Time for another open thread. That old one was getting longer and longer.
Get ready for the bruhaha thats about to start. The Republicans are coming, the Republicans are coming! There are a lot of newcomers who are going to soon realize it isn’t quite as easy as it looks.
So, will there be amazing legislation or will we go back to gridlock?
De-fund Obamacare!
Are there parts you think we should keep? How about pre-existing conditions not keeping people from being insured?
The next crisis is coming and coming fast, should we raise the bebt celling or not? Here is one persons thoughts on the subject that I couldn’t agree with more:
“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. … Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here. Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.”
– Barack Obama (2006)
Did anyone on moonhowlings attend the Town Hall Meeting at City Hall in Manassas Monday night? The article in the paper is brief at best.
Big Dog/Cindy,
Did either of you attend?
Did anyone attend last night’s event at the W Hotel sponsored by several new Repub House members, including several TP endorsed candidates? They ran saying Washington elites were out of touch with real Americans and they were going to put government back in the hands of ordinary citizens. For a mere $50,000 you and 7 friends could have rubbed elbows with these new breed public servants or if you’re riff raff you could have opted for a $2,500 cheap seat. Refreshing to see our government back in the hands of the Joe the Plumber and soccer mom crowd rather than deep pocketed special interests.
@Lafayette
I attended the one in Henrico. It was attended by about 100 people. I’ll be writing it up on UCV later. I have to try and read my notes.
@Cargosquid
Look forward to your write up. It will be interesting to see if those in Henrico have the same issues addressed as we did here in No. Va.
Try to read your notes? (chuckle)
Front page article on Monday’s town hall meeting in today’s Manassas News&Messenger.
InsideNova.com
There was another one slated last night at the McCoart Center.
I was there Monday night. I was glad that Maureen Wood helped promote the Gang Prevention Summit at the Boys & Girls Club of Manassas on Jan. 17 from 6-8 pm.
I think Del. Miller needs to understand 4H better. It’s not just agricultural, it’s a citizenship program for youth. Virginia Cooperative Extension does a lot of education in the community — parenting, nutrition, budgeting — and at the last city Neighborhood Conference, housing counselors from VCE met with attendees in private to help them with mortgages in distress throughout the day.
I’m not clear on how the funding works, but from what I understand from how VCE explained it Monday night, the money meant for the youth doesn’t fully reach them — it goes from Washington to Richmond to Virginia Tech and then what’s left over goes to 4H. They’re just asking that Richmond release the money intended for youth, to the youth.
Ironic that one of the things that prevents gangs are youth alternatives for jobs and recreation, and then programs like 4H are singled out as “government creep.” How long has 4H been in existence? One of the people who spoke out for 4H is the manager of the Manassas Shell — he was in his 30s. Even Delegate Miller spoke of how 4H benefited him as a child, and he’s in his 40s I think. How is a program that is decades old “government creep”? Sounds like the only thing creeping is the money that isn’t reaching the youth.
Interesting seeing applicants for the RNC top job answer questions, including
“What is your favorite book?”.
– Who thinks Steele’s real favorite book is War&Peace?
The best of times and the worst of times for Micheal?
– My empathy for the lady who thought the question was –
Name your favorite BAR – and answered her kitchen table.
Cindy,
I’m all for smaller gov’t, but, 4H as government creep is just ridiculous.
Faux News says Robert Gibbs is packing up and moving on.
True? Dunno. I will wait till I hear it some place else before I believe it.
Jon Stewart was hilarious about the RNC chairman interview process.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Jackson Miller needs for some 4 H supporters to take him to 4-H boot camp to show him what it is all about.
MH,
I heard the same thing on the radio this morning. It’s a usual thing to replace the spokesman at least once during a term, to put a “new face” on the admin. No surprise really. Plus, many in the admin have to look at the “next gig” and decide when the best time to move is. Perhaps the small bump BHO received in the polls, post-lame duck, has some staffers thinking “It might not get any better than this, I need to move now, while I am still marketable…”
I would think some of the homeschoolers would be willing to the “boot camp” in the 50th. 🙂 I’m always impressed with the youngsters in 4H’s public speaking skills.
That’s what I thought Lafayette. He might be real sorry he took that one on. I would like to see that arse-whupping.
I might have to suggest that to a couple of homeschoolers I know. 4H was a big part of my family’s lives in the rural parts of Va. and WVa.
I hear blame Lafayette, blame Lafayette in the wind. 😉
MH,
I just watched the youtube video of Jackson Millers comments regarding 4H. He clearly states he is not singeling out 4H specifically. Rather, he is using it as an example to illustrate how during tough economic times, we need to assess every program efficacy and relevance. Whereas 4H may be very relevant in Western PWC, it might be less so in Fairfax. He has a point. Also, he honestly states that the Agricutlural extensions do serve a valid government purpose, but we need to ensure that the funds allocated are returning value to the taxpayers, and the overall mission of the particular organization is serving the proper role of government.
It would seem to me that Delegate Miller is taking his duties as a steward of taxpayer funds in a thoughtful manner, to uphold the public trust. Every program’s administrators believe their program is beneficial to the community. However, we can all honestly acknowledge that every need does not have to be filled by a government program.
Personally, I like the idea of having some level of agricultural support locally, but I am a “backyard homesteader” of sorts. I like the idea of urban and semi-urban environments having some sort of local agricultural capacity, especially when times are tough. But I understand completely what Delegate Miller was trying to communicate. I know what it is like to have to sit down with Mrs. T. and set our financial priorities, or as I like to put it:
“If our outgo exceeds our income, our upkeep will be our downfall”.
I would expect nothing less of my elected officials.
Cindy has the right wording about VCE – “government creep”. And I am a full supporter of the 4-H and Rainbow Riding – it is other aspects of VCE within NoVA (and other areas) that are the targets because they are doing more than what a County Extension Agent for this area needs to be doing…and those issues about VCE go as far back as the Wilder Commission.
The biggest issue around VCE is that 4-H is the most visable, and so gets labeled. Please keep that in mind. You also MUST MUST MUST seperate out the way
4-H historically is a rural-based program, versus the highly urbanized aspect of NoVA. For Prince William Area, we are 150sq miles of Urban (which includes the two Cities) and around 200 sq miles of “non-urban”. We call it the Rural Crescent, but by definition it is “non-urban”. All that factors into the arguements and proposals.
The Master Gardener Program, which is also linked with 4-H, also is supportable. I have told our local VCE on more than one occassion there should be more integration with the schools (i.e. return to having 4-H clubs in the schools – think I still have my patches somewhere from my time in Jr. High and High School – when schools do the landscape days, have the MGs there, and several other suggestions). Some is being done as in counseling within the schools USDA Food Programs, others are not.
VCE though does diabetes classes. We have two hospitals that also offer the classes, and so the arguement VCE needs to get out of the business. They do the “SafeServ” program which is also offered at the NOVA Community College teaching national standards and incorporating VA standards. The one at NOVA CC, upon completion, also gets you into the National database vs. SafeServ which does not. Costs are actually cheaper at NOVA CC.
VCE also does Nutritional Review and Menu Advisement at the two Senior Centers since the Congregate Meal Programs and Meals on Wheels also fall under USDA. The hospitals have Dietitians who can perform this function, hence the arguement VCE needs to get out of this business.
Housing Counseling is done under a grant from HUD, passed through PWC to VCE. Because OHCD is not a Public Housing Authority, and VCE in the rural areas perform this function under USDA Housing Grants, they do it here. That said, under the Faith-Based & Community-Based Organizations (FBCO) initiatives through the years, this counseling has been open to community groups. With the advent of housing counseling for “Money Follows the Person” – a program to return those in nursing homes who are able to live in their communities with support systems, the Centers for Independent Living could perform this function…a slightly expanded role away, but one not different from the housing counseling and home modification assistance they do now.
Financial counseling is also another one that FBCOs can do under grant. Again, like housing counseling, VCE has done mission creep in NoVA to do this.
Regionalization is the other issue with VCE that people are fighting – again, with it being said 4-H will be impacted. Unfortunately, this “hub and spoke” concept is DIRECTLY related to encouraging more volunteer leadership at the local level. Regionalization as proposed also ties in more with local colleges such as GMU or the Community Colleges and makes them actively involved. Lots of talk about “research based” and yet, north of the Rapidan-Rappahannock, it is not occuring like in the rest of Virginia.
This Hub and Spoke under the concept also pushes more money out of the land grant colleges into the regions. The State also is trying to align it with the existing Planning Districts such as we live in with Planning District 8 aka Northern Virginia Regional Commission.
Lots of things in play, and what our local VCE should be doing is preparing for the potential reality, and working now to ensure the valuable program of 4-H survives the rough waters.
@Steve Thomas
Not all citizens/residents will use the same services equally. I have friends who use the library every time it opens. I do not. However, I sure sure get in there and insist that we maintain a decent library.
4-H and CVE services are about more than milking cows. They provide services like budgeting, getting out of debt, gardening, growing food, identifying tree diseases. One of those organizations does a lot with bee keeping. Beekeeping is vital to the food chain, especially since bees have been dying off in such huge numbers.
4-H is about science, youth development, healthy living, just to name a few things. They aren’t just the kids down on the farm now, which Miller seemed to suggest. I just think he was ill informed. And yes, he did say he wasn’t picking on them. Miller can fix the problem by becoming better informed about what these services actually do.
Secondly, I was told (by more than one person) that remarks were made after their presentation about people begging for their government jobs. Those kinds of comments are unacceptable. I am going to get very militant about people looking down their noses at those who work for state, local or federal government. There seems to be a recent political climate that suggests those workers are children of a lesser god. How insulting. One of the people overheard making such a comment gets his/her own paycheck in part from local govt. services. But that’s hypocrisy for you.
And thirdly, Lafayette and I were sort of doing an inside joke about the entire Miller speech. We know someone who is very involved in 4-H and who is an activist of sorts. This person will tear Miller up if they get hold of him. Wouldn’t want to be him and have to deal with that.
And lastly, I agree that our delegates and state senators should be good stewards with our money. I also believe that Jackson Miller was a good steward and didn’t vote to use the VRS like an ATM. He also has a dog in that fight. What might seem like one man’s ear mark might be vital to another one’s community. I try to keep that in mind.
Here’s Manassas Patch’s take on the meeting.
http://manassas.patch.com/articles/residents-express-concern-over-proposed-budget-cuts
I responded before I read Raymond’s post. He certainly knows more specific details than I do.
I don’t think it is necessarily bad when services overlap.
I don’t understand how the funding works, either Cindy.
I want to live in an area that has services. If I didnt, I would relocate to Bum-F$%^&* Nevada or some place like that. I strongly suspect that people are going to start howling once their services are curtailed. That rascally pendulum again.
A master gardener keeps our church grounds looking good in Old Town Manassas, especially after the wear and tear it takes being next to the heavy foot traffic of the post office next door. Master gardeners line up every Saturday at the Farmer’s Market in Old Town to take leftover garden produce and get it to people in need. I contacted a Master Gardener who lives in my neighborhood to help me plan out several landscaping projects in my yard after a nor’easter came through and took out a row of pine trees. I have benefitted from the parenting classes (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting or S.T.E.P.) that VCE offers. I’ve had 4-Hers show me how to make cards greeting cards and start digitizing 40 years worth of photo albums. The list goes on!
Moon,
You don’t have to convince me that the CVE and 4H provide services that are beneficial to the community. I am a “crunchycon”. I organically grow about 80% of the produce my family consumes “in-season”. I practice vermiculture. The CVE is where I frequently go for answers. I’m a “locally-grown” advocate, and know that agriculture is a traditional interest of government.
What I took from viewing Delegate Miller’s comments in their entirety, was “every program will be examined”. Duplication of services should be limited to the highest degree possible. Did Delegate Miller make the remarks regarding “government workers begging for their jobs”, or was this some other official? Were the remarks actually made, or was what was communicated to you someone’s general impression of the tone?
Has anyone seen the pic on http://www.drudgereport.com/ ? Ah, no wonder the sun is shining and it’s so beautiful outside today!
For some reason I can’t seem to get this stupid song out of my head in which Pelosi had a cameo (if you look close at around the 1 min mark Harry Reid makes an appearance)!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrEdYyejlj8
Nancy just forked the gavel over.
hello,
Thanks for the laugh. I really love the second clip. 🙂
@Steve
Delegate Miller did NOT make the remark repeated to me. I hope I not leave the impression that it was he. I just got the overall impression he had a 30 year old vision of 4-H rather than the modern one. And the rest of the comment was the vision…of an imagined conversation.
An official did not make the comment and it wasn’t a direct quote, more of a paraphrase.
Hello, even if you are entertaining a few, I am finding the comments unproductive and not part of the conversation. You appear to be here to goad people.
Not part of the conversation? This is the “open thread” thread isn’t it? You did state:
“Get ready for the bruhaha thats about to start. The Republicans are coming, the Republicans are coming! There are a lot of newcomers who are going to soon realize it isn’t quite as easy as it looks.”
I think my comment was directly in the conversation that you started. Besides, can’t a guy have a little fun on such a beautiful day like today?
Or are you just not a fan of old classics set to a big band?
Now its time to keep as sharp an eye on the new guys as we did the old crowd. I, for one, am glad the Pelosi will be Minority leader. She’s a good reminder of bad things.
Hello, see the part about goading. If you don’t see the difference in what you said and what I said, then there is a problem. What I said was a post intro and it denigrated no one.
I actually hate any expression involving ding dong the witch is dead. As fir big band and classics, ever seen someone run their nails down a chalk board? That sort of sums it up.
Keeping my fingers crossed and giving a “you go, girl!” shoutout to Michelle Bachmann. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/exclusive-president-michele-bachmann/story?id=12542453
Instead of Obama, Biden, Clinton, and Gates how about Bachmann, Palin, O’Donnell, and Angle?
@Cargo, whether you like or or don’t like her, she is a good reminder of efficiency and getting things done. She works like a dog.
The bad things you refer to didn’t start with Pelosi. They were in place long before she came to power, unless I totally misunderstand what your concerns are.
Moe, the laughs just don’t stop, do they?
@Moon-howler
Her bad things consisted of things like actually locking the door to the GOP and keeping them out of bill negotiations, passing ObamaCare without knowing what was in it and ADMITTING THAT, increasing the debt by 60% just in the last two years and lying about deficit reduction, being generally clueless,etc…..
She wasn’t efficient. She was a secretive, ….never mind. I don’t want to ruin my good mood. If you liked her, fine.
I’LL use her as a good bad example.
If you go here: http://www.wtvr.com/
scroll down to TOP VIDEO
Pick LEGISLATORS APPEAR AT TEA PARTY FORUM
Watch and at .45, you’ll see a very important blogger, at least in HIS mind…….
Autographs available.
@Cargosquid
Actually, I am not particularly fond of her but she got things done. I think also that to say she increased the debt by 60% is to give her super powers.
I don’t see her as an arch enemy. And she didn’t do it alone. Meanwhile, I will try to like some of the incoming toads. Wish me luck.
@Lafayette
And on an earlier note, the arse whupping has begun and is going full throttle. THAT was predictable.
Moe,
loved your comment about joe the pumber and big fundraising dinners!
Steve and Moon,
very enlightening conversation about 4H. If only everyone could debate so civily!
Predictable and appropriate in my mind. I just checked it out. Shame on those calling a regular poster on there an idiot!! She is very devoted to 4H and should NOT be called an idiot. (sigh)
I won’t go overboard. @Lafayette. I feel certain the same courtesy would not be extended to me.
I don’t think master gardener info/training should be limited to school-aged kids in 4-H. The Extension Service has spent a lot of time trying to educate adults about the ramifications of using insecticides, fertilizers, herbicides on their lawns. Their info needs to reach this adult audience because they’re responsible for a lot of the crapola that ends up in our streams and rivers. Overkill isn’t always necessary to be a successful gardener. It’s good to educate the kiddos but their parents also need to be informed. It’s a service that needs to be duplicated.
My report on the Tea Party Town Hall in Henrico county is up.
http://unitedconservatives.blogspot.com/2011/01/richmond-tea-party-henrico-town-hall.html
Let them eat cake: http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=13784410
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk47saogI8o
Why not. That’s part of being president, whether going to San Clemente, Kennibunkport, Crawford, Hyannis Port, or wherever. Even Camp David costs a fortune to move a presidential entourage there. The Obama’s don’t own their own vacation property.
Soooo…tomorrow is Constitution Day. Why are they putting on this performance? I expect that many will bring their toy phones and play games, email their mistresses or other forms of distraction.
Republicans don’t have the guts to repeal the health care law.
They also will vote to raise the debt ceiling.
Republicans don’t have the courage of their convictions.