http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/cms/story.php?id=2045

Virginia ends the budget year with $400M surplus

Legislators approve about $82 million in bonuses for state employees

Dear Friend,

Budget “Surplus” News

We received some new information on the state of our economy and the budget.  As a member of the House Finance Committee, I went to Richmond last Thursday to meet with Governor Bob McDonnell and the Secretary of Finance, Richard Brown, as they presented their first budget report.  The Governor announced that the state finished Fiscal Year 2010 with a surplus of approximately $403 million.  The funds comprised of $229 million in additional revenue from general collections, plus $174 million in appropriations that state agencies did not spend.

Most of this “surplus” is subject to re-appropriation based on language that the General Assembly passed earlier this year.  The spending will be based on the Governor’s discretion, and he has until November 1 to report to the General Assembly on his decision regarding how much, if any, of the unspent agency balances he will recommend re-appropriating to agencies.  Any amounts not re-appropriated will become part of the general fund and made available for reallocation during the upcoming budget development process.

Since Governor McDonnell made this announcement, some have praised him for managing the state in a fiscally responsible manner and others have criticized him for using “gimmicks” and accounting tricks to show a surplus on paper.  My response is one of cautious optimism.  The fact that we ended this year on a positive side of the ledger is good news no matter how we arrived at the number.  I will be writing more on this topic on my website in the coming days as I learn more specific details from the budget report.

Governor’s Town Hall Tomorrow

By now, you’ve all heard about Governor McDonnell’s campaign pledge to take the Commonwealth out of the liquor business.  Early this year, the Governor established a Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring to propose ideas “to ensure that duplicative, outdated, unnecessary and ineffective services and service delivery methods are eliminated and that state revenues are dedicated to the core functions of government.”

One of the main ideas this Commission is studying is the possibility of privatizing state-run Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) stores.  Since I don’t serve on this Commission, I have been following their progress online and through various conversations.  And while I have my views on the ABC system, I’m going to keep an open mind about this idea until a firm proposal is presented by the Commission.

To help you better understand this issue as well as learn about any other initiative that the current Administration is undertaking, Governor McDonnell has scheduled a public town hall meeting this Wednesday, August 25, in Fairfax County.  The Town Hall will begin at 7:00 pm at the Northern Virginia Technology Council, located at 2214 Rock Hill Road, Suite 300, Herndon, VA 20170.

The town hall will last approximately an hour and a half and will include an update from the Governor on policy issues and time for public comment.  I hope you can attend!

Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative

Another one of Governor McDonnell’s high profile initiative is to reform the way our state treats ex-felons who return to society after serving their time.  In a prior professional role, I worked on prison reentry issues, which led me to introduce a bill in this year’s General Assembly session that would seek federal assistance for the Commonwealth to improve our system.

That is why I was very excited that, in May, Governor McDonnell established a “Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative,” and appointed me to serve on the Leadership Team for this statewide Initiative.  Our Team is meeting this Thursday in Richmond, so I look forward to providing you with a report on our progress.

Expect Delays on I-66 This Weekend

Virginia Department of Transportation tells us that beginning at 7 pm this Friday, August 27, until 5 am Monday, August 30, two of three lanes on eastbound I-66 between Nutley St. and I-495 will be closed as crews prepare to shift traffic to the new I-66 bridges over the beltway.  In addition to the lane closures on I-66 East, several nearby ramps will also be closed.

Motorists should expect overnight temporary stoppages after midnight lasting no longer than 30 minutes throughout the weekend.  By 5 am Monday morning, the three I-66 East lanes will be shifted to the new bridges over I-495.  HOV motorists traveling in the left lane on I-66 East heading to Washington DC will need to merge to the right lane prior to I-495 north to continue into downtown.

I hope this information is helpful to you as you enjoy the last days of summer! 

Sincerely,

Mark

As a Korean American state legislator, I’m very pleased to learn that the only Korean bell of this nature will be housed in the 35th District that I am honored to represent in Richmond!  I’m looking forward to having this project completed so that our constituents can come and learn more about the cultures and traditions of Korea.

Here’s Paul’s blog post about our visit:

http://regionalparks.blogspot.com/2010/08/del-keam-meets-with-master-craftsmen.html

Delegate Keam with Master Craftsmen

Yesterday Delegate Mark Keam (35th Virginia House District) visited Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna Virginia where the Korean Bell Garden is being create. Delegate Keam saw the site of the garden where the foundation is already in place for the traditional pavilion that will hold the large cast iron bell in the center of a uniquely Korean garden.

He also met with the special carpenter/artists that have come from Korea to build this pavilion in the same way traditional structures have been built there for thousands of years. These craftsmen have shaped every piece of what will be the pavilion from raw wood. It will all fit together without the assistance of a single nail. Beautiful carvings of birds and flowers have all been formed by hand, and it will be topped with special tiles shipped in from Korea.

The pavilion will be complete sometime in late September and the bell should be on site in early 2011. Already over 100 Korean trees have been planted and stone brought in to create an area that looks like the gardens seen in ancient Korean palaces.

This project is being funded by the Korean American Cultural Committee, with private donations and financial support from the Republic of Korea.

When  complete this site will be a tourist destination for the Northern Virginia area. Already tourism is the #2 industry in Virginia. There are direct flights everyday

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=343216&paper=82&cat=104

Fears, Hopes for Private Liquor Sales

Governor wants to raise transportation cash by selling off state liquor business.

By Julia O’Donoghue
Friday, July 30, 2010

Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) hopes to sell off Virginia’s state-run liquor business to generate as much as $500 million for transportation projects.

The Governor has assembled a government reform committee to investigate the issue.

The committee, which has been holding public meetings around the commonwealth this month, is expected to vote on a privatization proposal produced by McDonnell’s staff in late August.

Then, McDonnell wants to call the Virginia General Assembly back to Richmond for a special session this fall to consider privatizing liquor sales.

Several legislators said the issue of selling off the commonwealth’s liquor business is more complex than it may first appear. Two other governors, Doug Wilder and Mark Warner, also looked at privatizing liquor sales but ultimately did not pursue the issue.

McDonnell has to not only demonstrate that Virginia would receive a large lump sum of money up front but that the new private system would also produce as much annual revenue for the government as the current state-run network. Last year, the Virginia general fund received $230 million from liquor sales.

Many people, particularly county and city officials, also have concerns about the placement of the liquor stores. They want local government to be able to control where the liquor stores go so that certain neighborhoods aren’t “overrun.”

Some people are also concerned about an increase in liquor consumption and access to alcohol in general.

Previous proposals to privatize state liquor sales would make as many as 800 to 1,000 licenses for selling spirits available in Virginia. Currently, there are fewer than 350 liquor stores across the commonwealth.

Here is what your local elected officials had to say about private liquor sales coming to Virginia:

Del. Mark Keam (D-35)

The freshman delegate said he is open to the idea of private liquor sales, though he would want to see details about the implementation process. Keam also said many questions must be answered. For example, could the new liquor stores sell cigarettes and lottery tickets?

“I am still open to the idea but it is a complex issue. It is not as simple as McDonnell is making it sound,” said Keam.

Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill)

If Virginia shifted to private liquor stores, Hudgins would want local governments, like the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, to have control over where the liquor were placed.

“We don’t want to see them pop up on every corner in some neighborhoods. How we control it is going to be a big discussion,” she said.

State Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34)

Petersen said he needs to see details about how Virginia would shift to a privately-controlled liquor system before he could be supportive of a plan. Specifically, he would want to know how the commonwealth plans to restrict underage access to liquor, said the senator.

State Sen. Mark Herring (D-33)

Herring has voted against proposals to privatize the state liquor system in the past but, “I am going to keep an open mind and see what he brings forward,” said Herring.

Del. Tom Rust (R-86)

On principal, Rust is supportive of the idea of privatizing liquor sales in Virginia. But the delegate would only support a proposal that also found a way to replace the revenue the current state-run system generates for Virginia’s general fund each year.

“Conceptually, I don’t think Virginia ought to be in the ABC business,” said Rust.

Del. Ken Plum (D-36)

The possibility that a new private system could more than double the number of places where liquor is sold in Virginia makes Plum uncomfortable.

“That we could go from 300 liquor stores to as many as 800, I just don’t find that very tasteful. As far as I am concerned, we have enough in Virginia as it is,” said Plum.

Del. Dave Albo (R-42)

Politically speaking, Albo said the Virginia General Assembly will be reluctant to give away the state liquor system unless McDonnell can find a away to produce $500 million in cash for roads up front and replace the $200 million in recurring revenue the current system generates every year.

“There is absolutely and utterly no reason to do this unless you are going to deliver a boatload of money for roads,” said Albo, who sits on the House committee that oversees state-run liquor stores.

Supervisor Jeff McKay (D-Lee)

Even if the sale of the state-run liquor business brought in an extra $500 million, it would not be enough money to significantly address the state’s transportation woes, said McKay.

The supervisor also worries that local government would not be given enough control over where liquor stores could locate.

“I don’t want to see 10 stores pop up in central Springfield or along Route 1,” he said.
Fairfax County Chairman Sharon Bulova (D-At-large)

Bulova is concerned about the commonwealth selling off a government asset that reliably brings in funding for education and social services.

“My biggest concern is that we would be selling off an asset for one-time funding that, right now, is a regular recurring source of revenue,” she said.

Supervisor Patrick Herrity (R-Springfield)

Herrity is in favor of moving to a private liquor sales model in Virginia.

“It is not inherently a government function and it is something the private sector can do better,” he said.

Supervisor John Cook (R-Braddock)

Cook is supportive of McDonnell’s proposal to privatize liquor sales in Virginia.

“If it means more liquor stores, so what? We still have the same laws in enforcement and zoning. I don’t see the problems that others are seeing,” he said.

Del. Jim LeMunyon (R-67)

LeMunyon said he is generally supportive of moving toward private liquor sales in Virginia but he would want the transition to happen slowly.

For example, the state-run liquor stores could be converted to private liquor stores first.

Then, the Virginia General Assembly could decide whether to allow liquor sales in venues like grocery stores, large-scale retailers like Costco and convenience stores.
“I would want to do this in stages,” he said. 

The Virginia League of Conservation Voters, which was founded 10 years ago to be the political voice of the conservation community, named Delegate Keam a “Conservation Hero” for his perfect 100% voting record on conservation and environmental issues.

The 2010 General Assembly Conserservation Scorecard and the voting records of every legislator can be found at http://www.valcv.org/Scorecard/2010Scorecard.html

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=341334&paper=73&cat=104

Teachers Honor Keam

Del Mark Keam (D-35) named Rookie of the Year

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Based on his record of strong support for public education, the Virginia Education Association named Del. Mark Keam (D-35) a “Rookie of the Year.” VEA is a public education advocacy group with more than 60,000 members throughout the Commonwealth. 

The award was presented to Keam by VEA President Kitty Boitnott at the Fairfax Education Association’s Representative Assembly, which took place Wednesday, May 19, at Northern Virginia Community College.

“I am honored to receive this award and to be recognized by teachers for my work in the General Assembly,” said Keam. “As a product of public schools and as a parent with two kids in Fairfax public schools, I have made public education my number one priority as a legislator.”

In his first year in the General Assembly, Keam worked successfully with Gov. Robert McDonnell (R) to “unfreeze” the local composite index (LCI) formula that would have penalized Fairfax County schools by withholding $61 million in state funds that would have been provided under an updated formula. Keam joined Republican delegates in offering amendments to the House budget that provided the additional funds for Fairfax. 

During the 2010 legislative session, Keam also introduced two bills to provide additional funding for Fairfax County Public Schools. House Bill 1128 would have imposed a cap of 0.6750 as the maximum number under the LCI instead of the current state cap of 0.800, which means that no locality shall ever pay more than 80 percent for their schools while the state picks up the other 20 percent. 

House Bill 1129 would have added an additional 13 teachers for every 1,000 limited English proficient students in Fairfax County. The county currently has more than 21,000 such students out of 173,500 students. Without additional ESOL teachers, Fairfax suffers from having to have a student/teacher ration of 59 to 1 in classrooms instead of the ideal 30 to 1 that most jurisdictions enjoy. 

Unfortunately, both bills were defeated on straight party-line votes in a House Appropriations Subcommittee. 

“Del. Keam has begun his legislative career as a solid supporter of our public schools. We have acknowledged his 100 percent pro-education voting record by awarding him VEA’s Rookie of the Year award. He is a welcomed friend of public education,” said Boitnott.

A Day To Honor Sacrifice

American Legion pays tribute to veterans.

By Donna Manz, The Connection

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

In between barbecues, festivals, store sales and family outings, many Americans paused to honor U.S. troops in harm’s way and those combat casualties who sacrificed self on America’s behalf.

Vienna has no sacred wall of names to touch or statuary immortalizing veterans but it does have Vienna’s American Legion Post 180 to perpetuate solemn Memorial Day traditions.

On Monday morning, Post 180 presented its annual Memorial Day ceremony at Flint Hill Cemetery.

The Vienna Community Band opened the program with a patriotic and spirited repertoire giving way to the National Anthem.

Mayor M. Jane Seeman, State Sen. Chap Petersen (D-34), Post Cmdr. Bob Hatter and Vienna historian Mayo Stuntz offered brief remarks before the honored guest speaker, U.S.A.F. Brig. Gen. Peter Sefcik Jr. addressed the assembly.

Calling himself honored and humbled to be there, Sefcik said, “Memorial Day is one of the most significant and solemn holidays we have in the U.S. It all starts with those willing to serve.”

“Today is a sad day, but it’s okay to smile and laugh, too,” said Sefcik. “You live in the best nation on this planet. We have freedom, and that’s something to celebrate and rejoice in.”

Sefcik, an active-duty reserve officer assigned to duties at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, is a Vienna resident and member of Post 180.

In attendance on the grass were State Del. Mark Keam (D-35) and Town Council members Laurie DiRocco, Edythe Kelleher and Mike Polychrones.

Petersen noted that Memorial Day is a significant day for the nation and the community, reminding guests that the country’s first leader came from Fairfax County.

Seeman commented on how moving it was to her to see all the flags on veterans’ graves at Flint Hill, thanking Post 180 for placing them there.

Ending the solemn ceremony, Commander Hatter and Vice-president of Auxiliary Martha Hatter lay the red, white and blue wreath. A three-volley gun salute punctuated the stillness, followed by Taps, as veterans stood in salute.

Following the Flint Hill ceremony, veterans and their families were invited to American Legion Hall for lunch.

The women of the American Legion Post 180 Auxiliary spent Thursday morning planting small flags at the gravesites of veterans buried there, all 125 of them. Many of the interred fought in the Civil War and first World War and World War II.

Not long after midnight on May 29, Post 180 representatives took to Route 123, posting American flags along Vienna’s main thoroughfare.

Sefcik talked about the price fallen troops paid defending liberty.

“They died in pursuit of the freedom and liberty we now enjoy,” Sefcik said.

ViVa! Vienna! honored Memorial Day with a tribute on Monday at 3 p.m. on the Town Green. U.S.M.C. Gen. Richard M. Lake of Fairfax County, director of intelligence and senior language authority, was guest speaker.

Students from George C. Marshall and James Madison high schools provided musical support to the program.

On Route 123 in Oakton, the Cox Farms marquee sounded the sentiment of the day. “Remember the Fallen” it read.

Immediate Release: Thursday, May 4, 2010

Contact:   Rob Abbot, (703) 380-8883

Delegate Mark Keam Congratulates Vienna Mayor and Councilmembers on their Re-Elections

VIENNA – Today, voters in the Town of Vienna exercised their civic duty and elected four candidates to lead the Town for another two years.  All four winners were incumbents who ran for re-election to their current positions.

Delegate Mark Keam (D-Fairfax) congratulates Mayor M. Jane Seeman, Councilmember Laurie Genevro Cole, Councilmember Michael J. Polychrones and Councilmember Edythe Frankel Kelleher on their re-election.

“I want to congratulate the winners and thank them for their tireless service to the Town of Vienna,” Delegate Keam said.  “I have enjoyed working closely with every member of the Town Council and I am excited to be able to continue representing the residents of Vienna together with these four leaders as well as with Councilmembers George Lovelace, Laurie DiRocco and Howard Springsteen.”

Delegate Keam continued, “I particularly want to thank Mayor Seeman for the generous time she has given to educate me on issues affecting the Town.  As a first-time elected official, I truly appreciate the Mayor’s advice and mentoring, which has help me settle into my job as Delegate.”

Delegate Keam represents the 35th District in the Virginia House of Delegates, which includes the entire Town of Vienna and portions of surrounding areas of Dunn Loring, Tysons, Oakton, Fairfax and Fair Oaks.

Delegate Keam has made advancing the Town of Vienna’s interests in Richmond one of his top legislative priorities.  He introduced the following four bills in this General Assembly session, which were drafted with significant input from the Mayor, Councilmembers and Town Attorney:

1.     HB 1124 would have required increased state payments to localities like Town of Vienna for roads where traffic volumes exceed the statewide average by more than 20 percent.  This bill was tabled in Transportation Committee.

 2.     HB 1125 would have authorized localities like Town of Vienna to administratively impound vehicles of drivers who are charged with driving without a license for a second or subsequent time.  Because a similar bill introduced by Delegate Tom Rust and Senator Chap Petersen were enacted into law, HB 1125 was left in Courts Committee.

3.     HB 1126 would have revised the Uniform Statewide Building Code to allow localities like Town of Vienna to maintain grading regulations for construction of single-family homes on small lots.  This bill was left in Courts Committee.

4.     HB 1127 would have limited abusive attorney subpoenas issued to elected or appointed officials to testify on matters involving their public duties.  This bill was left in Courts Committee.

While three of these bills did not advance in this legislative session, Delegate Keam is continuing to seek other ways to address these Town concerns.

Mayor Seeman and the newly re-elected Councilmembers will take the oath of office for their new term at a Town Council meeting in June.

# # #

 To follow Delegate Keam’s work in Richmond visit: www.DelegateKeam.org; www.twitter.com/DelegateKeam; or www.facebook.com/DelegateKeam

Last month, Delegate Keam was appointed by Speaker William Howell to serve as a member of the “Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission,” which was authorized by the Genearl Assembly in 2006. 

Today’s article in the Washington Post provides a preview of Commission’s upcoming work and challenges.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/02/AR2010050203457.html?hpid=topnews

Va. seeks balance in marking Civil War’s 150th anniversary

By Rosalind S. Helderman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, May 3, 2010; B01  

RICHMOND — When Virginia and the rest of the nation set out to mark the 100th anniversary of the Civil War in 1961, the party got off to a rocky start. 

Intricate plans were made to mark the military conquests of the Confederate and Union armies, but little attention was paid to the experience of individuals — soldiers, civilians and slaves. 

A massive reenactment of the Battle of Bull Run at Manassas was marred by too little water and too few bathrooms. Most jarringly, some adopted the events as an opportunity to celebrate the Confederacy in the face of the burgeoning civil rights movement. 

At last, President John F. Kennedy called on a 31-year-old historian to take over as the centennial’s executive director, refocusing it on sober education. 

Virginia has turned to the same man — James I. Robertson Jr., a history professor at Virginia Tech and a Civil War expert — to help the state avoid the same kinds of problems as it prepares to mark next year’s 150th anniversary of the start of the war. 

With Robertson’s guidance, a commission established by the General Assembly to plan the state’s sesquicentennial events has spent four years trying to avoid the impression that they will amount to a celebration of the Confederacy. 

There are no Confederate battle flags on the commission’s homepage. One of its first events is a scholarly conference titled “Race, Slavery and the Civil War: The Tough Stuff of American History and Memory.” Commission members, a bipartisan collection of 15 legislators, historians and others, even shy from the word “celebrate,” preferring to use “commemorate” instead. 

“We’re going to make it a serious thing, an all-inclusive thing,” Robertson said. 

‘Brother against brother’
 

Virginia officials hope they can attract tourist dollars from war buffs from across the country during four years of events in the state with more Civil War battlefields than any other. The commission, founded in 2006, is funded through a $2 million annual appropriation from the legislature, as well as private grants. 

But they are keenly aware that Virginia was the capital of the Confederacy and home to many of its most famous figures. The commonwealth got a reminder of the sensitivities involved when Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) declared last month Confederate History Month, a proclamation he said would bring attention to the 150th anniversary. 

McDonnell quickly apologized after facing stinging national criticism for omitting references to slavery. But an amended version that called slavery an abomination did not satisfy those who thought it was still too deferential to Virginia’s role in a losing rebellion. 

At a recent event marking the preservation of a new 85-acre section of the battlefield at Chancellorsville, McDonnell told a crowd that the 150th anniversary will be about more than the Confederacy. 

“I think people from all over this country and around the world will come here next year to learn the Civil War battles,” he said on a podium set up in front of rolling field that saw a bloody Confederate charge during the 1863 battle. “They will also come to learn of a battle that pitted brother against brother and divided this nation like no other event in American history. They will pause to see the sites, like this one here at Chancellorsville, of the most bloody conflict on American soil. They will also pause to reflect on the fact that this was the war that eliminated the abomination of slavery from American soil.” 

After the event, McDonnell said the anniversary will provide additional opportunities to preserve battlefields as well as to educate Virginia’s children. “I look forward to being a champion for racial reconciliation during that time,” he said. 

One place he might start is at the September conference on slavery at Norfolk State University, which has 1,200 registrants. It will be chaired by James O. Horton, professor emeritus of African American history at George Mason University and an expert on slavery. Horton called the conference “very important to understanding the Civil War, understanding the issues that really shaped the tremendous and heated debates of history.” 

Slavery plays an important role, too, in a two-disc DVD set that’s been produced by the commission and distributed to every school in the state. It emphasizes the experience of soldiers on both sides, African Americans — free and enslaved — as well as civilians on the home front. 

And in February, a 3,000-square-foot exhibit will open at the Virginia Historical Society with an emphasis on telling the Civil War story from all perspectives. After a run in Richmond, the exhibit will tour the state. 

The commission also has plans for high-tech kiosks at state parks and other sites with information about local battlefields and databases of soldiers who fought there, allowing visitors to track their ancestors. The Library of Virginia will make a major push to digitize newly unearthed Civil War-related letters and diaries. 

The commission’s work has not been without critics. The Richmond Free Press, a black-owned newspaper, has run several editorials criticizing the commission as a waste of taxpayer money whose work is bound to invite four years of Confederate flag waving. 

“Most eighth-graders know that Virginia’s participation [in the war] was hardly worthy of promoting,” publisher Raymond H. Boone wrote last year. 

‘Broader perspective’
 

At the same time, members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans say the commission is running a politically correct event that will ignore their ancestors’ sacrifices. 

“I think they’re so afraid of offending someone, hurting someone’s feelings, that they’re just going to do this generic, bland commemoration, where at the end, we know we’ve commemorated something, but we’re not quite sure what,” said Frank Earnest, a Virginia Beach resident and chief of the heritage defense for the group. 

House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford), who chairs the commission, said such criticism shows the committee has found the right balance. 

“We’ve been looking at it from a broader perspective, I think, from the very beginning,” he said. 

Many involved with planning the events say such controversies are inevitable — and might help raise interest in the commission’s work. 

“We know this,” said former governor L. Douglas Wilder, the grandson of slaves and the nation’s first elected black governor. “It won’t suffer a lack of attention.”

“With Adversity Comes Opportunity”
Special Guest Banci Tewolde, the Commonwealth’s First Statewide Prisoner Re-Entry Coordinator

Saturday, April 17, 2010, 9:00 am to 11:15 am

American Legion Auxiliary Post 180
330 Center Street North
Vienna, Virginia
(703) 938-9535

To RSVP, contact : John Horejsi, (703) 255-7074 or jhorejsi@cox.net

Cosponsoring organizations represent networks of individuals working on state public policy in support of vulnerable Virginians. All partnering organizations are nonpartisan and focus on issues, not candidates.

Social Action Linking Together (SALT)
Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness (VCEH)
Virginia Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (V.O.I.C.E.)
Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations (VACOLAO)
Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants-VA (CURE)