Virginia’s second sales tax holiday for hurricane preparedness began yesterday and runs for a full week.  It’s the ideal time to stock up — without paying taxes — on batteries, flashlights, bottled water, first aid kits and many other items you may need the next time a big storm hits Virginia.

“In addition to providing a measure of help to people trying to be ready for emergencies in these tough economic times, I hope this holiday will highlight the need for people to be ready and plan for emergencies,” said David, encouraging constituents to visit www.readyvirginia.gov for preparedness information.

To reach a broader audience, the Tax Department has posted a YouTube video about the holiday. It features agency spokesmouse, Phil, who has already starred in three videos during filing season this year urging taxpayers to file their taxes online. The videos all were produced by a Tax Department employee at no expense to taxpayers.
[Read more...]

The current edition of the Arlington Connection includes an article highlighting the new Virginia Poverty Reduction Task Force, through which David is working to improve how we define and measure poverty.  Here’s an excerpt:

Hidden Poverty
Arlington’s high cost of living obscures the amount of need in the county.
By Michael Lee Pope
Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Anyone who has ever paid a monthly rent in Arlington knows that the cost of living here is much higher than other parts of Virginia.  Yet the federal government uses a one-size fits all formula for determining poverty.  That means that an Arlington family of four making $22,000 or more would not be counted in poverty statistics even though the median household income in Arlington is $102,000.

“We are currently undercounting the number of poor people in Arlington,” said Robert Ruiz, an urban planner for the county government.  “The way we do it now, we are only picking up the desperately poor.”

That may change in the coming year, as Del. David Englin (D-45) works with a newly created task force appointed earlier this month to reduce poverty in Virginia. Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine appointed Englin to the task force during a May 7 summit on the issue of poverty.  Englin will chair a subcommittee of the task force focused on methods to define and measure poverty, and he will serve on the task force’s workforce training and education work group.

“Rethinking how we define and measure poverty is a critical overarching issue that will affect how we focus resources and whether we are actually making a difference in people’s lives,” said Englin. “So I’m particularly excited for the opportunity to chair that part of the effort.”

Click here to read the full article.

An overflow crowd of Team Englin volunteers — including long-time regulars and several first-timers — packed Campaign Central yesterday for an evening of grassroots action to ensure David’s re-election this November and to win a Democratic majority in the General Assembly.  Throughout the evening, volunteers stuffed thousands of envelopes to reach out to voters across the 45th District, and they made hundreds of phone calls to help Democrats pick up a targeted House of Delegates seat and to protect one of David’s Democratic colleagues, who is being heavily targeted by House Republicans.

“I’m incredibly grateful and honored that so many friends and neighbors would give up a beautiful spring evening to be part of our fight for progress,” said David.  “It’s especially exciting that we continue to bring new volunteers into the democratic process.  I’m confident that our grassroots army will overcome whatever the other side throws at us over the coming months so we can continue making progress for our community in Richmond.”

Join us on Sunday, June 14, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., for a special Team Englin Anniversary Canvass to mark the fourth anniversary of our first upset grassroots victory, and then again on Wednesday, June 17, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., for our next Volunteer Night.  Let us know you’re coming at gro.nilgnedivadnull@ofni or 703-549-3203. Let us know you can join us at gro.nilgnedivadnull@ofni or 703-549-3203.

During a full day of constituent outreach, David met this afternoon with the Alexandria chapter of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) and this evening with the North Old Town Independent Citizens Civic Association (NOTICe), who were joined by area Sierra Club members.

About two dozens members of NARFE Chapter 232 convened at First Christian Church on King Street for a lively discussion of the challenges facing the General Assembly during the year’s legislative session.  David updated the group on the state budget and several key legislative issues, and then listened to their thoughts and ideas on a range of issues.

At the special meeting of NOTICe, held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Fairfax Street, David addressed a packed ballroom of citizens, which included members of the civic association as well as Sierra Club and other environmental activists who came out for a special presentation on offshore wind energy.  [Read more...]

Richmond – Governor Timothy M. Kaine today appointed Delegate David Englin (D-45) to Virginia’s new Poverty Reduction Task Force, a collection of public and private-sector partners who will make policy recommendations to combat poverty in the Commonwealth. Englin will chair a subcommittee of the task force focused on methods to define and measure poverty, and he will serve on the task force’s workforce training and education work group.

“Especially in these trying times, when families are struggling to meet their basic needs and so many people are just looking for a chance to work hard and build better lives for themselves and their children, I’m honored to be a part of this task force,” said Englin. “Rethinking how we define and measure poverty is a critical overarching issue that will affect how we focus resources and whether we are actually making a difference in people’s lives, so I’m particularly excited for the opportunity to chair that part of the effort.” [Read more...]

Alexandrians went to the polls today to re-elect Mayor Bill Euille, who ran unopposed, and to elect a new City Council and School Board.  Voters re-elected Democrats Rob Krupicka, Paul Smedberg, and Del Pepper, returned Democrat Kerry Donley to City Hall, and added Republican Frank Fannon and Independent Republican Alicia Hughes to City Council.  In School Board District A (the only district with more candidates than vacancies) voters elected Helen Morris and Mimi Carter and re-elected Sheryl Gorsuch.

“Congratulations to Bill, Rob, Paul, Del, Kerry, Frank, and Alicia — and to Mimi, Helen, Sheryl, and all of the other School Board winners,” said David.  “I look forward to continuing our work together to strengthen our economically and socially diverse community, to defend our community’s progressive values, and to invest in our community’s future.  Today’s unexpected Republican victories should be a wakeup call for Democrats as we look to this November’s state elections.  However, Alexandria Republicans deserve due credit for their success.  While I’m disappointed that we won’t benefit from the thoughtful, dedicated service Justin Wilson and Tim Lovain have brought to Council, I know that Frank Fannon and Alicia Hughes have the community’s best interests at heart.”

Click here for the full results.

Tomorrow, Alexandrians go to the polls to elect our Mayor, all six members of City Council, and all nine members of the School Board.  Please vote for our Democratic ticket for Mayor and Council at your regular polling place between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, May 5.

Bill Euille
Rob Krupicka
Timothy Lovain
Paul Smedberg
Justin Wilson
Del Pepper
Kerry Donley

Our City has prospered under these Democratic leaders, and I need them as partners in my fight for change and progress in the General Assembly. [Read more...]