Great time this evening with Democrats from Bristol Tennessee and Bristol Virginia at the State Line Bar and Grill in Bristol Tennessee. This is a monthly event, every third Monday – come and join us!

Thank you to folks who filed, and to all of our Bristol Democrats who were holding the date on the calendar in case a caucus was needed.

Since we will all be free on May 6th at 7:00, here is where we should be:

Monday, May 6, 2013, at 7:00 p.m. – Since the Caucus is cancelled! – Come out and support Bristol Tennessee Democrats at the Forum! Bristol TN-VA Association of Realtors will host a forum for Bristol TN City Council candidates at the Slater Community Center, 325 McDowell St., Bristol, TN. The forum will feature a segment allowing opponents to question each other. It is open to the public, and of interest to all residents of Bristol.

Also remember:

Border Bash tonight on State Street! 5:30 to around 8:00 the BVDC will be there! Come down and say hello!

The remainder of our calendar remains in effect as sent previously, but the two items below have highlighted updates:

Wednesday, May 8, 2013, at 11:30 a.m. – Terry McAuliffe will be in Bristol! Corner of Moore and Cumberland streets in Bristol, at the Birthplace of Country Music. Come to meet and greet the next Governor of Virginia! The campaign website is at http://terrymcauliffe.com/ .

And very important:
Saturday, May 25, 2013 – Ninth District Convention to be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 25 2013, at the Southwest Virginia 4-H Educational Center, Ratliff Hall Meeting Facility, 25236 Hillman Highway Abingdon, VA 24210. Registration starts at 9:00 a.m. The timing of this convention prior to the primary on June 11th gives an opportunity for the primary candidates to come to the region and meet people from across the district. Please plan to attend if at all possible. I hope that our candidates running in the primary for nomination to Lt. Governor and Attorney General will be there, and the MC of the Convention will be Charniele Herring, the new Democratic Party of Virginia Chair!

Thank you – come see us at Border Bash, and be downtown at Moore and Cumberland on Wednesday to see Terry McAuliffe!

– Sarah

– Sarah Williams, Chair
Bristol Virginia Democratic Committee
P.O. Box 17452
Bristol, VA 24209-7452
Telephone: 276-591-3355

http://bristolvademocrats.wordpress.com

NOTICE OF CITY OF BRISTOL DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS

Whereas The Ninth Congressional District of Virginia has issued a Call to Convention for the purposes of electing twenty Democratic State Central Committee members, considering resolutions, and conducting such other business as may properly come before the convention, which will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 25, 2013, at the Southwest Virginia 4-H Educational Center, Ratliff Hall Meeting Facility, 25236 Hillman Highway, Abingdon, Virginia, with registration starting at 9:00 a.m.; and
Whereas Bristol, Virginia, is entitled to representation at the Convention:

The Bristol Virginia Democratic Committee will hold an assembled caucus beginning at 7:00 p.m. on May 6, 2013 at the Bristol Virginia Courthouse, 497 Cumberland Street, Bristol, VA for the purpose of electing 3 delegates and 2 alternates to the Ninth Congressional District Convention. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and close promptly at 7:00 p.m., and no person may complete a form or enter the caucus after 7:00 p.m. with the exception of those persons in line to register at 7:00 p.m.

Any person attending the caucus, before participating in the caucus, shall sign a standardized declaration form. The declaration form must be filled out at the caucus location prior to voting, and includes an affirmation that the person:
• is a resident of Bristol Virginia and registered to vote in Bristol Virginia;
• does not intend to support any candidate who is opposed to the Democratic nominee in the next ensuing general election;
• is a Democrat;
• is not a member of any other political party; and
• has not participated in and will not participate in the nominating process of any other political party for the 2013 general election.

Any person seeking election as a delegate or alternate to the Ninth Congressional District Convention must pre-file a Delegate/Alternate Pre-filing Form with Sarah Williams, Chair of the Bristol Virginia Democratic Committee, prior to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 2, 2013. No late forms will be accepted, and no person who has failed to comply with any pre-filing requirement may be considered for nomination. Pre-filing forms are available from Sarah Williams, and may be completed and filed during the turn-in hours of 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, 2013, at 710 Piedmont Avenue in Bristol, VA, or earlier by appointment.

Should the exact number of persons to be elected as delegates and alternates pre-file for the Bristol delegate and alternate positions, those individuals will be declared delegates and alternates, and the Chair may cancel the caucus. For further information or to turn in pre-filing forms, please contact Sarah Williams at 276-591-3355 or 423-366-9968.

Authorized by the Bristol Virginia Democratic Committee, April 22, 2013

Please note that the May 6 Delegate Selection Caucus scheduled for May 6, 2013, is still in effect.
______________

This Call is cancelled: Whereas the terms of Constitutional Officers of the City of Bristol, Virginia, including Commonwealth’s Attorney, Sheriff, Commissioner of Revenue, and Treasurer expire with the coming year, and Whereas the Bristol, Virginia, Democratic Committee may nominate Democratic candidates for said offices:

The Bristol Virginia Democratic Committee will hold an assembled caucus beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 29, 2013, at the Bristol Virginia Courthouse, 497 Cumberland Street, Bristol, Virginia, for the sole purpose of choosing nominee(s) for said offices. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and close promptly at 7:00 p.m., and no person may complete a form or enter the caucus after 7:00 p.m. with the exception of those persons in line to register at 7:00 p.m.

Any person attending the caucus, before participating in the caucus, shall sign a standardized declaration form. The declaration form must be filled out at the caucus location prior to voting, and includes an affirmation that the person attending:

• is a resident of Bristol Virginia and registered to vote in Bristol Virginia,
• does not intend to support any candidate who is opposed to the Democratic nominee in the next ensuing general election,
• is a Democrat,
• is not a member of any other political party, and
• has not participated in and will not participate in the nominating process of any other political party for the 2013 general election.

Any person seeking election as the Democratic nominee for any of the said offices must pre-file a Declaration of Candidacy for Democratic Nomination form with Sarah Williams, Chair of the Bristol Virginia Democratic Committee, prior to 12:00 noon on Friday, April 26, 2013. No late forms will be accepted, and no person who has failed to comply with any pre-filing requirement may be considered for nomination. Pre-filing forms are available from Sarah Williams, 423-366-9968, and may be completed and filed during the turn-in hours of 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Friday, April 26, 2013, at 710 Piedmont Avenue in Bristol, Virginia, or earlier by appointment. Candidates elected as nominees must comply with all filing requirements of the Virginia State Board of Elections.

Should no more than one Declaration of Candidacy be filed for each open office, those individuals may be declared the nominee(s), and the Chair may cancel the caucus. For further information or to turn in pre-filing forms, please contact Sarah Williams at 423-366-9968.

• Paid for and Authorized by the Bristol Virginia Democratic Committee, April 15, 2013
• This Call to Caucus remains in effect until duly cancelled or convened as provided in the Call.

March 29, 2013, Charlottesville, VA — Today House Democratic Leader David Toscano sent the following letter to Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli urging him to recuse himself and his office and appoint outside counsel in Virginia’s case against Star Scientific, a company in which Cuccinelli is invested and from whose CEO he has received $13,000 in gifts. Star Scientific owes Virginia $700,000 in taxes and sued the state in 2011 over the matter.

Last week an Associated Press report revealed that case has lain dormant since August of 2011 and questioned whether Cuccinelli’s apparent conflict of interest with the company has played a role in his office’s slow handling of the matter. Today Toscano called on Cuccinelli to do away with the perception of impropriety and recuse himself and his office from the case.

The text of the letter he sent is below:

Dear General Cuccinelli,

As you know, last week the Associated Press reported on a troubling issue regarding your office’s handling of a tax dispute with a company in which you are invested and with whose CEO you seem to be close friends. According to that report, Star Scientific may owe Virginia taxpayers as much as $700,000 and has sued the Commonwealth over that bill. The case to resolve that claim is being handled by your office, but it seems to have sat dormant since August of 2011.

The length of time that has passed without any action on a case at which hundreds of thousands of dollars are at stake is cause for concern in and of itself, but this instance is particularly troubling due to your close personal relationship to this company and its CEO Jonnie Williams. As the Associated Press reported, Williams’ company is the only company in which you hold stock, and you received $13,000 in gifts from Williams in 2011, the same year that Williams sued the Commonwealth of Virginia and your office began to represent taxpayers in that case.

It should come as no surprise that many Virginians, myself included, view your office’s handling of a case against a company with which you have this type of relationship as an inexcusable conflict of interest. That is why I am writing today to urge you to recuse yourself and the Office of the Attorney General from any further proceedings involving Star Scientific and to appoint outside special counsel to represent Virginians in this matter.

Your office has publicly sought to downplay any discussion of a potential conflict of interest in the handling of this case. However, even if the abnormally slow response to this case has nothing to do with your relationship with Star Scientific and Jonnie Williams, appointing outside counsel to pursue this case will give Virginians the confidence they deserve that you and your staff are dedicated to protecting our Commonwealth’s sterling reputation for transparency and accountability.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter, I hope you will act swiftly to do away with even the appearance of impropriety so that this case can move forward and Virginia taxpayers can see this matter resolved properly.

Sincerely,
Delegate David Toscano
House Democratic Leader

Update: The Washington Post published an article on this topic March 30th.

The money will not go to the poor or low income individuals. It will go to doctors, hospitals, and providers of health care both direct and indirect. Jobs will be created in medical and related fields. The low-income people will get to go to the doctor when they are ill. Even so, some states are opting out. On the map below the poverty belt across the southeast, from North Carolina to Texas is clearly visible. Virginia is leaning toward joining this group, and Tennessee is still undecided.

Texas, with 26.3 % uninsured, Georgia and Oklahoma, each with with 21.9 % uninsured, Mississippi with 21% uninsured are opting out. These are four of the ten states with the highest percentage of uninsured people. Five of the ten are opting in: Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Montana, and California. The tenth of this group of states, Alaska, is still undecided.

This map shows where each state stands, and is interactive so you can check on your state:

Via: The Advisory Board Company

RICHMOND – This morning, President Obama discussed commonsense solutions to avoid the sequester and reduce our debt and deficit in a balanced manner. After the President’s press conference, Del. Charniele Herring, Democratic Party of Virginia Chair, released the following statement:

As President Obama said today, job number one for our representatives in Congress must be to grow the economy and create good middle class jobs. But if Republicans in Congress allow the sequester to happen, the drastic cuts will have a host of devastating effects on everything from the economy and military readiness to first responders, health care and education-just to name a few. Middle class families, children and seniors will bear the brunt of these harmful but completely avoidable cuts to vital government initiatives.

These deep, automatic spending cuts were meant to be so unattractive and unappealing that Congress would act to avoid them by passing a balanced plan to reduce the deficit. However, Republicans have repeatedly walked away from efforts to find a balanced approach, placing a higher priority on protecting tax breaks and loopholes for the wealthy and corporations than on getting our fiscal house in order and growing our economy in a smart and balanced way. If Republicans allow the sequester to take place it will diminish our military’s ability to respond to threats across the world and weaken our border security. These cuts will cause longer lines at airports and could threaten flu vaccinations and medical screenings. It’s wrong to ask the middle class and seniors to bear the burden of devastating budget cuts while protecting the interests of the wealthy. It’s wrong to lay off teachers and first responders to protect tax loopholes that allow some CEO’s to pay a lower effective tax rate than their secretaries. These cuts are unfair, they are not smart, and they will increase unemployment and hurt our economy.

And we can’t, as many Republicans profess we can, simply cut our way to prosperity by cutting Medicare benefits and asking our senior citizens to pay more or laying off teachers and first responders. Republicans face a choice: will they compromise to protect vital investments in education, health care and the military that benefit the middle class and keep us safe, or will they put the entire economy in jeopardy just to protect special interest tax loopholes that benefit only the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations. It’s time for Republicans to put our economy and middle class families first by supporting the Democrats’ balanced plan that pairs more spending cuts with tax reform that closes special interest loopholes and makes sure billionaires won’t pay a lower rate than other middle-class Americans.

Ken Cuccinelli has not served us well as Attorney General, he is now drawing full-time pay and working part time, and he would not do us any good as Governor.

In 1992, there were 103 members of the House of Representatives elected from what might be called swing districts: those in which the margin in the presidential race was within five percentage points of the national result. But based on an analysis of this year’s presidential returns, I estimate that there are only 35 such Congressional districts remaining, barely a third of the total 20 years ago.

Swing districts have fallen to political redistricting for party advantage, as Silver points out. In the case of our Ninth District voters, the GOP has been successful in a kind of emotional gerrymandering, dividing people along religious and economic lines using fear of decline in coal on the economic front and supposed “Christian family values” on the social front.

In the 2012 election, Democratic challenger Anthony Flaccavento ran against Morgan Griffith, the Tea Party Republican who unseated Rick Boucher, and lost to Griffith on the same issues: coal, abortion, and same-sex marriage. GOP voters are not informed on these issues,they are emotionally committed to their position. At the polls, GOP partisans held up photos of the Billy Graham “vote your Christian values” ad. At the location where I was handing out sample ballots marked for Democrats, many Republican voters exited the restricted area proclaiming their votes for Romney, Allen, and/or Griffith, and they were greeted with high-fives and “Praise the Lord!” from the folks who were handing out literature and sample ballots for Republicans.

Still, it is up to the voters. It would be impossible for a district with so many seniors, students, low-income people, and people who go to RAM clinics for health care to vote Republican if people were motivated by information instead of emotion. Yet for several years, our Ninth District has bought the lie that the EPA is holding back coal, channeled their anger against federal government, and voted for people who do not offer any solutions. They voted their anger at the EPA and turned down information on coal depletion in the region, the incursions of cheap natural gas into the market, and the need for something to replace the coal economy for our grandchildren.

Voters can’t seem to understand that we should elect very smart people of good conscience and intent who know what the problems are, people who will look for and find solutions. The electorate continuously nominates and votes for people who are uninformed or duplicitous enough to make absolute promises not to harm the local sacred cow, or perhaps worse, the person who “seems” the most Christian.

Our legislature is currently over 90% professed Christian, and yet they want to cut necessary social aid programs in the service of rich corporate barons. They want to lower wages, and make sure that nobody eats unless they work for whatever pay the employer offers them. It escapes me how this makes sense to Christians, and in fact several religious leaders have pointed out the disconnect.

In the Ninth District Virginia in 2012, Anthony Flaccavento — who actually is a Christian — was telling people about complexity and the real problems facing the district, and proposing reasibabke new solutions that are sustainable. They voted for Morgan Griffith, who was saying Coal is king, no new taxes, don’t raise the minimum wage for restaurant workers because it will cost jobs, and Christian family values will save us from abortion and gay marriage. In doing so, the majority of voters in the Ninth District voted against their own best interests and against the best interests of their neighbors and their cities, towns, and counties.