The Jeffersoniad Aggregator

[The Virginia Conservative] Belting Dickie

virginiaconservative — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:36:49 +0000

In Monday’s copy of The Daily News Record, my local paper, I stumbled across an article concerning the plan to raise the speed limit on the interstates in rural Virginia. I don’t know about you, but I’m in favor of the idea. Did you know that every neighboring state, with the exception of Maryland, allows [...]

[Crystal Clear Conservative] Snomageddon Continues…

crystalclearconservative — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:27:27 +0000

With another 6-12 inches in the forecast, I am starting to feel that Virginia is now part of the tundra. Instead of a political post, I wanted to share images from yesterday. After shoveling, I decided to take a walk around my community and take some pictures with my iPhone capturing the 30 inches of snow on the ground. It is amazing how beautiful snow can be and how it can capture the senses.

[Virginia Virtucon] Shovel My Driveway, RFK, Jr.!

Riley — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:08:26 +0000

RFK, Jr. 15 months ago: Global warming means no snow or cold in DC Right. I suppose that is why tomorrow’s storm may put 2010 in the record books as the snowiest winter ever in D.C. since they began keeping records in 1884.

[Virginia Virtucon] The Green Police

Riley — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:33:04 +0000

Ah, this Audi Super Bowl ad was quite the surprise… …and vastly superior to that dumb U.S. Census ad that we all paid for.

[Scott's Morning Brew] Can anyone identify this?

Scott — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:43:13 +0000

A friend of mine called me out to his truck this afternoon and handed me this. He thought it was a cannon ball but it had no hole for a fuse. The ball is iron and appears to be cast. It has the number four “4” imprinted on it and a small indentation beside the imprint. [...]

[SWAC Girl] River birch against blue winter sky

James Young — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:32:00 +0000

River birch in a snow bank beside the driveway.

Photo by SWAC Girl
Lynn Mitchell
8 February 2010

[SWAC Girl] Albert the alpine

James Young — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:50:00 +0000

Albert came with the house when we bought it. He was only about 3' tall at that time but is now a majestic 15'.

He formed his own decorations as icicles formed in the sunshine. With the tiny white lights, he is a beautiful winter tree.

Photos by SWAC Girl
Lynn Mitchell
8 February 2010

[SkepticalObservor] Snowpocalypse At The Youngs

James Young — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:41:00 +0000

We bought our house in late April 1994.

The driveway looked a lot better in April than it did in January of 1996, when we got over a foot-and-a-half of snow. Mrs. Young was three months pregnant with Jimmy, and couldn't shovel.

I purchased our snowblower the next November, and was quite glad to have it over the last three months.

As were my neighbors.

[Virginia Virtucon] Defeat the Debt’s self-defeating move

rightwingliberal — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:20:06 +0000

I had never heard of the Employment Policies Institute until last night, when they put up and anti-deficit ad during the Super Bowl. It was a decent ad, using a dystopic version of the Pledge of Allegiance to emphasize the dangers of runaway government spending. They may have gotten a lot of good publicity with that [...]

[The right-wing liberal] Defeat the Debt’s self-defeating move

rightwingliberal — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:18:42 +0000

[Tertium Quids] New Jersey tackles public pension reform

James Young — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:15:00 +0000

[Leslie Carbone] The Problem with Palin

Leslie Carbone — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:02:00 +0000

"How's that hope-y, change-y stuff working out for ya?" asked former Governor Sarah Palin at the so-called Tea Party Convention this weekend in Nashville, where the popular populist spoke for $100,000.

The advocates of fiscal responsibility gathered at the $549/ticket event cheered the McCain stumper and bail-out supporter with all the gusto that the "Values Voters" showered upon the topless model and sex-tape star who "think[s] it's great that in America we can choose between 'same-sex marriage' and 'opposite marriage'."

With the popular outrage sparked by the Bush bail-outs, I've become more hopeful about the future of economic freedom than I'd been in 20 years. And the tea parties and town-hall protests just buttressed my optimism.

I'm still optimistic, but the reflexive, relativistic, populism-as-the-new-elitism near-worship showered upon Gov. Palin by supposed conservatives and libertarians-- people who profess to believe in economic freedom--tempers my optimism.

The problem isn't simply that the rambling rogue was wrong about the bank bail-out, and it goes beyond her sometimes appearing flaky and non-conversant regarding matters of national policy; it's that she displays no deep, nuanced, informed, well-considered political philosophy.

Conservatism, particularly its free-market vein, has a strong intellectual heritage. It's that principled pedigree that provides a foundation for the arguments that can fend off demagogues' efforts to rob Peter to pay Paul, that illuminate why it's not good for everybody when you spread the wealth around. Unfortunately, national-level Republicans since Ronald Reagan appear to be largely ignorant of this heritage and have been clearly unable to articulate its principles. America has paid a dear price for such failures. And conservative gushing over Gov. Palin suggests that we're likely to keep paying it.

In the Fall of 2008, as he was touting his disastrous bank bail-out, former President George Bush XLIII, apparently oblivious to the irony, described himself as "a market-oriented guy". Nearly a year after leaving office, he said that the bail-out went against his "free-market instincts", in a speech that made clear that he hasn't achieved any greater philosophical depth since leaving the White House than he exhibited while he was living there.

A robust, realistic, principled political philosophy can provide guidance in the midst of crisis. The problem with Bush was that he had never developed such a principled philosophy. It is also the problem with Palin.

[SWAC Girl] Augusta County shuts down Rocket Boys … 12

James Young — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:55:00 +0000

Part 12: The legal case begins

See part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

The Rocket Boys (VAST) met and decided to appeal the denial of their Special Use Permit by Augusta County. They had 30 days to appeal; however, there was difficulty in obtaining transcripts of the Board of Zoning Appeals hearing that had been held on September 3.

After hiring Augusta County attorney Francis Chester, the appeal process moved to the court system where no courthouse clerk in living history could recall an appeal ever of an Augusta County BZA decision.

The VAST timeline tells it all:

18. September 28, 2009 - VAST retains a local attorney, Mr. Francis Chester of Churchville, Virginia.

19. October 2, 2009 - Mr. Chester files a Writ of Certiorari with the Circuit Court Clerk of Augusta County as part of the appeal process.
a. In living memory, no court clerk staff member can recall an appeal of an Augusta County BZA decision ever being filed.

b. As such, the filing fee cannot be determined at that time and VAST is allowed to file the appeal for no cost (the fee is later determined to be $88.00 which VAST remits).

c. VAST's appeal states that the BZA's decision was arbitrary and capricious and a deliberate disregard of competent and relevant evidence.

d. Circuit Court case numbers are assigned: CL09001377-00 & CL09001377-01.
20. October 2, 2009 - VAST finally receives hardcopy Minutes from the September 3, 2009 BZA meeting.
a. VAST reviews and identifies numerous inaccuracies and omissions.

b. VAST again requests a copy of the public audio tapes so direct comparisons can be made.

c. The County once more denies VAST access to them.
21. November 17, 2009 - Motion meeting between the Judge (Judge Ludwig), VAST's Attorney (Mr. Chester), and the County Attorney (Mr. Morgan) is held.
a. County Attorney objects to the court granting VAST a hearing stating that Virginia Statutes require the Judge to make his ruling based solely on the evidence previously presented at the September 3 BZA meeting.

b. Judge Ludwig states that the Virginia Statutes are vague in regards to situations of this type and it is his discretion to allow VAST a hearing.

c. The writ will be modified to order the County to supply copies of all transcripts and documents related to VAST's SUP request to the Court as well as to Mr. Chester.
22. November 18, 2009 - Mr. Chester contacts the County Attorney's office and requests copies of the audio tapes from the September 3 meeting. The office secretary informs Mr. Chester that the County no longer has the tapes due to their re-use.

23. November 18, 2009 - Mr. Chester contacts the Zoning Administrator who confirms that the County doesn't have them due to re-use.
a. Mr. Chester is assured that what is in the transcripts (minutes) is what happened at the September 3 meeting.

b. Mr. Chester expresses his doubt since inaccuracies and omissions have been identified.
24. November 18, 2009 - Mr. Chester contacts VAST President, Chuck Neff, to notify him of the audio tape status.
a. These tapes should have been the public's property and accessible under the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA).

b. Mr. Chester states he will look into the legalities but that this should only help VAST's overall case since even the transcripts do not reflect a decision based on facts relating to applicable zoning interests.

c. Transcripts seem to express a decision based on the opinions, fears, desires, speculations, and conjectures expressed by those in opposition.

d. Mr. Neff conveys to Mr. Chester the need to ensure that the Response to Comments document that VAST submitted to the County is included in the materials that the Judge receives.

e. Mr. Chester states he'll have VAST review what he receives from the County to ensure nothing has been altered, added, or omitted.
25. January 5, 2010 - Motion meeting between the Judge (Judge Ludwig), VAST's Attorney (Mr. Chester), and the County Attorney (Mr. Morgan) is held.
a. Due to circumstances not associated with VAST's appeal, Mr. Chester motions to have Judge Ludwig recuse himself from all his cases.

b. Approval of modified writ is postponed until Judge Ludwig's decision is made.
26. January 12, 2010 - Judge Ludwig issues a Response Letter to recusal motion.
a. Judge Ludwig denies motion.

b. Assures Mr. Chester that he can and will hear his cases without bias.
27. February 2, 2010 - Motion meeting between the Judge (Judge Ludwig), VAST's Attorney (Mr. Chester), and the County Attorney (Mr. Morgan) is held.
a. Judge Ludwig grants the modified writ and orders to the County to supply copies of all transcripts and documents related to VAST's SUP request to the Court as well as to Mr. Chester.

b. Mr. Chester files motion to allow VAST to perform Sound Tests at Croft Field.

c. Judge Ludwig will rule on the motion after he reviews the transcripts and documents related to VAST's SUP request.
28. February 4, 2010 - Authorization for the release of public records is issued.

Next -- Part 13: Community reaction

[Tertium Quids] Perriello’s profile in profilgacy

James Young — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:43:00 +0000

[Tertium Quids] Crying poverty, but paying federal lobbyists, too

James Young — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:12:00 +0000

[Scott's Morning Brew] Facebook is freakin’ weird

Scott — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:54:05 +0000

Ok. I don’t know what is up with Facebook but the “new” look is even more weird than before. I can never tell whether what I am looking at is accurate, old, or made up. I opened it up this morning and this is what I saw: Click on the graphic to display it full size in [...]

[SWAC Girl] New edition of “THYME” magazine

James Young — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:42:00 +0000

~Citizen journalism with a better flavor~

Bob touches on important conservative issues of the day....

[Tertium Quids] Let’s raise taxes on just about everything…for the childern

James Young — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:54:00 +0000

[SWAC Girl] Erick: “Sarah Palin authentic and on the money”

James Young — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:18:00 +0000

Erick Erickson listened to Sarah Palin's speech at Saturday's Tea Party Nation Convention and noted:

Sarah Palin’s history in politics is of not a reformer in general, but of a house cleaner. She has, in every job she has held, rooted out corruption and cleaned up the place.

Because Sarah Palin has "rooted out corruption and cleaned up the place," she has a target on her back from the Democrats and the Republicans.

Interesting....

[SWAC Girl] Green Police? No Audi for me

James Young — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:12:00 +0000

The "Green Police" Audi ad aired during Sunday's Super Bowl game was scary because, at the rate we're going, that could be America in the years ahead.

To know it was being aired to convince me to buy an Audi was counterproductive for that automobile company. A lot of the "green" propaganda falls in the same column with the "global warming" propaganda, in my opinion. And apparently I'm not alone because other conservative bloggers said the same thing.

However, some liberal bloggers loved the ad including Eileen at VB Dems who said, "Love this Super Bowl Ad!"

Green is mainstream – as evidenced by this funny ad run during last night’s Super Bowl. If only this conscientiousness would infiltrate Virginia Beach’s Parks and Rec department where all those gazillion plastic water bottles are tossed in the trash and not recycled.

She then wondered if the Green Police could arrest the mayor at his "fancy" office building.

The premise of the ad is not the premise of America where we believe in personal freedom. If libs are so concerned about green, they may want to check out the rest of the world where they would get their heads chopped off for sticking their noses into someone else's business.

Scott Lee of the Lee Brothers blog summed it up well:

Actually, it might just be a view into what the radical Left has in store for us! Banning plastic bags, forced recycling, and legislation to demand certain light bulbs is just the beginning! Not a good commercial, it made me mad!

Talk about overbearing, over-reaching government ... this ad fed it all.

Phil thought the ad was overreaching. Mike hated it, too.

[SWAC Girl] Minus 1 … schools closed

James Young — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:35:00 +0000

Schools in the SWAC area are closed today as the region digs out from the weekend snowstorm that dumped another 1-2 feet of snow on top of what was left from the previous snowstorm. Augusta, Staunton, and Waynesboro schools are closed as well as those in surrounding areas.

The Waynesboro News Virginian reporters covered the storm all weekend.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch has much storm coverage:

STORM COVERAGE
Complete ongoing storm coverage
VIDEOS
• Ride along with a snow plow
• Pedestrians face snow hazards, too
TODAY’S COVERAGE
• Roads could be icy this morning
• Snow keeping many schools closed in central Virginia
MORE COVERAGE
• Storm expected to pack another punch today in Virginia
• Richmond officials better prepared for this storm
• A list of Richmond’s snow-emergency routes
• Canceled or postponed events in Richmond area
• Unofficial snowfall totals
• 2 killed on snowy Southwest Va. interstate
• Wrecks increase as snow intensifies
• Snowbound parents eager for school to resume
• Weather closings, cancellations
SLIDESHOWS
• A season of snow
• Central Virginia digs out again
• Snow fun
• Digging out and having fun
• Williamsburg in White
• Snowfall in Central Virginia
RESOURCES & ALERTS
• Severe weather resources (power outage information)
• View storm conditions (weather radar)
• National Weather Service - Wakefield office
• Monitor the roadways (traffic cameras)
• Submit your storm story
• Get weather alerts on your mobile phone
WEB CAMS STATEWIDE
• Saint Mary’s School - Richmond
• Green Spring Gardens - Alexandria
• Lane Stadium, Virginia Tech - Blacksburg
• Virginia Western Community College - Roanoke
• Windward Towers - Newport News
• National D-Day Memorial - Bedford
PHOTOS
• See our weather shots
• Share your weather photos

Another winter storm is expected to hit the SWAC area Tuesday into Wednesday as the Winter of 2009-10 continues.

Photo by SWAC Girl
Lynn Mitchell
8 February 2010

[Tertium Quids] Fighting freedom of information

James Young — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:30:00 +0000

[Bearing Drift: Virginia Politics On Demand] Best Superbowl Commercial

jr@bearingdrift.com (J.R. Hoeft) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:06:26 +0000

a bunch of good ones this year. I love the E-Trade ones with the babies talking and of course the beer ones are always funny. Personally didn’t think the Tebow ad was all that controversial. anyway, I think this year the best commercial goes to Defeat the Debt.

Debt Stinks!

[Crystal Clear Conservative] Party on Bourbon!

crystalclearconservative — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:30:34 +0000

Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler! (Let the Good Times Roll!)

WHO DAT? Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for their victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl 44! In the meantime, I am counting down the days to beautiful warm weather and baseball season (Geaux Yankees!) At least, the Washington Capitals and Maryland Terrapins won today…at least, my day is not spoiled.

[Bearing Drift: Virginia Politics On Demand] Saints win!

jr@bearingdrift.com (J.R. Hoeft) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:11:35 +0000

There are no reports of violence or looting, yet, from New Orleans after their huge Super Bowl victory over the Indianapolis Colts, but, if it should happen, I am sure it will all be former Pres. George W. Bush’s fault…after all, it was after Katrina, right? Yet, Obama picked the Colts.

(PS As a Detroit Lions’ fan, I now feel that there really is hope.)