Tag: Virginia

Don’t leave home without it!

This November, Virginia voters must present an acceptable photo ID in order to vote. Acceptable forms of ID for voting include:

A Virginia driver’s license or other photo ID issued by Virginia
A United States passport
Any photo ID issued by the United States governement
A student ID that has a photograph and was issued by any institution of higher learning in Virginia
An employee identification card that includes a photograph

Please keep you voter identification card for useful information on precinct and district information.

In November, Virginians will go to the polls to elect a United States Senator to fill the seat left by retiring Senator Jim Webb. Tim Kaine is hoping Virginians will elect him. As Governor, he improved Virginia’s economy and made education and environmental issues a top priority. In addition to Governor, Tim Kaine has served as Mayor of Richmond, Lieutenant Governor, and Chairman of the Democratic National Committee—Kaine is now hoping to add Senator to that list. Governor Kaine took time from his busy campaign schedule to sit down and answer a few questions for the George Mason community—and for that, we thank him.

1. Your senate race is promising to be one of the most expensive of the 2012 cycle. What steps, if any, is your campaign taking to blunt the impact of out of state money?

There is no question this will be a close election that will require substantial resources to win, but those competing to be Virginia’s next Senator have a responsibility to run races that honor Virginia’s tradition of transparency and accountability in campaign finance. In the very first debate of this campaign, I offered George Allen a chance to run a no-outside money campaign, and he refused. When I gave him a second chance, and asked him to sign a pledge to keep secret money of this race, he turned me down again. Already, outside groups have spent over $1.5 million in our race on false TV ads.

But we have a secret weapon of our own, and that’s our incredible grassroots support. I am fortunate to have a strong base of grassroots support – since the start of this campaign we have received support from more than 20,000 individual donors. We will work hard to continue to build on this momentum, as every phone banker, door knocker and small dollar donor will be critical to win this race.

2. The amount of student debt incurred by today’s graduates continues to grow and has many wondering if college is even worth it. What are your thoughts on this?

Whether students choose to enroll in a university, a community college, technical school or a workforce training program, it’s important that we do more to ensure high school graduates have access to high-quality, affordable options to continue their education and increase their skills. As Lieutenant Governor, I helped shepherd $900 million into expanding the state’s higher education system, and as Governor I led passage of an additional $1.4 billion bond package in 2008 to construct state of the art classrooms and labs. I also allocated millions to need-based tuition assistance for Virginia’s students. As Senator, I will work to increase access to higher education and preserve programs that increase the affordability of higher education, like the Pell Grant program.

But the bottom line is, students should not have to incur extraordinary debt to develop the skills they need to compete in an increasingly tough global job market. We have seen in Virginia that when we invest in education, improve its quality and lower its cost, our students develop skills that attract businesses and contribute to the talent economy that is critical to secure the United States’ position as an economic leader. I will take this Virginia lesson to Washington and pursue the same strategies at the national level, to make sure we have a national talent strategy that matches and exceeds our global competitors.

3. Recent college grads are having a hard time finding good jobs. What is your plan to get Virginia’s young people working?

I am committed to ensuring that Virginia’s higher education system adequately prepares its graduates to find jobs in an increasingly competitive job market. All Virginia students deserve access to affordable higher education, but it’s equally important that the degrees they earn give them the skills necessary for the jobs open today. As I travel around the Commonwealth meeting with business leaders in every region of the state, I hear time and again that they have jobs available but can’t find workers with the appropriate credentials. Improving our workforce training and technical education is absolutely essential to ensuring that today’s workers are prepared to compete for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

4. Everyone seems to agree that something needs to be done about the soaring national debt. Obviously, this is a very complicated issue, but could you give us some insight into the type of debt reducing legislation that you would support as a senator?

The federal deficit is a pressing problem, and I would support legislation that balances significant, targeted cuts with strategic investments to bolster our economy. During my term as Governor, we faced the worst national economic period since the Great Depression. In order to balance Virginia’s budget, we cut over $5 billion in state spending, including my own salary. I made major spending cuts as Governor and left office with a smaller state general fund budget than the one I inherited four years earlier. I know how to make spending cuts. But, we will never get to balance through budget cuts alone.

5. Assuming guaranteed success, what single piece of legislation would you introduce tomorrow?

I would introduce legislation that would expand opportunities for students to afford and access workforce training, community college programs and higher education – investments in our talent would help us attract businesses, grow our economy and create more jobs. For the last century, the United States has been the world’s largest economy and a leader in innovation, but we must continue to invest in education to ensure we remain the most talented nation on earth. If we fix everything else, but do not return America to its status as the best-educated nation, we will cede our role as the most dynamic economy on earth.

Virginia wind turbine approved for construction by Bob McDonnell

Virginia is in the process of approval to build a 479 foot tall wind turbine off the coast of Cape Charles in the Chesapeake bay. If the turbine passes review from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard, the project could be complete as early as 2013, making Virginia home of the first wind turbine generator in the states.

“This is an important next step in developing all of Virginia’s domestic energy resources to help power our nation’s economy and puts Virginia at the forefront of clean energy technology development,” Gov. Bob McDonnell said in a statement announcing the marine commission’s unanimous vote.

The purpose of the project is to test the prototype developed by Gamesa Energy USA LLC’s new offshore WTG technology, the G11X. If proven successful, the prototype could be transitioned to worldwide markets by 2015. The life expectancy of the prototype is projected to be 20 years.

McDonnell touts the project as a step forward in his all of the above energy approach, in which he plans to increase wind, oil, coal, nuclear and renewable energy sources to make Virginia the energy capital of the east coast.

The turbine will provide up to five megawatts of clean renewable windpower to the Virginia transmission grid for public use. The governor hopes that this will decrease use of fossil fuel and improve Virginia air quality.

According to the The Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the structure will not have a negative impact on the environment. Instead, fish will be attracted to the shade and shelter, increasing recreational fishing opportunities.

“This is an exciting project,” said VMRC Acting Commissioner Jack Travelstead in an article posted on the Virginia governor’s website. “This will bring jobs, energy, important new scientific information and enhanced fishing opportunities for recreational anglers.”

Paul wins University precinct, more than doubles 10 votes for Romney

Photo of University Hall, where the University precinct is located, taken one day following the election. (Jake McLernon)

Ron Paul won the new University precinct on Super Tuesday with a total of only 22 votes.

Mitt Romney, who was declared the state-wide Virginia winner on Wednesday, received 10 votes in the precinct in which registered on-campus students can cast their ballot. The two GOP rivals were the only candidates on the March 6 ballot.

The total of 32 ballots means roughly 3 percent of registered voters in the precinct participate in the Republican Primary. A total of 1,144 people had registered to vote in the precinct as of March 3, according to the State Board of Elections registrant counts.

“We’re very ecstatic about the results [of Paul winning],” said Sonia Jeffers, events coordinator for Mason’s Youth for Ron Paul group. “We can see how much his popularity and message has spread.”

Prior to Tuesday’s vote, Youth for Ron Paul helped organize advertising and carpooling to get students to Springfield, VA for the Feb. 29 Ron Paul “Leap Day” rally. The group also worked with Mason’s College Republicans to register voters on campus and set up a kiosk in Johnson Center to hand out pocket Constitutions and Ron Paul fact sheets, according to Jeffers.

But Jeffers was surprised by the overall turnout.

“Those numbers are shockingly low,” Jeffers said.

A lack of awareness of the University precinct among on-campus residents, according to some in the Mason community, could have been a factor.

Approximately 6,000 students live on-campus who would be eligible to vote at the precinct’s polling location in University Hall, as long as they are registered at their campus address. The rest of the university’s 33,320 students include a majority commuter population whose precincts would differ based on where they reside. Additionally, a portion of the campus’s residents, could have voted absentee and mailed in their ballot.

Jeffers, who said she hadn’t been politically active until her involvement with Youth for Ron Paul this year, didn’t know about the on-campus precinct until Election Day.

“I had no idea [the University precinct] existed,” said Jeffers. “I was surprised because I didn’t know there was a polling location on campus.”

Tuesday’s primary is the second time ballots have been cast in the University precinct. Established in summer 2011, the precinct was first functional for the Nov. 8 general election, where 76 ballots were cast.

A commuter student herself, Jeffers voted off-campus near her home and said she hoped that other students who didn’t vote on-campus had cast absentee ballots or voted at off-campus precincts. She said she also heard of at least four students who tried to vote at the University precinct but were unable to meet eligibility requirements.

Darren Kessler, a junior at Mason, said he didn’t vote on Tuesday at least In part because he couldn’t identify a candidate that he really liked.

“There’s not really a candidate that stands out that I like,” said Kessler. “[But the vote total] is kind of a crazy thing to hear.”

College of Health and Human Services Professor Naomi Gerber said she notices a big difference between students’ political engagement during this year’s election cycle versus 2008.

“Many [faculty members] have talked at the water cooler about the difference between now and four years ago,” said Gerber. “I walk around and I don’t see fliers or kiosks opening.”

In addition to a lack of student activity, no GOP candidate, in a field which also includes former Senator Rick Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, has held a rally on campus since the election cycle began. Obama, the Democrat incumbent in November’s general election, last held a large event at Mason in the spring of 2010 addressing students on his health care initiative.

Although Jeffers said Paul’s rally in nearby Springfield drew great support —around 2,000 attendees according to reports—she hoped Paul would come to the Fairfax campus and speak at the Patriot Center where more students and community members might attend.

“We were trying really hard to get him to campus,” said Jeffers.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who holds the most delegates in the GOP field, came to Fairfax in late October. His rally, less than a mile from Mason’s main campus, was held to support Virginia state legislators prior to the Nov. 8 general election.

Calling voter turnout at the University precinct “pathetic,” Gerber said she is concerned because she considers the issue of engagement an important one.

A Maryland resident, Gerber said she recently received an email from a Maryland campaign person who was attempting to gather Marylanders to help “stimulate” voter registration in Virginia. She said this might suggest that voting apathy is a statewide issue.

“It seems like Virginia has been identified as a place where a lot of people don’t vote,” said Gerber, who added that she would love to see campus enthusiasm return to where it was in 2008 when both Democratic candidates, Senator Hillary Clinton and then-Senator Barack Obama, came to Mason’s campus prior to the election.

“There was so much energy and enthusiasm,” Gerber said. “It was palpable.”

This article was originally published on 3/9/2012 on Connect2Mason, George Mason University’s student online news source. It is by Adam Sylvain, C2M Managing Editor. The photo is of University Hall and is by Jake McLernon.

Mid-day Report: Super Tuesday Primaries

Today, March 6, is Super Tuesday. The polls are underway but, at least in the state of Virginia, voter turnout has been on the low side.

According to The Washington Post, counties like Loudoun are not even expected to reach the projected 10 percent voter turnout, noticeably down from the 2008 presidential primary, which saw numbers closer to 32 percent. In some counties, the numbers are currently as low as 1.5 percent.

One significant factor behind the lack of enthusiasm among Virginia voters for the 2012 Republican presidential primary is the absence of any apparent suspense or competitiveness. Only two candidates, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul, qualified for the Virginia ballot, and Romney is expected to win by a large margin.

The other states holding primaries or caucuses today are Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Vermont.

Ohio is one of the most-watched states on Super Tuesday, and The Washington Post reports that Santorum and Romney appear to be in a virtual tie there.

Newt Gingrich must win Georgia, his home state, in order to still be considered a genuine candidate. Though he had a head start and was polling with a double-digit lead over Romney and Santorum, few people believe that he has an real chance at winning the nomination, let alone beating President Obama. Polls in Tennessee and Oklahoma both showed Santorum with the lead over Romney.

Everything You Need to Know about Voting in Virginia

Virginia’s GOP primary is fast approaching. On March 6, also known as Super Tuesday, Virginia will vote alongside several other states to help determine who will receive the 2012 Republican nomination for president. Here are a few things you need to know to be ready for the primary and the presidential election in November.

First, some background information about Virginia voting laws and how elections work in the state is important. Voting and elections in the Commonwealth of Virginia are run by the State Board of Elections, which oversees voter registration, implementation of election procedures, etc. for local, state and national elections.

Especially for college students, it is also important to know how to register to vote in Virginia. Voter eligibility requirements are as follows:

Be a resident in Virginia
Be a U.S. citizen
Be 18 years of age by the time of the next general election (those who are 17 but will be 18 by the time of the general election are permitted to register early and to vote in any primaries or other elections prior to the general election)
Not be registered and plan to vote in another state
Not be currently declared mentally incompetent by a court of law
If convicted of a felony, you must have your right to vote restored

Registration applications may be found at any number of locations, including a local voter registration office, online, DMV offices, public libraries and the State Board of Elections office. The completed application should be filed with your local registration office or mailed to the address printed on the form. The registration deadline for both primaries and general elections is 22 days before the election is held.

College students must establish residency in Virginia in order to vote in this state’s elections. According to the Virginia State Board of Elections website, residency is established by a physical location the voter intends to stay at for an unlimited amount of time. Students are allowed to use their dorm or college address for this.

Any students who wish to register to vote in Virginia but are already registered in another state or district must cancel their other registrations first. Students attending a school in a different location from where they are registered may vote using an absentee ballot (see more information below).

Voter ID Requirements and Other Information about Going to Vote

In order to vote, all voters must bring identification to the polls. People who registered to vote by mail and are voting for the first time in a federal election are subject to special requirements:

A current and valid photo ID (e.g. driver’s license)
OR a current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck that shows name and address
OR another government document that shows name and address (e.g. voter card)

All other voters must present any of the following forms of ID:

Virginia voter ID card
A valid Virginia driver’s license
Military ID
Any federal, Virginia state or local government-issued ID
Employer-issued photo ID card
Social security card
Anything else as specified in this table

In Virginia, polls are open from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM on the day of the election.

How to Vote with an Absentee Ballot

Anyone who will not be present at his or her registered voting location at the time the polls are open can apply to vote using an absentee ballot. In order to apply for an absentee ballot, you must either complete an online application or get an application from your local Voter Registration Office.

The application must be received by the Voter Registration Office by 5:00 PM EST on the Tuesday prior to the day you choose to vote. In-person absentee voting lasts from at least 45 days before the established election day and generally ends the Saturday before the election. A new, completed application must be sent in for every election you intend to vote absentee.

Now that you have the right information, you can register to vote and be prepared to vote in either the upcoming GOP primary or in the November presidential general election. Remember every vote counts.

For additional and more detailed information about registration and voting in Virginia, you can visit these websites:

http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/Index.html

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/eb/

Mason Offers Class on Local Virginia Politics

By Mason Votes Staff Writer Ethan Vaughan

George Mason University Professor Toni-Michelle Travis is teaching an American State and Local Government class that focuses on Virginia and Fairfax County, giving students a firmer awareness of the political forces in the community where they live.

Over the years, the class has also featured guest speakers like city planners, state representatives, BOV member Vince Callahan, Delegate Tim Hugo, and former students who now work in state government.

Travis, who has been in the Department of Public and International Affairs for the last 25 years, teaches one section of the Government 304 course each semester which this fall has about 40 students.

Travis believes that by concentrating on such a specific area of government, her students will “gain an appreciation of the history, tradition, and culture of Virginia,and how the best-managed state in the country is run.”

It’s worth learning, she said, “Virginia is a unique and peculiar state.”

Among other things, students learn that Virginia is the only state in the Union whose governor is limited to one consecutive term, it stands alone with New Jersey in holding off-year elections, its budget covers a two-year rather than a one-year period, and its judges are appointed by the state legislature rather than being elected by the people.

Virginia is also a strict Dillon’s Rule state, meaning that a localities can only take those actions specifically allotted them in the state constitution.

“It’s a mother-may-I rule,” Travis said. “A few years ago, Fairfax County wanted to build a park, so they went down to Richmond and the legislature passed a bill approving it. After a few months, though, the park was overrun with weeds; the legislature had forgotten to put a clause for maintenance in the bill, so Fairfax County had to petition Richmond for permission to cut the grass. It covers even simple things.”

Travis’s students have responded well to her local approach.

Senior Erik Amason said that the class was “more interesting than it sounds” and added that Travis’s instruction “has increased my pride as a Virginian and made me think higher of our state in relation to the rest of the Union.”

“I was particularly interested in Dillon’s Rule,” Halima Ali, another of Travis’ students, said. “Virginia seems slow at accepting changes in the political system.”

Travis agreed. “I’ve never taught this course through the lens of Democrats vs. Republicans, because that’s not what’s going on; it’s urban vs. rural, NOVA vs. ROVA.”

Additional State Budget Cuts Affect Mason

Virginia Governor Tim Kaine announced on Tuesday more details of the additional budget cuts that he had previously promised.

“We did do reductions to higher [education]. The net reductions to higher [education] on average… is about a 7.7 percent reduction to higher [education] That amount is slightly over $100 million,” said Kaine during the announcement. “We do believe, based on our discussions with the higher [education] institutions that they will be able to manage to this.”

According to Dan Walsch, George Mason University press secretary, Mason will be hit with an eight percent cut which will translate to $17.5 million. “It’s significant,” said Walsch. “We will spread it out as much as we can. That doesn’t mean it will be mathematically even but we’ll try to be even handed.”

When asked if the cut would mean layoffs, Walsch said, “I don’t think so, but it probably will mean some realignment, reorganization, perhaps combining programs. In terms of out and out layoffs, I doubt it but [the cut] is significant.

Below is video of Kaine’s full budget cuts announcement.

Photo by flickr user World Resources.

State House Speaker Addresses Mason on Budget Crisis

By Chris Bradshaw

Republican Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Bill Howell visited George Mason University Tuesday to address students and faculty. He answered questions about the current budget crisis and the impact it will have on the state level.

“Technically we’re not in a recession – in this country or in Virginia – yet, but I really think one is coming, and I think we need to prepare for that,” Howell said. He predicted that Virginia would face a deficit as high as $3.5 to four billion over the next two years.

Howell recommended using the current financial strain as an opportunity to re-examine the way Virginia puts together its budget.

“This speaks loudly to reforming the way we do our budget,” Howell said. “We shouldn’t have to go through these exercises every time we have an economic cycle. We ought to be able to build a budget that does well in good times and that can exist in the less-good times. I’m hoping we can use this opportunity to make those structural changes.”

To make these changes, Howell called on unity between political parties and government branches.

“Whether we can get this done between now and January remains to be seen,” he said. “It’s going to take support of the governor, it’s going to take support of the Senate, as well as the House.”

Howell suggested both parties must be willing to compromise. As examples, he cited a pay raise cap for teachers, a position that Democrats previously balked at, and the possibility of reducing the number of
prison inmates, which is traditionally opposed by Republicans.

“Maybe this is an area where we can work together,” Howell said. “Governor Tim Kaine is already looking into ways to reduce budget costs.”

Howell said that Kaine has asked all government agencies to give him a projection of how they would cut their spending by five to 15 percent over the next three years.

“They’re not – and this is to his credit – they’re not proposing we go across the board and cut everybody seven-and-a-half percent,” Howell said. “For example, he said we can’t cut what we give to local governments for education K-12 in this fiscal year because they’ve already developed contracts and they’re already spending money based on what we told them we would give them.”

Howell was quick to point out that although Kaine refused to cut funds for K-12 education this fiscal year, cuts for next year should be expected.

“I don’t think our education is going to be exempt,” Howell said. “I think everyone’s going to feel [it].”

Educational policy was at the forefront of the minds of Mason students and faculty members who asked questions once Howell opened the floor. One of the first questions Howell was asked concerned how these budget cuts would affect Mason.

“I can’t tell you how the cuts are going to impact this university because I don’t know if anybody’s announced what they’re going to be for George Mason and how they’ll compare to other universities,” Howell said. “Some may get a deeper cut than others, because some, perhaps, can handle it. But I do think it’s safe to say that, more than likely, your tuition is going to go up, even more than it might have otherwise.”

Without downplaying the seriousness of the situation, Howell also expressed optimism about Virginia’s ability to endure and overcome the current crisis, citing Forbes.com’s recognition of Virginia as the best-managed state and best state to do business in for the past three years.

“We’re in mighty good shape compared to other states,” Howell said.

Last Day to Register to Vote

Today, the last day to register to vote, over 100 students have registered or updated their registration on campus. Registration volunteers from Presidential Nominee Barack Obama’s campaign have been on campus everyday for weeks. According to those volunteers, students have been surrounding their registration table all morning; some have been experiencing problems contacting the Virginia State Board of Elections and came to the Obama volunteers instead.

Registered residential students who do not want to travel to their home polling center have the option of reregistering with their campus address or applying for an absentee ballot. Both application forms must be submitted by today.

“I knew that today was the last day to register. I had been contemplating whether to vote absentee ballot or reregister,” said freshman Ed Bennett. After discussing the options with his Father, Bennett decided to reregister today using his on campus address.

All voter registration forms must be postmarked today. Registration volunteers will be outside the Johnson Center until 4:30 p.m.