A bill that would give localities the ability to charge a 1% sales tax for school construction is vetoed. Stafford schools supported the measure; Paul Milde and Tara Durant opposed the bill.
The legislation asks voters in a referendum decide if they wanted to approve an additional 1% sales tax to be used for school construction. Stafford is in the process of building three new schools. The debt service payments for those school will due next fiscal year and will more than likely require a large real estate tax increase, putting the cost of the schools on the homeowner. If the additional 1% sales tax is approved it would shift the tax burden away from the homeowner and move it primarily to travelers and residential builders.
Most new homes have over $120,000 in Building materials, so the building industry would have to pay an additional 1% tax on that material or about $1,200 more per house that would be used for school construction. Beware of politicians that take money from the building industry and don't want the voters to decide on a referendum.
Wow, what a shock. Republicans who promised to support schools and state they believe in localities making their own decisions block meaningful legislation that would have done just that. All so they can do a Tammy Wynette and stand by their man Youngkin.
Next time you drive by Drew Middle School and wonder if the decrepit roof will cave in on your kids, or an eroded hot water pipe will burst on them while walking to class, remember that elections do have consequences.
Wasn't our fine Senator Durant the one who proposed legislation at the beginning of the session to give tax breaks to parochial schools? But she can't be bothered to allow Stafford County to raise a sales tax to cover the rising costs due to the negligent and massive amount of deferred county maintenance that happened on her watch for years?
Huh.
And I guess FXBG Advance darling Monica Gary is real proud to have played spoiler so we didn't get Joel Griffin representing us. Explain that vanity project to the parents of school age children who now suffer.
Meanwhile, in South Staff, I see the meth lab..., sorry, CLINIC, is able to afford its renovations! Looking very nice.
You know, the one we got next to a daycare because folks like Ms Gary and Ms Durant were too busy worrying about their own goals, and not the legislation that was affecting us....
I actually question whether or not Griffin would have voted in favor of this one, but seeing as how he didn’t block you, maybe you know:
what was it about Durant and her stance on all the issues that he agreed with? What made him decide she was worthy of a $250 donation shortly before being talked into running against her? What did he agree with her on?
Or what was he hoping to gain?
I’m honestly asking, but I want specifics. Because when I asked, he refused to answer me. He did the Spotsy Republican thing and blocked people who didnt fall in line behind him and I was one of them.
That’s a dangerous game to play. It was especially politically dangerous last year when a lot of us in parts of SD28 were effing fed up with that sort of behavior from people already in office.
You keep saying this publication was all in for Gary and I have to disagree. They said don’t count her out, and if you do it’s at your own peril.
A third candidate is an obstacle that needed to be overcome and for too long Griffin seemed to assume she wasn’t a threat.
If FXBG Advance was REALLY trying to sway voters to Gary, they’d have written about that $250 donation and asked why blocking voters - especially Spotsy voters who had endured years of being ignored and mocked by elected officials - was part of his campaign strategy.
Voters deserved to know why a “true blue” Democrat comparing himself to Spanberger donated to an extremist in the VA legislature.
He. Lost. Votes. Much needed votes. And it was his own fault.
Seeing as he also supported Vaunch in the past, my assumption is he wanted tax cuts for himself and his business(es). Which would make it feeble to me that he wouldn’t have been happy with this bill. But I have no idea. He blocked me. For all I knew, he’s okay with a 15 week abortion ban, but not a 6 week one. Maybe he was in favor of the anti-trans and book banning bills Durant proposed? But again, when a bunch of voters tried asking for specific reasons for his support of her, we were blocked. I signed up for campaign emails to stay in the know and never received any. I had no idea where he was or what he was saying. His “open door” policy was a sham.
I felt the devil was going to be in the details for Griffin because I never heard him discuss issues beyond talking Dem talking points. I wonder if he shied away from interviews because he knew he struggled with that?
I met Luke, Ben, and Monica. I actually met Ben and Luke MONTHS before the primary because they came to support an event I helped organize. That meant a lot. Luke, Ben, and Monica all took the time to listen to my concerns and explain their stances. I’m not the only one they did that with.
That sort of thing? That ends up leaving a mark on people. Especially when you’ve been ignored for so long by those already sworn represent you.
Ending up with a third party candidate, a MAGA, and a Dem who blocked voters because couldn’t take criticism was never going to turn out well for us in SD28.
So I hope our district does better next time and I hope certain NOVA senators stay the F out of our candidate races down here until after the primaries.
As far as myself, please realize that I am not a "Democrat" per se, other than they appear to be the only choice left that isn't affiliated with a monomaniacal, unprincipled, and amoral personality cult looking to destroy the country and every decent principle we have in order to save their cult god.
So I'm hardly an insider who would know any particulars.
Honestly feel more like a Cassandra, watching a train wreck happening in front of me.
Until the Trump era, I would happily vote for a Republican as quickly as I would a Democrat. Though I now suspect I will never vote for one again. Even realizing that it is entirely possible for the Democratic party members to have done the same thing under similar circumstances. But the fact remains that they didn't, and actions matter more than words. So here we are.
As far as Griffin, I've never met the man. So I wouldn't presume to speak for him. If you're asking for an opinion, I would suspect it had to do with him seeing there being a real threat of Durant being primaried out by Strickland and that was his primary reason for throwing his hat into the ring. In that, with his comparable military service, he would be a foil to him that other Democratic candidates would not have been in a general election.
Once that threat passed, I agree that his campaign just appeared to be mailing it in. And that was a certainly factor in his loss. Whether that was on purpose or merely a bad campaign choice, I do not know. Though, I suspect, (again - based on pure speculation) it didn't really bother him all that much, once that threat of another cult candidate, which both he and I agree is existential to our country and state's way of government, had passed for that seat.
Not sure who you mean by Luke, but I found Mr Litchfield to have much to recommend him. Though again, facing Strickland, a former Marine, I'd say the chances of a newly moved here lawyer from Massachusetts would have been a lot slimmer than Griffin's chances. Don't know that you've noticed, but there seem to be more than a few veterans and active service in the area. And like cops, they tend to vote for their own - even if it isn't the best choice for the country as a whole. Personal gain and loyalty to selves has been shown to be a stronger pull to them than principle or oath, no matter how you wrap it. Though there have been notable exceptions, particularly in the higher ranks, to whom we owe our thanks during the last insurrection attempt.
Which is why I will be supporting folks like Vindmann.
But once Griffin did get the nomination, for a presumably "progressive" candidate not to back him and then mount an independent campaign was nothing more than vanity.
I wish Virginia did have ranked choice voting. But it doesn't.
So protest votes by progressives do nothing but give us non-progressives. Ms Durant's success depended upon that as much or more than whatever miscues made by Griffin. Whatever the reason for them. Just as I fear we may be looking at a second (and final) Trump reign of terror due to the dilution of the progressive vote from RFK's campaign. It will not hurt both sides equally, nor happen in a vacuum. To pretend otherwise is just that, pretense.
As far as the Fxbg Adv, seems like the whole time up to the election they were denying that reality,
Which was odd, when you saw their election day coverage actually having a quote from a Mary Washington student talking about how he was progressive but was voting for Gary as a protest vote. Wonder how many more did the same?
And then there was another article recently, don't recall the particulars, but they were asking Stafford BOS members why something had happened to Ms Gary, yet in their reporting - they did not ask the same question OF Ms Gary. Why not? It would seem her opinion on the matter would have been the most valuable, yet it was never asked. As I recall, it was Mr Davis doing the story rather than Ms Uphaus. And it seems like when that occurs, she gets handled with kid gloves. Not sure why she would deserve it.
In that instance, during the Senate race, or now.
Anyway, thanks for your info and thoughts. I always find value in them. Good day.
So Milde doesn’t want to give voters a choice? I’m hoping Milde, a convicted felon, feels differently about legislation that would let voters to decide whether felons who have served their time should automatically be granted the right to vote.
I value yours too! I agree that Griffin was also propped up as an alternative to Strickland, but thats not why he appeared. If Gary and Litchfield had agreed to do the bidding of a sitting Senator, Griffin would still be an unknown name to most of us.
And guess who else blocked people when we called out his hypocrisy on his student loan stance?
Yup. Leading up to the primary, Strickland was blocking Spotsy voters who called him out on lies or was not 100% in line with his way of thinking.
Luke (I’m sorry I can’t remember this last name!!) was originally running against Ben in the primary, but he was forced out by Griffin and the Senator before the primary. Which I found wrong.
One thing to note, Gary was in the race before Griffin agreed to join in on the fun. It was ALWAYS going to be a three way race.
Maybe it was vanity. But, like Litchfield, she wasn’t taken in with bribes of endorsements and donations when asked to do favors for a sitting NOVA senator to get them. Griffin appeared because he was willing to put our district second to the Senator’s and *his* wants, not what might have been best for VA. We weren’t going to get a real fighter for the 27th in Griffin.
People mad at Gary, who was free to run, need to reflect on how poorly Griffin behaved and choose better next time during the primary. I blame other Dems as well, prominent ones swept Griffin’s behavior under the rug because they wanted a united ticket/front. I get that, but I’m grateful that didn’t affect *their* outcomes. They actually worked for their win and it paid off.
It’s a reason why this construction bill made it to the governor’s desk at all.
Gary could’ve run in the Democratic primary. She chose not to, with the lame excuse that she didn’t want and to alienate/offend voters. Gary helped Durant win.
You’re right, she could have. She was asked. But Griffin is as much to blame for the outcome. He assumed he had a win in the bag and didn’t do the work to connect with voters.
Let the voters decide!!!
The legislation asks voters in a referendum decide if they wanted to approve an additional 1% sales tax to be used for school construction. Stafford is in the process of building three new schools. The debt service payments for those school will due next fiscal year and will more than likely require a large real estate tax increase, putting the cost of the schools on the homeowner. If the additional 1% sales tax is approved it would shift the tax burden away from the homeowner and move it primarily to travelers and residential builders.
Most new homes have over $120,000 in Building materials, so the building industry would have to pay an additional 1% tax on that material or about $1,200 more per house that would be used for school construction. Beware of politicians that take money from the building industry and don't want the voters to decide on a referendum.
That last part!!!
Wow, what a shock. Republicans who promised to support schools and state they believe in localities making their own decisions block meaningful legislation that would have done just that. All so they can do a Tammy Wynette and stand by their man Youngkin.
Next time you drive by Drew Middle School and wonder if the decrepit roof will cave in on your kids, or an eroded hot water pipe will burst on them while walking to class, remember that elections do have consequences.
Wasn't our fine Senator Durant the one who proposed legislation at the beginning of the session to give tax breaks to parochial schools? But she can't be bothered to allow Stafford County to raise a sales tax to cover the rising costs due to the negligent and massive amount of deferred county maintenance that happened on her watch for years?
Huh.
And I guess FXBG Advance darling Monica Gary is real proud to have played spoiler so we didn't get Joel Griffin representing us. Explain that vanity project to the parents of school age children who now suffer.
Meanwhile, in South Staff, I see the meth lab..., sorry, CLINIC, is able to afford its renovations! Looking very nice.
You know, the one we got next to a daycare because folks like Ms Gary and Ms Durant were too busy worrying about their own goals, and not the legislation that was affecting us....
Sigh.
Sad times here in the flatlands.........
I actually question whether or not Griffin would have voted in favor of this one, but seeing as how he didn’t block you, maybe you know:
what was it about Durant and her stance on all the issues that he agreed with? What made him decide she was worthy of a $250 donation shortly before being talked into running against her? What did he agree with her on?
Or what was he hoping to gain?
I’m honestly asking, but I want specifics. Because when I asked, he refused to answer me. He did the Spotsy Republican thing and blocked people who didnt fall in line behind him and I was one of them.
That’s a dangerous game to play. It was especially politically dangerous last year when a lot of us in parts of SD28 were effing fed up with that sort of behavior from people already in office.
You keep saying this publication was all in for Gary and I have to disagree. They said don’t count her out, and if you do it’s at your own peril.
A third candidate is an obstacle that needed to be overcome and for too long Griffin seemed to assume she wasn’t a threat.
If FXBG Advance was REALLY trying to sway voters to Gary, they’d have written about that $250 donation and asked why blocking voters - especially Spotsy voters who had endured years of being ignored and mocked by elected officials - was part of his campaign strategy.
Voters deserved to know why a “true blue” Democrat comparing himself to Spanberger donated to an extremist in the VA legislature.
He. Lost. Votes. Much needed votes. And it was his own fault.
Seeing as he also supported Vaunch in the past, my assumption is he wanted tax cuts for himself and his business(es). Which would make it feeble to me that he wouldn’t have been happy with this bill. But I have no idea. He blocked me. For all I knew, he’s okay with a 15 week abortion ban, but not a 6 week one. Maybe he was in favor of the anti-trans and book banning bills Durant proposed? But again, when a bunch of voters tried asking for specific reasons for his support of her, we were blocked. I signed up for campaign emails to stay in the know and never received any. I had no idea where he was or what he was saying. His “open door” policy was a sham.
I felt the devil was going to be in the details for Griffin because I never heard him discuss issues beyond talking Dem talking points. I wonder if he shied away from interviews because he knew he struggled with that?
I met Luke, Ben, and Monica. I actually met Ben and Luke MONTHS before the primary because they came to support an event I helped organize. That meant a lot. Luke, Ben, and Monica all took the time to listen to my concerns and explain their stances. I’m not the only one they did that with.
That sort of thing? That ends up leaving a mark on people. Especially when you’ve been ignored for so long by those already sworn represent you.
Ending up with a third party candidate, a MAGA, and a Dem who blocked voters because couldn’t take criticism was never going to turn out well for us in SD28.
So I hope our district does better next time and I hope certain NOVA senators stay the F out of our candidate races down here until after the primaries.
As far as myself, please realize that I am not a "Democrat" per se, other than they appear to be the only choice left that isn't affiliated with a monomaniacal, unprincipled, and amoral personality cult looking to destroy the country and every decent principle we have in order to save their cult god.
So I'm hardly an insider who would know any particulars.
Honestly feel more like a Cassandra, watching a train wreck happening in front of me.
Until the Trump era, I would happily vote for a Republican as quickly as I would a Democrat. Though I now suspect I will never vote for one again. Even realizing that it is entirely possible for the Democratic party members to have done the same thing under similar circumstances. But the fact remains that they didn't, and actions matter more than words. So here we are.
As far as Griffin, I've never met the man. So I wouldn't presume to speak for him. If you're asking for an opinion, I would suspect it had to do with him seeing there being a real threat of Durant being primaried out by Strickland and that was his primary reason for throwing his hat into the ring. In that, with his comparable military service, he would be a foil to him that other Democratic candidates would not have been in a general election.
Once that threat passed, I agree that his campaign just appeared to be mailing it in. And that was a certainly factor in his loss. Whether that was on purpose or merely a bad campaign choice, I do not know. Though, I suspect, (again - based on pure speculation) it didn't really bother him all that much, once that threat of another cult candidate, which both he and I agree is existential to our country and state's way of government, had passed for that seat.
Not sure who you mean by Luke, but I found Mr Litchfield to have much to recommend him. Though again, facing Strickland, a former Marine, I'd say the chances of a newly moved here lawyer from Massachusetts would have been a lot slimmer than Griffin's chances. Don't know that you've noticed, but there seem to be more than a few veterans and active service in the area. And like cops, they tend to vote for their own - even if it isn't the best choice for the country as a whole. Personal gain and loyalty to selves has been shown to be a stronger pull to them than principle or oath, no matter how you wrap it. Though there have been notable exceptions, particularly in the higher ranks, to whom we owe our thanks during the last insurrection attempt.
Which is why I will be supporting folks like Vindmann.
But once Griffin did get the nomination, for a presumably "progressive" candidate not to back him and then mount an independent campaign was nothing more than vanity.
I wish Virginia did have ranked choice voting. But it doesn't.
So protest votes by progressives do nothing but give us non-progressives. Ms Durant's success depended upon that as much or more than whatever miscues made by Griffin. Whatever the reason for them. Just as I fear we may be looking at a second (and final) Trump reign of terror due to the dilution of the progressive vote from RFK's campaign. It will not hurt both sides equally, nor happen in a vacuum. To pretend otherwise is just that, pretense.
As far as the Fxbg Adv, seems like the whole time up to the election they were denying that reality,
Which was odd, when you saw their election day coverage actually having a quote from a Mary Washington student talking about how he was progressive but was voting for Gary as a protest vote. Wonder how many more did the same?
And then there was another article recently, don't recall the particulars, but they were asking Stafford BOS members why something had happened to Ms Gary, yet in their reporting - they did not ask the same question OF Ms Gary. Why not? It would seem her opinion on the matter would have been the most valuable, yet it was never asked. As I recall, it was Mr Davis doing the story rather than Ms Uphaus. And it seems like when that occurs, she gets handled with kid gloves. Not sure why she would deserve it.
In that instance, during the Senate race, or now.
Anyway, thanks for your info and thoughts. I always find value in them. Good day.
So Milde doesn’t want to give voters a choice? I’m hoping Milde, a convicted felon, feels differently about legislation that would let voters to decide whether felons who have served their time should automatically be granted the right to vote.
I value yours too! I agree that Griffin was also propped up as an alternative to Strickland, but thats not why he appeared. If Gary and Litchfield had agreed to do the bidding of a sitting Senator, Griffin would still be an unknown name to most of us.
And guess who else blocked people when we called out his hypocrisy on his student loan stance?
Yup. Leading up to the primary, Strickland was blocking Spotsy voters who called him out on lies or was not 100% in line with his way of thinking.
Luke (I’m sorry I can’t remember this last name!!) was originally running against Ben in the primary, but he was forced out by Griffin and the Senator before the primary. Which I found wrong.
One thing to note, Gary was in the race before Griffin agreed to join in on the fun. It was ALWAYS going to be a three way race.
Maybe it was vanity. But, like Litchfield, she wasn’t taken in with bribes of endorsements and donations when asked to do favors for a sitting NOVA senator to get them. Griffin appeared because he was willing to put our district second to the Senator’s and *his* wants, not what might have been best for VA. We weren’t going to get a real fighter for the 27th in Griffin.
People mad at Gary, who was free to run, need to reflect on how poorly Griffin behaved and choose better next time during the primary. I blame other Dems as well, prominent ones swept Griffin’s behavior under the rug because they wanted a united ticket/front. I get that, but I’m grateful that didn’t affect *their* outcomes. They actually worked for their win and it paid off.
It’s a reason why this construction bill made it to the governor’s desk at all.
Gary could’ve run in the Democratic primary. She chose not to, with the lame excuse that she didn’t want and to alienate/offend voters. Gary helped Durant win.
You’re right, she could have. She was asked. But Griffin is as much to blame for the outcome. He assumed he had a win in the bag and didn’t do the work to connect with voters.
I guess it’s a shame that still matters.
✌🏻