Author Archives: Paradox13

About Paradox13

Full time geek, part time suit.

Medicine, Progress, Politics and HIV

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An incredible, amazing headline was posted on CurrentTV’s website this morning:

San Francisco Man First Person Ever To Be Cured Of AIDS

In essence, a bone marrow transplant from a man with an incredibly rare immunity to HIV was able to, apparently, cure another man’s HIV. This is the kind of “miracle of science” we’ve become all too used to. We will do well to reflect on where these incredible advances come from.

This incredible breakthrough is the direct result of progressive perspectives and policies, and flies in the face of conservative opposition and backwardness. At each step of the way towards this advancement, progressive ideas made things possible, even as conservative voices decried the emergence of hope or acknowledgement of human need.

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The 10th Delegate Race

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It wasn’t that long ago that there was a race for Delegate shaping up between incumbent Republican senior citizen Joe May and the young Leesburg Town Council member, Dave Butler. Dave made his intentions to run for Delegate known before the Redistricting fight in Richmond was over. So, it came as a surprise to no one that Joe May conveniently redistricted his opponent out of his District. And yes, the map in this area was Del. May’s doing. As a senior member of the House of Delegates, with incumbency since 1994 (and a perspective rooted in 1994, as well), it was his hand drawing the lines.

Dave Butler is a candidate that one of the most senior, and historically electorally safe, Republicans in the Assembly, did not want to run against.

After the new lines were drawn, Councilmember Butler started visiting with the voters in the new 10th District. From the Winchester Airport, to Boyce in Clarke, to Middleburg, Leesburg and Goose Creek, he has been walking through neighborhoods, talking to Virginians, and listening to the concerns of constituents who do not feel they’re getting their fair share from Richmond.
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The Unemployed Generation

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I am now thirty-six years old. That means that I really cannot qualify as “young” anymore. Monickers such as “younger than…” might still apply, but on the other side of thirty-five, the single designation “young” is inappropriate. I mention this because I am very lucky to count among my friends a good number of people on the other side of that divide. People who are inarguably still young, by any reasonable measure. And among my friends of the generation(ish) following mine, a single issue stalks their lives and decision-making:

Employment.

Of all the cohorts that the Great Recession pummeled, none were hit harder than young people. Indeed, beyond just the anecdotal evidence of friends moving back in with their parents after graduating from some of the best schools (and grad schools!) in the country, the statistics on unemployment among twenty-somethings are frightening. Even as slightly older workers (like me) find jobs and their unemployment rate creeps below 8%, people aged 20 to 24 see a stubborn unemployment rate of 15%. And that rate has stayed high for years. Students have gone through four or eight years of college without seeing any improvement in the economy for themselves when they graduate. And the news is even worse for those who didn’t go to college.

In 2009 and early 2010, it was chic to write articles about this new lost generation. Eighteen months later, their prospects aren’t any better, but they’re no longer good copy. More than lost, they’ve become forgotten – not even worth reporting about.

It will be impossible for America to address its myriad challenges without first, and foremost, putting the generation who will deal with whatever solutions we implement on a solid economic footing. And that means creating and sustaining good jobs for people who have entered the workforce in the past ten years.

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Fighting For What’s Right (Reprised)

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In December 2010, I was involved in a wonderful, though provoking debate about the future of progressive politics in the wake of the November loss of the House of Representatives. In the midst of dealing with the realities that election brought upon the nation, (potential government shutdowns, legislative badgering of the poor and female) it seemed to me appropriate, and uplifting, to return to the lessons I took out of that election.

Of COURSE we need to continue fighting for progressives and progressive policy outcomes at the national level. We will all be better off with better policies from Congress and the President. That being said, the wall off 40 (or more) incorrigibles in the Senate represents a very difficult to breach dam holding back hundreds (no baloney there, the House passed hundreds more bills than the Senate in this past Congress) of pieces of progress on the American experiment.

This of course, begs the question of what we, today, here in Loudoun can do to effect better and more Change at the national level. As I see it there are six specific pressure points on which we can act to yield better outcomes in the medium and long-term.

1. President Obama – We can, and should, exert the pressure of popular Democratic opinion on President Obama. This means letters and resolutions. Sure, some will say that such things “have no effect” but that’s not true. These things have no effect in isolation or limitation. One letter, sent once, is a howl at the moon. A dozen letters, sent monthly, is a demonstration of unity and commitment. One LCDC Resolution, issued alone is a symbolic gesture. A dozen County and City committee resolutions, with similar wording, issued simultaneously is a shot across the bow.

(I, of course, assume that everyone venting their bile at our President has had the decency to let the President himself know how they feel in a letter or at least an email.)

There’s more…

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75 Feet of CBPO

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PhotobucketLoudoun Streams has a post up summarizing the end result of the comprehensive review of the Chesapeake Bay Protection Ordinance (CBPO) that the Board of Supervisors has just completed. Some notable details include the fact that the Board compromised on a 75 foot buffer, and added a slew of exemptions for existing development plans, farm buildings, playsets, sheds and gazebos.

The process of public input, stakeholder discussions and detailed review by our elected officials is actually working, as each of the major and valid criticisms (e.g., buffer size, playset exemptions, owner notification, stream mapping) has been addressed in turn by the Board..

After revisions to the draft ordinance language are complete, the Board of Supervisors has directed that landowners affected by the RPA will get notice letters. According to the schedule proposed by staff, public notice of the proposed draft regulation will be advertised in the newspaper twice before the Board votes to adopt the draft. Final action is tentatively planned for the second Board meeting in July.

Developing this ordinance is only one of many steps that the Board has taken to protect our streams. The County also has plans to work with residents on a pilot watershed program which among other things could highlight voluntary measures homeowners could take to improve our streams. – Loudoun Streams

Clean streams. Now.

Assembly Maps for Loudoun

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Since I couldn’t get the Virginia Redistricting site’s interactive map to work, I spent some time this morning playing with shapefiles and viewing software, along with my computer’s screenshot capabilities. As a result, I present to you the maps, as I understand them, of Assembly Districts (Delegate and Senate) in and around Loudoun County, Virginia.

(Incidentally, Hampton Roads online has a fantastic zoomable map, but I think the data on which it is based is the vetoed plans, rather than the passed, compromise plans from April 28th.)

First, Delegate Districts, as determined by the compromise plans passed on April 28th.
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Next, Senate Districts.
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Finally, Senate Districts with a bit more regional context.
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Hopefully, this will help inform all of the, “wait, does that candidate live in this district?” discussions going on. There are two more images below the jump that dig down into a bit more detail in the Ashburn Area, for people interested in where those lines really fall.
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Clean Streams Rally Monday

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The Loudoun Clean Streams Coalition is a local organization dedicated to the preservation of our local water quality. It has been instrumental in raising awareness about our stressed streams, and advocating for rational, reasonable solutions like the Chesapeake Bay Protection Ordinance (CBPO). The Clean Streams Coalition will be holding a rally in front of the Loudoun County Government Center (1 Harrison St. SE, Leesburg VA) on Monday, May 2nd at 6pm to advocate for the Ordinance.

The Loudoun Clean Streams Coalition will hold a rally at the Loudoun County Government Center on Monday, May 2nd, 2011 from 6:00 to 7:00 PM and we invite you to add your voice and show your support for implementing the Chesapeake Bay Protection Ordinance (CBPO) as a critical way to protect our streams.

As discussed in detail on this website, we believe that implementing the CBPO is an important step toward protecting water quality in county streams – water that ultimately is withdrawn from the Potomac River and Goose Creek to be used for drinking water in most homes in the eastern half of Loudoun County. While we freely admit that the Riparian Buffers (streamside vegetated filter strips) protected by the CBPO will not solve all of the chemical and sediment pollution problems noted in county streams, they are already in place in many areas of the county, require little maintenance, work 24/7 to filter water BEFORE it enters the streams they abut, and are scientifically endorsed as very effective natural filters. Given the seriously compromised state of county streams and the already high levels of sediment and chemical pollutants in the Potomac, the CBPO makes not only good ecological sense but it will save many cents as well by saving the amount of time, money and effort needed by water treatment plants to bring river water to drinking water standards. – Loudoun Clean Streams

The CBPO is more than just smart policy, it’s an important line in the fight over land use. The CBPO is really nothing more than a zoning regulation.
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Patricia Phillips Debt Campaign

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I suppose one way to run for office is to load up your campaign with debt and hope you win.

That seems to be the operating philosophy of Republican Senate hopeful Patricia Phillips. That and spending $7,000 to raise $9,000.

See for yourself.
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In total, Ms. Phillips appears to be running with around $50,000 in loans, when you consider those taken in advance of the first Quarter of 2011. Seems to me that the Republicans in Loudoun County aren’t exactly lining up behind their chosen candidate to oppose Sen. Mark Herring.

(Meanwhile, Sen. Herring raised more money than any Senate candidate.)

Two Guys Walk Into A Bar

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I had lunch at Sal’s in Leesburg today.

When I mow my lawn, postage stamp that it is, I allow myself a beer or two that day. And this morning, I mowed my lawn . So I went to my favorite local watering hole, Sal’s NY Bar & Grill, for lunch.

At the bar was a gentleman who worked in the construction business. A long time Loudoun resident, he had some choice comments about Scott York, among others. It surprised me to hear that he was a big supporter of Mr. Eugene Delgaudio.

At that point, two beers in that I might have been, I expressed my personal disdain for Mr. Delgaudio. My barmate expressed his opinion that the Supervisor represented his constituents. I said that might have been true of the Sterling 20 years ago, but it is not true of Sterling today. I told my fellow-drinker-of-inexpensive-beer that it is the responsibility of an elected official to represent and serve ALL his or her constituents. I told him that the Sterling Supervisor had failed to do so. I told him that I strongly, strongly opposed any elected officials who referred to ANY of their constituents as “it.”

My friend at the bar said, “let’s get off the gay issue.”

Delgaudio has 10,000 Reasons to Recuse Himself from OpenBand Vote

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Have you heard the one about OpenBand, the wholly-owned subsidiary of MC Dean, Inc.? OpenBand is the cable/Internet provider for some local HOAs, among other things. OpenBand’s service doesn’t exactly engender a lot of positive feelings among many of its customers.

Well, OpenBand’s cable franchise agreement is up for renewal by the Board of Supervisors this year. Franchise renegotiations and renewals like these are on a regular, known schedule. Cable companies, like OpenBand, pay very close attention to these schedules. At times, you can actually see their responsiveness to their customers swell as the deadline for franchise consideration creeps closer.

It is worthwhile to also pay attention to a cable company’s political donations as franchise renewals come up for consideration. For example, here in Loudoun County people affiliated with OpenBand’s corporate parent, MC Dean and Companies, donated $4,500 to Eugene Delgaudio (and $1,000 to Lori Waters) during the 2007 election cycle, and another $5,500 to Delgaudio overall. MC Dean’s OpenBand franchise would be considered by the Board elected in 2007, after all. Continue reading →