Dick Black is against a woman's right to choose what to do with her...

...Work product.

Catherine Read, a professional photographer, was at the NARAL Black OUT event on Thursday, along with a host of pro-Choice Loudouners and Fairfaxians, and took a ton of pictures, which she put on her facebook page, and...

Well...Let me let her tell you the rest of the story.

Apparently Dick Black's daughter Michelle Black Staton attempted to tag my photos not realizing AS THE OWNER OF THE PHOTO I have to give MY PERMISSION. Which I DID NOT. So Dick Black's campaign simply downloaded it from Facebook and used it for their email WITHOUT MY AUTHORIZATION OR PERMISSION!! Great judgment call for an attorney to make. I guess he thinks intellectual property doesn't mean the same thing on the Internet. Oct. 14, 2011. http://secure.campaigner.com/Campaigner/Public/t.show?O5Wl--AGQw-rwn1q3

 Here's a screen capture of the requests to tag the photos in question.

And here's a screen capture of the Dick Black fund-raising page, with the stolen photo:

When Dick Black says he is 100% against a woman's right to choose, HE MEANS IT.

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Don't like what Dick did? Donate to NARAL Pro-Choice VA or to Shawn Mitchell.

News you can use:

• The campaigns for Shawn Mitchell, Jennifer Wexton, and Cliff Keirce have all announced yard sign availability.
• The Coalition for Women's Health is having a rally down in Richmond on October 15. Bus ride is free if you RSVP ASAP.
• Jennifer Wexton has challenged Jim Plowman to a debate. This is one to watch!
• I've got 21 responses on the Metro question (out of 39), 7 responses on Full-Day Kindergarten (out of 23), and 4 on Donations (out of 20), with promises of more to come on each. Do you have a question you'd like me to ask the candidates? Let me know.
• Also, sometimes the obvious needs to be stated. Not everyone knows about the election on November 8. Make sure you get the word out to your friends and co-workers. People fight and die every day all over the world for the right to vote. Let's show our support by herding Federal voters of our aquaintance to the polls in the off-years.

The Big Business of Educating Loudoun - A Guest Post by Ashburn Auntie

[Ashburn Auntie is a blogger who prefers to remain anonymous. She writes about her experiences living in Ashburn and watching her nieces and nephews grow up.]

My niece started kindergarten today! She is the apple of my eye, and I asked for the special privilege of purchasing her school supplies with her this year. When my sister handed me the list, I gulped loudly. I had volunteered to buy school supplies for my niece, not the whole kindergarten class. What started as a very special day, ended for me on a very sour note! After purchasing 12 boxes of crayons, two pairs of scissors, countless pencils, Kleenex, zip-loc bags (in two sizes), etc. I became further enraged that the items I purchased had to be very specific brands and colors - generic brands, or creative colors weren’t allowed!

Today, I saw this promotion by the Chamber of Commerce:

State of Education 2011

Date: August 30, 2011 Time: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Event Description 2011 Policymaker Series: "The State of Education"
featuring Superintendent Dr. Edgar Hatrick
Dr. Hatrick is the “CEO” of the Loudoun County Public School system, with a $710 million annual budget, 79 schools, more than 60,000 students and an educational program that ranks with the nation’s best.  Loudoun's business and community leaders are invited to hear Dr. Ed Hatrick offer his annual report on the quality of public education in Loudoun, including his thoughts on the strong partnership between the Public Schools and Loudoun’s business community and how the county’s world class public schools supports a strong business climate.

Ok, now I am confused! Are our tax dollars being used to purchase stock in a large corporation? Are our schools being run for someone’s “profit”? And, why exactly is LCPS focusing on supporting a “strong business climate” as opposed to providing the best education that Loudoun taxpayers can afford? And, what the heck does the Chamber of Commerce have to do with how we educate our children?

I guess I could spend hours (and I have) debating all the issues surrounding how we look at education, but let’s just focus on the” business” aspect of LCPS. As “shareholders” we should be angry - our stock is decreasing in value every day. How many corporations do you know where the shareholders must provide the essential tools to conduct business, such as pens, pencils, scissors and paper? In such a corporation, would we allow the “CEO” to be receiving a huge salary as well as annual increases- as well as full benefits? Would we praise such a CEO for running the corporation into the ground, or would we demand the removal of such a CEO?

It sickens me that we are even looking at our schools like corporations, being run by a CEO, and influenced by the Chamber of Commerce. Parents are stuck with not only paying taxes, but also subsidizing the schools because LCPS doesn’t even provide the basic necessities such as crayons and Kleenex. Aren’t those things our tax dollars are supposed to be used for?

Yes, businesses are attracted to areas with great educational systems. However, our children and the quality of their AFFORDABLE education should be the focus, NOT attracting big business at the expense of taxpayers. It’s ironic that the big businesses that the Chamber and LCPS want to attract at taxpayer expense are the same big businesses the Chamber will demand tax breaks for while our taxes steadily increase.

As I remember my niece’s excited snaggle-toothed smile getting off the bus today, I have no doubt of the type of educational system LCPS should have. It should be one where SHE and other children are not treated as a commodity, or a statistic to bolster the “CEO’s” approval rating, or as a pawn to attract business to Loudoun, but one where our children’s education comes first and foremost above everything else, and where the quality of family life is not sacrificed to fund a failing business model.

Well, it looks like I have to add another link to my blog roll

My husband took a new gig. WHICH I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT BEFORE-HAND.

I think, actually, I approve.

WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER IF I'D KNOWN BEFORE-HAND.

Earthquake on Election Day!

I was outside my son's school, looking at his class list when the ground started undulating. We all looked around for the delivery truck and it slowly dawned on us that it had been a seismic event.

Wow. Earthquakes in Virginia.

Head meet Desk

Josh Actor, who is running for Commissioner of the Revenue, is having trouble raising the $750 filing fee. He sent a note out to all the Dem candidates asking them for help. I've gotten this info from more than one candidate. Here is the text of the message:

Dear All,

Some or all of you might be aware that I have been working every Saturday and most evenings the last few months. This has put my campaign far behind schedule in terms of fundraising. As you all know, my campaign has to pay a fee of $750 to be nominated to represent the Democratic Party in the November election as nominee for Commissioner of the Revenue for Loudoun County.

I hope that as fellow candidates you might be able to help me raise the necessary funds by the deadline to join you on the ballot.

Please donate $50 today to my campaign and help me achieve this humble goal.

https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/entity/27233?refcode=directory

Thank you very much for your kind understanding. I will provide all my support to your campaigns going forward, as I will no longer be working Saturdays and evenings!

Respectfully Yours,

Josh Actor

Great turnout for Valdis Ronis's birthday party!

There were people I'd never met before as well as the usual suspects, and two elected officials. He's got a lot of enthusiastic support!

Valdis's campaign is getting off to a terrific start!!

CBPO Dead

Killed by Scott York, Lori Waters, Eugene Delgaudio, Jim Burton, and...Andrea McGimsey.

Yeah, I'm shaking my head over it, too.

Random bullets of a busy weekend

• NARAL Pro-choice VA's LUNAFEST event was splendid! Valdis Ronis and his daughter Shanyn joined us, along with many others. We also got donations from many local businesses, as well as local friends. So here is a thank you to Valdis, Erika, The Reign of Cats and Dogs, and Rouge Spa. Your generosity is appreciated.
• The kick-off for Cliff Keirce was terrific. Bonefish was generous with the food and drinks. I had great conversations with lots of people. People from within and without the new Broad Run were there. Including some people I think Andrea would have expected to be fully with her. I gave a donation, and have pledged to walk with Cliff in Oakgrove and many other precincts. 
• Went to two picnics (one on Saturday with my son's after-school, one on Sunday with the UUs of Sterling).
• On Sunday at church, I was suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude for being a part of the UUs of Sterling. The members of that church are all community-oriented, politically aware, generally progressive. I realized that leaving the LCDC didn't mean I had left the only community that was involved locally in causes that are important to me. 

LCDC Members: I'm not asking any of you to choose sides

It's not going to hurt my feelings if you want to stay with the LCDC. It's not going to hurt my feelings if you just want to focus on getting through this election, and not get involved in any of this sturm und drang. It's really okay.

I mean it.

And thank you for the calls and emails. I really appreciate each and every one.

It's true (updated after the jump)

 I resigned from the LCDC last night. If you were there, or if you're my husband, you know exactly why. If you weren't there, well, then, if you know me outside of the internet, I'll tell you about it. I am not going to air LCDC stuff here.

I will be continuing to walk for Mark Herring, Mike Kondratick, Dave Butler, Jennifer Wexton, and the Dem candidate to run against Delgaudio (I have my favorite, but I'll support whoever wins the nomination).

In the meantime, thank you to the people who have shown their support for me in this.

My first endorsement

I put some shoe leather in for Jennifer Wexton yesterday. She and I walked my neighborhood gathering signatures for her petition to get on the ballot. We had a great time visiting with my neighbors and talking with a star-struck youngster who thought it was really cool that Stevens and I live around the corner from her.

Jennifer has what it takes to win, and she's committed to it. She did over 40 doors with me, and then went and did over 40 with Evan in the afternoon.

Way to go, Jennifer!!!

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And speaking of candidates who are doing well, have any of you seen Mike Kondratick's VPAP filing this period? He's the 25th in the state for money raised. WAY TO GO, MIKE!!

Cliff Keirce, Andrea McGimsey, the Hatch Act, and you

Cliff Keirce, who has been a friend of the family since we moved into the Broadlands, has announced a run as an Independent candidate for Supervisor for the new Broad Run district.

Cliff is a widely known, very popular, well-liked, hugely qualified candidate for this office. He's been Stevens's Planning Commissioner for the last couple of years. Before that, he was on the Facilities Standards Manual Public Review Committee, all while serving on the Broadlands HOA (including as President) and the Loudoun Library Foundation Board. His wife and his children are wonderful people, and he and his family are seriously committed to serving the community.

The Hatch Act makes it impossible for him to run for a party nomination, but an Independent label suits Cliff better than either party label anyway.

Cliff is, by all measures, a terrific candidate and deserves to have the unqualified support of all who know him.

Meanwhile, Andrea McGimsey, current Potomac Supervisor, is also in the new Broad Run district and has announced that she is going to run for reelection. I agree with Andrea on most issues, she's been a phenomenal advocate for making Loudoun an environmentally responsible locality and her work on that topic has helped Loudoun win awards for energy efficient policies. She's kept her campaign promises to be a proponent of slow-growth and sustainable policies.

Andrea has earned the trust and admiration of many in Loudoun for her strong and outspoken advocacy of many issues. She's a popular and welcomed figure in Democratic and environmental circles and she has done outstanding work in many areas. She has been a good friend to the Community Services Board* and Loudoun Abused Women's Shelter**, as well as many other organizations of which I am fond. Just like Cliff, she deserves to have the unqualified support of all who know her.

And there's the problem. They are both running for the same seat on the Board of Supervisors, and as much I want them both on the board, we can only pick one.

(Before I start discussing the choice ahead, I would like to point out that in the HOA 4 plan, Andrea and Cliff were not drawn into the same district. Actually, they weren't drawn in together under any of the plans Stevens backed. So the very fact that voters are in a position of having to make this particular choice is pissing me off.)

Now, for the race itself:
First is the fact that this is going to be a 3-way race. Members of either party committee who think that Cliff would be a terrific candidate are in a bind, since it looks like both parties are going to have an official nominee. Members of the LCDC have pledged to help get Democratic candidates elected and pledged not to work against a Democratic candidate in a race where there is one. If there isn't one, LCDC members are  free to back whichever other candidate they choose. I'm assuming the situation is the same for those in the LCRC.

This means that I, like others on the LCDC who live in the new Broad Run, have three choices in this election:

1. Back Andrea
2. Leave the LCDC to back Cliff or
3. Sit down and shut up.

Now, if it weren't for the Hatch Act, Dems could say to Cliff, make a stand: Join the Dems. But that position is closed off to him by law and it's unfair to ask him.

Second, is the political reality of the new district. I can't speak to the politics of the other areas in the new Broad Run, but I CAN speak to the politics of the Broadlands. The people in Broadlands like to vote for the moderate. They don't like mean-spirited politicians: they didn't like Dick Black or Steve Snow and were ready to vote for reasonable Democrats to get rid of them. But, given a seemingly reasonable moderate Republican or, for preference, an Independent, they'll vote for that person over a Democratic candidate (see the Poisson/Greason election). Cliff Keirce has been elected, and re-elected, and re-re-elected to the HOA board in the Broadlands. The residents know him, like him, and expect him to be reasonable and a good advocate. People who have opposed him on various issues respect him and consider him fair-minded, even when they disagree with him vehemently. All of which is to say that I think that Cliff can win the Broadlands, no matter whether he runs in a 3-way race or a 2-way race.

If Cliff were not in the race, I think the Broadlands would vote for Shawn Williams, unless Andrea can make a big enough stink about him being a Dick Black fan. The residents of the Broadlands don't want to be preached to by either side of the political spectrum. They're proud to live in a community with lots of environmentally-friendly features, but that doesn't mean they want to see any clothes-lines or compost piles. They may or may not care a great deal about social issues, regardless, they don't want the people representing them to be rabid about such issues either.

(Please note I am speaking in generalities here, each resident of the Broadlands is an individual and this generalization will not apply to all those individuals).

It is my opinion that if a candidate wins the Broadlands, they will win the new Broad Run.

Third, what can the opposition use? For the last several months Andrea has said many times from the dais, that her full-time job as the Executive Director for Oatlands makes it difficult for her to attend daytime BOS meetings, or to be prepared for the ones she attends. It makes her sound like she can't maintain the effort needed to stay on top of her committments. I think an opponent could use those statements to ask why she's running for a second term if she's finding it hard to keep up.

Against Cliff is the fact that he was a vocal proponent of the hospital in the Broadlands (which actually will be viewed positively in many quarters), and is a high-order nerd (collecting comic books and signed first editions - much like me, actually). He has large presence online and in the local papers, and that's always dangerous for a candidate who doesn't want his words used against him. His clothing sense is questionable (while I might see it as plus, I'm not sure if voters are going to welcome a guy knocking on their door in a Thor's Mighty Hammer t-shirt).

I wish I didn't have to choose between two terrific candidates. I wish that it were a 2-way race between one of these two great candidates and the LCRC's candidate. And it's my guess that there are many people who consider themselves Democrats who are feeling the same way today.

It's not my way to sit down and shut up, so I only have two choices. Stay with the LCDC and back Andrea, or leave the LCDC and back Cliff. I've never worked against a Democratic candidate before, nor have I ever worked against the person I thought was the better candidate. I've always felt that the Democratic candidate, if there was one in the race, was the better candidate, which is why I'm a member of the LCDC in the first place. But what if a committed Dem thinks that Cliff is the better candidate? For that matter, what if a Republican does?

What are your thoughts?

*I'm a member of the Board of the CSB.
**I did an internship with LAWS.

While we're discussing the door-knocking season

There's one possible candidate who won't be needing me to canvass for him this year.

Stevens, I couldn't be prouder of all the work you've done for Loudoun and Virginia the last few years. Thank you for letting me be part of it.

Silence in the blogosphere

...as people obsessively reload the state page.

Dear Anonymous

The answer to your question is, "No."

No, I will not primary Andrea McGimsey. I truly understand the anger and frustration behind the question, but I believe that she has been a very good supervisor, this one decision notwithstanding. Disagreement on one issue isn't a good enough reason to primary an incumbent, when she's done a good job on so many other issues.

I do wish she would change her mind on this one topic (and I wish she took a stronger position on Choice, but that's just me), but I will not run for her seat (or any other) this year.

There is still time for her to change her mind on the districts, see Stevens's blog for more info about that.

I've been waiting 30 years for this day

Expanding on my comments

Paradox13 put up a post about the redistricting over at Loudoun Progress. And I made a couple of comments there, which I'm going to expand on here.

Stevens disagrees with me on a lot of what I'm about to say, but this is my blog, my opinion, and here it goes.

I don't care one iota if there is one Western district or two. I think having an HOA or a town kept entirely in one district is a fine desire, but not something that ends up mattering a whole lot on election day. I do think that it matters if a district is contiguous. I do think it matters if you have to leave the district to reach another part of it, but ultimately, I think that there are many ways to split up Loudoun relatively equitably and Miller 5 (unamended) and HOA 4 were two of them.

I've said before that I am partisan only inasmuch as the Democratic party is the party that has, as part of its platform, a pledge (among other things) to protect the rights of women, minorities, LGBT, and people with disabilities.

In this county, we have an elected official whose day job it is to fight against the right of people who are gay.

There was one and only one partisan piece of redistricting that was included in both Miller 5 (unamended) and HOA 4. That piece was including MY precinct, Oak Grove, with Delgaudio's district.

And Sally Kurtz amended it into Andrea McGimsey's district.

Which is so phenomenally stupid that I am flabbergasted that Mike Turner is crowing about it.


Oak Grove has a net 100 reliable Democrats. Delgaudio won last time by 200 votes. Oak Grove was the keystone in the plan to get Delgaudio booted out this November. And the beauty of it was, it wasn't gerrymandering, because Oak Grove BELONGS in Sterling. It is otherwise isolated from the rest of the county. There was no way for Delgaudio to complain about it. It was natural to join it in. OF COURSE it should be joined in.


Now, instead of making the demise of Delgaudio's Board tenure a sure thing, Oak Grove is merely there to increase McGimsey's win margin, in an obvious bit of gerrymandering to pull us into her district.

I really like Andrea. I think she's been a good Supervisor. But if this bit of redistricting sends Delgaudio back to the Board next year (especially if he wins by less than 100 votes), I will never forget that it was she, and Mike Turner, and Sally Kurtz, and Kelly Burk, and Susan Buckley, and Jim Burton who made this happen.

And I will make sure that everyone, everywhere, who has ever heard of Delgaudio knows EXACTLY whose fault it is if he wins.

I am so angry. And sad. And did I mention angry?

Virginia is regulating abortion clinics like hospitals.

One commenter on that article said:

I don't see how this legislation restricts access for women to abortions. It simply requires that abortion clinics meet the same medical guidelines as hospitals, depending on how they are classified. It in no way infringes on anyone's right to an abortion. In fact, Roe vs. Wade specifically leaves the regulation of abortions to the States.

 Well, charleyp1, I'll tell you how this restricts access. Five clinics in the state currently meet the standard. First trimester abortions are generally done without general anesthesia. First trimester abortion is one of the safest  surgical procedures that are performed anywhere, when performed by a licensed medical practitioner. It is a safer procedure than:

• Root canal
• Colonoscopy (which is done under general anesthesia)
• Vasectomy (which is done under general anesthesia)
• Endoscopy (which is done under general anesthesia)

 But those procedures are allowed to be done in a regular doctor's office. Dentists, Urologists, Proctologists, and Gastrologists do not need to have hospital standards to perform these surgeries. They don't, for example, need to have access for ambulances.

In Virginia there are currently 22 clinics at which abortion, A LEGAL PROCEDURE, can be obtained.

Under the new law, only 5 of those clinics will be able to continue to operate.

Let me make this clear, THIS LAW WILL NOT REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ABORTIONS. Abortion rates remain steady no matter how difficult safe, legal abortions are to obtain. What this law will do is make it more expensive to obtain an abortion.

charleyp1 further says:

I for one applaud this effort. After the medical horror/freak show in Philadelphia in which an abortion doctor left the surgical procedures to his nurses and had pilles[sic] of fetal body parts scattered about his office and storage freezer, I think a little regulation of this nearly unregulated industry is in order.

 charleyp1, abortion is already highly regulated.  licensing boards, the Board of Health, Obstetrics Boards, all oversee the OB/GYNs who perform abortions. The Philadelphia incident was an UNLICENSED person who was performing ILLEGAL late term abortions. Desperate women, who could not obtain legal abortions, went to him. Virginia's new law will increase the likelihood of a Philadelphia incident happening here in Virginia.

I want to thank Senator Mark Herring for standing up for women.

If you are as upset by the outcome of this vote as I am, may I suggest that you

Relay for Life 2011

See that button there?
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Please click on it and donate to the American Cancer Society!! Last year I did 20 miles, I'd like to do 26.1 this year!