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Ken attended a meeting of Cub Scout Pack 32 at Terraset Elementary School last week. The boys talked with Ken about the duties of his office as part of their work toward earning their Citizenship badges.
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Commentary
Grand Illusion in Richmond
Delegate Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum
Recently I performed a magic show for children at Barnes and Noble in Reston as part of a fundraiser for a local preschool. Part of the success of performing magic is dependent upon the ability of the magician to divert the attention of the audience from what is going on to the illusion of what seems to be happening. A ballpoint pen seems to stick a hole in a dollar bill, although no hole is found when the pen is removed. The peanut butter jar and the jelly jar seem to mysteriously change places. A string of bright beads is produced from an empty container. Magic and illusion are great forms of entertainment.
Unfortunately the agenda shaping up for the 2012 General Assembly session in Richmond includes some sleight-of-hand to make the state legislature look good in the short run but could leave local governments on the losing end of the trick. The Governor's Task Force for Local Government Mandate Review is proposing the elimination of a number of existing mandates. The Task Force is focusing on 105 education mandates and 80 local government mandates. While many of these requirements that state government placed on local government may have made sense at the time they were enacted, some are redundant, unnecessary, or meaningless today. A good house cleaning is always in order. Also under review by the Task Force is a possible moratorium on new state mandates to local governments. Review the report at www.dhcd.virginia.gov/GovMandateReview/default.htm.
As local governments and school boards are celebrating the elimination of some nuisance reporting requirements and pesky accountability reports, their attention will need to be shifted quickly to the other side of the stage for the grand illusion that is about to take place. In order to balance the state budget, the General Assembly is likely to whittle away at the schools' Standards of Quality. And for every mandate that is lifted in the state SOQs, localities will lose state aid. For a partnership that should be equal between state and local governments, a shift has already occurred with local governments picking up 60 percent of costs to the state's 40 percent. State general funding to education that in FY 2009 was $5.6 billion is expected to dip to $4.9 billion in FY 2012.
The grandest of the illusions may be the expected attempt in the 2012 session of the General Assembly to shift secondary road maintenance from state to local governments. The state would balance its transportation budget with this little trick, but local governments would be saddled with millions of dollars in expenses. For Fairfax County the cost would be in the hundreds of millions. For taxpayers the show may even be made to look attractive in the realignment of state and local government responsibilities with counties taking care of local roads. When taxpayers check their wallets and realize they are suddenly empty from paying the additional property tax that will be required to pay for road repairs, the trick will not be nearly so entertaining.
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"Virginia Report" on Comcast Channel 28
Tune in to Reston Comcast Channel 28 for a 30-minute weekly television program hosted by Delegate Ken Plum. Ken covers topics of interest to us all as he interviews people from our own community, Fairfax County, and around the Commonwealth to talk about important issues of the day. Not a Comcast viewer? Visit www.rctv28.com/VirginiaReport.html and watch Ken's "Virginia Report" on your computer or iPad. Tonight - Wednesday, December 14 at 10:30 p.m. - Commissioner Richard Holcomb, Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles - "Your DMV - Changing With the Times" Tuesday, December 20 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, December 21 at 10:30 p.m. - Buckley Anne Kuhn Fricker of Reston, Certified Care Manager with legal background in elder law - "Buckley's for Seniors" |
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 Announcements
The Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) will again provide a safety net for those who might celebrate the holiday season with alcohol and unexpectedly need a safe ride home. WRAP's 2011 Holiday SoberRide program will be offered nightly from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. beginning Friday, December 16, and running until January 1, 2012. To receive a free cab ride home (up to a $30 fare), call 1-800-200-8294 (TAXI). You must be 21 or older to use the SoberRide service. All requests for SoberRide service must be called to and dispatched from 1-800-200-8294. Callers will be responsible for any amount over $30. WRAP's SoberRide has helped to ensure local residents have a safe way home on high-risk holidays, keeping likely impaired drivers off the roads. Since 1993, WRAP has provided nearly 53,000 safe rides home. SoberRide operates during the December/January holiday season, St.Patrick's Day, Independence Day, and Halloween. For details, go to http://wrap.org/soberride.
Essay Contest for Aspiring Writers
Win a literary agent or aclaimed author's feedback on your unpublished manuscript for young adult or middle grade readers. This rare opportunity is being offered to the six winners of an essay contest recently announced by the literacy charity Book Wish Foundation. See http://bookwish.org/contest for full details. All that separates you from this prize is a 500-word essay about a short story in Book Wish Foundation's new anthology, What you Wish For. Essays are due February 1, 2012, and winners will be announced around March 1. If you win, you will have six months to submit the first 50 pages of your manuscript for critique (which means you can enter the contest even if you haven't finished, or even started, your manuscript). You can even enter multiple times, with essays about more than one of the contest stories, for a chance to win up to six critiques. If you dream of being a published author, this is an opportunity you should not miss. To enter, follow the instructions at http://bookwish.org/contest.
Rock 'n' Skate on Friday Nights
Get your skates and head to the Ice Skating Pavilion at Reston Town Center every Friday night from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. Enjoy Live DJ from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. with games and prizes until 11:00 p.m. For more information call 703.709.6300 or e-mail skating@restontowncenter.com.
County Makes Free Prescription Drug Discount Card Available to All Residents Residents may be able to cut their prescription drug costs by almost half on average, thanks to a new, free discount card offered by Fairfax County through a partnership. This card will help the estimated 144,000-plus residents without health insurance, although it may offer savings to the insured as well. There are several ways to get a Fairfax County Prescription Drug Discount Card: * Get a card at any participating pharmacy; supplies will be limited. * Look in the mail. In the next two weeks, they will be mailed to homes in areas with the highest concentration of uninsured residents. Besides the uninsured, the discount card also may help insured residents any time they must pay full price for a prescription because their plan doesn't cover a drug. The card cannot be used to reduce the cost of co-pays, co-insurance, or deductibles. Fairfax County is offering the discount card through a partnership with ProAct, a pharmacy benfit management company. For information or help, call ProAct's help desk toll-free at 1-877-776-2285. Help is available 24/7, and ProAct's customer service staff can answer questions in many languages. Visit www.FairfaxRxDiscountCard.com to print a card, get more information, or find participating pharmacies. Virginia Launches Advance Health Care Directive Registry Virginia has launched a statewide Advance Health Care Directive Registry (AHCDR). An Advance Health Care Directive lets other people know the types of health care you do and do not want in the event you are unable to express your wishes on your own. The secure registry, available to all legal Virginia residents, stores documents that detail and protect health care wishes in the event a person is unable to speak for themselves. These documents include medical power of attorney, do-not-resuscitate orders, and other health care wishes. Using the registry is easy, and registration is simple. Residents enter basic information, create an account, and select a personal identification number (PIN) and password. Each Virginian who signs up for the registry receives an identification card containing their personal registry information so health care providers can access their information if necessary. They may also share their PIN with friends, family, and health care providers, allowing them acess to their information. To sign up for the AHCDR, visit www.virginiaregistry.org.
Great Way to Give Back: Donate to Your Local Food Bank As the holidays and winter approach, our thoughts turn to our families and friends - and to those in need throughout our community. As area food bank supplies decrease, the demand for services is rising during this time of year. Help those in need by donating to your local food bank. Please donate non-perishable items that are in unopened containers. Items are always needed and welcome at Reston Interfaith, 11484 Washington Plaza #120, Reston. Or find other pantries at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/rim/classificationservice.asp? Spirit of Giving This Season and Throughout the Year by Donating to OAR OAR (Opportunities, Alternatives and Resources) of Fairfax County provides gifts for children who have a parent incarcerated. Help support the family programs that reach out to the children of the incarcerated by supporting OAR this holiday season. Visit www.oarfairfax.org and click the donate now button in the upper right corner. Your contribution makes a meaningful difference in the lives of those whoa re served. Winter Coat Closet Open Supervisor Cathy Hudgins is again sponsoring a Winter Coat Closet to provided children and adults with warm winter coats. Your donations of gently used or new coats will be greatly appreciated. Last year, with the assistance of Reston Interfaith, the Supervisor's office distributed over 5,500 coats to individuals and families. The Coat Closet will be open to receive your donations and to select a winter coat on Tuesdays, 10:00 a.m. to Noon; Thursday 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.; and Saturdays 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. through March 10. The Coat Closet is located at the North County Governmental Center, 12000 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston. For additional informaiton, please contact the Hunter Mill office at 703.478.0283. More Great Recycling Tips from Reston Environmental Action (REACT) * The Reston Post Office at 11110 Sunset Hills Drive has free mail-back envelopes for recycing inkjet cartridges, cell phones, PDAs, digital cameras, and other small electronics. * Empty ink and toner cartridges can be recycled for $2 back in Staples Rewards. Newer, working technology can be exchanged for a Staples eGift Card. Visit www.staples.com. Under "exclusively at Staples," click "recycling programs" to determine if your device has trade-in value. Old electronics can be taken to Staples, even if they weren't purchased there, for secure recycling. Many products are free to recycle including desktops, laptops, cell phones, digital cameras, and GPS devices. Other products like monitors, printers, shredders, and UPS devices usually require a $10 recycling fee. Staples can securely transfer data from any computer you're recycling. * Cell phone companies donate old phones to domestic violence, safety, and relief organizations. You can drop off old phones at the Reston District Police Station, 12000 Bowman Towne Drive, or retail locations including Sprint at Plaza America, Verizon and T-Mobile at Spectrum, AT&T at North Point Village Center, and Whole Foods. |
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Calendar of Events
If you are senior adult aged 55 or older, help ring in the holidays with Charles Dickens' timeless tale of redemption and charity - "A Christmas Carol" - on Thursday, December 15, 10:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This is a "Seniors Trip" sponsored by Reston Association; cost is $53/RA Members, $61/Non-members. Call 703.435.6577 or e-mail Ashleigh@reston.org for more information. Do it soon before tickets are sold out!
Attend an exclusive movie premiere, the first showing of a new Civil War documentary called "Region Divided: Civil War in the Northern Virginia Regional Parks," on Thursday, December 15, 7:00 p.m., at Algonkian Regional Park Meeting Center, 47001 Fairway Drive, Sterling, VA. This documentary helps highlight the central role Northern Virginia played in the American Civil War. Please RSVP to Heidi Bates at hbates@nvrpa.org or 703.359.4605. Seating is limited.
Reston Museum has the holiday season in mind with two special events on Saturday, December 17, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., at 1639 Washington Plaza, Reston. Join in a discussion, "Holiday Recollections from Around the World," at 3:30 p.m. sharing traditions from Reston's diverse population. At 4:45 p.m., take the "Holiday Lights Walk at Lake Anne" and enjoy a walk around the lake, returning to Reston Museum for more holiday remembrances and an international carol sing-along. Contact Reston Museum at 703.709.770 or restonmuseum@gmail.com for more information.
The annual Capitol Tree Lighting will take place on Tuesday, December 20, at 5:15 p.m. on the South Portico of the State Capitol in Richmond. The Executive Mansion will be hosting open houses on Tuesday, December 20 and Wednesday, December 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on both days. Appointments are not necessary. Both events are free and open to the public. You can find more informaiton on both events at www.ExecutiveMansion.virginia.gov, or by emailing ExecutiveMansion@governor.virginia.gov.
Bring your digital camera and search the trails for a list of interesting things and creative pictures to compose at the Digital Camera Scavenger Hunt on Wednesday, December 28, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., at Walker Nature Education Center, 11450 Glade Drive. Reservations required by December 22; $4/person RA members, $6/person Non-members. This is an activity for all ages of people, but children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. After the Digital Camera Scavenger Hunt, all will gather back at Nature House for refreshments and a look at some great photos. Prizes will be awarded in adult and kids categories.
Join in Delegate Ken Pum's "Telephone Public Meeting on Wednesday, January 4, at 8:00 p.m. When your phone rings at approximately 8:00 p.m., stay on the line to phone in a question to Ken about issues important to the community, or listen to others talk to Ken. This is a great way to participate in a Public Meeting without having to leave the comforts of home.
Let your elected officials know about the state government issues that are most important to you at a Public Meeting hosted by Delegate Ken Plum and Senator Janet Howell on Thursday, January 5, 2012, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the Reston Community Center at Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. Bring your comments for Ken and Janet. This will be their annual pre-session meeting prior to the General Assembly going into session on January 11, 2012.
Virginia's House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees of the General Assembly will hold a regional Public Hering on Friday, January 6, 2012, at George Mason University's Fairfax Campus, Dewberry Hall, in the Johnson Center at 10:00 a.m. The purpose of the hearings is to receive comments on the Govenor's proposed 2012-14 biennial state budget. Those persons wishing to speak may register at the hearing site no earlier than one hour prior to the start of the hearing. Speakers will be taken in the order of registration. Each person may register only one speaker at a time. Speakers are asked to limit their comments to three minutes or less. Speakers representing groups and organizations should consolidate remarks to reduce duplications. Accommodations for individuals with hearing impairment may be made by calling 804.698.7480. All requests for individuals with hearing impairment must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 29, 2011. Persons unable to attend may comment in writing to Delegate Lacey E. Putney, P.O. Box 406, General Assembly Building, Richmond, VA 23218, or to Senator Charles J. Colgan, 10th Floor General Assembly Building, Richmond, VA 23219.
The MLK Community Service Awards will be presented at the 2012 Reston Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration to be held January 14-16, 2012, in Reston. Visit www.restoncommunitycenter.com for more information. |
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Delegate Ken Plum's Virginia e-News is authorized by Kenneth R. Plum
and paid for by Friends of Delegate Ken Plum. |
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