VRS returns to pre-recession levels

Dailypress.com:

As state and local government employees — including some 110,000 in Hampton Roads — dug deeper to contribute to their pension plans last year, surging financial markets finally bumped the totals in the Virginia Retirement System’s pension trust funds above where they stood before the Great Recession.

But those sums still aren’t enough to make VRS executives, or the financial experts who advise them, comfortable that it has the resources it needs to pay pensions and retirement benefits far into the future.

VRS’ main fund, a $55 billion pool of stocks, bonds and real estate investments, can cover about 65.6 percent of what insurance statisticians say it is going to have to pay by the time the last of its 324,000 participants and 164,000 retirees pass away, its latest annual report disclosed. Ideally, pension fund advisers like to see 100 percent funding, but they say 80 percent can suffice.

Was the amount the state owes the VRS calculated into these figures?  Part of the problem with VRS is that the General Assembly refused to fund it to recommended levels.  Now who pays the piper?  The participants.

Despite the dooming and glooming, the VRS remains a good pension.  It used to be considered one of the best in the nation.  Too bad the politicians ruined it, then tipped in it like it was their own  ATM.  Time to pay the piper, General Assembly.

Guiness pulls sponsorship of NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade

 

guiness

NYpost.com:

Guinness beer has pulled its sponsorship from New York’s famed St. Patrick’s day parade over a controversial policy that prohibits gays and lesbians from marching openly, according to reports.

“Guinness has a strong history of supporting diversity and being an advocate for equality for all,” the company said in a statement on the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation website.

“We were hopeful that the policy of exclusion would be reversed for this year’s parade. As this has not come to pass, Guinness has withdrawn its participation. We will continue to work with community leaders to ensure that future parades have an inclusionary policy.”

Heineken and Sam Adams  also pulled sponsorships from St. Patrick’s Day Parades. Both mayors of New York City and Boston have boycotted their respective parades because gays are not allowed to march openly or under a GBLT banner.

Read More

Why the assessment hysteria?

assessments

The county assessments are out.  You can find yours at the county website.

Despite the dire warnings I have read on Internet and on blogs, my real estate assessment didn’t go up all THAT much.  At one quick glance I determined that if the $1.158 published tax rate goes through, then I might be paying about $13 [editorial correction from earlier amount] more dollars per month in real estate taxes.  That is not going to break the bank.

The hype and scare that some politicians are trying to work up in the Gainesville District  are simply that, hype and scare.  I heard about all the mock concern for the working class people (read:  those who don’t live in a McMansion)  That would be me.  I am not whining.  I live in a perfectly ordinary older home in a 40 plus year old neighborhood.  Lots of Prince William residents do.  I would say my assessment is pretty typical.  I did notice my house went up 9k more than my neighbor’s house that is the same model.  Maybe it was the bathroom upgrades and the new roof.

Read More

Have an Irrational day! Happy Pi Day 3.14

irrational

Know any good math jokes?  Post them here.  Have any good pi(e) recipes?  Post them here.

Today is Pi Day.

To those who aren’t math nuts, Pi is an irrational number produced by division of any circumference by its diameter.  It is irrational because its quotient goes on and on, forever.  All circumferences and diameters produce the same ratio.

Why do we care?  Many people don’t.  Many people live their entire lives not knowing and not caring.  Those of us who do care celebrate the day.  Reminder–3.14 is only an approximation for π.

 

Chairman calls for more police (this is the Corey I like to see)

cops

Chairman Corey Stewart held a press conference earlier in the week to announce a needed crackdown on crime because of a recent spate of serious, more violent crimes in the area.   Chairman Stewart addressed crime, rather than more divisive factors in his press conference.

potomaclocal.com:

Stewart today called a press conference in his office in Woodbridge and called for answers from the county’s police department on what’s causing what he called an “uptick” in local crime. No law enforcement members were present at the meeting when Stewart announced he wants Police Chief Stephan Hudson look for trends, or possible commonalities on what’s behind a recent rash of violent crime. Recent incidents like a rape, sexual assault, and a bank robbery in Nokesville were also cited as part of a rise in crime.

“It’s too early to know if there is an underlying cause, or if this is a beginning of a trend, but crime did go up substantially in 2012 and I think it’s going to go up again when the final numbers are ready for calendar 2013, as well,” said Stewart.

He’s basing his concerns on anecdotal information given to him, he told reporters.

This is the Corey I like to see! He didn’t single out any demographic groups to target. He aimed at the problem–CRIME. Addressing this problem now, rather than waiting until it gets its foothold in the door is a good thing. Public safety should always get top billing here in Prince William County. It’s just how that top billing is presented that has been a problem in the past. Chairman Stewart is going about this the right way this time. He is going directly to the Chief for his data and solutions.

Read More

Common Sense prevailed in Manassas

Despite a marathon sideshow of misinformation being paraded before the Manassas City Council, in the end, common sense ruled the day.  To make a very long story short, after enough discussion to sink a battle ship, Councilman Mark Wolfe offered up a motion that protected the process of good governance.  It was seconded by Councilman Harrover and supported by Councilmen Way and Randolph.  Clinics that offer abortion services will not have to jump through special hoops nor will those types of clinics be pushed ahead of others.

From insidenova.com:

Despite more than three hours of emotional testimony from about 85 speakers, two-thirds advocating against abortion, the Manassas City Council decided Monday against requiring special approval for new medical facilities – a zoning change some said could, in effect, limit access to abortion services.

Instead, the council voted 4-2 to proceed with a comprehensive review of the city’s zoning ordinance, which has not been substantially updated since the 1940s.

The decision will put to rest, for now, the question of whether Manassas would follow Fairfax city’s controversial decision to single out medical facilities with zoning rules that require a “special use permit” regardless of where they locate within the city.

Special use permits require a public hearing and separate approval by city or county officials, a process that can open applicants to public opposition. Abortion-rights advocates consider the process politically motivated and a means of “zoning out” women’s health clinics.

Read More

Just for Rick Bentley: What is this world coming to?

I watch Girls on HBO like I watch a train wreck. The characters on it have such incredibly horrible social skills I am embarrassed. So why do I watch these twenty-somethings with bad social skills and seriously questionable morals?

I don’t know. Lena Dunham, star and producer of Girls, hosted SNL last Saturday and did not disappoint with the socially inappropriate. Yet, you can’t help laughing. Perhaps Girls is the ultimate in cognitive dissonance. Perhaps it is like laughing when someone falls, even though you know you shouldn’t and if your mother saw you she would slap the crap out of you.

Who else watches? What are some of the best series shows now?

Open Thread……………………………………….Monday, March 10

 

Yo quiero green beer! Happy St. Patrick's Day from Mosby
Yo quiero green beer!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Mosby

 

I  can’t stand one more winter picture, even if we get a blizzard.  St. Patrick’s Day is in 7 days. Let’s think ahead and get a little Irish spirit going.  Are you Irish?  If yes, what is your county of origin?  Mine is County Cork and my husband’s is County Tipperary.  He is more Irish than I am.  His grandmother immigrated as a baby(with the help of her parents).  My heritage goes back a few more generations than that.

Who is going to the Manassas St. Patrick’s Day Parade This weekend?  One of the Howlers and perhaps two will be participating.

Private school issues clarion call to swarm City Hall Chambers tonight

 

Nooo, we aren’t singling out abortion clinics for special treatment.  Noooooo, we aren’t blurring the lines between church and state.  Found on the front page of  Sentinel, a weekly newsletter from Elizabeth Anne Seton School for parents and students:

Citizen Time

On Monday, March 10th at some time after 5:30 pm in City Hall Council Chambers, the Manassas City Council will vote on Marc Aveni’s proposal to require new medical facilities (to include abortion clinics) come before Council and the public before locating in the City. Your prayers, attendance and possible speaking during citizen time in favor of this effort are needed again.

I suppose that once again there will be a sideshow over at City Chambers where everyone will be strutting out their most pious behavior. Marc Aveni is getting himself some free advertisement for his cause.  (Will I get a thank you note for providing some coverage for him?)  I don’t think those of us in the County can pick up City channels so we will miss the show but I expect it will be a rendition of Brother Love’s traveling Salvation Show of Neil Diamond Fame.

Read More

Parents flare up over stolen recess

There is a hue and cry over Superintendent Walts plan to shave 5 minutes off of elementary recess from now until the end of the year, to make up for lost instructional time due to snow days. To date, PWC has missed 12 days and has had 5 2 hour delays because of inclement weather.

Some parents are showing their displeasure by signing a petition to add 5 minutes on to the end of the day rather than shave the time off of recess.

From Haymarketbeat.com:

Bristow Beat’s Facebook page also saw an outcry against the decision to shorten recess. Parents argued that young children have to sit through too much structured activity as it is in the school day, and that recess is a good opportunity to allow them to be children.

“Kids today spend almost all of their time in structured activities or in front of a screen (tv, video games, computer, cell phone, ipod) with no opportunity to learn to entertain themselves and be active for fun, EXCEPT SCHOOL RECESS,” one woman commented. “Cut that back and then they wonder why kids have such issues with attention span, creative thinking, etc. The business of childhood is play.”

Many parents commenting agreed that recess is a necessity so that students could come back to class refreshed and ready to learn. They expressed their fear that with a shortened recess children’s behavior and academic ability would suffer.

I think adding 5 minutes to the end of the day sounds good but on the other hand, who knows what all in involved with adding 5 minutes to everything involving transportion. There are probably things the average Joe just hasn’t thought about. Which brings up another point. Why is it up to the schools to fix what ails kids?

“Kids today spend almost all of their time in structured activities or in front of a screen (tv, video games, computer, cell phone, ipod) with no opportunity to learn to entertain themselves and be active for fun, EXCEPT SCHOOL RECESS,” one woman commented.

What am I missing here?  Isn’t it the responsibility of the parents to take these toys  and screens away from their children and to chase their kids outside?  It now sounds like this is something the schools have to provide for kids–live without technology.  Back in the day, when my kids were kids, turned off the TV, took away the video games and  I chased them outside.  They were gone from sun up to sun down, off being kids.  Yes, we had perverts back in the dark ages so I don’t want to hear that as an excuse.  Kids are actually safer nowadays, they have cell phones which serve as a leash.

Read More

Just what have the conservatives been up to?

I can’t help but think of a few questions. Does Ron Paul want Al Qada to use cell phones to plan hits on the United States? How many rich people jobs did immigrants steal away from the wealthy? Does Huckabee understand that regardless of why, the folks who died in Benghazi won’t come back to life, which is what Hilary meant? Why was Sarah Palin the only woman conservative captured on montage? Can’t the conservatives come up with someone better than Palin? What other women were there?

What was Chris Christie talking about? Shouldn’t he be laying low until his corruption problems are solved? Why would conservatives want Donald Trump representing them. His creep factor is off the charts.

PWCS: The snow days kerfluffle

bus in snow

Prince William County Schools continue to agonize over making up snow days.  So far, the kids have missed 12 full days and have gone in 2 hour delay 5 times.  The delays don’t have to be made up.

At this point, Superintendent Walts is recommending tacking time on to the end of the year. This measure seems pointless and a tremendous waste of time.  SOL testing is over.  No one wants to be there.  No learning takes place.

What really needs to happen is the governor needs to give an executive order that forgives excess snow days.  Gasp!  Shock!  What about the lost instructional time?  The horror of it all!

Many years Prince William County Schools has extra days of instructional time.  Those days aren’t shaved off.  I expect over a ten year period, the schools are ahead of the game as far as instructional days go.  Any time tacked on to the end of the year are a waste of time and money.  I have yet to see the teacher that could be knowledge into a kid’s head on June 20th.

If all else fails, The superintendent needs to toss that Easter Monday holiday.  That’s a travel time day anyway.  It would be the least disruptive of all the Spring break days.  Secondly, Memorial Day could also be sacrificed.  There you have it.  Two days recaptured.

Tacking on days at the end seems totally unproductive.  Adding to the school day seems like a better approach.  If all else fails, PWCS should just apply for the waiver.  I am not sure how it works but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Come on, Governor McAuliffe, just forgive the days this year.

 

 

Darrell Issa: One rude dude shuts off Rep. Cummings’ mic

Huffingtonpost.com:

WASHINGTON — A congressional hearing into the furor over political targeting by the Internal Revenue Service descended into political theater of the absurd Wednesday, as the former IRS official at the heart of the case again asserted her Fifth Amendment rights and refused to answer questions.

Lois Lerner, the former director of Tax-Exempt Organizations for the IRS, led the division that oversaw the staffers responsible for making sure that so-called social welfare groups were not going out of bounds with their political activities.

Although her unit did target some progressive groups, the majority of those that faced extra scrutiny were linked to the tea party, sparking cries of scandal and political intimidation from conservatives.

Read More

Let’s talk birth control

the pill

In recent weeks, many women have driven or walked up to their pharmacy window to pick up their birth control pills.  They were all pleasantly surprised to get told, free.  Women tend to forget if the free isn’t needed.  I was with someone who did need free.  What a nice surprise.

However, the free pills just generated more questions.  Is all birth control free?  If someone wanted a tubal ligation or a vasectomy (the operation REAL men seek) is that going to be free?  What about condoms?  If those are free, do you just get the utilitarian kind or do you get the fun ones?  How about depro shots and IUDs?  Are those free also?

It sounds like a great concept.  If the financial burden is removed from the contraception equation, won’t that prevent unintended pregnancy?

Probably not but it goes a long way towards making a dent in the problem.  What do the contributors have to say on this issue?