Interview With Attorney General Bob McDonnell Begins Here In Two Hours!
Our virtual lobby day is set to begin in two hours at 2:30 p.m. when Attorney General Bob McDonnell answers questions posted on the “Attorney General Bob McDonnell Will Blog Here January 21!” thread. Click on the highlighted portion of the last sentence if you want to post a last minute question. We’ve had a great response so far and we look forward to his answers, which will be posted on this thread. He will answer as many as he can for one hour. Click your refresh button to see his answers as he posts them.
We want to extend our warmest appreciation to Attorney General Bob McDonnell and his staff for arranging this first-ever live interview for our blog!
Mr. Attorney General, the floor is yours!
OK, here we go, General. Take your shot at the questions posted by 2:30 today. The floor is yours!
Hey folks, great to be here with you for the first “live blog” on the Family Foundation site. Coinciding with your lobby day at the General Assembly, this is a great way to combine in-person lobbying with “online” interaction. I look forward to answering your questions on the issues of the day. Let’s get started
Question: Ted Brown Says:
January 15th, 2008 at 9:47 pm e
Mr. Attorney General, thank you for joining us today as part of the Family Foundation’s lobby day program. I have two questions that relate to public safety here in the Commonwealth. First, while recent crime statistics reveal that overall incidences of violent crime have declined nationally, Central Virginia is experiencing a very troubling pattern of violent crimes, particularly robberies, that are committed by groups of young men that include juveniles. Is now the time to revisit the issue of juvenile justice reform in order to create a greater and more compelling deterent to juvenile criminals? Or, is this a problem for which there is no plausible legislative remedy in the short term? And, second, how would you rate our current progress in curtailing Virginia’s growing youth gang problem?
Ted Brown
Richmond, VA
Answer: Ted, thanks for your question, always like to answer questions from my friends in academia.
In 1996 I carried sweeping juvenile justice reform legislation for our great Governor, George Allen. The new laws made a sea change by making public safety the focus of the juvenile justice system. Since then, juveniles have been held accountable to a much greater level for their violent criminal acts. Recently this office has focused on a groundbreaking community based prevention and intervention programs, particulary through our Gang Reduction Intervention Program, (GRIP) in Richmond. By engaging the faith based community and leading non-profits like the Boys and Girls Club, we have been a part of the dramatic reduction in murder and violent crime in this city. We are working on taking this model statewide, as well as public-private graffiti removal programs, such as a pilot program we instituted in Harrisonburg. Finally, continuing to focus on building character in our schools and our community is the key to raising up a law-abiding generation.
Question: Sandra Nelson Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 7:58 pm e
Dear Attorney General,
My concern is the abortions that are taking lives of the unborn. These babies are not given a chance when the leaders are not voting against abortion. I pray that you will take this seriously, and stand to protect the lives of our future. There are many young couples that would cherish the chance to have a baby and are having difficuly conceiving a child.
Sincerly,
Sandra Nelson
Answer: Sandra, during my 17 years in elected office I have not only voted to support the pro-life position, but have been the chief patron of numerous measures to advance the protections for unborn children. We have made great progress over the last decade in Virginia, enacting parental notification, parental consent, informed consent, and the partial-birth abortion ban, all of which I have fought for as a Delegate, and defended and advanced as your Attorney General.
We continue to defend innocent life along the continuum. Two years ago we went to court to defend the right of parents to determine the best medical treatment for their child. As a Delegate I successfully introduced legislation to ban assisted suicide in Virginia. I believe we must never stop fighting to defend life.
Question:Bob Miller Says:
January 20th, 2008 at 9:42 pm e
Sir,
Thank you for recognizing the importance of the “new media”.
Governor Kaine has proposed several methods to replace the revenue not being generated by the abusive driver law. These methods will result in all Virginians being taxed unneccessarily and will result in older vehicles remaining on the highways longer, thus creating a safety issue.
Why not revise the abusive driver fees to apply equally to all offenders, concentrate on the most flagrant (i.e. habitual offenders, racing, etc.) and DUI convictions and leave the current system of one-year inspections and the 3% vehicle sales tax in place?
I met you at the 7th District Roundup and heard you speak at the AFP event last October.
When do I get to vote for you for US Senator? or Governor?
Sincerely,
Bob Miller
Answer: Bob, I believe the General Assembly will either repeal or dramatically reform the abuser fee law this year, perhaps to apply only to felonies and drunk drivers. I would support either course of action. As you know, the abuser fee revenue was only 5% of the total transportation bill.
I am working hard as your Attorney General to uphold the conservative principles of limited government and individual liberties. WIth the downturn in government revenues, now is the time to focus on cutting spending, not raising taxes.
As to your last line, I hope to give you the opportunity to vote for me for Governor in 2009!
Question:Peter Foster Says:
January 17th, 2008 at 10:17 am e
Attorney General McDonnell,
Thanks so much for taking everyone’s questions. I’m curious as to what you think the chances are for party registration to be enacted during this legislative session.
–Peter Foster (Chester, VA)
Answer: I fully support a party registration bill to permit every political party to truly control its own nominating process. Independents can fully participate in general elections. Given the current political climate, I believe the measure faces substantial opposition.
Question: Dr. Marietta Brown Says:
January 21st, 2008 at 10:30 am e
Thanks for your assistance with crime in Petersburg, Va. We support you . You, your staff and your family are in our prayers at the House Of Restoration, Petersburg, Va
Answer: Dr. Brown, I applaud you for your ministry and the great work you are doing to bring people of all faiths and colors together to reduce crime and build community in Petersburg. Our partnership with the Petersburg Police Chief, Commonwealth’s Attorney, and the US Attorney’s office to help rid the community of drug dealers and violent criminals is beginning to pay dividends.Thank you for your support and prayers.
Question: Carol Ann Carelli-Sennett Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 12:53 pm e
Mr. Attorney General:
Thank you for taking my question. Our Judiciary has changed since the establishment of our Judicial System. There is no longer the accountability built into the present day system that originally existed. Would you support an elected Judiciary in Virginia. Again, thank you for this opportunity and for your remarks.
Answer: Carol, thanks for the question. Currently our judges are elected by the members of the General Assembly, which has worked reasonably well under our Constitution. Like you, I am concerned about accountability and performance of judges. That is why, 5 years ago, I successfully introduced legislation to create a Judicial Performance Evaluation System, to officially rate judges performance for purposes of reappointment and self-improvement. It is working.
I strongly oppose the election of judges, which would be counter to everything our Founders believed about the nature of judicial power. It was viewed as being the “least dangerous branch” because, as Blackstone noted, its duty was merely to find and declare the law, not set the policy or make law. Unfortunately, and we see this more at the federal level where judges are given lifetime appointments, activist judges have exceeded their judicial authority. This is not a reason to change the system envisioned by our founders, but a rationale to strengthen it with better appointees.
Question: Fabiola Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 7:16 am e
Dear Mr. McDonnell,
My question to you is why do our Commonwealth Attys have such a hard time prosecuting obscenity (hard core porn)? There is a movie chain in VA that sells and/or rents obscenity and when several CAs were approached to prosecute, they were not willing. Why? This movie chain is BREAKING the state & FEDRERAL law. Were in our state by laws does it say we can prosecute this crime & not this crime? When you were up for election your aide said, that you would fight pornography. What have you done to fight pornography in VA & what are you willing to do if a CA is unwilling to prosecute businesses that flaunt their crimes – the distribution & selling of obscenity?
Answer: While I am not aware of the details of the case that you present, the criminal justice system gives local CAs the authority to prosecute pornography that the General Assembly says is criminal, such as child pornography. Over the last 2 years our top priority has been cracking down on Internet crimes against children, including child pornography. We have given law enforcement more tools to investigate and punish child pornographers, and have begun a statewide education program aimed at parents to improve public safety for children. As the father of 5, I continue to look for ways to protect young people.
Billy Martin Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 12:26 pm e
1. In Virginia, an illegal immigrant cannot get a drivers license and therefore cannot get a license tag for a vehicle. However, an illegal can go across the State line to North Carolina and get an International drivers license then come back to Virginia and purchase tags for a vehicle. Why can’t a law be enacted to prevent anyone with an International drivers license to purchase tags for vehicles?
2. When will the abuser drivers fee law be revoked?
Answer: Billy- I am forwarding your question to our criminal section, as I have not heard of this sitution prior to this. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
On the broader question of addressing criminal illegal immigration, we have proposed a series of reforms to ensure that those who come here illegally and commit crimes against Virginians, are detained, prosecuted, and deported. Individuals who are in Virginia illegally should not get the benefits of Virginia citizenship. At the same time, the federal government has been largely ineffective at shaping the reforms that are necessary to facilitate legal immigration or in providing the resources needed to enforce the current laws. Thus, we are working to implement common-sense reforms, where authorized under federal law, here in Virginia this session.
As a second-generation grandson of an Irish immigrant, I recognize that we need to continue the great American melting pot for those who want to come here to pursue the American dream: work hard, play by the rules, pay taxes, learn English, assimilate into the culture, and contribute into the economy. When we ignore the reality of approximately 15 million illegal immigrants we undermine the rule of law.
It is now 3:30, so unfortunately I must bring this live blog to a close. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to use the new medium of a “live blog” to exchange ideas with all of you on the important topics of the day. Thank you for all that you, the members of the Family Foundation, do to support the principles of life, liberty, private property, and the pursuit of happiness. I look forward to continued service with you to ensure a freer and more prosperous Virginia.
Also, thanks Steve, for making this event happen.
General McDonnell, you are certainly welcome. However, on behalf of the entire staff, Board and thousands of Family Foundation members, please accept our thanks to you for taking time out of your busy schedule, during an especially hectic time of year, to answer some very thoughtful questions by our blog’s readers. We hope you can come back another time to provide your thoughts on more major issues confronting Virginia.
I was researching the same thing when I saw this.. I can not agree more – but I am still going to look for a better source