From announcement:
The VCU Students for a Democratic Society and VCU Students for
International Social Justice will have a free film screening of “Rethink
Afghanistan” on February 27th at 5PM in the VCU student commons theater.
There will also be a discussion of what an anti-war movement in VA should look like.
Despite the opposition and hard work of Oregon Hill’s state senator, Donald McEachin, the Virginia General Assembly Senate passed Senate Bill 1025. An identical bill (HB 2123) passed in the House of Delegates last month, and Governor Bob McDonnell is expected to sign the legislation into law.
These bills, if signed into law, would tie the hands of Virginia officials, restricting their ability to use the effluent testing and water quality monitoring necessary to protect Virginia’s waterways and communities from the severe impacts of surface mining. The law would also repeal the State Water Control Board’s authority over an important category of pollution discharge permits, eroding the authority of this board of citizen experts.
This violates Virginia’s Constitution. Section 1 of Article XI of the Virginia constitution is particularly relevant, and I quote it here (bolding added for emphasis):
To the end that the people have clean air, pure water, and the use and enjoyment for recreation of adequate public lands, waters, and other natural resources, it shall be the policy of the Commonwealth to conserve, develop, and utilize its natural resources, its public lands, and its historical sites and buildings. Further, it shall be the Commonwealth’s policy to protect its atmosphere, lands, and waters from pollution, impairment, or destruction, for the benefit, enjoyment, and general welfare of the people of the Commonwealth.
“Clean water and clean air have been assaulted from day one of this General Assembly session. Whether it’s loopholes in the permitting process for coal mines, or extending coal subsidies in Virginia, this General Assembly has done all they can to create a safety net for the coal industry,” said J.R. Tolbert, assistant director of the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club. “If we didn’t know any better, you’d think Virginia had become a corporate welfare state.”
Where does the Tea Party stand on this one? Or do they only care about certain parts of the federal Constitution?
Oregon Hill’s State Senator Donald McEachin is doing great work to push forward a clean energy agenda for Virginia in the current General Assembly session.
Sadly, his bill to limit offshore oil drilling (while promoting offshore wind), SB814, died in committee yesterday. This is particularly galling to those concerned about the undue influence of the fossil fuel corporations and their disasters.
Fortunately, there are other bills to root for. In particular, SB907, also sponsored by McEachin, which is now scheduled to come up (again) in the Senate Commerce and Labor committee next week. SB907 would direct the State Corporation Commission to order utilities to develop an appropriate pricing strategy to incentivize residential customers to reduce their consumption. Inclining block rates (IBR) is just such a strategy and is designed so that the more electricity consumers use, the more they pay, sending a price signal, especially to high-use residential customers, to reduce their consumption.
Does this sound familiar? It should, because it is similar to the municipal water reform that Oregon Hill residents have lobbied for in the recent past. Paying for what you use and rewarding conservation makes the sort of common sense that many citizens want to see on all levels of our government.
Bag on Belvidere
RVANews is covering the General Assembly debate.
A few points that are still not getting through to the public are the extent to which plastic bag litter is negatively impacting our environment/wildlife, how much bags are interfering with farming harvests, how much oil can conserved by reducing plastic bag use, and how much money businesses could save by not offering bags.
The following is not particular to Oregon Hill, but this event is close by in downtown where I am not sure there is another community blog to cover it. Besides, this neighborhood does have a history of activism…
From announcement:
On Saturday, Jan. 15, the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., community advocates and supporters from across Virginia will gather in downtown Richmond to tell the 2011 General Assembly:
Reform the prison laws!
Equal rights for immigrants!
Reclaim Richmond’s African Burial Ground!
Don’t balance the budget on the backs of Virginia’s working people!
Money for jobs & education, not for wars & occupations!1 p.m. – RALLY – Kanawha Plaza, 8th & Canal streets, Richmond, VA
2 p.m. – MARCH – to the Virginia State Capitol and the African Burial Ground
RVANews.com features an article on recent City Council meeting. In the meeting, there was much discussion on two issues that resonate near Oregon Hill, the Monroe Park renovations and a film scheduled for the Civil War Center (Tredegar).
Excerpts:
Speaking with 5th District Councilman Marty Jewell (pictured above) after the meeting presented a different view point from the council. “Monroe park is and has always been a public park, and it should remain a public park,” said Jewell, who has been seen attending some of the charity events held every Sunday in Monroe park. He said he sympathized with those involved in helping the homeless who come to Monroe Park for food and shelter.
“If you look at the master plan wordage from [the year] 2000, the language was there that we need to ‘reduce the visibility of homeless people,’” he said. “That’s always been the intent of certain corporate types who simply don’t want to see poor people.”
No part of the plan was to be voted on that night, so no issues concerning the park or the master plan were directly addressed in the meeting.
—
“If they want to show it there as historical fact, then that’s one thing, but to show this in a sponsored event and in a movie theater and get everyone to come out for it,” said Hilbert, “We need to move forward with our city.”
However, 1st District Councilman Bruce Tyler (pictured in the main image of this story) brought up the fact that it was not City Council’s job to be a censor.
“There is nothing in this film that I wanna see or have shown,” said Tyler, “But I have to sit here and say that freedom of speech is what makes our country great, and i don’t think its our right to censor freedom of speech.”
The Monroe Park issues have been previously covered on this site quite a bit.
With all of the, um, renewed interest in City Council, I thought I would post this reminder from the City:
Numerous opportunities for Richmond Citizens to learn more, provide input and participate: New Plan to be adopted by December 31, 2011
(Richmond, Virginia U.S.A) — In 2011, Richmond City Council will redraw (redistrict) the existing nine Richmond Voter District boundaries that we use to elect our local Richmond Elected Government Officials in response to results of the 2010 U.S. Census. Adjustments to voting precincts and locations may also be made at this time. New Richmond Voter Districts are to be adopted by December 31, 2011.
The 2011 Richmond Decennial Voter District Redistricting will be a year-long open public process that will include a comprehensive array of public information communications and numerous opportunities for Richmond Citizens to learn more, provide input and participate, which will include many Public Information Meetings, Public Council Meetings, and Public Hearings. All Richmond citizens are invited and encouraged to learn more about the process and to participate during each step of the way. Some of the many ways to engage in this process include:
1. Contacting the Richmond City Council Councilmember that represents you via phone, email, meeting or letter (contact information below)
2. Sending a letter to Richmond City Council
2011 Richmond Decennial Voter District Redistricting
Richmond City Hall; 900 E. Broad St., Suite 305
Richmond, Virginia 232193. Attending Public Information Meetings, Council Public Meetings and Public Hearings to learn more, ask questions and make suggestions (dates, times and locations listed below)
4. Visiting the 2011 Richmond Decennial Voter District Redistricting website to learn more (to be established soon)
5. Asking questions, learning more, and sending suggestions or information by email to steven.skinner@richmondgov.com
6. Sending suggestions or asking questions by sending a fax to 804.646.5468
7. Learning more, asking questions and providing suggestions by calling 804.646.6052
8. Signing up for information and Public Information Meetings, Public Council Meeting and Public Hearings email updates/alerts, at: steven.skinner@richmondgov.com
An excerpt from Richmond Magazine article (click here for full article):
Richmond City Council’s first meeting of the new year typically is one filled with little more than a vote to select its president and vice president for the next two years. Instead, tonight’s meeting was a political faceoff between Council President Kathy Graziano and City Councilman Marty Jewell, who promised on Jan. 2 to ask for an investigation into e-mails that outlined alleged inappropriate behavior by Graziano’s Council liaison and close political advisor, David Hathcock, at the meeting. He accused Graziano of mishandling the situation.
Jewell followed through on his promise, making a motion to defer voting on a new president until an investigation could be conducted by the city’s office of the inspector general, referring to an alleged incident in which Councilman Bruce Tyler’s liaison, Jennifer Walle, was allegedly inappropriately touched on April 21 by Hathcock. The alleged incident was detailed and acknowledged in an e-mail exchange between Walle and Hathcock on May 6.
“When I asked Graziano, she said that issue was done with — over,” Jewell said, referencing conversations that he had with her in December.
Despite Jewell’s motion calling for an investigation, which failed, and despite his nomination of Tyler for the presidency, Graziano carried the vote five to three (Trammell, Tyler and Jewell voted against her, and Councilman Doug Conner was absent).
But Jewell, Trammell and Tyler each said that the matter of Hathcock’s alleged behavior was far from over. They all said that the unofficial inquiry that was conducted, overseen by Graziano herself, was flawed.
From announcement:
Charter Schools in Virginia: Panel Discussion and Public Forum
Thursday, December 9th, 6pm to 8pm
VCU student Commons 907 Floyd Avenue Richmond Salon I
Sponsored by Teachers for Social Justice in conjunction with Richmond REA and VCU’s Department of Foundations of EducationWhile at both the national and state level the charter school movement is gaining momentum, there is heated debate about the effectiveness of charter schools and the long term impact of this reform movement on public education. The goal of this forum is to bring together a panel of speakers representing a diversity of well-informed perspectives on this issue to present their views, engage in a productive dialogue, and answer questions from the public. The hope is that this forum leads to a better understanding of the careful steps we must take as we move forward to improve the quality of education in our state.
Confirmed Panelists
Kitty Boitnott, president of the Virginia Education Association
Senator Henry Marsh, representing Virginia’s 16th district
Maurice Henderson, 5th District Richmond School Board Representative
Jesse Senechal, Teachers for Social Justice
A representative of Patrick Henry Charter School