I can't believe how many people were at this event. In about 15min we distributed 1,000 flyers and didn't even come close to hitting 1 in 10 people.

http://www.richmondliberty.org/gallery/v/2009teasocial/

Posted by Leonard Harris at 10:17 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

http://www.richmondliberty.org/gallery/v/2009shad/

Posted by Leonard Harris at 10:16 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by Leonard Harris at 11:20 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

I'm not usually a huge fan of Not Larry Sabato, but this posting of his hits the nail on the head:

http://notlarrysabato.typepad.com/doh/2009/04/jeff-frederick-ousted.html

Posted by Leonard Harris at 04:58 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/04/03/tsa-intimidates-political-activist-traveler/

"The video is a bit ponderous, but when they play the tape of TSA agents interrogating a young political activist who wishes to exercise his right to remain silent, it’s riveting and offensive."

Posted by Leonard Harris at 08:00 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

This the summary of a couple of email from someone:

As United States Attorney, when Brownlee had the chance to show his true colors, his office prosecuted Ronald Blair Testerman, Sr. for engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license because he sold a .38-caliber pistol and three .22 caliber pistols. What makes this prosecution so unconscionable is that Testerman was 77 years old; at age of 18, he had enlisted in the United States Army and was honorably discharged after World War II; he worked at a construction company for 44 years; he had never been involved in the criminal justice system; and he was active in his church.

Brownlee’s office apparently argued that Testerman should have been sentenced to a sentence within the sentencing guidelines range of 27 to 33 months, but the judge disagreed and sentenced him to three years probation, including four months of home detention and a fine of $1,000.

Brownlee is running for Attorney General, where he would enforce existing law (as he did as United States Attorney), not decide policy, so that, while he may sound good on firearms policy issues, what really matters is his record on enforcing the federal firearms laws. Based on Testerman, it seems pretty clear that gun owners could not rely on him.

...

According to a press release issued by Brownlee, Testerman "sold six handguns in less than three months" and "had made business cards and ordered numerous handguns through wholesalers for the purpose of resale."

Of course, Brownlee does not state how it was known that Testerman ordered the handguns "for the purpose of resale" (the court opinion stated only that "he had used a friend's federal firearms license number to purchase guns directly from wholesalers"), which is critical since, to be guilty of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, a person must "repetitive[ly] purchase and res[ell] firearms" with "the principle objective of livelihood and profit."

Also, Bownlee does not mention that the jury acquitted Testerman of four counts of selling a firearm to a resident of another state, so it appears that the jury reached a compromise verdict so that the Government got something for its efforts.

[The] concern is that, rather than sending in undercover ATF agents to make buys from people like Testerman (who probably did not even know what he was doing was possibly illegal) and then prosecuting, if Brownlee was really pro-Second Amendment, he would have had a policy that the ATF would inform people like Testerman that ATF believed that they were acting unlawfully, and only prosecuting if the activity continued.

Posted by Leonard Harris at 04:29 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

From http://stoprealid.info:

UPDATE evening Thursday Feb. 5, 2009 after HB 1587 was heard in the House Transportation Committee and SB 1431 was heard in the Senate Transportation Committee.

Delegate Bob Marshall's bill HB 1587 passed the House Transportation Committee this morning.
Vote count: 17-3.
Source: http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?ses=091&typ=bil&val=hb1587&Submit2=Go

YEAS--May, Oder, Saxman, Carrico, Cosgrove, Gear, Hugo, Scott, E.T., Fralin, Tata, Loupassi, Knight, Ward, Ebbin, Marsden, Nichols, McQuinn--17.
NAYS--Rust, Brink, Toscano--3.
ABSTENTIONS--0.
NOT VOTING--BaCote, Valentine--2.
Source: http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?091+vot+H19V0132+HB1587

Senator Ken Cuccinelli's bill SB 1431 passed the Senate Transportation Committee this evening.
Vote count: 8-6. Update had not been registered in the legislative database as the committee hearing ended sometime after 6 PM.

Keep pressuring your representatives to support these bills as they move to the House and Senate floors.
We've got to keep going!
About 10 anti-REAL ID activists showed for the Senate Transportation Committee, and it was a bear.
Thanks for calling, writing and visiting your legislators!
Be sure to thank those delegates who voted in favor of HB 1587, even if they're not your representatives.

The names of those who voted in favor of SB 1431 will be posted as soon as the legislative database posts that information.

- Jo Whistler -
http://stoprealid.info

Posted by Leonard Harris at 12:59 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

From VOTORS:

Dear VOTORS:

The Constitutional Subcommittee of the House Privileges and Elections Committee met this past Monday and failed to pass your HJ709. Delegate Jeff Frederick of District 52, the bill's sponsor, motioned to consider and vote on HJ709...but not a single other delegate seconded the motion. That effectively killed HJ709 for this year's session thus failing to place reasonable limits on real estate tax increases throughout the Commonwealth.

Refusing to second a motion to discuss is a convenient, and in my view...cowardly... way for delegates to avoid having a recorded vote on an issue they would rather not deal with.

These delegates are up for re-election in November. They need to know there are consequences for failing to deal with the issue of rising real estate taxes in Virginia. They owe you a justification for refusing to allow an honest debate on HJ709.

Please send a short email to each of the eight delegates listed below who refused to second the motion to consider HJ709. Ask them why they refused to give you a chance to see reasonable limits placed on real estate tax increases. You can use the suggested text or write your own...but write to them soon.

Legislative Update and Call to Action

HJ 709: Failed in Subcommittee

House Committee on Privileges and Elections Constitutional Subcommittee Members who refused to second Del. Frederick's motion to consider HJ709:

Del. William R. Janis (R) (chairman) - House District 56 (804) 698-1056
Del. Kenneth C. Alexander (D) - House District 89 (804) 698-1089
Del. John A. Cosgrove (R) - House District 78 (804) 698-1078
Del. Frank D. Hargrove, Sr. (R) - House District 55 (804) 698-1055
Del. Joseph D. Morrissey (D) - House District 74 (804) 698-1074
Del. Clarence E. Phillips (D) - House District 2 (804) 698-1002
Del. Lacey E. Putney (I) - House District 19 (804) 698-1019

Posted by Leonard Harris at 12:53 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

From www.freepauljacob.com

Free at last! Oklahoma AG Drew Edmondson today dropped all charges against the “Oklahoma 3″—Paul Jacob, Susan Johnson, and Rick Carpenter—in response to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeal’s refusal to approve his request for a rehearing.

Full Story at http://www.freepauljacob.com/2009/01/22/oklahoma-3-are-free-ag-dismisses-charges/

Posted by Leonard Harris at 09:21 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

From www.votors.org

The Constitutional Subcommittee of the House Privileges and Elections Committee met on Monday, but they ran out of time and your bill, HJ709, was not discussed. It has been rescheduled for this coming Monday, Feb. 2nd, again at 7:00 am. This gives us more time to make additional calls and send additional emails and for you to forward this email to more of your Virginia friends and neighbors. That is very important, because it will increase the number of calls and emails the Delegates get, adding pressure on them, before their November re-elections, to support our bill and limit your real estate taxes.

Please read the status report below and take the requested action by calling and emailing the list of Delegates before Monday, politely and firmly asking them to vote for HJ709. Please call and email all of the Delegates listed, not just your own. We have had a very favorable response to our previous requests for calls and emails...but we need far more. Thank you to those who took the time to send emails and make calls; please do so again.

IMPORTANT!
Please do these three things before Monday morning:

1. Click on the "Forward email to a Friend or Neighbor" link at the bottom of this email and send it to everyone on your email list who resides in Virginia. This is very important!
2. Send an email to each of the Delegates below. You can use the sample text provided below, modify it to personalize it or write your own. Please keep it short and respectful. Just click on the "blue" Delegate's name and enter or paste your request text. Please use the Subject Line: "Please Vote for HJ709".
3. Call each Delegate's listed phone number and ask the Delegate or the staff member to "Vote for HJ709". Leave a voicemail if necessary.

Legislative Update and Call to Action
Property Taxes
HJ 709 Constitutional amendment (first resolution); assessments of real property and tax rates.
Patron: Delegate Jeffrey M. Frederick

Constitutional amendment (first resolution); assessments of real property and tax rates. Provides that assessments of real property shall not increase annually by more than one percent plus the percentage increase, if any, in the rate of inflation. Increases in the rate of taxation on real property are limited to one percent per year.

Status:
Referred to Committee on Privileges and Elections and assigned to P & E subcommittee: Constitutional which will meet on Monday, February 2, at 7:00 a.m. in the 5th floor West conference room. This bill was on the docket for the January 26 meeting but was not discussed. The docket has not yet been released for Feb. 2 meeting, but HJ 709 is very likely to be on the docket.

Action to be taken: Call and email Delegates in the Committee on Privileges and Elections now and urge passage of this Constitutional Amendment.

House Committee on Privileges and Elections Membership:
Delegate Mark L. Cole (R) (chairman) - House District 88 (804) 698-1088
Delegate David B. Albo (R) - House District 42 (804) 698-1042
Delegate Kenneth C. Alexander (D) - House District 89 (804) 698-1089
Delegate Robert B. Bell, III (R) - House District 58 (804) 698-1058
Delegate Robert H. Brink (D) - House District 48 (804) 698-1048
Delegate John A. Cosgrove (R) - House District 78 (804) 698-1078
Delegate Rosalyn R. Dance (D) - House District 63 (804) 698-1063
Delegate David L. Englin (D) - House District 45 (804) 698-1045
Delegate Frank D. Hargrove, Sr. (R) - House District 55 (804) 698-1055
Delegate Riley E. Ingram (R) - House District 62 (804) 698-1062
Delegate William R. Janis (R) - House District 56 (804) 698-1056
Delegate Johnny S. Joannou (D) - House District 79 (804) 698-1079 (no e-mail)
Delegate S. Chris Jones (R) - House District 76 (804) 698-1076
Delegate R. Steven Landes (R) - House District 25 (804) 698-1025
Delegate Jackson H. Miller (R) - House District 50 (804) 698-1050
Delegate Joseph D. Morrissey (D) - House District 74 (804) 698-1074
Delegate John M. O'Bannon, III (R) - House District 73 (804) 698-1073
Delegate Clarence E. Phillips (D) - House District 2 (804) 698-1002
Delegate Lacey E. Putney (I) - House District 19 (804) 698-1019
Delegate James M. Scott (D) - House District 53 (804) 698-1053
Delegate Mark D. Sickles (D) - House District 43 (804) 698-1043

Sample Email Text
Subj: Please Vote for HJ709

Dear Delegate (Place Delegate's Name Here),

I'm writing to ask for your support of HJ709, a bill calling for a Virginia Constitutional Amendment changing Virginia's real estate tax system to one based on "Acquisition Value" and limiting annual increases in real estate property taxes. This bill is very important to me and my family here in Virginia.

It is important you understand that HJ709 is not a tax cut but rather merely imposes limits on real estate property tax increases that now are increasing faster than my family's income.

I urge you to vote for HJ709.

(Your Name Here)
(Your Town), VA

Actual Text of HJ709
VOTORS Logo
The following text of HJ709 amends Section 2, Article X of the Virginia Constitution:

"However, for the tax year beginning on January 1, 2012, and each tax year thereafter, the assessed value of real property shall be no greater than the assessed value of such property in the preceding tax year plus an increase of one percent and an increase equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the rate of inflation. When real property is sold, transferred, improved, or rezoned at the owner's request, it shall be assessed at fair market value for the tax year in which such event occurs. The rate of taxation on real property shall not be increased by more than one percent each year. The General Assembly shall enact such laws as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this section."

This may seem redundant to send more emails and make more calls but it is very important to keep your desire for HJ709 in the forefront of these Delegates conscience as they begin to discuss it on Monday morning. A little more work now could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in the years to come.

I urge all of you to act again before Monday morning!


Sincerely,

Al Aitken
Chairman
www.votors.org
chairman@votors.org

540.825.1057
540.729.0536

Posted by Leonard Harris at 08:15 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)