Sunday, March 31, 2013

Reject Governor's Amendments at April 3 Session

 

Dear Friends,  

First of all, Happy Easter to you and your family!  No matter how many difficulties we may experience in life or in the political arena, we can always rejoice in the knowledge that Our Lord has triumphed over death.  That is true victory and true hope!
 
Returning to the mundane:
PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO URGE YOUR DELEGATE AND SENATOR TO VOTE NO ON HB 2313 AND MEDICAID AMENDMENTS TO THE BUDGET-HB 1500.
 
The General Assembly “Veto Session” is this Wednesday, April 3.  As you may recall, the AG responded to my inquiry that the original Transportation Bill regional taxes (in HB 2313) and the Budget Bill language on Medicaid Expansion (in HB 1500) were unconstitutional.
 
TRANSPORTATION BILL:
Instead of offering separate amendments, Governor McDonnell has offered a “substitute” HB 2313 bill to address the constitutional problems with HB 2313 since the AG ruled that “special” taxes which apply to certain regions are not constitutional.  The Governor’s new bill mandates that all regions (not just Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads) will be subject to the extra taxes once the planning districts of which they are a part meet certain criteria: population of 1.5 million, not less than 1.2 million motor vehicles registered, and transit ridership of not less than 15 million per year.  The revenues will be deposited into separate “Funds” for the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority.
 
This ensures future automatic tax increases for the other Planning Districts without a separate vote of the General Assembly.   I think such a policy, while perhaps legal, is not prudent.  Who can predict the needs of localities in ten or possibly 100 years?  Can Planning District boundary lines be reconfigured to collect taxes sooner?   Does this conflict with our constitutional requirement that laws must take effect on July 1 of the year in which the bill becomes law, yet these taxes might not start for some areas for twenty or more years? 
 
The NVTA and HRTA are to act as independent bodies of the state government and VDOT:  15.2-4839 2. The Authority is independent of any state or local entity, including the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB), but the Authority, VDOT and CTB shall consult with one another to avoid duplication of efforts and, at the option of the Authority, may combine efforts to complete specific projects.
 
The NVTA and HRTA will receive millions of our tax dollars, decide how they will be spent and can even invest in security instruments. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) has been criticized by the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) for cost-overruns and no-bid contracts.  Increasing the number of Authorities over which citizens have little ability to influence policy is a dangerous delegation of power in my opinion.
 
Here is a link to the Governor’s substitute transportation bill: http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?131+ful+HB2313H5
 
MEDICAID EXPANSION:
The AG replied to my inquiry, affirming his earlier opinion to Delegate Ben Cline, that the General Assembly cannot delegate its power to expand Medicaid to a Commission which includes a few members of the General Assembly.  Governor McDonnell nevertheless declined to change the language affecting the delegation to a subgroup of the Assembly, so the same legal-constitutional problems the Attorney General pointed out are still present in the amended version.  
 
The Governor has offered four new amendments to HB 1500 on Medicaid. Please urge your delegate and senator to reject them:
 
Amendment 22:  Adds up to five additional employees from other agency personnel for the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to fully comply with new provisions of health care reform.
 
Amendment 23:  Provides $870,000 from the general fund to cover the rest of a $1.67 Million contract to George Mason U which will mostly contract with the Center for Health Innovation.  (Future budgets will surely add more funding.)
 
Amendment 24:  Strikes certain lines on pages 295-297 of the Budget intended to add specificity to Medicaid reforms, (not definitive in my opinion).
 
Amendment 25:  Creates a $3 Million Medicaid customer call center by allowing DMAS to contract with a vendor so individuals can apply for Medicaid by telephone, as required by the federal government by October 1, 2013.  $1.5 million comes from Virginia.  Costs could increase depending upon the final contract and center workload.  More funding could be provided next year.
 
These amendments grease the skids for Medicaid expansion!  Here is a link to all of the Governor’s amendments to the Budget bill (HB 1500): http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?131+amd+HB1500AG
 
The Heritage Foundation estimates Medicaid expansion will cost Virginia an additional $902 Million through 2022, requiring massive tax increases or cutting (unlikely) other Virginia programs. 
 
Harvard’s Malcolm Sparrow in 2009 testified before Congress that Medicaid bills continue to be paid to physicians after they die, to treat patients after death, to treat immigrants who have been deported.  He noted that the Credit Card Industry has a threshold of one-tenth of one percent for acceptable business fraud risk.  Medicaid losses from fraud range from 3-14%, not including billing errors!
 
It is folly to think that ten part-time members of the General Assembly meeting once a month for a few months can ensure Virginia will be able to exercise adequate oversight over expanding 400,000 new recipients to the current 1,000,000.
 
And, while some Assembly members believe Virginia can expand Medicaid, accept the three year 100% federal subsidy, and then opt out later, The U.S. Supreme Court did not rule states could leave Medicaid once enrolled nor is there an opt-out provision in the Affordable Care Act. 
 
Please view this video of U.S. Senator Orin Hatch in which he states that Obamacare was designed to fail to usher in single-payer government-run healthcare.  See: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/hatch-obamacare-was-designed-become-single-payer-system
 
Republicans used to complain when Democrats proposed tax increases and expanded government programs.  Now Republicans are putting them to shame, leading the charge to saddle present and future taxpayers with greater financial burdens. 
 
PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO URGE YOUR DELEGATE AND SENATOR TO VOTE AGAINST HB 2313 AND MEDICAID AMENDMENTS TO HB 1500.
 
Thank you,
bob marshall 
Delegate Bob Marshall
Contact Information:
703-361-5416 (office and fax)
703-853-4213 (cell) (preferred)
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 421
Manassas, VA 20108

Paid for and Authorized by Friends of Bob Marshall

 



powered by phplist v 2.10.17, © phpList ltd

Reject Governor's Amendments at April 3 Session

 

Dear Friends,  

First of all, Happy Easter to you and your family!  No matter how many difficulties we may experience in life or in the political arena, we can always rejoice in the knowledge that Our Lord has triumphed over death.  That is true victory and true hope!
 
Returning to the mundane:
PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO URGE YOUR DELEGATE AND SENATOR TO VOTE NO ON HB 2313 AND MEDICAID AMENDMENTS TO THE BUDGET-HB 1500.
 
The General Assembly “Veto Session” is this Wednesday, April 3.  As you may recall, the AG responded to my inquiry that the original Transportation Bill regional taxes (in HB 2313) and the Budget Bill language on Medicaid Expansion (in HB 1500) were unconstitutional.
 
TRANSPORTATION BILL:
Instead of offering separate amendments, Governor McDonnell has offered a “substitute” HB 2313 bill to address the constitutional problems with HB 2313 since the AG ruled that “special” taxes which apply to certain regions are not constitutional.  The Governor’s new bill mandates that all regions (not just Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads) will be subject to the extra taxes once the planning districts of which they are a part meet certain criteria: population of 1.5 million, not less than 1.2 million motor vehicles registered, and transit ridership of not less than 15 million per year.  The revenues will be deposited into separate “Funds” for the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority.
 
This ensures future automatic tax increases for the other Planning Districts without a separate vote of the General Assembly.   I think such a policy, while perhaps legal, is not prudent.  Who can predict the needs of localities in ten or possibly 100 years?  Can Planning District boundary lines be reconfigured to collect taxes sooner?   Does this conflict with our constitutional requirement that laws must take effect on July 1 of the year in which the bill becomes law, yet these taxes might not start for some areas for twenty or more years? 
 
The NVTA and HRTA are to act as independent bodies of the state government and VDOT:  15.2-4839 2. The Authority is independent of any state or local entity, including the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB), but the Authority, VDOT and CTB shall consult with one another to avoid duplication of efforts and, at the option of the Authority, may combine efforts to complete specific projects.
 
The NVTA and HRTA will receive millions of our tax dollars, decide how they will be spent and can even invest in security instruments. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) has been criticized by the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) for cost-overruns and no-bid contracts.  Increasing the number of Authorities over which citizens have little ability to influence policy is a dangerous delegation of power in my opinion.
 
Here is a link to the Governor’s substitute transportation bill: http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?131+ful+HB2313H5
 
MEDICAID EXPANSION:
The AG replied to my inquiry, affirming his earlier opinion to Delegate Ben Cline, that the General Assembly cannot delegate its power to expand Medicaid to a Commission which includes a few members of the General Assembly.  Governor McDonnell nevertheless declined to change the language affecting the delegation to a subgroup of the Assembly, so the same legal-constitutional problems the Attorney General pointed out are still present in the amended version.  
 
The Governor has offered four new amendments to HB 1500 on Medicaid. Please urge your delegate and senator to reject them:
 
Amendment 22:  Adds up to five additional employees from other agency personnel for the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to fully comply with new provisions of health care reform.
 
Amendment 23:  Provides $870,000 from the general fund to cover the rest of a $1.67 Million contract to George Mason U which will mostly contract with the Center for Health Innovation.  (Future budgets will surely add more funding.)
 
Amendment 24:  Strikes certain lines on pages 295-297 of the Budget intended to add specificity to Medicaid reforms, (not definitive in my opinion).
 
Amendment 25:  Creates a $3 Million Medicaid customer call center by allowing DMAS to contract with a vendor so individuals can apply for Medicaid by telephone, as required by the federal government by October 1, 2013.  $1.5 million comes from Virginia.  Costs could increase depending upon the final contract and center workload.  More funding could be provided next year.
 
These amendments grease the skids for Medicaid expansion!  Here is a link to all of the Governor’s amendments to the Budget bill (HB 1500): http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?131+amd+HB1500AG
 
The Heritage Foundation estimates Medicaid expansion will cost Virginia an additional $902 Million through 2022, requiring massive tax increases or cutting (unlikely) other Virginia programs. 
 
Harvard’s Malcolm Sparrow in 2009 testified before Congress that Medicaid bills continue to be paid to physicians after they die, to treat patients after death, to treat immigrants who have been deported.  He noted that the Credit Card Industry has a threshold of one-tenth of one percent for acceptable business fraud risk.  Medicaid losses from fraud range from 3-14%, not including billing errors!
 
It is folly to think that ten part-time members of the General Assembly meeting once a month for a few months can ensure Virginia will be able to exercise adequate oversight over expanding 400,000 new recipients to the current 1,000,000.
 
And, while some Assembly members believe Virginia can expand Medicaid, accept the three year 100% federal subsidy, and then opt out later, The U.S. Supreme Court did not rule states could leave Medicaid once enrolled nor is there an opt-out provision in the Affordable Care Act. 
 
Please view this video of U.S. Senator Orin Hatch in which he states that Obamacare was designed to fail to usher in single-payer government-run healthcare.  See: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/hatch-obamacare-was-designed-become-single-payer-system
 
Republicans used to complain when Democrats proposed tax increases and expanded government programs.  Now Republicans are putting them to shame, leading the charge to saddle present and future taxpayers with greater financial burdens. 
 
PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO URGE YOUR DELEGATE AND SENATOR TO VOTE AGAINST HB 2313 AND MEDICAID AMENDMENTS TO HB 1500.
 
Thank you,
bob marshall 
Delegate Bob Marshall
Contact Information:
703-361-5416 (office and fax)
703-853-4213 (cell) (preferred)
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 421
Manassas, VA 20108

Paid for and Authorized by Friends of Bob Marshall

 



powered by phplist v 2.10.17, © phpList ltd

Monday, March 25, 2013

Video - Why We Pay Taxes

Hi,

My name is Amy, and I'm hoping to get in touch with you about a video I helped create that takes a look into why we pay taxes. I saw this post http://us.peninsulateaparty.org/2011/04/fwd-youre-invited-tax-day-tele-townhall.html, and thought you and your readers might find some value in it.

The video highlights a few examples on where our tax dollars go and how we benefit. Let me know if it's something you'd be interested in seeing or sharing, and I can forward it along.

Thanks for your time,
Amy C.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

PTP Wire | Peninsula Tea Party Vetting

  
Issue: # 2013 - 26
 Mar / 2013
In This Issue
Republican Pre-File Forms
March & April Events
Any Questions
Conservatives, Concerned Citizens ad Tea Party Patriots,
 
We Need Your Help!
 
The Peninsula Tea Party, the Virginia Tea Party Patriots Federation, and the Middle Resolution are conducting an in-depth vetting process in which all Virginia Lt. Governor and Attorney General Candidates have agreed to participate. This process will include in-person interviews (in which you can participate) as well as in-depth questionnaires which have already been answered by each candidate. Chris Doss of the Leadership Institute will conduct the in-person live interviews which will include the same questions for each candidate.The candidates will not have seen the questions in advance and we will score the candidates answers during the live interviews.

 

In years past, when we have had several good candidates we have split our vote among them which often resulted in the least conservative candidate receiving the nomination.We have determined that at this time the Republican Party is the party most likely to produce and elect a conservative candidate to office. This vetting and scoring process is designed to help us coalesce around a single candidate for each office and avoid the split of the conservative vote. In addition, we would like to have a show of force to convince our elected representatives that the conservative movement is active and a force to be reckoned with in their elections and in the legislation they will be introducing and voting upon. This should increase our influence on the legislation and on their votes in the future.

 

We are asking for your help in two major areas. First, we need as many conservatives as possible to sign up as Delegates to the Republican Party of Virginia Convention. Second, we need you to attend the Convention on May 18 in Richmond and vote for the most electable and conservative candidate, hopefully the one our vetting process determines to be that candidate.

 

The Peninsula Tea Party is allowed up to ten people to participate in the scoring of each candidate during the live interviews. The scoring will be done at the time of the live interviews and will take place in Mechanicsville (northeast of Richmond) on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27. (It would be best if the same person could score on both days but we can have different people on either day.) Please let us know if you would like to represent the Peninsula Tea Party and participate in the scoring process.  

 

NOTE: Please be advised that we only have 10 slots for this convention.

Republican Pre-File Forms
 
The first and most important step is to secure the Delegate Pre-file Form for your City or County, fill it out, and submit it before the deadline to your local Republican Committee as specified on the form. (In most cases the Mass Meeting indicated will be canceled and becoming a Delegate will be nearly automatic for those properly filing the Pre-file Form.) Please let us at the Peninsula Tea Party know when you submit your Pre-file Form. We will keep you informed as o the vetting process and results, as well as information about the Convention. All Pre-file Forms can be found at www.rpv.org
under the Calls tab, or at the following links:
  
York County Form: deadline March 21
Poquoson Form: deadline March 27
Hampton Pre-Fill Form: deadline April 8
Newport News Form: deadline April 6
  
March Events

------------------------------------------------

Our Sacred Honor 

Sun, Mar 24 @ 3pm - 5pm

 

Youth House at Denbigh Baptist Church

13010 Mitchell Point Road

Newport News, VA  23602

 

RSVP by Mar 22: Timothy & Shirley

@ TWidlacki@aol.com 

 

April Events 

------------------------------------------------

Peninsula Tea Party

General Meeting

TBD

 

------------------------------------------------

Virginia Tea Party Federation

Tea Party Vetting

Apr 26 and Apr 27

 

Mechanicsville, VA

-----------------------------------------------

Republican Party

Virginia Republican Conventon

 May 18

 

Richmond, VA

 

Questions or Recommendations

 

If you have any questions or would like to make recommendations, feel free to contact me at (757) 869-8319 or email info@peninsulateaparty.net.

 

Brian Evans

This email was sent to alexanderofyork@yorkteaparty.org by info@peninsulateaparty.net |  
Peninsula Tea Party | PO Box 14332 | Newport News | VA | 23608

PTP Wire | Peninsula Tea Party Vetting

  
Issue: # 2013 - 26
 Mar / 2013
In This Issue
Republican Pre-File Forms
March & April Events
Any Questions
Conservatives, Concerned Citizens ad Tea Party Patriots,
 
We Need Your Help!
 
The Peninsula Tea Party, the Virginia Tea Party Patriots Federation, and the Middle Resolution are conducting an in-depth vetting process in which all Virginia Lt. Governor and Attorney General Candidates have agreed to participate. This process will include in-person interviews (in which you can participate) as well as in-depth questionnaires which have already been answered by each candidate. Chris Doss of the Leadership Institute will conduct the in-person live interviews which will include the same questions for each candidate.The candidates will not have seen the questions in advance and we will score the candidates answers during the live interviews.

 

In years past, when we have had several good candidates we have split our vote among them which often resulted in the least conservative candidate receiving the nomination.We have determined that at this time the Republican Party is the party most likely to produce and elect a conservative candidate to office. This vetting and scoring process is designed to help us coalesce around a single candidate for each office and avoid the split of the conservative vote. In addition, we would like to have a show of force to convince our elected representatives that the conservative movement is active and a force to be reckoned with in their elections and in the legislation they will be introducing and voting upon. This should increase our influence on the legislation and on their votes in the future.

 

We are asking for your help in two major areas. First, we need as many conservatives as possible to sign up as Delegates to the Republican Party of Virginia Convention. Second, we need you to attend the Convention on May 18 in Richmond and vote for the most electable and conservative candidate, hopefully the one our vetting process determines to be that candidate.

 

The Peninsula Tea Party is allowed up to ten people to participate in the scoring of each candidate during the live interviews. The scoring will be done at the time of the live interviews and will take place in Mechanicsville (northeast of Richmond) on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27. (It would be best if the same person could score on both days but we can have different people on either day.) Please let us know if you would like to represent the Peninsula Tea Party and participate in the scoring process.  

 

NOTE: Please be advised that we only have 10 slots for this convention.

Republican Pre-File Forms
 
The first and most important step is to secure the Delegate Pre-file Form for your City or County, fill it out, and submit it before the deadline to your local Republican Committee as specified on the form. (In most cases the Mass Meeting indicated will be canceled and becoming a Delegate will be nearly automatic for those properly filing the Pre-file Form.) Please let us at the Peninsula Tea Party know when you submit your Pre-file Form. We will keep you informed as o the vetting process and results, as well as information about the Convention. All Pre-file Forms can be found at www.rpv.org
under the Calls tab, or at the following links:
  
York County Form: deadline March 21
Poquoson Form: deadline March 27
Hampton Pre-Fill Form: deadline April 8
Newport News Form: deadline April 6
  
March Events

------------------------------------------------

Our Sacred Honor 

Sun, Mar 24 @ 3pm - 5pm

 

Youth House at Denbigh Baptist Church

13010 Mitchell Point Road

Newport News, VA  23602

 

RSVP by Mar 22: Timothy & Shirley

@ TWidlacki@aol.com 

 

April Events 

------------------------------------------------

Peninsula Tea Party

General Meeting

TBD

 

------------------------------------------------

Virginia Tea Party Federation

Tea Party Vetting

Apr 26 and Apr 27

 

Mechanicsville, VA

-----------------------------------------------

Republican Party

Virginia Republican Conventon

 May 18

 

Richmond, VA

 

Questions or Recommendations

 

If you have any questions or would like to make recommendations, feel free to contact me at (757) 869-8319 or email info@peninsulateaparty.net.

 

Brian Evans

This email was sent to alexanderofyork@gmail.com by info@peninsulateaparty.net |  
Peninsula Tea Party | PO Box 14332 | Newport News | VA | 23608