February 3, 2016
 
 
Delegate Ken Plum's 
Virginia E-News
Delegate Plum speaking to advocates during their visit to 
Richmond about increasing the minimum wage. 

Commentary  
 
A More Realistic Minimum
 
  
Delegate Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum 
 
Northern Virginia jurisdictions are among the wealthiest in the country. Yet we have in the schools in the region significant percentages of children on free and reduced-price lunches because of the low income of the households in which the children live. In Fairfax County 29%--more than 50,000 children--are on the free and reduced-price lunch plan. Some schools have breakfast programs for children who come to school hungry. Churches have started programs to send food home with children to ensure that they have something to eat on the weekend.
 
The disparity in income seen in our region exists throughout the country. There is no one solution to the problem, but 29 states and the District of Columbia and 23 U.S. cities have raised the minimum wage as a way to reduce income inequality. My bill to raise the minimum wage in Virginia was defeated on a party-line vote of 6-4 in a subcommittee last week. This is the second year the bill has been defeated. Virginia's minimum wage is the same as the federal $7.25 per hour which the Congress has likewise refused to raise.
 
Since the minimum wage of 25¢ per hour was first adopted in 1938, national and state governments have periodically raised it to keep up with inflation and changes in the economy. The current rate of $7.25 was set by the Congress in 2009. Most economists agree that the minimum wage had its greatest purchasing power in 1968 when it was $1.60. My bill called for a "truing up" to the 1968 level of purchasing power that would be $9.54 per hour that I round up to $10.00 in the first year increasing over time to 2018 when it would be $15.00. My bill was intended to restore purchasing power to consumers and to move them towards a living wage.
 
Working a 40-hour week at the current minimum wage of $7.25 per hour for 50 weeks produces an income of $14,500 that is below the federal poverty level. In Fairfax County the median household income is $110,674 and in Loudoun County $122,294. Representatives of the Reston, Loudoun and Fairfax County Chambers of Commerce as well as the state chamber spoke in opposition to my bill.
 
Raising the minimum wage could directly affect 725,000 Virginians. Of these people, 90 percent are over age 20, 57 percent work full time, and 31 percent work more than 20 hours per week. Of these persons 82.4 percent have at least a high school diploma and 48 percent have some college education.
 
I fully support programs that feed and house the hungry, but at the same time I vigorously support programs that compensate workers more adequately for their work. I hope that community and business leaders can get behind future efforts to raise the minimum wage as a way to reduce income inequality in our community. 
      
Virginia Report on Comcast Channel 28
  
Tune in to Ken's weekly television program, Virginia Report, Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. on Reston Comcast Channel 28 for public service programming (Verizon Channel 1981). During the General Assembly session, Ken talks with Woody Evans of VCTA about legislative issues. View it here. 

Previous Virginia Report shows are available for viewing online at vimeo.com.    

Bulletin Board  

The 2016 Resilient Virginia Conference

"Activating communities and businesses for 
a more resilient future" 

The 2016 Resilient Virginia Conference will take place March 22-23 in Richmond. This inaugural conference has the goal of activating community and business stakeholders around the Commonwealth:
  • to learn about resiliency planning in order to address current and future environmental, social, and economic challenges
  • to become leaders in their communities to formulate plans for a resilient future. 

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Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) is hosting a set of public meetings this month to present recommendations from the Countywide Transit Network Study (CTNS) for the types of transit systems needed to accommodate future population and employment growth throughout Fairfax County. The meetings are scheduled for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the following dates:  
  • Tuesday, February 16, Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax (Rooms 9 and 10) 
  • Tuesday, February 23, George Marshall High School, 7731 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church (Cafeteria)
  • Thursday, February 25, Mount Eagle Elementary  School, 6116 N Kings Highway, Alexandria (Cafeteria)  
Each meeting will be conducted in an open-house format with a brief presentation at 7:00 p.m. For more information on the project, latest news or to submit comments online, visit

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Help shape RCC's future by providing input on our 2016-2021 Strategic Plan. The RCC Board of Governors invites the public to participate in a facilitated conversation to review and make recommendations on its Strategic Plan draft, which will guide the Community Center's efforts for the next five years. After considering all input, RCC Board and staff will present a revised Strategic Plan draft to the public on March 14. If you plan to attend, RSVP to RCCContact@fairfaxcounty.gov by Friday, February 5 at 4:00 p.m. Can't make it? Send suggestions and comments to that same address. A copy of the Strategic Plan draft may also be requested through that address.  


Calendar of Events      

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. 

Saturday, February 20, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., Making Justice Work: A Community Forum on Criminal Justice Reform in Virginia, at the ADAMS Center, 46903 Sugarland Road in Sterling. 
Panel and community discussion with the Virginia Secretary of Public Safety, state legislators, activists, and persons having experienced the criminal justice system. Download a flyer here. 

Sunday, March 13, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 3rd Annual NoVa Mini Maker Faire, at South Lakes High School and Langston Hughes Middle School, Reston. Details are at NoVa Mini Maker Faire. 

Saturday, March 26, Last day to donate formal dresses, shoes, jewelry, handbags, scarves, shawls, and accessories to Diva Central. Drop off at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods. Download a flyer here. 

April 5-7, Environment Virginia Symposium, at VMI's Center for Leadership and Ethics, one of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality's Virginia Green Convention and Conference Centers. Find more information about the symposium and register at Environment Virginia Symposium.

Saturday, April 23, noon to 6:00 p.m., Diva Central Event, at Reston Community Center Lake Anne, 1609-A Washington Plaza. The one-day event is open to any current high school student who is in need of a prom dress and other accessories. Everything is absolutely FREE. Limit one dress per person. Download a flyer here. 

April 25-26, National Reduce Tobacco Use Conference that will showcase the latest in tobacco-use prevention, reduction, and cessation with youth and young adults. For more information, visit 

May 21 to 22, 1:00 to 7:00 p.m., Relay For Life of Reston, at South Lakes High School. More information is at Relay for Life. 
 

36th District 

Reston, Virginia
 

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In This Issue
Commentary..."A More Realistic Minimum"
"Virginia Report"
Bulletin Board
Check Your Calendar

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


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