July 11, 2007

COMMENTARY

        The deadline for filing as a candidate for the House of Delegates election on November 6, 2007, has passed. No one else filed in the 36th legislative district leaving me running against the strongest opponent anyone can have: apathy.

        As soon as candidates assume they are running unopposed because they are doing such a wonderful job, there is likely to be many others who step forward to point out shortcomings and to challenge the arrogance that such an assumption represents. While I work really hard at a difficult and complex job, I recognize there are many other reasons that may have kept another candidate from running against me. The schedule of being in Richmond from a month and a half to two months during the winter and several days a month throughout the remainder of the year prevents many people with business and family responsibilities from running. The months of grueling campaigns, the nastiness that inevitably seems to come with campaigning, and the need to raise lots of money to finance a campaign turn off a number of prospective candidates. The slow pace of the legislative process and the difficulty of realizing personal success or receiving immediate gratification from the job discourage others.

        Even with all these possible explanations, the reason that I and over one-half of the delegates are unopposed this year is because the way legislative boundaries are drawn the outcome of future elections becomes almost predictable. In protecting their own incumbents and attempting to strengthen their hold on a majority in the House of Delegates, the Republicans in the redistricting process did just as Democrats had done when they were in the majority and drew districts that were most favorable to their election outcomes. In my case, they packed all the nearby precincts that had a history of voting Democratic together in the 36^th district. According to past voting history, it would be very difficult but certainly not impossible for a Republican to win in this district. Likewise, the majority party put together Republican leaning precincts to make safe seats for Republican incumbents and candidates.

        In my first year in office in 1978 when Democrats were firmly in control of the legislature, I introduced a bill to establish an independent reapportionment commission to take the partisanship out of the redistricting process. The Democrats rejected the idea. I have introduced the bill since the Republicans gained control, but they have rejected it also. Such an approach is the only way that more legislative districts will become competitive.         

        Although I am unopposed, I will be campaigning. I want voters to know what I have been doing, and I want to hear from voters. I am going to ask people to vote for me as a confirmation that what I am doing in office is what they want me to do. Running for office unopposed is convenient for me, but it is not in the best interest of good government in the future. I will be working hard to defeat apathy among voters to ensure their continued interest in the process and support for me.

Delegate Ken Plum's Weekly "Virginia Report"
on Reston Comcast Channel 28

Tonight – Wednesday, July 11 at 10:30 p.m. – Patricia Donnelly, Executive Director, Literacy Council of Northern Virginia, and Fred Korli, adult student – "Changing Lives Through Literacy"

Tuesday, July 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, July 18 at 10:30 p.m. – Ron Brown, President, FACES of Virginia Families - "Families Matter"

Announcements

The Virginia Board of Education is seeking nominees to serve three-year terms on the State Special Education Advisory Committee (SSEAC). The terms will begin in July 2007 and end in June 2010. More information on these vacancies and the appointment process, including the nomination form, may be found at www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/suptsmemos/2007/inf113.html.

Commuter Connections can provide you with a list of potential carpool partners who live near you, work near you, and share similar schedules. Apply online at www.commuterconnections.org or call 1-800-745-RIDE.

Visit www.DonorsChoose.org to learn how you can make contributions to small classroom projects.

Google has implemented a new feature which enables you to type a telephone number into the search bar and hit enter and you will be given the person's name and address. If you then hit Map, you will get a map to the person's house. In order to test whether your phone number is mapped, go to www.google.com. Type your phone number in the search bar and hit enter. If you want to BLOCK Google from divulging your private information, simply click on your telephone number and then click on the Removal Form. Removal takes 48 hours.

Calendar of Events

The Springfield Exchange will host a panel of experts to share their knowledge and experiences on bullying prevention and intervention strategies on July 12 at noon at the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 8304 Old Keane Mill Road, Springfield. The event is free and open to the community. Residents are encouraged to bring brown bag lunches; coffee and tea will be complimentary. Lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. and the presentation runs from noon to 1:30 p.m. RSVP's are not required. Residents can park in the rear or on either side of the church and proceed to the Fellowship Hall. For more information call Paulette Whiteside at 703.324.5285, TTY 703.803.7914 or email Paulette.Whiteside@fairfaxcounty.gov.

The next Green Breakfast will be held on Saturday, July 14, 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. at the Old Country Buffet, Fair City Mall, Route 236 (Main Street) and Pickett Road in Fairfax City next to the Cinema Arts Theatre. The program will be "Land Conservation - A Win-Win Program." Featured speakers will be Whit Field of the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust and Kay Rutledge with the Fairfax County Park Authority. Strategies on land conservation and protection will be discussed. The cost is $9.00; reservations not required.

Attend RCA's upcoming "resTOWN" Workshops at the Reston Regional Library on Saturday, July 14, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and Saturday, July 28, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information go to http://go-resTOWN.org; call 703.786.3672, or email RCABoard@comcast.net.

The annual Equality Fairfax picnic is planned for Sunday, July 15, at Nottoway Park, Vienna, starting at noon. For more information and to stay connected with Equality Fairfax, check www.equalityfairfax.org.

The Tysons Land Use Task Force will hold three identical public workshops on June 16-18 to get input from the public on three test planning scenarios for the future of Tysons Corner. The public also will be able to provide comments online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/tysonscorner. The Task Force's planning principles, meeting schedules, presentations and additional resources can be found at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/tysonscorner. For more information about the workshops or to sign up for e-mail or printed mail updates, visit the Web page, call the information line at 703.324.1344, TTY 711, or email tysonscornerspecialstudy@fairfaxcounty.gov.

A program on global warming will feature Jenet Dechary presenting "The Climate Crisis: A Primer for Action" on Thursday, July 19 at 7:00 p.m. at the Reston Lake Anne Community Center Gallery Room in Lake Anne Village Center. The event is free. Jenet is one of a thousand climate crisis presenters trained personally by Al Gore to educate citizens on global warming. This event is presented in conjunction with a brief mothly meeting of the Hunter Mill District Democratic Committee. To rsvp or for information contact haleyr@sprintmail.com or call Bob Haley at 703.716.2339.

Fairfax County will host a Business Preparedness Summit on Friday, July 20, for small and large business owners and operators in Fairfax County. The summit will be held at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway. On-site check-in begins at 8:00 a.m. with the opening session at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 12:30 p.m. A series of workshops will highlight the Summit. Space is limited, and those interested in attending are encouraged to register online at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/emergency.bizprep.htm. For more information call the Fairfax County OFfice of Public Affairs at 703.324.3187, TTY 711.

The 4th Annual Asian Festival will be held on Saturday, July 21, at Lake Newport Square, 11452 Baron Cameron Avenue, Reston, from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The Asian Festival is a one-day event designed to promote a greater understanding of the Asian culture from Thailand, China, India, Philippines, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Each participating country will showcase its unique music, cultural performances, food, pageants, fashion, and other products and entertainment. Visit www.asianfestivaldc.com for information about off-site parking at Reston Association, free shuttle service, and the schedule of events.

Equality Virginia's Annual Meeting and Activists' Conference will be held on Saturday, July 21, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Virginia Commonwealth University at the Student Commons. A fee of $25 covers lunch, materials, and workshops. For more information, contact info@equalityvirginia.org.

Accelerating Social Entrepreneurship in Virginia will host a luncheon and panel discussion with leading scholars and practitioners including Governor Mark Warner on Wednesday, July 25, noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Fairview Park Marriott, 3111 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church. To learn more, visit www.phoenixproject.org.

Bring the kids out to see all the vehicles that Reston Association uses, including a dump truck, trash truck, back hoe, bobcat, mowing tractor and more on Friday, August 17, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. to noon at the Reston Association's Central Services Facility, 12250 Sunset Hills Road (next to the YMCA). No reservations are required, and this opportunity is free. Call 703.435.6530 for more information.

Intelligent Transportation Society (ITS) of Virginia and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, along with ITS America, will be having a Vehicle Infrastructure Integration Technology Showcase and a VTTI/Smart Roads Open House from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, August 23, 2007. If you would like to attend, RSVP by August 3 to ITS Virginia by calling 434.977.3716 or email amy.shaw@easterassociates.com.

This year's Commonwealth of Virginia Energy & Sustainability (COVES) Conference will be held on October 16-18 at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, VA. Visit www.covesva.org for registration and conference details.

Attend the Sully Quilt Show and Sale, "Stitches of Friendship - Quailts from the Quaker Community," on Sunday, September 9, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Show and Sale will be held at the Sully Historic Site, 3601 Sully Road, Chantilly. Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/sully or call 703.437.1794 for more information.

Authorized and Paid for by Kenneth R. Plum

Delegate Kenneth R. Plum | 2073 Cobblestone Lane | Reston | VA | 20191