Bah Humbug Greetings from Loudoun Supervisor Jim Burton

Thankfully, there were seven members of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors who had the guts to overrule the decision to ban religious displays on the grounds of the county courthouse by the Courthouse Grounds and Facility Task Force. The decision of these seven members allowed a nativity scene, as well as a Menorah to be displayed on the grounds of the county courthouse. 

However, there was one member who voted against this effort, and that was Blue Ridge District Supervisor Jim "Bah Humbug" Burton.  Burton voted against this bill.  According to Leesburg Today, Burton voted against overruling the decision, because this issue needed more study and that the decision was hastily made. Another supervisor almost voted against this as well, and that was Dulles District Supervisor, Stevens Miller, who said, "if you're going to have free speech then you have to make sure everyone has it" and that he believes "we are going to find that this has undesirable consequences."

The question now becomes: Whatever happened to having Christmas (or Holiday) spirit? I guess seven members have it, while one has contracted Bah Humbug-itis.

You're a mean one, Mr. Burton!

Some GOTV Humor

Wow, just when I thought things could not slip to a new low.  Stevens Miller not only sucked up money from the Democratic Caucus from Poisson, Vanderhye, and Caputo, but he also took literature from them.  Case in point, Miller used Chuck Caputo's doorhangers on Election Day, and just stuck a sticker over Caputo's face.

Door Hanger-Gate

Door hangers are an essential part of every get out the vote effort, and Stevens Miller's campaign is breaking the law by placing door hangers for a precinct in Herndon with the wrong polling location.  Too Conservative has more on this...is it me or do I sense trouble?

Loudoun Chamber of Commerce still outraged by Stevens Miller

Last Thursday, I wrote about Stevens Miller getting called out on using autism as political grandstanding by a fellow Supervisor.  Well, it looks like there has been clarification on how Miller was trying to block Mindy Williams' appointment to the Loudoun Health Council.  The Loudoun Chamber of Commerce sent this memo out to its members highlighting their disappointment with Miller's actions to block Williams from retaining her seat on the Loudoun Health Council.

I guess the only accomplishment of Miller's service on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors is political grandstanding.

A BLT Doesn't Add Up to the Costs of Obama's Stimulus

In politics, there are always attacks on someone for doing something right. Well, Stevens Miller feels compelled to attack Tom Rust for standing up against Obama's stimulus plan, in order to protect the taxpayers in the 86^th District and the Commonwealth.

It's a pathetic attack on Rust, as he was standing up for taxpayers and reducing government waste. Rust realizes that the taxpayers will be the ones hurt from the stimulus, as future generations will be paying this debt off for a long time.

Meanwhile, what has Stevens Miller done for those in the Dulles District, who elected him to serve as their supervisor on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors? Nothing.

Craziness ala Loudoun Style

Well, it is always fun when you read a newspaper on your way to work in the District that comments about your county's craziness. So, imagine my delight when I was reading The Washington Examiner, and found an op-ed that focuses on Stevens Miller's carpetbagging stunt to run for the House of Delegates in the 86^th District. If that doesn't sound crazy enough, how about this?

The schools in Miller's magisterial district are bursting at the seams. So in July 2008, the Loudoun School Board signed a $20 million contract to purchase 99 acres on Lenah Road near several hundred existing homes (later negotiating the price down to $18 million) for two new voter-approved schools. The developer promised to provide roads and utilities. All that was needed to start building was approval by the County Board.

But even before the county staff could finish its report on the Lenah property, Miller declared the process "broken" and initiated his own unprecedented school-site search. Three months later, Miller and Realtor Kathy Worek, daughter of Del. Chuck Caputo, D-Fairfax, came up with a plan for Loudoun to buy the undeveloped 190-acre Lambert property on Bull Run Post Office Road for the low, low price of $14 million. The county could then sell a 30-acre parcel to Worek's client for $2 million for a privately built sports complex and Olympic swimming facility.

Alas, the "deal" was too good to be true.

Reality check No. 1: School officials said that using the sparsely settled Lambert site would add at least two years to the already late construction process and cost taxpayers another $16 million, thus making it more expensive than Lenah in the long run.

Reality check No. 2: Lenah was already in compliance with the county's Comprehensive Plan. Lambert contains wetlands and is not zoned for recreational use.

Reality check No. 3: At a Sept. 10, 2008, public hearing, Worek told planning commissioners that she and Miller negotiated a purchase price for the Lambert property. However, neither is empowered to negotiate for school sites. That's a school board prerogative.

Reality check No. 4: The low-density Lambert property can't accommodate two schools, much less three schools, a soccerplex, and a swimming facility.

Nevertheless, on Oct. 21, 2008, on a motion by Miller, Loudoun supervisors killed the purchase of the Lenah property, delaying construction of an already two-year-delayed middle school one more year and setting the high school back a year as well.

If Miller can't even manage his own district's school overcrowding (let alone do the job, in which he was originally elected), then why should the residents of the 86^th district elect a carpetbagger to represent them, then consider leaving for another job a year later.

Stevens Miller Got Served...By a Fellow Loudoun Supervisor

The Washington Post, during a recent Loudoun County Board of Supervisors meeting, there was a contentious vote in deciding whether or not a lobbyist would be appointed to a third term in the Loudoun Health Council. This lobbyist worked against autism legislation outside her capacity on the Loudoun Health Council (rather, she was working on behalf of a professional client, Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce, who knew this legislation would hurt small businesses, as they do not have the funds to help pay for what was covered in this bill), while the bill was being debated in Richmond (note: Richmond, not Loudoun County). Mindy Williams works for a professional lobbying firm in Fairfax, and she was not required to disclose her work with other clients.

Guess who decided to speak up to flaunt his race for Delegate and call for the ouster of this member of the Loudoun Health Council? Stevens Miller. Miller actually did more than call for the ouster, rather he tried to block her appointment.

"Parent after parent of autistic children have come to me, asking for us and the Chamber to some gesture of compassion and send someone else to Richmond," Miller said Tuesday before the vote. "In my view, this person had a conflict of interest...It's an egregious insult and, if this person is confirmed, I will seek to have this seat removed from the Health Council."

Miller said he met with Williams as a supervisor last year to discuss autism legislation without her telling him she was a paid lobbyist against the bills.

"Had I known that, I would have chosen my words very differently," he said.

Miller has also used autism legislation as a chief component of his campaign for House delegate.

Supervisor Kelly Burk (D-Leesburg) said Williams's re-appointment to the volunteer position was "being used to raise an issue that's not there." She bluntly said Miller was using the debate as a political tool.

"This item uses the autistic community in a cruel and selfish manner," she said.

So...Miller was using this as a political tool. At least, Supervisor Burk had the guts to call him out on playing politics, rather than leading. In fact, I am curious if Miller will use this tactic, if elected as a Delegate in Richmond.

Is Chuck Caputo's Ship Sinking?

It appears that when a ship sinks, everyone on board decidedly attacks each other to stay alive. In Chuck Caputo's re-election bid, he has definitely been throwing the attacks against Jim LeMunyon every chance he gets, even after promising to run a positive campaign.

The most recent attack coming from Caputo's campaign claims that a business that LeMunyon co-founded in the 1990s, Sterling Semiconductor, failed to pay taxes, failed to pay bills, and went bankrupt.

Caputo couldn't be further from the truth, and it's time for some clarification. LeMunyon (along with the other business owners) sold Sterling Semiconductor to Uniroyal on May 31, 2000, which was two years before, the new owners encountered financial difficulties, partly due to the losses in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 tragedy. On August 25, 2002, Uniroyal declared bankruptcy with Sterling Semiconductor. After the August 25, 2002 bankruptcy, Dow Corning bought Sterling Semiconductor.

When LeMunyon was in control of Sterling Semiconductor, bills were paid on time.

“Chuck Caputo has either chosen the deliberately distort the facts, or is sloppy in his research to a point that is beyond embarrassing,” said Tim Edson, LeMunyon’s campaign manager. “In either case, we demand an immediate retraction and an apology.”

“Like many entrepreneurs, Jim has taken significant personal financial risks over the years to get new companies rolling, which have created new jobs and brought new products to market,” said Edson. “Chuck and Jim may disagree on many issues, but it’s a shame that Chuck can’t treat Jim’s business record with respect. Jim has run an honorable campaign, and has only criticized Chuck Caputo’s voting record in Richmond, not the man personally. Jim has publicly said many times that Chuck Caputo is a decent man and a good citizen. It is unfortunate that Chuck has chosen not to follow suit.”

When candidates resort to petty attacks, such as this one, it is a clear indicator that this campaign is sinking at a fast rate of speed.

What's more important? Serving your District or Running for the Next Higher Office

On Tuesday night, there was an important Loudoun County Board of Supervisors meeting, and take a guess who wasn't in attendance.  If you guessed Stevens Miller, you got that right.  Residents in the Dulles district were missing representation, while their supervisor was busy trying to seek the next highest office by participating in a House of Delegates debate.  The funny (and it is might not seem so funny) thing is that Miller is still cashing a paycheck, even though he is not doing any work.

Whatever happened to accountability and doing what's right?

Why is Stevens Miller hiding the Democrat Label?

Stevens Miller has been hiding something lately in his literature for the 86^th District Delegate seat. He has been hiding the Democrat label. Before he was prominently displaying the fact that he's a Democrat, but now, the label is not there. I wonder why...is it that he wants to distance himself from the party?

Before...

After...

California Money Comes in Handy for Northern Virginia Liberals

Do we really want California-style liberal values to represent us in Richmond?

Well, if you are supporting Stevens Miller, Del. Margie Vanderhye, John Bell, Robin Abbott, and Peggy Frank, then you are supporting Nancy Pelosi-style politicians, who want to bring progressive politics to the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Stevens Miller sent out a letter to his supporters recently that a group called "Progressive Kicks" has endorsed his campaign and that you can go to their donation page to give to his campaign. He even went on to mention this group in a recent campaign appearance. Video is below.



*Pay attention around the 2:47 mark, where Miller cites the liberal California group contributing to his effort*

Progressive Kicks is a group based out of Berkeley, California, and is funded by George Soros. Soros also gave money to scandal plagued ACORN, and he gave a total of $27,500 to Progressive Kicks. Soros-style politics is not what the Virginia General Assembly needs, rather it needs good principled leadership that will fight to lower taxes and get Virginia's budget back on track.

H/T CRFV Off the Trunk

Stevens Miller and His Views on E-Verify

In 2007, when Stevens Miller was running for Dulles district Supervisor, he ran saying that he would crackdown on businesses that knowingly hired illegal immigrants.

According to Leesburg Today:

Stevens Miller, a candidate for supervisor in the Dulles District, sent out his own release calling for a crackdown on private businesses that employ illegal immigrants.

Two years later, Miller voted against e-verification, thus going against his campaign promise of cracking down on those who employ illegal immigrants. (Source: Leesburg Today)

What will Miller do, if elected as Delegate, to crack down on illegal immigrants? Will he promise to crack down on illegal immigration or abandon that promise?

Your Dulles Supervisor At Work

What has Stevens Miller done for the Dulles District lately?  Well, he has been using his Board of Supervisors office (which he has been neglecting) to campaign for higher office.

Just read this article from The Washington Post.

Truth Squad: Stevens Miller's Attacks on Tom Rust and Autism

Blue Commonwealth reported last week that Stevens Miller ran an ad attacking Del. Tom Rust by saying that he has not been an advocate for families affected by autism. Of course, the article showed Rust in a negative light by casting him as being silent on a decision.

It's difficult to comprehend why one minute Del. Rust is an advocate for this very important cause and then goes silent when it's time to "walk to the walk." This bill was not one where partisan differences played a role in it's downfall considering it had bipartisan support in both chambers. Del. Marshall and Possion both sponsored this bill after seeing specifically how autism affects both children and their families. (In the Senate Jill Holtzman Vogel took the lead with the support of her Loudoun colleague Sen. Mark Herring) Tom Rust sat on the Labor and Commerce Committee in which he could have stood up and been an advocate that he promised to be to families with autistic children. It's hard to overlook the fact that Rust supposedly supported this piece of legislation but did absolutely nothing to advance it in committee. It's also important to note the Rust even voted against the legislation after Del. Marshall forced a floor vote after the Labor and Commerce Committee sat on their hands and did nothing. In a statement Marshall noted that Rust and the committee's lack of action showed "a complete indifference" and that he had to hold legislators like Rust accountable for a "silence [that] is not a morally acceptable response to this situation."

Perhaps, it is time to take a look and establish the real truth behind the lies posed by the Democrats against Rust on autism. First, Tom Rust is not a member of the Subcommittee that was considering this bill, thus meaning he could not vote for it. Rust was in the room and presented a bill that would have greatly expanded insurance coverage in Virginia.

So, let's look at the proof:

1. Here is the bill history

It was left in subcommittee on February 3, 2009.

2.  Here are the members of the Subcommittee

Wow.  Tom Rust is not a member of this subcommittee.

3.  Being in the subcommittee room doesn’t make you part of the subcommittee.

Perhaps, Tom Rust was in the subcommittee hearing because his bill was next on the agenda.  Just like this example:

See, the truth is Tom Rust has never voted against autism.  He has always been a true advocate for families with autism.  Stevens Miller is playing into fellow Democrat Creigh Deeds' playbook of using dirty campaign tactics.

Hard Work is all in a day's work...Supposedly

As mentioned in a previous post, I had indicated that Dulles Supervisor Stevens Miller voted for a pay increase that would have been triple his salary, as a part-time county supervisor.  The Loudoun Times reported in February 2008 that Miller had some frustrations with the demands of the job. 

At a recent breakfast with the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce, he said board members should be paid more. He currently makes $41,200 a year as a supervisor. The position is considered part-time.

At Tuesday's meeting, he voiced his frustration at the workload placed upon supervisors.

"No one told you had to work this hard," he said mostly in jest. "Perhaps someone should have told me this before I took the job."

Also, during a series of votes on whether the board would support or oppose certain bills coursing through the General Assembly, Miller vented that supervisors were not given adequate time to pour through the legislation thoroughly enough to formulate an opinion.

If Miller had reservations about being a supervisor, then why does he believe that those in the 86th District should elect him as their delegate?

Where in the World is Chuck Caputo?

I think there should be a follow up to the famous Where's Waldo series with a Where's Chuck Caputo series.  In 2008, during an important session of the General Assembly to address the issue of transportation, Del. Chuck Caputo (D-67) was on a cruise, neglecting those in his district by not voting in their best interests (in terms of transportation). 

Yet, Caputo comes out saying that he has fought on behalf of his district when it comes to transportation.  This is a hypocritical statement, especially considering that he was out of town during the session to address transportation. 

 

Overworked and Underpaid...It's a hard knock life

Nobody ever said being a public servant is easy work, as you often work long hours and the pay often does not equate to the hard work at the end of the day. You do it to improve the community, even if it means you are not getting the top dollar for the job.

Evidently, the stress of being Dulles Supervisor has caught up with Stevens Miller, as he asked for a living wage increase just two weeks into office. According to Leesburg Today, Miller said he would look into implement the living wage into supervisors' pay. He said, "You can't be a full-time supervisor unless you don't have to work," he said. "The people of Loudoun County are entitled to full-time supervisors." Since the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors are part-time, they are paid accordingly for their services. In fact, Leesburg Today reported that the supervisors pay increased from $22,400 to $41,200. This is double the salary for part-time services.

Since Stevens Miller is running for Delegate, how will he be able to live off of a $17,640/year salary? Will he request a "living wage" increase in Richmond? After all, he called for the Supervisors to be paid the same as the constitutional office holders, who make $120,000/year, which is triple his salary.