Rob, thanks for the early softball! First I want to say thanks to Lowell and the folks here at Raising Kaine for the opportunity to speak with you. As we all know the net-roots have been playing an increasingly important role in politics as we saw last year with Jim Webb's victory. I'm looking forward to earning your support.

I'll also pitch my website and actblue page here to get it out of the way. My campaign webpage is http://www.jaydonahu... and you can donate securely to my campaign at http://www.actblue.c...

I'm running for office because the Republican leadership in Richmond has failed to find productive solutions to our most pressing problems. They also don't represent the same values we share here in Northern Virginia. On education, the environment, development, transportation-they've come up short; and the current delegate in 86th continues to support that failed leadership.

I totally disagree with your comment about the Republican leadership in Richmond. The House has been working extremely hard on transportation,etc. but hte Senate and southern VA repeatly vote down anything for No. VA. The Southern part of VA hasn't been hit with the transportation issues like here in No. VA, ask them, they will tell you that when they come up here they just can't believe how bad the traffic is. How would you convence the southern part of VA to compromise and help No. VA  solved this gridlock that we are now faced with.

House of Delegates is working FOR Northern Virginia?!?  You can't be serious.  Also, in no way, shape or form do those right-wing extremists share our values.

Please give me examples of how Howell is working against Northern Virginia.

Courtesy of the LWashington Post:

Mr. Howell's Cold Shoulder
Long commute this morning? Virginia's House speaker doesn't care.

Friday, April 7, 2006; A18

THE SPECIAL session on transportation underway in the Virginia General Assembly is very special indeed, in the sense that it is undetectable. Neither the House of Delegates nor the state Senate is actually in session, and negotiators from each chamber, who are supposed to be shaping a compromise on transportation funding, are not meeting. Call the Richmond offices of most legislators and you are likely to hear a recorded message, because many of them have gone home. So much for the legislature's urgent attention to Virginia's transportation mess.

For this state of affairs, one can thank the Republican majority in the House of Delegates and in particular its leader, Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford). Mr. Howell and his caucus have decided that no statewide taxes will be raised for transportation improvements. Never mind that Virginia has not raised a new dime for transportation in 20 years (while population and traffic have boomed), or that within five years every dollar the state collects for transportation will be sponged up by maintenance, leaving nothing to build new roads, widen existing ones or extend mass transit.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), backed by a bipartisan majority of the Senate, favors a strategy to unclog the roads. It would channel about $1 billion in new funding annually to transportation; the House plan would yield a third as much, taken from existing revenue and supplemented by some borrowing. A handful of anxious Republicans from Northern Virginia, who acknowledge that the House plan is laughably inadequate, have pleaded with Mr. Howell to at least allow the state's most heavily populated regions, Northern Virginia and Tidewater, to help themselves with local revenue-producing schemes. But to all appearances, Mr. Howell cares not a whit for Northern Virginia's transportation nightmare.

In addition to opposing regional "self-help" initiatives, he has thumbed his nose at the $1.5 billion in federal funding for Metro proposed by Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) in return for a reciprocal source of dedicated Metro funding from the state. Most recently, he has attacked a proposal by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority that offers the most realistic way to finance and build an extension of Metrorail to Dulles Airport and beyond. In short, when Northern Virginia commuters, lawmakers and business leaders speak of a transportation crisis, their pleas fall on Mr. Howell's deaf ears.

Politically, there is little mystery about the likely effects of Mr. Howell's recalcitrance. Northern Virginia's incumbent Republican delegates, several of whom barely squeaked by against so-so challengers in last fall's elections, won't easily survive the ballot in 2007 if there is no sensible compromise on transportation funding. They'll have Mr. Howell and, in some cases, their own pigheadedness to thank.

We can also add the fact that Bill Howell is on the opposite side of the vast majority of Northern Virginians on:

*Environment
*Stem cell research
*Abortion
*Pretty much any social issue

I am not interested in a 2006 article from the Post - surely you don't think the Post has an unbiased viewpoint.

As for social issues, I think people in Sterling care about transportation,education and the ability to get things done.

And 2006 wasn't exactly a long time ago.

I think you better do a little more research before you write Speaker Howell off as not caring about the environment.  It is a passion of his.

Please enlighten all of us with the details of how Speaker Howell is helping the environment.  Don't be shy with the details either.  If it's his passion there must be volumes upon volumes of pro-environment bills.

Mr. Donahue,

Thanks for taking the time to answer questions here!

Tom Rust introduced or co-sponsored several bills related to the issue of illegal aliens in Northern Virginia: His bills to allow increased penalties for overcrowding violations and driving without a valid operators license were signed into law, while legislation providing explicit language allowing local law enforcement entities to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement passed the House but was killed in a Senate committee.

Considering nearly all legislation related to illegal aliens was killed in Senate committees, do you agree that Del. Rust was relatively effective in this past session - and what would you do differently in the next session to address this growing problem in our district?

First let me say that I'm not a fan of the divisive language and attitude that sometimes accompanies the immigration debate. I agree illegal immigration is a problem and we need to enforce the law-but we should do so in a way that doesn't express xenophobia or hatred.

Here's what I believe needs to be done. First I believe we should be punishing large scale corporate employers of illegal immigrants. 

Second we need to put added pressure on the Federal Government to address the issue-I've been following the debate in Congress very closely and I'm hoping a productive solution can be found soon.

Third, and this is where local enforcement comes in, when individuals are arrested for serious crimes and it is discovered in the normal process of investigation that they lack legal status we need to do something about it-and that means working again with the Federal Government. But, this is where we must be very careful not to fall down the slippery slope of racial profiling. We cannot under any circumstance start assuming everyone in this country who is of Latin-American dissent is here illegally. Many of these folks who live in Herndon/Sterling are citizens or have emigrated here legally and we should not make any assumptions based on race.

As Vice Chairman of Herndon's Planning Commision I've joined with the commision to support staff recomendations
desgined to reduce/eliminate excessive occupancy in Herndon housing. No home owner should have their quality of life or real estate values diminished by overcrowding.

In reference to your first point:  What about smaller employers who violate our laws?  Do they get a "get out of jail free" card?  Looking at the day labor situation, the small guys seem to be the ones violating the law in Herndon.

No one deserves a get out of jail free card, but the known corporate hiring of illegal immigrants is particularly egregious because they have the resources to ensure they are employing legal residents. 

You must be kidding me. The majority of the Herndon community do NOT have a problem with LEGAL Immigrants, what we do have a problem with is ILLEGAL ALIENS there is a hugh difference. However, you Dem's refuse to separate the two and because of this you start the name calling towards Republicans when they appose illegal aliens. The Federal Government isn't doing anything and hasn't since 1986. In 1986 they were suppose to have closed the southern US border BEFORE anything in the bill kicked in but the didn't. This is one reason we have this problem today in such large volume. And why do you think the overcrowding has gone down in Herndon? Because the Mayor and Town Council have been putting pressure on the people that have purchased or rented in Herndon with the intent on making money by housing as many illegals as they could possibly fit in their house, condo or townhouse. It is the Dem's that are doing the profiling not the Rupublicans by constantly saying what you just stated. The US is a nation of laws and the laws will be inforced. If you win, you will have to sware to uphold the Federal and State laws as an elected official, how do you plan to handle that?

You know, it's possible to express your opinions in confrontation, abrasive language other than "You must be kidding me" and "you Dem's."

By the way, a brief spelling lesson:

"Republicans" not "Rupublicans"
*huge" not "hugh"
*"oppose" not "appose"
*"supposed" not "suppose"
*"they didn't" not "the didn't"
*"enforced" not "inforced"
*"swear" not "sware"

drilling off the coast of Virginia?  Thanks.

Lowell, I was told you might be asking about energy with your history at the Department of Energy! Thanks for bringing this up. 

While we all recognize America needs to start weaning itself of oil and coal, I think we need to be using cleaner natural gas more extensively as we transition to a society that uses renewable energy. If there is great potential for finding large stores of natural gas of the Virginia coast, I think we should consider that possibility.

Metro to Dulles if there's not a tunnel in Tysons? 

It is essential that we complete construction of metro to Dulles as soon as possible to improve the quality of life for all residents of the 86th district. Without metro to Dulles, traffic congestion will continue to get more serious and will continue to cut into family time with long commutes, and we will continue to increase pollution from tail-pipe emmissions.

All things being equal, I think everyone agrees with the desirability of the tunnel approach, but Herndon/Sterling cannot risk significant delays to completion, and certainly cannot risk endangering the entire project. 

 

Do you support Herndon's 287(g) immigration enforcement program?  Why or why not?

The Commonwealth of VA is starting the discussions as to receiving 287(g) training for the state troopers. Do you support this? Why? And if not, why not?

Yes. There will be training available to Herndon police that they will be able to use to improve law enforcement in Herndon. Under the current plan there is little risk of additional expense.

We have been assured by Mayor Steve DeBenedittis that this implementation will not be used in any way, as part of any racial profiling program. The program's intention is to assist Herndon police in better protecting Herndon residents from the "worst of the worst" violent criminals and crime, and I support it's use for that purpose.

You didn't answer the question. Do you or do you not support 287(g) training for VA State Troopers?

The governor has decided this isue and as he is responsible for law enforcement I will support his decesion.

Do you have the will to go to Richmond and stand up for the 86th district?  Or will you just become a mouthpiece for the governor?

Of course I will stand up for the 86th, that's my entire point. The governor declined 287(g) enforcement because he believes immigration is a Federal issue and that the state police already have more than enough on their plate. I agree with the decesion.

Do you support public money for a day labor center, such as in Herndon, that helps illegal aliens find jobs? 

How do you think the day laborer controversy was handled overall?  How would you have handled it differently, if at all?

The renewal for Reston Interfaith dba Project Hope and Harmony is coming up. Would you support the extention of the license as written or would you amend the license to require that all day labor's show proof that they are legal to work in the US? If you support breaking US Law by supporting the license as is, why?

Bob, I voted for the day labor center as Vice-Chairman of Herndon's Planning Commission because it was a public safety issue.  You know well that in August of 2005 the town council voted to transfer the unofficial, unsupervised, unmonitored site at the 7/11 on Elden Street to a more appropriate site. The current site is larger, better buffered and less visible than was the site at the 7/11.

The other issue note is that the additional traffic congestion cause by the site at the 7/11 creates an additional risk for traffic accidents. This is especially important because the time period of high activity for the day-labor site is the same times our schools busses are traveling the road. It creates traffic serious traffic congestion endangering pedestrian and road safety at rush hour.

You didn't answer my question.  I asked whether you supported allowing illegal aliens to find work at the site.  I certainly don't dispute the public safety issue.  My question relates to your position on legal immigrants vs. illegal immigrants as it relates to the day labor center.

this discussion to let everyone know how you feel about "illegal immigration."  Well, I think we got it by now.  Are you arguing that this one issue is THE most important issue, or the only issue you care about, facing Herndon/Sterling?  That's really amazing if true...

Lowell, you don't live here in Herndon so you probably would not know what the biggest issues are.  If you scroll down, I've asked questions on a number of topics, and I've appreciated Mr. Donahue's responses. 

I was asking a legitimate policy question about the day labor site and Mr. Donahue did not address it.  I was merely following up, as I believe I have the right to do.  If you have a problem with those who ask difficult policy questions, please let me know and I'll leave.

...I'm well aware of the immigration controversy, it's not like you could have missed it with all the media coverage.  My point is, just ask your question and don't be rude.  Also, I'd point out that you just registered on RK today, so I wonder what your motives are besides badgering Jay Donahue, who has kindly agreed to live blog here. 

Lowell, calm down.  I wasn't being rude, just pressing my question.  If Mr. Donahue wants to answer it, let him.  If he doesn't want to, that's fine too.  I'm really shocked by your attitude towards those of us who are merely asking a candidate about his views on the important issues of the day.

I'm sure you are.  Hahahahaha. :)

I said shocked, not "schocked."  I learned manners in kindergarten and spelling in first grade.  :)

You must have expected that people would be so excited about the candidate's live blog that new people would register today on the website.

are soooo clever, I'm in awe.

I have never been called a Republican in my life.  And I am not sure whether to be insulted about being called an operative.

Do you believe we need a much tighter connection between land use and transportation?  What do you advocate, specifically?

Like most Virginians I think we need to do more to solve the transportation issue. One major problem is that developers don't have to pay to help expand and construct roads to accommodate the new congestion they cause. They should be made to pay a portion of transportation and transit costs, as well as some of the funding needed to construct new schools, police departments, etc.

Second, we need more transit. I was reading Lowell's post earlier about Senator Webb's legislation for $1.5 billion in metro funding. Thank goodness we have a Democrat representing us in the Senate and it goes without saying that Senator Webb is great leader on issues such as this. I think we can also do more at the state level to get more transit projects and it begins by having developers assume some of the cost.

transportation bill passed by the GA this year?

I think the Governor's substitute bill was a good first step, but we need to do more because even with all the projects the new funding will pay for, it still won't pay for everything.

I strongly opposed the devolution plan supported by many Republicans. That would have cost the counties and taxpayers a tremendous amount of money without much return and it would not have been adopted by the all of the necessary jurisdictions. 

Embryonic stem cells.  Do you believe in state funding of embryonic stem cell research?

I support embryonic stem cell research. Period.

This one of those values issues we need to really fight for. We have a slate of candidates in the 86th including Patricia Phillips and Eugene Delguadio who have made it clear where they stand on issues like this and gay marriage. And they'll be strongly supported by national anti-choice and anti-stem cell advocates financially, and we need to be able to compete financially. To donate to my campaign please visit http://www.actblue.c... and help me show these folks what real family values mean.

Let me get this straight, you can only "really" support stem cell research if we donate to your campaign. And this will show folds what real family values mean! Oh my.

That was incredibly rude; you're just taking Jay's words and twisting them into pretzels to bash him.  Unbelievable...a candidate comes on and you sign up just to be a jerk.  Good riddance.

And here I thought you wanted open dialogue on the issues.  Sounds as though you are the one who is trying to direct the questions without anyone having a chance to challenge the candidate's opinion.

Just don't badger the candidate or be rude.  Basically, the stuff we all were supposed to have learned in kindergarten, you know?

I do know.  I hope you will calm down.

Jay, are you running against Eugene and Patricia? 

I'b obvioulsy running agaisnt Tom Rust, and my point wasn't to say you can only support family values by donating.

My point is this. The Republicans in the area have taken some very problematic posistions. I am interested in seeing if Tom Rust will support Delguadio and Phillips. You can tell a lot about a person by who they stand with.

I believe stem cell research and being pro-choice are true family values.

Is that why you stand with Leslie Byrne, who managed to annoy almost every single person in Herndon when she was in Congress with her abrasive personality and non-responsive staff?  Lowell will probably knock me for that one, but I think it's a legitimate question.  Leslie really was not very popular out this way.

for limiting greenhouse gas emissions?

On greenhouse gasses I need to study the California rules more carefully before saying they should be applied here, but I do believe we need to take steps to reduce greenhouse emissions in a way that best fits Virginia. California and many other states have signed on and I believe it is worth examining closely.

I want to see Fairfax's revolutionary cool county program expanded statewide. This program has a variety of carbon reducing programs such as tax breaks for hybrid vehicles and more energy efficiency in the homes as well as mandating reductions of carbon in public use. It even sets standards for green roofs which are a great way to save electricity and provide more plants to suck up carbon.

Do you believe the death penatly is an effective deterrent to crime or not?  Should Virginia expand the death penalty, reduce it, get rid of it or what?

The death penalty is an issue I've struggled with personally. When we see particularly egregious crimes such as the sexual abuse and murder of a child, it's hard not to think the death penalty is warranted. I've seen the way however, the death penalty is unfairly applied across economic and racial segments of the population. I've become less convinced recently that it should be used as a tool of punishment. I think the first step is we need to investigate how the death penalty has been applied in Virginia.

At this time I still support the death penalty, but I am extremely concerned about the possible inequities in enforcement and application and would like to seem them investigated.

What do you think about Virginia's "right to work" laws, or as Leslie Byrne calls them, the "right to be poor" laws?

Where do you stand on the proposed 395/495 HOT Lanes issue?  If you do support them, why?  And if not, what alternatives would you like to see?

Thanks!

Recently Fairfax County officials have proposed building a fire station in Stanton Park, a wooded park in Herndon.  Do you support putting a fire station there?

That proposal will come before the Herndon planning commission in the next few months, in would be inappropriate to comment before I hear the proposal.

What is inappropriate about answering a question like this one?  Certainly someone who lives as close to the new proposed site as you do must have an opinion.  You are answering questions about stem cell and the death penalty, but not about a land use?

In your announcement, you say that you "wholeheartedly" support Gov. Kaine's transportation plan, even though it had very little money for NoVa (less than $100 million per year). 

You haven't weighed in on Albo-Rust, the only plan that contained any real money (I think I heard $400 million a year) for Northern Virginia.  What are your views on that plan?

Bob, I'm starting to get the feeling that you've already made your decision in this race, but that's O.K. I'm willing to answer your questions publicly which is why my kickoff was public. It's interesting that my opponent's campaign kickoff will be at a private location. Secrecy is never a good thing.

The Albo-Rust bill proposed devolution and as I said earlier that was a particularly problematic proposal that was dead on arrival. It would have cost us more money than we would have gotten back. The county staff in Fairfax did a study on this question which was pretty definitive.

I understand that everyone has an invitation to attend the kickoff since it is on a website that can be viewed by everyone.

Everyone in my house got an invitation and even if we didn't, we could just get the information from that website - www.tomrust.org.

BTW - I have lived in Herndon for 25 years and voted in democratic primaries and I did not get invited to your kickoff.  Were you hoping to only have people you knew supported your views - like Leslie Byrne?

Jay, what exactly does that mean?

As a Delegate what legislation would you patron to give more power to Towns to control development density?

We can already control density through zoning and other proposals. If you can calrify what sort of legislation you are thinking about, I'd be happy to get you an answer.

Lowell might correct your spelling.

...clever!!!  :)

We might be quaint in Herndon but we are not slow.  :)

...thanks to your fine Republican "leadership" in Richmond! :)

That's an interesting point, Lowell.  In all the news reports I read, the Democrats didn't seem to have any viable alternative.  How are we supposed to decide whose plan would be better when there really wasn't anything to compare the GOP plans to?

PS, we don't blame our "Richmond leadership" in Herndon.  If there is a problem, we solve it ourselves or go over the edge trying.  That's what's great about being a non-partisan town.

Bill number and the legislators who wrote the Democratic alternative are HR 0000 written by nobody and sponsored by nobody, yet every single Democratic candidate complains about HR 3202 like there was a real alternative bill to vote for. It was either HR 3202 or no transportation bill this year. End of story.

Did Republicans kill Gov Kaine's so called "responsible" plan in 2006? Sure. But they did offer up a new plan in 2007 and work with the governor to pass it? Absolutely. That's responsible governing, not sitting in a corner complaining about the other side's bill without offering a real alternative. That's just sad and anything but worthy cause to give Democrats the reigns of leadership in Richmond this fall

What positions have you taken as a member of the Herndon Planning Commission to control development densities and what was the basis of your decision given the inherent development rights of individual land owners.

Please discuss the planner's view of the balance between a land owner's right to maximize the value of his property and the visual easement assumed by adjacent property owners.

The purpose of any zoning ordinance is to balance the rights and equities of neighboring property owners.

What in your professional background or your experience on the Herndon Planning Commission has provided you with the requisite tools and skills to serve all the 86th District voters?

Since you seem to not support the transportation bill passes in Richmond. What would you cut and what would you propose to get No. VA out of gridlock? Raise the gas tax?
Raise tolls? Give us some clue as to what you would legislate.

I think you may have misunderstood my posistion. I think the Governor's plan was a good firs step but we need to do more, which includes fees on developers.

Time to correct Mr. Donahue's spelling.

What do you view as your "crowning achievement" in your public service in Herndon?  You say you have lived here for 25 years, but so have I and I know very little about you. 

If you keep this up, you're at risk of being banned for "trolling" (translation: totally being rude and disrupting the entire discussion).

just registered a few minutes ago. Hmmmm....can we say Republican trolls?

Hold on, Lowell.  I am not a troll.  I live in Herndon, and I heard about Mr. Donahue's appearance here.  That's why I registered. I'm not a Republican or a Democrat.  In Herndon, we are pretty much all political independents.  I think it's great to be able to ask a candidate for office his views on the issues, but you seem to want to stay out of the difficult questions that the voters in Mr. Donahue's district want to know more about.

Where do you stand on the marriage act?

Thanks everyone for asking your questions. There may have been a few I didn't have a chance to get to. I'd love to answer them via email. Feel free to contact me at jay@jaydonahue4delegate.com

It looks like we started a good debate and I look forward to continuing it over the course of the campaign.

This was certainly interesting...found a few new "trolls" but also shed some light on important issues.  Thanks again, and feel free to come back anytime.