Brothers in arms, Virginia drama continues

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Saturday February 16, 2019 · 4:21 PM PST

2019/02/16 · 16:21

Herb Jones running for 3rd Senate District in the Commonwealth of Virginia Senate

If perfection is the new standard for service, then we are all in trouble. In 1984, Ralph Northam was the product of his environment, the eastern shore of Virginia, one of the most racist areas in Virginia; the birthplace of the institution of slavery in America.

herb jones

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Wednesday January 16, 2019 · 1:11 PM PST

2019/01/16 · 13:11

It’s a shame that republicans in the Virginia General Assembly perpetually put politics before people. They demonstrated this again yesterday. Because I am a retired full-colonel with 30 years of active and reserve military experience and training, two active duty tours in Iraq, and two years as a Department of Defense civilian in Afghanistan, Governor Northam appointed me to serve on his Military Advisory Council in September 2018. The governor’s appointments have to be approved by Virginia State Senate during the General Assembly. Generally, approval of these appointments are a simple formality. Not this year. The republicans, being the majority party in the Virginia Senate, decided to strip me of this appointment with no rhyme or reason other than politics. Please see article by Patrick Wilson, Richmond Times Dispatch.

I have served my country in uniform for most of my adult life. I looked forward to continuing to serve my fellow service members - active duty, reservists, national guardsmen, and veterans - as a member of the Military Advisory Council. I am disappointed this will not be the case due to petty politics. Nonetheless, I will continue to advocate for veterans and military service members as I always have.

I am a candidate for Virginia’s 3rd Senatorial District. Tommy Norment currently occupies this seat, and is also the senate majority leader. He has been in the General Assembly for 30 years and has more than a million dollars in his campaign chest. I am stepping into the ring with Goliath. I am confident that we will win this race. Apparently, Tommy seems to think this as well or he would not have stripped my appointment. I can’t do this alone. It will take time and money to win on November 5, 2019. The Daily Kos community can retire Tommy Norment once and for all. I am asking every member of the Daily Kos community to invest $10 per month in this effort from now through December 2019. This will enable us to hire staff, create a presence across the district, get our message out, make phone calls and knock on doors. The Herb Jones for Virginia campaign will not take donations from corporate PACs, Dominion Power or any entity that doesn’t reflect progressive, American values. Let Tommy Norment know that it is time to put People First.

As Long as Government is Shutdown, Congress, tRump and Cabinet Secretaries Should Not Get a Salary.

herb jones

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Tuesday January 08, 2019 · 7:45 AM PST

2019/01/08 · 07:45

Congresswoman Spanberger forfeited her salary for as long as the federal government shutdown.

Kudos to Abigail Spanberger for showing true leadership. Abigail voluntarily forfeited her salary as long as the government is shutdown. Abigail is a former government employee who fully understands how hard our civil servants work and sacrifice to make this Nation the leader of the free world and the strongest country on planet earth. Every member of Congress, the White House, and cabinet secretaries should forfeit their salaries as long as the federal government is shutdown. This should be law!

As a retired soldier and senior officer, leadership meant taking care of soldiers. It meant ensuring your soldiers were fed and clothed first. It meant ensuring your soldiers’ families are taken care of. In the field or in combat, officers and NCOs did not eat before their soldiers ate; leaders ensure their soldiers have the proper equipment to perform their mission, and that the equipment is in good order. Leaders set the example in physical, moral, and emotional fitness. Leaders keep their troops informed; leaders explain the the who, what, when, where and why of the mission; leaders don’t lie to or coerce their soldiers to do or perform unethical actions.

We have some people in key leadership positions in the Virginia General Assembly, in Congress, and in the White House who are not true leaders. We have some people in these leadership positions who do not care about the average American citizen. We have some people in these leadership positions who do not care about civil servants who keep this Commonwealth and Nation great. We have people in these leadership positions who blatantly lie to the American public to further their own personal and/or financial agendas.

The United States is the greatest nation on earth, yet we have citizens and families who do not have access to healthcare; we have citizens and families who are homeless; we have citizens and families who do not know where their next meal is coming from. There is long list of shortcomings that need to be addressed, but to shutdown the federal government because Congress rightly refuses to fund a $5 billion vanity wall is the epitome of failed leadership.

Now more than ever in the history of the planet, we need leaders who embody the essence of true leadership. We need leaders who lead by example. We need leaders who have vision. We need leaders who have empathy. We need more leaders like Abigail Spanberger.

Herb Jones is a candidate for Virginia’s 3^rd Senatorial District. Herb is a retired soldier and combat veteran. Herb is not completely new to politics given that he was elected to serve three terms as the treasurer of New Kent County. Currently, he is an entrepreneur, small business owner, and CEO of IT/project management consulting firm. To learn more about Herb’s campaign, pls visit www.herbjonesforvirginia.com.

In the Virginia General Assembly, How Many Republicans Will Retire in 2019?

herb jones

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Thursday January 03, 2019 · 4:26 PM PST

2019/01/03 · 16:26

Earlier this week, Senator Dick Black decided to retire from the Virginia General Assembly. Senator Black has an impressive military pedigree and I congratulate him for his military and public service and sacrifice. I think that Senator Black made this decision because he can count. He looked at the results in the November 2018 election. There are 11 house seats and 6 senate seats currently occupied by republicans that were won by Senator Tim Kaine. Black realized that 1) he will lose in the general election in November 2019, and 2) he did not want to serve as a member of the minority party in the Virginia General Assembly. Being in the minority is vastly different from being the majority, and making this adjustment is simply not something that Senator Black wants to experience.

Senator Black’s retirement begs the questions: How many senators and delegates will join him? Who will be the next: In the senate Wagner, Sturtevant, or Dunnavant? Who will retire in the house: Bob Thomas, Hugo, Yancey, Ingram, Chris Jones, Chris Stolle, Glen Davis or Robert Bloxom? Maybe Senator Tommy Norment, Senate Majority Leader, may finally decide to retire after many years of rumors to this effect. For him, the adjustment from majority leader, with all the associated perks and accolades, to minority leader will be an even harder adjustment than that of the run of the mill senators.

Let's Support and Elect Jennifer Boysko on January 8, 2019.

herb jones

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Monday December 31, 2018 · 7:25 PM PST

2018/12/31 · 19:25

Virginia hosts a Special Election on 8 January 2019 for the 33 Senatorial District

First, the citizens in Virginia’s 33rd Senatorial District must do the right thing, and elect Delegate Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax, to the senate on the special election scheduled for January 8, 2019. Jennifer has demonstrated the judgement, leadership, fortitude and commonsense we need to continue to move Virginia forward. Electing Jennifer is the first step to democrats taking control of the senate.

Secondly, Tommy Norment, the current — albeit temporary — Senate Majority Leader, seems to be out of sorts — more so than usual lately. Tommy wrote a scathing letter to the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce castigating this body for its endorsement of Jennifer over former Delegate Joe May, a Fairfax Republican. Despite the fact that a letter of the nature is highly unusual to start with, Mr. Norment is poking his nose in a district not of his own and seems to have forgotten that he has own race to consider in 2019.

Third, Tommy’s race in November 2019 will not be the cakewalk he has experienced in the past. I know, because I am the one who is challenging Tommy next year. There is dissension among Tommy’s constituents in the 3rd Senatorial District. Not only does he not represent the interests of citizens and working families in district, he does not represent Virginians across the Commonwealth: Most of Virginia is rural and most areas do not have access to high speed broadband access which means families and businesses in these areas will continue to fall behind; Interstate 64 is a mess and should have beens addressed years ago and, because of congestion, traffic accidents on I-64 are more frequent and much more serious; more than 60% of people who file for bankruptcy do so as a result of medical bills or expenses, yet Tommy fought vociferously against Medicaid Expansion during the 2018 General Assembly Session; and every year Virginia expends more resources on putting people in jail or prison, while Tommy has done nothing to reduce the school-to-prison pipeline by allocating more resources to our education system or reform our criminal justice system which would conserve resources and provide a second chance for many young men and women.

Lastly, I ask anyone who reads this to send support to Jennifer. She needs all of our help, morally, spiritually and financially. I also need Daily Kos readers to follow my race to represent Virginians in the 3rd Senatorial District of Virginia. To learn more about my race, visit www.herbjonesforvirginia.com.

Taking Corporate Campaign Cash: A Choice or a Dilemma...

herb jones

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Wednesday December 26, 2018 · 7:42 AM PST

2018/12/26 · 07:42

Tommy Norment is the senator for the 3rd district in the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is also the senate majority leader in the Virginia General Assembly, and the most powerful republican politician in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It seems Tommy’s services are for sale to the highest bidder. Per Graham Moormaw, political writer for the Richmond Times Dispatch, Tommy just took a boat load of money — $100,000 — from casino interests in Bristol, Virginia. It’s odd that employees of Colonial Downs are prohibited from making political contributions, but casino interests are allowed to do so with impunity. This is the same Tommy Norment who led the effort that refused to allow the Commonwealth to sign on to the Affordable Care Act, and, during the 2018 General Assembly session, railed against Medicaid Expansion that will provide 400,000 Virginians (many in the 3rd Senate District) access to healthcare for the first time. By not taking advantage to the ACA, the Commonwealth of Virginia has forfeited more than $10 billion in federal funds that are gone forever. As taxpayers, we have footed the bill for those families who did not access to affordable care. This is $10 billion that could have been used for infrastructure investment, early childhood education, or road construction/repair. How much money did Tommy take from healthcare corporate interests?

The proposed casino in Bristol, Virginia will be located in a vacant mall property. This mall will also house the CBD/THC-A dispensary. Dharma Pharmaceuticals, the company that received a conditional license to open the CBD/THC-A oil dispensary in Southwest Virginia, requested the Virginia Board of Pharmacy approve a new location that would have separated the casino and the dispensary. Local leaders also recommended this request be approved. However, the Virginia Board of Pharmacy denied Dharma’s new venue request. Graham detailed this in Richmond Times Dispatch last week, “Can a casino and medical cannabis coexist under the same roof?”

This begs the question: If there is a consensus local leaders who live and work in Bristol and the dispensary requested relocating the dispensary, why would the Board of Pharmacy not approve this request? Tommy, can you answer this question?

Kudos to Attorney General Mark Herring who just announced that he will not accept campaign donations from Dominion, see “Herring rebuffs Dominion donations.” So, it seems, that taking corporate money is neither a choice or a dilemma… It’s simply a decision to do the right thing!

I am running against Tommy for the Commonwealth of Virginia’s 3rd Senatorial District seat. I am not taking corporate money from casinos, fossil fuel interests, or healthcare organizations. I am accepting donations from people who believe in me and my campaign, and representing working families, teachers & students, and those who need a real voice for their interests in the General Assembly. To support my campaign and learn more about Herb Jones, pls visit www.herbjonesforvirginia.com

tRump Helps Virginia... GOP in Pain... Thanks tRump!

herb jones

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Thursday December 20, 2018 · 4:27 PM PST

2018/12/20 · 16:27

What are Virginia Republicans to do in the face of chaos?

Tommy Norment: What are you telling Virginia Republicans?

The country is being plunged into chaos. Here is a short list:

Secretary of Defense, General James Mattis has resigned. The one person in this administration that everyone serving in the military respects.
We are unilaterally pulling out of Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan with no long term plan to keep the peace. This is a great disservice to the honor and memory of the women and men who sacrificed in these conflicts.
The stock market is plunging - 500 points everyday - and will continue to do so because of the constant uncertainty in the United States currently.
The United States government is on the verge of shut down because a wall that we were promised would be paid for by Mexico will not be funded by American taxpayers.
Ironically, no one from Mexico attacked the United States on 9/11, the worst terrorist attack on this nation, or in any subsequent terrorist attack. In fact, 15 of the 19 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia. Yet, Saudis are allowed to enter and leave the United States with impunity. But we want to build a wall on the Mexican border.
And, by the way, the president of the United States is cavorting with the leader of Saudi Arabia. Does this make any sense?
The leader of the Free World had a non-profit foundation that was suddenly closed because it misused and misappropriated funds for the benefit of the president of the United States. Imagine what would have happened if President Obama did this or anything close.
The United States is abdicating its leadership role in the world: Retreating from climate change initiatives, failure to lead human rights by separating children from their parents, and continuing to imprison 25% of the world prison population while only 4% of the world population.
Porn stars, weekly golf trips at taxpayer expense, indictments, and the list goes on and on.

What are republicans in Virginia to think? Tommy Norment is the leader of the Republican Party in Virginia. What are you telling the Virginia republicans, Tommy? Where is the Republican Party headed? How to do you square this circle?

Herb Jones is the Democratic candidate for the 3rd Senatorial District of Virginia. Herb is running against the Senate Majority Leader, Tommy Norment, the most powerful person in the Virginia Republican Party. To learn more about his campaign visit www.herbjonesforvirginia.com.

Voting Should be Easy!

herb jones

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Sunday November 25, 2018 · 10:15 AM PST

2018/11/25 · 10:15

It should be easy for every American to vote.

Voting is a fundamental right for every American and the bedrock of our democracy. So why is it so difficult?

Virginia ranks near last in convenience of voting. Per an in-depth study conducted by Northern Illinois University, “Voters in 2016 faced the most inconveniences on the way to the ballot box in Mississippi—followed by Virginia, Tennessee, Indiana and Texas.” In most states, voting is over complicated, intrusive, and discourages the average citizen from participating in the process that is the fabric of our democracy.

Virginia and other states must take steps to remove nonsensical barriers to voting. At a minimum, Virginia should eliminate the requirement to provide an excuse or reason to vote absentee. This requirement is arbitrary and there is no means to enforce it: what government official is going to check to determine if the reason given is actually why the person is voting absentee? It’s unenforceable and doesn’t pass the common sense test.

Virginia should adopt some of the practices used by Oregon, Washington, and Colorado and others. These include automatic voter registration for everyone eligible to vote, early voting, and vote by mail. After I am elected as the senator for the 3rd Senatorial District of the Commonwealth of Virginia, one of the first pieces of legislation I will submit will remove arbitrary barriers to voting and make the process more convenient for all Virginians.

Herb Jones is a candidate for Virginia’s 3^rd Senatorial District. Learn more about Herb at www.herbjonesforvirginia.com.

In Virginia, What Do the 2018 Results Mean for November 2019

herb jones

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Sunday November 18, 2018 · 10:57 AM PST

2018/11/18 · 10:57

The numbers from the midterm elections last week provide a glimpse into what could possibly happen in November 2019. Below is a list of Virginia house of delegate and senate seats that voted for Tim Kaine which are currently held by republicans. Tim Kaine won all of these districts and the vote percentages are listed.

Graham Moomaw twitted regarding the Virginia Senate on November 8, 2019:
https://twitter.com/gmoomaw/status/1060583240195629057?s=20

Dave Ress, Daily Press political reporter, covered this in the DP November 9, 2018 edition: https://www.dailypress.com/news/politics/dp-nws-shad-plank-1110-story.html

HD27 – Delegate Roxanne Robinson, R-Chesterfield, 54.1%
HD28 – Delegate Bob Thomas, R-Fredericksburg, 54.9%
HD40 – Delegate Tim Hugo, R-Fairfax, 58.1%
HD54 – Delegate Bobby Orrock, R-Spotsylvania, 49.7% to 48.4%
HD62 – Delegate Riley Ingram, R-Hopewell, 52.6%
HD76 – Delegate Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, 51.1%
HD83 – Delegate Chris Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, 52.1%
HD84 – Delegate Glenn Davis, R-Virginia Beach, 52.9%
HD91 – Delegate Gordon Helsel, R-Hampton, 49.7% to 48%
HD94 – Delegate David Yancey, R-Newport News, 58.5%
HD100 – Delegate Robert Bloxom, R-Accomack, 54.4%
https://www.vpap.org/visuals/visual/2018-us-senate-results-state-house-district/

SD07 – Senator Frank Wagner, R-Virginia Beach, 55.6%
SD08 – Senator Bill DeSteph, R-Virginia Beach, 51.3%
SD10 – Senator Glenn Sturtevant, R-Chesterfield, 60.4%
SD12 – Senator Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, 56.5%
SD13 – Senator Dick Black, R-Loudoun, 58.3%
SD17 – Senator Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, 52.2%
https://www.vpap.org/visuals/visual/2018-us-senate-results-state-senate-district/

All of these districts are flippable. We just have to find candidates to compete for every seat across the Commonwealth. Help Flip Virginia.

Herb Jones is a candidate for Virginia’s 3^rd Senatorial District. Learn more about Herb at www.herbjonesforvirginia.com.

VA Ratify ERA Bus Tour

herb jones

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Saturday November 10, 2018 · 6:18 PM PST

2018/11/10 · 18:18

The VA Ratify ERA bus tour started its tour through Virginia yesterday. This afternoon it stopped at the Jamestown Settlement. The bus will cross the Commonwealth over the next 10 days. Visit ERA Bus Schedule to see when the ERA bus will be in your part of Virginia.

Kati Hornung, Campaign Coordinator, VAratifyERA, with Herb Jones

In 2019, Virginia has a unique and historical opportunity to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. After Nevada’s ratification in 2017 and the Illinois ratification on May 30, 2018 only one more state is required for complete ratification.

#VAratifyERA statewide campaign launched on Women’s Equality Day, August 26th with celebrations around the state. Celebrations included showing the movie, “Iron Jawed Angels,” filmed in Virginia, that follows Alice Paul (Hilary Swank) and her fellow suffragists as they compel passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. “We are focusing on Alice Paul because of her bravery and steadfast resolve to achieve women’s equality under the law,” said Kati Hornung, campaign coordinator of VAratifyERA, a non-partisan campaign focused solely on Virginia’s ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Herb Jones signs on the VA Ratify ERA effort.

Herb Jones is a candidate for Virginia’s 3rd Senatorial District. To learn more about Herb, visit HerbJonesforVirginia.com.

Visit VAratifyERA to learn more how to help make history in Virginia.

Flip Virginia in 2019

herb jones

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Thursday November 08, 2018 · 5:20 PM PST

2018/11/08 · 17:20

Mark_Herring_Virginia_Gubernatorial_Candidate_5JDkb4AHXMml.jpg — Election night in Virginia, 2017.

Congratulations to everyone who tossed their hat in the political ring in 2018. It is not a decision of the faint of heart to decide to compete in politics at any level. In Virginia, we had a number of spirited contests. We have three great women who will represent Virginia in House of Representatives in 2019: Abigail Spanberger, Elaine Luria, and Jennifer Wexton. These women ran great campaigns and defeated incumbents. Great Work!

In the 1st Congressional District, where I live, Vangie Williams commanded a vigorous and competitive campaign. Thank you, Vangie, and I hope you will take another shot in 2020.

We have elections every year in Virginia. The national talking heads are looking past 2019 and talking about 2020. I’d like to remind everyone that the Virginia House of Delegates was almost flipped last year, and, save for a couple of judges who were visually challenged and failed to disallow a clearly spoiled ballot in the 94th House District race, the House would have had a power sharing arrangement. Additionally, there were a number of other house races that were very close in 2017. In the senate, there are 21 republicans and 19 democrats. So, in 2019, we need to flip two seats in the house and one in the senate.

In 2019, I am running to flip Virginia’s 3rd Senatorial District. The current occupant of this seat is Tommy Norment, the Senate Majority Leader.

I am a retired soldier with two combat tours in Iraq. I served as the treasurer of New Kent County for three terms. I’m a small business owner, husband, and father. A couple of issues that are important to me are:

Virginia finally expanded Medicaid this year. Health care is a basic human right. I believe that we have to protect Medicaid expansion, and fully fund the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS). We need leaders who believe every Virginian should have access to quality, affordable health care.
90% of my district is rural and without access to high-speed internet or broadband. Children, families, and businesses who live in rural Virginia will fall behind if they don’t have the same access to technology as our more urban neighbors. I think we should explore a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) model to address not only the technology gap in rural Virginia, but all infrastructure needs across the Commonwealth.
Education is key to the future of our country and our economy. I believe education starts the moment a child is born and continues throughout a persons life. Learning never stops. We need universal pre-kindergarten education and development available for every family. This must include nutritional counseling, emotional, social and physical development. Quality early childhood development greatly reduces the school-to-prison pipeline numbers. We must also invest in our teachers and staff by paying a competitive salary that will attract the best and brightest. We must address the high cost of public colleges and universities. We must make a large investment in vocational and technical training after high school. Businesses have jobs but not enough skilled labor to fill them. This is critical!

I am confident the 2017 and 2018 democratic enthusiasm will carryover into 2019. I hope that you will join me on this adventure. To learn more about me and my campaign please visit my website, www.herbjonesforvirginia.com. I will post a few times a week and look forward to a healthy exchange of ideas.

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