“Déjà vu all over again”
Yogi Berra said it. Many of us are living it.
My first vote was for a war hero and junior U.S. Senator who was running for President. He was a Catholic from Massachusetts. His initials were JFK.
This year I have a chance to do it again. First, in the Virginia Primary next Tuesday. Then on November 2. With Kate Hanley, Gerry Connolly, Penny Gross, Sharon Bulova, Gerry Hyland and Ed Strait, I have endorsed another JFK.
John Forbes Kerry should be our next President. He is a proven winner. Because his background and accomplishments—military veteran, Lt. Governor of Massachusetts and U.S. Senator—he has a unique understanding of how government works and what it takes to get things done in Washington. I look forward to his inauguration next January.
A New Acronym is Born
Several days ago, Republican House members used a Richmond Times-Dispatch column to launch attacks at Governor Warner’s plan to re-structure Virginia's tax and budget system. They used the oft-repeated, but never substantiated, claim that waste, abuse and fraud are significant causes of budget shortfalls. One question comes to mind: since you have large majorities in both Houses, why haven’t you eliminated it?
I noted in a brief response that the same people who sign tax cap pledges also seem to submit substantial budget amendments to add expenditures for their favorite organizations. The staff calculated that Republicans requested more than $ 3 billion in Budget amendments!
As a result, I offer a new acronym for budget buffoonery:
W A F F L E
- Waste
- Abuse
- Fraud &
- Frivolous
- Legislative
- Excesses
Maybe someone will offer an appropriate reward for the best WAFFLEr in the General Assembly this year. It appears that many will qualify for consideration.
…the man under the tree
Last week the House Appropriations Committee held a lengthy public hearing on the 2005-06 Budget. More than 100 people testified. As in the past, supporters of the Extension Service budget were among the most numerous. This time their message was somewhat mixed. Several proponents of more spending on Extension Service programs wore
bright stickers urging “No Tax Hike”. They reminded me of the anti-tax slogan often attributed to former Louisiana Senator Russell Long:
“Don’t tax me. Don’t tax thee. Tax the man under the tree.”
A Familiar Face in Iowa and New Hampshire
I was pleased to see a familiar face standing near Senator Kerry as he spoke to crowds in Iowa and New Hampshire. It was Harold Schaitberger, a Woodson High School graduate and firefighter extraordinaire. Harold was an early president of Fairfax County Professional Firefighters and Paramedics. He became Virginia president, and approximately three years ago he was elected to the presidency of the International Association of Firefighters and Paramedics. Strong and early supporters of John Kerry, Harold and IAFF have leading roles in the campaign. Best wishes to him---and his candidate!
