Bacon's Rebellion

The Rebellion Will Be Blogged

—

by

James A. Bacon
in

by James A. Bacon

Bacon’s Rebellion is extending its digital reach to the blogosphere. May heresies prosper and dangerous ideas proliferate.

When I launched Bacon’s Rebellion two-and-a-half years ago as a website/electronic newsletter, the technology was fairly edgy. Although websites were old hat, electronic newsletters still had that fresh, new-car smell. Certainly, no one else had launched a opinion newsletter with an exclusive focus on Virginia politics, public policy and economic development. But the Internet kept evolving, and I soon found myself eating ether. More.

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  1. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Congratulations to Phil Rodokanakis for putting “the magnifying glass to the budget-busting voting record of state Sen. Russell Potts, R-Winchester.”

    But what a shame he missed the enthusiasms of other legislators. Scan the labors of some House members, if you will, all of them reliable exponents of smaller government and lower taxes.

    As you look at these, a couple of caveats. One, the loose hanging zero’s refer to the first year of the two-year biennium, which is generally not affected by amendments this year. Also consider, as in the case of Del. Callahan, that most of these people sit on the Appropriations Committee and may be introducing amendments by request or simply to bargain away in subsequent negotiations. Such things occur.

    One other thing, which I hope does not do violence to your restriction on ad hominem commentary, but it illustrates why there’s a problem with this blogging business: It may well be that Mr. Rodokanakis cast down the list of budget amendments and never got further than Sen. Potts. I concede that possibility. But if you look at the totality of amendment activity, including those amendments introduced by legislators who profess their commitment to “less,” it paints a somewhat different picture.

    Forgive me for not adding these up and putting them in neat little columns, ala Mr. Rodokanakis’ contribution. I lacked the energy. But, then, all this information is readily available on the General Assembly’s “state budget” page of its website. You don’t need a magnifying glass. Just a couple of clicks.

    Cheers.

    Amendments to House Bill 1500
    House Member Requests

    Chris Saxman

    135 2h Consolidation Plan for Va Schools for Deaf and Blind $0 $0
    165 1h VWIL Restoration $0 $150,000
    283 1h DPB – Taxpayer Budget Bill of Rights Funding $0 $2,000,000
    283 2h DPB – Regulatory Impact on Small Business $0 $75,549

    John S. Reid

    225 4h VCU Center on Aging $0 $80,000
    264 2h VMFA Service Fee $0 $158,513
    298 1h COY-Task Force & Summit to Strengthen the Family $0 $0
    301 10h Expand Long-term Care Ombudsman Program $0 $1,500,000
    301 11h Transportation Services for the Elderly $0 $1,250,000
    302 2h Home-Delivered Meals for the Elderly $0 $1,120,000
    362 5h COY-Information & Referral System 211 Phone Line $0 $541,000
    362 6h COY-Expand Activities of Information & Referral System $0 $0
    362 7h COY-Promotion of Information & Referral System $0 $0
    387 1h Funding for Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program $0 $10,592,050
    399 2h Marine Resource Commission Staff Salaries $0 $525,000
    399 3h Marine Police Officers $0 $350,000
    505 4h DMV Law Enforcement Officers $0 $362,558
    531 147h Metro Richmond Sports Backers $0 $100,000
    531 175h Specials Olympics of Virginia, Inc. $0 $100,000
    531 218h Virginia Sports Hall of Fame $0 $100,000

    David Athey

    107 1h JCHC-Educ. & Awareness for Health Savings Accts. $0 $5,000
    146 7h COCA for Fauquier County School Division $2,214,010 $2,405,112
    146 8h COCA for Fauquier, Frederick and Warren County School Divisions $7,800,849 $8,478,526
    225 1h VCU – Shenandoah Fam Pract $0 $350,000
    505 7h Extend Northern Virginia Salary Differential $0 $3,085,000
    531 80h Mosby House Museum $0 $25,000
    531 81h St. Luke Community Health Center $0 $50,000
    531 182h Warren County Skate Park $0 $25,000
    531 183h Warren County F.R.E.E. Wheeling Accessibility Park $0 $25,000

    Kirk Cox

    90 1h Additional Veterans Benefit Coordinators $0 $276,672
    382 6h Agricultural Best Management Practices $0 $0
    396 1h State Archaeologist $0 $96,039
    397 1h Historic Resources Easement Program Coordinator $0 $70,981
    397 2h Historic Resources Data System $0 $100,000
    399 1h Veined Rapa Whelk $0 $40,000
    400 1h Appomattox River Dredging Project $0 $500,000
    420 2h Prison Faith-Based Programs $0 $200,000
    440 2h Community-Based Truant Officers $0 $692,534
    531 13h Camp Baker $0 $90,000
    531 14h Henricus Foundation $0 $55,000
    531 18h Old Brick House Foundation $0 $75,000
    C-4.10 1h DVS – Vet Care Center Supplement $0 $0
    4-7.02 1h MHMR Facility Replacement and Closure Commission

    Ben Cline

    456 2h Additional State Troopers for I-81 $0 $800,000
    488 4h Climbing Lanes on I-81 $0 $0
    493.10 1h Driver’s Record Fee for Rail Fund $0 $10,000,000
    506 3h Virginia Horse Center Foundation $0 $720,349
    518 1h Restrict Advertising by State Lottery $0 $-12,500,000
    531 85h Natural Bridge Volunteer Fire Department $0 $40,000
    531 87h George C. Marshall Foundation $0 $250,000
    531 132h Virginia Center for the Creative Arts $0 $250,000
    3-6.02 2h Eliminate Transfer of Driver’s Record Fee to General Fund

    Vince Callahan

    1 3h Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corp $0 $125,000
    18 1h Virginia Crime Commission $0 $88,772
    43 1h Restoration of Judicial Department Budget Reduction $0 $1,000,000
    76 1h Consolidated Laboratory Services $0 $30,000
    108 2h Tree Replanting for Virginia Communities $250,000 $250,000
    110 2h Rental Assistance Initiative $0 $2,300,000
    134 5h Film Commission $0 $1,500,000
    134 6h See Virginia First — VAB $0 $150,000
    144 2h Jobs for Virginia Graduates $0 $300,000
    163 2h SCHEV – TAG Grants $0 $13,650,000
    182 1h GMU – Writing Project $0 $200,000
    182 2h GMU Small Business $0 $1,000,000
    182 4h GMU – Base Budget $0 $7,200,000
    182 5h GMU – Faculty Salaries $0 $1,125,127
    182 6h GMU – Enrollment Growth $0 $2,000,000
    182 7h GMU – Research $0 $1,500,000
    183 1h GMU Fin Aid $0 $339,145
    230 3h VCCS No Va Med Ed $0 $4,998,566
    242 1h VT – Equine Center $150,000 $0
    254 2h JYF Public Education Programs $0 $1,545,163
    255 1h Jamestown 2007 Language $0 $1,000,000
    259 2h LOV Restore Local Aid $0 $1,750,000
    261 5h SMV Belmont Bay Opn $100,000 $300,000
    264 1h VMFA – Pymt in lieu of taxes $0 $158,513
    264 3h VMFA Traveling Exhibit $0 $550,000
    310 3h Drug-resistant Tuberculosis $0 $82,400
    326 8h Medicaid Reimbursement for Personal Care $0 $49,200,000
    326 15h Increase Medicaid Rate for Supported Employment $0 $1,500,000
    326 16h MR Waiver Rate Increase for High Labor Cost Areas $0 $10,000,000
    326 19h Enhanced Hospital Payments for NICUs $0 $1,200,000
    349 3h Long-Term Employment Services $0 $1,200,000
    349 4h Movement Therapy for Brain Injuries $0 $100,000
    355 1h Replace TANF with GF for Community Action $0 $0
    356 1h TANF Child Support Supplement $0 $0
    356 2h TANF Cost of Living Increase $0 $7,690,000
    356 3h Replace TANF with GF for Low-Income Housing Services $0 $0
    356 4h Replace TANF with GF for CHIP of Virginia $0 $0
    357 1h Replace TANF with GF for Healthy Families $0 $0
    362 1h Replace TANF with GF for Domestic Violence Services $0 $0
    362 2h Replace TANF with GF for Foster Care and Adoption Staff $0 $0
    382 1h Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund $439,433 $0
    474 1h Washington Airports Task Force $0 $0
    488 11h 1/3 Insurance Premiums to Transportation $127,000,000 $137,900,000
    493 2h GF Support for FRAN Debt Service $0 $0
    508.10 1h Council of Presidents Unified Amendment Fac Sal $0 $6,490,968
    508.10 2h COP Unified Amendment Fin Aid $0 $52,946,450
    508.10 3h COP Unified Amendment Base Adeq $0 $78,625,115
    508.10 4h Student Fin Security Fund $0 $4,500,000
    531 19h Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation $0 $140,000
    531 21h Virginia Senior Games $0 $100,000
    531 23h National Rehabil
    itation & Rediscovery Foundation $0 $100,000
    531 24h Cold War Museum $0 $100,000
    531 25h Front Line Project $0 $250,000
    531 26h Center for Excellence in Education $0 $100,000
    531 27h Army Historical Foundation $0 $100,000
    531 35h Birmingham Green $0 $2,000,000
    531 37h NOVA Regional Park Authority $0 $400,000
    531 39h Jewish Council for the Aging $0 $12,000
    531 40h Jewish Social Service Agency $0 $40,000
    531 41h Jewish Foundation for Group Homes $0 $45,000
    531 42h Jewish Foundation for Group Homes – Renovations $0 $50,000
    531 43h Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia $0 $50,000
    531 52h Arts and Education in Concert $0 $100,000
    531 53h Virginia Commission for the Arts $0 $1,672,431
    531 54h Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority $0 $400,000
    531 185h Cold War Museum $500,000 $0
    531 192h Arts & Education In Concert $100,000 $0
    531 205h Black Women United For Action $0 $100,000
    C-17.30 1h GMU Arlington II Overrun $0 $3,200,000
    C-20 1h PW Perf Arts Supplement $0 $5,000,000
    C-26.10 1h GMU Child Development Center $0 $1,800,000
    C-29.30 1h GMU Patriot Center Supplement $0 $1,000,000
    C-29.50 1h GMU North Loop Supplement $0 $1,975,000
    C-29.60 1h GMU Fieldhouse $0 $600,000
    C-29.70 1h GMU Info Tech School $0 $3,470,000
    C-29.70 2h GMU Library $0 $2,835,000
    C-29.70 3h Pr William III B $0 $2,035,000
    C-29.70 4h GMU Property Acquisition $0 $2,000,000
    C-108.85 1h VCCS Cost Overruns $0 $34,800,000
    C-126.10 1h JYF Ships $358,000 $0
    C-131.30 1h JYF Land Acq $0 $1,369,000
    C-133.20 2h SMV Belmont Bay $35,000,000 $0
    C-194.05 1h COP Unified Amendment Mnt Rsv $0 $24,203,324
    4-5.04 7h VASCUPP Institutions

    Mark L. Cole

    146 10h COCA for Fauquier, Stafford, Spotsylvania $18,791,762 $20,430,150
    194 1h MW Salary Adjust $0 $3,116,474
    194 2h MW Faculty Fund Switch $0 $0
    194 3h MW Base Adequacy $0 $2,662,620
    505 10h Northern Virginia Salary Differential $0 $5,210,912
    C-41.40 2h MW JMC 2 Supp $0 $1,100,000

    Jeffrey M. Frederick

    488 6h Route 234 Sound Wall $0 $1,500,000
    488 9h Prince William Park and Ride Expansion $0 $2,000,000
    531 38h Rippon Lodge $0 $100,000

    Phil Hamilton

    60 1h HRETA $0 $75,000
    66 1h Circuit Court Clerks — Population Bracket Adjustments $0 $0
    95 1h Eliminate Gov’s Use of Unappropriated Balance $0 $0
    144 1h Increase funding for Vocational Education Program $0 $1,300,000
    168 1h CNU Admin Sys $0 $1,600,000
    225 2h VCU Ed Policy Inst $0 $19,000
    269 1h SURA Restoration $500,000 $0
    301 2h Alzheimer’s Safety Awareness Event $0 $75,000
    301 8h Adult Day Care/Respite Care $0 $260,000
    301 9h Area Agenices on Aging In-Home Services $0 $2,400,000
    310 1h VHCF for Chronic Disease Prevention & Control $3,000,000 $6,054,760
    310 2h Chicken Pox Vaccinations-HB 2040 $139,181 $108,383
    311 3h JCHC-Health Savings Account Information $0 $25,000
    312 2h Restore GF to CHIP of Virginia $0 $1,200,000
    312 3h Patient Advocate Foundation $0 $250,000
    312 5h JCHC-Virginia Association of Free Clinics $0 $778,600
    321 1h Certified Nurse Aide Registry $119,000 $119,000
    326 1h Medicaid Pharm. & Therapeutics Committee Composition $0 $0
    326 2h Medicaid Pharm. & Therapuetics Committee Drug Reviews $0 $0
    326 3h Medicaid Pharm. & Therapeutics Committee Report on Preferred Drug List $0 $0
    326 5h Medicaid Pharmacy Dispensing Fee $850,000 $850,000
    326 6h Medicaid Day Support Waiver $0 $0
    326 7h JCHC-Exempt Certain Drugs from Medicaid PDL $0 $0
    326 17h Rebase Medicaid Rates for Dialysis Services $0 $1,500,000
    326 18h Medicaid Rate Increase for Emergency Room Physicians $0 $6,000,000
    326 22h Adult Day Health Care Rate Increase $0 $1,000,000
    326 24h Increase Medicaid Rates for Pediatricians $0 $14,000,000
    326 26h JCHC-Medicaid Effect Aux. Grant Rate Increase $0 $21,000,000
    326 28h JCHC-Increase Medicaid Physician Payments $0 $181,000,000
    330 1h Acute Care Project for HPR V $0 $500,000
    330 2h JCHC-Psychiatric Bed Reporting System $0 $75,000
    334 7h Crisis Stabilization Services $0 $9,370,000
    334 8h Local Inpatient/Specialized Purchase of Services $0 $6,200,000
    334 9h New Regional PACT Projects $0 $9,600,000
    334 10h Restructuring Community Options $0 $22,470,000
    334 11h Aftercare Pharmacy Program $0 $8,500,000
    355 2h Increase for Community Action Agencies $0 $500,000
    359 1h JCHC-Increase Auxiliary Grant Payments $0 $29,800,000
    359 2h JCHC-Eliminate Local Match for Aux. Grant Program $0 $6,100,000
    359 3h JCHC-Eliminate Local Match for AG Rate Incr. $0 $13,600,000
    360 1h TANF for Centers for Employment & Training $0 $262,500
    424 1h Forensic Lab MOU $0 $0
    424 2h Criminal Justice Services $0 $-526,802
    427 1h Division of Forensic Science $0 $526,802
    427 2h Division of Forensic Science $0 $3,096,922
    427 3h Institute of Forensic Science $0 $906,000
    427 4h Division of Forensic Science $0 $300,000
    427 5h Division of Forensic Science $0 $366,667
    427 6h Division of Forensic Science $0 $1,040,726
    427 8h Institute of Forensic Science $0 $0
    430 6h Community Corrections Act Funding $0 $3,625,584
    439 1h Gang Prevention Activities $0 $350,000
    440 3h Juvenile Detention Center MH Services $0 $1,290,000
    443 1h Group Home Construction Moratorium $0 $0
    454 1h Central Criminal Records Exchange Pictures $0 $893,000
    462 2h Broadband Expansion Program $0 $350,000
    497 1h Payment in Lieu of Taxes $0 $4,000,000
    506 1h Reduce Economic Development New Initiative $-7,000,000 $-3,000,000
    506 2h Use of Unappropriated Balances $0 $0
    531 75h Special Olympics of Virginia, Inc. $0 $100,000
    531 186h Virginia Living Museum $0 $7,000,000
    531 187h Lee Hall Train Depot $25,000 $25,000
    531 188h Lee Hall Mansion $25,000 $25,000
    531 189h Endview Plantation $25,000 $25,000
    531 190h Warwick Courthouse $25,000 $25,000
    531 191h Mariner’s Museum $0 $5,000,000
    C-11.20 1h CNU Acad Space $0 $13,264,000
    C-52.60 1h ODU Wind Tunnel $0 $8,000,000
    C-139.10 1h MHMRSAS – Hancock $0 $0
    C-164.40 1h DJJ No Va Forensic Lab $0 $3,517,000

    Johnny Joannou

    39 4h Portsmouth Appellate Office Pilot Project $0 $745,280
    64 5h Staffing for Sheriffs’ Offices $0 $31,000
    64 6h Staffing for Sheriffs’ Office $0 $31,000
    66 5h Clerk of Circuit Court Positions $0 $22,000
    204 3h ODU Teacher Tech $0 $2,100,000
    204 4h ODU Bioelectric II $0 $3,013,000
    258 3h LOV Portsmouth Construction Grants $0 $100,000
    456 3h Counter Terrorism Unit $0 $10,462,381
    531 78h Hurrah Players $0 $25,000
    531 79h Railroad Museum of Virginia $0 $100,000
    531 90h Holiday House of Portsmouth $0 $25,000
    531 91h Tidewater Center for Speech and Language Disorders $0 $10,000
    4-4.01 1h Performance Contracting
    4-5.04 4h Mileage Reimbursement Increase

    Leo Wardrup

    128 1h Virginia Maritime Heritage Foundation $0 $500,000
    230 2h VCCS – Shipyard Apprentice $0 $150,000
    481 1h Public Transportation Communications Equip. $0 $0
    482 2h VA Beach Bus Rapid Transit $0 $0
    484 2h LOGO Sign Program $0 $0
    493.10 4h Virginia Beach Bus Rapid Transit $0 $10,000,000
    531 150h City of Virginia Beach $0 $10,000,000

    Melanie Rapp

    531 172h Lee Hall Mansion $0 $150,000
    531 178h Virginia War Museum Foundation Historic Services – Causey’s Mill $0 $50,000
    531 179h Virgini
    a War Museum Foundation Historic Services $0 $10,000

  2. E Joseph West Avatar
    E Joseph West

    Jim Bacon,

    You’ve thought out the strategy of a good blog and integrated it well with Bacon’s Rebellion. I call that
    brillance.

    We should all try to make this a successful venture.

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