Game On In The 9th!

Folks, it's official. Morgan Griffith has filed the necessary paperwork to run for the Republican nomination for 9th District Congressman. As of this moment, there are several announced candidates who will be participating in the May 22nd primary to decide our nominee to take on Boucher.

While there are several candidates, this really looks like a no-brainer. Morgan is a tried and true conservative with not just rhetoric, but an actual voting record to back it up. He's proven that he's not afraid of the tough political fight and that's what we'll need to beat Boucher. He's proven he can raise the money and he has the support of pretty much the entire 9th District infrastructure. Living on the District line is obviously an obstacle but I think that'll fade into the background once the voters meet Morgan.

Just like the 5th, this is gonna be a heck of a battle but we can win if everyone joins the fight.

Click here to read the Roanoke Times story.

9th District Legislators Declare Support For Griffith For Congress

Looks like game on in the 9th.

9th District Legislators Declare Support for Griffith for Congress

Griffith wins early backing from General Assembly members representing Southwest

Richmond, Virginia, 23 February 2010: House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith (R-Salem) received strong support to make the race for Congress today, as members of the General Assembly representing the 9th Congressional District in the Virginia General Assembly threw their support behind his possible candidacy.

“Morgan has been a strong voice for Southwest in Richmond, and the values of the people of Southwest would be better represented if he were their voice in Washington,” declared Delegate Charles W. “Bill” Carrico (R-Grayson). Carrico was the Republican nominee against incumbent Congressman Frederick C. “Rick” Boucher (D-VA09) in the 2006 election.

“Morgan is the best candidate to represent our values in Washington,” said Delegate Terry G. Kilgore (R-Scott). “He’ll make a great nominee and he’ll be a great congressman. He will bring common sense to Washington.”

“I’ve lived in Southwest Virginia all my life, and my father and I have fought for the values of the people of Southwest,” noted Senator William C. Wampler Jr. (R-Bristol). “I know that Morgan is the best opportunity for the 9th District to have a voice that reflects their values in Washington.”

“Southwest needs Morgan in Congress,” said Delegate Anne B. Crockett-Stark (R-Wythe). “He’s been looking out for the people of our region in the House of Delegates, and he’s demonstrated time and again his effectiveness as a strong leader and effective representative for Southwest Virginia.”

“Morgan and I both represent parts of the 9th Congressional District, and we work closely together on a host of issues that are vital to Southwest,” remarked Delegate Charles D. Poindexter (R-Franklin). “Morgan has been able to make a real difference in Richmond, and when he goes to Washington the people of Southwest will have a representative that will vote their interests on the key issues of jobs, energy, and government spending.”

“Coal is the lifeblood of Southwest, and Morgan Griffith will stand up for coal and against the job-killing cap-and-trade scheme that would cripple our industry,” noted Delegate James W. “Will” Morefield (R-Tazewell).

“Morgan understands how essential Virginia Tech and Radford Universities are to job creation, research and the economic viability of Southwest Virginia,” noted Delegate David A. Nutter (R-Montgomery).

“Virginia is the best state to do business because we work to keep taxes low, and Morgan has been a consistent opponent of higher taxes,” said Senator Ralph K. Smith (R-Botetourt). “He has been a fighter for conservative principles.”

House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith (R-Salem) represents the Eighth District in the Virginia House of Delegates. The Eighth District is comprised of the City of Salem and portions of Roanoke County.

The 6th, The 9th And A New Day For Western Virginia

2 years ago, some folks in Salem asked me to consider running for Chair of the Salem Republican Committee. After much thought, I jumped in with both feet. While there is still work to be done in Salem, I am thrilled with the progress we've made.

Several months ago, people who had seen our success in Salem, asked me to consider running for Chair of the 6th District Republican Committee. Frankly, this was a much tougher decision than my decision to run in Salem. However, after a lot of thought, prayer and a little arm twisting, I decided to take the plunge.

Over the last couple months, I've spoken to hundreds and hundreds of Republicans about my candidacy and I've been thrilled by the response. From electeds to the grassroots, there is a real desire for the type of leadership and change I was offering.

I say "was offering" because I informed the 6th District Committee this weekend that I am no longer a candidate for 6th District Chairman. The reason for this is simple. There are even more exciting and more important events happening elsewhere and my involvement with those events and my 6th District candidacy are mutually exclusive.

Without getting too much into details yet, just know that 2010 is going to be a GREAT year for Virginia Republicans and I believe I can help our party more by focusing my efforts and energies a little to our West.

This race was never about me. I decided to run for Chair because people I respect thought it was the best way for me to serve our Party. The events developing as I type are presenting an even better opportunity and that's the challenge I'm going to take up.

Let me be clear about one other thing. My withdrawal from the race is 100% completely unrelated to any other announced candidates or any other candidates that may announce. My time and skills are simply better used elsewhere.

Good luck to the candidates who ultimately comprise the field for 6th District Chair and thanks to all of you who embraced my candidacy and what it stood for.

City Council can continue to deflect blame, but difficult budget issues remain

I can understand the Roanoke City Council’s desire to blame Bob McDonnell and the General Assembly for our recent budget crisis and even agree with members that on some level the decisions made in Richmond will affect our community, but the undeniable fact remains that the council’s own pet projects, studies and decisions have driven us to this point. The issue facing council – and politicians nationwide – is how do we reduce or eliminate services now that our constituents have grown accustomed to and in some cases entitled to these programs. The traditional democratic approach has been to increase taxes or increase debt. Unfortunately, we are facing our debt ceiling and can no longer borrow away our problems. Additionally, the vast majority of Americans now understand that increasing taxes during a recession is a recovery killer. History has in fact revealed that lowering taxes in times of crisis actually increase revenues to the treasury. Empowering individuals to increase investment in their businesses and increasing the amount citizens have to spend grows the economy and creates jobs. For a more thorough examination of this point I would recommend: http://www.heritage.org/research/taxes/wm327.cfm

Americans are truly fed up with what they rightfully consider inefficient management of their tax dollars. Bob McDonnell was overwhelmingly elected on his promise to reign in the budget while not raising taxes and while it may score points to blame others I think Council would be better served by listening to their constituents and following suit. Outlandish statements suggesting that there is a “war on public education” demonstrates either a complete lack of understanding of the will of the people or worse arrogant ignorance of that will. (Particularly in light of the fact that Tim Kaine cut education by $1.3 billion and we didn't hear a word from then councilwoman Mason.) The citizens of this Commonwealth rightfully chose budget cuts and reduced services when they elected Bob McDonnell and the Governor is merely following through – I truly hope our City Council and Civic Leaders can move beyond playing the political blame game and make the difficult decisions our citizens deserve.

Thank You Harrisonburg/Rockingham GOP

I had the pleasure of speaking at the Harrisonburg/Rockingham GOP lunch last Friday. What a great group! It was a lot of fun and I got to see some old friends (and make some new ones) who are fighting the good fight in the northern end of the 6th District. Thanks for the invite.

SWACGirl was there and has a brief post up here.

New Leadership in Roanoke City

Last I night I sent the following message to the members of the local and state GOP:

I am very excited about the future of Roanoke City and the GOP. At the end of last year I announced my intention not to seek re-election as the Chairman of the Roanoke City GOP as my term expired in April.

After giving this much thought I think it is best to step down after our Mass Meeting on 2-17-10. This will enable the Roanoke City GOP to have consistent leadership throughout the City Council elections in May rather than having a change of leadership less than a month before election day.

Since my announcement two people have expressed interest in the Chair position. These two people are Jim Delong and Chris Walters. Jim, Chris, and I have worked together over the last couple of weeks to make this transition smooth. Jim Delong will become the new Chairman and Chris Walters will work with him to share the load.
When a Chairman steps down prior to the end of his term the First Vice Chair takes over his role. Josh Johnson is the First Vice Chair today and does not have the time right now to be chair with elections and the Reagan Dinner fast approaching. So in order to leave The Roanoke City GOP in the best possible position I am appointing Jim Delong first Vice Chair effective 2-14-10. Jim will be responsible for the Committee until the April Mass Meeting where he will officially run for Chair for his own 2 year term.

We have made a lot of progress in Roanoke City over the last 3 years and I am very proud of the work we have done. I know Jim and Chris will keep the committee moving in the right direction and I ask for your support in their efforts as you have supported my efforts.

Sincerely,

Adam W. Boitnott

New Comer Mike Powell Declares for GOP Mass Meeting

I received the following declaration today from Mike Powell:

My name is Mike Powell. I live in the Grandin/Raliegh Court part of Roanoke. I intend to run in the Republican mass meeting. I am a lifelong republican. However, I have been slightly disenfranchised with the party in the past few years because of their abandonment of fiscal responsibility. Some of the things that I would like to do as a member of the Roanoke City Council would be to cut spending in order to keep from increasing taxes in a financially trying time. Cutting spending could be done by eliminating redundancies in city jobs, reducing services that the citizens are willing to do without, not giving pay raises to city employees and possibly decreasing the salary of certain city jobs if necessary. I do not intend on decreasing any spending on education. Our city graduation rate is atrocious. I don't think a spending cut in that area would be beneficial. The tax rate on businesses and residences in the city are higher than surrounding areas. The city said they would put a freeze on property taxes however they just raised the property tax rate on 4,000 homes in the city. That doesn't make any since in times like this. They recently proposed a 2% tax increase on food to raise more money. I feel this will only hurt city businesses. I would like to implement a tax reduction for any new start up business in the city. The size of the Roanoke city government has increased dramatically over the past years, however, our population has gone down. This is an unsustainable trend. Those two things need to move hand in hand with each other. I have run a family business in the city for the past 14 years. In 1996 we had 3 employees. In under ten years we grew to over 50 employees. Our companies are Molly Maid, a residential home cleaning service, Sani-Klean, a janitorial service and Powmarcom, an advertising agency. Before the recession we employed approximately 50 people and now about 35 people. I am very in touch with remaining profitable, even in a down turn. I feel I can do a lot to help the city or Roanoke. I hope you will consider me as a candidate for the Republican party.

Mike can be reached via e-mail at: mikpowl@gmail.com

Bob Craig to Run in the GOP Mass Meeting

I have recieved a declaration of candidacy from Col. Bob Craig today informing me of his intent to run in the GOP Mass Meeting on February 17, 2010. He joins Tony Walker and other candidates have till 5pm today to declare.

Visit Col. Craig's website.

My Good Friend Trixie Makes It Official - Welcome To The Race

It isn't news to anyone at this point but my good friend Trixie Averill has "officially" announced her candidacy for 6th District Chair. We've all known Trixie for years and I can promise you that you'll never hear a bad word about her from me. We just bring different skill sets to the table and a different vision for the role of the 6th District Chairman. Frankly, it was, in part, Trixie's encouragement and pledge of support that helped to solidify my decision to run.

So Trixie is now in and I'd be surprised if we don't see some more folks jump in the race. Personally, I hope we do. This job is too important and the voters deserve all the choices they can get.

It looks like there might be a "candidate Q&A" at the next 6th District Meeting (something I'm very much in support of). Beyond that, I encourage everyone to get know everything they can about all of the candidates. Encourage your unit chairs to invite us to your committee meetings; not just to give "stump speeches" but to actively engage convention delegates.

And whatever happens, you can rest assured that I will run an honorable, open, issues-focused campaign and I know Trixie will do the same. Welcome to the race Trixie.

New Candidate For Salem City Council

Wayne Adkins has made his campaign for Salem City Council official. There are now a total of 3 candidates running for 2 slots. We've heard lots of rumblings about other candidates jumping in but, at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if Wayne, Randy Foley and John Givens are the only 3 that run. All 3 are well known folks in Salem with a history of service to the community and they each bring their own skill set. Should be a fun race.

Tony Walker Launches New Website

Please visit here early and often to get to know your next City Councilman.

http://walker4roanoke.com/

New Meals Tax Proposed in Roanoke City

See the Press Release below from WDBJ7 and let us know your thoughts on this.

ROANOKE, VA- Roanoke Councilman Court Rosen today proposed an emergency, two-year increase in the city's prepared meal tax of 2% as short term fiscal first aid to provide the Roanoke City Public Schools needed breathing room amid massive state cuts to public education. The measure would help fill an enormous funding deficit within our schools and also alleviate significant pressure on the city's budget, preserving public safety and other essential city programs and services.

"As a small business owner, the last thing I like to see is increased taxes, particularly during difficult economic times," said Rosen. "But within the next eight weeks our schools must adopt a budget for next fiscal year, and we must look at what's best for the education of kids by trying to keep class sizes lower and preserving programs that benefit our urban youth."

If enacted, a 2% increase in the "meals tax" would have the following impact on the cost of meals in the City of Roanoke:

• On a $10 meal, it would add 20 cents to the cost of the meal

• On a $25 meal, it would add 50 cents to the cost of the meal

• On a $100 meal, it would add $2 to the cost of the meal

"This is only one proposal that deserves a public, transparent and vigorous debate," Rosen said. "It's important that city residents also recognize that this measure, while directed to fill a funding gap within our schools, will relieve significant pressure from the city's budget, preserving needed programs and services delivered by hardworking, qualified employees of the City of Roanoke."

The next two fiscal years are projected to be exceptionally difficult in fulfilling needed educational, economic development and social programs. If enacted, City Council should revisit this tax increase at the end of the next fiscal year, and should the economy rebound sooner than expected, the Council should revert the meals tax back to its current level. If, as expected, the next two fiscal years are as tough as expected, the sunset clause written into the proposed ordinance would guarantee the tax would end following the next two fiscal years.

"Additionally, this proposal stresses that any tax increase should sunset and end on June 30, 2012 and should be enacted only as a temporary measure and not as a ‘new' source of revenue that either our schools or the city become reliant on," said Rosen. "It would be a short-term, emergency tax to fill an emergency need that has been forced upon us at the state level."

Rosen stressed that this proposal should be debated in the upcoming budget sessions that City Council will soon begin, and that he looks forward to other discussions, proposals and solutions by others to what soon could be devastating funding cuts leveled by the Commonwealth at our public schools.

12 Inches Of Global Warming

I'm posting this without comment.

What is the 6th District Chair and What do they Do?

We now have two people both from the Roanoke Valley in the race to be the 6th Congressional District Chairman. The candidates to date are Greg Habeeb (Salem) and Trixie Averill (Roanoke County).

Most of you probably do not know what this role does and prior to being Chair of Roanoke City neither did I. So here is my attempt to be factual and unbiased about the position. Disclaimer- I have endorsed Greg and have always really liked Trixie, this post is not intended to be a pro or con about any candidate just informational.

In the make up of parties there are unit chairmen and unit committees by locality. In each Congressional district throughout the state there is a committee made up of all the Chairmen in the district plus other officers who are voted on by the delegates at the mass meeting held every time there is a congressional election, and officers voted on by the Congressional Committee. The role that Greg and Trixie are up for is Chairman of the 6th Congressional district. In addition some members of each Congressional Committee are on the State Central Committee and the Chair is one of these people.

The 6th Congressional district Chair is not a policy making position it has the following duties:

- Run the quarterly meetings of the Congressional District
- Dispute Resolution when units disagree (This happens more than you know)
- Raise Money
- Handle the affairs of the committee between meetings
- Assist Units in each locality with their organizational needs
- Represent the district at State Central
- Make the landscape better in the 6th District for our Congressional Candidate (Congressman Bob Goodlatte) and other candidates in the units represented in the district.

You will hear some people (you may have already seen the e-mails) try to make this a policy or Conservative-Moderate debate. In this race both candidates are strong conservatives. When people lobby you for a vote in this race I would encourage you to do the following (same rules for interviewing people for a job):

- Review the job description
- Decide what is important to you in a Candidate
- Interview the candidate with those criteria in mind
- If the Conservative-Moderate debate comes up with the candidate drill down into the specific issues to find out if they are a Conservative or Moderate. If a third party tries to paint someone as a Conservative or Moderate challenge them discuss the issues not to label people without knowledge of where they stand on the issues. I think you will find that most of these folks have not taken the time to ask the candidates where they stand on the issues

I have no idea where each reader will fall on their candidate selection given the process above but what I know is this. We have 2 conservative candidates (yes I know where they stand on the issues) who are dedicated to our party. They have varying degrees of experience and styles so please take your time with each candidate and make your selection accordingly. Good luck to both.

Virginia's Leading Republican Blogger Endorses Our Campaign For 6th District Chair

J.R. Hoeft, editor and publisher of Bearing Drift, has endorsed me for 6th District Chair. J.R. and the folks at Bearing Drift have taken blogging in Virginia to an entirely new level and their "Politics on Demand" series has become legendary. J.R. is a leader in political activism through new media. As Bob McDonnell said

If you want to know what's really going on in Virginia politics, read Bearing Drift. A must-visit site for Virginians interested in politics and policy.

Folks, this is an important endorsement for several reasons. First, J.R. is a conservative Republican known statewide for his incredible work. Second, J.R. is a pioneer in the use of new and traditional media for political purposes and his work is a model for some of the new and social media work we've done locally and that we want to bring to the 6th District as a whole. Finally, J.R., while all the way across the state, has seen the successes we've achieved and believes we can translate them to a District wide level.

Thanks for the support J.R. and keep up the good work at Bearing Drift.

Roanoke Valley Leaders Endorse My Candidacy For 6th District Chair

I continue to be humbled and encouraged by the support my candidacy for 6th District Chair has received. We're trying to do things the right way. We're trying to show leadership and foster unity. People seem to be responding favorably and that tells me we're onto something.

What has been most encouraging is the support I'm seeing in the Roanoke Valley. While certainly not unanimous, the response has been very positive. This is encouraging because these are the people who have seen first hand how we've brought leadership, focus and unity to Salem and the Roanoke Valley. This list includes elected leaders, local committee leaders and grassroots leaders. There are College Republicans and long time veterans. There are people from across the Republican philosophical spectrum and from all walks of life.

With all of that said, we are still early in this campaign and the field is not set. I look forward to the day when the field is finally set and the process can fully begin. In the meantime, here is a partial list of elected, committee and grassroots leaders (in no particular order) who have already agreed to publicly support my campaign.

The Honorable William C. Wampler, Sr. - former Congressman
The Honorable Morgan Griffith - Virginia House of Delegates Majority Leader
Mike Altizer - Roanoke County Board of Supervisors (Vinton)
Ed Elswick - Roanoke County Board of Supervisors (Windsor Hills)
Adam Boitnott - Roanoke City GOP Chair
Sheriff Everett Obenshain - former Salem Sheriff
Josh Johnson - Roanoke City GOP Vice Chair and former Delegate candidate
Jane Johnson - Salem City Council
Linda Carroll - Salem Commissioner of the Revenue
Don Johnson - former Salem GOP Chair
Bill Bradley - Salem GOP Vice Chair and former Salem GOP Chair
Spencer Wiegard - Roanoke City GOP Secretary
Edward Lynch - former Roanoke County GOP Chair
Brenda Johnson - former Salem GOP Women's Chair
Scott Habeeb - former Salem Treasurer
David Frackelton - Salem GOP Treasurer
Travis Andrews - Roanoke College Republican President
Doug Walker - former Roanoke City Commissioner of the Revenue candidate
Chris Obenshain - Republican activist and leader
Brittany Walker - Roanoke City GOP Treasurer
Will Burton - Roanoke Conservative blogger and Hampden-Sydney CR President

Stay tuned, there are more to come.

What is Leadership?- Do You know? Maxwell Does!

"Change is inevitable. Growth is optional."
— John C. Maxwell


"Do not take the agenda that someone else has mapped out for your life."
— John C. Maxwell


"Seven Steps to Success
1) Make a commitment to grow daily.
2) Value the process more than events.
3) Don't wait for inspiration.
4) Be willing to sacrifice pleasure for opportunity.
5) Dream big.
6) Plan your priorities.
7) Give up to go up."
— John C. Maxwell


"To Stay Focused in Life:

You can't know everyone
You can't do everything
You can't go everywhere

We have to pick and choose between good and a little bit better."
— John C. Maxwell


"Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it."
— John C. Maxwell


"If we are growing we are always going to be outside our
comfort zone.
"
— John C. Maxwell


"Question for God every morning:

What is the main event today? What do you want me to focus on today?"
— John C. Maxwell


"If you don’t change the direction you are going, then you’re likely to end up where you’re heading…"
— John C. Maxwell


"“You have to live with the people to know their needs, and you have to live with God to know how to solve them.”"
— John C. Maxwell


"A leader who produces other leaders multiples their influences."
— John C. Maxwell


"True success comes only when every generation continues to develop the next generation."
— John C. Maxwell


"Everything begins with a decision. Then, we have to manage that decision for the rest of your life."
— John C. Maxwell


"Most People have a desire to look for the exception instead of the desire to become exceptional. "
— John C. Maxwell


"Stay focused instead of getting offended or off track by others.
"
— John C. Maxwell


"If you start today to do the right thing, you are already a success even if it doesn’t show yet."
— John C. Maxwell


"Have to sow excellent seeds to have an excellent life. Must start with sowing excellent thoughts."
— John C. Maxwell


"You must do right before you feel good."
— John C. Maxwell


"Success is...
knowing your purpose in life,
growing to reach your maximum potential, and
sowing seeds that benefit others."
— John C. Maxwell


"Poem by Howard A. Walter (Character)

I would be true, for there are those who trust me;
I would be pure, for there are those who care;
I would be strong, for there are those who suffer;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare.
I would be friend of all--- the foe, the friendless;
I would be giving, and forget the gift;
I would be humble, for I know my weakness;
I would look up, and laugh, and love, and lift."
— John C. Maxwell (Developing the Leader Within You)


"Relational skills are the most important abilities in leadership."
— John C. Maxwell (Developing the Leaders Around You: How to Help Others Reach Their Full Potential)


"We feel unhappy and confused with our life when we don't do the focus or calling that God has on our life."
— John C. Maxwell


"Must manage your thought life daily and then you can manage your life."
— John C. Maxwell


""Life doesn't do anything to you. It only reveals your spirit.""
— John C. Maxwell


"One is too small a number to achieve greatness."
— John C. Maxwell


"To collaborative team members, completing one another is more important than competing with one another."
— John C. Maxwell


"Image is what people think we are; integrity is whar we really are."
— John C. Maxwell


"Learn to say 'no' to the good so you can say 'yes' to the best."
— John C. Maxwell


"Happiness simply cannot be relied upon as a measure of success."
— John C. Maxwell (Your Road Map for Success: You Can Get There from Here)


"“Remember, man does not live on bread alone: sometimes he needs a little buttering up.”


"
— John C. Maxwell


"There was a very cautious man
Who never laughed or played
He never risked, he never tried,
He never sang or prayed.
And when he on day passed away,
His insurance was denied,
For since he never really lived,
They claimed he never really died.

(Anonymous poem)"
— John C. Maxwell (Developing the Leader Within You)


"A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them."
— John C. Maxwell


"The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one."
— John C. Maxwell


"Growth inside fuels growth outside. "
— John C. Maxwell


"People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care."
— John C. Maxwell


"You have got to live with the people to know their needs, and you have to live with God to know how to solve them."
— John C. Maxwell


"Right now I'm reading The Difference Maker by John C. Maxwell. Easy to read, very uplifting. Thanks, Shereen, for letting me borrow your book! Let's trade when I'm done."
— John C. Maxwell


"Life is 10% of what happens to me, and 90% of how I react to it."
— John C. Maxwell


"
Stay focus on what God has assigned me to do. Keep my mind on what I am doing/"
— John C. Maxwell


"life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how i react to it."
— John C. Maxwell


"You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything. "
— John C. Maxwell


"The whole idea of motivation is a trap. Forget motivation.
Just do it. Exercise, lose weight, test your blood sugar, or
whatever. Do it without motivation. And then, guess what?
After you start doing the thing, that's when the motivation
comes and makes it easy for you to keep on doing it.
"
— John C. Maxwell

The Three Stone Cutters-Which One are You?

One day a traveller, walking along a lane, came across 3 stonecutters working in a quarry. Each was busy cutting a block of stone. Interested to find out what they were working on, he asked the first stonecutter what he was doing. "I am cutting a stone!" Still no wiser the traveller turned to the second stonecutter and asked him what he was doing. “I am cutting this block of stone to make sure that it’s square, and its dimensions are uniform, so that it will fit exactly in its place in a wall." A bit closer to finding out what the stonecutters were working on but still unclear, the traveller turned to the third stonecutter. He seemed to be the happiest of the three and when asked what he was doing replied: “I am building a cathedral.”

"The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope."