Dear Republican Friends,

I am grateful that the State Central Committee confirmed my election as Augusta County Republican Chairman. As I stated publicly on April 18, I will be stepping down as Augusta GOP Chairman. This will take place on June 7^th after the 6^th District Republican Meeting. This is a very important meeting and Augusta County must be represented, however, let there be no question regarding my pledge, I am stepping down in order to bring unity to the local party.

While my decision to relinquish the Chairmanship does not come easy, my primary motivation is for the greater good of the Republican Party. By stepping aside, an opportunity for a consensus candidate will be created. With my resignation, I am offering an invitation to Senator Emmett Hanger and his followers to come back into the Republican fold and focus on the true challenge of the fall elections.

I also believe that it is in the best interest of the local party that Larry Roller accepts the decision of the State Central Committee. Larry Roller’s statements to the press stating he will pursue a lawsuit would only deepen the divide among local Republicans. I would ask Larry Roller once again, to reconsider his actions in order to help bring unity to the party.

Though I am stepping aside as Chairman, I will continue to work and promote our conservative values. It has been an honor to serve as Chairman of the Augusta County Republican Committee for over five years. I am forever indebted to all my friends who have supported me throughout my tenure and have stuck with me through a difficult appeal process; you are true friends.

Sincerely, Kurt Michael , Chairman

Augusta County Republican Committee

By a unanimous vote of State Central, Dr. Kurt Michael was named chair of the Augusta County Republican Committee. I have enjoyed working with Kurt over these past few years and admire and respect his talents and leadership. Now it is time to put to rest the discord and truly unite Augusta County.

Congratulations Dr. Kurt Michael!

By Congressman Bob Goodlatte

Virginia’s families are feeling the pinch of rising gas prices and recent talk of $4 a gallon prices are of great concern to me. I believe immediate action needs to be taken to address this issue. Unfortunately, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in Congress have failed to show any meaningful leadership.

Two years ago Nancy Pelosi and Democratic candidates across the country promised the American people that they had a plan to reduce gas prices and it would be their top priority. Yet, since they took control of Congress, gas prices have increased nearly 60%.

On January 4, 2007, when Nancy Pelosi was elected Speaker, the national average for a gallon of gas was $2.33. Today, according to AAA, the national average is $3.831 a gallon.

Americans cannot afford the Pelosi Premium. Click here to learn more.

The only solution Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats have come up with is to raise taxes on energy, which they have done four times since coming to power.

They even voted to increase taxes on America’s energy producers while giving Venezuelan Dictator Hugo Chavez and his state run CITGO a tax exemption, even as he threatened to cut off oil supplies to the U.S.

There is a great deal at stake this fall. That’s why I need your help. For the first time in a decade the Democrats in our area are going to run a candidate against me. While I am hopeful that the people of this district will once again send me to Washington to represent them, we cannot take anything for granted. I need your help to make sure I can continue to take a stand for our values in Washington. I hope I can count on your continued support.

Cross-posted at SWAC Girl

By President George W. Bush 

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This Memorial Day weekend, kids will be out of school, moms and dads will be firing up the grill, and families across our country will mark the unofficial beginning of summer. But as we do, we should all remember the true purpose of this holiday -- to honor the sacrifices that make our freedom possible.

On Monday, I will commemorate Memorial Day by visiting Arlington National Cemetery, where I will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. The tomb is the final resting place of three brave American soldiers who lost their lives in combat. The names of these veterans of World War I, World War II, and the Korean War are known only to God. But their valor is known to us all.

Throughout American history, this valor has preserved our way of life and our sacred freedoms. It was this valor that won our independence. It was this valor that removed the stain of slavery from our Nation. And it was this valor that defeated the great totalitarian threats of the last century.

Today, the men and women of our military are facing a new totalitarian threat to our freedom. In Iraq, Afghanistan, and other fronts around the world, they continue the proud legacy of those who came before them. They bear their responsibilities with quiet dignity and honor. And some have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of their country.

One such hero was Sergeant First Class Benjamin Sebban of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division. As the senior medic in his squadron, Ben made sacrifice a way of life. When younger medics were learning how to insert IVs, he would offer his own arm for practice. And when the time came, Ben did not hesitate to offer his fellow soldiers far more.

On March 17, 2007, in Iraq's Diyala province, Ben saw a truck filled with explosives racing toward his team of paratroopers. He ran into the open to warn them, exposing himself to the blast. Ben received severe wounds, but this good medic never bothered to check his own injuries. Instead, he devoted his final moments on this earth to treating others. Earlier this week, in a ceremony at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, I had the honor of presenting Sergeant Sebban's mom with the Silver Star that he earned.

No words are adequate to console those who have lost a loved one serving our Nation. We can only offer our prayers and join in their grief. We grieve for the mother who hears the sound of her child's 21-gun salute. We grieve for the husband or wife who receives a folded flag. We grieve for a young son or daughter who only knows dad from a photograph.

One holiday is not enough to commemorate all of the sacrifices that have been made by America's men and women in uniform. No group has ever done more to defend liberty than the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. Their bravery has done more than simply win battles. It has done more than win wars. It has secured a way of life for our entire country. These heroes and their families should be in our thoughts and prayers on a daily basis, and they should receive our loving thanks at every possible opportunity.

This Memorial Day, I ask all Americans to honor the sacrifices of those who have served you and our country. One way to do so is by joining in a moment of remembrance that will be marked across our country at 3:00 p.m. local time. At that moment, Major League Baseball games will pause, the National Memorial Day parade will halt, Amtrak trains will blow their whistles, and buglers in military cemeteries will play Taps. You can participate by placing a flag at a veteran's grave, taking your family to the battlefields where freedom was defended, or saying a silent prayer for all the Americans who were delivered out of the agony of war to meet their Creator. Their bravery has preserved the country we love so dearly.

Thank you for listening.

Cross-posted at SWAC Girl

Memorial Day 2008

In memory of three Augusta County Marines
who made the ultimate sacrifice
during Operation Iraqi Freedom....

"Governor Kaine wanted the Democrats in the House and the Senate to get behind one set of proposals, and that is just not going to happen." -- Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (D-Bath)

Uh-oh. Sounds like trouble on the democrat side of the aisle. Thursday's Washington Post reported:

The internal battle between House and Senate Democrats over what taxes should be increased represents a turnaround in Virginia politics. For much of this decade, it has been moderate and conservative Republicans who have been divided, resulting in stalled efforts to enact taxes or fees to relieve traffic congestion and repair the state's aging network of highways.

Many differences appear to be over how to raise the needed finances. The Post continued:

[Democrat state senator Richard] Saslaw, backed by many Senate Democrats, wants an increase in the state's 17.5-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax, which hasn't been raised since 1986. [Del. Ward] Armstrong and [Del. Brian] Moran, who are spearheading efforts by Democrats to gain the majority in next year's elections, oppose a gas tax increase, citing the record price of fuel at the pump. Kaine agrees."

I just don't think we can impose [a gas tax] on the public when they are already paying three dollars and 60 cents a gallon," Armstrong said. "We all have constituents that are struggling to put gas in their car."

Kaine and Democrats commissioned a poll six weeks ago that found more than 80 percent of residents oppose a 15-cent-a-gallon increase in the gas tax.

Saslaw shot back at the House Democrats: "I don't run the state on polls, and if Brian and Ward want to run the state on the polls, that is their problem."

Tim Kaine is scheduled to address the transportation issue in Staunton next week. Americans For Prosperity and others will be there to greet him.

If you plan to attend:

Tim Kaine's Staunton Transportation Town Hall Meeting
Thursday, May 22 - 6:30-8:00 pm
Mary Baldwin College
Francis Auditorium - 3rd floor
227 E. Frederick Street, Staunton

H/T to GOP Caucus

Cross-posted at SWAC Girl

Richmond - Attorney General Bob McDonnell released the following statement today regarding the Governor’s 2008 transportation plan.

“Virginia’s future prosperity depends upon the Commonwealth having a 21^st Century transportation system. Growing up in Fairfax County, and later representing Virginia Beach in the House of Delegates, I have seen firsthand the transportation challenges that we face. I believe it is imperative we modernize and improve the transportation system in the Commonwealth, and I know the Governor believes this as well. While I have worked closely and in agreement with the Governor on many important reforms for our citizens, I cannot support the Governor’s tax and spend philosophy as outlined in his transportation plan.

The Governor did not make his transportation plan available to Republicans until today so I am still reviewing the details. However, it is disappointing that the Governor’s third transportation plan since taking office is basically the same as his first two. Through all the conversations, negotiations, and debate of the past several years, the Governor has continued to rely on his belief in higher taxes with increased spending, going to the same government bureaucracies that have not delivered transportation services efficiently. At the same time, there’s a total absence of innovation, creativity, privatization, and the use of technology to improve transportation. Further, it is unfortunate that the Governor’s plan relies on regressive taxes that place a disproportionate burden on lower and middle-class citizens. This is not the way to improve transportation in Virginia.

What has been absolutely ignored is last year’s historic increase in transportation funding. The General Assembly passed bipartisan legislation that provided for the largest infusion of new statewide funding for transportation in 22 years, and did so without a statewide tax increase. Remarkably, today we hear almost nothing from the Governor about what that plan accomplished. Statewide nearly $560 million a year in new funding, on average, was dedicated to transportation. The bipartisan plan, approved by 85% of the members of the General Assembly, directed that 2/3 of all budget surpluses will go directly to transportation. Thus, based on economic history, there will be much larger future annual deposits to transportation when the economy improves. In years when the Commonwealth sees surpluses of one billion dollars or more, such as in 2005, this would mean hundreds of millions of dollars in additional transportation funding. Last year’s plan also put in place new land use reforms, and accountability measures for the Virginia Department of Transportation.

The Governor’s plan announced today gives no indication that this funding has occurred, and contains no creative reform components. Instead, the Governor paints the picture of an empty bank, which must be replenished with higher taxes on Virginians trying to sell their homes, buy new cars, or register their vehicles.

State spending has increased 40% over the past 6 years. T hat averages out to be $3,369 per Virginia household . In the past 10 years the state budget has doubled. The reliance solely on new taxes in the Governor’s plan reflects a failure to utilize existing resources and to prioritize transportation as a key component of government.

Before the Governor taxes the people of Virginia one cent more I would like to ask the following questions.

Why is there no discussion of increased use of public-private partnerships in the Governor’s plan? Since the revamping of the Virginia Public-Private Transportation Act in 1995, it has been woefully underutilized. Why not let willing private road contractors take more of the financial risk, and, equally, gain more of the financial rewards of building infrastructure in Virginia? Where is the vast new statewide money from last year going? Why does the Governor believe that voters will now trust that money raised by a sales tax increase in Hampton Roads, but sent to Richmond, will actually come back to them in full? With the maintenance deficit and cost overruns being such a concern, why is there no provision to improve the efficiency of VDOT? Why is there no focus on dedicating new revenues to projects with proven ability to relieve congestion? Why are congestion pricing, tolls, and other free-market solutions not being considered?

I’m confident that a bipartisan resolution of these transportation issues can be resolved by the General Assembly and the Governor in this special session. With the dramatic new statewide funding provided for transportation by the General Assembly last year, I hope the focus of this special session will be on addressing the demonstrated specific regional needs in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. There is no justification for a statewide tax increase.

Cross-posted at SWAC Girl

RICHMOND – Republican Party of Virginia Chairman John Hager released the following statement Monday in response to Governor Tim Kaine’s proposal to raise taxes:

“After months of sitting on the sidelines of the transportation debate, Tim Kaine has finally rolled out his plan to fund transportation projects in the Commonwealth. Just like his predecessor Mark Warner, the only idea Tim Kaine can come up with is to increase taxes on Virginia’s working families and businesses. During this time of economic uncertainty and skyrocketing food and gas prices, raising taxes is exactly the wrong answer to Virginia’s transportation problems.”

Cross-posted at SWAC Girl

RICHMOND - Earlier today, Governor Tim Kaine released details of his latest transportation funding proposal, which will be considered by the General Assembly during a Special Session on June 23, 2008.  In response to the Governor's proposal, Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling issued the following statement:

"Since he took office in 2006, Governor Kaine has relentlessly tried to raise taxes on Virginia's families to generate additional funding for transportation, even though such tax increases are unnecessary and are not supported by the vast majority of the people of Virginia.  The Governor's most recent transportation proposal is just the latest chapter in this never ending saga and I seriously doubt that it will be well received by Republicans in the General Assembly or the people of Virginia.

“While there is never a good time to raise taxes, I am also concerned by the fact that the Governor and Democrats in the General Assembly want to raise taxes by over one billion dollars at a time when economic growth is slowing, fuel and food costs are skyrocketing, and working Virginians are having a harder time making ends meet.  Increasing taxes now will unnecessarily hurt the economy and kill needed jobs.  In addition, Governor Kaine’s tax increase plan is regressive and will hurt those least able to pay the most, including senior citizens on a fixed income and young families.”

"Developing a transportation system for the 21st century is one of the major challenges currently facing our state.  While transportation challenges exist in every part of Virginia, these challenges are critical in two regions of our state - Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.  Solving these acute regional challenges should be the focus of the General Assembly's efforts in the upcoming Special Session.

"In 2007 the General Assembly approved legislation that provided $600M in additional funding for transportation on a statewide basis, and an additional $600M in additional funding for transportation in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.  While the Supreme Court has struck down the funding mechanism for the $600M in regional funding in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, the vast majority of the statewide package remains in tact and continues to generate significant additional funding to meet transportation needs across Virginia.

"If we are serious about finding a solution to Virginia's transportation needs, rather than simply in engaging in another round of political grandstanding, we must keep our focus firmly fixed on solving the main challenge before us - developing a realistic and constitutional framework for providing additional transportation funding in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.  To try and expand these discussions to a so called statewide solution is unwise and will jeopardize our ability to find workable regional solutions for Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.

"I look forward to working with the members of the General Assembly to find workable regional transportation solutions for Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.  However, I will not support any effort to increase taxes on a statewide basis and I am confident this is a sentiment shared by a majority of Virginia taxpayers."

Cross-posted at SWAC Girl

By Congressman Bob Goodlatte

It was Alexis de Tocqueville who once said, “The tie of language is perhaps the strongest and the most durable that can unite mankind”. It is has never been more critical that we work to teach everyone English. According to the U.S. Census, almost twelve million Americans do not speak English. The number of Americans who do not speak English has increased 176 percent over the last twenty years.

For these important reasons, I have joined with nearly 150 Members of Congress in supporting the English Language Unity Act which would declare English to be the official language of the United States. This bipartisan legislation would require the official functions of the United States to be conducted in English, and that there be a uniform English language rule for U.S. naturalization.

In a vast and diverse country such as ours, including citizens from every culture of the world, it is essential that we encourage our people to develop a national identity. A common language is a key factor in achieving this goal. Communicating using a common language is vital to the preservation of our national unity.

To allow a second competing language to develop would create serious complications for businesses and public agencies which would be forced to handle their affairs bilingually. It would also result in separatism and division in national politics. If we allow the United States to disintegrate into a nation of regional languages it is likely that we will experience the problems of communication that are plaguing Canada.

Currently, the Canadian Government spends $24 per Canadian resident per year to do government business in both of the nation’s official languages. If the United States was to spend $24 per person per year on government multilingualism, the cost to American taxpayers would be $5.7 billion a year.

A Zogby International poll found that 79 percent of Americans and 81 percent of first and second generation Americans favor making English the official language of the United States. Additionally, a t least 30 states, including Virginia , have laws declaring English to be the official state language.

The United States of America is a nation that historically has had many immigrants. This is also true today. The English language can help unite us as a country. It is the ability to communicate and interact in one common language that is critical to ensuring everyone can be an active participant in our society and so I will continue working hard for the passage of the English Language Unity Act, declaring English our official language.

Cross-posted at SWAC Girl

Final results for Staunton City Council ... Ophie Kier, Dickie Bell, Dave Metz, and Andrea Oakes.

Andrea Oakes is a sweet win along with Dickie Bell who has served well over the years and deserved to be reelected.

Congratulations, Andrea and Dickie!

Cross-posted at SWAC Girl

Great night for Republicans in Waynesboro. Conservatives continue to gain ground as they have now taken the majority on City Council. The Waynesboro News Virginian reports:

"With just absentee and provisional ballots left-to-be-counted, Bruce Allen, with 62 percent of the vote, won an overwhelming victory over Chris Graham and Greg Bruno. Graham received 26 percent while Bruno received 11 percent."

Frank Lucente and Tim Williams also won.

Sweet!

Cross-posted at SWAC Girl

A full meeting of the 6th District Republican Congressional Committee met Saturday to hear charges about the disputed Augusta Mass Meeting. The 16-8 vote declared that Kurt Michael is rightfully the duly-elected Chairman of Augusta County, and Larry Roller is not.

Congratulations, Kurt Michael!

Cross-posted at SWAC Girl