Senator Tim Kaine: Shutting down the government is unthinkable

MoonHowler

From email:

Over a dozen Senators are pushing for a scenario that should be unthinkable: they want to use a government shutdown as leverage to enact an extreme, right-wing agenda that starts with defunding the Affordable Care Act.  And these folks are picking up more support every day.

A government shutdown would be disastrous.  Real people’s jobs are on the line.  The strength of our economic recovery is on the line.   The American people’s confidence in our political system could sink to an all-time low – and seriously jeopardize efforts to use the government to make people’s lives better.

We need to create the political will in Washington to confront our problems responsibly – where we roll up our sleeves, and approach our differences of opinion honestly so we can meet in the middle, find common ground and settle on real solutions.

Every elected official has his or her own favored policy positions.  But if folks dig in their heels and threaten to seriously damage the American economy if every one of their demands isn’t met, our government can’t function.  In fact, nothing could be more irresponsible.

This isn’t a game of chicken.  It’s governing.  When there are problems with our laws, individual representatives need to work together to fix them.

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Cuccinelli does a little back pedaling on immigration

MoonHowler

Governor-hopeful Ken Cuccinelli  will fund-raise with Senator Mario Rubio this week.  Rubio is known for  his inclusive stand on immigration.  Cuccinelli, not so much.  According to the Washington Post:

Republican leaders have conceded that presidential nominee Mitt Romney damaged his candidacy last fall by promoting “self-deportation,” and some have pushed the party to embrace more liberal policies to woo Hispanics and move the issue off the agenda in future elections.

Cuccinelli isn’t quite doing that, but his appearance with Rubio at the tickets-only fundraiser suggests that he is trying to soften perceptions about his stand on immigration.

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Stonington residents go without running water

MoonHowler

geyser

A potentially dangerous health hazard exists in the Stonington development, right off of Williamson Boulevard in the Manassas area.

The water problem has existed in Stonington since the summer but over the weekend things came to a head.  Water was gushing from the epicenter of the problem early Sunday morning.  Even though the Service Authority  doesn’t manage the water there in the development, they had to be called in to shut the man-made geyser off so that people’s townhouses weren’t flooded.

The problem still existed this evening–there was no running water for about 10 units.  Effected residents repeatedly called American Management who is contracted by the Stonington HOA to complain about the water situation.  The management team answering the phones repeatedly lied that they were addressing  the problem, even though residents could see that no one was out there working on getting the water back on.  One technician who was answering the phone even hung up on those complaining and unfortunately someone else with the company thought he had a ‘dead mike’ and mocked the caller.

That management team’s stance is that those are the hazards of being a homeowner and that not having water is just one of the risks.  Their solution was to go to the association meetings.  It clearly sounds like some residents in Stonington have a law suit.  Most of them fear retaliation from this management team already.

Prince William County needs to light up American Management Company’s lights for ignoring a potentially dangerous situation.  Homeowners and residents have every right to expect to have running water.  Whatever it takes to get the water working in Stonington should be done, regardless of cost, even if overtime has to be paid.