January 6, 2016
 
 
Delegate Ken Plum's 
Virginia E-News

Delegate Plum and Senator Howell's annual Pre-Session Town Hall meeting is tomorrow, Thursday, January 7 at 7:30 p.m.,
Reston Community Center at Lake Anne

Commentary  
 
New Year Resolutions 
           
Delegate Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum 
 
Resolutions for the new year are easy to make; I have made dozens in my lifetime. The challenge is to keep resolutions and to bring about the changes they imply. Resolutions in a political context are even more difficult as agreement on the part of many is necessary to cause action to take place. A couple of examples will make my point.

Governor McAuliffe presented a budget last month. It is the strongest statement that can be made about the future course of government under his administration. For the first two years of the term, a governor of Virginia works under a budget that had been presented by his predecessor. The budget just presented mid-term sets priorities for the final two years of his term. The final budget a governor presents is implemented by the successor. That is all true because of an arcane provision in the Virginia constitution that limits the governor to one term. I have voted many times for allowing a governor to serve two terms, but it has been rejected by one of the two houses of the legislature keeping it from being voted on by the people. The voters, not an out-of-date constitutional provision, should decide if the governor can serve a second term. We should resolve to pass an amendment this year, but I am not sure it will happen for too many legislators seem content with the current inefficient system of starting government anew every four years.

The point has been made on many occasions that legislators in Virginia pick their voters through the current totally partisan system of legislative redistricting. I first resolved to change this arrangement in 1982 when I introduced legislation to establish an independent nonpartisan redistricting commission. I have introduced bills to bring about a fairer system of redistricting many times, but they have been defeated by the partisan majority at the time who are advantaged by the system as it is. Maybe with the strong voter interest that has been shown recently through OneVirginia2021 to change the system of redistricting the legislature may act this year.

I resolve to take action to prevent gun violence in our state by introducing legislation to close the gun show loophole. Such bills have been rejected year after year by a single subcommittee of five legislators, four of whom consistently vote against any bills that would reduce gun violence. Maybe the strong public concern that has been shown about the escalation of gun violence in recent years will convince legislators to at least allow a debate on commonsense gun safety measures rather than having them defeated by a handful of legislators. How many more horrid examples of gun violence will we see before legislators get the political courage to take on the gun manufacturing interests?

Whatever your resolutions for the year, you know they can be hard to keep. The resolutions I discussed above seem almost impossible, but be sure of my efforts to continue trying.  
      

Virginia Report on Comcast Channel 28
  
Tune in to Ken's weekly television program, Virginia Report, on Reston Comcast Channel 28 for public service programming (Verizon Channel 1981). Ken interviews state and local leaders who are making news by making a difference.

TONIGHT- Wednesday, January 6 at 10:30 p.m., Delegate Plum talks with Senator Janet Howell about the upcoming General Assembly session
    
Tuesday, January 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, January 13 at 10:30 p.m., Delegate Plum talks with Principal Lindsay Trout about Trends in Elementary Education

Virginia Report is also available for viewing online at https://vimeo.com/album/1650266 
   

Bulletin Board  
 
 
Energy/Crisis Assistance Program
 
Fairfax County's Energy/Crisis Assistance Program can help with the following:

* Repairs or replacements of heating equipment   
* Payment of utility bill if you are at risk of having your heat shut off because your gas or electric is in danger of being disconnected
* Fuel oil delivery if you have 25 gallons or less of fuel oil in your tank

You must meet financial and non-financial requirements. To find out if you are eligible, request an application and for more information, call 703-787-3100. You may apply online at  
http://www.dss.virginia.gov/benefit/ea/. The last day to apply for Energy/Crisis Assistance is March 15, 2016.
 
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Community Home Repair

 
Do you find it difficult to pay for the maintenance work that your home badly needs? Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church Inc., may be able to help. Rebuilding Together provides no-cost home repair services to limited-income homeowners in Fairfax County. For more information or to obtain an application, call 703-528-1999 or email info@rebuildingtogether-aff.org.

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My Neighborhood Report

My Neighborhood Report is an application that lets users discover information about Fairfax County addresses and their surrounding neighborhood. The application also provides links to information about real estate assessment, surrounding land development, and nearby police events. An integrated interactive map allows users to see the location of addresses and nearby public facilities with street, imagery, and topographic base maps. Find out more at My Neighborhood Report.

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Visit a National Park for Free in 2016

This year the National Park Service turns 100 years old and to celebrate this momentous occasion they are offering 16 entrance fee-free days in 2016. Parks that charge an entrance fee will waive the fee for everyone during the selected days listed below. Mark your calendar for these free dates in 2016:

* January 18: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
* April 16-24: National Park Week
* August 25-28: National Park Service Birthday
* September 24: National Public Lands Day
* November 11: Veterans Day
 
The fee waiver includes entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise. With 409 available parks from which to choose, the fee-free days provide a great opportunity to visit a new place or revisit an old favorite. There are 127 national parks that normally charge an entrance fee that will be entrance fee-free. The others are free all of the time. Plan your visit ahead of time and enjoy the great outdoors. For a list of local parks and to learn more about the fee-free days and other birthday plans, go to the National Parks Service website at www.nps.gov.


Calendar of Events     

Tomorrow: Thursday, January 7, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m., Town Hall Meeting with Delegate Plum and Senator Janet Howell, in the Rose Gallery at Reston Community Center at Lake Anne. Call 703-758-9733 or email kenplum@aol.com for more information.

Saturday, January 9, 9:00 a.m., Fairfax County Delegation's Pre-General Assembly Public Hearing, at the Fairfax County Government Center, in the Board Auditorium, 12000 Government Center Parkway in Fairfax. Those who would like to speak and voice their thoughts and opinions about what is happening in their county may contact the Office of the Clerk to the Board of Supervisors at 703-324-3151, TTY 711, by noon on Friday, January 8. More is at Pre- General Assembly Hearing.

Wednesday, January 13, Virginia General Assembly session begins. More information, including links to watch the live stream of daily House and Senate proceedings, can be found at General Assembly.  
 
Thursday, January 14, 10:00 a.m. to noon, Adventures in Learning (AIL) Open House at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax (UUCF) 2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton. Download a flyer here.

Thursday, January 14, 10:00 a.m., Monthly Vigil for Gun Violence Prevention at the National Rifle Association (NRA) headquarters to remember the Newtown, CT shootings that killed 26 children and adults. Meet at 11250 Waples Mill Road in Fairfax (where Waples Mill Road crosses I-66). Signs provided.   

Saturday, January 16, 4:00 p.m., "Remembering the Dream." Reston Community Orchestra's 10th Annual MLK concert celebrates the life and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through symphonic works, spirituals, and songs inspired by his legacy. Featuring baritone Bryan Jackson and Reston's own Beverly Cosham. At Reston Community Center, Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. Free Admission -- No Tickets Required -- Seating is Limited. More information is at MLK Concert.  

Tuesday, January 26, 9:30 a.m. to noon, Community Ambassador Program Orientation, at the Pennino Building, 12011 Government Center Parkway, Suite 206 in Fairfax. Registration deadline is Wednesday, January 20. Register here.
 
Saturday, February 6, Virginia Polar Dip 2016: Freezin' for a Reason. Registration at noon, Dip at 2:00 p.m., at Reston Community Center, Lake Anne Village Center, Reston. The goal is to send many more children with life-threatening illnesses and their families to Camp Sunshine, a one-of-a-kind retreat in Casco, Maine. Click here for details. 
 

36th District 

Reston, Virginia
 

Annual Legislative Survey
 
Please let me know your views on issues before the upcoming General Assembly. To complete my annual survey,   


In This Issue
Commentary..."New Year Resolutions"
"Virginia Report"
Bulletin Board
Check Your Calendar

Delegate Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum
Delegate Ken Plum's Virginia E-News


Delegate Ken Plum's Virginia E-News is authorized by Kenneth R. Plum
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