From Virginia Citizens Defense League

I (Philip Van Cleave) have suggested that gun owners who are going to the event should wear an empty holster to protest DC's unconstitutional ban on your right to carry a gun for self-defense.

PLEASE NOTE: DO ***NOT*** bring any AMMUNITION into DC! It is a felony for every unregistered round!

I could see myself carefully taking my gun out of my holster, securing the gun in the car, jumping on the metro, and totally forgetting the spare magazine on my hip! Hmmm - seven felonies just waiting to happen. :-(

It's always such a great feeling to reenter American when that metro crosses back into Virginia on the way home!

Search and Seizure of the wallet in Norfolk!

Be sure to get the name of the Norfolk assessor who comes to your home and post them on line!

Workers coming inside to assess a home's worth? That's troubling. | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
The Virginian-Pilot
© May 19, 2009

Knock, knock.

Don't look now, but that could be the Norfolk real estate assessor at your door.

Not
content with merely taking a gander at the exterior of your abode, and
factoring in building permits and sales of comparable houses, Deborah
Bunn and her lieutenants want to snoop around inside to determine your
castle's worth.

Wait. What's that? You just lost your job and spent the week building cabinets and painting your living room?

Well aren't you the lucky one. You may have just hiked your own taxes.

I learned about this astonishing effort by Norfolk to raise assessments
(they wouldn't be going to all this trouble to lower them, would they?)
from http://blog.vivianpaige.com, a local blog managed by the Norfolk
CPA of the same name.

One of Paige's readers wrote that she was
"seriously troubled" that government workers would want to come onto
her property. My first instinct was that Paige - or her irate
correspondent - had to be mistaken.

But they were right.

A news release, posted last month on the city's Web site, explained that
the city workers, driving city vehicles, would fan out around the city:

"Beginning April 20, the Norfolk Real Estate Assessor's office will begin a five
year field review program that will include a physical inspection of
every residential and commercial property in the City of Norfolk.

"Field reviews will be conducted Monday thru Friday from 9:00 am - 5 pm. The
neighborhood inspections will take place from April through July for
the next five years. Prior to initiating the inspection of a particular
property, the appraiser will make the appropriate introduction at the
door. If the owner/occupant is not home, an exterior review will be
conducted and a notice will be left informing the owner of the
visit...."

Hmmm. This could be an interesting social experiment.

When we find out how many residents rolled out the welcome mat, we'll also
know how many Norfolkians were asleep during high school civics class.

Reminder for the snoozers: This is America. Except in very few cases, you do not
have to allow government agents - without search warrants - in your
home.

Still, as one blog commenter noted, many folks will be too cowed by a city badge and a clipboard to assert their rights.

Troubling, indeed.

When I spoke to her Monday, Bunn said 15 workers from her office had begun
canvassing the 56,396 private dwellings in the city. The assessor
acknowledged that residents "have the right to say no" to the
inspectors.

If they're turned away, the workers will take a picture of the house and walk around the exterior.

"We won't push the matter," she assured me.

But Bunn noted that the city attorney's office had told her she had the
authority to go onto private property and even wander around a fenced
yard, provided the gate is unlatched.

Memo to Norfolk homeowners: Buy locks. Now.

Curiously, Norfolk City Attorney Bernard Pishko said Monday that he hadn't heard
about the assessor's grand plan and had no comment about city workers
trying to gain entry to private homes.

When asked about the power of the city to traipse around private property, including
fenced-in yards, Pishko said that wouldn't be trespassing. Property
needs to be posted.

Oooh. I smell a cottage industry in tasteful "Keep Out" signs.

I asked the assessor if it was fair that those accommodating types with
tidy houses and fresh paint might see their assessments raised, while
their more slovenly neighbors might not.

Not going to happen, Bunn said. Her employees are looking for structural improvements.

Such as?

Mahogany trim or granite countertops.

Oh, I see. In Norfolk, it's not enough that you paid income taxes on the
money you used to buy the granite. Or that you paid a sales tax on the
stone itself. And the installation.

The city is now itching to slap you with a countertop tax.

If that sounds reasonable, by all means, invite the assessor in.

Me, I'd ask to see a search warrant.

Absent that, I'd tell the city to get off my property and enjoy the view from the street.

Kerry Dougherty, (757) 446-2306, kerry.dougherty@cox.net

Democrats United in Saying No to Virginia Jobs

Good Afternoon ,

On Friday, I asked the Democratic candidates for Governor a simple question: Would they join me in supporting the creation of thousands of new jobs for Virginians, the addition of hundreds of millions in new revenue for healthcare, transportation and education, and a move towards energy independence?

They all said no.

The issue is simple. Virginia has the opportunity to be the first state on the Eastern Seaboard to lease exploration and development rights for natural gas and oil off of our shores. Exploration would take place in a safe, environmentally-friendly manner, 50 miles off our coastline, far out of sight from our beaches.

Unfortunately, the Governor is working to delay this action and all three Democratic candidates for Governor put their special interests ahead of job-creation and economic development, by saying no to offshore exploration and development.

Offshore energy development is one part of an overall solution to our economic and energy challenges. We need to develop and bring to market renewable energy sources like wind, solar, geothermal, and biodiesel. But during this process, we are still going to need traditional energy sources to keep our economy moving, our houses warm, and our cars on the road.

According to one estimate, there are 130 million barrels of oil and 1.14 trillion cubic feet of natural gas off Virginia's coast. A study by a professor at Old Dominion University, forecasts that natural gas production alone off Virginia’s coast would create 2,578 new jobs, and produce $271 million in state and local revenue. Unfortunately, the Democratic candidates said no to Virginia jobs and yes to the special interests.

If you believe we should say yes to Virginia jobs and economic development, click here to contribute or visit www.BobMcDonnell.com to get involved in my campaign.

Bob McDonnell

News Coverage

Northern Virginia Daily: Virginia is sitting on an economic gold mine just waiting to be unleashed, former Republican Attorney General Bob McDonnell said Friday, challenging his three Democratic opponents to join him in supporting offshore oil exploration.

"As governor of Virginia I will support legislation that will open Virginia's offshore waters, starting at 50 miles off the coast, to environmentally safe exploration and drilling for oil and gas," McDonnell said.

NBC 12: “All three candidates (Terry McAuliffe, Creigh Deeds and Brian Moran) released strong statements in opposition to the letter”

The Washington Post: "I urge the Democratic candidates for governor to put aside their pandering to special interests and do what's right for Virginia families,'' McDonnell said. "Democrats need to stop saying no to new jobs and revenue for Virginia."

WHSV: McDonnell, “Offshore production of natural gas and oil is not the entire solution to our economic and energy challenges, but it is part of the solution and we need to stop with the delays and start making progress.

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McDonnell For Governor | 2819 North Parham Road, Suite 210 | Richmond | VA | 23294