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Delegate Ken Plum's
Virginia
e-News
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 | | The 2011 Session of the Virginia General Assembly begins today. Contact Delegate Plum with your views at kenplum@aol.com. |
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Commentary
The Circumlocution Office
Delegate Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum
Cynics of government will find a delight in reading Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit, especially Chapter 10 "Containing the Whole Science of Government." www.readprint.com/chapter-2800/Little-Dorrit-Charles-Dickens)
"The Circumlocution Office was (as everybody knows without being told) the most important Department under Government. No public business of any kind could possibly be done at any time without the acquiescence of the Circumlocution Office. Its finger was in the largest public pie, and in the smallest public tart. It was equally impossible to do the plainest right and to undo the plainest wrong without the express authority of the Circumlocution Office..."
Campaigning against government's size, reach and costs has become a popular political strategy. Certainly utmost care must be given to keeping government in check and to limiting governmental functions to those things that cannot be done best by oneself or the private sector. The zeal to cut back government can lead to over-simplification of the purpose and functions of agencies of government by proponents and critics. For example, in Virginia the Governor's Commission on Government Reform has made dozens of recommendations for downsizing government. One proposal would get rid of the Rail Advisory Board made up of businesspersons with expertise in rail issues who advise the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation on these matters and who serve without compensation. Supposedly the Rail Advisory Board duplicates the work of the Commonwealth Transportation Board that has no one with rail expertise on it. Savings to the Commonwealth: zero. The Board has no staff assigned to it. Loss to the Commonwealth: substantial loss of expertise it gets for free. The only winners are politicians who say that they voted to reduce the size of government.
The most recent federal elections produced many new officeholders who promise government reform. But as Dickens went on to write, "It is true that every new premier and every new government, coming in because they had upheld a certain thing as necessary to be done, were no sooner come in than they applied their utmost faculties to discovering how not to do it. It is true that from the moment when a general election was over, every returned man who had been raving on hustings because it hadn't been done, and who had been asking the friends of the honourable gentlemen in the opposite interest on pain of impeachment to tell him why it hadn't been done, and who had been asserting that it must be done, and who had been pledging himself that it should be done, began to devise, how it was not to be done."
Know an office of circumlocution in Virginia? If so, let me know the name of it (email me at kenplum@aol.com), and I will see that something is done about it. |
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Thank You!
 | | Delegate Ken Plum and Senator Mark Herring take questions and comments from citizens at Fox Mill Elementary School on January 5. |
Thank you to the many citizens who attended my pre-session public hearings last week at Fox Mill Elementary School and Reston Community Center. I really appreciate your willingness to share your views with me.
Contact me during the Session at kenplum@aol.com or continue to call my Reston legislative phone number, 703.758.9733. Your call will be forwarded to my Richmond office at no cost to you. Follow legislation of interest and find out when committees and subcommittees are meeting at http://legis.virginia.gov.
 | | Delegate Ken Plum and Senator Janet Howell greet citizens at their Public Hearing at Reston Community Center on January 6. |
Stop by my office in the General Assembly Building if you are in Richmond between now and February 26. If you know you will be in town in advance, call 703.758.9733 and speak to my legislative assistant, Barbara Shearer, about the best time to drop by or to make an appointment. I look forward to seeing you and your family in Richmond!
It is my honor and privilege to represent you in the Virginia House of Delegates. |
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This is the Final Week to Take Ken's 2011 Pre-Session Survey - Make Your Views Count!
The 2011 General Assembly session begins TODAY!. Please take a moment to share your views on issues of interest to us all by clicking on the image below, or go to www.kenplum.com.
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Announcements
Whether or not you have visited Virginia's Frontier Culture Museum, you may enjoy the virtual tour available at www.virtualrabbit.com/tour/679/Frontier-Culture-Museum. Delegate Plum is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Frontier Culture Museum.
Rock the night away each Friday at Reston Town Center's Ice Skating Pavilion, open daily until March. Enjoy the Friday night Rock 'n Skate featuring a DJ from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. followed by games and prizes until 11:00 p.m. each Friday through the end of the season. The Ice Skating Pavilion is open daily, including holidays, throughout the season for public skating and skate rentals and also offers birthday parties, private, and corporate parties. Beginner and intermediate skating lessons are also available. For hours of operation, fees, and more information, call the skating hotline at 703.709.6300.
Beginning today, January 12, 2011, there will be a single phone number to access Alcohol & Drug Services, Intellectual Disability Services, and Mental Health Services of the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board. Residents can call 703.383.8500 (TTY 711, fax 703.383.8511) Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. After-hours assistance remains available through Woodburn Emergency Services at 703.573.5679 or the Fairfax Detoxification Center at 703.502.7000. The new Entry & Referral call center, located on Jermantown Road in Fairfax, will be staffed by professionals from all CSB service areas and employ English- and Spanish-speaking staff as well as having the capacity to access other languages when needed. The goal of the call center is to get people to the right service in the most efficient manner. Call center staff will conduct a thorough phone screening to assess needs in the areas of mental health, substance abuse, and intellectual disabilities. For additional information on the Community Services Board, please visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/csb. To request this information in an alternate format, call 703.324.7000, TTY 711.
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Calendar of Events
The Virginia General Assembly convenes today at Noon for the annual session.
Attend the Annual Meeting of the Reston Historic Trust (owner and operator of the Reston Museum) on Thursday, January 13, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The past year's activities will be reviewed, and there will be an election of board members. Refreshments will follow the business items.
An interfaith event, "God and Science," sponsored by the Ahmadiyya Muselum community and co-hosted by Clifton Presbyterian Church, will be held on Saturday, January 15, 1:00 to 4:00 at Clifton Presbyterian Church, 12748 Richard Lane, Clifton. Speakers representing the faiths of Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam will participate in a discussion about whether a belief in God is consistent with modern science. A potluck lunch will be served at 1:00 immediately preceding the program. Those bringing dishes are requested to arrive by 12:30. RSVP or more info: Jalal Malik, Outreach Director, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, 202.670.1588 or amc.nva@gmail.com or Pastor Jen Dunfee, Clifton Presbyterian Church, 703.830.3175 or Jennifer-cliftonpc@vacoxmail.com. The Reston Community Orchestra will present its Annual Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Saturday, January 15, 6:00 p.m., at the Reston Community Center at Hunters Woods. This musical program honoring the life and legacy of Dr. King will feature orchestral music by African American composers in addition to readings, poetry and other spoken words. Go to www.restoncommunityorchestra.org for more information.
"GERRYMANDERING - The Movie" will be shown on Sunday, January 16, 2:00 p.m. at the Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Road, Burke (phone 703.644.7333). Social gathering is at 1:30 p.m. prior to the program beginning at 2:00. The Fairfax Area and Prince William Area Leagues of Women Voters have joined to present this film. Dr. Michael P. McDonald of George Mason University will introduce and comment on the movie following by a Q and A session if time allows. Dr. McDonald is Assistant Professor of Government and Politics in the Department of Public and International Affairs at GMU and a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He is currently working on developing open-source redistricting software that is accessible through a web browser. This event is free. The Reston Community Center presents a weekend of special events entitled "Are We Keeping the Promise?" in observance of the 2011 Reston Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration. In addition to the Reston Community Orchestra Program on Saturday January 15 (see item above), the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation will host "Voices of Inspiration" at 1441 Wiehle Avenue, sponsored by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Christian Church. On Monday, January 17, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., there will be a Commemorative March at Southgate Community Center, 12125 Pinecrest Road, followed by special programs, discussions, awards, and a reception. Visit www.restoncommunitycenter.org for more information.
In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the spirit of service this day represents, Volunteer Fairfax invites you to its second annual "Give Together: A Family Volunteer Day" on Monday, January 17, 2011, at George Mason University. Families can enjoy the opportunity to give back to the community by working on service projects provided by nonprofits from around the region. Nonprofits participating in the 2011 event include: Fairfax 4-H, FACETS, Herndon Senior Center, Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, Operation Military Kids, and Orphan Foundation of America. Projects range from writing cards to deployed military personnel to beading bracelets for hospital patients. The event will be divided into two shifts: shift 1 from 10:30 to 12:30 p.m.; shift 2 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Families with elementary-aged children are encouraged to attend this event. Register or find out more at www.volunteerfairfax.org.
The next Electric Sunday TV and Computer Recycling will be held on Sunday, January 23, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the I-66 Transfer Station, 4618 West Ox Road, Fairfax. For updates, cancellations, and notifications of events, call 703.324.5052, TTY 711.
Let's Help Kids! will celebrate its first annual "Dual" Gala (adults in one room, kids in another!) on Saturday, January 29, 2011, 6:00 to 10:00 p.m., at the Springfield Golf & Country Club. Black tie optional. The Kids Gala was conceived in the spirit of a child's vision of "kids helping kids." The room adjacent to the adult party will be chaperoned and will include kid-friendly food, games, and a movie. This is a great way to help kids who are experiencing financial hardship simply by dusting off your party shoes and joining Let's Help Kids! for a night of great music, dancing, fabulous food, cash bar, silent auction, and lots of inspiration. Visit www.letshelpkidsgala.eventbrite.com to purchase tickets. Get ready for the Virginia Polar Dip on February 5, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Reston Community Center at Lake Anne Village Center. Registration for the Polar Dip starts at 1:00 p.m. that day with the Plunge taking place at 2:00 p.m. Camp Sunshine is pleased to announce the 2011 Virginia Polar Dip and believes together they can send many more children with life-threatening illnesses and their families to its one-of-a-kind retreat in Maine. This year, the goal is to raise $75,000, which will allow 37 families from the VA/MD/DC area to attend Camp Sunshine. For more information about the Polar Dip and Camp Sunshine, visit www.freezinforareason.com and www.campsunshine.org. |
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| Delegate Ken Plum's Virginia e-News.
Authorized by Kenneth R. Plum. Paid for by Friends of Delegate Ken Plum. |
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