All posts by Bob Brink

Animal House, Meet White House

John Belushi.jpgOne of the hoary traditions of the House of Delegates involves animal noises. Whenever a bill involving a particular species comes to the floor, there is an undertone of barks, oinks, whinnies, quacks, etc., from various members. It’s one of the juvenile impulses that sets the House apart from the more, um . . . dignified Senate.

During the past session, a series of tax exemption bills came to the floor. One dealt with an exemption for medicines administered to farm animals, with predictable sound effects. The next bill exempted equipment used in the manufacture of computer chips. After it was approved in silence, the Speaker observed, “I guess nobody knows what a semiconductor sounds like.”

What brings this to mind is an item in this week’s U.S. News and World Report. I guess we all missed out because President Bush didn’t start his political career in the House of Delegates. Party on!

As Grandmother Brink used to say, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

People in a whole lot of places got their first impression of Virginia’s Junior Senator last week: Albuquerque, New Mexico, Austin, Texas, Belleville, Illinois, Billings, Montana, Biloxi, Mississippi, Boston, Massachusetts, Bradenton, Florida, Charlotte, North Carolina, Cincinnati, Ohio, Columbus, Georgia, Denver, Colorado, Duluth, Minnesota, Evansville, Indiana, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Gwinnett County, Georgia, Houston, Texas, Indianapolis, Indiana, Kansas City, Missouri, Los Angeles, California, Macon, Georgia, Manchester, New Hampshire, McAlester, Oklahoma, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Palm Beach, Florida, Rochester, New York, San Francisco, California, San Jose, California, Sarasota, Florida, Searcy, Arkansas, Shoals, Alabama, Spokane, Washington, Tucson, Arizona, and Youngstown, Ohio, to name a few.

My concern is this: what impression of Virginia did they take away from the experience?

NCSL: Duelling Pollsters

For most of the past week Kris and I, along with scores of other states’ Delegates, Representatives, Senators, Assemblypersons, and Nebraska Unicams or whatever they call themselves, attended the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures. NCSL is a valuable bipartisan forum for legislators to share their states’ experiences and solutions in workshops and other presentations. Every year’s meeting has given me ideas for possible legislation in health care, technology and privacy, and other policy areas.

The meetings’ business sessions also feature great speakers. On Friday morning, we heard from the “Duelling Pollsters,” Democrat Peter Hart and Republican Frank Luntz, on the current political environment and their predictions for the upcoming elections. Hart cited a raft of statistics that point toward major Democratic gains on November 7: massive discontent with the country’s direction, a Republican president whose approval rating has languished under 40% for a year now, a record margin of voters who intend to vote Democratic for Congress. Surprisingly, Luntz said virtually nothing to refute Hart. “How many of you are Republicans?” he asked the audience. His advice to those who raised their hands: “Go home. Go home now. Go home and get another job — wait: you’re going to be looking for another job pretty soon anyway.”

One subtext of Luntz’s remarks was his neo-populist denunciation of corporate abuses, from Wal-Mart’s employee health care policies to CEOs’ super-sized pension packages. What made it interesting is this: in 1994, Luntz was the man behind the polling, messaging, and wordsmithing for the ingenious Republican Contract with America that contributed mightily to that year’s Republican takeover of Congress and their dominance of the national policy agenda for the past dozen years. So, more than any other person in that room, Luntz fairly could be said to be responsible for the conditions he was denouncing so passionately. Funny, life.

City of the Big Shoulders

Last week, a one-day layover coming back from a Denver conference gave me a chance to play tourist in my hometown of Chicago. To get an idea of how the city has changed in the three decades since I went east, I went where no native ever goes: to the observatory on the top of the John Hancock Center.

John Hancock Center “Big John,” which looks like an oil derrick on steroids, is a monument to Sinclair Lewis’ Midwestern boosterism: everything is The Tallest, The Oldest, or The First. As we rode the elevators (“the fastest elevators in North America”) 1,000 feet up to the 94th floor observatory, we were informed that Big John is “the most recognized building in the world.” (Really? If you disagree, I invite nominations for the building you think is more worthy of that title.)

The skyscraper, born in Chicago, is just one of the Windy City’s achievements. A display up top proclaims that it is also the birthplace of Twinkies, Cracker Jacks, Baby Ruth, and the Dove Bar. With a diet like that, it’s a wonder that anybody from Chicago can fly coach.

The views from the top of Big John are spectacular (even more so if the day isn’t hazy and you have something better than the disposable camera I was using).

View North.jpgTo the north, you see Lake Shore Drive, the beaches along Lake Michigan, and, off in the distance, Evanston and Northwestern University.

View East.jpgTo the east, not so much.  There’s 22,400 square miles of lake.  There’s the water filtration plant and, on clear days, there’s a dot on the horizon that purports to be the state of Michigan.  At a loss for landmarks, the observatory brochure highlights the sites of numerous shipwrecks: The Lady Elgin (1860);  The Evening Star (1894); The Jenny Lind (1883); and so on.  They could be making it up for all I know.

View West.jpgTo the west is the Chicago beyond downtown — block after block of neighborhoods that resemble East European or Central American towns as much as they do a corner of The City of the Big Shoulders.  Ethnic tensions have been a fact of Chicago’s political and social life for most of the past century.

View South.jpgTo the south is the central business district which used to be bounded by the Loop (the elevated transit line that brings commuters in from the north, west, and south) but that has burst out in all directions. 

Off to the right is the  Sears Tower, the Tallest Office Building in the United States, with the Most Total Floor Space of Any Commercial Building in the U.S. (the Pentagon has more square footage). 

To the left is the site of the former Meigs Field, which used to be a general aviation (private plane) airport right on the lakefront.  A few years ago, Mayor Richard M. Daley (son of the legendary Richard J.) wanted to convert the area to a public park.  The forces backing the private plane owners, who understandably were reluctant to give up such a convenient facility, dragged their feet. One Sunday night the Mayor sent City bulldozers out to Meigs Field and carved X’s in the runways.  Chicago is my kind of town.

More on the great tourist adventure later.

In case you missed it . . .

. . . we’re still in session.  2006’s Special Session I met today for the 22nd time.  It was, from all accounts, a pretty cut-and-dried affair, lasting two minutes.  The Clerk offered the prayer. Morgan Griffith led the Pledge.  Good news:  the Speaker was in the chair, so his knee injury apparently has healed.

The House adjourned to reconvene in Session #23 on August 8. 

 August 8.jpgMark your calendars.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood — Part 2: Who’s Next Door?

 Darden Garden Clock

The “Capitol Square Complex” is a collection of 25 or so buildings arrayed around the hill on which Thomas Jefferson’s Capitol Building sits.  The jewel in the crown is the Capitol itself. (The Capitol is undergoing a top-to-bottom renovation and structural overhaul which is scheduled for completion by the beginning of next year.  I’ll have a post about that project in a couple of weeks.)

Two of the complex’s more architecturally interesting structures are the buildings adjacent to the General Assembly Building along Broad Street: the Patrick Henry Building and Old City Hall.

Patrick Henry Building

The Patrick Henry Building, formerly the Old State Library, is the House and Senate’s temporary home during the Capitol’s renovation. It was built in 1939 as a Public Works Administration project. Its style is one popular with PWA buildings and familiar to anybody who has seen a local post office (like this one in my home town of Oak Park, Illinois) US Post Office Oak Park IL.JPG or other Federal building that was constructed in the decade after the Great Depression. It’s called “Stripped Classicism.”  My legislative aide/architectural researcher, Jean Barton, describes the building’s style as ”characterized by the proportions of Classical architecture but devoid of the ornamentation.” Faced with square blocks of limestone, the exterior reads as a two-story structure with recessed colonnades surrounding the second level, but the facades mask multiple levels. In 1970, an additional story was constructed, giving the building a distinctive stepped-pyramid outline. The building was abandoned in 1996 when the new State Library, across from the GAB, opened; but its prime location on Capitol Square, next to the Governor’s Manson, led to major renovations and the building’s reopening last year to house the Governor’s working offices, Cabinet Secretaries and executive agency offices.

House Chamber.JPGDuring the 2006 Session That Wouldn’t End, the Delegates met in the Reading Room at the east end of the first floor; the Senate met in the slightly smaller Archives at the west end. Both have been restored to their original glory with art deco chandeliers and other details. The Legislative Branch is paying rent to the Executive Branch for their use – a turnabout from the traditional arrangement, where the legislators controlled the Capitol Building and the Governor occupied the Third Floor as a kind of Very Special Guest.

We’re not done with our temporary quarters yet.  This past week it was disclosed that there was a $130 million bookkeeping error in the apportionment of sales tax proceeds for public schools between the state and local governments.  While we may be able to hold off on cleaning up this mess until next year, a memo from Appropriations Committee Chairman Vince Callahan to committee members this week contained the ominous comment that “it appears that we may need to address this situation in August.”   And then there’s that pesky issue of transportation that we keep meaning to do something about.  That has “September Special Session” written all over it.

The longer we stay in our temporary chambers in the Patrick Henry Building, the greater the risk that we’ll complicate our transition back to our new digs in the renovated Capitol.  One major reason: When we moved over for the 2006 Session, we brought with us the electronic voting systems whereby 100 Delegates and 40 Senators vote at their desks – Yea, Nay, or Abstain – and the results are displayed instantly, by individual member, on two huge displays in each chamber.  (These systems are vital both for accountability and efficiency: they provide the only real-time means of knowing how a member voted, and the only alternative is an oral “viva voce” roll call of each member.  In the 2006 session we had nearly 2000 roll call votes on the House floor.  Do the math.)

At some point, the staff has to clip the wires in Patrick Henry, tote the tote boards over to the new chambers, and begin the arduous task of rewiring so that we’re ready to roll when the 2007 Session opens next January 10.  I don’t know how long that will take, but I think it’s safe to say that it’s not a Saturday afternoon DIY project.

Old City Hall

Well, back to our neighborhood tour.  Between the General Assembly Building and the Patrick Henry Building sits Old City Hall, built in a style that’s totally out of character with the classical Capitol across the way, the PWA/Classical Patrick Henry Building to the east, or (blessedly) the hodgepodge of structures that were fused together to form the General Assembly Building on its west side.  Architecture Critic/Legislative Aide Jean Barton elaborates:

“Built between 1886 and 1894 in the Grand Victorian Gothic style that Richmond City Fathers thought would signal the city’s rise from the devastation of the Civil War, the exterior of the building suggests medieval European castles with a heavily textured granite façade, complete with a clock tower, turrets, pinnacles and finials.

“The interior is equally lush, with a ‘courtyard’ enclosed by a copper-clad skylight. Three tiers of Gothic arcades and great flights of double stairs are also made of cast iron, a testament to Richmond’s iron industry at that time. Through the years, however, the building fell into disrepair and the Commonwealth purchased the building from the city in 1981.  The General Assembly then voted to tear down the building and put up a parking lot.  Cooler heads prevailed:  The Historic Richmond Foundation gained the leasing rights and arranged to oversee the restoration and rental of the building, allowing a private developer to carefully restore the building for commercial offices.  Many organizations rent office space there, including local governments for their legislative liaisons and media such as the Washington Post.

City Hall Lobby.JPG“The restoration included installing a glass brick floor, lit from underneath, in the courtyard and painting the arches and columns in the courtyard in richly polychromed colors.  The Commonwealth has subsequently repurchased the property; the building’s exact future usage isn’t known, but it won’t include a parking lot.  Most likely, given its convenient location, it will house some small state agencies.”

So that’s it for this week’s walking tour.  Here’s how it fits into the grand design for 7-West, as I see it:  In the coming weeks (with occasional side trips to places like the Tour de France), Kris and I hope to shed some light on the workings of the General Assembly: what we do, why we do it, and so on.  Today’s post is a little of the “where.”

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood — Part 1: Around the Floor

7-West Floorplan.jpgFor a few weeks out of the year (“a few” in 2006 being 24 weeks, off and on), 7-West of the General Assembly Building is the base of operations for 14 members of the House of Delegates. Our offices, along with our aides’ space and the secretaries’ stations, wrap around a small conference room where House subcommittees do their dirty work, members meet with groups of constituents, and press conferences on issues large and small (mostly small) are staged.

While our corner of 7-West has become a NOVA Democratic enclave, taken as a whole the occupants of the wing reflect some of the geographic and ideological diversity of the House (also the gender diversity, such as it is: 2 of the 14 7-Westers (14.3%) are women, compared to 16.2% of the 99 current members of the House. On ethnic diversity, not so much: One of the Fantastic 14 — 7.1% — is African-American, compared to 12.1% of the 99 current members.)

Below is a thumbnail sketch of our 7-West neighbors, along with vital information such as their date of birth and horoscope signs (with links to the cheesiest astrology website I could find), Governor Kaine’s 2005 percentage in their district, and rankings from several interest groups:

* Business — Virginia Free

* Environment — League of Conservation Voters
* Right-wing social issues — Family Foundation

* Gay and lesbian rights — Equality Virginia
So here goes the neighborhood, by office number:

Room 714 — Terry Kilgore (R-Scott County) Kilgore.jpg
Member since 1994
DOB: August 23, 1961 (Virgo)
Kaine 2005: 30.6% (100/100)
Virginia Free: 76
League of Conservation Voters: 0
Family Foundation: 94
Equality Virginia: 13

NOTABLE: Twin brother of last year’s Republican candidate for Governor (which explains Tim Kaine’s 100/100 performance in the district). Their mother sends incredible baked goods every Monday morning during session.

Room 713 — Bill Carrico (R-Grayson County) Carrico.jpg

Member since 2002
DOB: November 6, 1961 (Scorpio)
Kaine 2005: 39% (94/100)
Virginia Free: 71
League of Conservation Voters: 0
Family Foundation: 88
Equality Virginia: 0

NOTABLE: Bill is running against Rick Boucher for the 9th District Congressional seat in November. We expect to see him back with us in January.

Room 712 — Bob Brink (D-Arlington) Brink.jpg

Member since 1998
DOB: November 27, 1946 (Sagittarius)
Kaine 2005: 73.6% (10/100)
Virginia Free: 51
League of Conservation Voters: 88
Family Foundation: 0
Equality Virginia: 89

NOTABLE: The only drafted Vietnam veteran in the General Assembly.

Room 711 — Brian Moran (D-Alexandria) Moran.jpg

Member since 1996
DOB: September 9, 1959 (Virgo)
Kaine 2005: 73.4% (11/100)
Virginia Free: 74
League of Conservation Voters: 75
Family Foundation: 11
Equality Virginia: 89

NOTABLE: For a boy from Natick, Massachusetts, Brian sure is spending a lot of time in South Boston.

Room 710 — Mark Sickles (D-Fairfax) Sickles.jpg

Member since 2004
DOB: February 18, 1957 (Aquarius)
Kaine 2005: 63.6% (22/100)
Virginia Free: 72
League of Conservation Voters: 75
Family Foundation: 6
Equality Virginia: 88
NOTABLE: Uncontrollable policy wonk. Takes copies of VDOT regulations home with him to read at night.

Room 709 — Kris Amundson (D-Fairfax) Amundson.jpg

Member since 2000
DOB: December 3, 1949 (Sagittarius)
Kaine 2005: 61.8% (24/100)
Virginia Free: 65
League of Conservation Voters: 70
Family Foundation: 12
Equality Virginia: 78
NOTABLE: “You can take the girl out of Minnesota . . .” Didn’t bother going to see “Prairie Home Companion” because she had lived it.

Room 708 — Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) Ebbin.jpg

Member since 2004
DOB: November 10, 1963 (Scorpio)
Kaine 2005: 78.5% (4/100)
Virginia Free: 54
League of Conservation Voters: 100
Family Foundation: 0
Equality Virginia: 100
NOTABLE: Tenacious fighter for his district, but unlikely to win the 7-West Clean Desk Award.

Room 707 — David Englin (D-Alexandria) Englin.jpg

Member since 2006
DOB: August 15, 1974 (Leo)
Kaine 2005: 71.8% (14/100)
Virginia Free: NA
League of Conservation Voters: NA
Family Foundation: NA
Equality Virginia: NA
NOTABLE: Youngest member of Democratic Caucus: that only looks like his high school yearbook picture. I have shoes older than David.

Room 706 — Paula Miller (D-Norfolk) Miller.jpg

Member since 2005
DOB: August 1, 1959 (Leo)
Kaine 2005: 55.2% (36/100)
Virginia Free: 69
League of Conservation Voters: 25
Family Foundation: 56
Equality Virginia: NA
NOTABLE: Only member of the House in over 300 years to be named “Paula”.

Room 705 — Tom Gear (R-Hampton) Gear.jpg

Member since 2002
DOB: May 2, 1949 (Taurus)
Kaine 2005: 45.5% (73/100)
Virginia Free: 66
League of Conservation Voters: 50
Family Foundation: 100
Equality Virginia: 0
NOTABLE: The Speaker’s latest appointment to Finance Committee, which will decide the fate of long-term funding for transportation.

Room 704 — Bob Marshall (R-Prince William) Marshall.jpg

Member since 1992
DOB: May 3,1944 (Taurus)
Kaine 2005: 46.1% (71/100)
Virginia Free: 64
League of Conservation Voters: 50
Family Foundation: 100
Equality Virginia: 22
NOTABLE: To the regret of many of us, he is the best parliamentarian on the floor.

Room 703 — Jack Reid (R-Henrico) Reid.jpg

Member since 1990
DOB: August 1, 1942 (Leo)

Kaine 2005: 45.8% (72/100)
Virginia Free: 71
League of Conservation Voters: 33
Family Foundation: 94
Equality Virginia: 29
NOTABLE: Ever since Jack accidentally fired off a handgun in his office earlier this year, mortally wounding a bulletproof vest that inexplicably was hanging on the back of his door, we on 7-West try to stay on his good side.

Room 702 — Dwight Jones (D-Richmond) Jones.jpg

Member since 1994
DOB: February 3, 1948 (Aquarius)

Kaine 2005: 78.9% (3/100)
Virginia Free: 61
League of Conservation Voters: 57
Family Foundation: 11
Equality Virginia: 83
NOTABLE: The House’s only ordained minister. How’s that for a thankless task?

Room 701 — Phil Hamilton (R-Newport News) Hamilton.jpg

Member since 1988
DOB: April 9, 1952 (Aries)
Kaine 2005: 57.7% (32/100)
Virginia Free: 82
League of Conservation Voters: 25
Family Foundation: 76
Equality Virginia: 14
NOTABLE: Chairman, House Committee on Health, Welfare, and Institutions; Chairman, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Resources; Chairman, Joint Commission on Health Care. Salud!

COMING NEXT: OTHER PLACES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD