No Drive Day-April 2nd

On Wednesday, April 2nd, the JMU Clean Energy Coalition and HDPT are sponsoring JMU's first No Drive Day.

You can find more information on the Clean Energy Coalition website. Here's a bit of information they offer that you may find interesting:

Approximately twenty pounds of CO2 are created for every gallon of gasoline consumed. A simple three-mile trip back and forth to campus generates 2.5 pounds of CO2!

I highly encourage you to take part in this great cause. Okay, so call me a tree-hugging Republican (there don't seem to be too many of us out there), but I support any reasonable initiative to preserve our environment. Maybe my environmental concerns can be attributed to the fact that I attended a Governor's School for Environmental Science and Technology. Regardless of your opinions on global warming and more "controversial" environmental issues, there is no denying the fact that the Shenandoah River fish kills and the abominable condition of the Chesapeake Bay require serious attention.

Speaking of the environment, one of John McCain's platforms that has appealed to me since early in the campaign is his take on environmental issues.  A quote taken from his website states:

America has been blessed with a rich and diverse natural heritage. In the tradition of his hero, Theodore Roosevelt, John McCain believes that we are vested with a sacred duty to be proper stewards of the resources upon which the quality of American life depends. Ensuring clean air, safe and healthy water, sustainable land use, ample greenspace - and the faithful care and management of our natural treasures, including our proud National Park System - is a patriotic responsibility. One that must be met not only for the benefit of our generation, but for our children and those to whom we will pass the American legacy.

Amen to that! I just wish more people would come to realize that preserving the environment should not be a Democrat v. Republican issue, but rather a bipartisan goal to work toward. Being someone who has a deep faith in God, I personally feel that we should do everything within our power to take care of the earth He has given us during the time that we're here.

Anyway, that was my environmentalism rant for the day. Don't drive on April 2nd, walk/bike to class, get some exercise and a breath of fresh air, and help preserve the environment. In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend!

Bolling Announces Plan to Seek Re-election

Earlier today, Lt. Governor Bill Bolling announced that he will seek re-election in 2009 for his current office, instead of campaigning for the GOP nomination for Governor, as many had been anticipating.  More details can be found in the press release on his website.

Admittedly, I was a bit surprised by this announcement, expecting him to declare his bid for the Governor's mansion.  However, I am quite pleased with his decision, as it should prevent a heated battle for the GOP nomination by making Bob McDonnell the obvious frontrunner for the nod. With this news, I wish Lt. Governor Bolling much success in his re-election campaign! 

Lt. Governor Bolling Visits CRs

Virginia Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling stopped by JMU last night for a pizza party with the College Republicans.  He ate and mingled with the students, asking questions about our hometowns, majors, etc., and showing a genuine interest in getting to know more about each of us.  Once he had a chance to meet everyone, we sat down and gave him our attention as he spoke on everything from his entry into politics to the importance of getting out to help campaign for GOP candidates next fall. He thanked us for being so interested/involved in politics and encouraged us to focus our efforts on helping John McCain, Jim Gilmore, and Bob Goodlatte win their respective elections, but jokingly added that we should also aim to stay on top of our studies in the process.  He also took time to respond to several questions from club members following his address.  I was quite pleased with the event and feel that it was a great opportunity to be able to hang out with the Lt. Gov. in the informal setting that the pizza party provided.

The DNR has a great article about it here.

American Politics and the Permanent Campaign

Our topic of class discussion/study this week regards the permanent campaign, which plays a large role in American politics today.  One of the articles we read in order to introduce the subject was an article by Michael Kazin in The Washington Post.  It is common to hear people complain that campaigns start earlier these days than they ever did before, however, in reality, the permanent campaign began with Martin Van Buren prior to the 1828 election.  One major difference between now and then is today's 24-hour news cycle, which subjects politicians to constant public scrutiny.  This factor greatly contributes to the permanent campaign by requiring politicians to act in ways that will gain public favor.  

Personally, I have mixed feelings regarding the permanent campaign.  On the negative side, the permanent campaign prevents elected officials from revealing their true opinions and standing up for their personal beliefs for fear that they will lose public support from certain groups.  For instance, many legislators today who want to maintain reputations as moderates are hesitant to propose legislation that would in any way align them with either the far left or right agenda. This ongoing campaign process also makes it necessary for a candidate to raise (or have plenty of their own) funds in order to counter an incumbent, or to maintain a viable candidacy.  On the positive side, the permanent campaign forces elected officials to be responsive to public needs. In the United States today, it seems unrealistic to think that the permanent campaign will ever lose its permanency.  What do you think?  Do you support or oppose the permanent campaign? Are there other pros and cons that I overlooked?  I'm interested in hearing your opinions so please feel free to comment and have a wonderful day!

Virginia Lottery Trust Fund

I hope that everyone had an awesome spring break and is getting back into the swing of things just in time for the Centennial festivities this week! College Republicans started off the 2nd half of the semester with Senator Mark Obenshain coming to speak at our weekly meeting.  One of the main issues he discussed with us was the budget dispute in Richmond, which will likely wrap up and close the session tomorrow.  A major point of controversy came in the efforts of the Senate Democrats to approve a budget that would re-route the distribution of lottery proceeds from funding education to use in the general fund.  Lt. Governor Bill Bolling tried to prevent the budget from passing the Senate by declaring that in order to re-route these funds, a 4/5's vote would be necessary.  His decision was initially overruled, however, a senior staff lawyer with the state agrees that routing the funds is unconstitutional.  The Examiner has the story here. Following this controversial decision, Senator Obenshain introduced Senate Bill 800, which sets up a Lottery Trust Fund to ensure that all revenue from the Lottery will be used directly for education as required by the Virginia Constitution.  In order for Obenshain's bill to be implemented, it must pass in the Senate, House of Delegates, and gain Governor Kaine's approval, as well.  The Daily News Record has the full story.  I personally hope that Senator Obenshain's bill will pass and require our lawmakers to uphold our state constitution when it comes to budget allocation.  Any of your thoughts/opinions regarding the situation are welcome!