Posted on 07/13/2010 9:43:15 AM PDT by Gopher Broke
Friends:
Governor Bob McDonnell's Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring is hosting a series of Town Hall meetings across the Commonwealth seeking citizen input on key issues of government reform.
After listening to our volunteers across the commonwealth, This past Winter, AFP published a book on the state of Virginia's budget along with our recommendations on reform.
One of our guiding pillars was that government should stop competing with private enterprise - simply put "if you can find it in the yellow pages, government shouldn't be doing it."
One of the things government should not be doing is selling liquor.
There is talk that the Governor wants to have a special session of the General Assembly to deal with one of the reforms we recommended in our book - the privatization of the Commonwealth's retail liquor stores. Like me, I'm sure you don't believe that the retail sale of alcohol is an essential function of government.
There have been many articles and columns written about what exactly does privatization mean?
What does it mean? It means private! The state should not be in the business of competing with private retailers in selling a legal product.
We need your help to get government out of the liquor business!
Please come out to one of these Town Hall meetings and tell the commission you want government to return to its core functions - and get out of the business of selling liquor. Tell them you support the complete privatization of the state's retail liquor stores.
July 13th, 5:30 to 7:00pm
Christopher Newport University Ferguson Center for the Arts Music & Theater Hall 1 University Place Newport News, Virginia
July 14th, 5:30 to 7:00pm
Augusta County Government Center Board Meeting Room 18 Government Center Lane Verona, Virginia 24482
July 15th, 5:30 to 7:00pm
Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center Grand Hall One Partnership Circle Abingdon, Virginia 24210
July 16th, 1:00pm to 2:30pm
Southside Planning District Office 200 South Mecklenburg Ave. South Hill, Virginia 23970
July 19th, 6:30 to 8:00pm
Sandler Performing Arts Center 201 Market Street Virginia Beach, Virginia 23462
Please take a moment and RSVP to Natalie Fergusson to let him know if you'll be able to attend one of these forums!
Thank you for all that you to help preserve liberty and freedom.
Sincerely,
Ben Marchi AFP-Virginia State Director
Of the five meetings, one is in Verona? Wow!
So essentially they want to take away the taxes and restrictions on alcohol. Anyone interested in researching the group holding these town halls? Just curious.
Let me know when they make it to Southampton County....=.=
Will they have free food and coffee? Otherwise, it’s a waste of time, unless you feel an urge to vent your spleen. The government isn’t going to shrink just because people are screaming.
Maybe not. But Bob McDonnell just closed a $4.2 billion budget shortfall without raising taxes. And he's only been in office for six months.
Maybe not. But Bob McDonnell just closed a $4.2 billion budget shortfall without raising taxes. And he's only been in office for six months.
WOW! Government being run like a business. Imagine that! This is a seemingly legitimate government group. Good for them! This gives me some hope yet.
Uh no, I don’t think so. My understanding (which could be wrong) is that they want the state to sell the real estate where the ABC stores are located and eliminate the state positions for the people who work in the ABC stores. That would reduce building and maintenance costs, inventory costs, insurance and personnel expense, to name a few. I have heard no scenario where liquor taxes would be eliminated or that regulations related to who may purchase would be changed.
Why would the Veterans Administration be interested in holding townhall meetings on governme . . . . . . Never Mind. My bad!!
This is why I enjoy FReeping! I’m always learning how to think different.
Never considered it from that angle, iceskater, so thank you for the correction.
This is pathetic! McDonnell ran as a Northern Virginian to get votes up here, no one can be elected statewide without close to half the NOVA vote. ... and they don’t come within 100 miles of what would be considered NoVA. Maybe the Commission isn’t aware that MOST of the VA population lives NORTH of Richmond?
And, frankly, I don’t care how well-intentioned their objectives may be. This is just stupid politics. It makes McDonnell and his commission look like cowards. Have the guts to go into NoVA.
Cool your jets. They’ve already held a Town Hall in McLean.
http://www.reform.virginia.gov/TownHalls/
And they’ve held Commission meetings in Stafford.
oh, yeah, that McLean meeting was so well publicized! I’m on nearly every last VA R email list, and never received notice, unless I was supposed to read the ‘fine print’ somewhere.
Stafford is “Northern Virginia?”
Say what you will, this commission chose its venues very carefully. And if it doesn’t look good to someone like me, imagine how it’s perceived elsewhere.
It is if you live in Richmond.
Besides, your exact words were ... and they don’t come within 100 miles of what would be considered NoVA.
Stafford is about 40 miles from Arlington.
The Washington Post, July 2
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2010/07/mcdonnells_government_reform_c.html
Mount Vernon Gazette, July 2
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=342277&paper=62&cat=104
Prison Talk (!), July 6
http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5508854
To be fair, much of the talk was probably overshadowed by all the attacks on Fred Malek. But the info was out there.
It just wasn’t posted ~here~
A job well one.
“It just wasn’t posted ~here~”
Then it doesn’t count!
My WaPo subscription was canceled c. 1982, likewise my sub to Prison Talk.
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