Friday, March 1, 2013
Tighter budgets, diminished real estate values and more...
Sequestration threatens to destabilize the Northern Virginia economy, and the effects of the across-the-board cuts to federal programs and contracts will be felt across Fairfax County. "Businesses are in business because they know how to plan for problems and deal with them. But not knowing what to plan for is devastating to them," said Dr. Gerald Gordon, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority to Patch. Localities across the Commonwealth are bracing themselves against the sequester. It seems unlikely that Congress will reach an agreement on $1.2 trillion in debt reduction by March 1, and the U.S. military will be forced to cut $46 billion and domestic defense spending will be cut by $85 billion this year …
Monday, February 11, 2013
Omar Joseph Samaha works on gun safety issues, after his sister Reema was killed in Virginia Tech tragedy.
When President Obama gives his State of the Union address Tuesday, in the audience that night will be Northern Virginian Omar Joseph Samaha, a gun violence prevention advocate and guest of Congressman Jim Moran (D-8th). Omar’s sister, Reema, was killed in the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting. Since her death, Omar has advocated for policies to reduce gun violence. Moran is a member of the House Democratic Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and recently introduced the “NRA Members’ Gun Safety Act,” (H.R. 21) that would implement five gun safety reforms that he notes polling shows are supported by at least 63 percent of NRA members. The reforms include universal background checks for gun purchases and gun shop employees, reporting lost or stolen …
Monday, December 10, 2012
President Obama wants to raise tax rates on those making $250,000 or more.
President Barack Obama hopes to raise taxes on Americans making $250,000, or approximately the upper 2 percent of incomes across the country. There are no hard and fast numbers for the Lorton area on how many people make more than $250,000, but the latest IRS data available shows that more than 900 households in Lorton's 22079 ZIP code filed tax returns showing adjusted gross incomes of more than $200,000, the highest level income category reported by the IRS. Obama's plan could raise $1.6 trillion in revenue over 10 years, partly by letting decade-old tax cuts on the country's highest earners expire at the end of the year, according to a report by the Associated Press. The president would continue Bush-era tax cuts for all except those …
Friday, November 2, 2012
GOP presidential nominee to campaign in toss-up state on eve of Election Day.
UPDATE (Sunday 5:55 p.m.): The location for the political rally with former Gov. Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee for president, has changed from the outdoor venue at George Mason University to its Patriot Center. The rally at the Patriot Center, which seats 10,000, is scheduled for the day before Election Day. Tickets are required for the free event and are available online. Romney's sons were in Fairfax County Sunday campaigning for their dad. They were accompanied by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. --- GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney will hold a rally Monday on the eve of Election Day at George Mason University in Fairfax City. Romney is statistically tied with President Obama in Virginia, according to RealClearPolitics. Doors will…
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Voters for President Barack Obama or Gov. Mitt Romney may split their ticket and not vote a straight Democrat or Republican ticket down the ballot; "split ticket voters" could affect election prospects for Senate candidates George Allen and Tim Kaine.
Driving through Northern Virginia, it's quite rare to see yards with signs revealing that a homeowner plans to vote both Republican and Democrat on Nov. 6. Even if they don't openly proclaim their split-ticket status, they're out there, according to polling. These "split ticket voters" plan to step into the polling booth on Election Day to vote for a Republican and a Democrat: Voting for President Barack Obama and Republican Senate candidate George Allen, or for Republican presidential candidate Gov. Mitt Romney and Democratic Senate candidate Tim Kaine. "It is a real possibility that Romney could win Virginia while George Allen loses," said Mark Rozell, professor of Public Policy at George Mason University. "Some polls have shown that Tim…
Sunday, October 21, 2012
New poll out Friday puts Virginia votes in 'toss-up' status with Romney ahead of Obama 50 percent to 47 percent in Virginia.
Can Bruce Springsteen help President Obama win Virginia? The popular singer will perform in a free concert Tuesday in Charlottesville on the president's behalf. He did the same for the president last week in Ohio, considered another must-win state in the election. The fight for Virginia votes is getting more intense. With Election Day two weeks from Tuesday, Virginia is becoming one of the ground-zero states in the presidential election and the candidates are pulling out all the stops in trying to win the state come Nov. 6. "I consider it one of the three crucial states," said Stuart Rothenberg, editor and publisher of the Rothenberg Political Report, a Washington-based newsletter, counting the others as Ohio and Colorado, the Richmond …
Monday, September 24, 2012
Look up your neighbor's contributions to the campaigns of President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney based on data from the Federal Elections Commission.
Virginia residents have donated more than $19.6 million directly presidential candidates this election cycle, with a lot of those donations coming from Northern Virginia. President Barack Obama has received more than $9.2 million from voters, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has received more than $8.1 million. The remainder—about $2.3 million—went to candidates no longer in the race, including Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich, and political parties. The data in the tool above is directly from the Federal Election Commission based on campaign reports through June 30, 2012. Notes on the data: This data was updated in October 2012 to reflect donations based on campaign reports through Aug. 31, 2012. The data has not been cleaned up …
Friday, September 7, 2012
Now that the Democratic and Republican delegates have officially chosen their nominees, Patch wants to know: Who are you betting on?
- ELECTIONS
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Friday, September 7, 2012
It's official: With President Barack Obama's acceptance speech in Charlotte Thursday night, both the Republicans and Democrats have formally chosen their nominees for the 2012 presidential election. Let the real race begin. A lot can change between now and Nov. 6: Gaffes, scandals or even major international news events could shift the dynamics of the campaign. The latest Gallup Polls show registered voters preferring Obama to Mitt Romney by just one percentage point, 47 percent to 46 percent. A USA Today/Gallup poll taken just before the party conventions found American voters think Obama is more likeable, but trust Romney more to handle the economy. Pundits have been busy for months handicapping the major-party candidates on various …
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Del. Surovell's take on his second day in Charlotte, N.C.
Editor's note: Virginia Del. Scott Surovell, who represents the state's 44th District, is sending Patch updates of his experiences in Charlotte, N.C. at the Democratic National Convention. The following is from Surovell. Day #2 at the Democratic National Convention was an inspiring day. As usual, we started off the day with breakfast. Our speakers for the morning included Jessie Jackson, Cong. James Clyburn, former Gov. Tim Kaine and Donna Brazile. Jessie Jackson focused on voter ID laws and attempts to disenfranchise voters. Cong. Clyburn and Brazile focused on President Obama’s successes: Saving the American auto industry, ending "Don’t Ask Don’t Tell," finding Osama Bin Laden, reforming student loans and diverting savings to Pell Grants…
Saturday, July 14, 2012
President Obama made a campaign stop Saturday at Centreville High School in Clifton.
President Obama visited Centreville High School in Fairfax County Saturday as part of a campaign swing through the state. The photos were taken at the speech, in the high school gym, as well as outside the school, where some local protesters gathered beforehand. Read more about today's visit here: President Obama Campaigns at Centreville High The CVHS Presidential Visit: What You Need to Know Obama to Speak at Centreville High School Saturday Many Wait in Line for President Obama Rally Tickets Poll: Should Obama Propose Extending Tax Cuts to All?
Martin Tillett
10:21 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
......continued from above The defeat of crack cocaine in urban America, not because of the billions of dollars spent on the war on drugs resulting only in drugs becoming cheaper and more accessible but because it became clear that smoking crack was committing suicide. Crack evolved from a sign of pleasure to one of death. The same transformation may happen with assault weapons. A week after … more ›