First Debate and C-Ville Weekly Article
It didn't take long to find something to add to this blog after attending today's live forum and reading the interview with Steve Koleszar contained in this weeks C-Ville Weekly. I took copious notes at the debate but the C-Ville article serves as a great foil of what I heard and saw.
First and foremost, Mr. Koleszar wasted little time to attack Del. Bell in his opening barrage. Both the article and the debate show clearly Steve Koleszar attacking with largely this picture of Rob Bell: Rob Bell has done nothing for education in large part because he (and 45 other Republicans) failed to vote yes on a tax package that passed anyway and has resulted in a large surplus in the state coffers. (Our money, interest free, mind you.)
He calls Rob a "no taxer" (Mr. Koleszar's words. See the C-Ville article). He also characterizes himself as a man running on the issues while casting Rob Bell in the "evil-no gooder, do nothing politician" (my words, not Steve's).
If you read the interview in this weeks C-Ville he's quoted as saying:
You should listen to your manager Steve. That was great advice he or she gave you.
If I were to create a summary of what I saw, heard and read today, I can only conclude these things in stark contrast to incumbent Del. Rob Bell:
Steve Koleszar is a quintessential tax and spend democrat running an attack campaign and feels that Richmond should give the localities greater taxation powers while he equates a no vote in a tax package that passed ANYWAY to Rob Bell's failure to support education. Over-simplified: yes. Contextually accurate: I believe so until I hear otherwise.
Let me delve a little deeper. I'm confused how funding schools had anything to do with Rob's no vote. I especially resent anyone in or running for political office that simply implies that we're not doing enough for schools purely because we don't raise taxes to give the schools everything they say they need. Preposterous! The premise is simply nonsense and drivel.
Then I reflected on Steve's bio for a moment. What makes him say what he said? That's where I'm perplexed again. Steve's an accomplished accounting professional. He knows his way around a general ledger and a budget. I'm assuming he's done the work to know what the budget for the state looks like. (I do, I have a copy of the original and changes...it measures about 6 inches thick!) How can an accoutant advocate for what I see as a blank check to the schools? We should simply raise taxes because of a perceived unfunded mandate from the federal or state level?
Here's what I see: The first order of business is schools need to be held accountable to spending the money they already have wisely and apporpriately. Period. I (and every one of the elected officials at the forum) think there is a huge accountability gap. I'll illustrate my point through my own experiences as demonstrated right here in the People's Socialist Republic of Fluvanna (PSRF for short) where the school superintendent nor the school board are willing or even able to produce financial data that can show the credits and debits in sufficient detail so a citizen (me for example) can even begin to get a handle on what's going where.
I urge all to support Gov. Warner's accountability audits and expand the process state-wide. Like 57th District candidate Tom McCrystal said in today's forum "You have to eat your own dogfood". Meaning, you should have to live with your own decisions or you should have to eat what you serve. Amen to that Tom! Man, can I use that line in many situations! What a metaphor!
Reflecting back to the debate some, there are other things Mr. Koleszar said today disturbed me. On the question of "How will you address the transportation needs of seniors?", he said:(paraphrased from my notes)
Let me tell you what I heard. (my own words here) Transportation is not really the issue, allowing localities to tell a property owner where and what to build on his/her property is. So if we can trim a little more rights away from private property owners, we create a utopian community where we can all live together when and where the government tells us to. Sounds like socialism to me.
Another mantra I heard from Steve Koleszar was:
Where I part company with that otherwise obviously agreeable statement, was exemplified by the comments from every currently elected official on the dais today. That there is a fixed sum of money and that money needs to meet some "needs test -my words" to decide where it goes. Mr. Watkins Abbit called it "benchmarking"-his words, and it's done every budget cycle and comes to the General Assembly from the Gov's office. in fact, Mr. Abbit went on to say that the budget the Govenor submitted remained 95% intact. So if Mr. Koleszar wishes to dispense of the needs test necessary to prioritize funding, we're back to the old "tax and spend", are we not? I sure think so!
I'll end with this thought...Mr. Koleszar. Sir, you're a better politician than you lead on my friend. What I saw today from you was 100%, prime-time, U.S.-Grade A, Made in Virginia, politician. No one survives the tenure on the Albemarle County School Board (especially the Albemarle County School Board)for as long as you have unless you have highly refined poltical skills. So to characterize yourself as the "anti-politician" in some comparitive contrast to Rob Bell doesn't pass the smell test in my kitchen. I do wonder if there might be some naivete' lurking deep within when it comes to mustering the skill necessary for effectiveness in the General Assembly. But I'll cross that bridge when the time comes. I sincerely wish you luck.
For the benefit of Mr. Koleszar, let me tell you this taxpayers tale of whoa (as in STOP!, not as in woe) and hopefully it will ring a bell outside your party's talking points. My gas costs have gone up over 34% this year alone. My insurance premiums have gone up another 10% and my out of pocket expenses have also risen another 10%. My out-of-pocket medical costs have sky-rocketed! The price of my credit has also gone up. My taxes, local and state, have gone up over 14% in two years. My home owner's assocation dues have also risen. My family income actually went down about 20% in the same time frame. And if elected, you'll want MORE? Sorry, the turnip has bled to death. It needs a transfusion itself.
I'll promise you, the readers, that when one of these candidates opine something, that it will appear on these pages for all to see. I'll make it as contextually accurate as I possible can, spin and all. However, I'm not a journalist with the credentials of Mr. Bob Gibson from the Daily Progress (of whom I personally hold as a good journalist and a honorable man. Rare qualities in a man in today's society). I don't have Bob's training or literary skills honed from years of refinement. I type faster than I can punctuate but I speak from my heart and my head and for me that's enough. The points of views are mine and mine alone while admitting we are all bound by our rationality; the events surrounding us who make us who we are. I make no apologies for that. I'll try to be more brief in the future.
More to come. -CB
First and foremost, Mr. Koleszar wasted little time to attack Del. Bell in his opening barrage. Both the article and the debate show clearly Steve Koleszar attacking with largely this picture of Rob Bell: Rob Bell has done nothing for education in large part because he (and 45 other Republicans) failed to vote yes on a tax package that passed anyway and has resulted in a large surplus in the state coffers. (Our money, interest free, mind you.)
He calls Rob a "no taxer" (Mr. Koleszar's words. See the C-Ville article). He also characterizes himself as a man running on the issues while casting Rob Bell in the "evil-no gooder, do nothing politician" (my words, not Steve's).
If you read the interview in this weeks C-Ville he's quoted as saying:
"My campaign manager hates it when I say this, but I could never in my wildest dreams be as good a politician as Rob Bell is. He writes all the thank-you letters, and he gets his name in the paper and does all these things, you've suppossed to do." -C'ville Weekly August 9-15, Page 9.
You should listen to your manager Steve. That was great advice he or she gave you.
If I were to create a summary of what I saw, heard and read today, I can only conclude these things in stark contrast to incumbent Del. Rob Bell:
Steve Koleszar is a quintessential tax and spend democrat running an attack campaign and feels that Richmond should give the localities greater taxation powers while he equates a no vote in a tax package that passed ANYWAY to Rob Bell's failure to support education. Over-simplified: yes. Contextually accurate: I believe so until I hear otherwise.
Let me delve a little deeper. I'm confused how funding schools had anything to do with Rob's no vote. I especially resent anyone in or running for political office that simply implies that we're not doing enough for schools purely because we don't raise taxes to give the schools everything they say they need. Preposterous! The premise is simply nonsense and drivel.
Then I reflected on Steve's bio for a moment. What makes him say what he said? That's where I'm perplexed again. Steve's an accomplished accounting professional. He knows his way around a general ledger and a budget. I'm assuming he's done the work to know what the budget for the state looks like. (I do, I have a copy of the original and changes...it measures about 6 inches thick!) How can an accoutant advocate for what I see as a blank check to the schools? We should simply raise taxes because of a perceived unfunded mandate from the federal or state level?
Here's what I see: The first order of business is schools need to be held accountable to spending the money they already have wisely and apporpriately. Period. I (and every one of the elected officials at the forum) think there is a huge accountability gap. I'll illustrate my point through my own experiences as demonstrated right here in the People's Socialist Republic of Fluvanna (PSRF for short) where the school superintendent nor the school board are willing or even able to produce financial data that can show the credits and debits in sufficient detail so a citizen (me for example) can even begin to get a handle on what's going where.
I urge all to support Gov. Warner's accountability audits and expand the process state-wide. Like 57th District candidate Tom McCrystal said in today's forum "You have to eat your own dogfood". Meaning, you should have to live with your own decisions or you should have to eat what you serve. Amen to that Tom! Man, can I use that line in many situations! What a metaphor!
Reflecting back to the debate some, there are other things Mr. Koleszar said today disturbed me. On the question of "How will you address the transportation needs of seniors?", he said:(paraphrased from my notes)
"We have a huge shortfall in funding for transportation - the problem stems for sprawl and it's a serious problem." " The state should give localities the ability to control spawl - so people can live closer together and reduce transportation costs."
Let me tell you what I heard. (my own words here) Transportation is not really the issue, allowing localities to tell a property owner where and what to build on his/her property is. So if we can trim a little more rights away from private property owners, we create a utopian community where we can all live together when and where the government tells us to. Sounds like socialism to me.
Another mantra I heard from Steve Koleszar was:
"We need to get the state to meet it's core obligations."
Where I part company with that otherwise obviously agreeable statement, was exemplified by the comments from every currently elected official on the dais today. That there is a fixed sum of money and that money needs to meet some "needs test -my words" to decide where it goes. Mr. Watkins Abbit called it "benchmarking"-his words, and it's done every budget cycle and comes to the General Assembly from the Gov's office. in fact, Mr. Abbit went on to say that the budget the Govenor submitted remained 95% intact. So if Mr. Koleszar wishes to dispense of the needs test necessary to prioritize funding, we're back to the old "tax and spend", are we not? I sure think so!
I'll end with this thought...Mr. Koleszar. Sir, you're a better politician than you lead on my friend. What I saw today from you was 100%, prime-time, U.S.-Grade A, Made in Virginia, politician. No one survives the tenure on the Albemarle County School Board (especially the Albemarle County School Board)for as long as you have unless you have highly refined poltical skills. So to characterize yourself as the "anti-politician" in some comparitive contrast to Rob Bell doesn't pass the smell test in my kitchen. I do wonder if there might be some naivete' lurking deep within when it comes to mustering the skill necessary for effectiveness in the General Assembly. But I'll cross that bridge when the time comes. I sincerely wish you luck.
For the benefit of Mr. Koleszar, let me tell you this taxpayers tale of whoa (as in STOP!, not as in woe) and hopefully it will ring a bell outside your party's talking points. My gas costs have gone up over 34% this year alone. My insurance premiums have gone up another 10% and my out of pocket expenses have also risen another 10%. My out-of-pocket medical costs have sky-rocketed! The price of my credit has also gone up. My taxes, local and state, have gone up over 14% in two years. My home owner's assocation dues have also risen. My family income actually went down about 20% in the same time frame. And if elected, you'll want MORE? Sorry, the turnip has bled to death. It needs a transfusion itself.
I'll promise you, the readers, that when one of these candidates opine something, that it will appear on these pages for all to see. I'll make it as contextually accurate as I possible can, spin and all. However, I'm not a journalist with the credentials of Mr. Bob Gibson from the Daily Progress (of whom I personally hold as a good journalist and a honorable man. Rare qualities in a man in today's society). I don't have Bob's training or literary skills honed from years of refinement. I type faster than I can punctuate but I speak from my heart and my head and for me that's enough. The points of views are mine and mine alone while admitting we are all bound by our rationality; the events surrounding us who make us who we are. I make no apologies for that. I'll try to be more brief in the future.
More to come. -CB
posted by Chris Brancato at 10:17 PM
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