|
Delegate Ken Plum’s Virginia E-News – October 26, 2005
COMMENTARY
Keeping a Good Thing Going Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum
When I was first elected to the House of Delegates more than 25 years ago, there were no directories of state programs and services and obviously no website from which to gather information on state government. The best publication on Virginia government was a paperback published by the state Chamber of Commerce, but it was more like a textbook than a listing of agencies and their functions. Understanding who does what is critical to providing effective constituent services in a legislative office. I was better prepared to help my constituents than many freshman legislators. I am a native Virginian with a lifelong, intense interest in state government. In undergraduate school at Old Dominion University in Norfolk I took every course offered in Virginia history and government. Over many years the index cards on which I wrote down the departments and agencies of state government, their functions and services, and key personnel and contact information grew in number until there was literally a shoebox full of cards. That box of cards was invaluable in responding to constituent inquiries. Along the way it became obvious to me that others would benefit from the information that I and my legislative assistant had gathered and catalogued. Fourteen years ago I published the first Citizens Handbook for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Every two years I have been updating it as agencies and phone numbers change and as fax numbers and now websites are added. Recently I mailed the eighth edition to the voters in my legislative district. Full color has been added to the cover, but inside the contents are still an alphabetical listing of the agencies of state government with an index of services and functions. An electronic version of the Handbook is on my website at www.kenplum.com. Printed copies for those who did not receive one or for those wishing additional copies for their businesses may be requested by email to kenplum@aol.com or by calling 703.758.9733. At a recent meeting of a technical advisory committee of the Joint Commission on Technology and Science that was established as a result of legislation I introduced I learned that Virginia’s electronic portals to government have been evaluated by independent business sources to have been in the top five among the states for the past four years and was the very best last year. Earlier this month Governor Mark R. Warner announced that Virginia had received the highest score among states in the nation for its procurement operations from the National Purchasing Institute and on behalf of six other major procurement professional organizations. Constituents tell me that the Citizens Handbook is useful to them, and that is why I keep it going. Virginia government has been going very well the last several years; I believe voters in November will also want to keep a good thing going.
* * *
Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund Endorses Delegate Plum
The Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund announced its endorsement of Delegate Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum for the Virginia House of Delegates from the 36th District. “Ken Plum is a leader who is committed to protecting kids from tobacco and reducing its devastating toll in Virginia. The politics that Ken Plum support will make a real difference for Virginia by helping to reduce smoking, save lives and save money by reducing smoking-caused health care costs,” said William V. Corr, Executive Director of the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund. “Delegate Plum is a champion of all three policies prescribed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke: passing comprehensive smoke-free workplace laws; increasing the tax on cigarettes; and implementing effective programs to help smokers quite and prevent kids from starting in the first place. The support of Ken Plum was critical to passing an increase in the state’s incredibly low cigarette tax last year. Virginians can rest assured that their health will continue to be a priority under the leadership of Ken Plum.”
* * *
Plum Makes Washington Post
If you still have the Tuesday, October 25, issue of The Washington Post, check out the photograph on the first page of the Metro section. The young man making pizzas is Chris Plum, Delegate Ken Plum’s grandson. Chris is a senior at South Lakes High School and works part-time.
* * *
Delegate Ken Plum’s Weekly “Virginia Report” on Comcast Channel 28
Wednesday, October 26 at 10:30 p.m. – Betty Connal, SIDS Mid-Atlantic – “SIDS and the Cribs for Kids Project”
Tuesday, November 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, November 2 at 10:30 p.m. – George Barker, Health Systems Agency of Northern Virginia – “New Medicare Prescription Drug Plans – Choosing the Right One for You”
* * * ANNOUNCEMENTS
Election Information – Sample Ballots and Absentee Voting
Do you need to see a sample ballot for the November 8 Election? Email me at kenplum@aol.com to request a copy of the sample ballot in the 36th House District. Additional information is available at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/eb/homepage.htm about the upcoming election, how and where to vote absentee, and where to vote on November 8.
In person absentee voting is available through November 5 at the North County Government Center, 12000 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston, Monday through Friday from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In person absentee voting is also available at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 323, Fairfax, as follows: Today through November 4 – Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, October 29 and November 5 – 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Skate for Katrina Relief! Skateboarders and in-line skaters can showcase their moves while raising funds for hurricane evacuees at Skate for Katrina Relief in Reston on Saturday, October 29, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A skate park with ramps, quarter pipes, rails and kickers will be set up at the Wiehle Avenue Park and Ride Lot off the Dulles Toll Road. Music and skateboard demonstrations will add to the festive atmosphere at the free event. Skate for Katrina Relief is sponsored by Hunter Mill District Supervisor Cathy Hudgins in partnership with the Fairfax County Park Authority, Fairfax County Park Foundation, Reston Community Center, the Reston Association, America In-Line Skating and EnviroSolutions, Inc. Participants must be age 6 and up. Helmets are required for all ages. Additional safety equipment – wrist guards, elbow pads and kneepads – are required for participants under age 16. ID with proof of age is necessary for an equipment waiver. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/huntermill or call 703.324.8651 for more information. Rain date is Sunday, October 29.
Fairfax County is partnering with 3 local nonprofit organizations – Northern Virginia Family Service, Reston Interfaith, and United Community Ministries – to help coordinate services, case management and community support for displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina who are currently living in Fairfax County. This contractual agreement supports and further implements the Fairfax Families Care collaborative effort launched by a group that has come together to leverage resources to provide long-term assistance to those touched by the tragedy of Katrina. Residents who wish to help evacuees in some way or evacuees seeking services may call the county’s Human Services Department at 703.222.0880, TTY 703.803.7914, Spanish 703.631.3366. The county will continue to maintain its extensive web-based information site about services for evacuees and how the community can help at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency/katrina.
Mark your calendar for the November public forums on Transportation Barriers for People with Disabilities and Senior Citizens. Fairfax County is seeking comments from the public about barriers on public transportation at three forums to be held November 1, 3, and 5. This will provide an opportunity for county residents, particularly people with disabilities and senior citizens, to discuss the factors that prevent them from using publicly funded transportation services, including the Fairfax Connector, Metro, MetroAccess, FASTRAN, Medicaid-funded transportation, and taxi services, including Seniors-on-the-Go! Residents also will be encouraged to offer suggestions about how to improve transportation services for seniors and people with disabilities in the county. The public forums are scheduled as follows: Tuesday, November 1, 7 to 9 p.m., South County Government Center, 8350 Richmond Highway, Alexandria Tuesday, November 3, noon to 2 p.m., Department of Systems Management for Human Services Building, Region 3, 11484 Washington Plaza West, Reston Saturday, November 5, 10 a.m. to noon, Northern Virginia Center, 7054 Haycock Road, Falls Church The forums are sponsored by the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, the Disability Services Board, the Area Agency on Aging, the Department of Systems Management, the Department of Family Services, the Department of Community and Recreation Services, and the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board. To be included on the list of speakers, call Denis Paddeu at 703.324.1439, TTY 711. Written comments can be emailed to denis.paddeu@fairfaxcounty.gov or mailed to Denis Paddeu, Fairfax County Department of Transportation, 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 1034, Fairfax, VA 22035-5511. Contact Paddeu at 703.324.1439 for more information.
Take a stroll with me and the Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia (EFVA) on Saturday, November 5 at 9:00 a.m. at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston. This local walk is being cosponsored with the Epilepsy Foundation of the Chesapeake Region (EFCR). There will be 1- and 2.5-mile courses with registration beginning at 9:00 a.m. Walkers are welcome to collect donations – those collecting $20 or more get a free t-shirt. Kids are encouraged to make a poster having to do with the importance of wearing a helmet. Since one of the main known causes of epilepsy is head injury, the EFVA promotes the message “Wear a Helmet – Prevent Epilepsy.” Posters will be hung along the walk route. EFVA is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1978 to promote awareness about epilepsy and provide assistance to Virginians with epilepsy and their families, friends, employers, co-workers, and teachers. Over the years, EFVA has developed a wide range of programs and services to promote the understanding of epilepsy and to dispel the many myths still associated with the disorder. For more information contact Deborah Lannen at 703.328.7582 or jwlannen@comcast.net.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board will hold Fall Transportation Meetings throughout the state to give citizens the opportunity to review and provide comments on projects and programs that are candidates for inclusion in the Fiscal Year 2007-2012 Six-Year Improvement Program. The meeting in our area will be held on November 10, 4:00 p.m., at the Fairfax City Hall.
The League of Women Voters will present a program on the “International Bill of Rights for Women.” This will be a public forum on Saturday, November 12, 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the Northern Virginia Community College’s Ernst Cultural Center at the Annandale campus. CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, was adopted by the United Nations in 1979 but has not yet been ratified by the United States. The forum is free, open to the public, and no registration is required. The moderator of the forum will be Christianne Klein, the weekend anchor at WJLA, Washington’s ABC affiliate. Members of the panel will include: Sarah Albert, Public Policy Director of the General Federation of Womens Clubs and Co-chair of the CEDAW Working Group; Itoro Eze-Anaba, former Director of the Legal Defense and Assistance Project and former Coordinator of the Women’s Human Rights Program, both in Nigeria; Penny Wakefield, a civil and human rights lawyer who is a member of the Steering Committee working for ratification of CEDAW; and Wendy Wright, Executive Vice President of Concerned Women for America. The panel is expected to address the provisions of CEDAW, its relevance to women around the globe, and the reasons why CEDAW has not been ratified by the United States. In announcing the program, Fairfax League President Sherry W. Zachry explained that it is important to learn why the United States is the only industrialized nation that has not ratified the treaty. “The League hopes that both women and men will come to the forum to learn how CEDAW affects women around the world and why the treaty is so controversial that it has not been ratified by the U.S. since it was signed 25 years ago.” Call 703.780.3343 or email lwvfa@ecoisp.com for more information. Visit the League’s web site at www.lwv-fairfax.org for more details about the CEDAW.
The 23rd Annual Conference on Crime Victims’ Issues will be held November 30-December 2 in Roanoke at the Hotel Roanoke. Victim/witness program staff, law enforcement officers, domestic violence and sexual assault program staff, prosecutors, civil litigation attorneys, probation officers, Department of Corrections staff, healthcare professionals, social workers, volunteers, government leaders, and other concerned persons are encouraged to attend. The event is sponsored by the Virginia Network for Victims and Witnesses of Crime, Inc. Visit www.vanetwork.org for more information.
***************** Authorized and paid for by Kenneth R. Plum.
Unsubscribe to this newsletter by emailing kenplum@aol.com and indicating “unsubscribe” in the subject line. |