Casinos or no casinos, a real gamble for Virginia

While Virginia’s legislators have held steady against the growing tide of casinos spreading across the U.S., there are millions of reasons to believe that it’s only a matter of time before the commonwealth folds, even if legislative opposition is still strong.

According to the Washington Post, there are casinos in “various forms” across 39 states in the U.S. Twenty-five years ago, casinos were limited to New Jersey and Nevada. While these two cities remained the top earners in 2012, there were six other cities/states that raked in over one billion dollars in annual revenue during 2012. Even in the best of economic times, it’s difficult to look the other way at the potential state income generated by the casino industry.

While moral arguments have long been used to deflate attempts to legalize casinos in Virginia, critics of legalizing casinos have also cited the correlation between casinos, crime, substance abuse, and mental illness (i.e., the social corruption argument). There appears to be statistically significant evidence to prove such a correlation exists, albeit with a few reservations for factors that are difficult to control for.

As more evidence accumulates from states where casinos are legal, Virginia’s citizens and legislators can come to more informed conclusions about what effect legalizing casinos could have in Virginia. If it can be shown that casinos do not have a strong correlation to social corruption, the legalization of casinos could be well on its way in the commonwealth.

Regardless, there are millions of reasons why legalizing casinos in Virginia may go ahead anyways. While Virginia has shown a slow but steady economic recovery following the last economic recession, casinos will prove to be a very tempting source of revenue if and when a new economic recession/depression sweeps through the state. 

Rep. Morgan Griffith of Virginia: tis the season for more absurd remarks

Tis the season for more absurd remarks by Republican members of congress, and Rep. Morgan Griffith (9^th District) didn’t waste any time. While recently visiting Tazewell, Griffith told a crowd of supporters during lunch that if 95 percent of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) employees were classified as ‘non essential’ during the federal government shutdown in October then “they should be able to cut 15 percent.”

Indeed, the august Griffith claimed that he intends to introduce legislation during the next session of congress that would cut the EPA’s staff by 15 percent even though he concedes that “I don’t want to mislead anyone, I don’t think it will pass in the Senate and maybe not the house but we are going to ask for their staff to be cut by 15 percent.” In essence, then, Griffith’s legislative gamble will once again waste legislative time, energy, and taxpayer dollars.

It is interesting, however, that Rep. Griffith doesn’t also believe, by implication, that the approximately 350,000 civilian Department of Defense employees who were considered “non essential” should be reduced by 15 percent. According to Griffith, then, EPA employees are essentially worthless, reflecting a widespread and fundamentally flawed view by many Republicans on which federal agencies are and are not worth their share of taxpayer dollars.

But if Griffith’s standard of reducing the number of individuals working for the government who are draining the U.S’s budget is to be applied consistently, then he might think about firing himself and a number of his Republican Party colleagues. According to a recent Standard and Poor’s analysis, the recent government shutdown cost the U.S. $23 billion in gross domestic product. That is, the government shutdown cost the U.S. almost three times the total 2013 fiscal year budget of the EPA ($7,901,104,000). Those darn facts are terrible, aren’t they?

If there is any unnecessary drain on the U.S. economy, it can easily be found in the U.S. Congress among a political party that has made economic homicide an essential part of its political tactics. The carelessness and ignorance of the Republican Party in congress is the real threat to the U.S.’s economic success, not the EPA, and at the forefront is Virginia’s very own Rep. Morgan Griffith. 

Mark Obenshain orders a recount while Mark Herring prepares for new job

Much to the surprise of interested onlookers (*sarcasm*), state Senator Mark D. Obenshain formally requested a recount on Tuesday in what has become a “historically tight race for Virginia attorney general.”

The results of the November 5^th election for Virginia Attorney General were certified by the Virginia State Board of Elections on Monday. State Sen. Mark R. Herring (D-Loudoun) was announced the victor by 165 votes, making the 2013 election for attorney general the closest Virginia political contest in “modern Virginia history” (however “modern” is defined). 

Meanwhile, state Sen. Herring announced the five co-chairmen of his inaugural committee, another unforeseen action (*sarcasm again*) that signals Herring’s own expectation of becoming Virginia’s next attorney general. According to a statement made on Tuesday by Sen. Herring, “It is within Senator Obenshain’s right to pursue electoral victory to an ultimate conclusion beyond the original count, canvass and certification.” Herring went on, “His tactics, however, will not impede our efforts to build the finest team to serve all Virginians in the Office of Attorney General or prepare for the 2014 legislative session.”

Indeed, Obenshain is well within his political rights to request a recount. Sen. Herring would undoubtedly have done the same were he in Obenshain’s position. The more important question at this juncture is what action(s) Sen. Obenshain will take if the recount returns the same result?

Some have argued that Obenshain will act honorably, but Obenshain is not the only factor in this equation, even if he is the most important factor. Another significant variable in this complex equation of power politics is the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV), an institution that is no doubt reluctant to easily concede a clean sweep by the Democratic Party on Election Day. The RPV could well influence what actions Obenshain takes if the vote count is upheld. 

As to Obenshain’s own honor or that of the Republican Party, I question anyone who believes any politician or institution on the right of the political spectrum is willing to put the country ahead of its own self-interests. I’d like to believe that Obenshain is such a politician, but recent actions by elected Republican representatives of Virginia and the U.S. have left me a bit jaded on this point.

If anything is for certain in Virginia politics, it’s that politics in Virginia needs to regain some sense of civility that existed in the not too distant past 

Height of Insanity: Virginia’s repeated unwillingness to address mental health

Most of us have heard the old chestnut regarding insanity: insanity is repeating the same mistake over and over again. If applied to Virginia’s repeated unwillingness to appropriately address the issue of mental health and the commonwealth’s mental health system, then the state is literally insane.

With the events of state Sen. Creigh Deed’s tragedy still fresh on the minds of Virginians and occupying the headlines of Virginia’s newsmakers, the insanity of Virginia’s mental health system have once again been catapulted into the uncomfortable spotlight of…reason.

It stands to reason, for instance, that if “mental health patients” are being turned away from state institutions due to a lack of adequate resources, then more resources should be purchased. We’re only discussing the lives of human beings, however. Indeed, having enough beds to house mental health patients seems to be something akin to a ‘critical need’.

Within the cultural narrative of individual responsibility in Virginia, an inability to account, much less financially provide, for individuals deemed “mentally unstable” has grown alongside. These two conceptually disparate phenomena have left Virginia’s political ‘leaders’ and bureaucrats uncertain on how to proceed. On the one hand, each individual is considered rational and responsible for his or her own success or failure in the game of life. On the other hand, there is the pesky phenomenon of mental illness, which reduces or eliminates the ability of individuals to make rational decisions.

The point is that there seem to be more than a few political leaders in Virginia who believe mental illness is more or less a hoax that does not require extensive state attention or funding. Unfortunately for all Virginians, mental illness is a very real phenomenon that deserves extensive attention and, if necessary, funding.

At this point in this issues history, how many more people have to be harmed before Virginians and their political representatives begin taking mental health seriously? If you prefer the cold-hearted pragmatic question: how many more taxpayer dollars do we have to lose related to mental health related tragedies before Virginia begins taking mental health seriously?

STEMing the tide of Virginia’s educational woes as Terry McAuliffe takes over as gov

When the Virginia Chamber of Commerce handed Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe its “Blueprint Virginia” at the chamber’s yearly Economic Summit in Williamsburg, there weren’t many surprises. The ‘blueprint’ asks the soon to be governor to place a greater emphasis on science, technology, engineering, math (also known as STEM) and health instruction at all levels of education. The blueprint also “calls for vigorous efforts to retain Virginia military assets and support military families and veterans.”

Blueprint Virginia is the Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s plan for economic development and business leadership, and it was received with open arms by Terry McAuliffe. According to one source, McAuliffe informed over 600 business leaders in attendance during the summit that the blueprint will be a “valuable resource” as McAuliffe’s administration develops Virginia’s economic plan for the next 48 months.

While the Virginia Chamber of Commerce isn’t exactly a bastion of progressivism, it certainly realizes the importance of ensuring that Virginia’s next generation of job seekers actually have the skills necessary for America’s increasingly sophisticated economy.

Unfortunately, for all of the hours that many U.S. children spend receiving instruction, the U.S. ranks low in the STEM disciplines compared to other countries around the world. Longer term, what this trend means is that as more STEM jobs open up, there won’t be enough American workers who have the skills or knowledge to take them. Enter workers from other countries…

In my humble opinion, it’s not Duck Dynasty or any of the other mind-numbing shows on TV that are adding to America’s education woes, it’s the way that we as Americans approach education. More work, more hours spent in instruction, and standardized tests have continuously failed the test of effectiveness. It’s time to reevaluate how we as Americans approach educating our country’s youth.

Virginia’s business community and Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffe appear to be fully aware of Virginia’s weakness in the STEM disciplines. The only questions are will the latter have the political will to shake Virginia’s educational system into high gear and will the former put its money where its mouth is by offering incentives for students to enter into and complete STEM lines of study? 

The story we’ll never know: Gus Deed’s and the need for mental health expansion

As has become readily apparent, Gus Deed’s stabbing of his father, state Sen. Creigh Deeds, and subsequent suicide has highlighted the reduction in Virginia funds for mental health programs.

According to a report by the Times Dispatch, Gus Deed’s had undergone a psychiatric exam performed under an emergency custody order on Monday, “but was ultimately released because there were no psychiatric beds available for his use in western Virginia.” In other words, the tragic events that occurred on Tuesday could have been prevented.

Ironically, as America as a whole has witnessed numerous mass murders and murder-suicides over the last year alone, states are actually reducing the amount of psychiatric services that they provide their citizenry. According to a 2012 report by the Treatment Advocacy Center (TAC), “Many states appear to be effectively terminating a public psychiatric treatment system that has existed for nearly two centuries.” 

Apparently, not enough people have died to warrant an expansion, or at the very least a stay, of America’s mental health services.

The report found that between 2005 and 2010 Virginia reduced 15 percent of its public psychiatric beds. Good Ol’ Governor Bob McDonnell asked for even more cuts in mental health programs in 2012.

Although America and many Americans seem to adhere to the belief that each individual’s ‘mental problems’ are their own responsibilities, the simple truth is that some individuals with mental health problems require professional psychiatric attention, attention that can only be usually afforded through public programs.

And contrary to the common belief that reliance upon some external ‘other’ (i.e., someone or something other than our selves) will somehow lead one further away from individual self-reliance, seeking professional help can oftentimes be the key to progressive self-reliance. That is, the domino theory that relying on other individuals and/or institutions will continue to perpetuate ad infinitum is only true to the extent that we choose to accept it as truth.

We’ll never know if Gus Deed’s murder-suicide could have been prevented, but we can at least hope that similar incidents in the future can be prevented if state governments expand their mental health programs so that patients who clearly need professional help won’t be turned away. 

Cuccinelli’s defeat theory turns individual responsibility on its head, another Cuccinelli contradiction

In the first edition of tales from a sore loser, Virginia Attorney General and loser of November 5^th’s race for governor, Ken Cuccinelli, suggested that Sen. Mark Warner will be vulnerable during the 2014 election because of the perceived flaws of the healthcare reform legislation. In other words, Cuccinelli could be positioning himself for a senatorial run against Mark Warner in 2014.

According to Cuccinelli, “There is no such thing as an unendangered Democrat who promised, as Mark Warner did, on video, sitting in his Senate office, ‘I would not vote for a health-care plan that doesn’t let you keep health insurance you like.’ ” On the other hand, there is no such thing as an unendangered Republican who compares abortion to slavery.

Unfortunately, Cuccinelli may not have learned much from his gubernatorial loss to Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe. Fortunately for Virginia, Cuccinelli may not have learned much from his gubernatorial loss to Terry McAuliffe.

Instead of graciously accepting his defeat in the November 5^th election, Cuccinelli sounds like a man deeply embittered by a ‘race’ he apparently thought he should have won. In his interview with the Washington Post, Cuccinelli claimed McAuliffe lied his way to victory.

Cuccinelli also went on to say, “Truth still has a lot of value, but apparently it’s somewhere between zero and $15 million.” It’s ironic that Republican politicians only find money to be a bad thing when it’s used against them. And if Cuccinelli thinks the gubernatorial race witnessed a large infusion of greenbacks, he might be astonished by the amount of money that could flow into Sen. Mark Warner’s coffers during his reelection bid.

Cuccinelli didn’t lose the race for governor due to any nefarious methods used by McAuliffe or any corrupt out-of-state cash for favors bargains. Cuccinelli lost the election because Virginians don’t want a governor who is more interested in writing books and grandstanding than serving the public interests. Virginians don’t want a governor more interested in dividing the political parties than finding a common ground. Cuccinelli lost because Cuccinelli is…Cuccinelli, and if he runs against Mark Warner, Cuccinelli may once again prove to be his own worst enemy. 

Terry McAuliffe’s Transition Committee may be more of the same or just a fluke

While I would like nothing more than to believe that Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe is unequivocal in his opposition to uranium mining in Virginia until the science proves such an endeavor safe for Virginians (not for the foreseeable future), we are dealing in politics, a world where positions can change with the blink of an eye. With this in mind, it’s concerning to note that at least one member of Gov. McAuliffe’s “transition team” has ties to Virginia Uranium Inc. (VUI).

As Co-chair of McAuliffe’s Transition Committee, former Virginia delegate Whitt Clement is situated in an authoritative position steer Terry McAuliffe in a direction altogether different than the one he announced shortly following his election on November 5^th.  Clement was a delegate of the 20^th District from 1988-2002, a district which encompassed Danville and parts of Pittsylvania County. More alarmingly, Clement is also a former lobbyist for VUI and the brother-in-law of VUI President and Chief Executive Officer, Walter Coles Sr.

While this correlation is not a cause for turning McAuliffe’s veto promise on its head, it is a reminder that until the issue of uranium mining has been settled once and for all (i.e., uranium mining banned indefinitely), pro-mining advocates will continue to spin their webs under the radar of the public’s attention until they achieve their objective.

I cannot imagine that Gov. McAuliffe would so clearly announce his intent to veto any bill that sought to lift the moratorium on uranium mining in Virginia until the process was unequivocally proven safe only to reverse his position months or years later, but in the world of politics, policy positions can change as quick as the direction of the wind.

For the time being, Gov. McAuliffe should be given a cautious benefit of the doubt. We did just help elect him, after all. 

Terry McAuliffe's Opposition to Uranium Mining a Boon for Virginia

Newly elected Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe's public opposition to uranium mining in Virginia shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who has observed the numerous and consistent opposition posed by academic, local, and regional governmental bodies towards lifting the moratorium on uranium mining in Virginia.

The only real surprise in the debate surrounding the issue of the governor's position on uranium mining in Virginia is lame-duck Gov. Bob McDonnell's unwillingness to strongly oppose uranium mining in Virginia until considerable safety controls have been put in place and the people of Southside Virginia have given the green light.

That the debate around the moratorium on uranium mining in Virginia has gone on for this long is a testament to the political influence Virginia Uranium Inc. (VUI) has inside Virginia's capitol, not the legitimacy or soundness of their arguments in favor of lifting the moratorium on uranium mining.

What Gov. McAuliffe did in announcing his opposition to uranium mining is what any governor or public servant should do: assess the evidence supporting and/or not supporting the issue in question and make a final decision based upon the overall benefits versus costs to the people.

In so doing, Gov. McAuliffe has already demonstrated his willingness to set powerful special interests aside based upon sound and consistent evidence for the common good of Virginia and Virginians. Gov. McAuliffe's opposition also shines an even brighter spotlight on the policy decisions (or lack thereof) of his predecessor, Gov. McDonnell.

Gov. McAuliffe has reignited a belief in the idea that the "David's" of the world can triumph over the "Goliath's" if enough energy, determination, and truth is infused in the public debate. It may take years, maybe even decades, but policy decisions for the greater good of society are still possible in a world of domineering special interests.

Mo’ Money and a Republican governor in Virginia?

The blame-game began in earnest shortly following Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe’s gubernatorial victory over lame-duck Virginia Attorney General, Ken Cuccinelli, on November 5^th. Once the election results became official, Tea Party and conservative groups quickly pointed the finger at the Republican Party ‘establishment’ as the primary reason for McAuliffe’s win over Cuccinelli.

According to these groups, Terry McAuliffe could have been beaten if the “party’s establishment” hadn’t reduced its financial support during the remaining weeks of the gubernatorial contest. In the words of Cuccinelli strategist Chris La Civita, “There are a lot of questions people are going to be asking and that is, was leaving Cuccinelli alone in the first week of October, a smart move.”

Instead of focusing on why the ‘GOP establishment’ reduced its funding for Cuccinelli in the first place, angry conservative and Tea Party groups have set their sights on the reduction of financial contributions by a group of traditional Republican financial contributors dubbed the ‘party establishment’. In other words, these groups have chosen to ignore the possibility that Ken Cuccinelli was an extremist candidate for governor in a state that largely frowns upon political extremes on either end of the political spectrum.

The lesson these groups should draw from the November 5^th General Election in Virginia is that the Ken Cuccinelli’s of the political world are short-term fads, at best, that quickly fall out of favor once the American public realize just how harmful their extreme policies are.

The focus on ‘establishment Republicans’ by conservative and Tea Party groups will only fuel the flames of internal Republican Party turmoil that may damage the GOP ‘brand’ even more and/or divide the party even further into two camps, establishment and non-establishment (assuming there is an ‘establishment’ wing of the Republican Party). Either of these outcomes would be fine by me.  

The waning of Ken Cuccinelli, a case study for how not to run a campaign for Virginia governor

In a last gasp attempt to ‘fire up the troops’ before Election Day, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli spoke to a crowd of supporters in Henrico County on Saturday, claiming his campaign has the “momentum.”

According to Cuccinelli, “If we win Henrico, the odds are pretty darn good we win this race. I need you all to push that through for me.” And one wonders why Cuccinelli is so far behind in the polls… By Cuccinelli’s reasoning, winning one county in Virginia makes the odds “pretty darn good” to win the election for governor. Last I checked, however, Henrico County is not the sine qua non of gubernatorial elections in Virginia.

But besides the typically hyperbolic or untruthful statements of Ken Cuccinelli, the most interesting aspect of the event was the fact that only one Virginia legislator was present on Saturday, Del. John O’Bannon. Other careerist Republicans that were in the crowd were “local Republican Party organizers and a healthy contingent of lawyers who work with Cuccinelli at the Attorney General’s Office.”

As the polls continue to show a comfortable lead for Democratic candidate for governor, Terry McAuliffe, some Republicans have already started to ask how they could have lost an election that was theirs to win (of course, this assumption is itself questionable). And as political consultants, pundits, and average Virginians weigh in on the factor(s) that led to Cuccinelli’s demise, it’s clear that a number of complex factors came into play that forced Cuccinelli’s political star into the dimming background of political irrelevance.

Above all, Cuccinelli was first and foremost his own worst enemy. Not one to hold his tongue or principles, Cuccinelli fell into the image trap that the Democratic Party laid for him as quickly as it was set. Instead of eschewing some of the more radical policies that he advocated to win over the so-called tea party, Cuccinelli stayed to the right of the political spectrum and alienated a number of ‘independent’ Virginia voters.

For all of the criticisms I can lay at Virginia’s feet, Virginia has consistently proven to be a moderate state that is not a hotbed for radical political movements from either end of the political range. Cuccinelli, apparently, never gleaned this and his campaign will no doubt be used in the future as a case study for how not to run a campaign for governor in Virginia. 

Virginia Uranium Inc. sets up a billboard and further reduces its credibility

The public relations onslaught by Virginia Uranium Inc. (VUI) continued in earnest this week as the uranium mining company set up a “safest uranium mine in the world” billboard just outside of Pittsylvania County’s boundary on Route 29. With the 2014 General Assembly session just around the corner, Virginia’s uranium Goliath wants residents of Pittsylvania County to see the safer side of the uranium mining and milling project to nullify the voices of those who see more cost than benefit.

According to VUI’s Project Manager, Patrick Wales, "We just really wanted to have a public reminder of the commitment made to these communities.” Wales continued, "If we take the best measurement practices that are being used in Australia, in Canada and in the United States and apply them right here, we're very confident that we're going to build the safest uranium mine in the world..."

But what has residents of Pittsylvania County concerned about most at the moment is the “presumptuous” statement on the VUI billboard. The billboard’s main text reads, “Pittsylvania County: Future home [emphasis mine] of the safest uranium mine in the world.” The problem here is that the moratorium on uranium mining in Virginia is still very much in place and as such, uranium mining in Virginia is illegal.

Among the many additional problems with the billboard’s message is the issue of safety and evidence. The billboard claims that a uranium mine in Pittsylvania County will be “the safest uranium mine in the world” without giving any reference to details or evidence of how this might be true. In other words, VUI is relying on the same tactic of playing the claim game without providing substantive supporting evidence. Are the residents of Pittsylvania County supposed to blindly put their lives and/or livelihoods in the hands of VUI?

The billboard also adds to a long line of evidence regarding VUI’s arrogance about its ability to roll over the will of Virginians. Because VUI is arrogant in this respect, one has to ask what other areas VUI is arrogant in as well, such as safety for example? Have you ever witnessed someone so arrogant that they claimed to be “okay” to drive home after downing a 12-pack of beer over the span of an hour? How did that turn out for the driver?

VUI is like that driver who claimed to be able to defy human physiology and drive home safely after drinking high quantities of alcohol. VUI’s claim defies evidence and only reinforces the conviction that the uranium mining company is a deceptive special interest that cannot be trusted with the car keys (i.e., Virginia’s health and safety).