John Whitehead is a Charlottesville-based attorney and author who has written, debated, and practiced widely in the area of constitutional law. A prominent leader in the national dialogue on civil liberties and human rights and a formidable champion of the Constitution, Whitehead’s concern for the persecuted and oppressed led him in 1982 to establish The Rutherford Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the defense of civil liberties and human rights.

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At the January 8, 2014 meeting, Whitehead explored the many ways in which our freedoms and privacy rights have been eroded in recent years as documented in his new book, A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State. Whitehead’s book paints a chilling portrait of a nation in the final stages of transformation into a police state, complete with surveillance cameras, drug-sniffing dogs, SWAT team raids, roadside strip searches, blood draws at DUI checkpoints, mosquito drones, tasers, privatized prisons, GPS tracking devices, zero tolerance policies, over-criminalization, and free speech zones. It also reveals the inner workings of an increasingly pervasive surveillance state, including the NSAs program to track the communications of all Americans and map the daily activities of all people in the United States. As nationally syndicated columnist Nat Hentoff observed about Whitehead: John Whitehead is not only one of the nation’s most consistent and persistent civil libertarians, he is also a remarkably perceptive illustrator of our popular culture, its in-sights and dangers.

The program was moderated by SSV board member Charles Smith.

The annual meeting was held on December 11, 2013 at the Branchlands Manor House, where a delicious buffet lunch was served.  The election of officers and directors was held at the meeting. The nominating committee, comprised of John McCauley, chair, and Bill Davis, presented the following slate of nominations for 2014 SSV officers and directors: Sue Liberman, past president; Bob McGrath, president; John McCauley, vice president and program chair; Madison Cummings, secretary; Jim Peterson, treasurer; Terry Cooper, Jeff Gould and Nancy Hunt, directors. Charles Smith and Grace Zisk will continue on the board as they enter the second year of their two-year terms. The slate was elected by acclamation.

Special recognition was given to Tom Boyd, Bill Davis and Jim Perkins, members who have concluded their terms and will not be continuing on the board in 2014. Sue Lieberman was recognized for her leadership during her term as president. Also recognized for their outstanding contributions were Berta Hysel, Betty Vargas and Dan Gould.

Vice President Bob McGrath gave a slide presentation of the year 2013 in review. It was truly a banner year for excellent programs.

What are our most important recent decisions? How would our founding fathers view them? What happens when a new Supreme Court justice needs to be appointed? Can a non-lawyer serve on the Supreme Court?

What differences have the current justices made individually? Or from a gender standpoint, since there are now four women members for the first time in history? Does race make a difference in decisions? Should we have more members of the Supreme Court, as Roosevelt attempted?

These questions were answered at the November 13, 2013 meeting and a recording is available below. The program was moderated by SSV board member Charles Smith.

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Henry J. Abraham, James Hart Professor of Government Emeritus at the University of Virginia, graduated from Kenyon College in 1948 with a bachelor’s degree in political science, first in his class, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his M.A. in public law and government from Columbia University in 1949, and received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Pennsylvania in 1952, where he began his teaching career. In 1972 Dr. Abraham became a chaired professor in the Department of Government and Foreign Affairs at the University of Virginia. In 1983 he was awarded the University’s most prestigious recognition, the Thomas Jefferson Award, and in 1993 he received the First Lifetime Achievement Award of the Organized Section on Law and Courts of the American Political Science Association. He retired from full-time teaching in 1997 after nearly a half-century in the classroom.

Professor Abraham is a leading authority on constitutional law, civil rights and liberties, and the judicial process. A pioneer in comparative judicial studies, he has served as a Fulbright Scholar in Denmark and has lectured throughout the world. The author of 13 books in 48 editions including The Judicial Process: An Introductory Analysis of the Courts of the United States, England and France, 7th ed., and Freedom and the Court: Civil Rights and Liberties in the United States, 8th ed., he continues to research, publish and lecture. His most recent book is Justices, Presidents and Senators: A History of Supreme Court Appointments from Washington to Bush II. In addition, he has published more than one hundred articles, book chapters, essays and monographs. His record of civic and university service is as long as it is distinguished.

Henry and his wife Mildred, a rare books collector and bibliographer, live in Charlottesville. They have two sons and four grandchildren.

Program Summary

Dr. Abraham’s presentation should be heard on podcast to be appreciated, but here is a sampling of the points he addressed.

The courts represent the favorable choice of more Americans by 10-20 percentage points over the other two branches of government.

The constitution includes two very significant concepts with regard to the Supreme Court. First, who is on the court (the members are not elected but rather nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate); and second, their perception of their judicial role, which is the line between judicial activism and judicial restraint. There are phrases in the constitution which explains why the court so frequently seems to be out of balance.

There are four reasons why presidents select people for the judiciary: merit, political and personal friendship, a person’s real politics, and the notion of representativeness. The presidents have done pretty well with selecting members of merit. Only one member has been impeached and he was not convicted; indeed, he was a good jurist but he just had a big mouth. Of the 112 members who have served on the Supreme Court, Dr. Abraham considers only six as failures. He says that 12 are regarded as giants and great justices. The current court is okay!

Religion is one of the representative notions, but the present court is not characteristic. Historically, there have been 92 Protestants, 12 Catholics and eight Jews, of the 112 members. The present court has six Catholics and three Jews. However, religion does not play a major role in their positions on cases.

A typical perception is that there is a great deal of strife on the court. Actually, the strife is embedded in the cases, and when it comes to their personal and social relationships, the justices are all quite friendly and socialize together.

The current nine-judge court is divided four liberals to four conservatives, with Anthony Kennedy, who is basically a conservative, but who likes to be in the middle. Chief Justice John G. Roberts is a conservative. The most conservative member is Samuel A. Alito, although Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas are very close. Stephen G. Breyer and all three women, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, are liberals with Justice Ginsberg the most liberal.

Candidates for the Albemarle Board of Supervisors spoke Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at the Senior Center in Charlottesville. The program was moderated by Bob Gibson. Mr. Gibson is the executive director of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. He was introduced by SSV Vice-President and Program Director Bob McGrath.

Listen to a podcast of the proceedings.

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The Candidates

Diantha McKeel (I) (Jack Jouett) served on the School Board for 16 years achieving over $2 million in annual cost reductions, implementing the Goldcard Pass program providing seniors free admission to various events, and increasing the graduation rate, SOL and SAT test scores well above state averages. She supports common ground solutions in education, business and job growth, environmental and cost-efficient government.

Phillip Seay (I) (Jack Jouett) will focus on engaging and listening to the concerns of ALL Jouett residents and taking those concerns to work with other Supervisors and County staff with emphasis on ensuring that tax dollars are spent on the goods and services that the County is duty bound to provide: public safety, transportation and pedestrian services, the needs of teachers and students, and concerns of senior citizens.

Brad Sheffield (D) (Rio) is the Assistant Director at JAUNT. With 15 years of experience as a transportation and land use planner, he can forge a collaborative effort among the Supervisors, introducing new ideas that create a productive discussion on decisions of growth, transportation, education and infrastructure investment. He believes that decisions made for the County need to leave a legacy for future generations.

Rodney Thomas (R) (Rio) is a life-long resident of the area, Rodney attended City schools and graduated from Lane High School in 1962. His career in the printing industry began with The Daily Progress and Worrell Newspapers. He earned an Honorable Discharge from the US Army in 1967. Owner of Charlottesville Press, he was appointed to the Planning Commission and served through 2005 and chaired in 2004. He was elected to the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors in 2010.

Liz Palmer (D) (Samuel Miller) is a veterinarian, small business owner, mother and citizen activist who has worked on County issues for 15 years. She is currently serving her second term on the board of the Albemarle County Service Authority. She has been deeply involved in local water protection issues and was instrumental in getting the 50 year Community Water Supply Plan approved.

Duane Snow (R)  (Samuel Miller) is a native of Charlottesville, Duane is a graduate of Brigham Young University. Married to Rena Snow he has five children and 14 grandchildren. The CEO of Snow’s Garden Center, for 35 years he hosted the longest running radio gardening show in the nation. He is a former PVCC instructor. He has served on the Architectural Review Board, VA State Agricultural Council, Rotary Club (President), BSA and MPO.

Cindi Burket (R) (Scottsville) has lived in Albemarle County since 1997. With a B.S. in Law Enforcement and Corrections from Penn State University and a Master’s in Public Administration from George Mason University, she has held leadership positions in several Albemarle County organizations including the Newcomers Club of Greater Charlottesville and the Albemarle County Republican Committee.

Jane Dittmar (D) (Scottsville) holds a UVa Economics degree and launched her business career here in Charlottesville. She co-founded organizations that encourage job creation and support career or college ready high school graduates and for nine years was President of the Chamber of Commerce. As a professional mediator since 2001, Jane trains new mediators and supports mediation in all Albemarle County courts.

The Senior Statesmen of Virginia continue their tradition of showcasing candidates for local office with this, our first in a two part series. On September 11th we heard from all four candidates for Charlottesville City Council. The decision goes to voters this November.

Candidates Farruggio, Fenwick, Szakos and Weber speaking at a Senior Statesmen Forum. Local radio host and historian Coy Barefoot moderated the event.

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Mike Farruggio (R) was born in Brooklyn and raised in Freeport, NY, Mike served four years in the USAF. He began his law enforcement career with the NYPD relocating to Charlottesville in 1988 to join the Charlottesville Police Department. He has served in patrol, narcotics, community policing and traffic units and retired as the sergeant of the administrative bureau unit for training, policy, recruiting and accreditation. Mike lives in the Fry’s Spring Neighborhood with his wife and two children, who both attend City public schools. Mike has served on the Fry’s Spring Neighborhood Association, the Charlottesville Planning Commission, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board as well as others.

Bob Fenwick (D) served in Vietnam as a combat commander with the 4th Infantry Division and graduated from Georgetown University with a BS in Physics. He has taken undergraduate and graduate courses in Civil Engineering and Construction Management at The George Washington University School of Engineering in Washington, D.C. Bob has been a small business owner for 40 years as a construction contractor. His two boys attended Charlottesville Public Schools and are currently serving in the US Army. Both boys have served in Afghanistan. Bob is running for office be-cause he believes the citizens of Charlottesville would benefit from having a voice of experience (business, technical and personal) in important decisions.

Kristin Szakos (D) is vice mayor of Charlottesville. Among innovations she has introduced are Our Town council meetings, Downtown Ambassadors, the Youth Council and paperless Council meetings. Kristin chairs the regional Jail Board, and sits on numerous boards and commissions. She is vice chair of the National Council on Youth, Education and Families. With a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University, Kristin has worked as a reporter, editor, grant writer, administrator and translations editor, and has co-authored two books on community organizing. She and her husband Joe have two daughters, Anna, 23, and Maria, 22, and have fostered four children.

Charles “Buddy” Weber (R) graduated from the University of Virginia in 1968 with a BS degree and a Commission in the United States Navy. He then served his country as a carrier-based fighter pilot for 27 years rising to the rank of Captain and returning to UVA in 1993 as a professor where he also attended Law School. After graduating, he has served the Charlottesville community as a court appointed criminal defense attorney advocating for many clients unable to afford critical legal services. Buddy has worked tirelessly to ensure equal justice for all regard-less of race or economic status.

PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care of the Elderly) is a fully integrated interdisciplinary model for the delivery of healthcare to frail elderly adults. At the August 2013 meeting, Dr. Jocelyn Reeder provided an overview of the history of PACE and discussed how it has become a recognized standard of healthcare delivery in our current economic environment. PACE represents the new standard for community-based comprehensive integrated care to the elderly. You can listen to the entire presentation by clicking below.

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Dr. Jocelyn (Jo) Reeder PT DPT GCS graduated as a physiotherapist in 1983 from King’s College London. She practiced physiotherapy in a variety of patient care settings in the National Health Service before moving in 1989 to Boston Massachusetts where she worked at Massachusetts General Hospital. After a brief return to England, Jo and her family settled in Charlottesville in 1994. Jo has worked at UVA Medical Center and also in long-term care in Charlottesville. She gained her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2008 from Shenandoah University and was certified as a geriatric clinical specialist by the American Board of Physical Therapy in 2009. She has served as the rehabilitation manager for Continuum Home Health Care.

Can the United States police the world? Can we identify and act on another country’s national security interests? These are some of the issues addressed by Donald Nuechterlein at this month’s meeting of the Senior Statesmen of Virginia.

Donald E. Nuechterlein grew up in Saginaw, Michigan, and received his undergraduate and PhD degrees in political science from the University of Michigan. He served on active duty in the Navy during World War II and was commissioned in 1945. After the war ended, he served in the U.S. military occupation of Germany, in Bremerhaven and Berlin.

Mr. Nuechterlein had a long career in the federal government, at home and abroad. After joining the State Department in 1952, he served in Washington, D.C. and at U.S. embassies in Reykjavik, Iceland, and Bangkok, Thailand. In 1965 he joined the senior staff, International Security Affairs, in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, as a specialist on Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. In 1968, he became a founding faculty member of the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville and lectured and conducted seminars on U.S. foreign policy. He retired from government service in 1988.

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Dr. Nuechterlein has taught U.S. foreign policy both in the United States and abroad, including George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Queen’s University in Canada, the University of Kaiserslautern in Germany, and the University of Virginia, where he taught most recently in 2008. He was a Rockefeller fellow at the University of California, Berkeley (1963-64), a Fulbright scholar at the University College of Wales (1976), visiting faculty member of St. Antony’s College, Oxford (1982-83), and research fellow at the Australian National University in Canberra (1991) During each of these fellowships, he wrote a book on various aspects of U.S. foreign policy.

Don is the author of ten books, the most recent: Defiant Superpower: The New American Hegemony (2005). He writes a monthly commentary on international relations for several Virginia papers, including in Charlottesville, Richmond, Lynchburg, and Roanoke.

Don and his wife, Mildred, have four children and six grandchildren, and reside in Albemarle County near Charlottesville.

Mr. Nuechterlein spoke at the March 9, 2011 meeting of the Senior Statesmen of Virginia. The meeting was held at The Charlottesville Senior Center. Following the presentation, questions were taken from the audience. The program was moderated by SSV board member Sue Liberman.

Program Summary

At the March 9 SSV meeting, Donald Nuechterlein discussed “Our Current US National Interest and Policies in the Middle East.” The topic could not have been more timely given the recent developments in Egypt, Libya and other countries in the middle east. He identified 16 criteria for determining vital interests in case of war. He divided these into two categories, “Value Factors” and “Cost/Risk Factors.” The first include proximity of the danger; nature of the threat; economic stake for U.S.; type of government; effect on balance of power; sentimental attachment; national prestige at stake; and support of allies and friends. The “Cost/Risk Factors” include economic costs of hostilities; estimated U.S. casualties; risk of enlarged conflict; risk of protracted war; risk of international opposition; risk of U.S. public opposition; risk of congressional opposition; and cost of defeat or stalemate

Mr. Nuechterlein conducted a very interesting and informative exercise involving audience members. He distributed copies of a “National Interest Matrix” with the vertical axis titled “Basic National Interest” and comprised of the following factors: defense of homeland; economic well-being; favorable world order; and promotion of values. The horizontal axis, titled “Intensity of Interest,” was comprised of the following factors: survival level (critical); vital level (dangerous); major level (serious); and peripheral level (bothersome). He then asked all members of the audience to place the following countries on the matrix: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Israel and Libya. This was followed by a discussion of the thinking behind why the audience members selected the particular cells in which to place the countries

Delegates Rob Bell and David Toscano provided their perspectives on the issues that came before the 2010 legislature. They spoke at the April 14, 2010 meeting of the Senior Statesmen of Virginia.  The program was moderated by SSV Vice President Sue Liberman.

Rob Bell was an honors graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Virginia Law School.  He served as a state prosecutor for five years, where he prosecuted over 2,400 cases working with the police and crime victims to bring criminals to justice.

Representing the 58^th House District (County of Greene and parts of Albemarle, Fluvanna, and Orange Counties), Rob has written laws that crack down on drunk driving. He was named the 2005 Outstanding Legislator by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)-Virginia. He is also interested in school safety. In recent years, he has written laws to ban criminal sex offenders from school property during school hours and to require additional background checks on school personnel. In 2008, Rob helped overhaul Virginia’s mental health laws in light of the tragedy at Virginia Tech.

An Eagle Scout, Rob was an active volunteer with the Boy Scouts and with the public schools prior to his election in 2001. Rob’s wife, Jessica, is a schoolteacher. She is currently staying home to raise their children, Robbie and Evelyn. The Bells live in Albemarle County and are members of Aldersgate United Methodist Church.

David Toscano was elected to his first term in the Virginia House of Delegates in November 2005 representing the 57^th House District (City of Charlottesville and part of Albemarle County). David was born in Syracuse, New York in 1950, the first of five children. He was educated in the public schools, received a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University in 1972, a Ph.D. from Boston College in 1979, and a law degree from the University of Virginia in 1986. He has taught at various colleges and universities, including Boston College, the University of Maryland (European Division), Piedmont Virginia Community College, the University of Virginia, and James Madison University. He is an attorney with Buck, Toscano & Tereskerz, Ltd., specializing in family law and real estate.

David served on the Charlottesville City Council from 1990 to 2002 and as Mayor from 1994 to 1996. David is a resident of the City of Charlottesville, where he lives with his wife of 30 years, Nancy A. Tramontin, and their son, Matthew.

David serves on the Courts of Justice, Transportation, and Science and Technology Committees in the House of Delegates. He is also a member of the Disability Commission, the Joint Commission to Study Math, Science and Technology Education in the Commonwealth, and the Joint Subcommittee to Study Land Use Tools in the Commonwealth. He is also a member of the United Way Board and the Chamber of Commerce.

Donna Goings, Robert Graham and David Shreve

Panelists Donna Goings,  Robert Graham and David Shreve examined the problems with today’s health care system, their origins and how they would be addressed by a proposed national health insurance program. The panel included the perspectives of a consumer/patient, a medical professional and an economist. They spoke at the June 10, 2009 meeting of the Senior Statemen of Virginia held at the Charlottesville Senior Center

Donna Goings is a local real estate agent with 23 years of experience, a member of the National Association of Realtors, a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), and a graduate of the Realtor’s Institute (GRI). Donna served four years on the Board of the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors including two years as treasurer. Donna received her Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Wake Forest University in 1968. A former teacher of math in the Charlottesville Public School System Donna has served as president of the Charlottesville Education Association and chairperson of the Charlottesville Political Action Committee for Education. Donna has also been active in her community by serving on the Charlottesville Rail Board, on the CHART citizens’ advisory committee on transportation and as an organizer of her Westwood Road area Neighborhood Watch. Donna’s current concern is health care reform.

Robert Graham has, for 10 years, served as director of patient billing for the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Virginia. During this time, Robert has served on a number of committees at the University of Virginia Health Center dealing with billing issues for both physician and hospital charges. Robert received his Bachelor of Music Degree from Indiana University in 1980 and his Masters Degree from Indiana in 1981. As a trombonist, Robert has performed with the Baton Rouge Symphony, Richmond Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, Lynchburg Symphony and Charlottesville Symphony orchestras. Robert was the adjunct instructor of trombone at the University of Virginia from 1985 through 2001. He has also performed professionally with the Broadway touring production of Annie and with the Cab Calloway orchestra.

David Shreve is a former professor of economic history at the University of Virginia, where he held a joint appointment at the Miller Center of Public Affairs and the Department of History. He was a candidate for the United States Congress in 2008. A specialist in national, state, and local economic policy and 20th century U.S. political history, David also served as a budget analyst for the Louisiana legislature, where he was the legislative analyst responsible for the state Medicaid program, its indigent care hospital system, and all of the Bayou State’s health care departments and agencies. In that capacity, he was also a member of the governor’s health care estimating conference and the legislative representative to the Kellogg-Robert Wood Johnson task force on public health reform. He is the vice president of Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population, a member of the Virginia Organizing Project Tax Reform Committee, the editor and associate editor of seven volumes in W.W. Norton’s Presidential Recordings series, and the author of numerous essays and articles on American political economy and of the forthcoming book, American Promise: Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and the Forging of the Modern Economy.

Program Summary

Three panelists addressed the issue: “Health Insurance: the Problem, the Solution.” The primary debate going on in Washington today is the formation of a national health insurance program that has everyone in and no one out. In the early decades of the 20^thcentury, three payment plans sere formed. First was le Cross, a nonprofit. During WW II, when wages were frozen, employers got into the act by providing company paid insurance. Also during this period, Henry J. Kaiser developed the Health Maintenance Organization. Then came Medicare for the elderly, and in the 90’s came Medicare Part D, a drug plan using private insurance companies under government regulation.

Panelist Donna Goings described her experience as a consumer/patient. For 24 years she had paid her own health care premiums with a high deductible. When a skin blemish was diagnosed as cancer, she underwent outpatient surgery, but the cost came to $10,000. She also spoke of a friend who has worked for many years with a company that provides employee health care, but now she is on the verge of reaching the $1 million lifetime benefit limit. Ms. Goings has come to the conclusion that a single payer approach is the solution.

Panelist Robert Graham, a medical professional, provided extensive information comparing Medicare to six major private insurance plans. In every case, the Medicare allowances beat all of the private plans and also the patient copays were less than all of the private plans, and none of the commercial insurances came close to the cost control achieved by Medicare.

Panelist David Shreve, an economist, addressed the question of how to pay for a single payer system. He suggested a small transaction tax on all stock market sales; a roll back of 2003 tax cuts; a 1.45 percent tax on income; and a gain from economic efficiencies.

Virginia House of Delegates members Rob Bell and David Toscano provided their perspectives on the issues that came before the 2009 legislature at the May 13, 2009 meeting of the Senior Statesmen of Virginia held at the Charlottesville Senior Center.

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An honors graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Virginia Law School, Rob Bell served as a state prosecutor for five years. He prosecuted over 2,400 cases, working with the police and crime victims to bring criminals to justice.

Representing the 58th House District (County of Greene and parts of Albemarle, Fluvanna, and Orange Counties), Rob has written laws that crack down on drunk driving. He was named the 2005 Outstanding Legislator by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)-Virginia. He is also interested in school safety. In recent years, he has written laws to ban criminal sex offenders from school property during school hours and to require additional background checks on school personnel. In 2008, Rob helped overhaul Virginia’s mental health laws in light of the tragedy at Virginia Tech.

An Eagle Scout, Rob was an active volunteer with the Boy Scouts and with the public schools prior to his election in 2001. Rob’s wife, Jessica, is a schoolteacher. She is currently staying home to raise their children, Robbie and Evelyn. The Bells live in Albemarle County and are members of Aldersgate United Methodist Church

David Toscano was elected to his first term in the Virginia House of Delegates in November 2005 representing the 57th House District (City of Charlottesville and part of Albemarle County). David was born in Syracuse, New York in 1950, the first of five children. He was educated in the public schools, received a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University in 1972, a Ph.D. from Boston College in 1979, and a law degree from the University of Virginia in 1986. He has taught at various colleges and universities, including Boston College, the University of Maryland (European Division), Piedmont Virginia Community College, the University of Virginia, and James Madison University.   He is an attorney with Buck, Toscano & Tereskerz, Ltd., specializing in family law and real estate.

David served on the Charlottesville City Council from 1990 to 2002 and as Mayor from 1994 to 1996.

David is a resident of the City of Charlottesville, where he lives with his wife of 30 years, Nancy A. Tramontin, and their son, Matthew.

David serves on the Courts of Justice, Transportation, and Science and Technology Committees in the House of Delegates. He is also a member of the Disability Commission, the Joint Commission to Study Math, Science and Technology Education in the Commonwealth, and the Joint Subcommittee to Study Land Use Tools in the Commonwealth.  He is also a member of the United Way Board and the Chamber of Commerce.

The program was moderated by SSV board member Jim Perkins. Following the presentation questions were taken from the audience.

Program Summary

Delegates Rob Belland David Toscano provided their perspectives on the issues that came before the 2009 legislature. Delegate Bellsaid that the session was dominated by the budget in response to the significant reduction in state revenues caused by the decline in consumer spending and other economic factors. He also cited two areas of legislation he sponsored: reform of practices in assisted living facilities; and identity theft. In demonstrating the breadth of legislation considered, Delegate Toscano pointed to a proposed bill that would have allowed “wind energy drying devices,” (or more commonly referred to as “clothes lines”) even if local homeowners associations wished to prohibit them. On a more serious note he discussed the budget cuts proposed by the governor for education and sheriffs’ departments.

Questions raised by members of the audience covered a wide range of issues including: the revenue sharing agreement between Albemarle and Charlottesville; the stimulus package provision that would extend unemployment benefits from the current 29 weeks to 59 weeks; offshore oil drilling; legislation affecting senior citizens; how the federal stimulus package will help Virginia; the use of fossil fuels; the Tobacco Settlement Trust Fund; and the use of new technology to expand the availability of energy.