Bacon's Rebellion

Governor Mark Warner has turned state government upside-down in an effort to do more business with small, women, and minority owned (SWAM) firms and the thanks he gets are headlines like this one in the Daily Press: Warner’s plan to raise contracting diversity falls short.

The article is full of innuendo that procurement officals are ignoring the Governor’s wishes and just waiting for him to leave office, that “special deals” are cut with non-SWAM vendors, and that somehow the electronic procurement system is “stacked” against SWAM firms. If true, these are serious charges, worthy of high-level investigation.

What’s missing from the article, though, is any attempt at investigative journalism to give even one factual example supporting the innuendo. What’s also missing is a fair-minded review of whether the sagging numbers reported for SWAM procurement are valid.

Someday a journalist is going to take the time to watch a sample number of SWAM firms submit bids on openly posted contracts, then use procurement tools that are in place to determine if any SWAM firms were unfairly denied contracts they deserved. Until then, this carping appears to be sour grapes. Governor Warner has done plenty to open up the system to SWAM firms and give them a presumptive advantage, even inviting a backlash by non-SWAM firms. Maybe SWAM firms aren’t doing all they can to return the Governor’s faith in them.

Well folks, no surprise here. The Washington Post is wasting no time–they’re already on record supporting Chichester’s proposed tax increase next year.

“Taxes, fees, tolls — all must be in the mix if Virginia is to keep moving. Senate Finance Committee Chairman John H. Chichester (R-Northumberland) said that this year’s “minuscule” compromise “isn’t even a beginning toward the solution to our transportation dilemma.” After the fall House elections, Mr. Chichester plans to push for a package of so-far unspecified taxes, probably including a much-needed increase in the gas tax. If candidates continue to paper over the severity of congestion and its economic consequences, voters should demand some truthful responses.”

How come we only hear talk of tax increases and we never hear anything about the need for government accountability? You still have the Wilder Commission report gathering dust and no one is talking about implementing some of its recommendations to reduce the massive fraud, waste, and abuse that goes on in most government programs.

An old friend, Joseph Britt of Kennesaw, GA, recently emailed to ask about anti-immigration as an issue for Virginia Democrats. Joe had just read a George W. Grayson article in the William & Mary Alumni Magazine, “Myths About Illegal Immigration.”

Grayson does not cite any Virginia examples, but among the “myths” he attempts to explode are that illegal immigrants perform jobs Americans don’t want and that they contribute more in taxes and social security than they take from government programs.

A recent email message sent by Paul Jost to Ken Hutcheson was just too good to pass up without sharing it on this blog. As most of you probably know, Hutcheson is Kilgore’s campaign manager. He also served previously as the campaign manger for the following heavyweight, tax-and-spend, State Senate Commissars: John Chichester, Tommy Norment, and Russ Potts. (I’ve received Paul’s permission to publish his message in its entirety.)

Hutch…I’m very confused. You are Jerry Kilgore’s campaign manager and long-time key strategist. The company you own is called Old Dominion Strategies. Jerry’s campaign is being quoted as saying that Russ Potts has “not been a Republican for years.”

Just now, I looked on the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) web site and it shows that you have three clients:

1. Jerry Kilgore who has paid you $237,154 in consulting fees
2. Virginians for Responsible Government (the PAC formed to fund John Chichester and Tommy Norment’s reelection campaigns shortly before they led the fight to raise taxes which paid you $103,859 in consulting fees
3. Russ Potts who has paid you $15,194 in consulting fees.

If Russ Potts has “not been a Republican for years,” why were you recently working for him and taking his money? In fact, you were doing so with Jerry Kilgore’s blessing at the same time that you were working for Jerry. And why were you working for tax hikers John Chichester and Tommy Norment while working for Jerry?

And when Jerry was quoted as saying he would support all Republican incumbents against other Republican primary challengers just a few weeks ago, did he also mean that he would support Russ Potts?

Can you help me clear up this confusion?

Paul Jost

Governor Warner was on NPR’s All Things Considered this afternoon, talking about education, the issue he is leading as Chairman of the National Governors’ Association.

He emphasized “career and technical education” for non-college bound students and insisted that the Governors were looking for real solutions: “We don’t need another study that sits on the shelf.”

Commonwealth Commonsense had the statistics on high school outcomes a few days ago. Gov. Warner and his cohorts don’t just need to set up “career and technical education” programs; they need to convince parents that these programs are viable options to college.

Republican Gubernatorial Candidate, Jerry Kilgore was interviewed on WTOP this morning. Since this is a call-in show, I tried to get on the radio to ask Kilgore why he hasn’t signed the Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) pledge not to raise taxes–a pledge he had signed when he ran for Attorney General, but which according to the ATR must be renewed now that Kilgore is running for Governor (see: “A Backroom Deal?“)

Unfortunately, they wouldn’t let me ask the question on the air. They told me that there was another person already on hold waiting to ask the same question. I then said I wanted to ask him about Sen. Chichester’s proposals to raise taxes and why Kilgore is not he speaking out against them. They told me that this was too similar a question and they wouldn’t let me get on the air.

Interestingly, I later received an email confirmation that a person from ATR was indeed holding to ask the tax pledge question, but that person wasn’t allowed to come on the air as well. Makes you wonder whether Kilgore’s campaign staff had a role in screening the callers…

If anyone is interested, I recorded the entire interview. It’s about 40 minutes long once I removed the commercials. To listen to the interview click here.

The Kilgore team is moving quickly to put its own spin on the soon-to-be-announced candidacy of Sen. Russell Potts of Winchester. In a press release issued 2:46 p.m. this afternoon, Kilgore’s office stated:

The announcement today that Russ Potts (I-Winchester) will run for Governor [as] an Independent can only be seen as a tremendous setback for the Kaine for Governor campaign. Now, the High Tax/Big Government Spending lobby has two liberal candidates to choose from in the race for Governor. What we have here today is not a split within the Republican Party, but rather a colossal fissure among the High Tax/Big Government Spending coalition.

Russ Potts will only take votes away from Tim Kaine’s base of supporters who believe a $1.4 billion tax increase and a $1.5 billion budget surplus is not enough for their big government appetite.

The Kilgore spinmeisters have a point. Now, all they have to do is get past He Who Must Not Be Named — the “other” fiscal conservative — George Fitch.

Larry Sabato has a fresh edition of his Crystal Ball out on the Center for Politics web site. He handicaps the Democratic presidential field for 2008. Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. John Kerry, and former Sen. John Edwards constitute the top contenders. Gov. Mark Warner is high on Sabato’s second tier of potential candidates, just behind Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh. Here’s what the good professor has to say about Warner:

Mark Warner has a solid record as governor, a Southern address (always attractive to Democrats who remember that only Southerners Carter and Clinton have won since 1968), and a fortune often estimated at $200 million. Yet he is just a one-term state executive, prevented by Virginia’s constitution from running again, and he has never held any other elective office. Out of office in early 2006, Warner will have to struggle to stay relevant in the years leading up to 2008. A successful challenge to Republican Senator George Allen in 2006 would achieve that, but Warner appears disinclined to take the chance of losing and being eliminated from the White House sweepstakes.

Sabato will do a similar handicapping of the Republican field next and we’ll see how he rates Sen. Allen’s chances.

Tim Murtaugh, press secretary for Jerry Kilgore, has issued a press release attacking Tim Kaine for expressing his willingness to increase the gasoline tax to increase transportation funding, as long as there are mechanisms in place to protect the Transportation Trust Fund from being raided for other programs.

Said Murtaugh: “Both Jerry Kilgore and Tim Kaine agree that protecting the Transportation Trust Fund is the top priority in transportation improvements. Jerry Kilgore opposes an increase in the antiquated gas tax.”

Kaine’s positions on taxes are fair game. But does Kilgore have anything to offer to the transportation debate other than going on the attack? If Kilgore opposes raising the gasoline tax, is he willing to state categorically that he would refuse to raise any taxes for transportation? If he’s not willing to make such a vow, which tax would he prefer to raise? Please explain, Mr. Murtaugh, what makes the gas tax “antiquated”. It’s the closest thing there is to a user fee. Does Kilgore disagree with the idea that the people who benefit from additional transportation spending should be the ones to pay for it? Or has he articulated a new theory of governance in which those who don’t benefit from extra transportation funding should be forced to pay for it?

Does Kilgore offer any other solutions to the transportation crisis other than a vow to raise money — somewhere, anywhere, but just not through the gas tax — and build more roads? The press release contains not a clue. In all probability, Tim Kaine’s transportation policy is no better than Kilgore’s. But at least the lieutenant governor has the cajones to put his ideas on the table. I’m still waiting for Kilgore to artulate what he’s for.

Anyone who has spent any time in NVA over the last 40 years is familiar with the Giant grocery store chain. When the chain passed from its private owners a few years ago, problems began. These problems multiplied when the New England chain Stop n’ Shop acquired Giant. Add new competition–Food Lion, Harris Teeter, and Wegman’s–and loyalty to Giant, once an article of faith, is dissipating. It’s a cautionary tale for business and for any long-standing organization seeking to change.

Michael Barbaro has an article on Giant’s recent problems in the Washington Post, plus he took questions online today. One interesting note: most of the online negative comments about Giant come from Maryland residents. Most of the new stores competing with Giant are in Virginia.

Del. Adam Ebbin (D, Alexandria) is the first openly gay member to serve in the House of Delegates. There’s a brief profile of Ebbin by Kristen Gelineau in today’s Daily Press. What I found interesting was the contrast in reactions to Ebbin from two colleagues:

“I suppose that one of the concerns was that since he is the only openly gay member of the Legislature, is whether or not that would be the only issue that he would … talk about,” said Del. Ward Armstrong, D-Henry County. “That clearly has not been the case. He is a very versatile delegate.”

Del. Richard Black, R-Loudoun, who has compiled a track record as one of the most socially conservative members of the state legislature and was the sponsor of the gay adoption bill, said he’s not trying to stamp out gay rights but is simply trying to preserve tradition.

As for his personal feelings on Ebbin, after a lengthy pause, the Loudoun Republican offered: “He’s always prompt and, you know, on time to meetings.” A moment later, he added, “I think he works hard.”

I think it’s possible to support some of Black’s positions but still be very disappointed by his cold assessment of a colleague.

John M. R. Bull of the Daily Press had a short interview yesterday with Ellen Qualls, Governor Warner’s press secretary. I happen to think Qualls has been one of Warner’s best appointments. She has been absolutely unflappable and her fierce loyalty to the Governor has served him well.

She says she’ll be working on her resume at some point in the near future. Somebody is going to get a top-notch communications pro.

Sharp-eyed blogger Rick Sincere noticed an all-but-forgotten name under a letter to the editor in the Sunday Richmond Times-Dispatch: Wyatt B. Durrette, Jr., former Republican candidate for Attorney General and Governor in the 80’s. An enjoyable Virginia political history lesson follows.

I just took a stroll around some of our sister and brother Virginia blogs, finding lots of good stuff.

Commonwealth Conservative is impressed with Republican Sean Connaughton, candidate for Lt. Governor … Virginia Progressive has promised to keep an eye on Republican gubernatorial long-shot George Fitch … Sic Semper Tyrannis is all over a charge that Del. James Dillard (R, Fairfax) is laundering funds–for a Democrat! … Northern Crown covers a Prince William County lawsuit over open space … Reporterette is outraged by a comment from Sen. Benjamin Lambert III (D, Richmond):

Whoa! Wait a second! Did Sen. Lambert just say he’d rather have criminals on college campuses than on the streets?!! I don’t think this is what civil rights activists had in mind when they were pushing integration.

And how about the bouquet One Man’s Trash threw to our own Jim Bacon?

If you do a Google search using the keywords “miserable failure” the top hit returned by Google is President George W. Bush’s biography posted on the White House website.

You can’t even find the words “failure” or “miserable” in the text of the biography. Apparently, this trick is possible because Google searches more than just the contents of web pages – it also counts how often a site is linked to, and with what words. Thus, members of an online community can affect the results of Google searches – called “Google bombing” – by linking their sites to a chosen one.

So now even Google searches have a political agenda! When you run your next Google search, keep in mind that the results may be politically biased.