Alexandria – Virginia’s fourth annual back-to-school sales tax holiday begins Friday, Aug. 7 and runs through Sunday, Aug. 9.  During this three-day period, customers will not be charged the 5 percent state and local retail sales tax on school supplies priced at $20 or less per item, or on articles of clothing, including footwear, costing $100 or less each.  This includes items like pencils, pens, binders, paints, musical instruments and calculators, as well as pants, shirts, formal wear, shoes, flip-flops, and even uniforms. 

“As a parent, I know how expensive getting ready for school can be,” said Delegate David Englin (D-45).  “More than ever, families need a hand making ends meet, and this will provide some relief.  It will also give our local retailers a boost.  What better opportunity to invite your friends in D.C. and Maryland to come and enjoy a weekend of shopping in our community?”

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The current edition of the Alexandria Times includes this front-page profile of David, highlighting his background and experience and his record of effective, progressive leadership serving the people of the 45th District:

Englin Pins Election Hopes on Experience

Del. David Englin (D-45) has experience representing Alexandrians from the city’s east side in Virginia’s General Assembly — three-and-a-half years worth.  But to the policymaker from Del Ray, experience alone is not reason enough to wrestle with laws affecting not only Virginians with a six-mile commute to Washington, but those whose homes fringe the borders of Tennessee and Kentucky.

“Experience is always an important factor, but it’s just one factor,” Englin said.  “I have always believed that more important than experience is a person’s vision and ideas and the kinds of policies that they want to fight for on behalf of their constituency.”

Englin’s district comprises Alexandria’s east side and portions of Arlington and Fairfax.  He hopes to defeat Republican opponent Vicki Vasques in the November election to continue representing the district.

Click here to read the full article.

Campaign Central overflowed with volunteers last night as members of Team Englin from across the 45th District spent the evening doing the grassroots, neighbor-to-neighbor work necessary to win in November.

“Your willingness to come out and work so hard for change and progress on a warm summer evening like this inspires me to work harder for you every day,” said David.  “Thanks to your energy and commitment, we contacted more than 2,000 voters in total — at the doors, in the mail, and on the phones.  We reached out to new voters, we helped defend two terrific Democratic incumbents whom Republicans have targeted for defeat, and we helped a strong Democratic challenger in his fight to help us  get to a majority.  When I win re-election and we win a Democratic majority in Richmond in November, it will be because of friends like you.”

Click here to sign up and become part of Team Englin’s grassroots army, and join us at our next Volunteer Night on Thursday, August 13.

Alexandria - The Sierra Club announced Wednesday that it endorses Del. David Englin (D-45) for re-election to the House of Delegates in this year’s Nov. 3 election.

“Delegate Englin has been a leader in protecting the natural resources of the Commonwealth of Virginia today and for future generations,” said Tyla Matteson, political chair of the Sierra Club’s Virginia chapter.  “We urge all Sierra Club members to support Delegate Englin’s reelection.”

“Sierra Club activists in our community have been important to our successful grassroots efforts to rein in pollution from from the Mirant Plant in Old Town, and they have been incredibly helpful in lobbying on behalf of a wide range of conservation, green energy, and green economy initiatives,” said Englin.  “It’s an honor to have the Sierra Club’s support so we can continue working on these issues together.”

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“If you had two minutes with Governor Kaine — or your local government leaders — what would you recommend to reduce poverty and why?  What should we start doing, stop doing, or keep doing to expand economic opportunity for all Virginians?” 

Those are the questions Delegate David Englin (D-45) hopes citizens will answer on Saturday, July 18, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Alexandria campus of Northern Virginia Community College, as the Virginia Poverty Reduction Task Force holds at community college sites across the state the largest-ever simultaneous conversation devoted to reducing poverty.

“This is a opportunity for citizens, service providers, and religious, non-profit, and community leaders to share their insights, experiences, and ideas on how to reduce poverty,” said Englin, whom Governor Timothy M. Kaine appointed to the Virginia Poverty Reduction Task Force in May.  “Our goal is to listen to a wide range of ideas as we work to develop specific policy recommendations to alleviate poverty and increase economic opportunity for all Virginians.”

A list of conversation sites across the state is available at http://tinyurl.com/kqbuz5.  The site closest to the 45th District is:

Northern Virginia Community College
Alexandria Campus
Bisdorf Building Room # 196
3001 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, VA 22311
www.nvcc.edu

Click here to download a flyer that contains all of the pertinent information about our local event, including how to get to there using public transit.

People who cannot make it on July 18 are encouraged to submit their ideas and input to: vog.ainigriv.ronrevognull@ytrevop

David and family marked America’s 233rd birthday yesterday with friends, neighbors, and constituents at local community celebrations in Alexandria and Mount Vernon, followed by a baseball game.

“We’re lucky to have neighborhoods with such a strong sense of community where all kinds of families can get together and celebrate an old-fashioned, small-town Fourth of July,” said David. “Looking around and seeing people from all different ethnic, religious, and national backgrounds coming together to celebrate as a community really makes me proud to be an American.”

At the annual Rosemont July 4th community picnic on the grounds of Maury Elementary School in Alexandria, where David’s son, Caleb, is a rising 5th Grader, David joined other elected officials and community leaders as local Cub Scouts, Webelos, and Boy Scouts presented the colors and led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.

In Virginia, new legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor generally goes into effect on July 1.  For your convenience, the staff of the Division of Legislative Services has produced a publication that provides a brief summary of legislation passed by the 2008 General Assembly that is of interest to the citizens of Virginia and is likely to have an impact on their daily lives.  Please click here to download your copy.

Here are the bills David successfully passed during the 2008 General Assembly session that become law today:

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