94th House Dist. candidate Gary West web chat Friday

Democratic candidate for the state's 94th House Gary West will join Daily Press state/business editor Dave Hendrickson and political reporter Todd Allen WIlson for a web chat Friday, Oct. 21 at 3:30 p.m. to discuss his candidacy with readers.

West is running against Republican candidate David Yancey.

To join the conversation go to dailypress.com or ShadPlank.com.

 

David Yancey issues jobs plan

David Yancey, Republican candidate for the state's House of Delegates District, issued a jobs plan this week saying he'll "work with Gov. McDonnell to make Virginia the most business friendly state in the country."

"As a small business owner and entrepreneur, I understand the needs of businesses to grow and create jobs. Businesses need a stable regulatory environment that encourages investment and growth," Yancey said.

Yancey's jobs plan calls for the lowering of taxes on families and businesses; expanding the governor's "business friendly" agenda; promoting affordable energy; modernizing the region's transportation network and promoting tax credits for businesses.

Yancey in running for the seat vacated at the end of August by longtime delegate Glenn Oder, R-Newport News, who left the House to take over as head of the Fort Monroe Authority. Yancey is running against Democratic candidate Gary West, a Newport News attorney.

Here is Yancey's jobs plan in it's entirety as released this week:

David Yancey's Plan for Virginia Jobs

• Lower taxes on families and businesses to help foster job creation.
• Expand on the Governor's business friendly agenda to help attract new companies to our area.
•  Promote affordable energy, including offshore exploration of oil and gas, as well as nuclear, solar and wind production.
• Modernize our transportation network, by reducing congestion on the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel and I-64, so companies can transport their goods around the country.
• Promote tax credits for business that expand and create more jobs.

94th House Dist. candidate David Yancey web chat Tuesday

Republican candidate for the state's 94th House David Yancey will join Daily Press state/business editor Dave Hendrickson and political reporter Todd Allen WIlson for a web chat Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. to discuss his candidacy with readers.

Yancey is running against Democratic candidate Gary West.

To join the conversation go to dailypress.com or ShadPlank.com.

 

Del. Robin Abbott web chat Monday

Del. Robin Abbott, D-Newport News, who is seeking reelection in the state's 93rd House District will join Daily Press state/business editor Dave Hendrickson and political reporter Todd Allen WIlson for a web chat Monday, Oct. 17 at 12:30 p.m. to discuss her candidacy with readers.

Abbot is being challenged by Republican canididate Mike Watson.

Abbott and Watson will also face off in a debate Friday sponsored by the Virginia Peninsula league of Women Voters and moderated by Daily Press Editorial Page Editor John Fredericks.

The debate takes place at 6:30 p.m. at 700 Town Center Drive, City Center at Oyster Point, Newport News.

To join the web chat go to dailypress.com or ShadPlank.com.

Quinnipiac Poll: McDonnell 'wildly popular'

Voters continue to approve of Gov. Bob McDonnell's job performance, with his popularity continuing to rise since June, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The Quinnipiac University poll of 1,459 registered voters showed McDonnell with a 62 percent job approval rating compared with 22 percent disapproving. This is up from a similar poll at the end of June where McDonnell saw a 55 percent approval rating, and a poll from last mont that gave the governor a 61 percent approval rating.

These numbers led the polling institue to conclude McDonnell "remains wildly popular with voters."

“He should be careful not to bump his head on the ceiling,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Republicans gave the governor, who heads the Republican Governors Association, the highest marks with an 87 percent approval rating, but he even does relatively well with Democrats who are evenly split with 40 percent approving and 40 percent disapproving.

Voters in the commwealth also relatively approve of the direction the state is headed in, with 10 percent saying they are "very satisfied" and 56 percent saying they are "somewhat satisfied."

“By more than 3-1, Virginians are happy with what’s going on in the state compared to the country and this optimism shows in their views of state politicians.  All statewide elected officials, and even the State Legislature, get thumbs up for their job performance,” Brown said. “In these tough times that is pretty remarkable.”

The General Assembly received a plurality of support with 47 percent approving compared with 35 percent disapproving,  which makes it the only state legislature covered by Quinnipiac University polls to recieve a positive rating. The Connecticut-based university also conducts statewide surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida and Ohio.

With the General Assembly elections fast approaching, in which the GOP is making a massive effort to regain control of the state Senate, 38 percent of voters said they favor the current split between the House of Delegates being controlled by Republicans and the Senate under Democratic control - 30 percent of respondents favor Democratic control of both chambers, and 27 percent would like to see both in Republican hands.

While voters give McDonnell high marks on his job performance, they don't approve of his idea to put tolls on I-95 by a 52 -42 percent margin. However, they would rather see tolls used for transportation projects and road repair if the other option is raising the gasoline tax 60-28 percent.

Other prominent state politicians got positive marks in the poll with Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling getting a 35-17 percent approval rating; Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli received 46-30 percent approval rating; U.S. Sen. Mark Warner came in at 61-24 percent and U.S. Senator Jim Webb has a 51-27 percent approval rating.

U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Richmond and House Majority leader did not fare as well, coming in split with a 23-24 percent approval rating.

The poll was conducted Oct. 3-9 using live interviews and has =/-2.6 percentage point margin of error.

Hampton Roads G.A. candidates to speak at forum Wednesday.

Six candidates from the Hampton Roads area for the state Senate and House of Delegates are scheduled to speak tomorrow at a candidates forum in Hampton Wednesday.

The event, sponsored by Insight Enterprises/Peninsula Center for Independent Living, a non-profit organization that provides independent living services for people with disabilities on the Peninsula, Middle Peninsula and the Northern Neck, will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 12 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at the Hampton Crown Plaza Hotel, 700 Settler's Landing Road, Hampton.

Candidates scheduled to appear include Mickey Chohany, Republican candidate in 1st Senate District; Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton and incumbent in the 2nd Senate District; Tom Harmon, Republican candidate in the 2nd Senate District; Del. Gordon Helsel, R-Poquoson and incumbent in the 91st House District; Del. Jeion Ward, D-Hampton and incumbent in the 92nd House District and Del. Mamye BaCote, D-Newport News and incumbent in the 95th House District.

Helsel and and Ward are running unopposed to retain their House seats.

 

McDonnell invites Obama to tour Louisa County

Following a denial by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for individual assistance for residents of Louisa County for damage caused by the Aug. 23 5.8 magnitude earthquake, Gov. Bob McDonnell sent a letter Tuesday to President Barack Obama inviting him to tour the county and view the damage personally when he visits Virginia next week.

McDonnell asked for the president's support in an appeal the state is filing with FEMA, saying Obama would understand the need for federal aid if he toured the area with the governor during the president's Oct.17-19 bus tour of Virginia and North Carolina to promote his jobs plan.

"I have personally visited the impacted areas of Louisa County and can tell you the damage is significant and much of it impacted the foundation of structures, meaning an in-person visit is crucial to really understanding the challenges this community faces," McDonnell wrote.

Damage estimates in the small rural community exceed $15 million dollars, McDonnell told the president.

Obama is expected to visit Newport News, Danville, Charlottesville and Fredericksburg on his bus tour next week, according to an Associated Press report from an unnamed source. The White House has yet to offer any specific details of the president's visit.

2nd Senate Dist. candidate Tom Harmon web chat Wednesday

Republican candidate for the state's 2nd Senate District Thomas Harmon IV will join Daily Press state/business editor Dave Hendrickson and political reporter Todd Allen WIlson for a web chat Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 10:30 a.m. to discuss his candidacy with readers.

Harmon is challenging 2nd District Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton.

To join the conversation at dailypress.com or ShadPlank.com.

 

Axelrod: Public supports Obama's jobs plan

Ahead of an expected vote in the Senate today on the American Jobs Act and a presidential bus tour next week through Virginia and North Carolina, where President  Barack Obama is expected to stop in Newport News, the Obama campaign released a memo from senior strategist David Axelrod saying polls show the American people support the president's jobs plan.

"Since introducing the American Jobs Act (AJA), the American people have rallied around President Obama’s call for Congress to pass this plan," Axelrod wrote in the memo released Tuesday.

The memo includes polling data which shows since Obama introduced his jobs package to Congress and made his first stop in Richmond Sept. 9 to fulfill his promise to take his message "to every corner of this country" to rally public support for the plan , that support has risen.

A Sept. 11 CNN poll showed 43 percent of people approved the plan while 35 percent disapproved, while an Oct. 5 Washington Post-ABC News poll showed 52 percent of people now approve of the bill with 36 percent disapproving.

"After three weeks of advocacy by the President, support has grown by nearly 10 percent," Axelrod wrote. 

Obama is embarking on a bus tour through Virginia and North Carolina Oct. 17-19, during which he is expected to stop in Newport News although no official confirmation has been given, to continue rallying public support for the AJA, which is stalled in Congress. Other expected stops in Virginia, as reported from an unnamed source by the Associated Press, include Danville, Charlottesville and Fredericksburg.

The Senate is expected to take a procedural vote Tuesday to attempt to end a Republican filibuster on opening debate on the president's $447 billion jobs package. But with the Democrats holding only 53 of the 100 seats in the Senate where 60 votes are necessary to end a filibuster and many moderate Democrats wavering on the plan, success in ending the filibuster is unlikely.

In the memo Axelrod seems to be targeting Democrats in Congress tepid to the jobs package, pointing out the polls show the American people trust the president more than Republicans lawmakers to create jobs. The Washington Post-ABC News Poll shows 49 percent of people trust Obama to create jobs with 34 percent favoring Republicans. The poll also shows that Independents, who are key to Obama's 2012 reelection bid, favor the president by 44 percent in this respect over Republicans with 31 percent.

Axelrod also went after Republican claims that the president's proposal to help pay for the AJA by letting the Bush era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans expire is "class warfare." The president's chief campaign strategist said the Washington Post-ABC News poll showed 75 percent of people support raising taxes on those with annual incomes over $1 million.

"And while Republicans may claim that this is class warfare, the American people are seeing right through their opposition to asking the wealthiest to do their part," Axelrod wrote.

As Axelrod concluded the memo urging lawmakers to pass the president's jobs package, he referenced polls showing Congress's dismal approval ratings.

"So as members of Congress take up the American Jobs Act this week they need to understand that their failure to focus on what matters most to Americans is why Congress’ job approval is at a historic low of 80 percent," Axelrod wrote.

 

Gary West issues jobs plan

Gary West, Democratic candidate for the state's 94th House of Delegates District, issued a jobs plan Monday saying the plan should "jump start the economy and put Virginians back to work."

“As Delegate my top priority will be putting people back to work so families can be provided for and so we can grow our economy.  While others simply spout poll tested policies, I actually have a plan to help do this” West said.

West's jobs plan asks lawmakers to direct the state and local governments to contract with Virginia companies for goods and services; provide tax credits for small businesses; provide grants and tax incentives for job creation in the bio-tech and renewable energy industries; invest in workforce development and to recruit manufacturing firms to locate in the commonwealth.

“We need to stop playing political games in Richmond, the legislature needs people who will stand up for what is right for Virginians, not what is in the best interest of their party” West said.  “Partisan bickering never created a single job.  Virginia needs bi-partisan commonsense solutions like this jobs plan, and that is what I will bring to Richmond”.

West in running for the seat vacated at the end of August by longtime delegate Glenn Oder, R-Newport News, who left the House to take over as head of the Fort Monroe Authority. West is running against Republican candidate David Yancey, a Newport News businessman. West ran against Oder in 2009 and lost.

Here is West's jobs plan in its entirety as released by his campaign staff Monday:

Gary West

Putting People Back to Work 

Putting people back to work is my top priority.  Newport News needs good paying jobs so we can provide for our families and improve our quality of life.  As Delegate I’ll,

•  Direct state and local governments to use Virginia companies first when contracting for goods and services so our tax dollars create jobs here, not in other countries like China or India.
•  Provide tax credits for small businesses that create jobs here in Newport News.
•  Provide grants and tax incentives to companies that create jobs in the bio-tech and renewable energy industries.
•  Invest in more workforce development so our workers are trained for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
• Recruit new manufacturing jobs instead of turn them away to other states.  We must change our focus from government jobs to private manufacturing and new technology jobs.