Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Just a reminder that I will be hosting informal office hours at Main Street Bagel this Saturday, October 10th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.  As usual, the format is casual and no appointment is needed.  After coffee, head on down to the Fall Festival in Old Town Fairfax for great food, booths, and attractions! 

For my younger constituents, I'd like to encourage you to help bring fame, glory, and honor to the 37th District by entering the first annual student art contest hosted by the Clerk of the House of Delegates!  The contest is open to all public, private, and home school students ages 4-12.  The goal is to provide an opportunity for students to be creative, explore new ideas, and express a vision on any aspect of Virginia's rich heritage or even brighter future.  The winner will spend a day at the Capitol during session and will be presented with a $200 United State Savings Bond on the House Floor.  And, if one of my constituents wins, you can bet that the work of art will find a prominent spot in my Richmond office for the entire session.  For more information, please visit Virginia House of Delegates Art Contest site.

Is Virginia Ready for Campaign Finance Reform?  Many people are surprised to learn that in Virginia there is no limit on how much a person, business, or PAC can contribute to a political campaign.  What we have, though, are very good campaign finance disclosure laws.  The idea is that knowledge is power and that voters can reach their own conclusions about a candidate's funding sources.  With the advent of the Internet, the system is even more open than ever.  Check out the Virginia Public Access Project (www.vpap.org), which allows you to see who has given how much to any candidate running for state office.

While the disclosure part of the system works, I have become increasingly concerned about the absurd cost of running for election these days, and even more concerned about the influence of contributions from outside of Virginia.  Back in the old days, the Byrd Machine set up Virginia elections to be on odd years so that Senator Byrd didn't have to worry about federal politics interfering with his control of state politics.  That has now been completely turned around.  The fact that Virginia and New Jersey are the only games in town right after a presidential election means that we have now become a litmus test for the national political mood.  As a result, millions of dollars are poured into our state elections from out-of-state sources.  So much so, that I fear the voices of average Virginians are being drowned out.  Perhaps the time has come for campaign finance reform in Virginia.  I am interested in knowing your thoughts!

Hope to see you at Main Street Bagel this Saturday between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.!

Sincerely,


David Bulova