Earth Day in Chesterfield

>Adam White, our regional political director, was with the Governor during his most recent Hometown Day stop—which coincided with Earth Day. Here is his report from the field:

Governor Warner celebrated Earth Day on Tuesday with a Hometown Day visit to Chesterfield, Caroline, and Richmond.

The day began with a visit to the Sustainability Park, a business park emphasizing and facilitating eco-friendly companies in Chester. The Governor met with the founders and tenants of the park to discuss the present and future relationships between industry, business, and environment. At the end of the visit, Governor Warner planted a dogwood sapling at the park and promised to use the Sustainability Park as an example of how we can grow our local economies and protect our local environments simultaneously.

Our next stop took us to Beach Station for a lunch with business leaders from Chesterfield County. Beach Station, a recently renovated historical landmark near a former rail hub in Chesterfield, served as a beautiful setting for Governor Warner to meet and speak over 60 local business people.

Next the Governor helped officially break ground at the site of the new Virginia State Fairground in Caroline County. The new fairground is located on the spot where the legendary Secretariat was born, and with such historical significance, it was only appropriate that the Governor broke ground the old fashioned way—a wooden plow pulled by two mules!

To finish out Earth Day, Governor Warner visited a company founded by some of Virginia’s own Darden Business School graduates. They founded Intrinergy in order to help manufacturing companies turn their own waste into gas and electrical energy to be reused in the manufacturing facilities. The fascinating process not only saves the manufacturers money, but it reduces carbon emissions and landfill waste significantly. Intrinergy is just another great example of how industry and environment can co-exist and was a great way to finish Earth Day.

Touring Leesburg and Loudoun

Governor Warner’s “Hometown Days” tour took him to Leesburg and Loudoun County on Friday.

The Governor was invited to speak to about 70 small business owners attending a Loudoun Chamber of Commerce conference on IT at The George Washington University’s satellite campus in Ashburn. The Governor spoke of the dramatic IT reforms he initiated in state government when he served as Governor.

“Coming from the private sector, I know my way around a balance sheet, so you can imagine my surprise in 2001, just 10 days after I was elected Virginia Governor, when we discovered that the budget shortfall my predecessor had said was $700 million was really $3.8 billion.

“That $3.8 billion shortfall eventually mushroomed into a $6 billion budget gap. My first thought was, ‘Too late for a recount?’

“But right away, our team made hard choices to fix what was broken. We made tough budget cuts.

“We also launched a top-to-bottom reform of how government operates. And we pushed hard on many fronts to harness technology to produce better service delivery for our customers and create long-term savings for the taxpayers.”

Governor Warner’s reforms consolidated 90+ separate state agency IT functions into a single agency, and the IT reforms in purchasing and day-to-day state government operations already have produced more than $250 million in taxpayer savings. The Governor also improved and expanded an online purchasing portal, eVA, which allows state government to leverage its purchasing power to achieve lower prices and additional savings when it purchases goods and services.

Governor Warner then visited with executives and scientists at the new Howard Hughes Medical Institute facility, where world-class research in the human sciences is being conducted. The effort to lure the economic development prize started during Governor Warner’s term, and he said he was excited about the potential of the Howard Hughes facility to transform the economy of Loudoun County and the outer Northern Virginia suburbs for years to come.

Our friend, Sen. Mark Herring, assembled another 50 local business owners and community leaders for an informative question-and-answer session during lunch at Lightfoot Restaurant in downtown Leesburg.

Governor Warner asked the crowd for their support to go to the U.S. Senate to form a bipartisan coalition to produce real results on healthcare, energy policy, and economic competitiveness.

Afterwards, Governor Warner visited with merchants and customers along Leesburg’s quaint King and Market Streets. He greeted diners at the Leesburg Restaurant, and spoke about current economic conditions with the owners of Caulkins Jewelers and the Georgetown Cafe & Bakery.

We briefly stopped by the offices of the Loudoun Times-Mirror for a spontaneous interview, and then toured and spoke to residents at Falcon’s Landing, an upscale independent living facility in Sterling.

We ended our day with the Governor’s rousing speech at the Loudoun County Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner, where former Governor Warner joined Governor Tim Kaine, Sen. Herring, and Del. Dave Poisson in rallying more than 300 local Democrats to continue their progress in “turning Virginia blue” this Fall.

Warner talks unity

Here are the remarks made by Governor Warner at Wednesday’s Shad Planking.

Every year since 2001, the year’s political candidates are given a few minutes to speak, often giving light-hearted speeches with jokes about their competitors. This year, the candidates for the U.S. Senate were given a chance to speak about their campaigns to replace Senator John Warner. Governor Warner took the opportunity to note that he was the only Democrat at this year’s Shad Planking, and joked about the Republican’s nomination contest.

Not every candidate’s speech was as light-hearted. Jim Gilmore took the opportunity to attack Governor Warner in a speech filled with factual errors and exaggerations. Here’s how the Associated Press summarized the events:

Warner talks unity; Gilmore rips Warner

By BOB LEWIS | AP Political Writer

[...]

Warner spoke first, so Gilmore’s comments went unrebutted, but Warner said before the afternoon speeches, “I’ll be glad to contrast my record of fiscal administration with Gilmore’s any day.”

Taking only gentle jabs at his Republican rivals, Warner chose to compare himself to the incumbent senator.

“My goal would be to go to the United States Senate and try to form a coalition of 10 to 12 senators – bipartisan – and create the radical centrists, because at the end of the day, that’s the only way we’re going to get the kind of transformative change that this country needs,” he said.

Without a primary opponent, Warner was free to reach out not only to Democrats but Republicans in the crowd. And there were Republicans present willing to at least consider Warner.

Among them was Jim Wilson, for decades a conspicuous volunteer for Republicans John Warner, George Allen and even Gilmore. He served in Gilmore’s administration. But on Tuesday, he walked the grounds of the Shad Planking handing out Warner yard signs.

“He’ll be more like John Warner than anybody else,” Wilson said.

UPDATE: Here is a sampling of the coverage of this year’s Shad Planking, courtesy of the DPVA:

Dominating at Shad Planking

Our staff is back in the office today, after spending two days down in Wakefield for the 60th Annual Shad Planking. We covered Wakefield top to botton with our blue “Mark Warner” signs, clearly winning the traditional sign war that precedes the event.

The Washington Post agrees:

Warner did win the traditional Shad Planking battle among the candidates to erect the most signs, with thousands of blue signs that stretched for miles leading into Wakefield, about an hour southeast of Richmond.

Special thanks to all the volunteers that came out to help us put up signs around Wakefield, including the staffs of State Senator Creigh Deeds and Delegate Brian Moran. Here are some pictures from yesterday’s event:

We remember

Today, we remember the students and faculty members at Virginia Tech who were killed or injured on April 16, 2007. We pray for the continued healing of family and friends, and we stand in solidarity with the Hokie Nation as we move forward together.

Getting ready for some shad

Our entire campaign is out in full force Wednesday in Wakefield, Va., getting ready for the annual Shad Planking, sponsored by the Ruritans.

The event typically brings out the major political candidates of the year and their campaigns go all out, plastering the route to the festival with signs and other campaign materials. This year’s event will feature all of the candidates for U.S. Senate, including Governor Warner.

Stay tuned to this blog for pictures and videos from Shad Planking!

29,146

This morning, our campaign submitted the signatures of 29,146 Virginia voters to Virginia’s State Board of Elections in Richmond to place Mark Warner’s name on the Nov. 4 ballot as a candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Thanks to the help over 602 volunteers from across the Commonwealth, we dramatically exceeded all of our expectations, showing that there is enthusiastic support for Governor Warner’s candidacy from all across Virginia.

Thank you to everyone who helped us gather petition signatures as well as those who signed petitions. And thanks for your continued support of our campaign as we make our way to November.

Nearly 30,000 petition signatures, collected to place Mark Warner’s name as a candidate for the U.S. Senate, wait to be submitted at the Virginia State Board of Elections office in Richmond, Va.

Video: Thanks for your support

Thank you to everyone who made a contribution to our campaign last quarter. With your help, more than 5,000 donors invested in our campaign, proving once again that Virginians and Americans are ready for a fresh approach to the way things are done in Washington.

A record of economic development

Governor Warner was the keynote speaker at the 40th annual meeting of the Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission in Lebanon on Wednesday, which attracted close to 300 elected officials, economic development professionals, and business leaders from Russell, Tazewell, Buchanan and Dickenson counties.

They gathered to discuss the region’s economic development. Here are some excerpts from Governor Warner’s remarks about how his administration was able to help the economy of a region that was hard-hit by a lagging economy:

“Those of you in this room know better than I the long journey you have taken together. This region has been undergoing a steady transformation from its traditional coal-based economy for a long time now.”

For most of the past two decades – or even longer—the unemployment rate in Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell and Tazewell counties rarely fell below double-digits. In fact, for a time, it typically hovered in the high double-digits.

And this was occurring even as Virginia’s statewide jobless rate trended below 5 percent during most of the 80’s and 90’s.

“You know, we don’t call this “The Fightin’ Ninth” for nothing. The leaders of this region did not give-up hope. And you continued to work hard – as a team – in a bipartisan way—forming innovative local, regional, state and federal partnerships. “Seven years ago, many of you were even willing to take a chance on a “cell-phone guy” from Northern Virginia when he ran for Governor. I promised you then I would not forget about you or the challenges facing this region. And I certainly hope you believe I kept my word to you.”

During the Warner Administration, Dickenson, Russell, and Tazewell counties landed $67 million in new investment and more than 2,000 new jobs.

The 2002 higher education bond package Governor Warner successfully led to voter approval included a combined $18 million in new resources for UVA/Wise, Southwest Virginia Community College, and the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center.

Governor Warner set a goal of extending clean, safe drinking water to 25,000 additional people within five years, and targeted state and federal resources in a smart, targeted way to ultimately bring safe water supplies to 70,000 people in just four years.

“Now, many of you might know that, once again, I am a job applicant. I am asking Virginians to consider me for service as their representative in the United States Senate.

“I’ll end tonight right where I began.

“Seven years ago, I promised you that I would not forget about you or the challenges facing this region. And I didn’t. I repeat that pledge to you tonight.”

Walking Through Bristol

Governor Warner returned to the “Fightin’ Ninth District” yesterday to visit with friends at Bristol City Hall and met with merchants and customers in the stores and cafes along Bristol’s State Street.

More than 40 local elected officials, city officers, and local friends gave the Governor a warm welcome at City Hall. The Governor spoke about his genuine affection for the people, the culture and the exciting opportunities that are allowing the Southwest Virginia region to move forward.

During a walking tour of Bristol’s famous State Street, the Governor surprised a group of firefighters by popping-in the local firehouse to thank the first responders who help keep the community safe.

Walking down State Street, Governor Warner stopped at Heritage House Antiques, where the owner asked him to sign a copy of a new book on the city’s history. He also chatted with customers relaxing at Java J’s and looked at the renovations at the beautifully restored Paramount Theatre.

The Governor ran into Bob Lane of Bristol, Va., who mentioned that his wife was a huge fan of Governor Warner’s common-sense, results-oriented leadership style, and she was disappointed she couldn’t meet him. The Governor had the Bob call his wife, Tere, and spoke with her briefly to thank her for her support.

To read the Bristol Herald Courier story of the trip, click here

Former Va. Governor Brings Senate Campaign To Bristol

Thursday, Apr 03, 2008 – 01:00 AM

By David McGee
Staff Writer
Bristol Herald Courier

BRISTOL, Va. – U.S. leaders must adopt a bipartisan approach to solve the nation’s problems, former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner said Wednesday.

Warner, a Democrat who is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican John Warner, spoke to a group of supporters gathered at City Hall.

“I spent a while thinking about running for a national office,” Warner said of his brief consideration of a presidential run.

“I came away from that exploration knowing our country is really in a tight spot. And the only way we’re going to get the problems fixed is – for a moment in time – stop being Democrats and Republicans and be Americans,” the candidate said.

Warner said bipartisan cooperation was a hallmark of his gubernatorial administration and that he wants to take the same approach to the U.S. Senate.

“In Virginia, when I was governor, we worked together – Republicans and Democrats – where we actually fixed our budget and didn’t pass the burden down to the cities and counties,” Warner said. “A little of that same kind of common sense could go a long way in Washington.”

Asked his opinion of the presidential field, Warner declined to name a favorite but urged Democratic front-runners Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to abandon their attacks on each other.

“There are two fine individuals, and I haven’t endorsed either one, but I sure wish they’d get this resolved. And the sooner the better,” Warner said.

He said the nation’s energy policy should include less dependence on foreign oil and more emphasis on coal, wind, solar and nuclear sources.

While he stopped short of endorsing a controversial coal-burning power plant proposed for Wise County, Warner said it could offer a great opportunity.

“I would hope this would be a model of the next generation of cleaner-burning coal plants. I would love to see this be the cleanest coal-burning plant in the country, then it would be an example to the rest of the world,” Warner said. “This is more than the jobs on this one particular plant. It’s about making this an economic engine for the whole region, but I want to see – are we really using the cleanest, best, most advanced technology possible?”

Asked about the state’s current fiscal woes, Warner said transportation funding is the major issue.

“The real challenge will be what the transportation fix is going to look like. If it allows Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads to solve their problems, the chances for funding for Southside and Southwest Virginia to have a reliable funding source into the future is going to disappear,” he predicted.

During his visit, Warner also visited a number of downtown businesses, toured the public library and the Paramount Center for the Arts.

A formal campaign kickoff event is being planned for Southwest Virginia in the “next few weeks,” Warner said.

On to Southwest Virginia

Governor Warner is on his way to Southwest Virginia, where he will be attend a meet & greet at City Hall at 5pm before touring downtown businesses.

The Governor called WJHL-TV at noon to preview his trip. Here is the video:

A rare talent

The Kingsport, TN Times-News ran a great article last week during Governor Warner’s trip to Mosby’s Restaurant in Wise County.

Governor Warner gave his pitch on the need for investments in a new energy policy and in our nation’s infrastructure:

The nation’s dependence on foreign oil must end, he said, and while “there is no single magic bullet” the country can and should develop all viable forms of energy – wind, solar, nuclear, mulched up weeds, whatever – “and it’s also going to take coal,” he said. Warner said Southwest Virginia can become a world model of clean coal technology development “to make sure we use (coal) in the cleanest, most environmentally sensitive way.”

An energy renaissance, he said, would transform the economy as well. Southwest Virginia should lead the world in the development of coal technologies, he said.

Warner said he would also work toward the continued improvement of education, make health care affordable for all, and the nation should also make a commitment on the level of energy to overhaul infrastructure—“roads, rails and high-speed technology.”

They also talked to State Delegate Bud Phillips from Clintwood, who said that Governor Warner has what it takes to take the place of Sen. John Warner in the U.S. Senate:

Warner has “rare talent” that brings “rare air” to the political scheme, Phillips said, calling the former governor “one of the best leaders in the nation. We’ve had a tough seven years (of the Bush administration) and we need to straighten out our country and make it respected around the world again. You can tell I’m sold on this man. You can tell I believe in this man.”

To read the whole article, click here.