Take It Back in 2007
Posted by Chap at 11/9/2006 9:45 AM and is filed under uncategorized 
Dear Friends:
The campaign is over. Next Wednesday, November 15th, a new campaign begins.
Our state is ready for a change in Richmond. In 2007, all 140 seats in the Virginia General Assembly will be up for election. We need a new Assembly that represents a vibrant and modernizing Virginia. An Assembly that protects our historic legacy while making Virginia a "first among equals" in economic growth and education.
The Blue Dominion Majority PAC was formed in 2004 to bring balanced representation back to Virginia. It is focused on raising money for legislative candidates that support our Democratic principles and can win contested seats. Our stated goal is to win back the Assembly in 2007.
Next Wednesday November 15th from 7-9 p.m., I am honored to join the PAC in hosting a "Take It Back" happy hour at the Firehouse Grill, 3988 University Drive in downtown Fairfax City. We are raising money and signing up volunteers for 2007. You are invited to attend and bring a friend. Sponsorships are $100-$2,500. All funds raised will be used for targeted "take it back" races in 2007. You can RSVP to bdmpac@cox.net.
Please join us next Wednesday night. Taking it back starts now.
Sincerely,
Chap
Authorized by Chap Petersen and nobody else.
The campaign is over. Next Wednesday, November 15th, a new campaign begins.
Our state is ready for a change in Richmond. In 2007, all 140 seats in the Virginia General Assembly will be up for election. We need a new Assembly that represents a vibrant and modernizing Virginia. An Assembly that protects our historic legacy while making Virginia a "first among equals" in economic growth and education.
The Blue Dominion Majority PAC was formed in 2004 to bring balanced representation back to Virginia. It is focused on raising money for legislative candidates that support our Democratic principles and can win contested seats. Our stated goal is to win back the Assembly in 2007.
Next Wednesday November 15th from 7-9 p.m., I am honored to join the PAC in hosting a "Take It Back" happy hour at the Firehouse Grill, 3988 University Drive in downtown Fairfax City. We are raising money and signing up volunteers for 2007. You are invited to attend and bring a friend. Sponsorships are $100-$2,500. All funds raised will be used for targeted "take it back" races in 2007. You can RSVP to bdmpac@cox.net.
Please join us next Wednesday night. Taking it back starts now.
Sincerely,
Chap
Authorized by Chap Petersen and nobody else.
Fairfax County Democrats sold out Fairfax County in connection with Mark Warner & John Chichester' tax increase bill. Why would we want more of you?
According to the staff of the Senate Finance Committee, the net cost to Fairfax County residents for 2005 was $107,883,350. According to FCPS, it received less than $14 M in new state aid for education. Not a very good return for taxpayers or students in our schools.
Yet, you and your Democratic colleagues voted for this bill. You could have held out for more funding. There was a move afoot to tie up the tax increases unless the additional aid to public schools was distributed on a per-student basis. But you didn't hold out for that. Had the Fairfax County Democrats held out (instead of sold out), we'd be better off. Moreover, Governor Warner wouldn't have objected. Fairfax County Democrats care more about raising taxes than getting a fair return from Richmond. Thanks for nothing!
TMT:
You're beating me up pretty good on my own blog and I like it!
Ok, I'm happy to talk about the 2004 session on taxes since I was very involved in the School Aid distribution issue and managed to make just about everybody angry at some point.
You are correct that Ffx County delegates were looking at 2004 as a chance to change the County's lousy return on state aid for education. No doubt about it. In fact, I had a bill in that year that would have required the state to fund 1/3 of costs in every jurisdiction, a boon to the suburban counties like Fairfax who now pay about 75% of their own costs.
That discussion continued right until the very final days of the session. Two Ffx Dem Delegates (myself and Steve Shannon) had pledged to vote "no" if there was not a better split on the education money. That led to some very tense meetings both in the Dem Caucus and before Gov Warner.
When the House got back the final bill in late April (that eventually became the law), there was a last-second compromise which stated that 1/2 the new tax money would be distributed by the Aid formula and 1/2 by student population (which we were pressing for). That was what we settled on, for better or worse. At the end of the day, Fairfax County received approx. $100M new dollars in education funding for the next fiscal year. On top of that, the County was given permission to raise other taxes (cigarette, hotel, etc) which were part of the overall plan and a significant boost to the Count's fiscal position.
TMT, I was alternatively relieved and furious at the final result -- depends on which side of the bed I woke up on. At the end of the day, it was a compromise. And I voted for it.
Chap,
Are you counting the biennial retargeting of the SoQ as part of the new $100 M? Some of my friends on the school board tried to do that, but backed down when I pushed back. They later admitted that most of the money would have come anyway. Brand new money was less than $14 M from the higher sales tax.
The same raid on our pocketbooks is possible with Kaine's proposed early childhood education program. Fairfax County will pay somewhere around 25-26% of the costs, based on our share of the individual income tax. But with let's say 13-14% of the affected children, based on FCPS' share of state student, we get hosed again. Expansion or creation of any spending programs on a statewide basis hurt Fairfax County taxpayers. Moreover, we are not just aiding poor communities around the state (which seems fair), but we also subsidize many other areas that could afford to pay higher local taxes and fund their own programs.
TMT -- thanks for staying on this. Let's see, the final version of HB 5018 involved a half-cent in new sales tax (approx. $400M annually). Half that money went back to K-12 education, or $200M annually . Half of that school money was distributed by the LCI, which yields about $7-8M for Ffx County. THe other half went back on Daily Attendance which yields $17-18M annually to Fairfax (I'm doing these numbers from hazy recollection but I think that's fairly close). Thus, the actual upgrade from our last-second amendment is about $10M. Not a lot for one year but, remember it's in the state law, so take it forward year after year. Now you're talking real money, even in a $1B budget like you have for Fairfax County Public Schools.