C'mon Shenandoah County GOP, Keep Up!

The ShenCo GOP website hasn't been updated since before November's election! I know that the GOP is firmly the dominant party in the county, but let's keep this ball rolling!

Best of Luck, Joe...

Former Mayor of Harrisonburg Joe Fitzgerald is seeking the Democratic Party nomination to run for H-Burg city council. Joe previously served on the city council from 2000-2004 and has been an editor/contributer over at hburg news for over 2 years.

Joe and I have butted heads often over at hburg news, mainly over immigration issues and other things (we do sit on different sections of the ideological spectrum). However, despite my differences with Joe on many issues (and there are plenty of them), I do believe that Joe truly feels he is doing the right things for the city of Harrisonburg. They may not always be what I consider to be the right things, but he doesn't pander to certain groups nor does he seem entrenched in good ol' boy politics. That deserves a tip of the hat in and of itself.

Is this an endorsement? No, not at all, because I have my differences with him. However, it is a "best wishes" and "good luck" to a member of the loyal opposition.

New Market Mayor Faces Fraud Charges...From His Own Family

Once in a while, small-town politics can be home to something of interest or amusement.

New Market mayor Larry Smith is being accused by his brothers of stealing from their share of the inheritance left to all three of them by their mother when she passed in 2001.

Apparently, there were 2 trust accounts that were to be divided up so each brother would inherit $994,568. Instead, one trust paid the brothers $3000/month, and Smith kept the money from the other trust (if I'm reading this correctly).

"I was getting the majority of the value on the outset and there was a distribution to my brothers," Larry Smith said in a Dec. 9, 2008, examination with an attorney for Farmers and Merchants Bank, according to a transcript of the examination. "Because I was serving as the trustee, the understanding I was serving as the trustee and it was my sole source of income."

That statement, from the previously-linked Northern Virginia Daily article, cannot be true. Smith owns and operates the Cross Roads Inn which is a bed and breakfast here in New Market. Obviously, he has more than one source of income.

Smith also claims that he needs the money more than his brothers do. While that may be true (Smith is in the midst of his second bankruptcy filing in less than 16 months), he was not properly executing the distribution of the funds. Also, Smith claims that his has a right to the money as a fiduciary fee. Given that his brothers claim that Smith has paid himself over $2 million from the trust, I find a 60+% fiduciary fee hard to believe as reasonable.

Smith has also used the trust as a guarantor for many loans (both personal and business), and there is now $1.25 million in claims against the trust.

Ouch, Mr. Mayor. Business loans? I thought this trust was your sole source of income?

ShenCo CPP Narrowing Down the Forward Focus

The Community Planning Project of Shenandoah County is halfway through it's series of public forums to get an idea of what ShenCo citizens want as they create a vision for the future of the county.

The apparent factor the group is looking at is the definition of "rural" vs. "non-rural" and which direction the county should take, at least for the next decade or so. According to the Shenandoah Valley-Herald article cited above, it seems most people want to keep a rural focus for the next 5-20 years, depending on who you spoke with.

Shenandoah County is a very rural area that is experiencing a burst of residential and commercial growth along the I-81 corridor, as new subdivisions are either in the proposed or newly-built stage from Strasburg, through Toms Brook and even Maurertown, down through Woodstock and Edinburg. The southern end of the county, anchored by the towns of Mount Jackson and New Market, are experiencing the least amount of real growth, mainly due to their close proximity to Woodstock, Harrisonburg, and Luray...they don't have the need for the growth.

However, there are no towns of real distinction outside of the I-81 corridor through the county. Some may consider Basye, but that is only significant because of Bryce Resort. The rest of the county is very, very rural and is populated by a lot of farmland. Hence, the focus should be on preserving the rural farmland while keeping the growth along the I-81 corridor moving forward, in my opinion. There is still plenty of undeveloped land along the corridor as not to threaten to overtake the farmland that makes up the bulk of Shenandoah County's value, in an industrial sense, to the state.

I don't think the concerns about property rights or higher taxes are necessary right now, as they are not an issue that Shenandoah County residents have to worry about for the time being.

An Upcoming Series, Inspired By Vivian J. Paige

Lately, I've seen that Norfolk blogger Vivian J. Paige has done a series of posts about her personal Legislative Agenda. Vivian has always been a bit of an inspiration to me as how I should go about blogging and presenting myself on my blog, even though she and I pretty much disagree ideologically.

Anyway, I figure that I should put my own positions out there in a clear, concise manner such as this. This feature will be called "Podium Positions".

Now, if a position needs to be updated or changed, I will go back and do so if necessary. Ideas, like people, sometimes change in their approach or way of thinking.

Maybe this way, I can give people a better sense of what I believe in, as it seems like I'm constantly repeating myself all over the blogosphere. Who knows, maybe I'll start up a conversation and someone can change, refine, or support my position.

A big thanks to Vivian for the inspiration.

Strasburg Police Face Criticism and Praise

Now, for some news and opinion of a local flavor.

Strasburg Police Chief Tim Sutherly held a public forum to answer questions and respond to comments from citizens of the town. Over 60 citizens attended the forum. One quote from the article sums up a lot of the feelings that citizens, including myself, feel while driving around town.

Many comments and questions from citizens centered around being followed too closely in their vehicles and rude treatment by police officers.

There is some truth to this. Shenandoah County residents will attest that, for some reason the cops in Strasburg will get behind you, nearly tailgate you, and follow you from one end of town to another. It's quite annoying, and it can make people feel intimidated and paranoid. There were also concerns about the lack of tact in how police officers conducted themselves when dealing with people in situations such as traffic stops. Sutherly's response...

The chief admitted that there was some truth to the comment, but noted he preferred having overzealous officers who could be talked to and trained, rather than having nonchalant officers.

There is some truth to this and I understand where Sutherly is coming from, but I'm hoping that he will actually talk to and train these officers on public relations.

However, things are not all bad with Strasburg police. They are on constant patrol and they seem to do a good job in doing their actual job.

Councilman Scott Terndrup commended Sutherly for his pro-activeness on drugs, telling the audience that he teaches school "in a place where gangs are more evident" and "flash their colors." He said he supported the chief, who he referred to the public safety expert in the town.

A citizen in the back of the room agreed with Terndrup, saying she was happy that drug and alcohol usage in youth was finally being taken seriously.

"We have one opportunity to get this right," said the chief. "The town of Front Royal and Warren County did not do it right."

There has been some stepped up efforts over the past couple of years in terms of stemming alcohol and drug use amongst teenagers. It's been pretty noticeable and evident amongst town citizens, and their efforts should not go without commendation.

Chief Sutherly is also correct about his assertion that Front Royal and Warren County did not "do it right" in regards to stemming drug use and gang activity in the schools. Strasburg, however, seems to be heading down the right path on this.

All-in-all, it seems like Strasburg police are doing their job pretty well, they just need some "public relations" skills. At least it is something that can be taught, especially since the police force is relatively young and able to learn.

On A Local Note...

Breaking down the races of note in Shenandoah and Rockingham Counties.

Shenandoah Board of Supervisors, District 2 (Mount Jackson/Conicville) Supervisor Jim Patrick was unseated by challenger Steven Baker in yesterday's election. The margin was a razor-thin 16 votes. I have to say that I was sufficiently surprised that Patrick lost, as he was a pretty good supervisor and always favored reason and research over "knee-jerk reaction" politics.

I can only assume this vote was a reaction to the proposal of a new jail in Shenandoah County, which Patrick supported (and provided really good, well-researched reasons for it). I don't quite see any other reasons as to why Patrick lost. Hopefully, Steven Baker can do just as good a job.

Shenandoah Board of Supervisors, District 3 (Edinburg/Columbia Furnance/St. Luke) was not quite as surprising, as David Ferguson defeated Miriam Reno by a near 54%-46% vote. It was expected to be a fairly close race, but Ferguson won by a margin that most people expected.

Shenandoah Clerk of Court Denise Barb, and 25 year incumbent, held off a relatively fierce challenge from Tammy Heishman. Barb won with about 57% of the vote. I'm not surprised it was this close, and I thought it might've been 1 or 2 points closer, actually.

Rockingham Clerk of Court was a race between 11 candidates that really came down to two candidates. Chaz Evans-Haywood and Dianne Fulk. Haywood won with almost 26% of the vote compared to Fulk's 22%. Barry Koogler, Brenda Huffman, and Mike Harvey all garnered over 10% of the vote, as well. The Republitarian himself, Myron Rhodes, managed to net 2.5% of the vote...but definitely spent less on campaigning than the rest of the candidates.

Benny "The Playgirl Politician" Neal, penis and all, finished dead last.

Undecided Shenandoah Valley Voters!

The Augusta Free Press has a post up where you can catch local election information, interviews, and forums that they have recorded. The 24th, 26th, and 27th State Senate Districts are covered, as well as several local county supervisor and other races.

Check it out here.

What Happened?

About a month or so ago, I was informed about an article in the Northern Virginia Daily about a drug smuggling bust that involved the proprietors and a few employees of Shag's Lumber in Edinburg. Also mentioned in the article were Judge William Logan of Shenandoah County, and several members of the Shenandoah County Sheriff's Department.

When I say "involved", I mean that they were apparently part of the smuggling ring. This involved the Hollywood-esque technique of smuggling drugs in hollowed out logs.

Since that time, I've heard little to nothing about this. Searching the online newspaper archives has turned up little to nothing (which isn't surprising, given the lack of archiving that goes on with our local papers around here).

However, why the silence since the initial break of the story? Does anyone know exactly what happened then, and what has happened since? I would think this would be a huge story.

What makes this stranger is that the gentleman from Shag's Lumber has now twice refused bail and wants to remain in jail. Is he looking for protection? Is he providing information on important people? Was Logan involved? What was his involvement? I have questions and there's no answers to be found.

What's going on?

A Slow Climb Back?

Well, whaddya know?

In the most recent Rasmussen Reports poll, President Bush's approval rating now stands at 39%, with 57% disapproving. Some will say "that's no big deal, his numbers still stink." However, the more America approves of him, the GOP outlook for 2008 overall looks that much more optimistic.

Honestly, the GOP needs a candidate who appeals to Bush's base as well as the right-wingers that either left the GOP because of Bush or those who are still within the party. Personally, I see Fred Thompson in that role (as if you expected me to say anyone else, lol).

Thought I would pass that along.

A Good New Blog...Virginia Veteran

A Winchester (local to me!) blogger who is a former United States Marine and a blogger who focuses on issues in the Northern Valley and Republican politics.

I like his blog, and I suggest you give it a look as well.

"From a Virginia Veteran's Perspective"

Public Safety Unions to Gain Collective Bargaining Rights in VA?

Looks like it will be so, as a bill that will provide exactly that passed easily through the House with a vote of 314-97, and will probably pass through the Senate pretty easily, as well. This would give the police and firefighter unions unprecedented bargaining power in both Virginia and North Carolina. The bill passed through the House with a lot of bipartisan support.

While I'm normally very wary of unions, I'm a bit more lenient towards the ability for public safety unions to have bargaining power. As the son of a 29-year veteran of the D.C. Fire Department, I grew up around the fire department. These people are out there every day, saving lives and protecting the public...they deserve good salary and benefits.

The D.C. Fire Department has NEVER gone on strike. Let's hope that ability for the government and the unions to coexist and come to agreements spreads south into Virginia.

Great Article on Todd Gilbert

Courtesy of the Shenandoah Valley-Herald.

Jimmy LaRoue talks about Gilbert's back surgery and subsequent recovery, his already-impressive track record, and a few more odds and ends that really highlight some of the reasons why I (and many in the Valley) support the delegate from the 15th district.

Give it a read.

Front Royal Not Going to Enforce Abuser Fees?

The Town Council of Front Royal, just 10-15 minutes from where I live, is encouraging county court clerks not to cooperate with the State Police in reference to the Abuser Fees, and is looking to pass a resolution that permits the Front Royal Police Department to NOT enforce the abuser fees.

After the recent bipartisan support over these fees, it looks like the localities are finding their own ways to rebel against these fees.

Read more at The Washington Post.

New Round of Endorsements

It's time for another round of endorsements from The Podium.

- I'll start with a local race, as The Podium endorses Denise Barb to be re-elected to the post of Shenandoah County Clerk of Court. I have yet to hear a single complaint from any Shenandoah County citizen about Barb's performance as Clerk of Court, and my experiences in the Clerk's office (which aren't many, which is probably a good thing) have been as pleasurable as one could expect from a Clerk's office. The office runs with smooth efficiency, and I believe that this excellent job performance can be, at least partially, attributed to Denise Barb's efforts.

Onto the statewide races...

- In the 68th House of Delegates District, The Podium endorses Republican Manoli Loupassi. Loupassi has most recently served as a member of the Richmond City Council, and is a very popular figure in the River City. He is a fiscal conservative who also is very focused on issues such as property tax relief, stronger anti-crime initiatives, and classroom size reduction in our public schools. His opponent, incumbent Katherine Waddell, is a Republican-turned-Independent who (on the same page) manages to both denounce the focus on social issues, and highlight that her opinions on social issues is what caused her to split from the GOP, calling them "right-wing extremists". This isn't the type of politician our General Assembly needs. Voters of the 68th, vote for Loupassi in November.

- In the 34th House of Delegates District, The Podium endorses Republican Dave Hunt. Hunt is an excellent choice to continue the solid conservative tradition of the retiring Vince Callahan. Hunt has strong positions on the transportation problems in Northern Virginia (especially his support for the Tyson's Tunnel and the increased funding for NoVa roads and rail in the 2007 transportation bill). Hunt knows Richmond, having formerly worked for Vince Callahan as a legislative assistant. His opponent, Democrat Margi Vanderhye, has elected to push for anti-2nd Amendment initiatives and unnecessary environmental legislation that will increase regulations on industry, commerce, and transportation in both NoVa as well as the rest of the state. Residents of the 34th, don't vote for someone who panders to the "Raising Kaine" crowd...vote for Dave Hunt, and keep the attempts to increase the size of government at bay.

4th of July Parade in New Market

I spent my 4th of July with my relatives at my parents' house in New Market. The parade was a bit of a disappointment compared to the parades my father used to organize (but then again, I am biased).

It was nice to see all of the politicians/candidates I support in our area (namely Sen. Obenshain and Del. Gilbert) actually in the parade, especially since New Market isn't the biggest dot on the map, and they could've been in parades with a much larger attendance of constituents.

Best part of the parade was watching my 21-month old son yell, wave, and get all excited when fire trucks and other large vehicles passed by and blew their sirens and horns. Sometimes, I swore he was simply trying to be louder than the trucks :)

All-in-all, though, it was a fine day with lots of fine food, laughter, and good times. My uncle and I attempted to fix my father's golf swing, and the rain managed to avoid us. I topped a great 4th of July off sitting on my front stoop, watching the fireworks back home in Strasburg with my wife and a cold one. I don't think I could've asked for a better day. It's days like yesterday that I do reflect with pride upon being a citizen of this nation.

Retracted Statement Regarding 15th HOD District Race

Yesterday, I posted about the entrance of Independent Jack Proctor into the previously uncontested race in the 15th District. This information was courtesy of VPAP, which listed Mr. Proctor as a candidate. I received a comment and an e-mail last night stating that this, as of right now, is incorrect.

Apparently, Mr. Proctor filed the necessary paperwork, but did not receive the number of valid signatures necessary to have his name placed on the ballot. Unless Proctor gets the signatures, or someone else gets them, this means Del. Gilbert is still unopposed.

A big thanks to Craig Orndorff (Vice-Chairman of Activities for the SCRC) and Del. Todd Gilbert himself for giving me the heads up on this.

Returning The Salvo

Lowell over at RK asking "what part of "illegal" don't Republicans understand?" His post was in reference to the Scooter Libby's sentence being commuted by President Bush. He then quotes Rudy Guiliani and Fred Thompson, both were in favor of this decision. Later, Lowell quotes Clinton/Edwards/Obama, who were against this act by President Bush.

However, considering Democrats have a long history of failing to recognize what "illegal" is, I don't see where Lowell (or any Dem) have much room to take the "enforce the law" stance on this issue.

Not only that, but Libby isn't the man that should serve jail time...Richard Armitage (the source of the leak) is who should've gotten serious jail time. Even the jury believed that Libby was simply the "fall guy". Patrick Fitzgerald, who prosecuted the case, went after Libby even though he KNEW when he brought the case against Libby that Armitage was the leak.

As for the Dems/liberals supposedly knowing what "illegal" is.

- Where were the Democratic presidential candidates to loudly denounce the blatant acceptance of bribes by Rep. William Jefferson. They simply sat on their hands and said nothing. Even when he was indicted on 16 counts on various charges, which included racketeering, soliciting bribes, wire fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and others...none of the presidential candidates said much of anything. Even the Democrats in the House of Representatives denounced this...where was Hillary Clinton and John Edwards then?

- Apparently, the majority of Democrats in the Senate don't know the meaning of the word "illegal"...see the failed immigration bill for further reference.

- Harry Reid's connections with Jack Abramoff. While the Dems went after every Republican possible, they never challenged Reid, even though there was evidence that Abramoff's money was funneled through lobbying partners in exchange for favorable results for Indian gaming casinos by Reid. Since Abramoff didn't give the money directly, the connection was dismissed.

- Bill Clinton's perjury charges. Despite the fact that the liberals made this about Clinton's sexual indiscretions...the fact is that Clinton lied under oath, and Democrats refused to believe it, even though the House of Representatives believed Clinton was guilty.

- "Pardongate" - Bearing Drift blogs about it here.

- The Libs weren't up in arms over the 1996 Campaign Finance Scandal, either. They had no problem with China attempting to influence the 1996 elections, because the Chinese money was in their favor, and the Clinton Administration had no problem funneling that money into the coffers of many Democratic candidates...possibly including Clinton's own warchest.

Shall I go on? There are a lot more scandals I could bring up where Dems forgot the meaning of "illegal".

15th House District Surprise

At least, it's a surprise to me, as I hadn't heard anything about this until today. Apparently, incumbent C. Todd Gilbert has a challenger in the 15th House of Delegates district in November. The challenger is an Independent named Jack Proctor. He currently does not have a website of any kind up and running, and neither does Gilbert (he only has the official General Assembly website at this time).

However, I believe that Gilbert has done an excellent job representing my home district, and he continues to have the endorsement of The Podium.

Endorsement Time!

It appears that in Shenandoah County, District 2 Supervisor Jim Patrick will be facing a challenge from Steven A. Baker in November. Currently, the biggest issue facing Shenandoah County residents has to be the proposed regional jail. Patrick has laid out the reasons for a new jail well, and I do agree that a new jail (whether local or regional) is something residents of our county should

I know both men (although, I don't think Jim realizes that I know him, lol), and even though I'm not in District 2...it's my county.

In conclusion, the Podium endorses Jim Patrick for the District 2 seat on the Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors.