere, which, though imperfect, have provided inspiration for future generations, and impetus to create a better nation and world. Specifically, on Tuesday we will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the first meeting of what became Virginia’s House of Delegates, the oldest representative legislature in the Western hemisphere. Importantly, events are also planned that acknowledge our nation’s history of racial oppression, a fact that has been with us since the first slaves set foot in the Jamestown settlement. The emphasis on both themes is important, and Trump’s presence will make that not only impossible, but potentially derails the power of the event. I understand why some may attend the Jamestown events with the President out of respect for the office, but I have chosen, out of respect for democratic institutions, to reject the normalization of Trump’s behavior. I will be attending many of the Jamestown events, but will forego those where the President is present. [Read more…]

Are Renewables Our Next Moon Shot?

July 19, 2019 by David Toscano

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.”

— President John F. Kennedy, Sept. 26, 1962
Rice University, Houston, Texas.

There is a great scene in the recent movie, First Man, where NASA technicians admit the mathematical formulas necessary to get us to the moon had not yet been developed. But they (including the Virginia women at Langley described in the film, Hidden Figures) nonetheless pressed ahead, and this weekend, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the dramatic landing and Neil Armstrong’s “giant leap for mankind.” In the 1960s, our scientists were propelled by a goal, and in a race against time. Some say we are now in a similar place in the energy field.

Independent of Trumpian tweets and conspiracy theories to the contrary, there is broad scientific agreement that climate change is happening rapidly, and most of its origins can be traced to human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels. Wildfires, alterations in traditional weather patterns, the strength of hurricanes, ice pack melting, and coastal flooding are transforming public awareness. The imperative is clear; we must now confront the problem or it will overwhelm future generations. While the federal government, largely paralyzed by Trump climate deniers, sits idly by, good news is coming from various sources. [Read more…]