First Do No Harm

"If you like your plan, you will be able to keep it." 

-President Barack Obama, 2010
Winner-Politifact "Lie of the Year", 2013

Now a quarter of a million Virginians will soon be informed that they will not. This report from Charlottesville NBC29 yesterday on a recent meeting of the Virginia Health Insurance Reform Board details why. 

Per NBC: 

"Some employers and individuals have already received notices saying their plans will end. Those yet to receive the notification letters will be offered the most similar alternative for a plan or they can shop around inside or outside the federal exchange."

"The most similar." What a soft, doublespeaking way of breaking it that rates are going up. 

Who will feel the hit? Why, the original targets of Obamacare, of course. The young, the middle class, and the elderly can all expect rate hikes, and not the insignificant 2-5% that was already forecast. We are going to be talking high double digits, and more in some cases. 

Obamacare is doing the opposite of making healthcare affordable. 
The reason that the government wants these plans gone is that they are not comprehensive enough for Obamacare's cookie-cutter vision of what you need. With added coverage must come added premiums to offset the risk to the insurance companies. With higher premiums come higher deductibles, some in the thousands of dollars. Those costs will deter even more people without disposable income from seeking medical assistance. 

VA GOP Caucus

vagopcaucus.blogspot.com

Foust Continues to Fumble

Never, I repeat NEVER, get yourself embroiled in conflict-of-interest; much less ADVERTISE IT!

Honestly, folks, if you haven't heard by now, John Foust, a sitting Fairfax County Supervisor (and a tax raising one at that) used the Government Center as the setting for a campaign ad. I would link it, but I don't want to put up anything questionably illegal.

Are the people in the background employees of the county? Did they get a choice whether or not to be in it? If they did, would they feel uncomfortable saying "no" while being charged by a sitting Supervisor and a film crew? The list of questions goes on. But why? 

Political use of government resources is such a widely agreed-upon issue that the General Assembly passed a law requiring localities to address it.

All that post-production time and NOBODY on the Foust team gets the bright idea...
"Waaaaiiiit a minute. Shouldn't campaigns and sitting government be separated?" 

Though it does raise an interesting point. How can governing as a job be the centerpiece of Foust's ad, yet, somehow Barbara Comstock, a sitting state delegate, has "never had a real job"?

Come on, John. 

VA GOP Caucus

vagopcaucus.blogspot.com

No ROI for Big McAuliffe Donors

Gov. McAuliffe's endorsement of the 550-mile Atlantic Coast natural gas pipeline has drawn 'Hosana's' from many unfamiliar places, but has he overplayed his hand just a little bit? Is he just keeping his finger on the pulse? This initiative will bring jobs where they are desperately needed, and garner him some rapport with the mostly red legislature. But...

Guess which state based environmental group constitutes McAuliffe's 3rd highest donation totals since 2012? They have put down over one and a half million dollars to get this man elected.

Gosh, I sure hope he doesn't anger any influential one-issue billionaires who also took a huge seven figure stake in his win....

But to be sure, at least some have been able to get on Terry's team. 

Let's hear statements about the Atlantic Coast pipeline:

Delegate Mark Sickles[Former Minority Caucus Chairman] 
“Good family-wage construction jobs in the short term will lead to lower heating bills, a reduced carbon footprint and permanent manufacturing jobs in the long term...Congratulations to all who worked so hard to win against four competing alternatives and good luck...[making] the underground natural gas pipeline a reality.”
(didn't see that one coming, but happy you've come around sir)

Tom Steyer (per WaPo, NextGen PAC could not be reached for comment) 

Per RPV Chairman Pat Mullins: 
"Given the Governor's new-found interest in working with the energy sector, I'm forced to wonder if the environmental movement has a home in the Virginia Democrat party any more."

He may have a point. This surely constitutes a huge fly in the organic vegan ointment, so to speak. 

VA GOP Caucus

vagopcaucus.blogspot.com

As the World Turns: McAuliffe Endorses Fracking and ALEC

Earlier today, the Speaker of the House released a statement applauding the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline. By using a process known as hydraulic fracturing or 'fracking', the Marcellus and Utica shales will produce upwards of 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas for Virginia and North Carolina.

It is encouraging to see the Governor support this 'game-changer' of a project and the benefits that natural gas/fracking can have for the Commonwealth and its citizens. Also, his endorsement of an ALEC initiative is a hat-tipper that deserves a round of applause...but he probably won't get it from his main supporters.

P.S. Senator Saslaw is also a supporter of the proposed pipeline. 

The full press release is below.

Statement of House Speaker William J. Howell on proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline RICHMOND, VA – Virginia House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) issued the following statement Tuesday on the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline announced by Dominion and its partners. For more information on the announcement, please click here.  “This announcement is tremendous news for the Commonwealth of Virginia and represents a major step forward in our continued pursuit to harvest abundant natural resources in order to lower energy costs and create good-paying jobs. Natural gas is an abundant, clean, and affordable resource and this pipeline will improve Virginia’s access to natural gas supplies from the Upper Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. The development and construction of the pipeline will create thousands of jobs throughout various regions of the Commonwealth and encourage economic development by keeping energy costs down for Virginia businesses and entrepreneurs. I applaud and thank Dominion for its continued investment and commitment to strengthening our economy. “I also applaud Governor Terry McAuliffe for his enthusiastic support of this project, despite fierce opposition from many allies of his own party. Natural gas production and infrastructure development, as well as domestic energy production altogether, continues to be a major initiative of the American Legislative Exchange Council. It is encouraging to see Governor McAuliffe’s endorsement of those policies and their positive impacts.” #  #  #