Dave Albo: Why Don't People Criticize Teachers for a Change?

By: Lowell
Published On: 7/7/2007 5:43:28 AM

Apparently, all the criticism over his $3,500 traffic "abuser fees" is beginning to drive Dave "Amnesty for Out-of-State Drunk Drivers" Albo (R-Springfield) a bit batty.  Check this out (bolding added for emphasis):

...critics say that Albo, a senior partner in the Springfield traffic law firm of Albo & Oblon, LLP, may see a significant bump in his business as motorists seek to protect their bank accounts from the hefty traffic fines.

"I take great offense to that," Del. Albo said Wednesday, blaming the criticism on democratic bloggers. "No moron in America is hiring Dave Albo for $1,200 to get them out of a $1,000 ticket. You never hear any criticism about teachers sitting in the General Assembly voting themselves a pay increase. They're cuddly. Lawyers are not."

Nice, Dave, so the abuser fees that YOU thought were such a brilliant idea and that YOU pushed to become part of the Republican transportation monstrosity are not the problem, it's the Democratic bloggers who have helped bring them - and your role in passing them - to light?  Uh Dave, reality check?  We bloggers aren't elected, we don't propose legislation, we don't vote in the General Assembly, and we don't hand out all day with lobbyists.  Talk about "shoot the messenger!"

Oh, and Dave, why on earth are you dragging teachers into this?  Are you saying we should criticize teachers for getting a pay raise?  Are you arguing that Virginia teachers are overpaid or something?  Or are you just trying to throw out a really bad smelling red herring to distract everyone away from the non-"cuddly" lawyers like yourself and towards the "cuddly" teachers?  What ARE you saying, Dave?  Just keep talking, it's fascinating!  Ha.

Comments



The "abuser fees" (Lowell - 7/7/2007 5:47:16 AM)
Here are your new "fees," courtesy of Dave Albo, Tom Rust et al:

The new state "driver abuser" fees going into law July 1 for Virginia drivers must be paid every year for three years. The three-year total assessment include:

Felony DWI: $3,000

Vehicular manslaughter: $3,000

Felony failure to signal: $3,000

Felony speeding above 80 MPH: $3,000

Misdemeanor DWI: $2,250

Misdemeanor failure to signal: $1,050

Attemping to elude police: $900

Driving without insurance: $900

Driving with a suspended license: $750

I particularly love the "driving without insurance" $900 fee.  This one's a double whammy: if you're poor and can't afford insurance, you get slapped with another $900 fee you undoubtedly can't pay, forcing you to rack up even MORE debt and making it even LESS likely that you can afford the insurance.  Ees nice?



Abuser Fees Unfair (jackiehva - 7/7/2007 7:40:19 AM)
I have a multitude of problems with these "fees" but my main objection is that out-of-state drivers do not get hit with the additional fees.  We are not just talking about the family that is entering VA or passing through on vacation.  I'm referring to the drivers who enter from VA, PA, and MD every day to work or to conduct business.  They are using our roads as much as Virginians and should be required to fund their maintenance. 

And as for being nailed for failure to signal!  There's a huge revenue source on its own.

This whole insanity is just a cash cow for the sleazy legal "profession."  Is there not a conflict of interest issue on the part of Albo? 



Nothing New Here (Albo Must Go - 7/7/2007 9:03:19 AM)
The People of the 42nd have been beating this drum for years now.  We discussed this in our most recent post - Memo to Albo: The Ludicrous and Horrific Truth.

Here's a letter to the editor from 2005.

FROM the BURKE edition of the Connection
Legislating DUI, Letter to the Editor (August 18, 2005)
To the Editor:
I was troubled by Del. Dave Albo's (R-42) letter ["Open Season," Connection, Aug. 11-17, 2005] denouncing a constituent for daring to question Mr. Albo's circular relationship with drunk-driving.

In an age when citizens distrust government, this hostile treatment of a neighbor concerned about a conflict of interest involving public safety only fuels cynicism. I looked into the matter, and verified that Albo does write DUI legislation. He appoints the judges before whom DUI cases are heard. He then represents drunk-driving defendants before the judges he appointed and uses loopholes in the laws he wrote to get his clients off. Sadly, it does not end there. The alcohol industry is Albo's largest campaign supporter, contributing more than $40,000 this year alone according to publicly available reports (www.vpap.org). One failed Albo alcohol bill: allowing citizens to taste the products at ABC stores before getting in their cars and driving away. On the day Mr. Lindenblad's letter was published, I visited Albo's firm's Web site and saw multiple DUI-related links. This morning when writing this letter, I checked again and the page has been drastically changed to eliminate most references to DUI. The old page can be found at: virginiadui.poweradvocates.com/virginia_dui_defenses.html.

In my research, I also came across a transcript of a court hearing in which Mr. Albo misstates the requirements of his own DUI law to a federal judge to secure a lesser sentence for his client. Thankfully, the judge was not fooled and Mr. Albo was forced to apologize for his misrepresentation. Incredibly, Mr. Albo defends this unseemly
relationship between his private practice and his public stances on drunk-driving by stating that the Founding Fathers, in creating a citizen legislature, intended him to make a living off of his legislating. Absurd. George Washington and George Mason once represented our district in the state legislature. Mr. Albo, respectfully, you are neither.

Alan Salisbury
Lorton

Here's an interesting article (Albo Must Go - 7/7/2007 9:33:04 AM)
From the Washington Times.  Republicans are now saying they have "egg on their face" because of this entire transportation mess.

http://www.washingto...



These abuser fees should be repealed - this should be an election issue now (opencarry - 7/7/2007 9:35:41 AM)
Why is nobody running against Albo?  :(

I was on MSNBC 3 times yesterday live speaking against the "abuser fee" scheme, and the general scheme of regressive and unfair taxes that are part of the package cereatinging regional taxing authorities to levy taxes on car rentals, car repairs, car registrations, deed granting, etc.  The whole package should be repealed in exchange for a simple gas tax hike - there has not been one in 20 years.

This past year was a bad year for Virginia motorists:
1.  Abuser fees and other regressive taxes.
2.  Dangerous red light cameras brought back from the dead.
3.  Repeal of the right of motorists to inspect police speed estimating microcomputers when issued a summons for spedding.
4.  Failure to repeal the radar detector ban (VA is the only state banning radar detectors).



Good Lord (Alicia - 7/7/2007 11:21:45 AM)
I can't believe he actually said that.

Yeah, how dare those overpaid yet cuddly teachers vote for a pay raise.  I'll bet all those people who "help the children" and "educate our population" are just after the almighty dollar.  I for one, think lawyers should make WAY more money off the backs of poor people.

And I also find it flat wrong that he can create legislation directly lining his pockets in his 'other job.'  If that isn't a conflict of interest, I don't know what is.



Priceless (hereinva - 7/7/2007 2:11:26 PM)

Felony DWI: $3,000

Vehicular manslaughter: $3,000

Felony failure to signal: $3,000

Felony speeding above 80 MPH: $3,000

Misdemeanor DWI: $2,250

Misdemeanor failure to signal: $1,050

P-O'd VA Voters PRICELESS !



WTF mate ??? (NovaDem - 7/7/2007 5:55:30 PM)
I don't know the exact numbers but I will beat Albo one of his new $3,000 tickets that there are dramatically more lawyers in the GA then teachers.

Now if the teachers wanted to enact a $3,000 fee on the parents of any student that got an F, that would be an interesting debate.



Wow. (Draft Me Please - 7/8/2007 2:12:28 AM)
Going after drivers and then teachers? All Dave needs to do to complete this trifecta is kick a puppy.


all teachers have seen this!!! (martha - 7/8/2007 7:56:05 AM)
Someone send this to Mr. Albo :

TEACHERS GET PAID TOO MUCH
I am fed up with teachers and their hefty salary guides. What we need here is a little perspective. If I had my way, I'd pay these teachers myself.... I'd pay them babysitting wages. That's right... instead of paying these outrageous taxes, I'd give them $3.00 an hour out of my own pocket. And I'm only going to pay them for five hours, not coffee breaks. That would be $15.00 a day - each parent should pay $15.00 a day for these teachers to babysit their child. Even if they have more than one child, it's still a lot cheaper than private day care.

Now, how many children do they teach a day - maybe twenty? That's $15.00 x 20 = $300 a day. But, remember they only work 180 days a year!! I'm not going to pay them for all those vacations. $300 x 180 = $54,000. (Just a minute, I think my calculator needs batteries.)

I know now you teachers will say what about those who have ten years' experience and a Master's degree? Well, maybe (to be fair) they could get the minimum wage, and instead of just babysitting, they could read the kids a story. We can round that off to about $5.00 an hour, times five hours, times 20 children. That's $500 a day times 180 days. That's $90,000....HUH???? Wait a minute, let's get a little perspective here. Babysitting wages are too good for these teachers. Did anyone see a salary guide around here??

Author Unknown



Teachers in the G.A.? I Don't Think So. (Glant - 7/8/2007 3:11:25 PM)
Unlike lawyers who can charge $1200 for half an hours work making a deal in the back of the courtroom, teachers have to be in the classroom everyday that class is in session, which includes most, if not all the days that the G.A. is in session.  I know some pretty good teachers, but not one of them can be in two places at the same time.

Glant -- A lawyer married to a teacher.