Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As the owner of a small business start-up (approx. two years old), I also disagree with Ed Gillespie's ideas of what's discouraging new business formation. Local taxes, which he harps on a lot, are pretty trivial for me. The bigger issue is licensing and regulation, Virginia is full of all kinds of protectionist regulation designed to discourage new competitors from entering certain industries. Even though I'm based in Virginia, it's easier for me to do many kinds of work for clients in Maryland, and I can't swear I won't eventually relocate my business there.

An actually thoughtful response. What kind of regulations? I’m an attorney and had to re-sit for the Bar when we moved here. 15 years out of law school. There is no practitioners exam option, and VA does not have reciprocity with neighboring jurisdictions. So I can see this. But what are you thinking of?

One big area is anything having to do with home improvement. If you're doing anything that could remotely be construed as making a permanent change to a home, even painting walls or hanging a picture on a wall, you're subject to the contractor's license requirements for jobs over $1,000. In order to get that license, you need, among other things, a currently licensed contractor who will sign off on an experience verification form that they've witnessed your work in the home improvement area over a period of at least two years and that your work is up to professional standards. It doesn't matter if you have years of experience doing your own home improvement work, are willing to take all of the licensing exams required by Virginia, etc., you can't get the license unless you've worked for a licensed contractor who's willing to sign off on your form (or know someone willing to lie for you). It makes it very difficult for contractors to open their own businesses legitimately, because there's no way around the experience verification, and how many contractors do you think are willing to sign off on the form for their employees so that their employees can do off and open their own competing businesses?

It gets ever more absurd when you get into how that $1,000 value is calculated. The value calculation doesn't just apply to the value of the labor provided and whatever's permanently changed/attached to the structure, it includes everything involved in the project, which makes it rather arbitrary in how it applies. If you as a homeowner already own a bunch of artwork you want hung, you could hire a random person off the street with no experience who charges $50 per piece to install 19 items in your house, putting 19+ holes into your walls and potentially hitting all kinds of things in your walls and creating all kinds of safety hazards, and Virginia is totally okay with that person not being licensed. If you're an art dealer, though, and you want to offer picture hanging as part of your services, then the value of the artwork itself is included in the calculation of the job value, and a single piece hung with a single fastener for $50 in labor will require a license if the artwork is valued at $950 or more, even though someone could take that artwork off the wall tomorrow without affecting the structure at all. Also, as an art dealer you couldn't offer the service by subcontracting out to a licensed contractor to do the installation, you have to hold the license yourself. It doesn't matter that you're never going to pick up a tool and you'll subcontract everything out to a licensed contractor for installation, you can't offer installation services unless you have two year's experience supervised by the contract a contractor (or someone willing to lie on the form for you). It would make more sense if the project value were based on the portion of the project that actually made permanent changes, but that would let a lot more people enter into trades that make truly minimal changes to the house itself in the course of other work, which would take work away from existing licensed contractors.

Just had a young D party volunteer come to our door in the pouring rain!

Well, generally people who can afford to move here and live here have at least college degrees, and often masters or professional degrees. That's more a Democratic demographic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, he is not. This is important for more than Va.

How so? The incumbent governor is a Democrat, and the state is solidly blue on the presidential level. I suppose that it would be significant if the RS lose their Assembly majority. I think it will be greatly reduced but they will cling to control.u

VA is "solidly blue"? Um, no. HRC won, but it was a tight race. Definitely a purple state.

https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/virginia

Clinton won VA by more than 5 points. Not a squeaker. Obama won VA twice. Democrat as governor. 2 Democrats as Senators. Only the legislature is R, because the districting gives disproportionate power to ROVA. And VA gets more blue every election, as NOVA is growing fast and ROVA is staying stagnant. If Northam wins, I don’t see how you can call VA purple anymore.

Do you think only dems move to nova? LOL! No.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gillespie has this wrapped up. The MS-13 stuff primed people to think about black and Latino thugs, and that helps Gillespie.

Few admit that they’re racist. It’s bad for business and one’s career. But those people are going to vote, and they don’t have to worry about ICE and drunk driving checkpoints right outside their polling place, the way people who would vote the wrong way do in downtown Richmond or Hampton Roads.

Gillespie by 8.

That strategy worked out well for Allen, didn't it?

State wide VA should be blue now. Remember McDonnell only won by holding himself out as a moderate NoVa Republican in an election against a real hayseed. Gillespie could win a House seat, just like Comstock, but not a state wide race.

And Comstock needs to go. Her representing Dulles airport, the new silver line, the VA Amazon HQ2 Fairfax-Loudoun bid, tons of Feds, the high tech and “TJ feeder” parts of Fairfax County, etc plus Stafford and Winchester is just wrong. It’s time to stop the gerrymandering and draw districts that make sense.

I hate that she is my Rep.

Agree. It wouldn’t surprise me if she loses her seat. There are plenty of people who smell blood in the water around her, and that election is not even soon.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gillespie has this wrapped up. The MS-13 stuff primed people to think about black and Latino thugs, and that helps Gillespie.

Few admit that they’re racist. It’s bad for business and one’s career. But those people are going to vote, and they don’t have to worry about ICE and drunk driving checkpoints right outside their polling place, the way people who would vote the wrong way do in downtown Richmond or Hampton Roads.

Gillespie by 8.

That strategy worked out well for Allen, didn't it?

State wide VA should be blue now. Remember McDonnell only won by holding himself out as a moderate NoVa Republican in an election against a real hayseed. Gillespie could win a House seat, just like Comstock, but not a state wide race.

And Comstock needs to go. Her representing Dulles airport, the new silver line, the VA Amazon HQ2 Fairfax-Loudoun bid, tons of Feds, the high tech and “TJ feeder” parts of Fairfax County, etc plus Stafford and Winchester is just wrong. It’s time to stop the gerrymandering and draw districts that make sense.

I hate that she is my Rep.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, he is not. This is important for more than Va.

How so? The incumbent governor is a Democrat, and the state is solidly blue on the presidential level. I suppose that it would be significant if the RS lose their Assembly majority. I think it will be greatly reduced but they will cling to control.u

VA is "solidly blue"? Um, no. HRC won, but it was a tight race. Definitely a purple state.

https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/virginia

Clinton won VA by more than 5 points. Not a squeaker. Obama won VA twice. Democrat as governor. 2 Democrats as Senators. Only the legislature is R, because the districting gives disproportionate power to ROVA. And VA gets more blue every election, as NOVA is growing fast and ROVA is staying stagnant. If Northam wins, I don’t see how you can call VA purple anymore.

Anonymous wrote:As the owner of a small business start-up (approx. two years old), I also disagree with Ed Gillespie's ideas of what's discouraging new business formation. Local taxes, which he harps on a lot, are pretty trivial for me. The bigger issue is licensing and regulation, Virginia is full of all kinds of protectionist regulation designed to discourage new competitors from entering certain industries. Even though I'm based in Virginia, it's easier for me to do many kinds of work for clients in Maryland, and I can't swear I won't eventually relocate my business there.

An actually thoughtful response. What kind of regulations? I’m an attorney and had to re-sit for the Bar when we moved here. 15 years out of law school. There is no practitioners exam option, and VA does not have reciprocity with neighboring jurisdictions. So I can see this. But what are you thinking of?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Voting Republican this time.
I want more focus on actual issues.
I used to like the fluffy democratic narrative but can't do it any more.

Which actual issues are you focused on? Making Virginia a safe space for racists?

Out with illegals to improve our schools, lower the tax burden,

The federal government manages immigration. Idiot. Local governments decide if they will be sanctuary jurisdictions. And SCOTUS has said every child is entitled to public education, regardless of immigration status. What exactly do you think the next governor can do about illegal immigrants in schools?

Anonymous wrote:A Northam vote is essential, for so many reasons. But the AG race is just as important.

The VA AG has exceptional power in state government and functions as a unitary chief legal officer. He can overrule Gov decisions on litigation (the Governor is required under state law house and rely on the state AG, and cannot appoint his own litigation counsel, even if there's a conflict as between the Gov and the AG). The AG also has the right of appearance in nearly all state Supreme Court judicial proceedings, even when the State isn't a party. And the AG's formal opinions are presumptively in evidence and are entitled to weight from any VA tribunal.

The AG, Mark Herring, is an extraordinary public official. He richly merits re-election. He'll be my first vote on the ticket, and the last one I make sure of before I scan the sheet.

His Rep opponent is basically a professional anti-abortion protestor with some ivy and no true government experience on his CV.

This. Can we please all take a moment to remember Ken Cuccinelli and trans vaginal ultrasounds and all the other anti-abortion activism? He was a disaster as AG. We do not need another Cuccinelli in that role.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Voting Republican this time.
I want more focus on actual issues.
I used to like the fluffy democratic narrative but can't do it any more.

Which actual issues are you focused on? Making Virginia a safe space for racists?

Out with illegals to improve our schools, lower the tax burden,

+ 1 According to liberals, anyone who is upset by the decline in the public schools, fueled by illegal immigrants with limited English, is a racist. Maybe we just want our kids to get a decent education and cannot afford private schools.

Ok but legit question, what is the Republicans’ solution to illegal immigration in our state? And whatever solution they’re proposing, is it, you know, actually going to work??

Well, we know what to expect from libs/dems. They want more and more and more illegal aliens. And illegal aliens know this. So, if we get a republican governor, we can hope for less illegal aliens to come into the state. That's a start..... believe me, that's good enough for many voters to not vote for another dem governor for Virginia. My immigrant spouse & I are both voting for Gillespie on Election Day.

I’m going to add.........
So far, President Trump has taken very little action when it comes to illegal immigration. But, people outside our country have evidently received the message that they are not welcome here if they are coming in illegally. That is why illegal immigration is down more than 50%. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/border-patrol-union-chief-praises-miraculous-drop-in-illegal-immigration-under-trump/article/2628828

A governor who expresses that illegal aliens will not be welcome can do a lot to stem the flow of illegals into the state. Likewise, a governor who conveys an open attitude to illegal immigration will have the opposite effect.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Voting Republican this time.
I want more focus on actual issues.
I used to like the fluffy democratic narrative but can't do it any more.

Which actual issues are you focused on? Making Virginia a safe space for racists?

Out with illegals to improve our schools, lower the tax burden,

+ 1 According to liberals, anyone who is upset by the decline in the public schools, fueled by illegal immigrants with limited English, is a racist. Maybe we just want our kids to get a decent education and cannot afford private schools.

Ok but legit question, what is the Republicans’ solution to illegal immigration in our state? And whatever solution they’re proposing, is it, you know, actually going to work??

Well, we know what to expect from libs/dems. They want more and more and more illegal aliens. And illegal aliens know this. So, if we get a republican governor, we can hope for less illegal aliens to come into the state. That's a start..... believe me, that's good enough for many voters to not vote for another dem governor for Virginia. My immigrant spouse & I are both voting for Gillespie on Election Day.

I did laugh reading that WaPo piece about trying to hunt Gillepsie down as he skulks around Virginia. Poor neighbor who got called out for texting and driving.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why has Northam decided to remove Justin Fairfax from his campaign flyers?

Virginia Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Ralph Northam omitted any mention of Justin Fairfax, the party’s African American candidate for lieutenant governor, from about a thousand pieces of campaign literature, which Fairfax called a “mistake.” The incident has stoked tensions within the Democratic ticket, threatening to alienate African American voters three weeks before Election Day.

The palm cards with photos of Northam and Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) were produced for canvassers with the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), which asked that Fairfax be excluded because it did not endorse him. Fairfax has spoken critically of two proposed natural gas pipelines that the union supports.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/reeks-of-subtle-racism-tensions-after-black-candidate-left-off-fliers-in-virginia/2017/10/18/de74c47a-b425-11e7-a908-a3470754bbb9_story.html?utm_term=.e3d7e605959e

So, is Northam a bigot or racist? Because, you can bet if he were Republican, he would be tagged with these labels.

THIS. Interesting that liberals are remaining mum on the subject. You're absolutely right - if this had happened on the Republican ticket, Dems would be having a field day, slinging their most favorite word of all. RACISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTT!!!!!

Were those the flyers printed for a labor organization that endorsed Northam and Herring but not Fairfax (because Fairfax has been vocally opposed to pipeline projects the labor organization strongly supports), and so wanted flyers with only those two to pass out to its members? I supposed Northam could have taken a hard line, refused to provide flyers that didn't include Fairfax and risked alienating a voter group he needs to win, but at what cost? I get Fairfax wanting to take a stand if he felt the pipeline thing was a pretext and the labor organization was really refusing to endorse him due to racism, but it feels a bit like winning the battle to lose the war if he makes his point here but the Democrats lose the governor's race because the black community decides not to vote for Northam. Things certainly aren't going to get better for minority groups under Gillespie.

So, in other words, Northam can be bought. Good to know.
I guess the ends justifies the means.

because gillispie is totally squeaky clean and hasn't been bought by HIS donors?

Spare us your faux outrage[i][u]

That fake outrage is what drives this website...

Faux outrage drives a parenting website?

Democrats are still on the side of illegal immigrants.

remember this when you vote!

Yesterday the House Judiciary Committee passed Rep. Lamar Smith’s (R-Texas) Legal Workforce Act (H.R. 3711) which would require all businesses to use E-Verify within two years. The bill passed by a 20-10 vote with all Republicans voting in favor of the bill and all the Democrats voting against.

https://www.numbersusa.com/news/house-judiciary-co...passes-mandatory-e-verify-bill