Tag: virginia

Hi? Do you like Uber – and you voted for Terry McAuliffe? Well, THAT was dumb of you.

Because this was inevitable.

Just when you thought you couldn’t despise the Department of Motor Vehicles any more, Virginia’s DMV decided to wage war against popular passenger carrier companies Uber and Lyft, sending cease and desist letters urging them to stop doing business in the commonwealth.

The Virginia DMV, which has already fined Uber and Lyft $26,000 and $9,000, respectively, says Virginia law “requires for-hire passenger carriers to have proper operating authority,” and their business model—a model which allows passengers to conveniently look up driver ratings and connect with one such part-time driver of their choice via smart phone mobile apps—doesn’t fit the bill.

Continue reading Hi? Do you like Uber – and you voted for Terry McAuliffe? Well, THAT was dumb of you.

Terry McAuliffe, would-be dictator of Virginia.

Having discovered that it’s much harder to convince somebody of something when you can’t buy them off, Terry McAuliffe is now thinking of ignoring this pesky ‘democracy’ thing entirely:

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is considering expanding health coverage for the poor without the approval of the state legislature, a move that would muscle his top priority past Republican opponents but also throw his young administration into a partisan firestorm and uncertain legal territory.

McAuliffe and his top advisers have consulted lawyers, health-care experts and legislators on how to bypass the GOP-dominated House of Delegates, according to three people familiar with the discussions. A fourth, who like the others spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal private strategy, said the office of Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) has been researching the matter.

Continue reading Terry McAuliffe, would-be dictator of Virginia.

Medicaid expansion may be starting to retreat in Virginia.

This is a remarkable shift in the polling: “A majority of Virginians oppose using federal Medicaid funds to expand health coverage, according to a new poll that finds public opinion has rapidly soured on Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s top priority. The Wason Center at Christopher Newport University poll found that 53 percent of the state’s voters oppose enrolling more Virginians in the federal-state health program for the poor, a sharp reversal from February, when the center found that 56 percent backed expansion.” The basic problem is that when Terry McAuliffe ran for Governor of Virginia he promised to push Medicaid expansion if it meant starting a budget crisis. McAuliffe got elected: he pushed Medicaid expansion; Virginia is getting ready to have a budget crisis.

And Virginians aren’t actually happy about that: “Sixty-five percent said both parties would be equally responsible, and 78 percent said McAuliffe would share some or a lot of the blame.” What McAuliffe is currently discovering here is that that sort thing translates to the electorate is going to be equally mad at one specific person, and an entire group of people who are all worthless anyway (except for their own representatives). Guess who ends up with the bigger headache? Continue reading Medicaid expansion may be starting to retreat in Virginia.

John Vihstadt (R) wins Arlington County Board race. …No, really.

(Via AoSHQ) To quote my favorite Jim Henson line: well, put me in overshoes and call me a duck. “John Vihstadt, a Republican who ran as an independent with the endorsement of the local Republican and Green parties, has won the special election to replace Chris Zimmerman (D) on the Arlington County [Virginia] Board.”  And let’s get the caveats out of the way: special election, special election issues, low (16%) turnout, and yes, having the Green party on-side for this one changed the dynamic of the race (see the 2012 returns for an idea of how this area votes*).  Still. I saw this race a couple of days ago, and I assumed that we weren’t going to squeak past. Continue reading John Vihstadt (R) wins Arlington County Board race. …No, really.

Mark Warner: natural gas is an anti-clean fuel! Which helped us hit Kyoto goals!

…I’m sorry if that hurt your head: it hurt mine, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcHyG02Hyy8

And the Virginia GOP’s: Continue reading Mark Warner: natural gas is an anti-clean fuel! Which helped us hit Kyoto goals!

Quote of the Day, SIT DOWN And SHUT UP, Washington Post edition.

You don’t get to complain.

IT’S HARD to think of a more tone-deaf political move lately than Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s unveiling of his Common Good Virginia PAC, which peddles dinners and sit downs with Mr. McAuliffe, a Democrat, his wife and unnamed “policy experts” for fat cats with a policy agenda for fees reaching $100,000.

This is what the Washington Post actively connived to get, so live with it.  And nobody gives a [expletive deleted] whether you’re upset or not. Continue reading Quote of the Day, SIT DOWN And SHUT UP, Washington Post edition.

So, Virginia’s new commerce secretary Maurice Jones comes pre-‘under investigation’ed.

Efficiency!

My first reaction? “Well, that was quick.”

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s commerce secretary Maurice Jones improperly lobbied Congress as a member of the Obama administration, according to an internal federal investigation launched by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

…Oh, wait, it happened last year.  Apparently the guy thought that it was OK to use his position as a HUD deputy secretary to lobby against upcoming legislation.  Naturally, the Department of Justice decided not to prosecute – squashing internal investigations is what Eric Holder is there to do* – but one wonders why Terry McAuliffe didn’t vet his appointees bettHAHAHAAHAAHAAAAAHAAAA :snort: sorry, I couldn’t maintain a straight face for long enough.

Moe Lane (crosspost) Continue reading So, Virginia’s new commerce secretary Maurice Jones comes pre-‘under investigation’ed.

Is there a better category than “Safe Republican?”

Because if so, Eric Cantor just hit it:

doofus

You don’t walk into a R+10 district and tell a bunch of lawful gun owners that they’re actually a bunch of illiterate bigoted losers who have to wear white sheets to cover up their failure*. Unless you’re an idiot, of course.

:cough cough: “Get over,” as opposed to “Get off.” :cough cough:

Moe Lane

*If you’re a member of a minority group and you’re curious about how the NRA feels about you being armed, go ask one. Just be warned: the average NRA member will do his or her best to turn that discussion into a shopping trip.

Terry McAuliffe allegedly sold ABC board seat to ‘Republican’ Boyd Marcus.

Before we go any further, though… the Washington Post may tell us the details: they may not display any moral indignation. The Washington Post endorsed that corrupt suckweasel Terry McAuliffe for Governor of Virginia: the below is exactly the sort of thing that we all expected McAuliffe to do.  Anybody who thought otherwise is a natural-born d*mned fool.

Moving along: here is the timeline.

  • Boyd Marcus, Virginia Republican consultant, emails Ken Cuccinelli campaign, looking for a fat consulting fee (up to $100K). The Cuccinelli campaign says no.
  • Boyd turns around and publicly supports Terry McAuliffe.
  • McAuliffe pays Boyd about $40K in consulting fees.

Wait! It gets better! Or worse. Continue reading Terry McAuliffe allegedly sold ABC board seat to ‘Republican’ Boyd Marcus.