Virginia Proposed Anti-Bully Legislation

MoonHowler

From the Washington Post, Virginia Politics Blog:

NoVa. delegates push anti-bullying legislation

By Rosalind S. Helderman

Two Northern Virginia Democrats are sponsoring legislation to attempt to curb teen bullying, a topic that’s received heightened national attention due to a spate of suicides of teenagers who had been targeted by classmates.

Del. Adam Ebbin (D-Arlington) is proposing a billthat would make egregious bullying a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to 1 year in jail and a $2,500 fine. Ebbin cited the case of York County high school student Christian Taylor, who committed suicide in May.

Taylor’s mother has said she complained to school officials and local sheriff’s deputies that the 16-year old was being bullied but they did little to help. The local sheriff’s office has said it investigated her complaints and turned them over to school officials after determining no laws had been broken. In a wrongful death suit she has filed against local officials, Taylor’s mother indicates that her son’s bully allegedly told him before his death: “You need to just go ahead and kill yourself and get it over with.”

Ebbin’s bill would define bullying as “recklessly or intentionally endangering the health or safety of a student by exposing the student repeatedly, and over time, to physical aggression or intimidation, whether through direct physical contact or through the use of information or communication technology, resulting in bodily injury or other harm to person or property.” It would also give victims the right to sue those who have bullied them.

 

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Will the Prez go slumming before the Super Bowl?

MoonHowler

Just released:  Bill Reilly will interview President Obama right before the Super Bowl pre game.  O’Reilly interviewed Obama as a candidate but he has not interviewed him as  president.  The President has granted one interview with Fox News so far and that was with Brett Baier.  Baier was not on his best behavior.  In fact, he was very rude to the President and continually interrupted him.

O’Reilly is a much more skilled interviewer.  According to Politico:

O’Reilly interviewed Obama as a candidate, but as president Obama has given just one interview to Fox News, last year with Bret Baier. The Obama Administration has had a famously contentious relationship with Fox News, with then-White House communications director Anita Dunn calling it “not a real news organization” in 2009, but the relationship has thawed someone over time as Obama administration officials went on shows like “Fox News Sunday.”

O’Reilly is smart.  I don’t always like him but I have confidence that he will handle this situation as a professional commentator, if not journalist.  This might just be an opportunity to see the President and  the President  both shine.  It might be a great night for both Mr. O’s.  O’Reilly can be very fox or he can outfox the foxes.  I predict he will rise about all the Murdoch fox doo and conduct one hell of a good interview. 

So is the President slumming or is this a great move for him?  How about O’Reilly? 

The Reading of the Constitution: Blame the Virginians

MoonHowler

Tomorrow the Constitution of the United States will be read before Congress opens it 112 session.

According to Foxnews.com:

Though it has been inserted as text into the Congressional Record before, the supreme law of the land has never been read aloud before in the body known as “the People’s House.”

The man responsible for the exercise, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., says it’s more than just a simple civics lesson.

“This is a very symbolic showing to the American people,” said Goodlatte, “and it’s a powerful message to members of Congress. We are a nation of laws, not of men.”

One has to ask, how long will this reading take and who will read it?  Will they all take turns?  Will only Republicans be allowed to read?  This exercise sounds about as interesting as watching paint dry or grass grow.  How often will this exercise happen?  Ah, here are the answers:

Though it has been inserted as text into the Congressional Record before, the supreme law of the land has never been read aloud before in the body known as “the People’s House.”

The man responsible for the exercise, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., says it’s more than just a simple civics lesson.

“This is a very symbolic showing to the American people,” said Goodlatte, “and it’s a powerful message to members of Congress. We are a nation of laws, not of men.”

It appears that some folks are confusing the Constitution with the Bible.  Additional rules have been approved:

The emphasis on the Constitution won’t end with the reading of the document. The House on Wednesday approved a package of rules for the 112th Congress, put forward by Cantor, that includes a provision mandating that all bills cite their constitutional authority.

Now this is beginning to sound like the SOL objectives.  It’s going to be a long 2 years before everyone gets sick of all this.  I wonder how many of those rascals will being the newspaper and a smart phone to play with?  I hope no one gets caught napping.

Minting our own Funny Money

MoonHowler

Sideshow Bobby is at it again.  This time he wants to mint our own money here in Virginia–Not real money but not exactly funny money either.  Delegate Bob Marshall (R-13)  wants to not only mint our own coins but he also wants to establish a bank of Virginia.  From insidenova.com:

The 20-year veteran plans to introduce legislation during the Jan. 12 session of the General Assembly that would call for the Commonwealth to study minting its own coins in order to compete with what he calls “the monopoly of the Federal Reserve System.”

“We can’t mint money, but we can mint gold and silver coins,” Marshall said Wednesday night. “It sounds like a small difference, but it is a difference legally. If you look closely on a [dollar] bill, it doesn’t say that it’s money. It says it is legal tender ‘for all debts, public and private.’”

Marshall said that the Federal Reserve has created inflation that is detrimental to the economy because there is no competition in terms of payment.

“When you have a monopoly, you can do what ever you want,” he said of the Reserve.
The minting of gold and silver coins, which he compared to that of companies making commemorative coins, is something states can legally do as long as the coins meet the weight requirements.

And minting coins is just the first step.

“Obviously, it won’t always be convenient to carry around gold and silver coins,” Marshall said. “You could set up a debit system where you’d have a claim of gold or silver deposited with the trustee.”

Marshall would also like to see a bank of Virginia established.

What will Bob Marshall think of next?  Where is the features, advantages, benefits plan?  What’s in it for Virginians?  Is this just another way to get sued by the feds?  Marshall and Cuccinelli are the Frick and Frack of Virginia politics.  Next thing I know he will come up with a secessionist plan all our very own. 

Delegate Marshall need to go to Richmond and work on jobs and transportation.  He needs to figure out ways to support education and repay the VRS fund.  He needs to help his colleagues develop a plan to lure companies into Virginia to pump up our economy.  We don’t need bad publicity to drive them away.  He and the AG seem to be trying to out do each other on extremist plans to embarrass the state.  What is he thinking?!!