bearing drift magazine

Commemorating the150th Anniversaryof the Civil War

TheReemergenceof FederalismGuest Article byAttorney General Ken Cuccinelli

Time to ReformVirginia's Relationshipwith Local Government

U.S. Budget in Focus

Volume 2, Number 2, May 2011

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In this IssueBearing DriftVirginia’s Conservative Voice

J.R. Hoeft, [email protected]

Michael Fletcher, [email protected]

Melissa Kenney, [email protected]

Jane Dudley, Photographer

Contributors this issue:

Wade BrumettEve Marie Barner GleasonShaun KenneyD.J. McGuire

Guest Contributor

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli

© Copyright 2011

4 From the Publisher's Desk

5 Yeas and Nays

8 The Reemergence of Federalism Special Guest Article by Ken Cuccinelli

Attorney General of Virginia

14 Time to Reform Virginia's Relationship with Local Government

Shaun V. Kenney

18 U.S. Budget in FocusEve Marie Barner Gleason

22 The Lost Effects of the Lost Cause D.J. McGuire

26 Bearing Drift Interview: Network of enlightened Women

28 Bony Fish and Oily PoliticsMichael R. Fletcher

31 The Final Ward

Cover Photo: Jane Dudley

Volume 2, Number 2 / May 2011

From the Publisher’s Desk

J.R. HoeftPublisher

Since the election of 2008, therehas been a resurgence of interestin the role of the federalgovernment with respect to thestates.

Legislation and proposed policiessuch as cap-and-trade, thenationalization of student loans,companies that were "too big tofail", and, of course, ObamaCare,have provided ample opportunityfor Americans to pay moreattention to the activities of theirfederal government and its everincreasing power and unrestrainedliberties.

As we put the finishing touches onthis magazine issue, we're struckthat we're doing it in the midst oftax season and the 150thanniversary of Virginia's secession.When every American - even thosejust being born - now owe morethan $41k just to pay-off ournational debt and the averageAmerican works until May just topay their tax burden, we clearlyhave a serious federal problem.

Our nation began with a debate onthe role of the federal government,was torn asunder over that debatein the 19th century, and is nowexperiencing that discussion yetagain.

Clearly America is nowhere near arepeat of what happened over acentury ago, where brothertook-up arms against brother, butminus the deplorable underlying

cause of our civil war - slavery -the question behind it: whatauthority does the federalgovernment have over thestates - remains a key one forscrutiny and further discussion.

In this issue, we are pleased thatone of our national leaders in thefederalism discussion - andspearhead of the state challengeto ObamaCare - Virginia AttorneyGeneral Ken Cuccinelli, writes ourfeature article on the nature offederalism in modern America.

We also explore this auspicious150th anniversary of the Warbetween the States. How has whathappened there impacted ustoday? Would the autonomy ofstates been different had that warnot taken place? What are theramifications to Virginia for thatfateful decision of secession?

Speaking of antebellum, have welost our way when it comes tomanners and respect? Weinterview our newsmaker, KarinAgness, founder of the Network ofenlightened Women to get hertake on gender roles in modernAmerica.

Also this April, we once again callthe General Assembly to order todiscuss the governor'samendments and vetoes oflegislation. How does this impactlocalities? How does it impact ournext election here in 2011 whereevery legislator must regain thevoter's trust?

Of course, it wouldn't be Aprilwithout a "Shad Planking" - sowhat's this annual Virginia ritual allabout anyway?

While there are many questionsover federalism, one point is clear:if we haven't figured it out aftermore than 215 years, it's not likelythis magazine issue is going to solveany debates - but it is still aconversation worth having. We'reglad you have chosen to have thatconversation with us.

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Yeas & NaysYEAS

The open and visceral hatred for the SenateDemocrats gerrymandered seats to protect theirpaper-thin majority should push their leadership intosomething a bit more sensible. Otherwise, the tidalwave of opposition to what’s going on in Washingtonfollowed by the perception of rank corruption couldvery easily ensure four years of a conservativeGeneral Assembly backed by Tea Partyvalues. Not sure the Senate Democratsreally want to be invited to thatdance…

If Virginia remains in the canary in the national coalmine, then Virginia’s Tea Party isn’t showing signs ofthe national movement disappearing anytime soon.Though there are visible fissures between the morelibertarian wing trying to co-opt the movement andthe “leave me alone” DNA of the movement thatincludes conservatives from all stripes, the ability ofthe independent movement to challenge bothDemocrats and Republicans alike as a “third force” inthe conservative movement is encouraging to say theleast… provided the hijackers remain benched and/ormocked appropriately.

Sponsorships for Virginia’s rest stops? Long overdue.

Bearing Drift’s very own Brian Schoenemanannounced his candidacy for House of Delegatesagainst David Bulova in the 37th District, a Democratthat is certainly deserving of tremendous,catastrophic defeat at the hands of a commonsenseconservative. Consider this an early, full throatedendorsement for Schoeneman’s candidacy.

Majority Leader Eric Cantor stands tall against anyfurther continuing resolutions (CRs) from the U.S.House. Well done, Eric. The American people franklyunderstand the $1.6 trillion problem and are itchingfor a solution. Leviathan has grown quite enough,thank you.

You can’t blame the Democrats for trying. After slowlyhemorrhaging the Catholic vote for years, Chris Cillizza

over at the WaPo desperately tries to turn this into aRepublican problem… with Hispanics. Issuesregarding illegal immigration aside, one can’t help butthink that the strategists on the left are watching theirminds explode as race-based politics is failing to workamong minorities anymore.

Which softball will the eventual 2012 U.S. Senatenominee get to knock out of the park? Will it be failedDNC Chairman and former Governor Tim Kaine whoannounced with a rosier-than-reality video of hisAdministration? Or the untested and untried Rep.Bobby Scott from the gerrymandered VA-03? Let’s allhope for a bloody and expensive Democratic primary!

Ken Cuccinelli, darling of Virginia conservatives andonce-rumored U.S. Senate candidate, has bluntlystated that he has no interest in running in 2012.More surprisingly, Cuccinelli is equally refusing toendorse in the nomination contest either, stinging atleast one announced candidate and offering knowingglances across Virginia.

National Review Online’s Jim Gerghaty blasts the “TeaParty in Name Only” misnomer, redirecting it at thehost of slacktivists that have plagued the LibertarianParty and the movement for decades. Another namefor such individuals? AWOL -- Absent WithoutLeadership. Tea Party activists and leaders are keento the attempts to hijack the movement, though, andare not tolerating the effort well -- mostly wishing to

Continued on Page 6


Yeas & Naysremain a “third force” to pin down the major politicalparties unfettered and free. Good on them, and longmay that vision of the Tea Party endure.

State revenues for the month of February posted a16.7% increase. Amazing what a free marketgovernor, a Republican House of Delegates, and ahandcuffed Democratic Senate will get you in Virginia.

Governor McDonnell sure isn’t afraid to use his vetopen. Nor is he afraid to get rid of useless commissionsin Virginia, of which there are literally hundreds. Justone more step in the streamlining of government.

Rep. Randy Forbes is nothing short of awesome. Notonly did he stand by wargame simulation andmodeling, he also stood by the American motto “InGod We Trust” and asked for public buildings to havethe latitude to display our national motto. In a societywhere secularization is beginning to border onlaicization (that’s a big word for hostility to religion),voices such as Rep. Randy Forbes are desperately

needed and overwhelmingly welcomed.

National unemployment figures continue to descendas America gets back to work. Unemployment nowstands at 8.9% and underemployment around 17%.The pace may not be encouraging for most Americansthough. Should this pace continue, we are on track torecover the 8 million jobs lost during the GreatRecession by August 2015. Still, progress -- even ifdelayed by the policies of Washington and onlyrecently urged along by a new Congress -- is goodnews nonetheless.

VCU Basketball made us all Rams for the month ofMarch. Well played, gentlemen.

NAYS

Democrats carved up Virginia Beach like aThanksgiving turkey that did something really, reallywrong…

$33 billion in cuts? Ridiculous, and wholly inadequate.As of print, the President is threatening to veto and

Continued from Page 5

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incident regarding his adoptive son in BuckinghamCounty.

Donald Trump doesn’t think Obama was born in theUnited States. Frankly, we here at Bearing Drift don’tbelieve Donald Trump truly exists. If he did truly exist,he would mail a $100,000 check to Bearing Drift, P.O.Box 16828, Chesapeake, Virginia 23328. We’re waiting.

For the record, all this 2012 presidential and Senatenomination stuff is really sucking the air out ofVirginia’s 2011 races and candidates. Conservatives inVirginia should be 110% aware that every dollardonated to one of these national level candidates nowis one dollar that could have been spent taking backthe Virginia Senate and hold the Virginia House.

The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus asks for twominority congressional districts during redistricting.Bearing Drift casually recommends a minority districtin Northern Virginia around Gerry Connolly’s district.Democrats quietly withdraw their request. Imagine that.

Senator Harry Reid says the Senate won’t even discussthe plan announced by the House GOP in Washingtonwith a series of cuts totaling $4 trillion over 10 years,but this $400 billion average is well below the gaping$1.6 trillion hole the Congress needs to fill this year.

Virginia’s DIS used Microsoft Silverlight during thestampede to discover the newly drawn House andSenate districts. Bearing Drift was up with the firstscreen captures, as DIS struggled to keep up with thebandwidth. Other press outlets quickly matched thedata with Google Earth, and a combination ofindependent and traditional media outlets came upwith more data and better maps while Virginiastruggled. Bloggers and MSM 1, Virginia DIS 0.

Not to turn back to Libya for too long, but what aboutIran? Syria? Sierra Leone? Liberia? Bahrain? SaudiArabia? The details of the Obama Doctrine seem toindicate that America should only intervene in odd-numbered crises. Perhaps that’s the secret toObama’s college hoops bracket success?

Speaking of earning the right to debate, the panoplyof challengers to former Governor George Allen iscertainly trying. Allen’s political machine has raked insuch luminaries as Michael Thomas, Richard Crouse,and Katie Wright to run the campaign machine, andthey have been very consistent about marketing theircandidate, getting him to events, and letting the worldknow what’s on his mind. To date, self-appointedTea Party candidate Jamie Radtke has come off herhigh-water mark in late December 2010. Radtke hasbeen struggling to get the attention of Allen, whoseems more focused on either former DNC ChairmanTim Kaine or current Rep. Bobby Scott. A recentPublic Policy Polling survey showed Allen with acomfortable 67% lead over all other challengers, withPrince William Delegate Bob Marshall polling at adistant 7%. All other names -- Radtke included --polled within the 4 point margin of error… not a goodsign for wannabe Davids against the Allen Goliath.

Talking about another way to get attention, politicalnewcomer David McCormick called out Jamie Radtke’snegative campaign tactics, highlighting her divisive andnegative efforts thus far to call attention to hercampaign. This certainly won’t catapult McCormickinto top-challenger status, nor will the shooting


TheReemergenceof Federalism

Special Guest Articleby Ken CuccinelliAttorney General of Virginia

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More than 200 years ago, ourFounding Fathers fought for theright to form their own governmentto secure and protect in perpetuitytheir natural rights – the rights oflife, liberty, and property.

Those who inspired and crafted ourfederal constitution – Mason,Madison, Jefferson, Henry, andRandolph – also drafted theConstitution of Virginia. And in theConstitution of Virginia theyincluded a critical statement thatsaid, “no free government, nor theblessings of liberty, can bepreserved . . . but by frequentrecurrence to fundamentalprinciples.”

Our founders told us that ourliberty could not be preservedwithout frequently referring backto fundamental principles ...whatwe now call “first principles.”While the founders pledged theirlives, their fortunes, and theirsacred honor to defend our firstprinciples, we have often takenthose principles for granted, as wehave become complacent thatgovernment will take care of everyproblem.

We have asked government to domore for us, and all the govern-ment asks for in return is a little bitmore of our liberty. Over thedecades, we kept asking. Andbecause the courts and thepoliticians were all too happy tooblige regardless of what theConstitution said, we now no longerhave a federal government oflimited powers. We have a centralgovernment – a government that

exists to plan and control virtuallyevery aspect of our lives and oureconomy – from health care, toenergy, to automobile manu-facturing, to banking and insurance.

I am grateful though, that in thelast two years, people have finallywoken up ...and they are pushingback. They are demandingaccountability, and thataccountability is measured by theyardstick of the Constitution.

With this pushback, we are seeingfederalism reemerge, wherepeople want to return to a federalgovernment of limited, enumeratedpowers. Yes, we are seeingfederalism reemerge, where statesare serving as a check when thefederal government oversteps itsconstitutional bounds. That is arole in which I am especially proudto play a part.

In fact, I have never been aware ofa time in history when this manystates have sued the federalgovernment to rein in its power, asis the case with the federal healthcare act. Today, more than half ofthe states are parties to lawsuitsagainst the federal government’sindividual health insuranceMandate.

Virginia’s lawsuit against thefederal health care act is a real-world example of federalism inaction. We were the first state inthe nation to argue in federal courtthat the act is unconstitutional.

When we brought this suit back inMarch 2010, most media outletsand many legal experts said thatwe did not have a chance. One law

I have never beenaware of a time inhistory when this manystates have sued thefederal government torein in its power, asis the case with thefederal health care act.professor said our argument aboutconstitutionality was, if notfrivolous, close to it. Another legalexpert said our case relied on a“controversial reading of theConstitution.” Apparently, it iscontroversial to apply theConstitution as it was written.Others said that we were justpracticing political posturing andthat our effort was in vain.

But back in August, when thefederal judge in our case ruledagainst the federal government’smotion to dismiss our suit, the tonestarted to change. Now with thedecision by that same judge thatthe mandate is unconstitutional,the assertions that we did notstand a constitutional chance arefading fast.

Our lawsuit rests on two basicarguments. The first one is thatthe government’s attempt to usethe Constitution’s CommerceClause to mandate people to buy aprivate product – in this case,private health insurance – goesbeyond Congress’s enumeratedpowers. The reason there hasnever been a mandate like this inall of American history is because,up until now, everyone knewCongress lacked the power to do it.

Continued on Page 10Photo by Jane Dudley




Then Senator Cuccinelli converses with Senator Creigh Deeds on the Senate Floor.Photo by Jane Dudley

Just look back to 1774. The FirstContinental Congress sent a jointdeclaration to King George III andParliament to put them on noticethat they would boycott Britishgoods until the Stamp Act and theIntolerable Acts were repealed.Much to the king’s dismay, his ownlawyer told Parliament that theboycott was legal under British lawand that the colonists could not beforced to buy specific goods.

Yet in 2010, we had a president anda Congress that believed they couldcompel Americans to buy a privateproduct even when the King ofEngland and Parliament knew thatthey did not have that authorityback in the 18th century when wewere mere subjects!

The federal government has arguedin court that it can use theCommerce Clause to order you intocommerce to buy government-approved health insurance. Itclaims that not buying healthinsurance is as much of aneconomic activity as buying it is,and therefore it can regulate yourdecision. Non-activity is the sameas activity? Someone inWashington needs a dictionary.

The same reasoning used to forceyou to buy health insurance couldbe used to order you to buy a car,

vegetables, or a gym membership.If Virginia loses this suit and thefederal government is allowed tocross this line, Congress will begranted a virtually unlimited powerto order you to buy or do anything.

The second argument in this suit is:Because Congress does not havethe power to mandate you to buy aprivate product and penalize you ifyou do not, the government cannotall of a sudden start calling thepenalty a tax instead to try to makeit legal. This is the ObamaAdministration’s fallback position ifit loses its Commerce Clauseargument. A tax to pay for a healthcare scheme would beconstitutional under Congress’sauthority to tax.

But when Congress and PresidentObama debated the health carelaw, they repeatedly said the finefor not buying government-approved health insurance was apenalty, not a tax. Under the lawthey passed, it works as a penalty,

not as a tax (a tax is intended toraise revenue; if the penalty worksas planned, many would buyinsurance, few would pay thepenalty, and little revenue wouldbe raised). One is constitutional,the other is not. The administrationcannot simply change the meaningof words after the fact, now that itrealizes its Commerce Clauseargument is on shaky ground.Congress would have to go backand pass the law as a tax –something which is politicallyuntenable for them.

We will soon see with whicharguments the next federal courtagrees, as we will be arguing thecase in the U.S. Fourth Circuit Courtof Appeals on May 10.

Whatever the ruling, this case willend up in front of the U.S. SupremeCourt. That is why we are alsoasking the Supreme Court to hearthe case on an expedited basis; inother words, to skip over the FourthCircuit and take the case directly.

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We have asked the court toexpedite the case because delay inknowing whether this law will bearound two years from now or notimposes crippling uncertainty uponthe states, individuals, andbusinesses. We need this resolvedas quickly as possible – for thegood of our people and oureconomy.

As bad a blow to federalism as thefederal health care act is, theconsequences of what the EPA hasin store for us are just as offensiveto our freedom and our economy.The EPA is another front inVirginia’s federalism fight.

Last year, the EPA declared thatcarbon dioxide and other green-house gases were pollutantsdangerous to public health becausethey allegedly caused globalwarming. But let us rememberthat this dangerous pollutant,carbon dioxide, is what we exhalefrom our bodies every second ofevery day.

Continued on Page 12

This ruling gave the EPA theimmense power to regulate CO2emissions. For its ruling, the EPArelied primarily on data from aUnited Nations global warmingreport. But emails leaked in 2009in the Climategate scandal showedthat some of the world’s prominentclimatologists manipulated data tooverstate the effects of carbondioxide on the environment. Muchof the U.N. report relied on thatquestionable data, and the EPArelied on that U.N. Report.

Photo by Jane Dudley

Even long-time proponent of globalwarming theory, climate researcherJudith Curry of Georgia Tech, cameout recently and said that there isno question that data in the U.N.report is misleading and that “it isobvious that there has beendeletion of adverse data” thatwould work against the theory ofrapid global warming in the lastcentury.


In February 2010, my officepetitioned the EPA to voluntarilyreopen its hearings, so that thisnew evidence could be reviewed.Instead, the EPA chose to ignoreour request, and, in fact, ignore thelaw. So, we filed a federal lawsuitto force the hearings reopened,and we are still awaiting our daycourt.

If the EPA is allowed to moveforward with its regulation ofcarbon dioxide, costs to householdsare projected to increase bythousands of dollars annuallybecause of increased energy coststo heat homes and powerappliances. Add to that theincreased costs for food and anyother goods that require energyto manufacture or transport.Talk about taxing the poor.

Since the revelations from theleaked emails became public, somescientists involved in the reporthave had to readdress theirresearch. For example,

� they now admit that there isno scientific evidence that theHimalayan glaciers will melt by2035 because of carbondioxide-induced globalwarming, or that the seas arerising due to warming, or thatAfrican agriculture will collapseby 2020;

� Professor Phil Jones, one of thechief climatologists behindglobal warming theory, admitsthat there has been no realwarming for the last 15 years,all the while his colleagues’computer models predicteddisastrous warming during thattime;

� Jones has also admitted that theearth went through a warmingperiod during the Middle Ages –long before there were factoriesand cars and airplanes emittingCO2 into the atmosphere;



� when pressed to let otherscientists see his data, Jonessaid that he could notreproduce the all-importanttemperature data he and hiscolleagues used to convince theworld of impending climatecatastrophe. Somehow, it justgot lost.

The regulations will also costbusinesses hundreds of millions ofdollars in increased energy costs,and could price manufacturing,agriculture, energy, and otherindustries out of business or forcethem overseas, resulting in evenmore Virginia job losses.

Then there is the cost to personalliberty. In Great Britain, thegovernment has discussedrationing personal carbonallowances where everyone wouldbe assigned a limited amount ofcarbon dioxide they would beallowed to emit while driving theircars, heating their homes, orkeeping their lights on.

These are serious consequences ofdecisions made by unelectedbureaucrats. All we are asking theEPA to do is to look at all the data,not just the data that supports theworld view of the people in charge.

This lawsuit has proven to me thateven asking the government tofollow its own rules is consideredradical. I have been accused ofbeing a flat earther and an enemy

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For years, we have asked thefederal government to do morefor us, and all the governmentasked for in return was a little bitmore of our liberty. Today, citizensand state governments across thecountry are finally waking up andsaying “no more.”

We took a stand. Our FoundingFathers would be proud. Futuregenerations will be eternallygrateful.

of science. Nothing could befurther from the truth. I am notonly an attorney, I was also anengineer. As a former engineer, Ihave a certain trust in science: themath, the scientific method, thecertainties of the laws of physics,and the quest for new answers.However, when science getstainted by politics and money andfacts get ignored in the name ofadvancing a political agenda, it isno longer science. If it is, then weshould call it what it really is:political science.

With the EPA’s attempt to regulateour lives by regulating themanufacture and transport ofpractically everything we buy, andwith the government’s attempt totake over our healthcare system,we face some of the mostsignificant and unprecedentederosions of liberty in our lifetimes.

Our health care lawsuit is not abouthealth care, it is about freedom.Our EPA lawsuit is not about globalwarming, it is about freedom. Ourfight with the federal governmentover the boundaries of theConstitution is not about grabbingheadlines, ...it is about freedom.

Photo by Jane Dudley

Photo by Greg Letiecq

Advertise with Bearing Driftand reach a whole newgeneration.

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Time to Reform Virginia’sRelationship with Local Governmentby Shaun V. Kenney

So at the very last minute, Richmond gave herlocalities a $75 million reprieve when it came topublic education. Yet the cuts to the VirginiaRetirement Service, CSA funding, deputies, andvirtually every other layer of government all camecrashing down and around Virginia’s localities.

Local governments across the Commonwealth arenow dealing with the ramifications of both federaland state reductions in tax revenue, as well as a soureconomy back home. To make matters worse, somelocalities have their own added headaches whetherfrom a reliance on a booming housing market, tobonds for infrastructure projects unfathomable atany other time but sold as sound thinking in a boommarket.

Thus are localities in Virginia trying to meetresponsibilities to public education, public safety, andsocial services -- as well as a host of unfunded orpartially funded mandates from either Washington orRichmond.

Conservatives are now stuck with a dilemma of sorts.Those who have beaten the Reaganesque mantra ofgovernment being close to home are now discoveringtheir constituencies have little thrift for paying morein taxes for the same level of services. Likewise,many conservatives are railing against the increasedproperty taxes required to maintain level funding forcounty services.

What the heck is going on here?

For Virginians, it’s important to understand preciselyhow your government works and doesn’t work. Toooften people preach constitutional restraint withouthaving flipped to page one of their VirginiaConstitution. Therein lies the problem -- Virginia’s

relationship with her local government is confinedwithin the boundaries of outmoded and outdatedexpectations, including the oft-cherished Dillon Rule,that while it provides one set of rules for all localitiesin Virginia, woefully under prepares them to operatein a 21st century environment.

The catch then becomes this: Richmond’s electedofficials, desperate to avoid a tax increase whiledealing with macro-economic pressures, will shiftmany of their responsibilities back onto localities inorder to balance the books.

140 legislators slap backs and shake hands on a jobwell done, being able to promise the same serviceswhile the responsibility of paying for them is left tocountless elected officials in 134 different localitiesacross the Commonwealth. After all, what’s thepolitical careers of a few county supervisors,right?

One concrete example is public education. In Virginia,public education isn’t a mere privilege as it might beunder the U.S. Constitution. Thanks to the heritage ofThomas Jefferson, a free and quality public educationis, indeed, a basic right:

ARTICLE VIII, Section 1. Public schools of highquality to be maintained.

The General Assembly shall provide for a systemof free public elementary and secondary schoolsfor all children of school age throughout theCommonwealth, and shall seek to ensure that aneducational program of high quality is establishedand continually maintained.

Let’s re-emphasize the words “an educationalprogram of high quality” right there.

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What does this mean for John Q. Taxpayer? It meansthat, no matter how the money is spent, no matterwhat the money is wasted on, if Virginia’s schoolboards say it costs X to maintain “an educationalsystem of high quality” then you’d bloody damn wellpay for it. QED.

For most localities in Virginia, public education costscan run as high as 70% or 80% of the locality’s totalbudget. And like every locality in Virginia, there areonly handful of ways to pay for it, the foremost ofwhich is the real estate property tax.

Property taxes have to be the most ridiculous, crude,barbaric, and regressive form of taxation known tomankind. They make you a permanent lessee of yourproperty and a permanent serf of your home,irrespective of your income or ability to pay. Thismeans that families with two incomes and no kids payjust as much as the mother with four childrenstruggling to make ends meet. And every increase inthe property tax is one more step away for workingfamilies to achieve the American dream.

Of course, this is not the only tool in the 18th centurymedical kit that localities may use to carve up thetaxpayer. Real estate property taxes, personalproperty taxes, machinery and tool taxes, andBusiness and Professional Occupancy License(BPOL) taxes are just a variety of frighteningconcoctions we can devise.

But wait -- there’s more!

Sales taxes are automatically imposed byVirginia, for which a locality derives 1%.But there are other considerations suchas meals taxes (as high as 8% or more insome localities), hotel taxes, land use taxes for farmers, merchants capitaltaxes, utilitylicense taxes,cable TV taxes,motor vehiclelicense taxes,minerals taxes,refuse andrecycling taxes,

impact fees and public right of way fees, bankfranchise taxes, communications taxes, short termdaily rental taxes, and even a tax on legal records.

Some localities are even taxing mopeds ($15 permoped in Bedford County) and bowling ($0.05 agame in Falls Church).



Time to Reform Virginia’s Relationship with Local GovernmentContinued from Page 15

The problem with all of these varieties of taxation isthat none of them keep up with the true economicpower of the locality where they were levied. Surethis worked in the 19th century when property andagriculture were the true powers of wealth. In today’sVirginia, all of these modes of taxation are woefullyregressive and grossly punitive.

Worse, for local City Councils or Boards ofSupervisors, the entire weight of responsibility for thetax rates -- whether hiked or decreased -- is entirelyon their shoulders, while the mismanagement ofthese resources is largely within the hands of manyschool boards across Virginia. These school boardsare responsible for one charge alone -- providing aquality system of education. They are not responsiblefor fiscal mismanagement… and so even in the bestrun locality, the schools spend… the council or boardsets the rate.

How do we fix this problem? The problem in my mindremains three fold: (1) Richmond is slouching on herconstitutionally mandated responsibilities to localgovernments, particularly with regard to education,(2) school boards need to be made accountable fortheir spending behaviors, and (3) the system oftaxation with regard to localities needs to bemassively overhauled.

The answer? Virginia is a state wedded to tradition,and very cool to radical change. Yet is is abundantlyclear that the current alchemy is unwieldy, unfair, andgenerating massive amounts of waste and duplicationin effort. Surely there is leadership in Richmondwilling to contest with the Leviathan?

If so, may I offer a few generalized points of solution?

First, Richmond needs to clearly demarcate herresponsibilities and meet them accordingly, andclearly draw lines where the localities should beexpected to meet their requirements. Localities inturn need to understand clearly which areas of localgovernment need to be funded strictly by the locality

and which ones are not. If the demarcation line isthat the state picks up the total cost of educationaccording to either the LCI (or a more equitableformula) and allow localities to pick up the rest,so be it. But the current guessing game only helpsthose lobbyists who squabble for the largest slice ofthe pie from Richmond -- and certainly not ourstudents or constitutional officers who must beartheir ultimate cost.

Second, either Virginia’s school boards require thetaxing authority independent of their localgovernments in order to bring direct accountabilityfor their spending habits, or they need to becompletely abolished and consolidated with the localexecutive. That way, should local Boards ofSupervisors or City Councils have the dual authority,they will also have the direct accountability needed toreform and streamline Virginia’s schools to the benefitof both teachers and students alike.

Third, localities desperately need the latitude toabolish their current methods of taxation and replacethem with a fair, even, and balanced method oftaxation -- starting perhaps with a flat tax consistingof either sales or income along with an abolishmentof the system of property taxation. Virginia can stillmaintain her Dillon Rule, but legislators in Richmondshould be absolutely clear that property taxes et al.will disappear in favor of a fair, equitable tax systemin which every taxpayer and small business in thelocality will be gainfully invested.

Next, Virginia’s government needs to take on themandate of Governor Bob McDonnell and aggressivelyabolish the practice of unfunded mandates tolocalities. Such as system is decried at the federallevel when it is done to states; it is the height ofhypocrisy for Virginia to then turn around and do thesame to 134 counties and cities under her stewardship.

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Finally, Virginia’s political activists need to understandquickly that this system of federal taxation compiledwith state taxations trickles down to the local levelwhere the treads of government ultimately touch thepavement. Take your total county or city budget anddivide it by the population. In Fluvanna, thatcommitment translates into $5,800 per person. Areyou seeing a similar impact from your localgovernment? If not, why not?

Further, take the time to read your state constitution.Understand why those laws exist. Understand yourlocal budget, and why the entire system is wrappedup in public education. Many folks rail against theU.S. Department of Education without realizing thatin Virginia, we are totally committed as aconstitutional right for a free and quality system ofpublic education.

There are many who would argue that we no longerhave that guarantee of quality, though the price tagfor education has skyrocketed over the 15 years. Asa homeschooling father of six, even if Virginia metJefferson’s standard, I would more than likelycontinue to educate my children at home where I canbe promised a Catholic classically-based education.Regardless, we exist in a community, and such aneducation system that promotes the common goodoffers both my children and my neighbors the bestopportunity of living in a free and prosperous society.

Most importantly, get involved in local politics. Thereare many who would like to treat your localgovernment as a philanthropic society. It is mostcertainly not. Government, no matter what its form,is force -- brutal and unfeeling. Our friends on the leftdo not understand this concept, and while there arevoices on the right who would love nothing more thanto reduce government to bare bones, a properlyformed conservative conscience recognizes that sortof libertinism for what it is -- reckless and survivalist.

Education, public safety, constitutional officers, andall of these things are the vigilance we pay to createthe sphere where public liberty can thrive where itmatters most -- at the local level. Virginia’srelationship to her localities should be built aroundthis principle, and when it is not, voters shouldchallenge their state leadership in the most direct

and respectful terms possible.

When local government ceases to function properly,that’s when the winds of change blow… for ill orgood. It remains for Richmond to have the courageto reform the relationship, or step aside forresponsible leadership to govern.

I have every reason to be confident that we’ll seeprogress in Richmond on these matters, and in thenear future. Taxpayers will run out of supervisors,city councilmen, and school boards to blame. Thefiscal vise we have placed our taxpayers in by way oflocal government cannot feasibly survive under itscurrent framework much longer.

Richmond needs the courage to fix where ourgovernment has the closest contact to its citizens.Should the powers-that-be in Richmond chooseotherwise, neglecting this defective relationship willonly made things much, much worse for taxpayersand local services alike.

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The US budget is massive. The Congressionalbudgeting process is unwieldy. While the outlineof the US Budget and how it is enacted are easilyunderstood, only a small minority of ourRepresentatives truly understand the details ofwhat is contained in the federal budget and whyit is there.

Cutting spending - any spending - in Washington is nosimple matter. Every program has a constituency.Every constituency has an agenda. Members ofCongress know that crossing too many powerfulconstituencies can have electoral consequences.

Numbers from the Top

National Debt: > $14,000,000,000,000

2010 Deficit: $1,600,000,000,000

National Debt Day: July 27th - after this day, allremaining spending in the 2011 calendar yearis borrowed.

Foreign Obligations: $8,400,000,000,000 - 47%of our debt is owed to foreign countries.

Interest paid in 2010: $196,194,000

Interest estimated for 2016: $562,186,000

US Budget in Focusby Eve Marie Barner Gleason

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So, Washington politicians play a game of “kick thecan down the road.” Every so often, you will hearthem opine, as Senator Mark Warner did on camerawith the Federal Times in March, about requiringgovernment to become more efficient:“We can dothis one of two ways, we can come in with a meatcleaver and just arbitrarily cut programs willy nilly orkind of have across the board cuts that are notnecessarily smart or we can engage with our federalworkforce and ask the people who actually run theprograms, ‘how do we become more efficient,consolidate’ and ask our federal workers to bepartners in this effort.”

Yet even the President’s own bi-partisan NationalCommission on Fiscal Responsibility suggested farmore drastic measures. As anyone who has studiedthe federal balance sheets knows, nearly forty centsof every dollar Congress spends is borrowed.Tinkering with the efficiency of current federaldepartments and programs is not a long termsolution to our debt crisis.

The last Congress punted its responsibility to passa budget. Instead, it passed a series of continuingresolutions, the last one funding the governmentthrough March 6, 2011. During the 2010campaign season, House Republicans releasedtheir Pledge to America andpromised to cut $100 billionfrom 2011 spending.

As a result, the HouseRepublican majority faces twolarge budget and spending tasks,one on top of the other. First,the House is trying to avert agovernment shut down whilekeeping the spirit of their Pledgeto America. Second, they arepoised to release a 2012 budgetthat contrasts sharply with thePresident’s budget, and beginsthe process of meaningfullyrestructuring entitlementprograms.

If House Republicans can gain the support of enoughSenate Democrats and the White House to push asubstantial portion of their 2011 spending reductionsthrough, then they may well be able to guide thenational conversation on entitlement reform anddebt reduction.

So far, it looks like an uphill battle. In the most openprocess members and Congressional aides canremember, the House debated a continuingresolution (CR) to fund government operationsthrough the end of the 2011 fiscal year. Democratsand conservative Republicans introduced numerousamendments.

As anyone who has studiedthe federal balance sheetsknows, nearly forty centsof every dollar Congressspends is borrowed.



US Budget in FocusContinued from Page 19

For the most part, Democrat amendments weredesigned to expose Republican legislators to toughvotes, such as Gerry Connolly’s (D-11) amendment torestore $150 million in Metro safety funding that wasabsent from the majority’s CR. Conservatives fromthe Republican Study Committee introducedamendments to cut spending by an additional $22billion. Both types of amendments failed and Houseleadership passed a CR that reduced 2011 spendingby $61 billion compared to 2010 levels and $100billion compared to the President’s request. Themeasure was dead on arrival in the Senate, forcing theHouse leadership to back successive short-term CRswhich have kept the government functioning whileleaving funding for the rest of the year unresolved.

The next big step for legislators is the 2012 budget.The President presented his budget proposal to theHouse on February 14th. Virginia’s own Eric Cantor(R-7) immediately issued a statement accusing thePresident of refusing to do tough budgetary work:“President Obama has used tough rhetoric about theneed to get our fiscal house in order, even assemblinga bipartisan commission to address entitlementspending which accounts for more than half of ourfederal budget including Social Security, Medicareand Medicaid. Unfortunately, the President againfailed to put action behind his words by neglecting toeven acknowledge these tough issues that everyoneknows drive up our debt and must be reformed ifthey are to meet their obligations for youngerAmericans.”

Cantor promised that Republicans would present theirown budget - and that it would meaningfully addressentitlement reform. In fact, Congressman Paul Ryan,who has been one of the few leaders in his own partyto actually put forward serious entitlement reformideas, now has the top spot on the BudgetCommittee. But with the Senate controlled by theDemocratic Party, it is unlikely Ryan’s budget will everget to the President’s desk. Democratic opposition is

Unfortunately, the Presidentagain failed to put action behindhis words by neglecting to evenacknowledge these tough issuesthat everyone knows drive up ourdebt and must be reformed if theyare to meet their obligations foryounger Americans.”House Majority Leader Eric CantorPhoto by Jane Dudley

not the only problem budget-conscious HouseRepublicans face, however. Within their caucus,several factions are threatening defection. Somemembers are impatient, believing that the newbudget should eliminate the deficit immediately;others are intransigent, refusing to even considercuts to one or more favored spending areas,especially defense.

Independent analysis and tables from the WhiteHouse Office of Management and Budget as well asthe Congressional Budget Office confirm that the longterm budget outlook is severe. Stanford EconomistJohn Taylor says that merely reaching a balancedbudget by 2019 would require an immediate 60percent tax increase on all individuals and businesses.From a business perspective, the situation is simple:we are spending more than we have and charging therest. As the deficits get bigger, they add to the debtand the magic of compounded interest does the rest.The amount of interest the U.S. is expected to payon our debt is expected to nearly triple from 2010 to2016.

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For over a year, a team of financial experts assembledand led by Mary Meeker analyzed US governmentbalance sheets to see if a turnaround was possible. InFebruary of this year, Bloomberg Business Weekpublished their findings. They found that “Medicareand Medicaid are the crushers for USA Inc. Excludingthem and one-time charges, the "core business"shows a median net profit margin of 4 percent overthe past 15 years.” In short, we are 14 years awayfrom a meltdown - when entitlement spending andinterest payments alone will consume every penny offederal revenues unless taxes are raised orentitlements are restructured drastically. That wouldleave no monies remaining for national defense,federal courts and prisons, the FBI, embassies, cabinetdepartments or any other federal governmentfunction. Meeker concludes that “USA, Inc” facesserious financial challenges but they can be fixed, if“citizen-shareholders... embrace the need for boldaction, [then] their political leaders should find thecourage to do what's right.”

The data is not encouraging for big spenders. It is notenough to trim waste, fraud, abuse and duplicationfrom the budget with a fiscal scalpel. Althoughinefficiencies need to be addressed, far more drasticaction is required if our country is to remain a goodinvestment for the citizen-shareholders of the future.

In short, repairing the United States’ budget crisisrequires an informed and motivated public – willingto endure the challenges of restructuring entitlementprograms. Only when the public is clamoring forthese changes will our politicians have the courage toimplement them.

One hundred and fifty yearsago this month, the United Statesbegan a war with itself for its verysurvival – as did Virginia. The nationsurvived intact; the Commonwealthdid not – losing a third of itsterritory to the new state of WestVirginia. The attempt by severalsouthern states, of which Virginiawas supposedly one, to leave theUnion has since been dubbed theLost Cause. This is, in part, toreflect what now seems to be theinevitable advantages the Unionhad, and to add some romanticismto the Confederate effort. Anexamination of the events from1861-65, however, give us anotherreason: for the sake of the nation,the Commonwealth, and the limitedgovernment philosophy on whichboth were founded, the Confederacyis cause that best not be “found.”

At first, the damage done to Virginiaseems easy to determine. A third ofthe state was lost in the WestVirginia formation of 1863; whatremained was devastated by thewar itself. No other state sufferedthe damage Virginia did. At thesame time, however, many wouldsay that the Confederates deserve,at most, half of the blame for thatresult – the “North” did decide tofight, after all.

As logical as that may sound, evenlogic must give way to history. Theaction that led the secessionists inVirginia to take the plunge into theConfederacy was Lincoln’s call fortroops to repress the force in SouthCarolina that had seized FortSumter. To hear the defenders ofHenry Wise (ex-Governor andleading secessionist) and John

by D.J. McGuire

Commemoratingthe 150th Anniversaryof the Civil War

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Letcher (current Governor in 1861)tell it, the alternatives were starkand clear – join the president’sattempt to suppress the rebellionor defend fellow southerners. Thatinterpretation suffers greatly onceone looks just next door toKentucky, formerly a part ofVirginia and facing its own politicaland regional divisions over theconflict. Kentuckians didn’t likefighting their fellow southernerseither, but rather than throw inwith the rebellion, they chose“neutrality” – and the LincolnAdministration accepted this.Rather than force Kentucky’s badlydivided state government to fill itstroop quota, Lincoln relied on localunionists to do the job while thepolitics in Frankfurt sorted itselfout. In time, Unionism in Kentuckycarried the day. North Carolina wasgiven a similarly wide berth byWashington until it narrowly choseto secede – in part due to thehell-bent speed of Wise andLetcher to the north.

So a third alternative was open,even after Fort Sumter. Thesecessionists refused to consider it,instead pushing the convention fora vote to leave the Union (with anunauthorized seizure of Harper’sFerry by a Wise-backed militiapresented to the conventioneersbefore the vote as the coup degrace) to be “ratified” by a popularreferendum conducted asConfederate troops were alreadystationed in the Commonwealth.Adding insult to injuries, severalUnionist counties in northwestVirginia were never included in thevote totals. That those countiesbecame the launching pad ofefforts to form West Virginiashould surprise no one.

Confederate sympathizers mayprefer to focus on federal heavy-handedness in Maryland (whichalso came after the Virginiasecession, and thus was coloredby it), but Lincoln’s light touch inKentucky is a far better example ofhis Upper South policy. Clearly,Virginia could have bided her timefor much of 1861. TheCommonwealth’s secessionists hadother ideas, and theirdetermination to run roughshod ofthe rule of law – by even thestandards of the Confederacy –drove the western Unionists tobreak away from Virginia andturned the rest of the state into anamalgamated killing field.

However, Virginia lost somethingelse due to the war, something thathas been forgotten over thegenerations: its voice.

Prior to 1861, Virginia was one ofthe most important states in theUnion, and not just because of itshistory. Its unique mix of northernand southern, farming and mining,eastern and western, etc., gave it anational voice unmatched by anyother state. Admittedly, thesecessionists wanted no part of theUnion anyway, but their decision –along with the subsequent loss ofthe resource-rich northwest –deprived Virginia of that nationalvoice forever.


Virginia lost somethingelse due to the war,

something that has beenforgotten over the

generations: its voice.


viciously enforced by Jeffersonhimself). While much of thehistoriography of states’ rights isdominated by the 1832 SouthCarolina tariff nullification,Pennsylvania arguably threw amore dramatic gauntlet atWashington in 1826 when iteffectively declared following the1793 Fugitive Slave Act to be astate felony. Even the SupremeCourt only partially overturned thePennsylvania statute in Prigg v.Pennsylvania in 1842 (the decisionstill allowed northern states to bangovernment officials from helpingto recover escaped slaves; andseveral northern states did so).

This was nothing compared to thenorthern reaction to theCompromise of 1850. In the tumultof that year, the central govern-ment refused statehood to aqualifying U.S. territory for the firstand only time in history (NewMexico, which then comprised ofNew Mexico and Arizona, and hadasked for admission as a free state).

Yet even that was nothingcompared to northern states’ angerto the new Fugitive Slave Law.Vermont ordered its judges toopenly defy the law and assistescaped slaves. Several other NewEngland states (plus Michigan andWisconsin) passed similar personalliberty laws designed specifically toblock enforcement of the FugitiveSlave Law. Wisconsin’s SupremeCourt went so far as to declare thelaw unconstitutional.

Occasionally, Virginia’s uniquebalance still shone through: theReadjuster period of the 1880s andGovernor Linwood Holton’sdramatic reaction to court-ordereddesegregation in 1970 (while hedisapproved of the court’s decision,he personally walked his daughterto John F. Kennedy High School,even though his family wasexempted from the order).However, they were no longerperceived as actions typical of anational leader, but rather outliersof a capital-s Southern state. Thewar turned Virginia from a nationleader to a sectional outlier.

Virginia wasn’t the only thing“regionalized” by the war. Moreominously, the Jeffersonianphilosophy of limited centralgovernment was dramaticallyreduced from a national concept toa regional, “southern” one.

Contrary to popular belief, “states’rights” was not always a southernmantra. Northern and southernstates jealously guarded theirpowers against Washington’sencroachment in the antebellumera. In fact, some of the mostpowerful attempts to block theexpansion of federal power camein the 1850s as northern statespushed back against the FugitiveSlave Law (much to southerners’chagrin).

Northern concern over federalencroachment went as far back asNew England’s ire at the 1807Embargo (ironically proposed and

Continued from Page 23Southern reaction to this exerciseof states’ rights was almostuniformly negative. Politicians whoin the 1860s were citing SouthCarolina’s 1832 tariff nullificationwith glowing approval spent the1850s railing against northernstates challenging the FugitiveSlave Law as dangerous anarchists.In short, a strong federalgovernment was just fine withsouthern voters and officials – aslong as those sympathetic tosoutherners were runningWashington. Only when they lostcontrol of the executive branch(in 1860) did southern stateschoose to secede. The Confederatestates didn’t exemplify the states’rights cause; they hijacked it.

Contrary to popularbelief, “states’ rights”

was not alwaysa southern mantra.

By the time the war that secessionwould start had ended, the notionof “states rights” was so damagedthat it has taken over a century torecover (and in many parts of thenation, it still hasn’t). The northernstates’ anger at the Fugitive SlaveLaw was forgotten; southernersdesperate to change the subjectfrom slavery clung to “states’rights” – smearing it with everyfull-throated defense.

Had Virginia’s leaders exercisemore caution (as Kentucky’s did),the Commonwealth would have

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been well positioned to preservethe prerogative of the states inreaction to federal encroachmentafter the war, to say nothing ofbeing spread the loss of the north-west and the destruction to rest ofthe state due to the war. Instead,Virginia was practically ripped inhalf geographically, flattenedeconomically, and pigeonholedpolitically, all for the Lost Cause.

The overwhelming majority ofVirginians who fought for blue orgray (and yes, thousands of 1861Virginians fought for the Union,including the Rock of Chickamauga,General George Thomas) did so forwhat they thought was right. How-ever, with what is now a centuryand a half of hindsight, we canexamine the events of that timeand recognize that those who roseup against the Union made amistake – and the mistake was farmore than just the assumption thata person can ownanother or the notionthat African descendantsare inferior to Caucasianones. In reality, thosewho tried to leadVirginia out of the Uniondid incalculable andongoing damage to thevery things they soughtto defend and extol:the rights of states toresist federalencroachment and theCommonwealth ofVirginia.

Bearing Drift invites you to ourhistory blog. We’re jumping intothe really way-back-machine andoffering you a blog of events asthey happened in 1861-65from a Virginia Republican’sperspective. Join us for this fiveyear project.http://www.bearingdrift.com/damnthetorpedoes/

Governor Bob McDonnell recognized the Virginia Sesquicentennial ofthe American Civil War by proclaiming April 2011 as Civil War Historyin Virginia Month.

From the proclamation:

WHEREAS, from 2011-2015 a diverse and growing Commonwealth willhost innumerable public events, lectures, re-enactments, seminars,and remembrances covering every aspect of the war, and no state ismore closely connected to this pivotal period of American history, andtherefore no state is better suited to host visitors seeking to learnabout the Civil War, the Confederacy, slavery, emancipation and thefull history of our United States, and for that reason Virginiaencourages visitors from across the country and the world to visit theCommonwealth during this period,

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert F. McDonnell,Governor of Virginia, do hereby recognizeApril 2011 as CIVIL WAR HISTORY IN VIRGINIAMONTH, and urge all Virginians to participatein commemorations of the war’s 150thanniversary and reflect upon the lives of thecourageous men and women of those difficulttimes by attending seminars and conferences,and by visiting battlefields, cemeteries,exhibitions, historical markers, libraries,museums and historical sites throughout theCommonwealth, and by taking part in adiversity of events and activities that highlightour shared history and heritage, as we striveto enact the vision laid out in the preamble tothe United States Constitution of “a moreperfect union.”


Bearing Drift Interview:Network of enlightened Women

Begun in 2004 as a book club on the campus of theUniversity of Virginia, Network of enlightened Women hasexpanded into a national organization where membersmeet to discuss the opportunities and challenges facingwomen today, as well as political issues.

Bearing Drift was able to sit down with Karin Agness,Founder and President of the Network of enlightenedWomen to discuss the group’s beginnings and vision.

Bearing Drift: NeW was established in 2004 at UVA - whydid you sense that there was a need to do this?

Agness: In the summer of 2004, I had the opportunity tointern for the Office of Senator Richard Lugar. I enjoyedbeing surrounded by other women with right-of-centerviews in Washington, DC. Rather than throwing outRepublican and Democrat one-liners, my female colleagueswere eager to talk about nuanced arguments behindlegislative proposals and how the issues of the day affectedwomen. It was exhilarating to hear speakers and staffersexplain how a 500-page bill would affect me as a youngwoman, and it was also refreshing to see how thesewomen were able to balance their extraordinaryachievements with a full family life.

I returned to the University of Virginia for my third year ofcollege that fall, and set about to find some semblance ofthe environment I’d just come from. Unfortunately, all ofthe women’s groups at UVA were dedicated to promotinga liberal agenda. On my way home from class one day, Iwalked by a building called “The Women’s Center.” Ifigured it would be open to all women. I took a tour and atthe end of it I asked, “Would the women’s center beinterested in cosponsoring a group for conservative youngwomen?” The women’s center faculty member looked atme like I was crazy, chuckled and said “not here.”

Disappointed by the lack of resources available forculturally conservative women, I was determined tochange things. I decided to start a club. I founded theNetwork of enlightened Women, called NeW, as a bookclub for conservative women at UVA.

Karin Agness is Founder andPresident of the Network of

enlightened Women.

Bearing Drift: Your organizationhas grown to over 20 campusesnationwide - to what do youattribute its success? What haveyou done to grow theorganization? Has it been wordof mouth or have you targetedspecific campuses?

Agness: There is a demand oncampus for a group forconservative women. NeW hasfilled this niche. NeW’s structure as a book club makes iteasy forwomen at other colleges to start chapters. You reallyjust need a group of conservative women and books tostart a chapter. To start a chapter, a college woman needsto fill out a Prospective NeW Chapter form, available athttp://enlightenedwomen.org/new-chapters/and email it to [email protected]. That will getthe conversation going about starting a chapter. NeW hasspread to campuses across the country through word ofmouth, press coverage of NeW and our NeW blog. Also,we host a national conference in Washington, DC eachsummer, and that event has led to a number of chaptersbeing started. We are eager to expand to more campuses,so if any of your readers are interested, they should emailme at [email protected].

Bearing Drift: Since you were started as a book club, whattypes of books do you read? How does the book club work?

Agness: We have a book list available on our website,which our chapters use as a resource when selecting a book.Last semester, a few of our chapters particularly enjoyedWhat Our Mothers Didn’t Tell Us: Why Happiness Eludesthe Modern Woman by Danielle Crittenden, Who StoleFeminism? by Christina Hoff Sommers and The PoliticallyIncorrect Guide to Women, Sex, and Feminism by CarrieLukas. The book club has provided a good structure for ourchapters. The chapters generally read one book a semester,so the amount of reading for each meeting is notoverwhelming. Reading a chapter or two of a book beforeeach meeting provides enough material for discussion.

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NeW leaders at the 2010 NeW National Conference.

Bearing Drift: Why just college-aged women? Is thisan organization that someday you feel mighttranscend the ivy walls and into the mainstreamConsciousness?

Agness: We have focused on college-aged women becausethat is where we saw a need for NeW. Radical feministshave maintained a particularly strong presence on manycampuses through women’s studies departments, women’scenters and chapters of women’s groups. We havereceived support from women outside of college andinquiries about how they can get involved. At this point,the best way for someone not in college to get involved isto start reading our blog and join the discussion on ourOnline Book Club.

Bearing Drift: Describe the Gentlemen's Showcase. In somerespects, it appears your organization wants to promotegood manners.

Agness: Throughout the month of March, NeW hosts theAnnual NeW Gentlemen’s Showcase. The Gentlemen’sShowcase is an online contest run through Facebook wherecollege men compete to become the NeW Gentleman ofthe Year. We hold this event to recognize and honorgentlemen on campus. Students nominate college men forgentlemanly acts by uploading a video, photo or note toNeW’s Facebook Fan page, available at,http://www.facebook.com/EnlightenedWomen.

Then, people vote by “liking” a nomination. The collegegentleman with the most votes wins a steak dinner for two.The goal of the event is to encourage mutual respectbetween the sexes.

Some individual NeW chapters host their own campus-wideGentlemen’s Showcase event. The University of VirginiaNeW chapter ran a Gentlemen’s Showcase Bracket duringMarch Madness. Men are not just competing on thebasketball court at UVA. Each week, the nominatedgentlemen answer questions, and students vote to

determine who makes it to the next round. Also, NeW atArizona State University has created some videos availableon our website asking students questions such as, “Aremen an endangered species on campus?” and “Aregentlemen extinct?” as part of their Gentlemen’s Showcaseeffort.

The Gentlemen’s Showcase seeks to restore dignity andrespect between the sexes by recognizing and honoringgentlemen. The demise of chivalry doesn’t promoteequality between the sexes. Instead, it breeds mutualdisrespect. We hope to encourage gentlemanly behaviorthrough this event.

The Gentlemen’s Showcase has been covered byThe Daily Caller and Politico.

Bearing Drift: The Gentlemen’s Showcase is focused onmen, so what types of women’s issues do you discuss?

Agness: One of main issues that many NeW chaptersdiscuss is the hook-up culture on campus. Some of thebooks our chapters read discuss how harmful the hook-upculture is particularly to women. Unfortunately, manywomen’s groups are unwilling to speak out against thehook-up culture.

Bearing Drift: What is the mission of NeW?

Agness: The mission of NeW is to foster the education andleadership of conservative university women. We alsoseek to expand intellectual diversity on college campuses.We are trying to create a community of conservativewomen on campus.

Bearing Drift: If readers want to learn more, what is thebest way to do so?

Agness: They can visit our website atwww.enlightenedwomen.org or email me [email protected]. We arelooking to expand to more campuses and to find moresupporters.


Bony Fish and Oily PoliticsVirginia’s Annual Shad Planking is the traditional kickoff to the election season.

by Michael R. Fletcher

Photos by Jane Dudley

Take a drive down Virginia Route 460 this time ofyear and you see the usual abundant signs of spring:dogwood blossoms, colorful azaleas, golden daffodils,and hundreds and hundreds of campaign signs.Seemingly disproportionate to the number ofregistered voters in the small towns that dot this ruralhighway, these campaign signs herald not the comingof spring – but the annual Shad Planking.

The Shad Planking, hosted by the Wakefield RuritanClub, is the unofficial kickoff for the spring politicalseason. Scheduled to be held Wednesday, April 20,this bipartisan event will include Governor BobMcDonnell as the featured speaker.

When it began near Smithfield in the 1930’s, theplanking celebrated the running of the shad in theJames River. At the event, the oily, bony fish aresmoked on wood planks over an open flame – hencethe Shad Planking.

The Shad Planking became a political gathering whenthe Ruritans took it over in 1949. It was exclusively aDemocrat function for many years – noted as muchfor the good ole’ boy politics as the consumption ofalcoholic beverages. Of course, during the years ofthe Byrd Organization, Virginia was almost entirely aDemocrat state. The Shad Planking was traditionallywhere the Democrats “selected” the next Governor ofthe Commonwealth. These days, both major partiesare represented at the Shad Planking, along with asprinkling of Libertarians and Tea Party supporters.

Up until the 1970s, the event was also exclusivelymale. Stories abound that there was no need forporta-johns because, after all, there were trees. Andwith the free-flowing beer … well, I’m not going todraw a picture.

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True to another blemish on Virginia’s political history,the event was also only for whites for too many years.Then State Senator L. Douglas Wilder is believed to bethe first African American to go to the event in 1977.That same year, Washington Post reporter MeganRosenfeld was the first woman to attend the planking.

The headline speaker is traditionally a high rankingofficial. Former Governor Mills Godwin, Jr. has thedistinction of being the only featured speaker who hasheadlined the event as both a Democrat and as aRepublican, coinciding with his terms as governor.Former Attorney General Mary Sue Terry, the firstwoman elected to statewide office in Virginia,remains the only woman to have been the featuredspeaker at the event.

Shad has a long history in the Commonwealth andwas a major source of food for early Virginians.Thomas Jefferson was born on a farm on the RivannaRiver called Shadwell and is said to have eaten his fish“laid open, broiled, and addressed with salt, andbutter.” But few attendees at the Shad Planking arethere for the cuisine, although the bony fish can beenjoyable accompanied by the traditional sides ofVirginia Diner coleslaw, corn muffins and sweet tea.

While the bony fish used to run in abundance inVirginia, overfishing, pollution and dam-building havehad a detrimental effect on the fish population.Commercial shad fishing was banned in Maryland in1980 and Virginia instituted a ban in 1994. Today onlyNative Americans may catch and keep shad andhatcheries on the Pamunkey and Mattaponi Indianreservations are attempting to replenish thepopulation. Fish ladders have been installed onseveral dams in hopes that the fish can find their wayupstream for spawning. Fish for the Wakefield eventare reportedly shipped in from North Carolina andDelaware.

The unique method of planking the fish to cook themis said to be traced back to a Mr. Paul Cox of SurryCounty. Mr. Cox, and friends Dr. E.C. Nettles and Mr.Richard Savedge, invited friends to historic Wrenn’sMill in Isle of Wight County. After they had caughttheir fish in the James River, Mr. Cox introduced thefish-cooking process to his friends.



A “Traditional” Shad Recipe

1. Clean and scale the shad and split it open fromhead to tail.

2. Preheat an oak plank in front of hickory coalsand grease with butter.

3. Place the shad on the hot board with the skinside down and fasten it securely with thumbtacks.

4. Stand the plank on end at a 60-degree angle infront of the coals.

5. Baste frequently with melted butter and shakesalt and pepper over it.

6. When done, remove the tacks, throw the shadaway, and eat the plank.

Seen here as a candidate at the 2009 Shad Planking,Governor Bob McDonnelli was asked to be thefeatured speaker at the 2011 event.

After World War II, Dr. Nettles suggested that theWakefield Ruritan Club adopt the event as an annualfund raising event. Since that time the Shad Plankinghas been held on the third Wednesday in April. Fromthe original attendance of 300, now over 2000 attend.

There’s no written rule that a Virginia politician has toattend the Shad Planking, or that the area has to beplastered with the campaign signs. But perhaps thereis significance in the fact that in 2009, DemocraticSenator and gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds didnot attend.

Bony Fish and Oily PoliticsContinued from Page 29

TheFinal

WardSnarkery and Cartoons

from Ward Smythe & Friends.

No Snarkery here...

Bearing DriftCongratulates

VCU RamsMen’s Basketball Team

On a Great Season

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