Scott Bradford: Off on a Tangent

Attorney General of Virginia, 2013

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Seal of Virginia

In the open race to serve as the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia, state Senator Mark Herring (D-VA 33rd) faces-off against state Senator Mark Obenshain (R-VA 26th). Incumbent Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R-VA) has chosen not to seek reelection and is running as the Republican candidate for Governor of Virginia.

The attorney general has constitutional authority for providing legal advice to the state government, including the governor and the General Assembly, for defending the state in lawsuits, and for defending the constitutionality of state laws. The attorney general is also second in the line of gubernatorial succession, following the lieutenant governor. Traditionally, the attorney general’s office is used as a political stepping-stone for higher office and, as such, elections for the office are overly politicized. In considering the Off on a Tangent endorsement, I only consider issues that are particularly germane to the role of the attorney general—public safety, civil liberty, and legal competence.

Virginia attorney generals must be at least thirty years old, citizens of the United States, and hold the qualifications to be a ‘judge of court record.’ They are elected to four-years terms and there are no term limits.

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Virginia House of Delegates, 87th District, 2013

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Seal of Virginia

In the race to represent the 87th District in the Virginia House of Delegates, one-term incumbent Delegate David Ramadan (R-VA 87th) is challenged by retired U.S. Air Force Major John Bell (D). The 87th District encompasses much of south-eastern Loudoun County along the Fairfax County border, as well as an area of north-western Prince William County. This area includes Antioch, Stone Ridge, Arcola, Dulles Airport, Dulles Town Center, and parts of South Riding, Brambleton, and Ashburn.

The Virginia House of Delegates is the oldest legislative body in the Americas, having been established (as the House of Burgesses) in 1619. There are one hundred delegate districts across the entire commonwealth. The Republican Party currently holds sixty-five seats, a solid majority. The Democratic Party holds thirty-two seats, one seat is held by an independent, and two seats are currently vacant.

Delegates must be at least twenty-one years old and residents of the district they wish to represent. They are elected to two-year terms, and there are no term limits.

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Loudoun County Bond Referendums, 2013

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Loudoun County Seal

Virginia’s local governments are required hold a referendum in order to get the voters’ permission to issue bonds on behalf of the city or county. Bonds are usually used by governments to raise money for large capital expenditures when particular projects cannot be funded through general funds and tax revenues.

Let’s be perfectly clear: Bonds are debt. When they are sold, the issuing government receives an immediate influx of cash from the purchasers. But, like a bank loan, all of that cash must be repaid over time (plus interest). As such, bonds should be used sparingly, and only for large, unusual projects where funding them directly from the general fund is not possible.

Bond referendums almost always pass by a large margin in Virginia, in part because the voters do not fully understand what they are. Many are simply voting ‘for’ the agency or service that will benefit. After all, who wants to vote ‘against’ schools, parks, or transportation? We should, however, be more discerning and seriously consider whether the project in question warrants the associated increase in government debt.

The 2013 bond questions for Loudoun County are listed on the Loudoun County web site.

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‘Off on a Tangent’ Endorsements Coming Next Week

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I’m happy to report that I’m planning to publish the Off on a Tangent political endorsements for the 2013 election next week. Endorsements in local elections and issues—four Loudoun County bond issues and the 87th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates—will be posted on Monday, October 21. Endorsements in statewide elections—Attorney General of Virginia, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, and Governor of Virginia—will be posted on Tuesday, October 22.

I’m sorry that these are being posted so late this year. I try to have my endorsements published a month or more before election day, but a number of things conspired against me this year. I’m just working on making my decisions and writing my endorsements now. So it goes.

As always, in addition to the coveted Off on a Tangent endorsements, I will be providing live election coverage at http://election.scottbradford.us/ beginning around 6:00 p.m. on November 5 and continuing until all races are called, or 1:00 a.m. If races remain un-called after 1:00 a.m., I will resume coverage as time permits in the following days.

My Sister’s Ballroom Dancing Fall Showcase

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A few weeks ago, Melissa and I trekked down to Roanoke, Virginia, to watch my sister do some ballroom dancing at the fall Showcase Spectacular and Mini-Match, which was put on by the Arthur Murray Dance Center of Roanoke. I don’t pretend to know anything about ballroom dancing—I figure the rumba has something to do with an automated vacuum—but I am reasonably certain that Kristen is very good at it.

Anyway, the first video is of her two solo routines, while the second is of her six ‘mini-match’ routines. And one of these days, I’ll remember to bring my tripod. Enjoy!

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Scott Bradford is a writer and technologist who has been putting his opinions online since 1995. He believes in three inviolable human rights: life, liberty, and property. He is a Catholic Christian who worships the trinitarian God described in the Nicene Creed. Scott is a husband, nerd, pet lover, and AMC/Jeep enthusiast with a B.S. degree in public administration from George Mason University.