Archive for March, 2009
Thank you to all of the volunteers who joined us this afternoon to canvass neighborhoods throughout the 45th District. Together, we knocked on more than 600 doors, collecting many more signatures than we need to put David on the ballot for re-election, and sharing information about his work for our community in the General Assembly.
“I know I tell you this all the time, but it’s absolutely true that I couldn’t do any of what I do without friends like you who are willing to devote your time and energy to our efforts,” said David, thanking the volunteers.
Join us Sunday, April 19, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. for another door-to-door canvass, and Monday, April 20, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for our next Volunteer Night. RSVP to info@davidenglin.org or 703-549-3203.
Throughout yesterday evening, four dozen supporters turned out for Team Englin’s first Volunteer Night of 2009, doing the grassroots work necessary to help David reach out to thousands constituents and supporters in their mailboxes.
“What an amazing evening!” said David, thanking the volunteers. “I can’t say it enough: Friends like you got me here, friends like you keep me here, and friends like you — regular people who are willing to take the future into your own hands — give me great hope for what we will accomplish together over the months to come.”
Virginia law requires all candidates — even incumbents — to get enough signatures to be placed on the ballot for re-election, so please join us next Sunday, March 29, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., to help gather the petition signatures David needs to run for re-election.
Also, mark your calendar for upcoming Volunteer Nights on April 20, May 20, and June 17, as well as Team Englin Grassroots Canvasses on April 19 and June 14. RSVP to info@davidenglin.org or 703-549-3203.
David joined Governor Tim Kaine, Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille, Alexandria Fire Chief Adam Thiel, and other legislators and local leaders today for a tour of the world’s first-ever combined fire station and residential complex, which is being built at Alexandria’s Potomac Yard. In addition to providing Alexandria’s first new fire station in years as well as nearly 64 new affordable and workforce housing units, this five-story project is being built to LEED and Earthcraft environmental standards as part of Alexandria’s longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship.
Thanks to President Obama and Democrats in U.S. Congress, the Virginia General Assembly was able to adjourn on schedule Feb. 28 having passed a balanced, constitutional budget that will fund core services and protect quality of life for Virginia families. Going into this year’s legislative session, we faced a $3-billion revenue shortfall and the prospect of having to cut about $400 million each from public education and health care. That would have meant fewer teachers and larger class sizes, the loss of thousands of health care and nursing home jobs around the state, and fewer health care services for the uninsured at a time when rising unemployment means more families are losing their health insurance. To make matters, House Republicans passed an initial version of the budget — over my dissenting vote and strong objection — that robbed $149 million from the state’s Water Quality Improvement Fund to plug the additional Medicaid hole left by their rejection of Governor Kaine’s proposed 30-cents per pack cigarette tax increase. This would have caused a $133 million budget deficit and it would have threatened drinking water safety for my constituents by risking the Alexandria Sanitation Authority’s wastewater plant upgrades.
Fortunately, U.S. Congress passed and President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in time for us to incorporate the $4.8 billion in aid Virginia will receive into the final version of the budget, which I was proud to support. Thanks to these funds, while there still will be some challenging cuts, we were able to largely protect public education, health care, and public safety — including our area’s drinking water. While a serious long-term solution to Virginia’s continuing transportation funding crisis remains elusive — and I believe ultimately will be decided at the polls this November — Virginia will receive roughly $800 million in transportation funding from the Federal stimulus package, including money for public transit infrastructure, and we have a long list of “shovel-ready” projects that we expect to move forward.
In addition to delivering a responsible budget under incredibly difficult circumstances, there are other reasons to consider this year’s General Assembly session a success.
