Delegate Brian Moran, the House Minority Caucus chairman whose 46th House district covers part of of Fairfax County and part of Alexandria, will be here for a live blog session on Thursday, July 13, at 3:30.
Feel free to leave any questions or comments you have for Delegate Moran here.
UPDATE: I intend to keep this post at the top of the page so that everyone has a chance to ask their questions. Keep ’em coming!
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DELEGATE BRIAN J. MORAN
Chairman, House Democratic Caucus
Vivian:
Thank you very much for inviting me to participate on your blog today. We have some real challenges and amazing opportunities here in Virginia but it’s going to take grassroots energy with ‘boots-on-the-ground’ and ‘fingers-on-the-keyboard’ to continue moving Virginia forward.
I was proud to serve in Governor Warner’s inner circle as we fought for critical investments in education, healthcare and public safety. I am now proud to stand with Governor Kaine and lead house Democrats in support of real transportation solutions. The challenges of the 21st century won’t be easy, but Virginians have shown a resilient spirit to rise up and meet those challenges – to achieve our full potential. I’m glad I get to discuss the issues with you today and hope you and your colleagues in Hampton Roads will seriously engage in the debate unfolding. As you know, I’ve spent considerable time in Hampton Roads lately because I believe strongly that Hampton Roads is ready for a change. I’ve spent considerable time engaging the community in Hampton Roads about the leadership we need to see in their delegation to the General Assembly. I’m encouraged by our progress…. But let’s talk about issues…
What are the prospects of picking up house seats in Virginia Beach, how is candidate recruitment going, and what districts in VB do you see as winnable by the Dems?
We have a terrific opportunity to pick up seats in Virginia Beach. Voters there see the failure in leadership within the House Republican Caucus and are going to support candidates who will work on the issues to benefit their constituents instead of for partisan gain. The Hampton Roads region will see the adverse effects of the House Republicans’ failure to address transportation. Voters in Hampton Roads sit in traffic each day – missing vital time with their families – and they want representatives that can work across party lines to get something done.
Things are swinging our way in Virginia Beach, Tim Kaine carried the city in 2005, and we have a terrific candidate for Congress there, Phil Kellam, who is running ahead of the Republican incumbent Thelma Drake. The Democratic Committee there is as strong as I have seen in recent years. Phil’s election is the most important factor there, it will set the tone for the Beach Democrats in 07. Go Phil!
What are your plans to fund our transportation needs? Does it involve raising taxes?
I am committed to improving our transportation system by investing in our vital infrastructure so we can ensure our economy continues to grow. We have an acute mobility crisis in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia that must be addressed. I’m proud to lead House Democrats and stand with Governor Kaine, and both Republicans & Democrats in the state Senate, in support of these investments. Residents of Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia lose nearly one work week a year stuck in traffic – that’s a tax on our economic productivity and our quality of life. It is time to eliminate this commuter tax. It’s time for a change!
Early in the Session, the House Democratic Caucus set out a six-point plan to address the transportation crisis in Virginia. You can see the plan at www.BrianMoran.com/TransporationPlan. The principles included commitments to tie land-use to transportation, avoid raiding funding from education, healthcare, public safety and natural resource protection (the general fund), continue to reform VDOT, and invest the funds needed to address our transportation crisis.
The demands on our transportation system are growing and the cost of doing nothing is far too high. Since the last major investment in transportation twenty years ago, our vehicle miles traveled have increased 79%, transit rider-ship is up 58%, and we’ve seen a 34% increase in the number of licensed drivers. Yet during that same time, the buying power of a transportation dollar has eroded by 40 cents. Every day we delay, our system falls farther behind. Now is the time to act.
Do you support the Marshall/Newman amendment?
I adamantly oppose any attempt to write discrimination into the state constitution. I was one of the first to state that on the House floor and my position remains the same today.
Even more appalling is that this amendment has very little to do with marriage – gay marriage is already outlawed in Virginia. The amendment has to do with changing our constitution and adding restrictions on rights to our state’s Bill of Rights. It is particularly worrisome that the amendment’s authors ignored the many dangerous implications of the language to single-out and attack a specific segment of Virginia’s population.
I hope Virginians will join me in voting against the Marshall/Newman amendment because, regardless of your position on gay marriage, the amendment threatens civil unions, contract rights, and numerous other basic legal rights. It would be dangerous to business, commerce and our society if contracts were voided because they were entered into by two unmarried persons. I’m proud to stand with Governor Kaine in this regard.
Do you support increasing Virginia’s minimum wage? If so, by how much? What is your opinion of the effects of the minimum wage on business?
I grew up the youngest of seven with a father and mother who emphasized work and education as the key’s to the American Dream. I took my first job at age 14 and have worked jobs ranging from construction to bar tending, surveyor to grocery bagger. I worked my way through college and law school. My family struggled when my father was laid off by a company that didn’t understand or respect his hard work and service. I know the importance of a livable wage for employees and their families. I have consistently supported a living wage for Alexandria City and I am committed to making sure they can succeed. I know that inaction isn’t the solution any longer.
Does Phil Kellam have a chance to win in November? If so, what specifically can we fellow Dems do to help him out?
Absolutely! Phil is a terrific candidate and we look forward to referring to him as Congressman Kellam. Virginia Beach is 70%+ of the vote in the 2nd congressional district and Phil Kellam has represented the Beach since 1997. He’s been an innovative commissioner of the revenue working hard to improve city government and lives of the residents of the Beach. A recent poll in the district had Phil leading Thelma Drake by 3%.
As Vivian posted on her blog, I spent the 4th of July with Governor Kaine campaigning for Phil in Virginia Beach. We spent the day at the Norfolk festival with Congressman Bobby Scott and at Fort Monroe in Hampton. We concluded the day at Mt. Trashmore with the Mayor visiting with voters. There is tremendous energy for a change in Virginia Beach and I’m confident Phil is the right guy for the job.
All I can say is get involved in their campaign. Go visit http://www.philkellam.com and sign up to help him out! Virginia Beach was strong when Congressman Owen Pickett represented it and it will be strong again.
What is your position on opening up Virginia’s coastline to off-shore drilling?
I’m opposed to drilling on Virginia’s coastline and was proud to stand with the Virginia Beach Mayor and oppose that legislation this session. At no point has the case been made that we should take such a substantial risk along our coastline. Virginia Beach is too important to Virginia’s natural resources and scenic beauty. Our natural resources are not something we inherit from our parents that we are free to squander, they are a treasure we’ve borrowed from our children and we must protect. Virginia Beach is a vital tourist attracting that brings good, high-paying jobs to Virginia. We must protect it.
Do both sides of the Legislature play a role in redistricting? What are the chances of the Dems playing a large role in redistricting? Will you continue to push for bi-partisan redistricting after the Dems have taken over control of the state government?
I’ve been a proud sponsor of changes to our redistricting system. Voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around. Hyper-partisan redistricting is anathema to our democracy and polarizes the political process. We are left with legislators that only have to cater to the most extreme interests and that doesn’t allow us to governor in what Mark Warner called the “sensible center”. I will continue to push for redistricting reform until no one will listen to me any more.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
The budget process this year was a mess. What can be done to avaoid this problem in 2008?
I learned from watching Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth, that several coastal states, including North Carolina – which should be of particular interest to us – are in the throes of either studying and/or have plans on the books to reduce greenhouse gas. These states are giving up any hope that the Federal Gov’t under the current administration which institute anything. How do we get Virginia on the ball and working towards a plan? Do we do it via improvements to Wagner’s SB262? Or via Sen. Whipple’s bill?
Anon:
Thank you very much for the question and encouragement. Virginia’s been blessed with good leadership over the years and Tim Kaine is a great example of that tradition. I’m so proud to have him in the mansion.
It’s too early to make any decisions and right now my focus is helping Tim Kaine address the priorities of the Commonwealth, particularly investing in transportation and helping candidates get ready for 2007. I’m not unware that there is no statewide Democratic officeholder other than Governor Kaine, who can’t succeed himself. I’ve been proud to lead our Democratic Caucus for the past few years and am looking forward to 2007.
Mark Warner is a long-time friend (since before either of us was in elective office), in fact he was one of the first people to encourage me to run for the House in 1995. He was one of Virginia’s finest Governors and, I believe, will make a terrific President. If he becomes President, our nation will be the better for it. If he runs for Governor again, Virginia will be the better for it. We can’t lose!
Not Brian Moran:
I join you in being embarrased when we can’t do the job we are elected to do becuase partisan leaders fail to work across the aisle and confront our biggest challenges. Virginia has a noble tradition for nearly 399 years and, recently, that reputation has been tarnished.
The easy answer is to elect more fiscally responsible Democrats in 2007. Our caucus and leadership has a proven record of being fiscally responsible and following the lead of Governor Kaine and former Governor Warner. We must put extremism and partisan ideology aside. We must focus on the kitchen table issues confronting the Commonwealth.
It’s wrong to have commuters stuck in traffic, children without health insurance, far too many lakes and waterways contaminated, and teacher salaries which haven’t reached the national average. These issues and others – like early childhood education – should be the focus of our 2008 budget debate.
Continuing to work around the state to spread this message and electing more Democratic delegates in 2007 will ensure we don’t have the embarrasment we’ve had for 3 out of the last five years.
What legislation this past session are you most proud of, and why?
Eileen,
I’ve had the benefit of seeing Al Gore’s presentation live in February of this year. It is an alarming presentation that warns of potential peril if we fail to act.
Governor Kaine, Senator Whipple, and others have begun to make progress on examining alternative energy sources. I’ve been exploring a number of altneratives ranging from solar and wind power to ethanol. We have to find the right way to protect our environment and our vital natural resources. It’s not about protecting these things for our generation, it’s for the next generation, and the one after that.
Republicans believe in “party loyalty” (from the top down to local). Do you think Democrats should also adhere to this?
JWR:
Thanks for your question. I’ve been proud of a number of things this session:
– a sexual predator bill that helps protect our children
– nearly 1/2 a billion $ of new funding for higher education, and significant raises for teacher salaries
– a new statewide coordinator for the faith communities response to natural disasters
– additional 45 state police officers in the budget
– $200 million for improving the chesapeake bay
– a back-to-school sales tax holiday to help families afford school
I’ve also worked hard for our law enforcement and first responder communities. AND, actually, today, I got word that the Virginia Sheriff’s Association has named me there 2006 legislator of the year. It’s not enough to talk tough on crime, our actions should meet our rhetoric.
Rest assured though, while we’ve made some great progress this session there are a lot of important initatives that have been stopped by the House Republican Leadership. Hopefully that will change in the comming years.
As a followup – outside of the budget fisaco, what was the most disappointing thing that happened this past session?
What are your thoughts about the House Republican leadership blocking the additions that Gov. Kaine made to the budget, particularly those concerning higher education?
Tommy:
Democrats have a very clear message of equality and opportunity. We don’t believe in an ownership society, we believe in an opportunity society. However, our party is a diverse party – a big tent. With regional diversity and diversity of opinion. That’s what makes us strong.
Loyalty is important and I value that quality, but it’s loyalty to our principles and ideas. We don’t believe in rigid loyalty to extreme stances and coercive policies that motivated Republicans to attack great Virginia leaders like Danny leBlanc and Jim Dillard this session. That type of loyalty is not the Virginia way.
JWR:
Thanks for the question. First let me tell you how great it’s been to be with you for the hour today. I have a dinner meeting which (although it’s only 10 miles away) will take me over an hour to get too. We really do have a transportation crisis in Virginia. So I’m going to have to signoff. Thank you for the great questions and thank you, Vivian, for inviting me.
The Republicans actions on Governor Kaines amendments were unconsionable. For partisan benefit, they defeated vital child care funding for 1900 kids in Fairfax County, allowed sewer to continue to flow into the James River, and cut funding for modeling & simulation at the Hampton Roads partnership. That’s exactly the type of rigid partisanship that is putting Republcians out of touch with Virginia voters.
As Chairman of the Caucus, I’m proud to travel the state and carry our Democratic message of hope and opportunity. Virginia and, I believe, America, have been best when they’ve been lead by Democrats always pushing us forward. We have great challenges ahead but we can meet them if we work together.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me at my office at any time with further questions or other groups that need to hear this message. Thanks for letting me visit with you today.
– Brian
Chairman Moran – thank you so much for coming here.
Thanks, Brian. You’re the best!
Shame he missed mine.