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Peace Progress
October 2010 |
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Message from Chris |
Thank you for your support allowing me the privilege of serving this great Commonwealth. America has one month until Election Day where we will begin to get this great country back on the right track towards fiscal responsibility and budgetary restraint as well as a return to constitutional government at all levels.
I will be casting my vote for Congressman Eric Cantor. Eric has the right positions on the issues and serves this nation with great integrity and distinction. I will be rooting for my friend Congressman Rob Wittman in the 1st District and challenger Chuck Smith in the 3rd! These men know how to get Virginians back to work at real jobs. They will fight to help small business, eliminate burdensome red tape, intrusive regulation and higher taxes.
In my continuing desire to speak with and learn from as many of my district neighbors as possible, on Monday, October 11, I will host a telephone town hall in the 97th District. Because of the size of our district (100,000 miles on my Jeep in 3 years), parts of seven counties, I will initiate this town hall by calling households throughout the district starting at 6:30 PM.
With this virtual town hall voters from across the region will have the opportunity to hear from me directly and ask questions about matters of importance to them and the District. The main topic of discussion will be the Governor's staff proposal to privatize ABC. Participants will be able to respond to poll questions posed during the call and express their position on this reform legislative proposal.
A telephone town hall is a wonderful tool to communicate with a large number of residents across this central Virginia district. Virginians that choose to take part in the interactive conference call will do so from the comfort of their own home. Constituents will have the opportunity to ask questions of me and listen as I answer questions of others. I held one last fall and received much positive feedback from residents.
If you would like to assure that you are on the call, please contact my office at 804-730-3737 or e-mail info@chrispeace.com . |
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Mark Your Calendar: Community Events | |
Caroline:
Saturday, October 16, 2010 - Bowling Green Harvest Festival. See all the best Caroline County has to offer at the 21st Annual Bowling Green Harvest Festival! 175 vendors line Main Street while bands and community groups perform on the stage across from the courthouse. Kids can join in the fun with pumpkin painting, face painting, magicians, rides, and games. There's also a car show, motorcycle show, antique tractors, plenty of local food and fun! For more information, please call 804-633-6212 or visit www.townofbowlinggreen.com
Hanover:
Hanover Ruritan Steak n Race. Saturday, October 9th 10AM to 7PM at Hanover Ruritan Park. See web link below for more details:
http://www.scribd.com/full/35957029?access_key=key-6dv655wcma8tcmwmqq9
Henrico:
2010 Republican Round -Up. Saturday, October 2, 2010 SnagAJob Pavilion at Innsbrook Glen Allen, VA 3:00pm - 6:00pm · Rain or Shine. Beer & Wine, Popcorn & Cotton Candy, Live Music, Climbing Wall, Picnic Fare & More. RSVP: http://www.republicanroundup.com/
King & Queen:
The King & Queen County Community Pride Day is held in the middle of October of each year around the Homecoming football game at the high school. This year it is held on Saturday, October 16, 10AM to 3PM, rain or shine. The Parade starts at the King & Queen Courthouse Green and ends at King & Queen Central High School. For more Information, please view Parade Entry Form http://www.kqinfotrail.net/about/parade_entry_form.pdf Organization Flyer http://www.kqinfotrail.net/about/Organization_Flyer.pdf
King William:
The King William County Historic Society Invites You Renovation Celebration. Where: Acquinton Church on Acquinton Church Road. Intersection of Rts. 618 and 629, King William County. When: Saturday, October 30, 2010. Time: 3:00 pm. Acquinton Church was built in 1734 as an Anglican Church. After the Revolutionary War it became an Episcopal Church and later was used by several different denominations. In the late 1800's it was owned by the Methodist Church who gave it to the King William County Historic Society in 1998. The church had fallen into ruin with a tree growing through the center of the building. Mr. and Mrs. Carroll Lee Walker have graciously renovated the church. It has been stabilized with the walls in ruin restored, a roof put on, a concrete floor poured, and shutters and doors installed. We are excited that such an important piece of our history has been preserved for future generations to enjoy.
New Kent:
October 8, Fore the Children Golf Tournament at Brickshire Golf Course. Sponsored by the New Kent Junior Woman's Club to benefit the youth of New Kent County. Driving Range Open: 11:30 am, Shotgun Start: 1 pm. Contact Debbie Richards at 804-966-7610 or Jacqueline Johnson at 757-903-1589 or email mail@nkjwc.com for more information.
Spotsylvania:
Stonewall Jackson 20-Mile Ambulance Run at Marshall Center. The race is scheduled for October 9, 2010, race begins at 7:15 AM. Cost: Spotsylvania county residents: $45, residents outside of Spotsylvania pay: $45. Please call the office at 507-7529 if you have any questions. Registration form available at
http://www.spotsylvania.va.us/departments/parksandrec/activities/info.cfm?Actnum=1211
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Book Launch and Signing: Secretariat's Meadow
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Time: 6:00 PM-7:00 PM
Place: Lecture Hall
Join us for a talk and signing by co-authors Kate Chenery Tweedy and Leanne Meadows Ladin as they give us the complete story of Secretariat's birthplace and the Chenery family who raised and raced him. Secretariat's Meadow: The Land, The Family, The Legend reveals an intimate picture of Meadow Farm from the viewpoint of Kate Chenery Tweedy, daughter of Penny Chenery (Tweedy) and granddaughter of Meadow Stable's founder Christopher T. Chenery. The book tells not only Secretariat's story, but the story of an enduring piece of land where an empire built on broodmares eventually produced the legendary winner of the Triple Crown. The event is sponsored by Robertson and Martin Financial Consulting Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. This event is part of the Virginia Literary Festival. |
Governor Forms Task Force to Identify Cost Cutting Best Practices in State Government
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Includes Leading Experts from Local Government, State Government and Private Sector
RICHMOND - The Governor is establishing an Operational Review Task Force to look for cost cutting best practices in Virginia's operational costs. This Task Force was formed as a result of a recommendation by the Commission and will be chaired by Special Advisor to the Commission Bill Leighty, chief of staff to former Governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. The Task Force will evaluate 12 areas of government to identify potential savings in operational costs and recommend strategies for realizing those savings. Each of the 12 Task Force teams includes a representative from local government, state government, the private sector and agency staff. Similar reviews were done during the previous administration. In addition to considering new recommendations for reducing operational costs, this Task Force will follow up on the efficacy and implementation of previously recommended strategies.
Speaking about the Operational Review Task Force, Governor McDonnell remarked, "This Task Force will further examine ways to eliminate inefficiencies and reduce excess waste. We need to identify and implement best practices that help ensure state government is a good steward of our taxpayers' hard earned dollars. This is collaboration and teamwork at its best and I thank Chairman Leighty for his leadership in this endeavor."
Bill Leighty, Chairman of the Task Force, added, "The members of the Governor's Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring recognized the importance of evaluating operational costs in state government when they recommended a series of operational reviews last week. These reviews will offer strategies to realize savings in operational costs that apply to agencies throughout state government. Our Task Force includes representatives from state government, local government and the private sector. Their breadth of experience will reveal best practices and solutions that will only improve Virginia's standing as the nation's 'Best Managed State'."
The Task Force will complete its work no later than Friday, November 12th. Chairman Leighty will then present the report and recommendations to the Governor's Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring at its next meeting. The recommendations will be considered for inclusion in a report from the Commission, due on December 1st.
To see a full list of task force members:
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/News/viewRelease.cfm?id=400 |
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VDOT Audit Identifies $1.45B For Critical Highway Construction Projects | |
Independent audit criticizes past VDOT practices that delayed projects and left funding unutilized
For years, many of us in state government have been concerned that the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) was not spending the taxpayers money effectively and efficiently. We have repeatedly called for an independent audit of VDOT to assess its internal operating practices. Unfortunately, former Governor Kaine resisted such an audit and Democrats in the State Senate consistently rejected legislation to require that an audit be performed.
However, earlier this year Governor Bob McDonnell ordered that an independent audit of VDOT's operations be performed and the respected auditing firm of Cherry, Bekaert and Holland was engaged to perform this audit. The audit has now been completed, and Governor McDonnell and I released the results of the audit earlier this week during a Capitol press conference. Unfortunately, the audit has confirmed our worst suspicions.
As a result of the VDOT audit we have identified $1.45B in transportation funding that was available for deployment but not utilized to address outstanding highway construction and maintenance needs. The audit revealed that this money has been accumulating in various VDOT accounts over the past four years due to a lack of management oversight and misguided policies that failed to require that available funds be allocated to highway projects on a timely basis.
While these findings are disturbing, it is even more disturbing that VDOT officials failed to timely deploy these funds at a time when we were 1) cutting hundreds of millions of dollars out of our statewide highway plan, 2) closing rest stops because we were told we didn't have $9M to keep them open, and 3) repeatedly asking the people of Virginia to pay higher transportation taxes.
Governor McDonnell has ordered that our Secretary of Transportation, Sean Connaughton, develop a plan for deploying these funds within the next 45 days. We believe that $614M of this amount can be deployed within the next 12 months, and the remaining $836M will be used to fund projects in our Six Year Transportation Program.
Earlier this year, you may recall that Governor McDonnell ordered the issuance of $500M in transportation bonds. These bonds had been authorized in 2007 but never issued. This was another example of failing to utilize available resources to meet Virginia's highway construction and maintenance needs.
As a result of these combined actions, we will award $800-$900M in highway construction and maintenance contracts before December 31, 2010. We are able to do this by better utilizing existing transportation revenues and without asking anyone to pay higher taxes for transportation.
In addition to this failure to timely deploy available transportation dollars for needed projects, the VDOT audit made 50 additional recommendations for improving operational efficiencies s within VDOT. Secretary Connaughton and VDOT Commissioner Greg Whirley will be working to implement these recommendations as well.
Needless to say, the results of this audit are unacceptable. We have taken actions to correct these inefficiencies and make certain that these dollars are put to work for the people of Virginia. We have also taken steps to make certain that this type of inefficiency does not occur again, at least not on our watch.
These actions will not solve our long term transportation needs, but they will go a long way in addressing a number of outstanding highway construction and maintenance projects all across our state. Moreover, they will show the people of Virginia that we are serious about efforts to reform state government, beginning with VDOT.
At a time when our administration is promoting the need for reform at every level of government, the results of this audit stand as a clarion example of why reform is so desperately needed. If these types of inefficiencies exist in VDOT, I have no doubt that similar inefficiencies exist in other agencies of state government.
The people of Virginia have a right to expect that their tax dollars will be spent wisely. Governor McDonnell and I are committed to doing just that, and we will not stop until we have done everything we can to demand this type of efficiency from every agency of state government.
The full audit is available at:
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/tempContent/CBH_Performance_Audit_Report-VDOT.pdf
A summary of the audit is available at:
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/tempContent/VDOT-Performance_Audit_Summary.ppt |
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Virginia to Celebrate 20 Years of Wine Month in October | |
Anniversary theme of "Find the One You Love" entices travelers to more than 130 wineries across Virginia
(Richmond, Va.) Like a great bottle of wine, Virginia Wine Month will turn 20 in October 2008, and wine lovers and adventure seekers are preparing to celebrate at festivals, tastings and events across the state.
"Find the One You Love" is the special anniversary theme for Wine Month, enticing visitors to find the one they love out of the many award-winning vintages at more than 130 wineries across Virginia. Now through September 14, visitors to www.Virginia.org/wine can enter for a chance to win the Find the One You Love Wine Month Sweepstakes, featuring wine tasting and touring in Virginia combined with a six-night cruise out of Norfolk's Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center.
Virginia Wine Month began in 1988 as a way to support the state's young wine business - just 40 wineries at the time - and promote wine travel in Virginia. Twenty years later, the number of wineries has more than tripled and Virginia's reputation for wine-making continues to grow. In 2007, Virginia was named one of the top five up-and-coming wine regions in the world by Travel + Leisure magazine.
"The 20th anniversary of Virginia Wine Month is a celebration of the tremendous growth of the Virginia wine industry," said David King, chairman of the Virginia Wine Board and co-owner of King Family Vineyards. "October Virginia Wine Month is an ideal time to visit Virginia and taste our world-class wines."
As Virginia is eighth in the nation for wine production, the state's wineries, which span from the Eastern Shore to the Heart of Appalachia, are exciting destinations for wine lovers and travel enthusiasts.
"Virginia's combination of wineries and authentic cuisine at local restaurants makes the state appealing to travelers who are passionate about food and wine," said Alisa Bailey, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation. "The wineries add to Virginia's profile as a culinary tourism destination, accentuated by our rich history and scenic beauty."
Virginia Wine Month is a major highlight of the year, as foliage turns brilliant and the harvest brings new delights to tasting rooms. There will be more then 50 special wine-related events, from festivals to dinners and musical tributes this October. Hotels, inns and B&Bs are offering special Wine Month travel packages throughout October, listed on Virginia.org/wine.
Visit www.Virginia.org/wine to watch Luca Paschina, one of Virginia's most acclaimed winemakers, as he showcases the essence of wine travel in Virginia. Online visitors can enter the Find the One You Love sweepstakes and plan to celebrate Wine Month with special event listings, package deals and wine trail details. Or call 1-800-VISITVA for more Virginia travel information.
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