Jim is a neighbor, former Blacksburg Town Councilman, delegate, and an inspiration to local Democrats. His wife, Margaret, is one of the most likable people anywhere. It's always a joy to "run into her" around town, or to sometimes share with her a stint at the polls on election day.
You can tell how their district citizens feel about the Shulers by the warmth they radiate and get back in return whenever they visit voters here, or are out and about at Steppin' Out, the Lyric Theater, Henderson lawn concerts, or the neighborhood or town walking trails.
Several times Jim Shuler has stepped up to energize and motivate local Democrats who faced some of the most overwhelming political challenges. I remember one fall in the late 1990s, when we were dejected over impending (presidential) impeachment hearings. We were gathered at the Farmhouse Restaurant in Christiansburg. But we didn't have time to be disheartened because we had an election to face. And it was Jim Shuler who energized the party faithful, kept the focus on the upcoming races, and inspired a strong effort.
It's been said that in SW Virginia, Republicans can't defeat popular Democratic incumbents, so they either import candidates or gerrymander them out of their jobs. At least they try.
In late 2001, Jim faced partisan redistricting, which cut out Jim's residence and vote base. Madison Marye was also to experience this, when Madison's Senate seat was later shipped to Northern Virginia. Jim was forced to move in order to run again, in a largely Republican district. In the new district, he lost to Dave Nutter (R).
But when former Del. Creigh Deeds (D), who'd won a House of Delgates seat representing the rest of Jim's old district, decided to run for (and won) the late Emily Couric's Senate seat, Jim moved back to Blacksburg to run once again.
That Special Election Day was a bitter-cold January day with temperatures hovering near zero wind chill. But Jim Shuler had the best get-out-the vote effort this area has ever had. As we hung door hangers reminding voters to get to the polls, and watched the votes turn out, we knew we had won. Jim went to Richmond without missing a term and with 70.77% of the vote.
Jim Shuler is as affable as he is tough. He's got strong convictions spoken thoughtfully. I remember how he drove former Senator Madison Marye to Richmond and how Madison joked about their rides together. Madison joked that Jim, a veterinarian, had given him a clean bill of health. Now that Madison is retired, Jim maintains his friendship with his mentor, but has built a strong partnership with State Senator John Edwards of Roanoke, whose district includes the Blacksburg portion of Jim's district. Together they face the ever-changing needs of their sprawling districts, whether agriculture, transportation, health care, education, or governance.
Before Jim left for Richmond, I talked with him about his reactions to the swearing-in events in Washington, and his hopes for the year to come, both in Washington and in Richmond.
Part II: A Conversation with Del. Jim Shuler
I reminded Jim of that day last May, when 132 people crowded into the Blacksburg Library to hear him endorse Jim Webb for Senate. Did he have any thoughts? (Jim smiled broadly as we savored the victory this past Nov.) Along with former Senator Madison Marye, and former Del. Joan Munford, Shuler endorsed Jim Webb for the primary.
JS: "I found Webb to be very principled and, though we may not always agree with him, it's refreshing to have someone who's as straightforward as (he is). "
From the beginning, Shuler also thought Webb had the best chance of both defeating George Allen and bursting the "bubble of George Allen's national aspirations."
We talked for a moment about the historic assendance of Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
JS: "History was made. It almost brought tears to my eyes. Here's a 65 year old grandmother who's the Speaker of the House, the third most powerful person in the whole United States. It's amazing that that has happened. It gives us hope...after all this time..."
I asked Jim to reflect on the swearing in ceremonies in Washington and if he had any hopes for the first 100 Hours of the Democratic Congress, and beyond.
JS: "There's a lot of Republican spin right now because they're upset that they've `been but out of the loop.' Nancy Pelosi has tried to make it perfectly clear that the House is voting on bills the House of Representatives have already voted on and they`ve already been debated, but they either didn't get through the Senate or were vetoed by the President."
On the issue of civility and bipartisanship, Jim reflected:
JS: "The Democratic leadership has promised to be more civil, and to give both parties equal billing, or at least allowed them to come to the committee and present their side. You know, (under the Republicans) the Democrats weren't even allowed to come to the committee room, much less offer amendments."
We talked about what Democrats must do to achieve progress. Jim thought the biggest mistake would be if the "Democrats behave the way the Republicans have." Jim believes Democrats can be fair and move forward without giving up all their power.
Jim Gilmore had just announced his exploratory committee to run for president. I asked Del. Shuler if he had any thoughts and, not surprisingly, he did:
JS: "There's probably not a Republican in Virginia who doesn't realize the damage he's done and the fiscal irresponsibility.""We wouldn't have all the problems we're having now on the transportation issue if he hadn't taken all our anticipated revenues and borrowed from them and put us in a short position on federal funding right now. But that's exactly what he did."
Jim lamented that, because of Gilmore's recklessness, and the GOP House leadership,
JS: "Right now we have 3-4 more years in the transportation trust fund before it's depleted completely.
Jim was particularly troubled by the spend-and-borrow tactics under Jim Gilmore. Wish lists were funded with monies borrowed from federal government. "All that has contributed to where we are now," Jim thinks.
I asked about Jim's expectations for the new term in Richmond.
JS: Well, the cloud over it is still the transportation issue. I've been opposed to taking money from the general fund to supplement the transportation fund. In the end, there may need to be some compromise, but until we clear this up, it negatively impacts everything else we are trying to do. And it's difficult for other initiatives to go forward when you're still toying with the general fund money."
Jim expressed concern that, perhaps, we might not have a transportation bill by Feb.
JS: "The reason is that Governor, Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats and House Democrats are all on the same page. The problem resides in the Republicans in the House of Delegates. It's really controlled by a small group who don't have the vision that the Senate or the governor has."
Jim doesn't expect the same degree of cooperation with Tim Kaine as the GOP had with Mark Warner because the GOP is balking at anything that would enhance the Governor's resume. Rather, Jim thinks, the leadership's discipline will be "strongly enforced."
Kathy: Speaking of Tim Kaine, Do you think Tim's transportation package will gain any traction?
JS: "He's modified what he offered up a year ago....They're all plausible ideas..."
But Jim is concerned that the Republican majority will succumb to a rigid no-tax position. On other matters, he adds:
JS: "Tim is doing a good job of trying to tie in land use and help localities with smart growth. He's trying to give communities more leverage to raise taxes if they (localities) can't provide for their roads, water or sewer systems. You know, we homeowners cost localities more than we pay in taxes."
Jim expressed pessimism that the Virginia House leadership will work toward solutions. Jim thought his Republican counterparts in the House need to take something back to the voters on transportation, but that the leadership will prevent that from happening. "Some Republicans may lose their seats over it," he predicted.
JS: "The Virginia House leadership feels that it can sacrifice some of their members and still maintain their majority."
Kathy: What are your thoughts on Gov. Tim Kaine's proposal for universal preschool?
JS: "I think Gov. Kaine is on the right track with Pre-K."
Kathy: What other educational issues need addressing?
JS: "K-12 is in a pretty good position right now. Although it's not fully funded, it's better than 3 years ago. Last session we did quite a bit for K-12. Higher education is right at the 60 percentile. But there are still a lot of capital needs."
Kathy: What kind of divergent needs do we have down here versus the rest of the Commonwealth?
Jim pointed out that many of us in this past of the state are unaware that Northern Virginia sends a lot of money to Richmond it never gets back.
JS: "So Northern Virginia is the engine that provides the purse strings to feed the rest of the state. .. I'm not so sure there's an appreciation of that...""(Statewide) there's a dramatic need for school construction across the commonwealth (somewhere between 4 and 6 billion). That's capital improvements or renovations of schools. That's an issue here in Montgomery County, VA."
Kathy: In SW Virginia Wed (Jan 3rd) Gov. Tim Kaine announced a new research medical center to be located in Roanoke. How important do you think this is as a piece of improved health care for SW VA?
Jim thought it will both begin to address the acute shortage and be good for researchers at Virginia Tech.
"I think it will be successful," he added.
Kathy: Are there any other initiatives regarding health care coming down the pipe?
JS: I doubt there'll be anything of significance. Last year the state made a pretty significant effort on the mental health side. We cleared the backlog for those people waiting for mental health assistance. We'll continue to try to move forward on this because there are still people needing help. These are emergencies."
Jim thought fiscal constraints, and the mood of the House leadership, would prevent moving ahead on other health care initiatives.
Kathy: Are there any other initiatives coming down the pipe on any of your committees?
JS: On the matter of public safety, "probably the photo red bills will come back. It's a shame they were allowed to expire."
JS: The District used it (photo-red) as revenue source. If you visit with law enforcement in Vienna or Virginia Beach, they'll say they (the cameras)prevent accidents. In Blacksburg The Virginia Transportation institute is collecting data to assure it is not manipulated. Those bills are up for for consideration. But if they get assigned to the same committee(s) they'll die again.
We talked about the impact of lost jobs on the state economy. Jim expressed compassion and concern for those outsourced and unemployed around the state, including South Side, who've been hit hard by unemployment and outsourcing.
JS: "Another issue is the paper trail for voting machines. I am hopeful we can move forward on that."
Kathy: My last question for you today is that I know you are a person of faith (as I am) and I wondered if you had any thoughts about the divisiveness we've heard about in recent weeks. I'm taking about US Rep. Virgil Goode's raising the issue of whether there should be a religious litmus test for members of Congress. Obviously there's a prohibition against this in the Constitution. What's you're reaction to this incident?
Jim said that Virgil "could have done some good" had he taken the election of US Rep. Keith Ellison "as an opportunity to educate some of his constituents."
Jim expressed hopes that, US Rep Keith Ellison's election, the discussion surrounding Goode's unfortunate remarks, and the efforts of people of good will would "hopefully do a lot of good in the long run."
Kathy: Thanks for talking with me, Jim.
JS: Thank you...
III. Final Note: I'm betting Jim will have a lot to say about the current session when it ends. Stay tuned...