Monday, February 11, 2013
Omar Joseph Samaha works on gun safety issues, after his sister Reema was killed in Virginia Tech tragedy.
When President Obama gives his State of the Union address Tuesday, in the audience that night will be Northern Virginian Omar Joseph Samaha, a gun violence prevention advocate and guest of Congressman Jim Moran (D-8th). Omar’s sister, Reema, was killed in the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting. Since her death, Omar has advocated for policies to reduce gun violence. Moran is a member of the House Democratic Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and recently introduced the “NRA Members’ Gun Safety Act,” (H.R. 21) that would implement five gun safety reforms that he notes polling shows are supported by at least 63 percent of NRA members. The reforms include universal background checks for gun purchases and gun shop employees, reporting lost or stolen …
Monday, December 10, 2012
President Obama wants to raise tax rates on those making $250,000 or more.
President Barack Obama hopes to raise taxes on Americans making $250,000, or approximately the upper 2 percent of incomes across the country. There are no hard and fast numbers for the Huntington-Belle Haven area on how many people make more than $250,000, but the latest IRS data available shows that more than 1,200 households in Huntington and Belle Haven's 22303, 22306 and 22307 ZIP codes filed tax returns showing adjusted gross incomes of more than $200,000, the highest level income category reported by the IRS. Obama's plan could raise $1.6 trillion in revenue over 10 years, partly by letting decade-old tax cuts on the country's highest earners expire at the end of the year, according to a report by the Associated Press. The president …
President Obama wants to raise tax rates on those making $250,000 or more.
President Barack Obama hopes to raise taxes on Americans making $250,000, or approximately the upper 2 percent of incomes across the country. There are no hard and fast numbers for the Fort Hunt area on how many people make more than $250,000, but the latest IRS data available shows that nearly than 1,100 households in Fort Hunt's 22308 ZIP code filed tax returns showing adjusted gross incomes of more than $200,000, the highest level income category reported by the IRS. Obama's plan could raise $1.6 trillion in revenue over 10 years, partly by letting decade-old tax cuts on the country's highest earners expire at the end of the year, according to a report by the Associated Press. The president would continue Bush-era tax cuts for all …
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
State Sen. Adam Ebbin, who represents Alexandria as well as part of Arlington and Fairfax counties, spoke with Patch from the Obama-Biden headquarters in Old Town.
Virginia state Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-30th) stopped by the Obama-Biden Alexandria headquarters in Old Town on Tuesday to work the phone banks and talk to supporters. The office at 1400 Duke St. was a hive of activity. People standing in lines and draped on the floors throughout hallways talking on cell phones, waiting for training on how to canvass voters properly, working the phone banks and helping in other ways. Ebbin told Patch that he’s excited about the great turnout and grassroots enthusiasm. “This campaign is using techniques of the future… by organizing right down to the neighborhood level,” he said, speaking with Patch in a storage room—the only semi-quiet place in the building. “Alexandria and Northern Virginia are so key to the …
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Voters for President Barack Obama or Gov. Mitt Romney may split their ticket and not vote a straight Democrat or Republican ticket down the ballot; "split ticket voters" could affect election prospects for Senate candidates George Allen and Tim Kaine.
Driving through Northern Virginia, it's quite rare to see yards with signs revealing that a homeowner plans to vote both Republican and Democrat on Nov. 6. Even if they don't openly proclaim their split-ticket status, they're out there, according to polling. These "split ticket voters" plan to step into the polling booth on Election Day to vote for a Republican and a Democrat: Voting for President Barack Obama and Republican Senate candidate George Allen, or for Republican presidential candidate Gov. Mitt Romney and Democratic Senate candidate Tim Kaine. "It is a real possibility that Romney could win Virginia while George Allen loses," said Mark Rozell, professor of Public Policy at George Mason University. "Some polls have shown that Tim…
Sunday, October 21, 2012
New poll out Friday puts Virginia votes in 'toss-up' status with Romney ahead of Obama 50 percent to 47 percent in Virginia.
Can Bruce Springsteen help President Obama win Virginia? The popular singer will perform in a free concert Tuesday in Charlottesville on the president's behalf. He did the same for the president last week in Ohio, considered another must-win state in the election. The fight for Virginia votes is getting more intense. With Election Day two weeks from Tuesday, Virginia is becoming one of the ground-zero states in the presidential election and the candidates are pulling out all the stops in trying to win the state come Nov. 6. "I consider it one of the three crucial states," said Stuart Rothenberg, editor and publisher of the Rothenberg Political Report, a Washington-based newsletter, counting the others as Ohio and Colorado, the Richmond …
Monday, September 24, 2012
Look up your neighbor's contributions to the campaigns of President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney based on data from the Federal Elections Commission.
Virginia residents have donated more than $19.6 million directly presidential candidates this election cycle, with a lot of those donations coming from Northern Virginia. President Barack Obama has received more than $9.2 million from voters, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has received more than $8.1 million. The remainder—about $2.3 million—went to candidates no longer in the race, including Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich, and political parties. The data in the tool above is directly from the Federal Election Commission based on campaign reports through June 30, 2012. Notes on the data: This data was updated in October 2012 to reflect donations based on campaign reports through Aug. 31, 2012. The data has not been cleaned up …
Friday, September 7, 2012
The DNC keynote speaker will campaign for Obama in Mount Vernon, Fairfax, and Woodbridge on Saturday.
San Antonio mayor and Democratic National Convention keynote speaker Julián Castro will be stopping in Mount Vernon, Fairfax, and Woodbridge during a campaign tour for President Barack Obama Saturday. Mayor Castro will be meeting with supporters during his campaign stops in Fairfax County. Mayor Castro will discuss the "choice for voters in this election between two fundamentally different visions of how to grow the economy," according to a release sent by Obama for America - Virginia. "The mayor will also highlight the importance of registering to vote, especially for young people, and will encourage Americans to understand their voting rights and how to exercise them." Mayor Castro will kick off his campaign tour at the OFA Mount Vernon …
Now that the Democratic and Republican delegates have officially chosen their nominees, Patch wants to know: Who are you betting on?
- ELECTIONS
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Friday, September 7, 2012
It's official: With President Barack Obama's acceptance speech in Charlotte Thursday night, both the Republicans and Democrats have formally chosen their nominees for the 2012 presidential election. Let the real race begin. A lot can change between now and Nov. 6: Gaffes, scandals or even major international news events could shift the dynamics of the campaign. The latest Gallup Polls show registered voters preferring Obama to Mitt Romney by just one percentage point, 47 percent to 46 percent. A USA Today/Gallup poll taken just before the party conventions found American voters think Obama is more likeable, but trust Romney more to handle the economy. Pundits have been busy for months handicapping the major-party candidates on various …
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Del. Surovell's take on his second day in Charlotte, N.C.
Editor's note: Virginia Del. Scott Surovell, who represents the state's 44th District, is sending Patch updates of his experiences in Charlotte, N.C. at the Democratic National Convention. The following is from Surovell. Day #2 at the Democratic National Convention was an inspiring day. As usual, we started off the day with breakfast. Our speakers for the morning included Jessie Jackson, Cong. James Clyburn, former Gov. Tim Kaine and Donna Brazile. Jessie Jackson focused on voter ID laws and attempts to disenfranchise voters. Cong. Clyburn and Brazile focused on President Obama’s successes: Saving the American auto industry, ending "Don’t Ask Don’t Tell," finding Osama Bin Laden, reforming student loans and diverting savings to Pell Grants…
Martin Tillett
10:21 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
......continued from above The defeat of crack cocaine in urban America, not because of the billions of dollars spent on the war on drugs resulting only in drugs becoming cheaper and more accessible but because it became clear that smoking crack was committing suicide. Crack evolved from a sign of pleasure to one of death. The same transformation may happen with assault weapons. A week after … more ›