Six reforms for Virginia
By Brian Kirwin | Wednesday, January 19th, 2011 | ColumnsMy latest column in the Daily Press:
Read about The Do Real Work Act, The Great Wall of Funding Act, and others.
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Brian Kirwin
The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled.
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21 Responses to "Six reforms for Virginia"
It always scares me when I agree with you Brian, but nice job. I like all the reforms you wrote about.
Brent, you think you’re scared, I’m petrified.
Uh oh. Another in agreement here. Something’s definitely wrong
Great job Brian!
Brent and Vivian, You two get smarter and smarter every day
Kathy, thanks!
Nice work Brian. However
…..Delegate Morgan, on “This Week in Richmond”, noted that Virginia is one of the very few states where citizen legislators (rather than professional politicians) enact law, and then return to their communities to live and work under the laws they pass – a major reason (in Morgan’s view) why Virginia consistently rates as one of the best governed states. Hmmm – makes sense to me. If only Congress could do the same. (http://www.blueridgepbs.org/html/local/richmond/richmond_011411.html)
Jay, they still can. I’m not extending the session. I’m just expanding the pool of candidates beyond the wealthy and retired.
Brian, a good list. Del. Purkey has submitted a bill that gets killed every year in P&E to get rid of the one term governship. He also puts in a bill that would help with transportation funding that never gets to see the light of day. Maybe getting some people to help him pass these two pieces of legislation would help the Commonwealth. And, where would the Commonwealth coming up with the money to increase the salaries of the Legislators? Also, would they increase the salaries of the aides then as well?
Matt, if you think the salaries of 140 people are going to bust the 75 billion dollar budget, I’d have to disagree with you.
I know legislators have offered some of these ideas. Gaining popular support for them was a good reason to write the column, eh?
Brian, I do not think that it is going to bust the budget I am just simply asking where the money is going to come from? Currently the House of Delegates earns $17,640/year and the Senate earns $18,000/year. So what figure would you like to see them make?
And, for the pieces of legislation that Del. Purkey submits every year they have the support of former governors but it is the people within his own party that kill these bills. Maybe you can use your pull to contact some of your good friends in Richmond and personally ask them to support and help move these bills?
Brian,
Thought provoking points. I do think that if a full time salary is paid, then we’ll lose the citizen legislator. Why work a second job during the year when you make a full time salary and can do what you want the rest of the time you aren’t in session? Also, I think it would put pressure on the GA to be in session more as our society generally equates time with pay. While the logistics of being in the Richmond every winter might be hard, I don’t want us to start resembling state Govt’s like PA or CA. Instead, we could be more like the Texas legislature which only meets every other year. It’d probably be easier to get off of work for two months every other year, instead of every year.
“So what figure would you like to see them make?”
More than that. I’m not astoundingly passionate over the amount. Maybe you can suggest one.
“Maybe you can use your pull to contact some of your good friends in Richmond and personally ask them to support and help move these bills?”
I wouldn’t lobby for free.
Ryan, I specifically don’t want the sessions extended for the reasons you cite.
I don’t mind pressure and have little trouble combating it.
Brian,
Bravo! Great column. All of these are very common sense and logical.
The last point about making it possible for all to serve is my favorite. ” You have to be retired, wealthy or in a job that can wait for you to return. That leaves out mostly everyone.” is very true.
The folks concerned about the non-session time, may not know that the demands on most members time of the Gen Assembly, or for that matter City Council etc are not limited to meetings and session. The time factor is equivalent to a second job or more.
Again, excellent piece.
Article V of the Virginia Constitution reads that the executive “shall be ineligible to the same office for the term next succeeding that for which he was elected..” So, a governor can be reelected but they cannot be succeeding terms. Mills Godwin served as a Democrat from 1966-1970 and as a Republican from 1974-1978 but every governor who attempted to win reelection lost and all but one made a successful run for the Senate.
One good reason to keep it a one term bid is to keep special appointments and favoritism to a minimum..
James, I know it takes a constitutional amendment to improve this.
I’m dying to know how two governors that never have to face the voters again have higher ethics that one governor who did.
Wow. Even I agree with you on two out of four. I’m not in favor of full-time legislators and I don’t think the floor substitutes are a big problem.
Woop, make that four out six.
I don’t agree with everything there, but I like the Do Real Work Act and think the federal government could use something similar. How much money are we paying for overhead and salaries for legislators to vote on meaningless little resolutions and celebrations and whatnot?
I see your point about limiting the candidates for the legislature, but I feel like having a real citizen legislature is also quite valuable. I like Ryan Gleason’s idea. However, the candidate pool in Northern Virginia is also shrunk pretty severely by the Hatch Act, I believe.
Mr. Kirwin – Interesting to note the photo accompanying this article is from “What Matters”. Gotta ask, why would a talented guy waste time participating in “irrelevant, obsolete, waste of taxpayer dollar” programming?
Jay, thanks for spending so much time looking at my picture. Is it my hair that you like? Maybe my sly grin? It’s nice to be admired.
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