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Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, vagov, virginia
Taking on the Special Interests
Just like Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, Terry isn’t a product of the legislature in Richmond, and as governor, he’s going to shake things up and make the changes necessary to get our economy moving.
He’ll ban all gifts from lobbyists and completely shut down the payday lending industry. He’s refused to take any campaign contributions from companies that have received federal bailout funds, and he won’t take a penny from Dominion Power until they support his mandatory 25% renewable energy standard -- so we can create the good-paying, green jobs of the future.
On the campaign trail, Terry’s taken the lead on these issues. As governor, he’ll do what it takes to change business-as-usual in Richmond.
Learn more:
Shutting Down the Payday Lending Industry
After traveling across Virginia and seeing how predatory lenders prey on the most vulnerable in our state, Terry came out for a total ban on payday lenders in Virginia.
Now, the payday lending industry itself is attacking Terry. On the industry’s blog, Payday Pundit, they tell readers to “get involved” and fight back against Terry’s criticisms of the industry. In an article entitled, “You can tell a lot about a candidate by the enemies he makes,” Richmond-Times Dispatch reporter Jeff Schapiro dug deeper:
Terry McAuliffe, running for the Democratic nomination for governor, wants to run payday lenders out of Virginia.
Not so fast, says the high-cost, instant-loan industry.
The Community Financial Services Association, a trade group for the nation's biggest payday lenders, is using its blog, http://www.paydaypundit.org, to mobilize its troops against McAuliffe.
McAuliffe, in Richmond today for a meet-and-greet with more than 40 staffers and volunteers, hinted that lenders have offered to contribute money to his campaign, but that he's not interested.
"The audacity of these people," said McAuliffe.
McAuliffe wants to give the boot to car-title lenders, too. His beef with the fringe-credit business: That it profits at the expense of the poor and uneducated.
Payday and car-title lenders counter that they're offering a service for which there is a demand, particularly from people who can't get credit.
Virginia has been a battleground for payday lenders for several years. The lenders have been in the state since 2002-when a Democratic governor, Mark Warner, signed legislation approved by a Republican-controlled General Assembly-and this year have been hit by recession and new regulations.
They've combined to drive down the number of money stores in the state by about 20 percent. But lenders are finding a way around the latest restrictions, offering other loans that can be more lucrative because they carry higher fees.
[Richmond Times-Dispatch, 6-2-09]
Putting the Pressure on Dominion Power
Terry believes that Virginia ought to have a strategy to increase use of renewable energy. We know that we can’t continue to rely on traditional sources of energy. We should be increasing state support for the development of renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Not only will this reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but it will also create thousands of new jobs across Virginia.
But the only way we’re going to succeed in getting a larger share of our energy from renewable sources is if we can pressure the leading energy producers to go along.
Terry pledged not to take a dime in corporate or corporate PAC contributions from Dominion Power until they agree to a mandatory 25% renewable energy standard in Virginia, so we can bring green jobs and new investment to the Commonwealth. That stance has only emboldened Dominion’s resolve to defeat Terry. This week, the Washington Post reported that:
“Both Deeds and Moran received money from Dominion Virginia Power's political action committee. Deeds' $5,000 came the day after he criticized McAuliffe about his pledge to refuse campaign contributions from one of the most influential companies in the state. Moran's $10,000 came after he stated in interviews that he had taken less money his opponents.”
[The Washington Post, 6/2/09, ]
The Virginia League of Conservation Voters strongly endorsed Terry because they know that to protect Virginia’s environment, “the dynamics of government in Virginia need to change dramatically… our Board is convinced that Terry McAuliffe has the broad vision and the contacts and requisite skills to meet challenges directly.”
A Ban on Lobbyist Gifts
Terry has called for banning gifts and trips from lobbyists to legislators and executive branch officials -- because our elected officials should be accountable to the people.
In Virginia, there is no limit on the amount or types of gifts or trips that lobbyists can give to lawmakers or the executive branch. The only rule is that they must disclose gifts over a certain amount. This proposal would ban all gifts and trips from lobbyists to lawmakers and members of the executive branch.
Earlier this year, the Richmond Times-Dispatch examined some of the problems with the current system:
Official vetting of reports for accuracy is almost nonexistent. And there is little risk of punishment for rules-breakers. Lobbyists, for example, face an initial penalty of only $50 for filing late. As for lawmakers, it's up to their colleagues to mete out punishment, if any, for spotty or erroneous reports.
The resulting records -- they're available to the public through the secretary of the commonwealth and the House and Senate clerks, and online at the Virginia Public Access Project -- provide an incomplete accounting of the impact of interest-group money on elective officials. Last year, more than $20 million was spent influencing the assembly.
Disclosure standards vary from state to state, and no matter how tight the rules may be, watchdog groups worry they're ultimately insufficient to diminish the influence of gifts, trips, tickets to sports events, and other freebies. The solution, these organizations say, is a ban similar to one enacted by Congress in 2007 that prohibits lobbyists from buying even a sandwich for a member.
"Whether it's $50, $500 or $5,000, it's still a lobbyist giving a gift to a lawmaker -- and it doesn't look good," said Massie Ritsch of the Washington-based Center for Responsive Politics.
[Richmond Times-Dispatch, 3/22/09]
No Campaign Contributions From Companies Getting Federal Bailout Money
After the controversy over the AIG taxpayer funded bonuses erupted, Terry McAuliffe made a bold pledge: he promised not to take any campaign contribution from companies receiving federal bailout funds. Our tax dollars should be used to fix the economy, not fund political campaigns.
That pledge has already prompted one of Terry’s opponents to return the contributions he'd accepted from banks receiving federal bailout funds.
Bob McDonnell, on the other hand, has not refused to return the contributions he’s taken from companies receiving federal bailout funds.
Just as Terry’s stood up to special interests, he’s also shown he’ll take the fight to Bob McDonnell. Check out his petition below:
Bob McDonnell just doesn't get it. He opposed using federal stimulus money to help Virginia families in need. But he doesn't have any problems dumping your tax dollars into his campaign's bank account.
It's just shameful.
When Bob and his Republican friends rejected $125 million in federal help for Virginians who lost their jobs, his campaign had already taken thousands of dollars from companies that took federal bailout money. That's right -- your tax dollars are going from bailed out companies right into Bob McDonnell's campaign coffers.
It's time for Bob McDonnell to step up. Our tax dollars should be used to fix the economy, not fund political campaigns.
Tell Bob McDonnell to return the contributions from companies that received federal bailout money.
When the news broke about the millions of taxpayer-funded bonuses going to AIG executives, Bob McDonnell's own campaign said they "should offend every taxpayer." I agree.
But it is every bit as offensive for companies like Citigroup - which participated in some of the worst excess that triggered this financial crisis - to use the money they're getting from the federal government to make contributions to political candidates. And Bob McDonnell's taken the cash with open arms.
For his campaign to go around lecturing about the sanctity of taxpayer money -- while at the same time using it to fund its own political operation - is the height of hypocrisy. And I've had enough of it.
Tell Bob McDonnell to return any contributions he's received from companies that were bailed out by the federal government -- and to pledge not to take their money for the rest of the campaign.
Thanks,
Terry
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, vagov, virginia
The latest news
We've got just 4 days to go, and things couldn't be moving quicker. Wednesday night, Politico teamed up with ABC News, Google and YouTube to broadcast a joint-candidate forum on statewide television. We released a new response ad this week, there's been a flurry of new polling, and we're gearing up for the final Get-Out-the-Vote push.
It All Comes Down to GOTV
The Washington Post said it best: "Figuring out which ones will come to the polls and how to reach them could, more than any other factor, determine the victor on election day." That's why we've invested in one of the most sophisticated field operations that a Virginia political race has ever seen. But our ability to put our plan into action depends on you.
We've got 14 offices spread all across the Commonwealth -- and we urgently need your help to make them overflow with volunteers.
For months we've worked to bring new voters into the process and re-engage all those folks who first got involved with President Obama's historic campaign last November. In short, we've identified our voters. But we've got to the hit the phones, knock the doors, and realize the potential to make our voices heard on Election Day.
The best thing you can do is come down to one of our offices, but there are other opportunities to help out - even from your home. So don't waste a minute. Terry's autographed an additional 100 rally signs for the first people to come in and donate their time. If you haven't already signed up to volunteer, please do so immediately.
Click Here to Sign Up to Volunteer.
Candidate Forum
Wednesday night, voters across the Commonwealth tuned in to see a joint-candidate forum sponsored by YouTube, Politico, Google and ABC. And as with all of the joint-appearances, Terry once again demonstrated why he's the candidate with the focus, discipline, and resolve to bring good-paying jobs to the Commonwealth of Virginia.
I've been in Virginia politics for an awfully long time, and one thing I've learned is that governing is prioritizing. There's no time to be all things to all people. You need to know what you want to do, and have a plan to get it done. That's exactly what Terry brings to the table.
No moment from the forum was more telling than when James from Arlington asked the three candidates the one thing they'd like to be remembered for after serving as governor for four years. We've posted that clip on our website, and I wanted to share it with you.
Endorsements
This morning, Terry is receiving the endorsement of Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana. As a popular two-term Governor, Governor Schweitzer knows that Terry has the right experience to get Virginia's economy moving again.
Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post wrote that the endorsement "sends a message that not only does Schweitzer think McAuliffe will win next Tuesday 's primary (otherwise, why fly in from Montana to stand with a potential loser) but also that McAuliffe represents the best chance for Democrats to keep the seat in the fall election."
Polls
A few weeks back, the National Journal's Amy Walter hit the nail on the head when she wrote that, "Any public polling on this race should be taken with a very big grain of salt. After all, no one has any idea just how 'likely' these 'likely voters' will be." But since so many of you have written in asking about one poll or another, I want to make sure you're all aware of the large disparity in the polls that are out there. They're all over the map, but Terry McAuliffe is the only candidate with a lead outside the margin of error in any of the various polls that have been released.
On Tuesday, Public Policy Polling showed the race was a dead heat.
Wednesday, Survey USA gave Terry a significant, 6-point lead over Creigh Deeds, and a 9-point lead over Brian Moran.
The truth is that the only poll that matters is the one this upcoming Tuesday. That's why we're focusing on two things - getting out the vote, and making our closing arguments for why Terry's the candidate best equipped to create jobs and grow Virginia's economy.
New Ads
For weeks, our opponents have hurled personal attacks at Terry in the mail, and on radio and TV. So as we come down the home stretch, we've got a dual focus for our paid media strategy. We released a new response ad that's airing in the Norfolk and Richmond media markets designed to counter the attacks we've seen. And in our final spot, Terry makes his closing argument for why we need big ideas to shake things up in Richmond.
Thanks so much for all that you've done. But we still need your help to fund our media and GOTV efforts so we can keep these ads up all the way to the end.
Click Here to Make a Contribution and Keep Our Ads on the Air.
Full steam ahead until Tuesday!
Mike Henry
Campaign Manager
P.S. Terry is holding a primary election night celebration at The Westin Arlington Gateway at 801 N. Glebe Road. If you're in the area, stop by at 7:15pm and celebrate with Terry!
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, vagov, virginia
McAuliffe Consoles, Campaigns at GM Plant
June 3rd, 2009
The Washington Post
Rosalind Helderman
From the annals of smart campaigning... Terry McAuliffe made a stop this afternoon at the GM plant in Fredericksburg that the company announced Monday it is shuttering as part of its bankruptcy filing.
Not a bad move for the candidate who has made job creation the centerpiece of his run for the governor's mansion. McAuliffe took a tour of the plant, which is scheduled to close in 2010, as a guest of local UAW leaders and Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors Chairman Henry "Hap" Connors Jr, whose endorsed his campaign.
Melvin Carter, the local union political coordinator, said he'd welcome any of the candidates--he said he's invited everyone "all the way up to the White House" to visit the plant--but only McAuliffe had so far reached out to make it happen. The plant once employed 300--now only 68 people work at the mostly quiet factory that manufacturers torque converter clutch plants.
"It's good to know he's interested," Carter said. "You know what they always say, contact your congressman or senator. Well..."
McAuliffe spent more than an hour at the plant, safety goggles on his face, ear plugs in his ears, bright orange vest over his shirt, eagerly examining the massive machinery on the factory floor and talking to workers who run it. Cocking his head to listen over the noise of the machines, he occasionally pulled out a notebooks and jotted down notes.
Many of the workers at the plant have been working for GM for decades. Some are eligible to retire, but others are just a few years shy.
"If you work somewhere for 25 years and then it closes up on you, it feels pretty bad," said worker James Holsworth.
After his tour, McAuliffe addressed a small group of workers at an afternoon team meeting in a break room off the factory floor. He told the group he would bring new alternative energy jobs to Virginia that would replace the jobs lost at the GM plant and other factory closings.
"All I can tell you is that if I get in as governor, I promise you I'll create some jobs. I'll give you some opportunities--I promise you. I've done it my whole live," he said. "My heart goes out to everyone. I'm sorry this had to happen to you."
The workers questioned McAuliffe about education and health care. Then, one woman asked the key question: "Do you have a General Motors car?"
"Two," McAuliffe answered, his first words that broad broad smiles to pretty gloomy faces.
"Three," piped up an aide, reminding McAuliffe of his Escalade.
"I have three, excuse me," he said. "I've had one since 1990, but I bought two hybrids. You bet. Two new ones."
Brian Moran, meanwhile, spent the day on a series of campaign stops through the outer suburbs of Northern Virginia, including greeting voters at the VRE train station in Fredericksburg and touring a community health center in Prince William. At the health center, he met with board members and learned how federal stimulus money saved the center from having to close its doors.
Creigh Deeds, meanwhile, will be throwing out the first pitch tonight at the Norfolk Tides minor league baseball game at Harbor Park in Norfolk.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, gm, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, vagov, virginia
"One"
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Profile of Terry on WAMU
WAMU ran this story on Terry's grassroots campaign and bold ideas to get Virginia's economy moving again.
You can also download the story here.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, radio, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, vagov, wamu
Governor hopeful: Jobs best fix for Va.
June 1st, 2009
Northern Virginia Daily
Garren Shipley
Opponents may call Terry McAuliffe many things, but "inconsistent" and "lethargic" aren't among them.
The former Democratic National Committee chairman turned gubernatorial candidate made the rounds of Virginia this past week, hammering on the same theme he's been on since December.
Jobs, jobs, jobs.
McAuliffe, a latecomer to the race, has focused on economic issues since he began his "listening tour" last year.
McAuliffe faces former Del. Brian Moran, D-Alexandria, and state Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath County, in an open June 9 Democratic primary.
Job creation is the best possible fix for most of Richmond's significant ills, including the state's road system, McAuliffe said in an interview.
"I want to focus on job creation because we need money for transportation and education," he said.
President Clinton's former uber-fundraiser has a long list of things he wants to accomplish in the Executive Mansion.
"I have a lot of big plans," he said, including higher spending on K-12 education and more money for pre-kindergarten programs.
McAuliffe would also allow any individual or business to buy their way into the state's low-income health benefits program, FAMIS.
He also wants to spend more on transportation to be sure the state can draw down matching federal transportation dollars.
Paying for it all will be a challenge, though.
"First and foremost, we've got a horrible economy. We just found out we've got to cut another $250 million" from the state budget due to faltering tax receipts, he said.
"I don't believe in raising taxes in a down economy," he said. That means the state has to grow its tax receipts, he said.
McAuliffe said he thinks that, given the right tools, he can talk those jobs into Virginia.
"The House of Delegates has not given the governor any new tools, any economic incentives," he said.
Other states have set up funds and bonding authority for governors to use to lure jobs into their states.
"I'll spend money to make money any day of the week," he said.
Virginia also needs to "green up" its energy policies to encourage growth.
"We're one of the few states that doesn't offer any sort of tax incentive for people to put solar panels on their roof," he said. "Tennessee just announced a billion-dollar investment for a company to begin producing crystals for solar panels."
Requiring utilities to get a fixed percentage of their power from things like solar or wind turbines would encourage job growth, he said.
Putting Democrats in control of the legislature in November would make it much easier to accomplish his goals, he said.
Even if Republicans maintain control of the House, they will still be willing to work with McAuliffe to create jobs, he said.
"That's not a Democrat or a Republican issue," he said. "Maybe I'm nuts, but I don't think they're all going to vote against that."
Tags: 2009, economic, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, vagov, virginia
Shoot for the Moon
This clip is from the Washington Post/NewsChannel8 Virginia Democratic Primary Debate.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, vagov, virginia
The Final Debate
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, vagov, virginia
Stepped Up
In 1985, Terry McAuliffe helped found the Federal City National Bank, a small community bank that was designed to serve the Washington, DC area. Terry said he got into the banking business because he wanted to "do what a bank is supposed to do. Work for the depositors." Federal City opened a year later.
At the beginning, the bank struggled to turn a profit. While the bank's assets grew, in its first year the bank lost $513,000; the next, it lost $471,000.
In 1988, Terry was elected the chairman of the bank, making him one of the youngest people ever to be elected chairman of a federally chartered bank. His goal was "to make Federal City National Bank one of the nation's most innovative, aggressive and fiscally sound financial institutions."
As chairman, Terry took immediate steps to turn the bank around. He replaced the president and added four new directors. By the end of 1989, Federal City National Bank reported its first annual profit of $280,000. The president of the bank, Clyde Smith, said more stringent loan requirements and better workouts of nonperforming loans spurred the turnaround.
Federal City's turnaround was remarkable in another sense: the Washington, DC-area was overbanked and the cost of doing business in the District was a lot higher than doing business in the suburbs. Large banks were overtaking the smaller banks. Yet during this time, Federal City was able to establish itself. A headline in October 1990 read "Federal City profits buck banking trends." A month later, the Washington Business Journal noted "Federal City National Bank is currently one of the most profitable institutions in the District." Indeed, Federal City had the second highest return on average assets of any bank in the District of Columbia. One bank analyst noted, "It's incredible the way these guys have turned this bank around."
By 1991, the Savings and Loan crisis was in full swing. The economy was in recession. Federal regulators were forcing banks to increase their capital and write down loans and even seized some banks. All 11 DC-area banks that started in the 1980s were facing trouble. One investment source noted, "With the number of banks out there looking to raise capital, coupled with the problems in the industry and the regulatory environment they have to operate under--they'll just never do it. There are just too many better ways to invest your money." In spite of this climate, Federal City National Bank did not close. Rather, it was able to merge with a larger bank and stay in operation.
Terry McAuliffe's leadership at Federal City National Bank is a good example of what type of governor he will be. He took over the bank at a time when it was struggling. His vision and ability to bring new people and new ideas helped turn the bank around. And he did not quit when times were tough. He stayed and saw the bank successfully merge. That bank is still around today.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, vagov, virginia
Rivals Take Aim at McAuliffe in Final Primary Debate
May 19th, 2009
The Washington Post
Anita Kumar
Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls R. Creigh Deeds and Brian Moran sought to isolate Terry McAuliffe in the final debate among the three primary candidates today by repeatedly and vigorously attacking him on his credibility.
Deeds and Moran accused McAuliffe of promising too much to too many, charged that he exaggerated claims about his business record and suggested he had hidden the truth about his campaign donations.
"These are the divisive politics of destruction that people are sick and tired of," McAuliffe said. "We need a healthy discussion on the issues," he added, defending his record and calling the charges untrue.
With three weeks to the June 9 primary, the final debate mirrored the closing themes of the primary campaign -- with most of the attention continuing to focus on McAuliffe's outsider bid to become the Democratic standard-bearer in the general election campaign against Republican Robert F. McDonnell.
Hundreds came out to watch the three Democrats at Northern Virginia Community College's Annandale campus, as each sought to stamp a final impression in a race where polls show the majority of voters remain undecided.
With the three finding accord on most major issues, the campaign has turned into a referendum on style -- and most notably, on what McAuliffe described as his shoot-for-the-moon approach. Deeds and Moran, both longtime state legislators, have struggled for months to take attention away from the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee whose national connections and outsized personality have led to more money and more media exposure.
Deeds accused him of over promising to build a high school gym in Martinsville, pay off teachers' mortgages, car and student loans, use his Hollywood connection to make Virginia the new film capital of the world and reform Medicaid.
"Those are just some of the things you said in public,'' Deeds said. "I don't know what you said in private."
Moran questioned McAuliffe's record of creating jobs, accusing him of exaggerating the number he has created.
"So tell me, Terry, how is this a positive, credible campaign, and how can Virginia voters trust you will care about their jobs and create any new jobs?"
McAuliffe brushed off the attacks as gutter politics, and said he was proud to set ambitious goals for the state.
"You shoot for the moon," he said. "John Kennedy didn't say we were taking a rocket halfway to the moon. He said all the way."
The hour-long debate, hosted by The Washington Post and News Channel 8, was available online and will be televised tonight on News Channel 8. Washington Post reporter Chris Cillizza and News Channel 8 anchor Bruce DePuyt asked questions, some submitted by Washington Post readers.
McAuliffe, Deeds and Moran are running to replace Timothy M. Kaine, a Democrat who is barred from running for a second term, in a closely watched race that could help determine whether Virginia will continue to turn blue. This year's Democratic primary is the party's first contested gubernatorial nomination battle in more than two decades.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
McAuliffe Receives Celebrity Endorsement
May 13th, 2009
Connection Newspapers
Julia O'Donoghue
While political opponents criticize Terry McAuliffe for accepting political donations from wealthy Californians, the Virginia gubernatorial candidate appears to be running toward, not away from, his West Coast connections.
Hip-hop artist will.i.am took an overnight plane from Los Angeles to Dulles International Airport to spend the day campaigning with McAuliffe in Virginia May 11.
The celebrity tour included an evening event at the Clarendon Ballroom in Arlington County, where those willing to donate $20 to the McAuliffe campaign could see will.i.am perform in front of a small crowd. People willing to give $500 got the opportunity to meet the music producer at a VIP reception before the short concert.
Best known as the front man for The Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am produced "Boom Boom Pow," currently the most popular song in the United States, according to www.billboard.com. He also appears in the new movie "X Men Origins: Wolverine," a box office success.
"I could be doing a lot of things with my time. … I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe in this guy," said will.i.am about McAuliffe.
McAuliffe is vying for the Democratic nomination for governor and faces two opponents, former Alexandria Del. Brian Moran and Charlottesville area state Sen. Creigh Deeds, in a primary June 9. The candidate is the former chair of the Democratic National Committee as well as a friend and political advisor to former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
AT BEST, will.i.am has only tangential connections to Virginia.
The performer might have visited Virginia when The Black Eyed Peas played more college shows, he said. will.i.am is also paying for a student from Delaware to attend college at Hampton University, located in Virginia.
"I am here supporting the next governor of Virginia because my heart says so. I wish he was going to be in California but he is not," said will.i.am about McAuliffe.
The will.i.am event may not have done a whole lot to prove that McAuliffe has deep roots in Virginia, something that McAuliffe, a McLean resident of nearly 20 years, insists is true.
But the artist’s endorsement caught the attention of people who would not normally pay attention to the Democratic gubernatorial primary.
Eugenia White, a Fairfax County employee, hadn’t been paying attention to Virginia’s gubernatorial race at all. She receives daily email updates from the McAuliffe campaign, but she never signed up for them. She thinks she only receives them because she was a volunteer for President Barack Obama’s campaign.
Still, the will.i.am appearance caught her eye and White decided that, for $20, she would attend the event. She also read up on McAuliffe and liked what she learned about the candidate. Now, she is trying to convince her friends to support him in the upcoming election.
"I will do what I can to promote him," said White.
McAULIFFE’S RELATIONSHIP with will.i.am is more than attention grabbing. It’s an example of the candidate’s moxy.
The Black Eyed Peas first caught McAuliffe’s eye when he was watching the group’s performance at the Grammy awards in 2004 on television. At the end of the song, will.i.am urged more young people to participate in the upcoming presidential election, where George W. Bush faced U.S. Sen John Kerry (D-Mass.)
Within a few days, McAuliffe, then chair of the Democratic National Committee, called will.i.am and asked to meet up at the organization’s headquarters in Washington D.C. Shortly thereafter, will.i.am started campaigning for Kerry around the country.
"In 2004, there was not another artist who did more than will.i.am," said McAuliffe.
The performer stayed active in politics, campaigning for Obama during the 2008 presidential election. He was also a headliner for the Obama inauguration concert on the National Mall in January.
AND WHILE McAuliffe may accept support from wealthy celebrities in California, the candidate made it clear he isn’t interested in taking money from Dominion Power’s political action committee, even though the utility company is the largest statewide donor to Virginia’s political campaigns.
"I have said I won’t take a check from Dominion Power," said McAuliffe, who is in favor of wind power and other forms of renewable energy he said Dominion has not been supportive of developing.
The ban does not extend to individual contributions from retired Dominion executives or current Dominion employees that do not come through the political action committee.
According to the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonpartisan group that tracks campaign donations, Dominion executives and employees have contributed, both through its political action committee and not, approximately $5.16 million to Virginia political campaigns since 1996.
The company is an equal opportunity contributor. It gave about 40 percent of those donations to Democrats and 50 percent to Republicans over the years. Nearly all members of the Northern Virginia delegation to the General Assembly have take money from Dominion.
Since 1996, Bob McDonnell — the Republican gubernatorial nominee who also served as a delegate and attorney general — has received $180,717 from Dominion Power. Moran has taken $46,800 and Deeds has received $57,200, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
League of Conservation Voters backs McAuliffe
The Virginia League of Conservation Voters today endorsed former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe in the Democratic primary for governor on June 9.
Board Chairman John Jaske of Rapidan said that while state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds of Bath County and former Del Brian J. Moran of Alexandria have championed environmental causes in Virginia, "we believe that Mr. McAuliffe possesses the necessary qualities to lead as governor of Virginia on conservation and environmental issues so critical at this time."
League executive director Lisa Guthrie said the "dynamics of government in Virginia need to change dramatically" and said the board is "convinced that Terry McAuliffe has the broad vision and the contacts and requisite skills to meet challenges directly."
The league identified McAuliffe's priorities as promoting land preservation, protecting the Chesapeake Bay and investing in renewable energy with the proposal of building a wind farm off Virginia's coast.
"McAuliffe has a clear and complete understanding of the interconnections between land use, transportation, and energy generation and transmission" Guthrie said.
The endorsement by the 3,000 member, nonpartisan environmental group comes as a blow to Moran, the only Democratic candidate to state full opposition to a proposed coal-generated electric plant in Surry County.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
Green group endorses McAuliffe in Va. race
May 6th, 2009
Associated Press
Bob Lewis
RICHMOND, Va. - Terry McAuliffe got the endorsement of a national environmental advocacy group in Virginia's three-man Democratic gubernatorial primary.
The League of Conservation Voters endorsed the former Democratic National Committee chairman Wednesday even though his rival, Brian Moran, is more outspoken against new coal-fired power plants.
Moran is the only candidate who flatly opposes a proposed coal-fired plant in the Tidewater community of Surry. McAuliffe and Creigh (Cree) Deeds say they need to see more research.
Moran also opposes offshore drilling for oil or gas, while McAuliffe says he supports drilling for gas alone.
In a release announcing the endorsement, the League tipped its hat to McAuliffe's call for sinking wind-driven turbines that generate electricity off the Virginia coast.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
The record to create jobs
Terry has a long, successful career as an entrepreneur with 13 years experience running large organizations. This morning the Washington Post examined some of the work Terry's done -- creating thousands of jobs and turning around struggling institutions. I want to make sure you've had a chance to read it.
When Terry sees opportunities, he finds ways to make them happen. He started his first business when he was just 14 years old, paving driveways so he could pay for college. At age 30, he was elected one of the youngest people to ever serve as Chairman of a federally chartered bank, which had fallen on some hard times. Terry came in, replaced the leadership team, brought in new capital, and turned things around. At a time when the federal government has had to rescue so many banks that couldn't sustain themselves, we've got a candidate who saved one from failure.
The only way we are going to fix our economic crisis and create jobs is with big bold ideas and outside-the-box thinking. And that is exactly the kind of leadership Terry will bring to the governor's office.
In his private business ventures, Terry's jumpstarted companies and structured deals that were mutually beneficial to the parties involved. As governor, we can count on him to use that same go-get-'em attitude to bring jobs to the Commonwealth. The fact that Terry knows so many business leaders personally will only enhance his ability to sell companies on the benefits of locating their operations in Virginia.
Throughout this campaign, Terry's stayed positive, and remained focused on the issues. At town halls across the Commonwealth, he's answered every tough question that's been asked of him. No one has been more accountable to Virginians about his record and agenda than Terry McAuliffe. He wouldn't have it any other way.
We only have 36 more days to communicate Terry's message of economic opportunity across Virginia. You've been there every step of the way, and we're counting on your help until the very end.
Tags: 2009, business, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
Bob McDonnell and Republicans "Too Busy" to Explain Rejecting $125 Million for Unemployed Virginians
Bob McDonnell and Virginia Republicans turned their backs on Virginia families and Virginia’s economy.
They refused $125 million in federal economic recovery funds that would go directly to the families who need it most by providing unemployment assistance.
With communities facing record unemployment, it is an unconscionable ideological attack on Virginians who have lost their jobs.
Tell Bob McDonnell to help Virginia families and Virginia’s economy.
Lowell said over at BlueVA:
So, they weren't too busy to reject $125 million for struggling, unemployed Virginians; they're just too busy to talk about their outrageous votes? Niiiiiice.
Tags: 2009, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
Too far
Today, one of our Democratic opponents took their attacks against Terry too far. Virginia Democrats have worked too long and too hard to stand by and watch the divisiveness that's plagued the Republicans start poisoning our Party just when we've had great success.
Everyone knows that Terry McAuliffe supported Hillary Clinton in the primaries. But the day after she got out of the race, he hit the road fighting for Barack Obama. Terry spent the last 30 years of his life volunteering to advance Democratic causes; he even built from scratch the voter file that that helped Barack Obama win in Virginia. And to insinuate that he is a traitor to our Party is beyond nonsense -- it is a Karl Rove-style attack.
I've always said that this primary was going to get rough, but in all the years I've worked in Virginia politics, I've never seen another Democrat use the kind of smear tactics that are being used against Terry for taking a bipartisan approach to politics - just like Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Jim Webb and Barack Obama.
Click Here to Get the Facts about the Attacks Against Terry.
Terry's the most positive person I've ever come across, and we've made it clear from day one that this campaign isn't going to attack other Democrats. Republican nominee Bob McDonnell is the one who's fought Governors Warner and Kaine's agenda to move Virginia forward over the last seven years, so we're saving our criticism for him.
But you better believe that we're going to set the record straight when our opponents start flinging mud Terry's way. That's why today, I want to share with you a portion of our website where you can get the information you need to fight back against misleading attacks and spread the truth. We're counting on you.
Click Here to Get the Facts about the Attacks Against Terry.
We cannot let these petty political games get in the way of the real issues facing our Commonwealth. That's why Terry's taken a different approach in this campaign.
Just yesterday the Richmond Times Dispatch wrote that "McAuliffe invites other contenders to focus on issues of genuine substance rather than petty personal attacks and cheap, zinger-of-the-day point-scoring." The newspaper said that "his substantive pitches have raised expectations and pointed the way toward a different, more high-toned campaign."
This campaign starts with you. And we're counting on your help to spread the truth so that we can focus on urgent economic problems staring us in the face.
Click Here to Get the Facts about the Attacks Against Terry.
The bottom line is that stakes are way too high for Democrats to be tearing each other down. Sustained job creation, health insurance for our families, and progress in public education all depend on continued forward-thinking Democratic leadership in the governor's office.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, mike henry, positive, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
Great Expectations
March 25th, 2009
Editorial
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe is not only raising the volume of the gubernatorial contest. He is also raising the bar.
McAuliffe is rolling out a series of position papers on energy and business that go well beyond the typical two-page brochure full of bromides. This is not to say they eschew bromides; they include plenty. But they include more than mere bromides. In this day and age, that's commendable.
It's also risky. Staking out policy details invites scrutiny and a demand for more. How, for instance, does McAuliffe plan to "improve the efficiency of home natural gas furnaces"? How will his emphasis on fostering innovative technology avoid redundancy in state efforts? (Virginia already has a Center for Innovative Technology, for instance.) How would his attempt to streamline the regulatory permitting process differ from similar attempts in the past?
McAuliffe's latest proposal calls for a pilot program in which the state would help businesses defray the cost of their federal payroll taxes. That looks a lot like former Gov. Jim Glimore's car-tax relief, which uses state funds to offset local revenue lost by rolling back the personal-property tax. Some state Democrats have long criticized car-tax relief as little more than a tax-revenue shell game.
Yet by inviting such questions, McAuliffe invites other contenders to focus on issues of genuine substance rather than petty personal attacks and cheap, zinger-of-the-day point-scoring. A well-known aphorism (or perhaps a bromide) contends that small minds discuss people, average minds discuss events, and great minds discuss ideas. Petty personal attacks and cheap zingers will appear with more frequency as November approaches. But if it is too much to call McAuliffe a great mind, then at least his substantive pitches have raised expectations and pointed the way toward a different, more high-toned campaign.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, editorial, governor, ideas, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
McAuliffe reveals plan to revive jobs
March 24th, 2009
Garren Shipley
The Northern Virginia Daily
With Virginia's economy shedding jobs and unemployment rising, the campaigns of the three Democratic gubernatorial candidates are finding a common, familiar refrain.
As Bill Clinton's lead political strategist, James Carville, famously said during the 1992 presidential race, "It's the economy, stupid."
Unemployment in the Old Dominion rose to 6.4 percent in January after seeing rates as low as 3 percent in 2006, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. Manufacturing wages and hours worked also fell.
All four gubernatorial candidates have pushed the economy to the forefront of their campaigns, as they slug it out in advance of the June primary for the Democrats' spot on the November ballot.
The winner will face former Republican Attorney General Bob McDonnell.
Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe rolled out the second part of his campaign's "Business Plan for Virginia" on Monday, emphasizing help for Virginia's small businesses and areas of high unemployment.
Under his plan, businesses that create jobs in high unemployment areas would get help from Richmond in paying their federal tax bills -- a refund of the higher federal payroll taxes levied for employees in Virginia.
But there are caveats.
"These jobs will have to offer benefits, such as health insurance, and will have to be in high-growth industries, like energy," McAuliffe said.
Former Del. Brian Moran, D-Alexandria, picked up the theme last week, introducing his vision of a retooled state government to protect taxpayers.
In addition to streamlined procurement procedures for state purchases, all programs would face a sunset review panel, which would review every program in state government once every 10 years.
Programs that aren't needed would be discontinued.
Other states have found significant cost savings by creating review commissions. Texas saved $37 for every $1 it spent on its panel, according to Moran's campaign.
Economic issues are also the top priority for Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath County, the third Democratic entrant in the race.
Bringing jobs back to the commonwealth means re-tooling the state's community college system to retrain workers, the campaign says in a statement.
"Every Virginian is within an hour's drive of a community college -- creating the perfect infrastructure to train or retrain workers for new jobs," Deeds' campaign said.
"North Carolina is using its community college system to take laid off $15,000 per year textile workers and training them to be $40 to $50 per hour pharmaceutical manufacturing workers," Deeds' campaign said.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
McAuliffe emphasizes revitalization
March 24th, 2009
John Crane
The Danville Register & Bee
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe unveiled the second chapter of his statewide business plan Monday at the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research.
He emphasized the need for tax incentives for industries to deliver high-paying jobs to economically depressed Southside Virginia, as well as strengthening existing small businesses.
“I will not be satisfied until every part of Virginia sees economic growth,” McAuliffe said.
The first chapter of his plan was revealed about two weeks ago and focused on renewable energy. The second part stresses revitalizing the economy and creating good jobs in Virginia.
McAuliffe said he would make sure his plan is tailored to different regions’ respective needs.
“My No. 1 job as governor will be to create and attract good jobs,” McAuliffe said.
McAuliffe pointed to the Southside region’s high unemployment rates, with the city of Danville at 16.8 percent and the city of Martinsville at 18 percent.
To alleviate joblessness, the candidate said he would establish a pilot program to award tax incentives to employers who bring high-wage jobs to the area.
For example, if a company employs more Virginia workers, or pays them higher wages, the commonwealth will pay the extra payroll taxes the federal government imposes compared to the previous year, McAuliffe said. Those jobs must be in high-growth industries, such as energy, and offer benefits, he said.
“I want to create jobs in the industries of the future,” McAuliffe said.
Part of that plan is to offer grants to communities to help them purchase large tracts of land for mega-park projects offering at least 1,000 jobs, he said, pledging to focus on incentives like financial assistance, infrastructure development grants and tax credits.
Small businesses are the backbone of this state, McAuliffe said, noting almost half of the state’s work force is employed by small businesses.
“We need to help small businesses to start up and to flourish in Virginia,” he said.
McAuliffe said he would expand small business incubators that provide resources to them like office space, supplies, advice for startups and help accessing capital. He said he would create more types of assistance for startups and allow startups in high-growth industries to defer their taxes for several years.
The former chairman of the Democratic National Committee also pledged to form an advisory committee to keep him abreast of up-and-coming economic issues unique to each region in the state.
During an interview after the presentation, McAuliffe, who was stumping in Danville the same day as Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell, would not comment on the issue of uranium mining.
Virginia Uranium Inc. seeks to mine and mill a 119-million-pound uranium ore deposit at Coles Hill about six miles northeast of Chatham. The Virginia Coal & Energy Commission’s Uranium Mining Subcommittee is overseeing a study to determine whether uranium can be mined and milled safely in the state.
“Let’s wait to see the results of the study,” McAuliffe said.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
McAuliffe would use tax incentives to attract new jobs
March 24th, 2009
Michael Sluss
The Roanoke Times
New tax breaks and more generous incentives can help Virginia create and keep jobs and boost economies in struggling areas of the state, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe said Monday.
McAuliffe said that Virginia should offer new and more generous incentives to compete with other states for major employers, particularly in emerging industries such as renewable energy. He announced his proposals during a visit to Danville, part of a region struggling with high unemployment rates.
"The smartest strategies for sustained economic growth do not focus on creating or retaining just any business or job to Virginia," McAuliffe said. "Instead, we need to go out and attract those sustainable industries that will grow in the future, that will pay good wages, that will include good benefits."
McAuliffe, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is battling state Sen. Creigh Deeds and former state Del. Brian Moran for the party's nomination, which will be decided in a June 9 primary. Former attorney general Bob McDonnell is the presumptive Republican nominee and will begin a formal campaign kickoff tour Saturday.
McAuliffe's announcement Monday covered the second element of his emerging "business plan" for the state.
He proposed a pilot tax credit program to lure high-growth industries with generous wages and benefits to areas with high unemployment rates. Under his proposal, the state would refund any increase in federal payroll taxes paid by a company that employs more Virginia workers or increases their wages. But the state would benefit, he said.
"The good news about a program like this [is] you're not doing this unless new jobs are being created," McAuliffe said in a conference call with reporters. "So I'm going to have someone new paying state taxes and new revenue for us."
McAuliffe also called for an additional $10 million in the Governor's Opportunity Fund, a discretionary "deal-closing" fund that provides grants for infrastructure and site improvements for new and expanding businesses. And he proposed creating regional site planning grants that local governments could use for planning of sites suitable for major business prospects.
McAuliffe's plan also includes steps to boost access to capital for new and expanding businesses, such as creation of a $10 million revolving fund that could be used for direct investments in "homegrown businesses" with significant growth potential. Similar steps have been taken in other states, he said.
In a conference call, McAuliffe batted away questions about the prospects of uranium mining in Pittsylvania County, saying he will await completion of a study before taking a position on the issue.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
McAuliffe unveils new business plan
March 23rd, 2009
WAVY.com
Joined by community members in Danville, gubernatorial Terry McAuliffe today unveiled the second chapter of his Business Plan for Virginia, which is focused on growing Virginia's economy. Discussing his decades of experience building and turning around businesses, McAuliffe pledged that creating jobs would be his top priority in the Governor's office.
"As I've been saying wherever I go across Virginia, there's no such thing as a Republican job or a Democratic job - we simply need to bring people together to create good jobs, and that's what I've been doing my whole life," McAuliffe said. "My Business Plan for Virginia is really a jobs plan - my number one priority as Governor will be to create, attract, and keep good jobs with good wages and benefits for every Virginia family."
McAuliffe said that we must use incentives and tax credits to produce long-term growth in high-wage, high-value jobs. He pledged to target incentives like financial assistance, infrastructure development grants, tax credits and exemptions, and customized training and technical support programs to focus on the industries we know will produce strong businesses and good jobs.
To create jobs in hard-hit areas, McAuliffe pledged to establish a pilot project to award key tax incentives to create good jobs with benefits in high-need areas. This tax incentive would reward businesses for creating the good jobs we want in Virginia - by refunding to businesses each year the increase in federal payroll tax they pay over the previous year for employees in Virginia. That means that if a company employs more Virginia workers - or pays them higher wages - the Commonwealth will pay the extra taxes the federal government imposes. These jobs will have to offer benefits, such as health insurance, and will have to be in high-growth industries, like energy.
"As a businessman, I understand the challenges facing our communities today," McAuliffe said. "While we need to bring in industries that can create thousands of good jobs, we also need to help small businesses start and flourish here in Virginia. Nearly half of Virginia's workforce is employed at small businesses, so when our small businesses are successful, so are our families and communities."
Small businesses are the backbone of Virginia's economy, yet countless small and family-owned businesses are being lost each day in Virginia as the recession and the credit crunch continue. McAuliffe pledged to encourage entrepreneurs by expanding small business incubators, which provide resources such as office space and supplies, advice to start up businesses from established incubator managers, and help accessing capital.
Additionally, McAuliffe said he would propose deferring the taxable income of qualified startup businesses that allow start-ups in high-growth fields defer their taxes at the outset. These businesses would still have to pay their taxes, but they would be able to defer payment for a few years during the period they most need the money to finance job growth. McAuliffe also outlined his strategy for building regional economies.
"My business plan recognizes that different parts of Virginia have different needs," McAuliffe said. "Our economy is composed of a number of regional economies that vary significantly in their strengths, weaknesses, and needs. Today, Virginia has a statewide economic plan and a rural economic plan, but no true regional strategies. My administration will fill that critical gap."
McAuliffe pledged to involve business leaders and experts on the economic growth sectors that the state would be targeting while also ensuring broad participation through public meetings. To ensure economic growth in every corner of Virginia, McAuliffe said that he would direct all agencies in state government to promote regional efforts and, where appropriate, give preference to multi-jurisdictional proposals with a regional impact for state funding. He also outlined a plan to create a Governor's Regional Economic Advisory Committee to advise him on new and emerging economic issues unique to each part of the Commonwealth, in coordination with existing regional economic development organizations. He pledged to personally chair this Committee and hold regular meetings throughout the state with members to discuss each area's unique economic opportunities and challenges.
"I want to make one point emphatically clear," McAuliffe said. "I will not be satisfied unless every part of our state achieves its economic potential."
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
McAuliffe talks jobs in Southside Va. swing
March 24th, 2009
Jeff Schapiro
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Terry McAuliffe, a candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor, is in Southside Virginia today, talking about bringing jobs to the economically hard-hit region.
McAuliffe traveled to Danville this morning to roll out the latest component of what he calls a "Business Plan for Virginia." It includes tax incentives to lure big industry as well as assistance for small business.
Danville's jobless rate in 16.8 percent. In nearby Martinsville, unemployment is 18 percent. In Henry County, it's 13 percent.
McAuliffe, a New York-born investor-businessman with close ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton, is proposing a pilot program under which firms that create jobs in ailing areas would get help from the state paying their federal payroll taxes.
Under his plan, if that business hires more workers or increases their wages, the state would pay the additional taxes imposed on the company by Washington.
As for small businesses and start-ups, McAuliffe envisions more so-called incubators. Typically, they are clusters of new firms that operate from the same office, sharing equipment, storage space and some employees, such as receptionists.
McAuliffe, a former national Democratic chairman who lives in McLean, is one of three prospects for his party's gubernatorial nomination. It will be decided in a June 9 primary.
McAuliffe is opposed by state Sen. Creigh Deeds of Bath County and former Del. Brian Moran of Alexandria.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
Chapter Two of My Business Plan for Virginia: Jobs
I've spent a lot of time traveling the Commonwealth, listening to Virginians tell me what's on their minds. And one thing I’ve noticed is that the people who are dealing with challenges day to day often have the best ideas about how to overcome them. Too often we see the same old policies come from the top-down. But not all good ideas come out of Richmond. They come from all corners of the Commonwealth.
That’s why I’ve spent the past several weeks asking you – online, and at economic roundtables all over Virginia – what would you do if you were governor?
Today. I’m unveiling the first chapter of my Business Plan to get Virginia’s economy moving, and I’ve incorporated a lot of great ideas that I heard from you.
I’m running for governor because I believe we need to think bigger. Instead of just focusing on how to get through the next month, the next year, or the next election, we need to think more imaginatively about how to make our Commonwealth run better. And instead of compartmentalizing our thinking – developing separate plans for “jobs,” “schools,” “health” or “the environment” – we need a coherent and comprehensive business plan for the Commonwealth that approaches all these issues as inter-related.
That’s what my plan does. Even though I’m releasing it one chapter at a time, my Business Plan was developed as a whole, and it recognizes that these issues and strategies all must work together to add value and create jobs in our state.
The second chapter of my Business Plan for Virginia is focused on the single most important thing we have to do to get our economy moving again -- we have to create jobs. My plan will provide incentives and tax credits to produce long-term growth in high-wage, high-value jobs with benefits in the parts of the state that need them most. I understand that not all parts of the Commonwealth are the same – and each region needs a targeted approach. That is why my plan will create competitive regional site planning grants that local governments could use to prepare for potential “mega projects” that create 1000 or more jobs. And as governor, I will continue efforts to bring renewable-energy and green businesses to Virginia and make sure we are growing not just any business, but the right businesses in the Commonwealth.
As a businessman, I understand that entrepreneurs need help so they can create good jobs. In addition to bringing in new, large industries that can create thousands of jobs, my plan will help small, women-, and minority-owned businesses start and flourish in Virginia. And I know that startup businesses need help the most to finance job growth – and that is why I propose deferring the taxable income of qualified businesses for a few years as well as providing facilities and office equipment as these firms get underway. And, my plan encourages the development and expansion of entrepreneurship programs at our institutions of higher education –particularly at our Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Click Here to Read Chapter Two.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
McAuliffe's Campaign Junk-et
March 20th, 2009 Washington Post Dana MilbankThere is really no cleaning up the fact that Terry McAuliffe practices trash politics.
Campaign with him for a few hours and you feel as if you need to take a shower. In fact, the dirty little secret can now be told: McAuliffe, venture capitalist and Clinton moneyman, is the junkyard dog of the Virginia gubernatorial race.
"I love trash," he said yesterday. "I love chicken litter, cow manure, garbage. . . . This is the kind of thing that gets me excited."
And if his opponents were to accuse him of dirty tricks?
"They would probably be right," he admitted with a grin.
McAuliffe said these words -- shouted them, actually -- while standing on a steel grate overlooking a huge trash pit yesterday in Lorton. Claws dangling from cranes grabbed mounds of refuse. Dust flew everywhere. The pit was dark. The smell was bad.
"This is as good as it gets," McAuliffe said. "How exciting is this?" Nodding, grinning, he shouted above the mechanical groans: "Look at those claws!"
Actually, the place was a dump. And that's how McAuliffe likes it. Not since Oscar the Grouch has a creature so enjoyed his trash.
How do you turn a fast-talking, hard-partying Democratic Party apparatchik from New York who lives in McLean into a Virginia commoner? Evidently, you get him involved in solid waste. McAuliffe's campaign for governor is based in no small part on garbage.
The Macker has always comported himself with the boundless enthusiasm of a Bernese mountain dog: as entrepreneur, fundraiser, Democratic National Committee chairman and Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign manager, who, on the night his candidate effectively lost the party's nomination, introduced her as "the next president of the United States."
Now McAuliffe, who speaks almost entirely in exclamation points, is applying that same zeal to being a man of the people. As part of his campaign, he has spent a day working as a busboy and a bartender. He plans to labor on a ship. "I've been an African American barber," the Irish candidate reported to his hosts at the landfill in Lorton yesterday. "You know, about three Saturdays ago, there was a grass fire out here," he told the workers at the waste plant. "You know who was on the firetruck to put it out? I was! I was a fireman that day. . . . I got those hoses out so fast, you would not have a plant today if I had not been on that truck. Saved your plant. Probably saved Northern Virginia."
Something McAuliffe is doing must be working. Thanks in large part to his personal wealth and his fundraising network, he is considered a good bet to win the Democratic gubernatorial primary in June.
Before the candidate arrived yesterday at the Covanta Energy facility, a project with Fairfax County that turns solid waste into energy, a procession of garbage trucks made its way around the hills of decomposing trash. A Chevy Tahoe hybrid pulled up and McAuliffe hopped out, holding a 7-Eleven coffee cup -- no more effete Starbucks lattes for this man of the people. He had traded in his pinstripes and wingtips for hiking boots, khakis and a V-neck sweater. Greeted by Covanta officials, he started his trash-talking immediately. "Chicken waste, trash, I love it all," he said. "Can't get enough of it."
He introduced his assistant: "He's living the dream every day. Chicken waste last week, landfill today." He introduced Peter O'Keefe, "our senior policy adviser on, uh -- waste! Behind me, he's the one who gets second most excited about waste. Right, Petey?"
"There's Terry and then a two-mile drop-off when it comes to level of excitement," O'Keefe answered.
A PowerPoint presentation was given for the candidate, who nodded vigorously, scribbled notes and interrupted continually. "Totally unrelated, but I spoke to the Boilermakers this morning," he declared. "We've got to build boilers in Virginia." He further volunteered his view that "we've got to be educating students that this is a field to go into. I wouldn't call it garbage. Spice it up a bit. Look what I've done for chicken waste in this state!"
"Okay," said the man giving the presentation. "We're running a little behind."
The officials showed McAuliffe a model of the plant and its byproducts: pit, furnace, flue gas, lime slurry, fly ash, drop house, scrubber. He reacted with "interesting" and "gotcha" and "wow" and "yup" and "hmm" and "huh." The candidate was ready for his tour. "Wow, look at this," he marveled at the slurry tower. Moving on to the pit, he watched the claws lift and drop the trash to compress it. "That was a fluff," he reported. The guide pointed out that, because of all the questions, the tour was running late. "We want to see it all," McAuliffe insisted. "Don't hold back!"
On to the furnaces, then. "Twenty-two hundred degrees!" McAuliffe shouted to his entourage. "Wow! That baby is at 2,200? Wow!"
On the elevator ride to the plant's control room, somebody asked McAuliffe whether he preferred the Lorton plant or his earlier trip to a chicken waste facility. "All of it," the candidate replied judiciously, before coming clean and acknowledging that chicken waste "was my first date."
After a close-up examination of the trash unloading operation, the millionaire fundraiser climbed onto a garbage truck to chat with prospective voters. Terry McAuliffe was in his element.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, fairfax, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, straw poll, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
Nonsense
The executives at AIG just don't get it.
I supported this administration's plan to inject capital into the marketplace, but like the President, I believe that there needs to be accountability. We need to stabilize the economy and help struggling homeowners, not reward failed corporate management.
The executives who brought insurance giant AIG to the brink of failure are set to receive about $165 million in bonuses - and they don't mind if taxpayers are footing the bill.
As someone who helped save a bank from failure, I can't describe how disgusting this is. It's rewarding failure. And I need your help to stop this nonsense.
I'm happy to see that President Obama is doing everything in his power to make sure the government holds these people accountable. But they also need to hold themselves accountable. Corporate irresponsibility extends only as far as individuals who are willing to act unethically.
Yesterday, AIG's Chief Executive said he'd asked the recipients of the most excessive compensation packages to give half of their bonuses back -- and some already have. But that's not good enough. These people helped create the crisis we are in now. They don't deserve a dime.
As someone who's built businesses, I'm proud that our Commonwealth's been consistently rated the best state in the nation to do business. And if you're a CEO who's providing value to your shareholders, there shouldn't be any limits to what you can earn.
But in this economy, we all need to do our part.
First, I won't accept any corporate or corporate PAC campaign contributions from any companies receiving federal bailout money.
Second, as your governor, I'm going to donate my salary to build a gymnasium for a school that needs one. And I'll call on CEOs across Virginia to make similar commitments to help out their communities in need.
Giving hundreds of millions in bonuses to people who have run their company into the ground while countless Americans watch their jobs, homes and savings slip away is not only fundamentally unfair, it also creates an incentive structure that is just bad for business.
So please, help restore corporate responsibility and join my call to action today.
Tell AIG Executives to Reject their Bonuses.
Tags: 2009, aig, bonuses, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
The Driving Force
Because of you, we scored a big victory at Gerry Connolly's St. Patrick's Day Straw Poll this week. With the first contested Democratic gubernatorial primary fight in decades and all three candidates speaking, the stakes couldn't have been higher.
By the end of the night, the Washington Post reported that Terry "overwhelmingly won" and observed that, "McAuliffe outshined his rivals in both organization and spirit at the event." Dr. Bob Holsworth, one of Virginia's preeminent political pundits, noted that we brought new people into the process in order to win the straw poll - and that's what this campaign is all about. In addition to praising our mobilization efforts, Holsworth noted that, "McAuliffe and his campaign exult and excel in the 'theatre of politics,' more so than any Democrat since Doug Wilder."
Tuesday was a powerful testament to the strength of our grassroots support and a nice boost for our campaign. The National Journal noted that, "Connolly's event could be a key early indicator of who the faithful believe might win the day come June."
The press also picked up on our use of new technology to get our message out, observing that we
handed green carnations to supporters [Tuesday] night and urged them to hold onto the flowers until notified via text how to proceed. At 8:26 p.m., before the final count was announced, a message crossed phones and Blackberries gripped by the faithful:
"Please give your carnation to a Moran or Deeds supporter and tell them that come November, we all need to keep Virginia blue together."
[National Journal, 3-18-09]
At the end of day, we must work together to elect our nominee the 71st Governor of Virginia. As Democrats, beating Bob McDonnell has to be our focus and goal. The stakes are too high for us to be divided.
There are only 82 days until Election Day on June 9th. The polls will be open from 6 AM to 7 PM. Remember, you are the driving force behind this campaign. Thanks so much for all your help on Tuesday. Let's keep it up.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, governor, grassroots, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, straw poll, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
Terry McAuliffe's Boundless BTUs
March 19th, 2009 Hotline Jennifer SkalkaThere's something strangely familiar about watching former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe look longingly into the bowels of a massive waste treatment facility packed with thousands of tons of trash.
The admiration in his eyes for the large steel jaws that tossed around the items like winnable amusement park stuffed animals residing in the bottom of a small glass box. The sheer excitement as he gazed into the incinerator, which flamed a bright orange, burning the goods until they're ready to be shot out over the grid. As if every element of the processing facility at Covanta Energy's resource recovery complex in Lorton, Va., required his cheer.
"This is your future," McAuliffe, wearing a hard hat and goggles, bellowed into the abyss of stinking detritus below. "This is as good as it gets."
McAuliffe, you're possibly thinking, knows a thing or two about pushing party trash. He was, after all, First Friend to President Clinton, to whom he served as advocate-in-chief during the Monica Lewinsky impeachment scandal, among other sagas. He stood by Bill and Hillary Clinton through wins and losses, but he has launched his first bid for office. He wants to be governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
And hey, turning waste into energy, isn't that every politician's aim?
Some say he is bored. Others suggest he is looking for a new challenge. A vehicle for his boundless BTUs.
Waste, rather renewable energy, is a focus of his campaign for governor. Today, if it would help the state power more homes, one surmises McAuliffe would have happily been dubbed the 'King of Trash.'
"I love all waste, we need to do all of it," said McAuliffe, who likes to reminisce of late about his visits to Virginia chicken farms. Chicken waste is a pet project. The state produces 500,000 tons a year, he'll say to anyone who will listen, enough to light up 40,000 homes.
McAuliffe, a Syracuse native who has lived in McLean for 17 years, is - and those who know the former party fundraiser extraordinaire will confirm - a hyperkinetic bundle. He is vying with two other Democrats for the state's top job, and if he wins the primary, he would face a formidable Republican, former state attorney general Bob McDonnell.
So he's pouring everything he knows about being the man behind the candidate into being the one he's selling. And questions spilled out of him today without pause.
When by a Covanta official that the company has facilities in 16 states and 8 counties and is headquartered in New Jersey, McAuliffe interrupted -
"And you're open to moving those to Virginia?"
When did Covanta start?
What did it start as?
When did it go public?
What makes the company want to move to a state?
As McAuliffe talked, he even stumbled into a campaign slogan with potential:
"New energy for new jobs," he said, with a finger point for emphasis.
But when McAuliffe asked if the company is working with local community colleges to train students for jobs in the industry, the McAuliffe of old - the able spinner - emerged. McAuliffe, who started as a 20-something raising cash for President Carter's re-elect and became one of the most well-known Democratic fundraisers in modern politics, just couldn't help himself. The pitch itself is second nature.
"Garbage isn't exactly the most sexy job," said the Covanta employee who heads up external affairs.
"Well, we wouldn't call it garbage," McAuliffe advised. "We'd spice it up a little bit."
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, fairfax, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, straw poll, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
Waste to Power, Landfills Are Bright Spot in Virginia Gubernatorial Candidate's Energy Plan
March 19th, 2009 News Channel 8LORTON, Va. - Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe unveiled his environmental plan, at a northern Virginia landfill, to highlight the importance of renewable resources in the commonwealth.
The former DNC chair said if elected to be Virginia's next governor, he plans to transform landfills into producers of inexpensive power. He took a tour of Covanta Energy in Lorton, which produces enough electricity to power 90,000 homes. It's a model McAuliffe hopes to replicate throughout the commonwealth.
In just days, nearly 15,000 tons of trash, mostly from Fairfax County, was collected at Covanta's energy-from-waste facility. "The Covanta facility takes in between 3 and 5,000 tons a day of municipal solid waste after recycling and we process on average, 3,000 to 3,400 tons a day of municipal waste," said Glenn.
Unlike a landfill, the plant turns waste into electricity and cuts down on the emission of harmful gases. "We generate about 85 megawatts worth of power on a net bases enough energy for about 90,000 homes in the area," said Glenn.
McAuliffe wants to expand the alternative-energy resource throughout Virginia. "An opportunity like this to come see a facility that is a win, win win, for the environment, for the local communities, to get more open space, to get more trucks off the road and the bottom line is create more energy," said McAuliffe.
Just two months into his campaign, Virginia's energy policy continues to be a priority for McAuliffe. "The first thing I would like to get done is a mandatory renewable energy standard here in Virginia," the candidate said.
So far, only 28 states have the energy-from-waste program. McAuliffe says the commonwealth is well positioned to be a leader in renewable energy technology.
"We have the oceans. We have mountains. We can build a wind farm off the coast of Virginia Beach, the size of Virginia Beach. We can light up 200,000 homes," McAuliffe said. He says with new projects, new jobs are likely to follow.
Covanta's vice president says energy-from-waste systems are reliable. Unlike other renewable resource technology, Covanta operates around the clock.
McAuliffe hopes to have a waste-to-energy facility at every landfill in Virginia within the next decade.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, fairfax, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, straw poll, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
St. Paddy's Day in Fairfax: Endorsements and Straw Polls
March 18th, 2009 Virginia Tomorrow Bob HolsworthIn the morning, it was Brian Moran.
Picking up more local endorsements, obtaining support from the majority of Democrats who sit on the FairfaxCounty Board of Supervisors and the Fairfax School Board. It’s a list that grows every day, including some of the most prominent names in NOVA, Hampton Roads and Richmond.
But the nighttime was the right time for Terry McAuliffe.
He easily won the straw poll at Gerry Connolly’s annual St. Paddy’s Day bash, beating Moran almost 2-1 with 58% to 30% and Deeds trailing both at 12%.
Can we make anything of this?
It seems to me that yesterday reflected the strengths and perhaps the challenges that face both the Moran and the McAuliffe campaigns.
Moran has done a fine job over the past two months enlisting the official support of local Democratic officials in a number of the major metropolitan areas that will produce the majority of voters in the June primary. And Creigh Deeds for his part has also picked up some excellent local endorsements, including a few in Fairfax.
But endorsements only take you so far.
Given the likely financial disparity he’ll face against McAuliffe, Moran willl need far more than names on letterhead. The local officials who support Moran will have to work for him with a capital W. They’ll have to contact the voters that supported them, convince them that the choice is important and mobilize them in June to get to the polls.
Moran was endorsed yesterday by eight members of the House of Delegates and a total of eight members of the Board of Supervisors and the School Board. If each of the Moran Sixteen had brought just thirty people to the straw poll, he would have won.
McAuliffe’s performance at the straw poll illustrated the organizational skill of his campaign. They have resources and know how to use them, in this instance arranging for donors to pay for 400 tickets for his supporters.
McAuliffe and his campaign exult and excel in the “theatre of politics,” more so than any Democrat since Doug Wilder.
But will McAuliffe’s skill at event organizing translate into mobilizing grass-roots voters in the June primary?
Put it this way.
In order to win the straw poll, McAuliffe had to bring out particpants who might not usually attend Connolly’s bash.
In order to win the primary, McAuliffe may have to bring out participants who may not usually vote in a low-turnout election dominated by party insiders and activists.
I have no doubt that Mike Henry, who helped Tim Kaine develop his successful strategy of mobilizing “federal” Democrats in a gubernatorial campaign, is scouring the list of presidential primary voters and thinking of ways to re-engage them this spring around McAuliffe.
And I heard yesterday from the McAuliffe camp that it will open up to 8 local offices around the state.
In the straw poll last night, McAuliffe overcame a significant disadvantage in support from local officials to win the majority of attendees.
The question, I think, is whether he can repeat the feat in a statewide primary.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, fairfax, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, straw poll, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
McAuliffe Wins Fairfax Straw Poll
March 17th, 2009 Washington Post Amy GardnerFormer DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe overwhelmingly won an informal straw poll in Fairfax County tonight against his two Democratic rivals for governor, Brian Moran and Creigh Deeds.
At a jam-packed St. Patrick's Day party hosted by U.S. Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), McAuliffe earned 58 percent of votes, Moran took 30 percent and Deeds earned 12 percent. Connolly told the crowd of about 1,400 that a total of 934 ballots were cast.
If nothing else, the vote sprinkled a healthy pinch of fish food into Virginia's political aquarium. McAuliffe outshined his rivals in both organization and spirit at the event, arranging for donors to purchase 400 tickets for his guests, staffing the party with 60 paid campaign workers and prompting the loudest cheers when he spoke to the crowd.
Guests supporting the other candidates grumbled that McAuliffe's campaign had bought the straw poll; they also noted the number of Maryland and District license plates in the banquet hall's overflowing parking lot.
McAuliffe spokeswoman Elisabeth Smith countered that campaign records could document that more than 95 percent of those invited by McAuliffe were residents of Northern Virginia. She also noted that some campaign staffers have out-of-state plates but didn't vote in the straw poll.
"We're thrilled with the turnout that we saw from our grassroots volunteers," Smith said. "It's going to be critical in November that we have a strong grassroots organization."
Connolly said the financial benefit to his campaign coffers would be marginal given the low ticket price ($40) and high cost of the party. He also said that all three candidates worked hard to draw out supporters, and that McAuliffe won not merely because of money but also organization.
Connolly noted that straw poll results at his annual St. Patrick's Day event have predicted several high profile primary contests in recent years, including U.S. Sen. Jim Webb's defeat of Harris Miller in 2006 and Leslie Byrne's victory over Chap Petersen in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor in 2005.
"The purpose of this is to drive members of the Democratic family together and to generate early interest in the primary," Connolly said. "Clearly we did that."
Connolly's poll also asked guests to vote for one of four candidates for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, and the results were as follows: 48 percent for Jody Wagner, 28 percent for Michael Signer, 12 percent for Pat Edmonson and 12 percent for Jon Bowerbank.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, fairfax, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, straw poll, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
Democratic Leaders Across Virginia Continue to Line Up Behind Terry McAuliffe for Governor
Today, Terry McAuliffe's Campaign for Governor released the names of additional Virginia Democratic leaders who have endorsed his candidacy. Following the announcement of McAuliffe's "Business Plan for Virginia," these leaders cited McAuliffe's decades of creating jobs and turning businesses around and emphasized that he had the best experience and boldest ideas to get Virginia's economy back on track.
"To address the economic challenges facing Virginia, Democrats in the House of Delegates will need a strong and experienced leader in the Governor's office," Democratic House Caucus Chair Ken Plum said. "Terry has the business and executive experience to carry on the Warner-Kaine tradition of leadership and create jobs in every corner of the Commonwealth. I know that he will be a strong partner with legislative Democrats in enacting the bold changes we need to fix our transportation system, improve public education, and get our economy back on track."
"This election is critical for the future of Virginia," Delegate Algie Howell said. "We need someone in the Governor's office who can work with people from every community across the Commonwealth. Terry has a track record of bringing people together to get things done, and that's what we need."
"Terry comes to this race with a unique set of skills that will help him to break the deadlock in Richmond," Delegate Frank Hall said. "He will be able to work with the legislature to achieve real results."
"There is no bigger issue facing Virginia right now than the economy," Norfolk City Councilman W. Randy Wright said. "Terry is the only candidate with the experience to create jobs and get Virginia's economy back on track. His leadership on keeping all of the carriers in Norfolk, which will save thousands of jobs in our area, and on making Virginia a national leader in renewable energy, is exactly what we need from our next Governor."
A full list of the leaders endorsing today follows:
Ken Plum - Delegate and House Caucus Chair, 36th District
Frank Hall - Delegate, 69th District
Algie Howell - Delegate, 90th District
Anthony Burfoot - Vice Mayor, Norfolk City
Hap Connors - Chairman, Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors
Andrea McGimsey - Loudon County Board of Supervisors
Randy Williams - Commissioner of Revenue, Russell County
Reginald Harrison - Surry County Board of Supervisors
Cliff Hayes - Chesapeake City Council
W. Randy Wright - Norfolk City Council
Charles B Whitehurst - Portsmouth City Council
Charles Parr - Suffolk City Council
Tina Vick - Newport News City Council>br>
Court Rosen - Roanoke City Council
Peter Farrell - Manassas Park City Council
Effie Ashe - Former Chair, Newport News School Board
Everette "Teddy" Hicks - Newport News School Board
Fred Hudson - Chair, 5th Congressional District Democratic Party
Steven Banner - Chair, Russell County Democratic Party
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, endorsements, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
FOX 5 Interview with Terry McAuliffe
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economy, fox 5, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
McAuliffe Unveils Business Plan for Virginia, Highlights Need for Comprehensive Energy Plan to Turn Economy Around
After holding eight economic roundtables with business and community leaders across Virginia, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe today unveiled the first portion of his "Business Plan for Virginia", which outlines his comprehensive and long-term plan for Virginia's energy future. The plan includes ideas gathered from people around the Commonwealth, which McAuliffe heard during the roundtables and from people writing in to his website. McAuliffe's plan will build a green economy in Virginia by making the commonwealth a destination for clean energy businesses and researchers, investing in efficiency and in clean, renewable sources of energy, and committing resources to training Virginia's workforce for the clean tech economy.
"My plan will make Virginia a national leader in renewable energy and create thousands of green jobs," McAuliffe said. "I'm taking the same approach to figuring out how to get our economy going again that I've taken with businesses I've started or turned around - I'm starting with a business plan for Virginia. Today, I'm unveiling the first chapter of my plan, which focuses on thinking differently about energy because one of the biggest challenges we face is how to meet a growing demand for energy in a way that is sustainable and environmentally responsible. And that means that some of the most promising areas for growing our economy are in the renewable energy field."
McAuliffe's plan will create a better market for renewable energy and prove to companies that Virginia is serious about this industry, by setting a mandatory Renewable Portfolio Standard of 25% by 2025. He also pledged to create incentives for collective sustainable development improvement in communities and improved energy related tax credits to encourage businesses to purchase renewable energy equipment, such as solar panels.
The plan also establishes a Digestor Gas-to-Electricity Rebate, offering a $500/kW capacity incentive for new digestor gas systems that produce energy that will be used on-site. These systems can be used to convert animal waste into energy. McAuliffe pledged to work with Virginia farmers, leading renewable energy companies, and other interested energy, environmental, and agricultural stakeholders to explore ways to develop waste-to-energy projects throughout the Commonwealth, consistent with the highest environmental standards.
McAuliffe also pledged to site, develop, and build at least one large wind project offshore. At least 20% of the Commonwealth's energy needs could be met by harboring winds along Virginia's coastal areas, which are ideal for wind development because of their long-sustained winds, relatively shallow waters, and low probability of hurricanes. In addition, McAuliffe plans to use VIrginia's existing manufacturing capability to build wind turbine components and take advantage of our port to transport components up and down the East Coast.
"Here in Virginia we already have the resources to develop a thriving renewable energy sector, whether it's the wind of our coast or the hundreds of thousands of tons of agricultural waste we produce every year," McAuliffe said. "Virginia's next governor must look to creative solutions to increase our renewable energy production, provide incentives to develop new technologies, and encourage businesses and families to adopt clean and efficient energy sources."
In addition to developing these new energy sources, McAuliffe emphasized that the most cost-efficient method to increase energy independence would be improving Virginia's energy efficiency. By requiring utilities to invest in cost-effective energy efficiency first before pursuing new energy generation, establishing a $100 mllion Energy Independence Revolving Loan Fund to retrofit homes with more energy efficient equipment, and taking steps to reduce state government's carbon footprint, McAuliffe said that we could begin to reduce the amount of energy used in our homes and buildings and lower energy costs for Virginia families.
"One of the most overlooked ways to address the increasing demand for energy while also creating good jobs is to pursue efficiency measures," McAuliffe said. "By cutting the growth in energy consumption, utilities will not have to invest millions of dollars in new power plants and transmission lines - costs that ultimately are passed on to consumers for decades."
McAuliffe also discussed the importance of developing a highly skilled workforce that would be ready to work in the new, clean energy industries.
"Making sure our workers are trained for jobs in alternative and renewable energy jobs is key to our ability to transform our energy consumption and improve our economic outlook," McAuliffe said. "To make Virginia the center of these future growth industries, we must ensure that Virginia has the best-trained workforce in the country for these industries and the skills they demand."
Tags: 2009, business plan, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, renewable energy, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov
Weekly Blog Roundup 3/9/09
Welcome to the second installment of the McAuliffe for Governor weekly blog roundup. This past week, bloggers talked about the fight against offshore oil drilling in Virginia, a blogger dinner held at our campaign headquarters, and Terry’s interesting encounters along the campaign trail.
Last week, Terry hosted a handful of local and national bloggers at our campaign headquarters to talk about running a grassroots campaign. Chris Guy at Fred2Blue took away some positive observations from the meeting.
One person in attendance pointed out that a lot of candidates for office make a big deal about courting the netroots during the campaign, but once they get elected your emails don’t get returned the way they used to. Terry promised that, if elected Governor, he’ll try and make these get-togethers a regular occurrence. Considering how much he likes talking to people, I tend to believe him… so far McAuliffe has the best campaign, hands down.
At Article XI, Lowell posted a video from the blogger meeting, which features Terry talking about energy and the environment.
At Left of the Hill, Bryan wrote about the Democratic candidates disagreeing with Bob McDonnell’s push for oil drilling off Virginia's coast.
He tried to act as though he was the one trying to spur job creation, but the Democratic candidates saw right through the move as a political stunt… Terry McAuliffe also recognized that McDonnell was trying to score some political points with the Sarah Palin wing of the Republican Party and claimed that "we must focus more on bipartisanship and less on ideology."
On DailyKos, Arjun Jaikumar aka brownsox wrote about Terry’s visit to Rockingham County to talk to farmers and scientists about new sources of renewable energy. Arjun also noted the ‘hazards’ that come with getting hassled by people on the campaign trail.
McAuliffe ended up taking a picture with Myron and his family…with the anti-Terry sign proudly featured, at McAuliffe's own insistence. He even gave him a signed copy of his book… It's doubtful that this episode swayed any primary voters, but it's nice to see candidates - and activists - who don't take themselves too seriously and can have a laugh with the other guys on occasion.
Tags: 2009, blog roundup, bob mcdonnell, brownsox, chris guy, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, left of the hill, lowell, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
Rush Limbaugh
At a time when we desperately need to come together as a nation, Rush Limbaugh's gone out of his way to sabotage our President - announcing publicly that he wants Barack Obama to fail.
This kind of rhetoric does nothing but pollute our political process. That's why after Rush reiterated his remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference this weekend, I called on Bob McDonnell to condemn them. But so far, Bob's refused to say anything that might offend the GOP's ringleader.
Now we need your help to apply some public pressure in order to make it happen.
Bob ought to use the leverage at his disposal and help the raise the level of debate. He seems to think he's got some pull with national Republicans. Just last week he bragged to the Washington Post that, "'Everybody who cares about the Republican Party nationally or everybody who wants to run for president in 2012 will be in Virginia' this year."
I know that we can turn things around and create the jobs of the future. But doing so will require making a clean break with this kind of hateful rhetoric.
When Rush started wishing that our President would fail, he stopped participating in an open debate about the right course of action. Instead, he was feeding a political culture that isn't about results-it's about who wins and who loses.
But this isn't the Super Bowl we're talking about. It's our economy. It's our families. It's our country. It's our future.
Even as Bob McDonnell's staked out positions that put ideology above the best interests of the Commonwealth, he's repeatedly talked about the need to work together constructively to find solutions. If those sentiments are anything but hot air, then now is the time to prove it.
Click here to tell Bob McDonnell to condemn Rush Limbaugh's hateful remarks.
Tags: 2009, bob mcdonnell, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, rush limbaugh, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
Terry McAuliffe meets with Valley and City business and civic reps at Roanoke’s Higher Ed Center this morning
March 4th, 2009
Star City Harbinger
by Hank Bostwick
Primary candidate for the Democratic governor’s nomination Terry McAuliffe is visiting with members of the local business, labor and nonprofit communities this morning at Roanoke’s Higher Education Center.
McAuliffe seemed in his element discussing his plans for Virginia’s economic future and reminding onlookers and roundtable participants that he led the National Democratic Party out of debt after the Clinton years in Washington.
Concerned about the possibiility that the Commonwealth will lose precious green jobs and technological development to West Virginia, Terry “I love chicken waste” McAuliffe promised to make his point about the importance of clean and renewable energy if he “has to park that [chicken waste] machine” on the steps of the General Assembly.
Reiterating his promise to donate his salary as governor if elected, McAuliffe lamented the closing of local schools due to funding shortages and noted that “building schools without gymnasiums is a disgrace.”
McAuliffe finds the Dillon Rule (the law requiring the majority of decisions facing municipalities to be made in Richmond) problematic and an impediment to solving longstanding problems with local transportation and education budgets.
McAuliffe was joined by Beth Doughty of the Roanoke Regional Partnership; one member of the Star City Council; Patrick Kenny, a local lawyer; Joseph Hancock, grassroots organizer for the local Obama campaign last year; the director of the Workforce Development Program at VWCC; a representative from a local electrical union; Cal Johnson, executive director of Valley YMCA; a representative of Avis Construction; and John Swain, a local CPA who has returned to the Roanoke Valley to start what is sure to be a wonderful new program–among others.
According to Swain, his program–which is slated to launch soon–will provide free accounting services for local start-up businesses attempting to make a go at creating jobs in the Region. “We help them for the first one or two years of their business,” noted Swain.
City Council member Court Rosen spoke a bit about the issues involving school closures and consolidations, remarking that the decline in attendance at several City schools and shortfalls in the education budget necessitate these “painful, but necessary” actions.
YMCA director Johnson discussed his nonprofit concerns and argued that when “government acts as a catalyst” for regional redevelopment, public-private partnerships are most successful. Johnson got a hardy laugh from the crowd when he suggested that Virginia needed to do away with the county-city government distinction. McAuliffe joked, “Well, why don’t you start with an easy one?”
The representative from Avis Construction in Roanoke voiced his concerns regarding the ability of mid-sized contracting/construction firms to compete for project bids. Larger firms from out of state gobble up most public projects because they have the resources. Avis suggested revamping the bidding process to attract regional, mid-sized firms.
McAuliffe’s discussion continues until 10:45 this morning.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economic roundtable, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, roanoke, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
McAuliffe, area business leaders meet
March 5th, 2009
Roanoke Times
Mason Adams
Nearly a dozen of the Roanoke Valley's business leaders met with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe on Wednesday to pitch ideas to fix the state's economy.
"We've got to think outside the box," McAuliffe said as he repeated one of his campaign's main themes. "We need some big ideas."
The meeting was his eighth state "roundtable" to collect ideas that will eventually become his economic platform, to be unveiled in the next two weeks. He's previously met with regional representatives in Norfolk, Martinsville, Harrisonburg, Richmond, Charlottesville, Lebanon and Hampton.
McAuliffe, a former Democratic National Committee chairman who lives in Fairfax County, is running against former state Del. Brian Moran of Fairfax County and Sen. Creigh Deeds of Bath County for the Democratic nomination for governor in a June 9 primary. The winner will face Republican nominee Bob McDonnell, who recently stepped down from his elected post as state attorney general to devote his time to the governor's race.
Wednesday's visit to Roanoke was McAuliffe's fourth since he began to explore a possible run for governor late last year. The roundtable attendees ranged from roofers and a union electrician to civic leaders and politicians. Many of their thoughts dealt with statewide concerns, such as building up Virginia's transportation network and giving the governor more cash to lure major manufacturers.
But there were some ideas and opinions that stem from local circumstances, too:
Cindy Shelor, owner of John T. Morgan Roofing, asked about restrictions on a method of contracting known as "cooperative procurement," which allows one local government to piggyback on a contract signed by another local government. The city school system used the practice last year when it decided to piggyback on a Fairfax County roofing contract instead of pursuing a competitive bidding process.
City Councilman Court Rosen -- a local Democrat who has endorsed McAuliffe for governor -- said the state's rules make it more difficult for cities to expand and attract companies with the lure of open land.
The group also talked about passenger rail service. McAuliffe directed most of his comments toward high-speed rail for Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads. He said that a state agency's estimation of 2015 as a target date to deliver Amtrak service to Roanoke "sounds too far away" and could potentially be fast-tracked.
McAuliffe said he would use the governor's office as a hammer, relentlessly pounding on the General Assembly for prompt passage of changes in economic development and land-use policies.
"I know it's not the Virginia way, and I apologize," McAuliffe said. "It's what we've got to do."
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economic roundtable, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, roanoke, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
McAuliffe Makes Campaign Stop in Lebanon
March 4th, 2009
Bristol Herald Courier
Debra McCown
LEBANON, Va. – To bring more jobs here, Virginia needs to be more competitive with other states to attract industry, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe told Russell County leaders during a visit Tuesday.
“Those should’ve been our jobs,” McAuliffe said of recently announced energy projects that will be located in Mississippi and Tennessee. “We need to be aggressive about bringing business in.”
A Democrat and Northern Virginia businessman, McAuliffe said, in what he called an economic roundtable, that he’s not satisfied with the prospect of budget cuts or tax increases. His solution to the state’s recent economic troubles is simple, he said: Grow the economy.
McAuliffe is one of four candidates – three Democrats and one Republican – seeking to be elected governor this year.
Participants in Tuesday’s meeting addressed the region’s heavy-hitting issues: prescription drug abuse, health care, job creation, transportation and coal.
“I want Virginia to have the cleanest coal in the country,” McAuliffe said when asked by Russell County Supervisor Ernest Kennedy about his view of the fuel that provides half of the nation’s electricity.
“That ought to be our goal … a lot of livelihoods are depending on it, and I’m never going to throw someone out of a paying job … you don’t play politics with people’s lives,” McAuliffe said.
Russell County Administrator Jim Gillespie said most localities in the region are concerned about transportation, adding that residents show up at every Board of Supervisors meeting wanting to know when their roads will be paved.
McAuliffe said the commonwealth should develop passenger and freight rail systems to get cars off the road and provide opportunities for job creation in transportation-related industries, such as the efficient movement of freight inland from the Virginia coast.
Sheriff Steve Dye said the state needs a central database to track prescription medication dispensed to individuals to help law enforcement agencies control the problem of prescription drug abuse, particularly here in a region with a high rate of overdose deaths.
“Sometimes I think I’m a social worker with a badge and a gun,” Dye said.
Shannon Blevins, economic development director for UVA-Wise, said the state should help to bring broadband infrastructure to rural homes and communities to encourage entrepreneurship opportunities.
Jerry Stallard, international auditor-teller for the United Mine Workers, said health-care quality and access in the region need to be improved.
Steve Banner, chairman of the Russell County Democratic Party, said farmers are struggling and need help developing new technologies in their industry, which he said is big in Virginia but often overlooked.
McAuliffe took the opportunity to talk about one of his signature issues: chicken waste.
He said all the chicken manure the state produces could generate 40 megawatts of power, along with useful by-products. Bureaucracy often is the only thing standing in the way of developing such home-grown technology, he said – and he wants to change that.
“We’ve had this technology for a year and a half. Now, West Virginia has leapfrogged ahead of us because they wouldn’t give this guy a permit,” McAuliffe said of a man working on creative ways to use the waste. “That’s the kind of stuff that drives me nuts.”
Tags: 2009, chicken waste, economic growth, economic roundtable, economy, governor, jobs, lebanon, macker, mcauliffe, southwest virginia, t-mac, technology, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
Va. Needs New Ag Technology
Va. Needs New Ag Technology
By Terry McAuliffe, Harrisonburg Daily News Record
March 4, 2009
LIKE MOST FARMERS here in the Valley, Buff Showalter pays close attention to fertilizer prices and heating bills, the extra costs that can make or break a harvest. He uses his own chicken litter as a primary fertilizer. But last year Buff had to spend about $5,000 on commercial fertilizer for his corn and hay crops. He also spent $12,000 on gasoline to heat his broiler house.
That's part of the reason why he and his business partner, Oren Heatwole, a former farmer himself, jumped at the opportunity to test a new machine that converts chicken litter into two things that Buff could really use: a high-quality fertilizer and a high-energy fuel.
The technology, developed in the research laboratories of Virginia Tech in collaboration with public and private partners, is called pyrolysis. A pyrolysis unit heats chicken litter and converts it into three products: a high-density char, suitable for use as a fertilizer; a biofuel, which can be used as a heating oil; and a propane-like gas that doubles as a power source for the machine, making it entirely self-sustaining.
Oren's machine has been attracting a lot of attention from local farmers and business interests alike, and for good reason: once the technology is commercialized, 10 machines scattered across the Valley processing 10 tons of chicken litter per day would produce enough energy to power 10,000 homes (or hen houses). The pyrolysis fertilizer is also profitable. With nitrogen prices high, Buff can sell unprocessed chicken litter for about 10 dollars per ton, but he expects to earn much more for the new fertilizer. That's because the pyrolysis fertilizer has the dual advantage of being both slow release, which allows it to deliver nutrients to the soil more effectively, and high-density, which cuts down on transportation costs.
Environmental groups are quick to point out the benefits to local waterways of converting chicken waste to fertilizer and fuel. With Valley chickens producing an estimated 500,000 tons of waste every year, excess nutrients end up in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The research going on at Virginia Tech is actually being funded in part by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The pyrolysis fertilizer also contains a more favorable balance of nitrogen and phosphorous and keeps more of the nutrients in the soil, where they belong. It's a win for the farmers, and a win for environmentalists.
Buff, Oren, and the partners involved in pyrolysis research at Virginia Tech are great examples of the kind of outside-the-box thinking that will help Virginia and the Valley continue to move forward in these tough economic times. The Commonwealth is blessed with great geographic diversity, and we need to make sure that we continue to leverage our regional strengths when it comes to biofuels, whether it's chicken waste in the Valley, switchgrass and poplar in the Southwest and Southside, or algae in Hampton Roads.
We should also strengthen the partnerships between our research universities and private industry. By improving the laboratory-to-commercialization pipeline, Virginia can benefit from the licensing of new technologies and the revenue generated from state-owned patents.
For instance, the Department of Environmental Quality could institute a more flexible permitting system, one containing reasonable allowances for pilot-scale projects that meet certain benchmarks but fall short of the levels expected of commercial-scale technologies.
New technologies, especially in the clean energy field, represent our best bet for creating the high-paying 21st century jobs that will help get our economy back on track. By encouraging innovation, we can grow our economy and do right by the environment. With the right leadership and bold thinking, Virginia can lead the way.
Mr. McAuliffe is a Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia.
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Tags: 2009, agriculture, clean energy, commonwealth, economic growth, economy, governor, harrisonburg, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, technology, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, valley, virginia
Terry McAuliffe Releases Letter Calling on Bob McDonnell to Condemn Rush Limbaugh's Remarks
Today, Terry McAuliffe sent the following letter to Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell, calling on him to condemn Rush Limbaugh's remarks regarding the Obama administration:
Dear Bob,
I know that you and I disagree on many issues, but I'm hoping that we can agree on this: hoping for failure isn't the right way to get our economy back on track.
That's why I'm asking you to join me in condemning the remarks Rush Limbaugh made wishing for the President to fail.
I'm sure that you are hearing the same things from Virginians that I am - they are nervous about their future; they're struggling to hold onto their homes and their jobs; they want us to stay focused on getting results for them.
There are a lot of things that all of us can do to help - we can encourage cooperation and help our neighbors. We can support the work that the President and Congress are doing to get our economy back on track. We can also speak our minds when we disagree. In a democracy, difference of opinion is what fuels our best ideas. We don't come up with the right answer if folks don't stand up and say what they believe in.
I know Rush doesn't agree with the approach President Obama has taken to helping get our economy back on its feet. And no one says he has to agree - but there is a point at which criticism is no longer constructive, and simply put, his comments have crossed that line.
Rush reinforced his comments about hoping that President Obama fails just this past weekend at the Conservative Political Action Conference. When Rush started wishing that our President would fail, he stopped participating in an open debate about the right course of action. Instead, he was feeding a political culture that isn't about results - it is about who wins and who loses.
Rush said as much himself this weekend. But this isn't the Super Bowl we're talking about. It's our economy. It's our families. It's our country. It's our future.
When politicians and pundits focus on who is winning instead of succeeding, it's the American people who lose. As many times as you've disagreed with Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, you know that you can disagree with someone without wishing for them to fail.
I hope you'll join me in calling for Rush to start taking an approach that reflects the best of what our system stands for.
Best,
Terry
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Tags: 2009, bob mcdonnell, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, rush limbaugh, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
McAuliffe asks Republican to condemn Limbaugh remarks
March 3rd, 2009
CNN Political Ticker
WASHINGTON (CNN) – As national Democrats eagerly point to Rush Limbaugh’s influence among Republicans, one Virginia Democrat is looking to make the radio host a flash point in this year’s governor’s race.
Terry McAuliffe, the former Democratic National Committee chairman now seeking his party's nomination for governor, sent a letter Tuesday to the de facto Republican nominee, former state Attorney General Bob McDonnell, asking him to reject Limbaugh’s recent statement that he wants President Obama to fail.
“I know that you and I disagree on many issues, but I'm hoping that we can agree on this: hoping for failure isn't the right way to get our economy back on track,” McAuliffe wrote in the letter. “That's why I'm asking you to join me in condemning the remarks Rush Limbaugh made wishing for the President to fail.”
McAuliffe wrote that Virginians are concerned with getting the economy back on track and that Limbaugh’s comments are not constructive.
“I hope you'll join me in calling for Rush to start taking an approach that reflects the best of what our system stands for,” McAuliffe wrote.
McDonnell campaign spokesman Tucker Martin said McAuliffe "desperately wants our attention."
"And if he wins his competitive and tough primary in June he will get it," Martin said. "Until then, we wish him the best of luck.”
Current Virginia governor and DNC Chairman Tim Kaine highlighted Limbaugh’s influence in the GOP in multiple cable appearances Tuesday, calling the polarizing radio talker “the godfather” and “Wizard of Oz” of the Republican Party.
McAuliffe is competing against former House delegate Brian Moran and state senator Creigh Deeds in a three-way Democratic primary.
Tags: 2009, bob mcdonnell, commonwealth, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, rush limbaugh, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
Statement from Terry McAuliffe Regarding the End of the Legislative Session
Today, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe released the following statement regarding the end of the legislative session. McAuliffe cited the passage of several renewable energy bills, including legislation that would encourage energy efficiency, create economic incentives for biofuels, and promote the production of electric energy from waste [SB 1248; SB1186; HB2001; HB2576].
"This session, I was heartened to see Republicans and Democrats work together to pass several measures that will help Virginia move ahead on developing our renewable energy sector. Providing economic incentives for biofuels, encouraging increased energy efficiency, and promoting the conversion of solid waste to electricity will help develop this critical industry. While I believe that we need a mandatory renewable energy standard, these bills were a step in the right direction to make Virginia a national leader in renewable energy and create green jobs in the Commonwealth.
"Unfortunately, we saw once again that Republican leadership in the House of Delegates was often too willing to put ideology before bipartisan solutions, blocking measures to allow early voting and reduce the gerrymandering of political districts in Virginia. These measures would have made voting easier for eligible Virginians of all political backgrounds and encouraged more competitive elections to attract the best possible candidates for public office. It's time for us to put these partisan games aside and work together to get the Commonwealth back on track."
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Tags: 2009, bipartisan solutions, economic growth, economy, energy efficiency, governor, jobs, legislative session, macker, mcauliffe, renewable energy, richmond, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
TERRY MCAULIFFE TO CONTINUE ROUNDTABLE SERIES WITH EVENTS IN FAIRFAX, LEBANON, AND ROANOKE
Next week, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe will continue his economic roundtables series with events in Fairfax, Lebanon, and Roanoke where he will discuss infrastructure development, job creation, and the economic possibilities for Virginia.
Monday, March 2
8:45 am Terry McAuliffe Holds Economic Roundtable in Fairfax
George Mason University Fairfax Campus
Mason Hall, Meese Board Room
4400 University Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030
Tuesday, March 3
12:30 pm Terry McAuliffe Holds Economic Roundtable in Lebanon
Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center
Jefferson Room
141 Highland Drive
Lebanon, VA 24266
Wednesday, March 4
8:00 am Terry McAuliffe Holds Economic Roundtable in Roanoke
Roanoke Higher Education Center
108 North Jefferson Street
Suite 210A, Room 412
Roanoke, VA 24016
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economic possibilities, economic roundtable, economy, fairfax, governor, infrastructure development, job creation, jobs, lebanon, macker, mcauliffe, roanoke, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
Women offer McAuliffe views on the issues
February 27th, 2009
The Daily Press
Ashley Kelly
PHOEBUS — A group of 25 women sat tucked inside the Phoebus Coffee House chatting and sipping coffee on Thursday afternoon.
To an onlooker some seemed like old friends.
But this wasn't a social outing, girls' day out, or an organization meeting.
These women meant business.
Most were community leaders who came to voice their concerns about education, health care, and job creation with gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, during an economic round-table.
This was McAuliffe's sixth round-table discussion in the state.
"I would like to see education reform that meets the needs of our young people," said Flora D. Crittenden, a retired educator from Newport News.
Crittenden said simply teaching students to take a test is not working.
"We don't need charter schools or vouchers. We need to make our schools flexible," she said.
McAuliffe spoke about job creation, improving health care and education.
"I need help to get this done," he told the women. "You are the community leaders here; you know what's going on. You get to be governor for a day."
D. Yvonne Rivers, a social entrepreneur, said women should be educated to start their own businesses.
"They need to be trained to get better jobs," she said. "I'd like to see every woman in Virginia off welfare and able to go back in her neighborhood and bring other sisters out."
Other issues were affordable child care, health care and restoration of rights for former prisoners.
The bulk of the hourlong summit was controlled by the women. While they spoke, McAuliffe jotted their suggestions down in a notebook.
Previous round-table discussions throughout the state included attracting new jobs to Virginia, education and work force training and investing in renewable energy technologies as a key way to create more green jobs.
After the round-tables, McAuliffe is slated to release his policy initiatives.
McAuliffe, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, will run against state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds and former Del. Brian Moran for the Democratic nomination.
The winner of the June primary will face off with Attorney General Robert McDonnell, the GOP candidate for governor, in November.
Tags: 2009, daily press, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, newport news, norfolk, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, women for mcauliffe
Weekly Blog Roundup 2/26/09
Welcome to the first installment of the McAuliffe for Governor Weekly Blog Roundup, where we will showcase the best of the blogosphere. Bloggers agree with Terry that we must focus our energy on growing Virginia’s economy and creating good jobs. In this grassroots campaign, Terry is listening to the concerns and ideas of Virginians all across the Commonwealth. We hoped to start a conversation about how to get our economy back on track and here are some of the highlights.
The Operative Word endorsed Terry for Governor today, promoting his ability to create new jobs and making Virginia a leader in renewable energy.
After having a chance over the past couple months to meet all three Democratic candidates for governor I’ve decided that theoperative’s chosen candidate is Terry McAuliffe. I was skeptical until I met the man in person. And he’s a one of those people that is the center of attention in any room he’s in. He has his downside for sure, but he’s the most equipped to lead Virginia in a battle to capitalize on President Obama’s green energy initiatives. He’ll bring new jobs to Virginia. For Brian Moran and Creigh Deeds, both seem like fine gentlemen. But I’m not sure what the justification is for either being governor. Both are fine public servants who have paid their dues. But McAuliffe can put Virginia at a competitive advantage over other states. Moran, Deeds or Bob McDonnell can’t do that.
Lowell at Blue Virginia praises Terry for his comprehensive response to questions made about his stance on the proposed Surry County coal plant and other energy issues.
I'm very happy to see Terry McAuliffe reiterating his call to institute a MANDATORY Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) here in Virginia… In other words, on the energy and environment front, it looks like things are finally (FINALLY!) moving in the right direction after 8 long years of inaction, and I couldn't be happier to see this (anyone out there who STILL believes that elections don't have consequences?!?). Just the fact that Terry McAuliffe felt the need to respond in detail - and so quickly - to a diary challenging him on a Virginia environmental blog speaks volumes.
Eileen Levandoski at VBDems refuted Bill Bolling’s false smears on Terry’s plan to create new jobs in Virginia. She thinks Terry has the right approach to improve Virginia’s economy.
In a recent email tirade, Bolling "expressed" his problem with McAuliffe's ads preaching "Jobs, jobs, jobs"….When McAuliffe is pushing "Jobs, jobs, jobs", he's talking about "green jobs" that are also "good jobs". They will be good jobs - jobs that "highlight the potential of the green economy to forge a new social agenda that lifts Americans out of poverty, improves public health, and strengthens our middle class".
Over at Not Larry Sabato, Terry liveblogged and answered questions from readers. Terry discussed reaching out to the grassroots, explained his positions on issues like the economy, renewable energy, and the smoking ban, and even fielded some questions about his dog and Virginia Tech basketball.
“For the past 30 years, the issues I've been fighting on are not national issues, but issues that affect everyone -- issues like quality health care, education, the environment, and renewable energy…Virginia is facing unprecedented economic challenges. Everywhere I go, people tell me that they want a governor who can create jobs and get our economy going again. I have spent my career starting businesses and creating jobs- I believe this is the experience Virginians want in their next Governor."
Lowell at Blue Virginia summarized where the Democratic candidates for Governor stand on the issue of home foreclosures. Terry is concerned about Virginia’s high rate of foreclosures and wants to tackle bad lending practices.
These days, everyone's talking about the housing foreclosure crisis. Terry McAuliffe says, “…The #1 issue, you have got to keep people in their homes, because ultimately it is what is going to bring our economy back. The second thing we have to do is get these credit windows open.”
At Virginia Tomorrow, Bob Holsworth blogged about the importance of federal economic recovery funding in closing Virginia’s budget gap and growing our economy. Bob McDonnell ought to distance himself from Bobby Jindal’s extreme position of rejecting the recovery aid if he actually wants to grow Virginia’s economy and put people back to work.
This afternoon the Democratic Party of Virginia, a few hours before McDonnell was to address the Republican Governors Association, called on the presumptive GOP nominee “to distance himself from Jindal’s stand and pledge to accept all federal funds coming to Virginia.” The Dems assert that Jindal has left “unemployed Louisianans on the street” and that McDonnell ought to pledge to “put Virginians first.”
Belle Rose at Coarse Cracked Corn questions Bob McDonnell’s claim that he is a “liberal at heart,” when he is really a right-wing extremist who ignores critical investments in job creation and economic growth.
According to an article in the WaPo, Bob McDonnell would have us believe he's really a middle of the road moderate. Don't buy the lie that McDonnell is a liberal at heart - or even close to being a moderate... What strikes me is that McDonnell is endorsing the notion that government should shirk its fundamental responsibilities to the people and the responsibility of sound fiscal management. McDonnell could be like George W. Bush running up the deficit or Jim Gilmore practically running Virginia into bankruptcy.
Thanks for joining us this week -- check back next week for more from the blogosphere!
Tags: bloggers, blogs, economic growth, economy, endorsement, energy, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia, weekly blog roundup
McAuliffe Looks To General Election
February 26th, 2009
The Washington Post
Anita Kumar
In a fundraising letter sent yesterday, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe ignored his Democratic opponents and instead went after Republican nominee Robert F. McDonnell.
"It seems like every time we get a chance to put aside partisanship and get things done, Bob McDonnell chooses ideology over what's best for the Commonwealth,'' McAuliffe said. "Maybe that's why I heard Republicans are going to throw the kitchen sink into Virginia to help his campaign. Sure enough, Bob's planning to bring in people like Sean Hannity, John McCain and Sarah Palin in order to fuel it."
McDonnell's spokesman Tucker Martin countered McAuliffe's accusations. "Bob McDonnell has a record of building bipartisan coalitions to help Virginia,'' he said. "Chairman McAuliffe is a career partisan who has a record of professional fundraising to help the national Democratic Party. This defines empty rhetoric."
McAuliffee talks about building "the single largest grassroots campaign apparatus Virginia's ever seen" and adding 300 new donors by the end of the month.
He criticized McDonnell for opposing in 2004 a tax increase to help offset a budget shortfall and this year's smoking ban compromise. "He opposed the smoking ban, putting ideology ahead of our children's health,'' McAuliffe said.
McAuliffe faces former delegate Brian Moran and state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds in the June 9 primary. The winner will face McDonnell in the general election.
Tags: 2009, bob mcdonnell, commonwealth, economic growth, economy, general election, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia, washington post
Candidate of No
It seems like every time we get a chance to put aside partisanship and get things done, Bob McDonnell chooses ideology over what's best for the Commonwealth.
Maybe that's why I heard Republicans are going to throw the kitchen sink into Virginia to help his campaign. Sure enough, Bob's planning to bring in people like Sean Hannity, John McCain and Sarah Palin in order to fuel it.
That's fine. While they focus on the kitchen sink, I'm focusing on your kitchen table and the issues you talk about every single night as you sit around it - your job, your home, your roads, and your schools.
To win the nomination and fight back against the other side, I want to build the single largest grassroots campaign apparatus Virginia's ever seen. But I need your help to make it happen.
In the midst of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, working together has never been more important. In that spirit, Republican governors such as Florida's Charlie Christ and California's Arnold Schwarzenegger found common ground with President Obama on the economic stimulus package - recognizing the need to take bold action to turn things around.
But not Bob McDonnell. He applauded the politicians who tried to stop the bill. We've seen this movie before. . .
In 2004, facing the largest budget shortfall in Virginia history and cuts to vital state services, fiscally-responsible Republicans joined with Governor Mark Warner to pass a bipartisan tax reform package that saved our triple-A bond rating and restored integrity to the budgeting process.
But not Bob McDonnell. Not only did he vote against the tax reform package, but this past fall he threw his lot in with the guy who created the budget disaster in the first place -- Bob gave Jim Gilmore his enthusiastic endorsement.
Then, earlier this month, Republicans like House Speaker Bill Howell joined with Governor Tim Kaine to pass a smoking ban that will ensure our kids aren't exposed to second-hand smoke when they go out to eat.
But not Bob McDonnell. He opposed the smoking ban, putting ideology ahead of our children's health.
This campaign's going to be long, and it's going to be hard. But if we spend the next eight months building a real grassroots campaign, we can send a strong message that we don't want to turn our backs on the progress of the past seven years under Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. And maybe we can even elect a few more like-minded people to the House of Delegates to help us get it all done. But I can't do it alone.
Tags: 2009, bob mcdonnell, economic growth, economy, governor, jobs, john mccain, macker, mcauliffe, mcdonnell, partisan politics, sarah palin, sean hannity, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
McAuliffe visits UVa on 14-city tour
February 25th, 2009
The Daily Progress
Brian McNeill
Terry McAuliffe stopped by the University of Virginia on Tuesday to listen to the Charlottesville region’s ideas for creating jobs and boosting the state’s economy.
McAuliffe, one of three Democrats running for governor, is on a 14-city roundtable discussion tour focused on the economy. Once it wraps up, McAuliffe will incorporate what he deems as the worthiest ideas into his economic growth platform.
“We’ll come out with a very detailed business plan for the future of Virginia,” said McAuliffe, a McLean resident and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee. “People want jobs and they feel like [government isn’t] moving fast enough.”
One of the roundtable’s participants was Jim Durand, a UVa professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering who is overseeing a project at the university to improve and promote the use of electric cars powered by alternative energy sources. The project, called RideForward, converts gas-powered vehicles into electric cars that have the ability to charge up from non-polluting, clean power.
Durand’s green engineering research, he said, could serve as the basis of a profitable business, possibly growing the economy and creating new jobs. Yet more needs to be done, he said, to help researchers find private investors and bring their technology to the marketplace.
“I’m not a businessperson,” Durand said.
Other states, Durand said, do a better job of setting up business incubators affiliated with higher education institutions that aim to commercialize research.
McAuliffe agreed that Virginia can do more to create new economic opportunities out of research conducted at the state’s universities. For example, he said, onerous regulation is causing headaches for a Virginia Tech professor who has created the technology to convert chicken waste into a viable energy source. The state’s Department of Environmental Quality, he said, has decided that the technology is an “incinerator,” thereby requiring extra levels of permission. The researcher, on the other hand, is apparently so fed up with the regulations, he is considering moving to West Virginia to further develop — and possibly commercialize — the technology, McAuliffe said.
“We ought to do a lot of changes with regard to the regulation of new technology,” he said.
Jay Willer, executive director of the Blue Ridge Home Builders Association, said Virginia needs to get serious about investing in its aging roads and water and sewer systems. Congested roads, he said, are making it increasingly difficult for businesses to ship goods back and forth. A lack of water and sewer hook-ups are preventing further development in many areas around the state, leading to a major hurdle to economic growth.
“A lot of what we see as an underlying problem is infrastructure throughout the state,” Willer said.
McAuliffe also agreed with Willer’s view. If elected governor, he said, he would work to have an “honest discussion” about transportation funding.
McAuliffe asked Willer how much business has dropped for the Charlottesville-area homebuilding industry. Willer replied: “Is there a number below zero?”
Piedmont Virginia Community College President Frank Friedman also pitched a few ideas.
He told McAuliffe that Virginia is trailing states such as North Carolina and South Carolina when it comes to workforce development. If Virginia wants its economy to grow, he said, the community college system must be given the authority and funding to coordinate the state’s workforce development efforts.
Friedman also said that Virginia could do more to encourage government buildings to be energy efficient. When considering the cost of constructing new buildings, he said, Virginia only weighs the design and construction price tag. Making a building energy efficient might add a bit to the building’s initial cost, but might save money over the lifespan of the building. As it is now, he said, Virginia does not consider the long-term energy cost savings into its calculation, leading to fewer energy-efficient government buildings.
“For us, as soon as the cost goes up at all [because of energy efficiency], it’s a done deal,” he said. “We can’t do it.”
McAuliffe will face two opponents in the June 9 Democratic primary for governor. One candidate is Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, a Democrat who represents much of the Charlottesville area, and the other is former Del. Brian Moran of Alexandria. The winner of the Democratic nomination is likely to face GOP candidate Bob McDonnell, who recently stepped down as attorney general to run full-time for governor.
Tags: 2009, charlottesville, economic growth, economic roundtable, economy, governor, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, technology, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, university of virginia, university research, uva, va-gov, virginia
The joys of chicken waste
This weekend, Terry traveled to the Shenandoah Valley to hold an economic roundtable and look at some exciting research that could yield new sources of renewable energy in the near future.
He recorded a short video message and I wanted to share it with you.
Tags: 2009, agriculture, chicken waste, economic growth, economy, energy, environment, governor, innovation, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, technology, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
MCAULIFFE TO HOLD ROUNDTABLE WITH HAMPTON WOMEN THIS THURSDAY
This Thursday, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe will host the latest in a series of roundtables at the Phoebus Coffee House in Hampton. There, McAuliffe and his wife Dorothy will sit down with local women to discuss the issues they are facing in today’s economy.
The Phoebus Coffee House was named the first Virginia Green restaurant in Hampton. The designation recognizes businesses that meet standards for recycling waste reduction, water conservation, energy conservation and other environmental considerations.
Thursday, February 26
3:15 pm
McAuliffe Hosts Women’s Economic Roundtable
Phoebus Coffee House
33 E Mellen St
Hampton, VA 23663
757-224-8406
Tags: 2009, dorothy, economic growth, economy, governor, hampton, hampton roads, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, phoebus coffee house, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia, virginia green, women
Innovative Ideas
If we're going to grow the economy and move Virginia forward, we can't just throw out policy proposals from the top down. We're all in this together, and so we all need to be a part of the solution. Too many good ideas never make it out of the legislature. Others never make it in there in the first place.
Mark Warner and Tim Kaine have been bridging the partisan divide by reaching out to get people involved in the process - using innovative ideas like setting up a website so regular Virginians can give their thoughts about how to spend federal stimulus money.
That's the same approach I've taken to this campaign. I've been listening to you - here online, and at economic roundtables all over Virginia. After I wrap those up, I'm going to use your ideas to craft a very detailed business plan to grow Virginia's economy. But I wanted to take a moment and share a couple great ideas I've already gotten from folks like you.
Jennifer from Burke submitted her idea online. She suggests we:
Create an incentive plan for people to make sustainable development improvement in their communities. Give tax breaks or feed-in tariffs for people who install solar panels or develop wind energy and plug them in to their community grids. A lot of homeowners want to invest in renewable energy, but can't afford to do so or are holding out until there is an incentive to do so. Offer this incentive. Encourage communities to invest together- buy the products in bulk and split the costs... A necessary step will be to train and hire people to install these new technologies, which could create jobs. Thank you for asking!
At an economic roundtable in Martinsville, Dr. Nolan Browning noted that:
At Patrick Henry Community College, many times we get data on workforce shortages. It's important we work with current data, [so] if there's a shortage in a particular area we can match up a little better. For example, rather than saying there [are] jobs needed in the service industry, specifically where are those jobs needed? If there is a layoff in the area we [should] know not only the type of training but where those jobs can go. The problem in Martinsville is that that there are not a lot of jobs available, so we need to reach out to a larger radius like Greensboro and Roanoke and get that data as well, and it should be at our fingertips so we can be planning and working towards meeting those needs.
Please keep those ideas coming! There's nothing we can't do when we've got the public support to make the big things happen.
Click here to share an idea about how to grow the economy.
This campaign's gaining momentum everyday. This week, we received endorsements from the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters and Democratic leaders from across the Commonwealth.
We can't do it without your help, so please keep up all the hard work.
Tags: 2009, economic growth, economic roundtables, economy, governor, ideas, innovative, jobs, listening, macker, mcauliffe, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, virginia
Video: D&D Dairy Farm
Tags: 2009, agriculture, dayton, economic growth, economy, governor, innovation, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, shenandoah valley, t-mac, technology, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac, va-gov, valley, virginia
At HQ Opening, McAuliffe Preps for Intra-Party Battle
February 20th, 2009
Arlington Sun-Gazette
Brian Trompeter
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe scorns sleep and promises to put his competitive drive to work for all Virginians.
“I don’t like to be second in anything,” he said. “If they put up a wall, I’m not going to climb over it. I’m going to blast through it, folks.”
McAuliffe, who opened his campaign headquarters in McLean on Feb. 18, is campaigning on a platform of job creation, energy efficiency and education and transportation improvements.
McAuliffe will face state Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville) and former Del. Brian Moran of Alexandria in the June 9 Democratic primary. The winner will square off against former Virginia Attorney General Robert McDonnell in the Nov. 3 election.
Intra-party scrimmages are nettlesome, but campaign officials urged supporters to focus on McAuliffe’s positive message.
Democrats just barely won two recent special elections in Northern Virginia, which underscores the need to work hard and not take any votes for granted, McAuliffe said.
“The Republicans want to win this,” he said. “They still can’t believe Barack Obama won here in Virginia. They can’t believe it, they say they’re going to throw the kitchen sink into this race. Let them throw the kitchen sink. You know what? I’m going to focus on the kitchen table. I’m going to focus on your jobs, your education, your health care.”
Campaign officials asked volunteers at the Feb. 18 gathering to make phone calls, meet one-on-one with campaign organizers and host house parties to benefit the effort.
McAuliffe said ongoing rounds of budget cuts are putting vital services, such as education, at risk. But raising taxes during a recession is unwise, he said.
“People don’t have any more money in their pockets to spend and you can’t raise taxes on them, so that leaves one great alternative: growing the economy, creating jobs,” he said.
McAuliffe favors mandatory, not voluntary, energy-efficiency requirements in the state and would like to see the 500,000 tons of chicken manure collected annually from the state’s 1,000 poultry farms turned into bio-diesel fuel - something that would create jobs and protect regional watersheds.
He also would continue Gov. Kaine’s pre-kindergarten education initiative, which aims to produce a better-educated populace and reduce drop-out rates and crime.
McAuliffe said he would like to expand the governor’s authority and budget to bid on mega-projects, many of which now go to other Southern states. He also favors building a high-speed rail network to connect Virginia’s major metropolitan areas and would encourage more public-private partnerships to accomplish this and other transportation goals.
“We’ve got to be creative,” he said. “We’ve got to put some big ideas on the table.”
McAuliffe said the Dillon Rule probably is here to stay, but added that localities should be allowed to make their own decisions on education and transportation initiatives.
He promised to donate his salary as governor to help finance a privately built gymnasium at a Virginia high school that lacks one.
Thom Pellikaan, who belongs to the Rappahannock County Democratic Committee, said McAuliffe will continue the good leadership demonstrated by Democratic Virginia Govs. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.
McAuliffe performed well as Democratic National Committee chairman and has some innovative ideas on improving energy efficiency, Pellikaan said.
“I like when Terry talks about chicken manure,” he said.
Another supporter, Burke resident Maria Galdo Reiff, said McAuliffe can bring a new perspective to state government.
“He’s more of a businessman than a political person,” she said. “I think Terry would be a great governor. I think he has the ability to lead a great state. Our state is changing immensely and is very diverse, and Terry understands that.”
Tags: arlington sun-gazette, economic growth, economy, jobs, macker, mcauliffe, mclean, nova, office opening, t-mac, terry, terry mcauliffe, tmac
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“At meet-and-greets from small-town Leesburg to exurban Manassas to far-south Martinsville, he douses voters in an ebullient rain of proposals… McAuliffe’s ideas may be hard to beat.”
– The New Republic, 2/4/09
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“In the midst of a daunting travel schedule and after releasing truly ambitious business and energy plans for the Commonwealth, he still maintains an energy level that those of us ten years younger would be hard pressed to match.”
– The Loudoun Independent, 4/1/09
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“McAuliffe is rolling out a series of position papers on energy and business that go well beyond the typical two-page brochure full of bromides…his substantive pitches have raised expectations and pointed the way toward a different, more high-toned campaign.”
– Richmond Times-Dispatch, 3/25/09
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“Although many State House insiders were initially skeptical of McAuliffe, he has been running a nearly flawless campaign. Democrats and Republicans are taking him seriously.”
– The Washington Post, 1/22/09
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“Terry McAuliffe can get through to the (rural) culture. Like I said, he’s got a positive attitude. Terry’s also got high name recognition amongst Democrats who will vote in the primary. And McAuliffe is a good name to have out here where I live.”
– Dave “Mudcat” Saunders
Political strategist for Mark Warner and Jim Webb, 3/25/09 -
“Terry McAuliffe continues to impress – rolling out a detailed plan to revive the Virginia economy and picking up labor endorsements, the latest of which came from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.”
– The Washington Post, 4/3/09
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“He brings a kind of energy and visibility and presence that’s just extraordinary.”
– Bob Holsworth, professor at VCU, 2/4/09
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