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As the year and decade draw to a close, we leave you with quotes from Virginia patriot and Revolutionary hero Patrick Henry. As with all great, legendary orators and thinkers, his words were/still are prescient. Among them are two lesser known rhetorical flourishes during his famous ”Give me liberty or give me death” speech at the Second Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775, at Saint John’s Church in Richmond. In one, he asked:

Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance, by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?

No, we shouldn’t. We shouldn’t lay down with the expectation that vague and demagogic cries of “hope” will lead us to prosperity and liberty, while those espousing the hope, in fact, deviously take us down a path of oppressive limits on our freedom, rather than the freedom afforded by limited government, for which Henry fought.

Nor should we lay down in expectation that this fad, too, will run its course. It can be fought and won, despite the current wisdom, because as Henry also foretold:

Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of the means which the God of nature hath placed in our power . . . millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations. …

The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.

From all of us at The Family Foundation of Virginia to all of you: Our best wishes for a happy, safe, healthy and prosperous New Year, one in which we all will need to be vigilant and redouble our efforts in the political battles ahead.

If only we could. … Bringing in the New Year with Patrick Henry would be a blast!

Speaking of Virginia’s budget process and Governor-elect Bob McDonnell’s idea to reform the process whereby the lame duck, outgoing governor proposes the next two-year budget, more is needed to be done. For one, zero-based budgeting. Even Creigh Deeds supports that. As it is now, agency budgets are based on the previous year’s budget. They normally get an increase, however small (and usually not small), despite its performance (see the Department of Education).

Zero-based budgeting starts from scratch each year and determines what money is needed to achieve that year’s objectives. But even with zero-based budgeting some unnecessary government programs remain intact. So, instead of reducing some agency budgets, some should be merged (as the House tried to do two years ago) or, better yet, eliminated. Still, zero-based budgeting would be a nice starting point for reform. Two planks out of the McDonnell-Bolling budget and spending reform platform released in September are along these lines: agency performance audit reviews and evidence based budgeting. We hope this at least moves us toward reducing the scope of spending in Richmond, if not actually significantly limiting state government’s ever expanding reach (and we haven’t even touched on SOQ reform).

While the budget cycle and agency appropriation formulas are the headline grabbers, there are many needed common sense reforms. Some have been proposed form time to time in the General Assembly only to be shot down for reasons serious and not. For example, one bill last year from Senator Tommy Norment (R-3, Williamsburg), oddly enough, would bring more transparency and probably scare off lawmakers from voting in pork. It would have required that anything budget conferees stuck in their final budget report — which the two chambers must vote up or down — that was a non-state appropriation, an item not included in either chamber’s budget, or an item that represents legislation that failed during session, would have to be announced as such in letters to all 140 members by the chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees.

Another idea last year came from Senator Ralph Smith (R-22, Botetourt) which would require at least a day pause for reading the budget before it could be voted on. That, too, went nowhere fast.

Getting ourselves into a fiscal mess was pretty simple — the legislature and the executive over the years simply saying yes to every plea for help and imaginary solution that supposedly only money can provide. Getting ourselves out of it is pretty simple, too. But it’s amazing how many simple, time tested ideas there are that can save taxpayer money and provide efficiency that never get anywhere (not to mention just saying “no”).  

Many of these ideas have been studied or have worked elsewhere. There’s no need for delay. The need is great to reform. The moment, with newly elected officials and a teetering economy, is now. Delay, for any reason, no longer is necessary. No that it ever was.

This is an interesting tidbit: Former Governor Jim Gilmore announced Monday that he had been elected the new president and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation, the influential conservative think tank founded by the legendary conservative leader, strategist and grassroots activist Paul Weyrich (see New York Times), who died last December. Weyrich was one of the architects of the conservative renaissance that eventually brought about the Reagan and Gingrich Revolutions.

When the announcement hit my inbox, I was eager to post it. This is big news — a Virginian taking the lead at a conservative hallmark, in the shoes of a true legend (Washington Times). But in his letter, the former governor included a link to a December 10 column by John Gizzi of Human Events in which he explains why he is taking the position and his goals, etc. That was more than two weeks prior to Monday’s e-mailed letter. Figuring it was old news, I ignored it. Yet, the announcement still exploded in the media, new and mainstream. There’s articles everywhere. Interesting how news can still trail real time, no matter how electronic and digital we become. It just goes to show that good reporting still beats all.

So, we join in the congratulations to former Governor Gilmore in his new position. He is a good, hard working, earnest man. He will have a national platform and a well schooled staff to put forth and advance conservative ideas and solutions to problems America faces in the economy, foreign policy and cultural and social issues, of which Weyrich was a determined traditionalist. In the age of Obama, there can be no shortage of limited government conservatives working in the vineyard.

Yesterday, Governor-elect Bob McDonnell (see his statement) urged a revamping of Virginia’s budget process, one as peculiar as the one-term gubernatorial limit (Washington Times), keeping a campaign promise he and Lt. Governor Bill Bolling made in September. As it is now, the Old Dominion’s two-year budget is proposed by the governor in even years, meaning the lame duck outgoing governor proposes one while the incoming governor is still moving furniture into the executive mansion. It’s up to the new guy and the General Assembly to amend it, while the old guy laughs at them stumbling all over themselves (Richmond Times-Dispatch). It also means a governor only has one opportunity to thoroughly shape fiscal policy and spending priorities during his one term — the two year budget beginning with the second even year of his term (Washington Examiner).

So, Governor-elect McDonnell proposes to move the governor’s budget submission to odd number years (Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog). Not a bad idea. He even has Governor Tim Kaine’s support (whose outgoing, tax-increase laden budget is a great impetus for this change) as well as that of key lawmakers, and it was recommended as far back as 2002 from the Wilder Commission that studied ways to improve efficiency in state government. 

But another idea has floated through Capitol Square in recent years: Keep the even year cycle, but let the new governor do the proposing. To give him time, move the legislative session back a month or two. That way, he can propose two full budgets and the next governor can start with a clean slate. Under the odd year proposal, a new governor would take office in the middle of a already adopted two-year budget (better than the current system) and could propose amendments. But why not have the governor do what he was elected to do and have an impact the entire four year term? Besides, starting the legislative session in January can be such a bummer coming off the holiday season. Never does such good cheer turn to agony so fast.

Bob McDonnell will hardly have moved in before he has to start tearing up Governor Tim Kaine’s proposed lame duck budget.

The biggest mystery since the Easter Island must be the myth the Mark Warner (contact) is somehow a “fiscal conservative,” not to mention these famous remarks (click here). Starting with his Virginia record tax increase (breaking a campaign pledge) in 2004 to his 50 percent increase in state spending while governor, it’s unfortunate that too many in Virginia’s business community helped perpetuate the myth.

Now, please, can we do away with it once and for all? Senator Warner voted for $787 billion stimulus last winter in his first major vote. Then, he voted for the omnibus spending bill (“stimulus 2″). Now, within the last two weeks, he’s voted for a $1.1 trillion spending bill (“stimulus 3″) (see Richmond Times-Dispatch) and for the trillions-dollar-plus socialized medicine bill. Please tell me how this is fiscal conservatism?

Of course, don’t tell that to the Washington Post, which published a feature Saturday on the senator’s first year. Poor baby. He’s frustrated that he can’t get more of his Democrat colleagues to take a more centrist course. It’s pretty frightening to think of Senator Warner’s definition of “centrist” after stacking up centuries of debt on us. His early record shows little sign of centrism and almost every sign of way-out-on-the-left-wing-Barbara Boxer-Harry Reid-John Kerry-(pick your favorite liberal here)-leftist-elitist-liberalism. Let the lie die now, please.

It’s been such an eventful year, in the commonwealth and nationally. It most likely will get more frenetic in 2010. We join those who wish we could take a breather. Fortunately, this time of year allows that as we let the Peace of His birth, His humility to live among us, set in our hearts. We hope hope that meaning stays with everyone year-round, not only during this season. We also wish that everyone has the peace and love of family and friends that is such a meaningful part of Christmas.

From the Board and staff of The Family Foundation of Virginia, we offer the comfort of Silent Night as our Christmas wishes to all of you. May God bless all of you with a joyous Christmas and a prosperous and healthy New Year.

For He so loved the world, he sent his only Son to atone for our sins.

“Barry from D.C.” truly has brought change to the White House. First, it was advisers and “czars” who professed admiration for communist murderers, such as Mao, and a general affinity for Marxism. Now, despite the administration’s admonitions of conservative hyperbole and the left-wing mainstream media’s apologies for conservative over reaction to such appointments, we have the ”anointed one” himself glorifying such scoundrels on the White House Christmas tree. Not only that, but ornaments glorifying himself.

BigGovernment.com broke the news yesterday, that the White House Christmas Tree has ornaments of Chinese communist dictator Mao, “legendary transvestite Hedda Lettuce” (that she autographed!), and even a bulb with Barry himself superimposed on Mount Rushmore. The White House had Simon Doonan, the noted designer of Barney’s of New York, do up the decorations, but the First Lady’s office says “community groups” were chosen to decorate the tree (see Special Report’s Political Grapevine on FoxNews.com). Community groups? As in community organizers? No doubt! What next? ACORN staffing the Situation Room?

It all makes for a very Barry Christmas. Obama style. As the debasing of our country’s traditions and values continues.

An e-mail greeting for Christmas wishes or holiday hum-drum, depending on your political persuasion, that we couldn’t resist passing on, from our friends Jim Hoeft and the gang at BearingDrift.com: 

Subject: Merry Christmas from your friends at Bearing Drift

To all our Democrat Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. We also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2010, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere.

Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

To our Republican Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Hear it, see it for yourself, here, from NBC12 in Richmond, WSLS-TV in Roanoke and YouTube:

A detective explains why the mother cannot be charged . . . with anything!  He even cites the Virginia Senate’s refusal to pass bills to prevent this because it’s “too close to the abortion issue.”

As we draw closer to Christmas and the celebration of the birth of the baby Jesus, a story out of Campbell County has drawn outrage from across the nation, and reveals just how far we have fallen in our culture in defense of abortion on demand: A baby allegedly was murdered by its mother moments after it was born, but because the child was still attached by the umbilical cord, under Virginia law, it is not considered a “separate life.” Thus, no charges will be filed.

In the words of one investigator:

In the state of Virginia as long as the umbilical cord is attached and the placenta is still in the mother, if the baby comes out alive the mother can do whatever she wants to with that baby to kill it. She could shoot the baby, stab the baby. As long as it’s still attached to her in some form by umbilical cord or something it’s no crime in the state of Virginia.

You can read more about this disturbing case here, from WSLS.com. It’s also received national attention, including this, from the blog Hot Air, here.

The Family Foundation worked with Delegate Chris Jones (R-76, Suffolk) during the 2007 and 2008 sessions of the General Assembly to fix the law regarding a case where a mother shot herself in the stomach on the day her unborn child was due to be delivered. That legislation overwhelmingly passed the House of Delegates (see new 2010 member contact information) on two occasions but was defeated both times in the Senate Education and Health committee.

These are the members of the Senate Education and Health committee who are so extreme in their defense of abortion that they voted against legislation that would make it a crime for someone to kill their child in this way: Dick Saslaw (D-35, Springfield), Louise Lucas (D-18, Portsmouth), Janet Howell (D-32, Reston), John Edwards (D-21, Roanoke), Mary Margaret Whipple (D-31, Arlington), Maime Locke (D-2, Hampton), George Barker (D-39, Alexandria), Ralph Northam (D-6, Norfolk), John Miller (D-1, Newport News). Committee Chairman Edd Houck (D-17, Spotsylvania) did not vote on the legislation. (Click on the links to get their contact information. Click here to see our General Assembly Report Card on their votes.)

Senator Steve Newman (R-23, Lynchburg) and Delegate Kathy Byron (R-22, Lynchburg) will introduce legislation in the 2010 General Assembly session that once again will attempt to fix this “loophole” and make it a crime to murder a nearly born or newborn child. We must remember, however, that there are many in our General Assembly who, like our president, apparently believe it is perfectly reasonable for a mother to take the life of a newborn child if it protects the sacred “right” to abortion. How else can one explain their voting records? If we can’t fix this and protect the lives of those children born alive, God help us.

Now, here’s an important, coincidental, side note to all this: A new policy in effect just this week by the Senate of Virginia (contact clerk, here) blocks all e-mail from non-constituents that come through action alert programs. We are reviewing the legality of this, but you can contact these senators by e-mailing, calling or faxing them directly. We hope you will do just that and urge them to support legislation during 2010 that will ensure that this type of murder does not happen again. When you do, please:

» Mention the Campbell county story; you could even include a news link.

» Remind them that they voted against legislation in 2008 (HB 1126) that dealt with similar circumstances.

» Tell them they will vote on legislation fixing this situation in 2010 and you expect them to vote in favor of it and will hold them accountable for their vote!