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Delegate Ken Plum's Virginia E-News – December 13, 2006
Commentary Governor Kaine Comes to Reston Delegate Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum
Governor Timothy Kaine brought his Cabinet of top advisors to Northern Virginia recently for one of their periodic cabinet-community days. Based on experiences he had in localities he visited as Lieutenant Governor, Governor Kaine hopes to overcome some of the isolation localities feel from Richmond. And he wants to make sure that his Cabinet Secretaries stay tuned to what is happening throughout the very diverse state that is Virginia. He wants government to be up close and personal. After a formal cabinet meeting at the Sterling campus of Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC), much of the day was spent in Reston. Little surprise that the major item on the Cabinet agenda was transportation. Almost everyone had a story to tell about their experiences in getting to the 9 a.m. meeting in Northern Virginia. Two Cabinet members were very late with the usual traffic congestion explanation. Unfortunately, the agenda item provided little new information. We are still about a billion dollars short statewide plus a half-billion for Northern Virginia and a quarter-billion for Hampton Roads. The Governor has not indicated what he will ask the 2007 General Assembly to do about traffic congestion. Prospects are not very bright. The Governor has made it clear that he will veto any bill that attempts to take any dollars from transportation for another purpose. Another agenda item was health care and specifically the need for trained workers in the health care industry. Good news came from NVCC with its new Medical Campus in Springfield. But even with the new program there will continue to be a shortage of health care workers. A trip to Cameron Glen in Reston by the Governor and his staff highlighted the need in long term care. With better medicines and care, people are living longer. The fastest growing segment of Virginia’s population is the over-85 age group. Many of us never knew our grandparents, but children growing up today often know their great-grandparents. A significant number of the older population ends up in nursing homes where in Virginia two-thirds of the cost of nursing home care is paid by the state Medicaid program, one of the fastest growing items in the state budget. A luncheon at the Center for Innovative Technology sponsored by the Northern Virginia Technology Council focused on telework as a part of the transportation solution. Fairfax County has been very successful in getting nearly twenty percent of its workforce involved in telework. The Governor acknowledged that the award he was given for leadership in teleworking may have been as much to encourage him to do more as it was to recognize state government progress in teleworking that has been very slow. A field trip around Reston that included Robert E. Simon among its tour guides brought the Governor up to date with the amazing economic success of our community. The Governor fully acknowledges that the way to keep the state strong economically is to keep Northern Virginia strong. A stop at Accenture in Reston Town Center demonstrated the practical aspects and incredible promise of telework. Governor Kaine and his Cabinet finished the day with a renewed understanding of the importance of Northern Virginia to the state as a whole and a recognition that the state must be more responsive to the unique needs of the region. Thanks for coming, Governor. Hope to see you back here often.
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Delegate Ken Plum’s Weekly “Virginia Report” on Reston Comcast Channel 28
Tonight - Wednesday, December 13 at 10:30 p.m. – Ms. Kerrie Wilson, Executive Director of Reston Interfaith – “Helping Our Neighbors at Holiday Time”
Tuesday, December 19, at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, December 20, at 10:30 p.m. – Mr. Edward J. Myerson, CPA, Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants – “Your Financial Fitness for 2007” * * *
ANNOUNCEMENTS
For a summary of the Annual Meeting of the Dulles Corridor Rail Association (DCRA) with photographs, visit www.dullescorridorrail.com. For a sketch of proposed station design, visit www.dullesmetro.com.
Join the Dulles Area Democrats (DADs) for a Monday Breakfast on December 18, 7:30 a.m., at Amphora’s Diner, 1151 Elden Street, Herndon. Guest speaker will be Delegate Brian Moran, who serves as Democratic Caucus Chairman in the Virginia House of Delegates. Event fee is $20 by cash, check, or credit card. RSVP to Jennifer Boysko at Jennifer.Boysko@DullesAreaDemocrats.org or call 703.736.8949. The Dulles Area Democrats hold monthly breakfast meetings with guest speakers. Visit www.DullesAreaDemocrats.org for more information about the organization’s mission, goals, and activities.
Nominations for the Governor’s Volunteerism & Community Services Awards are now being accepted. The prestigious award has been honoring exemplary Virginians for more than 16 years and recognizes excellence in community service and volunteering. A narrative and two letters of support are required. Visit www.vaservice.org to download the nomination form or submit an online nomination through the website. The nomination process ends at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 31, 2007.
The Brownies and Cub Scouts of Great Falls are asking their area neighbors to help wounded veterans at Walter Reed Hospital and Bethesda Medical Center this holiday season. They are collecting new or gently used DVDs and portable, battery-operated DVD players to be delivered to the Vets to bring some holiday smiles to their faces. Please dig through your media cabinets and drawers for those DVDs that are no longer being watched and donate them to a very worthy cause. Drop off donations through Friday, December 23 at two locations in Great Falls: Neighbors International Foundation, 1148-D Walker Road, 703.759.2102 and Loebig Chiropractic, 754 Walker Road, Village Center, 703.757.5817. DVDs and players will be delivered directly to the Medical Centers. Email Dori Wantula at daks@cox.net with questions.
Herndon-Reston FISH (Friendly Instant Sympathetic Help) is preparing for its annual December Holiday food and gift box drive for needy local residents. Donations of money, non-perishable food items, and new children’s gifts will be accepted December 18-19 at the United Christian Parish, 2222 Colts Neck Road in Reston, across from Hunters Woods Center. Volunteers are needed to collect, sort, and deliver the boxes. Contact Robyn Kampf, Holiday Assistance Coordinator, at 703.860.8804 or robkamp@aol.com if you want to volunteer or for more information. New gift suggestions are toys, books, games, mittens, scarves, hats, and gift certificates from Kohls, K-Mart, and Target. Non-perishable food suggestions are peanut butter, jelly, pasta or macaroni, rice, tomato sauce, soup, dry cereals, juices, and canned goods. Check donations may be sent to Herndon-Reston FISH, Inc., 336 Victory Drive, Herndon, VA 20170. You may also support FISH by shopping at the Bargain Loft at this address where the annual Holiday Shop is open until December 23 and features bargain holiday ornaments and gift items.
The 5th Annual Hunter Mill District Winter Coat Closet operates until February 24, 2007, and is located at the Hunter Mill District Supervisor’s office. Operating hours are: Tuesdays 10 a.m. to 12 noon; Thursdays 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Enormous community support last year resulted in the distribution of 2,715 coats and 770 hats, gloves, and scarves.
A Financial Fitness 2007 calendar, “Improving the Financial Health of Virginia,” along with other financial services publications are available free of charge from the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants at www.financialfitness.org. Or contact me at kenplum@aol.com – I have a supply of these excellent calendars and would be pleased to send you one.
***************** Authorized and paid for by Kenneth R. Plum.
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