"No other rights are safe where property is not safe." - Daniel Webster

Victoria Cobb, President
Thursday, November 1, 2012
 

Give Props to Property Rights

While voting for federal offices next Tuesday, there will also be two constitutional amendments that Virginians will be deciding, both of which are supported by The Family Foundation Action.

The most significant, Question 1, will protect private property from abuses by the government’s power of eminent domain.  The government’s power to take property for “public use” was expanded by the Supreme Court in 2005 to include as a public use things like increasing tax revenue, a threat not only to private landowners but also to churches and religious institutions.  After all, religious organizations like churches don’t pay property taxes.  Replacing those buildings with strip malls or Wal-Marts that pay taxes and feed local coffers is a temptation some local government officials simply can’t control.  In addition, government often doesn’t compensate landowners for their actual financial loss when their property is seized or access to their property infringed.

To address this, after years of debate and effort, the General Assembly this year finally passed legislation putting a property rights constitutional amendment on the ballot.  While support for property rights is strong, a coalition of organizations that support property rights, including The Family Foundation, the Virginia Farm Bureau, the National Federation of Independent Businesses and others, are working to make sure Virginians understand how important it is to support this crucial ballot initiative.

For years, the government has been undercompensating Virginians when their property is seized by eminent domain, leaving citizens with no recourse.  Some politicians and groups opposed to Question 1 have argued that it will end up costing taxpayers more money for projects like road construction, which is a tacit admission that the state has been ripping property owners off for years!  The truth is that property owners should receive just compensation when their property is seized or affected by these projects.

If those aren’t reasons enough, just know that many newspaper editorial boards and the Democrat Party of Virginia have come out opposed to the amendment.  The Staunton News Leader’s opinion piece ridiculously calls the amendment nothing more than “another emotional, red meat issue, to rile voters.”  Our fundamental right to private property to these people has become “red meat.”  Of course, they’d probably say the same thing about religious liberty.

The biggest obstacle to the amendment’s passage is not being aware that it’s on the ballot.  When most people hear about it, they want to vote for it.  The more people who know about it now, the more likely it will pass, so please share this information.  Click here for more about the amendment and to hear a radio ad in favor of the amendment from our friends at the Virginia Farm Bureau.

The protection of property rights was a principle critical to our Founders’ vision of America.  Unfortunately, as with many of our founding principles, it’s up to the citizens to remind government that we still believe in and want those principles to be enforced.

Vote Yes! on Question 1 next Tuesday.


Paid for by The Family Foundation Action and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Family Foundation Is On Top of Things

So education is important, just so long as the parents can't have a say.


Information Alert: No Choice Here

Today in a House Appropriation’s subcommittee, one of the most fascinating (and revealing) debates we’ve seen this session occurred concerning school choice. HB 599, patroned by Delegate Jimmie Massie (R-72, Richmond) creates a tax credit for individuals or corporations who donate to scholarship foundations that in turn give scholarships to students toward private school tuition. HB 599 has ingeniously been crafted in such a way as to ensure that there will be no fiscal impact to the state – something valuable in today’s economy and something that not many tax credits can boast. In addition, local school systems would actually save money as kids leave their schools.

The intrigue began when the opposition stood to speak. Dick Pulley, a long-time lobbyist representing the Virginia School Board Association, stood up to oppose the bill. As a lobbyist from an allied organization said, Mr. Pulley flexed his organization’s muscle, but failed to supply a coherent argument as to why he opposed the bill. He was forced to admit that the bill was better because there is no fiscal impact so
the usual “this will take school books from children” wouldn’t fly. Left without that, he had to reveal his organization’s true colors.

After saying a lot of nothing, he finally came out with “We philosophically oppose these types of bills.” Not one to let an argument like that go by without explanation, Delegate Kirk Cox (R-66, Colonial Heights), a public school teacher, asked Mr. Pulley, “Could you explain what you mean by ‘philosophically oppose’?” Mr. Pulley responded, “We have good public schools. We support public schools. We’re going to have a hard time keeping public schools at the level they’re on now if we pass this bill. We support parents making good educational choices for their children, but we’re opposed to having a public policy device that would allow that to happen.”

It is difficult to explain the visceral contempt the public education establishment in Richmond has for parents who choose options other than government schools. Organizations like the Virginia Education Association (VEA), the Virginia School Board Association and the school principals association make it abundantly clear, year after year, that children of families who choose private education or home schooling are inferior to children that attend the public schools.

After lengthy debate, HB 599 was recommended for reporting to the full appropriations committee on a vote of 5-3. Those voting for the bill include Delegates Kirk Cox, Scott Lingamfelter (R-31, Woodbridge), Charles Poindexter (R-9, Glade Hill), Watkins Abbitt (I-59, Appomattox), and Johnny Joannou (D-79, Portsmouth). Those voting against the bill include Delegates Bob Tata (R-85, Virginia Beach), Jim Scott (D-53, Merrifield), and Mayme BaCote (D-95, Newport News).

A Message From Our Friends at Family Foundation

Action Alert: E-Mail The General Assembly Tomorrow To Defund Planned Parenthood!

Tomorrow is The Family Foundation’s Annual Virtual Lobby Day and we have a great way for you to participate! You may have heard of “Money Bombs,” the latest technique for candidates to raise money quickly – they send an e-mail solicitation asking for a small donation from thousands of people to raise a substantial amount of cash to make a difference in their campaigns. We saw how Senator Scott Brown did this to counter all of the big liberal money raised against him in the special U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts a few weeks ago. What a difference that made – it put the brakes on government-run healthcare!

We’re not asking your for money. But we are asking you to make a difference by e-mailing your senators and delegates tomorrow with a simple message: DEFUND PLANNED PARENTHOOD in the Commonwealth’s new budget! Tomorrow also happens to be Planned Parenthood’s lobby day. Imagine the difference we can make if thousands of values voters e-mailed their legislators tomorrow with the same message about defunding Planned Parenthood before the pro-abortion lobbyists even stepped foot in the lawmakers’ offices!

If you attended Family Foundation Day At The Capitol in January, following up with an e-mail tomorrow with your delegates and senators is a great way to leverage the relationship you established with them. If you did not attend, now you have the opportunity, simultaneously, with likeminded, concerned citizens across Virginia, to have an impact with the ease of a few keystrokes.

Planned Parenthood is a billion dollar partisan behemoth that masquerades as a health organization. Inside its abortion center doors over a quarter of all abortions in the United States take place. Over the years it has received tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars from Virginia. Virginia’s taxpayers should never be forced to bailout this radical organization, especially while the Commonwealth faces a spending surplus of billions of dollars. It is time for this funding to stop!

In addition to the “Defunding Bomb,” tomorrow Lt. Governor Bill Bolling will conduct a live interview on our blog starting at 9:00 a.m. To leave a question for him, click on this link:
www.familyfoundationblog.com/2010/02/04/lt-governor-bill-bolling-to-do-live-blog-interview-here-february-11/

In addition, look for several other very special features we have lined up in the next several days, including interviews with noted political commentator Dr. Bob Holsworth and House Republican Caucus Chairman, Delegate Sam Nixon (R-27, Chesterfield).

ACTION: Tomorrow, Thursday, February 11, please email your legislator and urge them to end the taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood!!

Keep Them Reeling!!!

H/T Family Foundation

SB 417, the Senate version of the Health Care Freedom Act, passed the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor. This is a BIG WIN! This bill was passed along with two other identical bills, SB 311 and SB 283. The bills should go to the Senate floor and could be voted on as early as Thursday. You should have seen the look on Senator Saslaw’s face when he realized two Democrats on the committee (Senators Colgan and Puckett) voted YES and the bill would pass the committee. Priceless.

Contact Senators Puckett and Colgan today and THANK them for voting YES on SB 417. Without these two Senators crossing the aisle and voting for the bill, it would have died a grisly death in the committee.
Senator Charles J. Colgan (D) (804) 698-7529 district29@senate.virginia.gov
Senator Phillip P. Puckett (D) (804) 698-7538 district38@senate.virginia.gov