February 24, 2016
 
 
Delegate Ken Plum's 
Virginia E-News
Speaking on the floor of the House of Delegates on the need to fully fund our schools. Click here to view the video. The House version of the budget announced on February 21 included significant increase in the budget for public schools.

Commentary  
 
Education as the Priority
  
 
  
Delegate Kenneth R. "Ken" Plum 
 
All the important bills the General Assembly considered in the first half of its annual session pale in comparison to the most significant action it will take this week in adopting a $100 billion budget for the biennium. Passing laws is very important, but decisions on how to spend the taxpayers' dollars may have the greatest impact on the largest number of people.
 
My constituents have made clear to me that their top priority for the budget is education funding; the Governor had the same priority in preparing his budget. The House Appropriations and Senate Finance committees will be making their decisions on spending very soon. Last week I spoke on the floor of the House of Delegates encouraging the Appropriations Committee to give priority to education funding (https://youtu.be/Kcsab0wwkl4).
 
State K-12 funding in FY 2016 remains below the FY 2009 level. The Joint Legislative Audit Review Commission (JLARC) found that Virginia's local governments shoulder the highest share of K-12 spending in the Southeast region. Virginia received an "F" for the fairness of the state's funding distribution in a recent review by Rutgers University. The report cites Virginia, alongside Alabama and Missouri, as the only states that did poorly on all four measures of the fairness of the state's education funding.
 
As I told the House last week in my speech, we need to do more than just increase spending. We need to reverse the policy decisions that have been made over the past decade that have created a systemic problem for our educational funding. When the people of Virginia added to the State Constitution a provision for public education in 1971, the General Assembly went about a process of identifying Standards of Quality (SOQ) to carry out that provision. Education was viewed as a partnership between state and local government--a 50-50 proposition with the state picking up half the costs. In recent years there has been a steady shift of costs from the state to the local governments. Our 50-50 partnership has shifted to local governments having to pick up 56 percent of education costs--about $3.6 billion beyond their required match.
 
My plea to the Appropriations Committee was that they reverse the policy retreats that have been taken and move the state back into an equal partnership with localities. There are a dozen policy changes involved, including capping funding for support positions at an unreasonable level costing localities three quarters of a billion dollars; eliminating equipment and other items from SOQ costing a quarter billion dollars, including a $0 value in linear weighted average calculation costing $80 million, and eliminating school construction grants of $55 million. The cost to compete factor for Northern Virginia has been excluded in recent years.
 
The shift in policy by the General Assembly did not mean that the costs disappeared. School divisions still incurred the expenses but had to have their local property taxpayers pay the bill. With the up-tick we have seen in the economy it is time that the state does its part to help localities build public school systems capable of supporting the New Economy. My thanks to all the citizen advocates who are working so hard for full funding of our schools.   
      
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. 

New show: View it here. 

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

Bulletin Board  


2016 Real Estate Assessments Now Available
 
More than 350,000 updated real estate assessments for 2016 are now available online (and they are being mailed to all property owners). Approximately 55 percent of residential property in the county increased in value over the past year due to equalization, with an average increase of 1.64 percent. Nonresidential real estate values (such as commercial) increased 2.87 percent on average due to equalization. 


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Historic Garden Week

April 23-30, 2016
House & Garden Tours Offered Statewide
Each spring visitors are welcomed to over 250 of Virginia's most beautiful gardens, homes and historic landmarks during "America's Largest Open House." This 8-day statewide event provides visitors a unique opportunity to see unforgettable gardens at the peak of Virginia's springtime color, as well as beautiful houses sparkling with over 2,000 flower arrangements created by Garden Club of Virginia members. Tour proceeds fund the restoration and preservation of Virginia's historic gardens, and provide graduate level research fellowships for building comprehensive and ongoing records of historic gardens and landscapes in the Commonwealth, and support the mission of the Garden Club of Virginia.

Learn more at: www.vagardenweek.org


Calendar of Events      

Today: Wednesday, February 24, 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., Information session for Lifetime Leadership Program (LLP), at the Leadership Fairfax offices, 8230 Old Courthouse Road, Vienna. LLP is designed for seasoned adults nearing retirement or already retired who are looking for opportunities to serve the community. Spring 2016 class begins Wednesday, March 30. Register: (1) online here (2) by calling 703.752.7555; or (3) by emailing LLP@leadershipfairfax.org. 

Thursday, February 25, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Planning for the Future: Learn about Proposed Countywide Transit, Mount Eagle Elementary School, 6116 N Kings Highway, Alexandria (Cafeteria). 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 fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/2050transitstudy. 

Thursday, February 25, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., "Welcoming the Stranger: Refugees and Immigrants in Our Midst" at American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA), 3949 University Drive, Fairfax. Free and open to the public, but registration is required. Light refreshments will be served at 6:30 P.M. and discussion will begin at 7:00 p.m. Register here. 

Friday, February 26, 9:00 a.m., Racing to Justice: Achieving Social Equity In Our Community, at Annandale Methodist Church, 6935 Columbia Pike, Annandale. Join one of the nation's foremost leaders of the movement for universal justice, john a. powell, as he discusses these issues with our community. Explore where we are today and how we can continue to live the values of our community's ideals. Free, but tickets are required. Register at Racing to Justice. View a flyer here.

Saturday, February 27, 3:00 p.m., Racing to Justice: Achieving Social Equity In Our Community, at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. Join one of the nation's foremost leaders of the movement for universal justice, john a. powell, as he discusses these issues with our community. Explore where we are today and how we can continue to live the values of our community's ideals. Free tickets are required and available from the CenterStage Box Office or by calling 703-476-4500. For more information, contact Kevin Danaher at 703-390-6166 or visit restoncommunitycenter.com. View a flyer here.

Sunday, February 28, 12:45 p.m., "Mental Health Lessons I've Learned: the Key to Recovery Is Engagement" to be held in the Sanctuary of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, 2709 Hunter Mill Road in Oakton. The speaker is author and mental health advocate, Pete Earley, who has particular insight into the Virginia Tech tragedy and whose expertise intersects mental illness and gun violence prevention. Open to the public. Contact anekimken@cox.net with questions. 

Tuesday, March 1, Presidential Primary Elections, Polls are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Visit Primaries for details.

Saturday, March 5, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Grow Your Health Festival: Gardening, Local Food & Wellness, at Fairfax High School, 3501 Rebel Run, Fairfax. Meet local farmers, learn about organic gardening, food, and healthy options, buy local food products, see the film, "Growing Cities," and more. Ticket information is at www.GrowYourHealthnova.com. Admission includes all activities, classes, and demonstrations. 

Monday, March 7, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., I-66 Inside the Beltway: Design Public Hearing, at Washington-Lee High School Cafeteria, 1301 N. Stafford Street, Arlington. Details are at Design Public Hearings.

Tuesday, March 8, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., I-66 Inside the Beltway: Design Public Hearing, at Eagle Ridge Middle School Cafeteria, 42901 Waxpool Road, Ashburn. Details are at Design Public Hearings.

Wednesday, March 9, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., I-66 Inside the Beltway: Design Public Hearing. Visit Transform66.org to view a live stream beginning at 6:30 p.m., VDOT Northern Virginia District Office, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax. Details are at Design Public Hearings.

Thursday, March 10, 6:30 to 9:00 p.m., Rescue Reston Paint the Town Green Paint & Sip Event, Reston Community Center, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. Enjoy appetizers, beverages, and camaraderie while being led in painting a 16x20 painting of a weeping willow tree. No experience necessary. $20 of the admission fee will be donated to the legal defense fund to protect the 166 acres of green recreational space at Reston National Golf Course. Find details and register 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. 

Sunday, March 13, 4:00 p.m., The Reston Chorale presents Choral Splendor II at Saint Luke Catholic Church, 7001 Georgetown Pike, McLean. The concert will feature a rare performance of Charles-Marie Widor's magnificent Mass, Op. 36, as the composer intended: with two organs and two choirs. Also included: works by Dupré, Fauré, Franck, Messiĉn and Sweelinck.   Tickets may be purchased online or at the door. For more, visit 

Saturday, March 19, Earth Hour, A worldwide celebration uniting people to protect the planet. Find out more at Earth Hour 2016. 

March 22-23, 2016 Resilient Virginia Conference, Richmond. Learn more at http://resilientvirginia.org/. Register here. 

Wednesdays, March 23 to May 11, 2:15 p.m. to 3:40 p.m., Aging Well in Reston (55 years and older), at RCC Lake Anne, 1609-A Washington Plaza North, Reston. Cost: $45 (Reston) $90 (Non-Reston) (500452-6A * Registration Required). This lecture series helps residents discover why to stay in or move to Reston as you enjoy your retirement years. Some of the topics will include resources for remaining in your own home, opportunities for intergenerational community involvement, and the village living concept. Register at www.restoncommunitycenter.com. 

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. 

Thursday, March 31, 11:00 a.m., "Destination Rides" Information Session, NV Rides-Reston will host a one-hour information session to learn about issues facing non-driving seniors in our community, at Reston Community Center, Lake Anne, 1609-A Washington Plaza, Reston. This is a free event; you will not be asked to make a financial contribution. For information or to RSVP, contact NV Rides at 703.537.3070 or GinaC@NVRides.org. More is at www.NVRides.org. 

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.

Friday, April 22, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., Senior Health, Wellness & Safety Summit (55 years and older), at Reston Community Center Hunters Woods, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. Cost: FREE. An educational and interactive event designed to provide basic safety information, blood pressure screening, and health and safety topics important to older adults in the Reston community. The event is co-sponsored by Reston Community Center, Reston Association, Tall Oaks Assisted Living, Reston Hospital Center, and Fairfax County. Register at www.restoncommunitycenter.com. 

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, showcasing the latest in tobacco-use prevention, reduction, and cessation with youth and young adults. For more information, visit reducetobaccouse.org. 

Saturday, April 30, Fairfax CASA Run for the Children Race, Starting Time: 8:00 am., at the Fairfax County Courthouse complex. Features music, food, prizes and raffle items. Raises money to help Fairfax CASA volunteers advocate for those children under the court's protection. Details are at Run for the Children.   

May 21 to 22, 1:00 to 7:00 p.m., Relay For Life of Reston, at South Lakes High School. The American Cancer Society Relay For Life movement symbolizes hope and our shared goal to end a disease that threatens the lives of so many people we love. More information is at Relay for Life. 
 

36th District 

Reston, Virginia
 

Primary Elections in Virginia are on 
Tuesday, March 1. 

Visit Upcoming Elections for more information.

In This Issue
Commentary..."Education as the Priority"
"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
 and paid for by Friends of Delegate Ken Plum.