Tag: Michael Bills

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In brief: 1619 Project comes to town, Chase announces governor bid, and more

Acclaimed New York Times Magazine writer Nikole Hannah-Jones speaks with Times columnist and local resident Jamelle Bouie about the 1619 Project at The Haven on February 17. PC: Eze Amos

Get serious: Talking reparations, monuments, and more

What does it mean to confront the truth? To not be complacent in an unjust system? To seek justice for those who’ve been oppressed by that system for over 400 years?

Acclaimed New York Times Magazine writer Nikole Hannah-Jones grappled with these questions­—and more—during a discussion with Times columnist (and local resident) Jamelle Bouie at The Haven on February 17.

“So much about the society that we’ve developed has been touched by [slavery], but we treat it as very marginal,” says Hannah-Jones, who also spoke at the Rotunda with UVA President Jim Ryan earlier in the day. Charlottesville “is a place that’s clearly still grappling and struggling with that legacy. And so I think it was important to have that conversation here.”

Hannah-Jones, who originated the magazine’s ongoing 1619 Project on the legacy of slavery, connected the project’s work to the years-long controversy surrounding the city’s Confederate statues, which she described as monuments to white supremacy.

“I just find it appalling that black folks pay to maintain statues to white supremacy and enslavement,” she says. “If you can’t get rid of monuments to people who fought [for slavery], then you’re not actually serious about making larger repairs.”

Hannah-Jones also addressed economic reparations for the descendants of slaves, saying “you cannot repay centuries of stolen capital without capital.” 

After reading Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America in high school, Hannah-Jones says she could not stop thinking about the mass erasure and misrepresentation of black history. After years of reporting on de facto school segregation and other racial justice issues, she pitched the 1619 Project to paint a broader picture of the long-lasting impact of slavery.

Hannah-Jones said 1619 has been criticized by some as “too pessimistic,” and she does not think there is a real desire for change, as “people aren’t willing to do the work,” especially when it personally affects them. 

Yet she encouraged community leaders, activists, and others to keep up the fight. 

“We do have to believe we can destruct the system that we have,” she said. “If you don’t believe it, then you can just sit comfortably where you are.”

About the 1619 Project

The 1619 Project was launched by The New York Times Magazine in August 2019, with a special issue devoted to tracing the legacy of slavery in America (which began 400 years earlier), and its impact on our current inequalities. The multimedia project now includes a podcast, teacher resources, and a forthcoming book, and aims to “reframe the country’s history,” the magazine says, “by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.”    

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Quote of the Week

“Fairfax needs to resign…Granting Fairfax the honor of speaking at the gala sends an exculpatory message I do not believe is merited.”

­—Charlottesville-based Dem super-donor Michael Bills, who withdrew a sponsorship when Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax was invited to speak at the Blue Commonwealth Gala 

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Ban banned

Charlottesville’s state Senator Creigh Deeds was one of four Democrats who voted to reject a bill that would ban the sale of assault weapons in Virginia. The bill had been supported by Governor Ralph Northam, and its failure is a rare victory for a gun-rights crowd that has loudly voiced its grievances in recent weeks. Deeds, whose district includes rural areas in Bath County, continues to earn his reputation as one of the most gun-friendly Democrats in the legislature.

Tessa Majors update

A 14-year-old middle school student was arrested in New York City February 14 for the fatal stabbing of Barnard freshman and St. Anne’s-Belfield alum Tessa Majors. The teen was charged with one count of intentional murder, one count of felony murder, and four counts of robbery. He will be tried as an adult.

Funke business

Hajo Funke, a German professor specializing in far-right extremism, was supposed to spend a semester teaching at UVA—but his visa has been delayed indefinitely, reports the Cavalier Daily. The professors who hoped to collaborate with Funke speculate that his work on far-right politics, criticism of Unite the Right, or a recent passport stamp from Iran might have caused the delay, but the consulate has kept mum. Foreign students and professors have had increasing difficulty entering the country since Trump took office, reported The New York Times in June.

Chasing power

State Senator Amanda Chase, who recently called Democrats “traitors” for passing modest gun restrictions, is the first Republican to announce a 2021 candidacy for governor. She says she has “brass balls’’ and will fight “the liberal, socialistic agenda that has taken control of the Capitol.” Chase says she’ll run as an independent if she can’t secure the Republican nomination, which actually might be a smart electoral play—Republicans have not won a statewide election in Virginia since 2009.

Virginia state Senator Amanda Chase has announced her bid for governor. PC: senate.virginia.gov

 

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In brief: PACmen and women, Pharrell weighs in, Long checks out, and more

Michael Bills is narrowing his political focus to candidates who don’t take donations from Dominion with his Clean Virginia PAC. Submitted photo

Special interests

If you’ve got an agenda, you’ve gotta have a PAC. A political action committee is the device of choice for individuals, corporations, developers, teachers, and many others to further their interests by funneling money or other support to political candidates. While a PAC is limited by state and federal law on how much it can directly contribute to a campaign, because it’s not run by a political party or individual candidate, on its own it can spend an unlimited amount of money on elections. Charlottesville is home to several PACs that have raised— and contributed—millions for causes ranging from electing progressive candidates to keeping Delegate Rob Bell in office. Here’s our roundup:

Progressives for Cville

Founded in 2018 by UVA prof and Black Lives Matter organizer Jalane Schmidt and Jefferson School African American Heritage Center staffer Olivia Patton, Progressives for Cville wants small donors to support candidates who will work for affordable housing and against racial inequity. The PAC supports City Council candidate Michael Payne.

Progressive Change Campaign Committee

Charlottesville native Stephanie Taylor and UVA Law grad Adam Green co-founded Progressive Change in 2009, the largest locally founded PAC, with a million-member grassroots organization that’s raised $29 million. Its website is boldprogressives.org, and this national PAC was a fan of Senator Elizabeth Warren’s platform long before she became a presidential candidate.

Virginia First PAC

House Minority Leader David Toscano’s PAC has donated more than $1 million to help elect Democrats to the House of Delegates.

Clean Virginia Fund

Investor Michael Bills has poured over $2 million into state elections. Last year he founded a PAC to promote clean energy and thwart the influence of Dominion Power on the electoral process by supporting candidates who refuse to accept money from utilities they would regulate. Bills has put $205,000 into the PAC, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, and donated $166,000 to candidates.

Road Back/Democratic Road Forward PAC

The late delegate Mitch Van Yahres, who held the 57th District seat for 24 years, founded the Road Back PAC in 2002 to help other Dem candidates. The PAC was dormant for several years after his death in 2008, and was reborn as the Democratic Road Forward PAC in 2013 to train Democratic hopefuls and their staffs. “We don’t give them money,” says former vice-mayor Meredith Richards, but this year 19 candidates the PAC schooled in fundraising and fieldwork are running.

Virginia’s List

Former Charlottesville School Board chair and 17th Senate District candidate Amy Laufer’s PAC has raised almost $125,000 since 2015 to support Democratic women running for state office, according to VPAP.

Virginians for Rob Bell

This committee was formed in 2012, ahead of Bell’s unsuccessful run for the GOP attorney general nomination in 2013. It’s received $560,000 in contributions, and is currently sitting on $294,000, says VPAP.

Forever Albemarle

Maintaining the county’s rural areas and supporting farmers is the goal of Forever Albemarle, which donated to Republican  Board of Supervisors candidates Duane Snow and Rodney Thomas in 2009. The PAC has been less active since then, but it made a $545 donation to the White Hall Ruritans in 2017, according to Virginia Department of Elections.

Quote of the week

“To me, any legitimate conversation about reparations starts with education.” —Pharrell Williams, May 17 at UVA’s Valedictory Exercises

In brief

Trick-or-treat

Police Chief RaShall Brackney asked City Council on May 20 to repeal the 57-year-old ordinance that prohibits kids over the age of 12 from knocking on neighbors’ doors and demanding candy on Halloween. She’s also calling for a 10pm curfew on October 31, and council will vote on the matters in June.

Another A12 lawsuit

Bill Burke came to Charlottesville in August 2017 with a plan to protest a white supremacist rally, and left with a string of mental and physical injuries from being hit by James Fields’ car. Now, in a federal lawsuit filed in his home state of Ohio, he’s asking for $3 million in compensatory damages.

Free advice

The Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association and Legal Aid Justice Center have hired their first pro bono coordinator. Kristin Clarens has already racked up “countless hours” of pro bono work on immigration, human rights, and refugee resettlement, according to a press release.

Long goodbye

Two-time Super Bowl champion with deep Charlottesville roots Chris Long is hanging up his helmet after 11 NFL seasons. The UVA and St. Anne’s-Belfield grad chosen as the league’s 2018 Walter Payton Man of the Year is also known for his humanitarian work: Since starting his Waterboys charity, he’s funded approximately 60 wells (and counting) in Africa.

Body found, arrest made

Police say 24-year-old Cody Jason Cappel, whose body was found on the Rivanna Trail behind Peter Jefferson Parkway May 16, was shot multiple times. He appeared to have been living in a tent along the river near 49-year-old Allan Ray Via, who has been charged with second degree murder and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Signs of change

Vincent Kinney was the first black student to graduate from Albemarle High. staff photo

Despite the landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, which found public school segregation unconstitutional, Albemarle County didn’t integrate for another nine years.

In 1963, 26 black students enrolled in three county schools for the first time: Stone-Robinson Elementary, Greenwood, and Albemarle High. And on May 17, county administrators unveiled new signs at each location that honor the first black attendees  of those schools.

Superintendent Matt Haas thanked local historian and filmmaker Lorenzo Dickerson, who spearheaded the project.

In attendance at the unveiling were multiple members of the Albemarle 26, including the first black AHS graduate Vincent Kinney, who donned his cap and gown in 1964.

“I get a little bit of angst at things like this because it focuses attention on us and it does not emphasize the fact that we were overcoming something in the community,” said Kinney. “By the time I came to Albemarle [High], I had already been scarred…by the white privilege that existed and still does to a lesser extent today.”

When students see the new sign, he says he hopes they don’t take it for granted.

Adds Kinney, “I hope they see that the level of near equality that’s shared by all now has been fought for.”

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Dominion’s win: Bills reduce refunds, thwart SCC regulation

It was a bill that had its own meme.

“When Dominion writes the law: We pay twice. They get richer,” said a post that swept the web with the hashtags #HB1558 #KILLTHEBILL and #STOPTHESCAM before the House of Delegates voted to pass the bill 63-35 on February 13.

The bill was a response to the Utility Rate Freeze Bill of 2015, which froze electricity rates, but also removed the State Corporation Commission’s review of the rates of major utility companies like Dominion Energy until 2022.

Over the past couple years, Dominion has gained massive “overearnings” of several hundred million dollars, says Delegate David Toscano, who represents Charlottesville and Albemarle County in the 57th District. HB1558 and its Senate counterpart, SB966, would require Dominion to give refunds to its customers and lead to major investments in energy conservation.

Toscano has called the legislation some of the most significant of this General Assembly session, and though he voted against the bills, he attached an amendment that would prohibit Dominion from “double dipping” by charging ratepayers twice to update the grid and for investments in renewable energy. Put simply, the utility company won’t be able to take from refunds owed to ratepayers—that’s one dip—and still charge extra to finance the same projects—the second dip.

The same amendment was placed on the Senate bill, which passed the House 65-30 on February 26.

“Few would argue that there are some substantial benefits derived from this bill,” Toscano said in a letter to his constituents. Dominion customers will receive $200 million in refunds over the next two years and an immediate rate reduction of at least $125 million. The bill supports renewable energy and requires the utility company to invest almost $1 billion in grid modernization.

But in Toscano’s dissenting vote, he declares that problems with the bill remain. The SCC’s ability to control rates is restricted, and any future rate reductions could have to wait much longer than if the organization immediately resumes regulation.

Costs incurred for utility undergrounding projects have been deemed “reasonable and prudent” without the SCC knowing the actual costs, says Toscano, and that could make ratepayer refunds less than the $200 million promised by the bill.

“SB966 requires Dominion to refund ratepayers just pennies to the dollar of what we are owed,” says Elaine Colligan, director of the Clean Virginia Project, which is a local independent initiative funded by investor Michael Bills and run out of Tom Perriello’s New Virginia Way PAC.

As for future overcharges, Colligan says the bill postpones SCC review of base electricity rates until 2021, and if the organization finds that consumers have been overcharged, it can only order refunds up to $50 million. In 2016 alone, Dominion overcharged customers an estimated $395 million, she adds.

“This is simply a bad deal,” she says. “Consumers should be refunded 100 percent of what we are owed.”

Dominion Energy, a private corporation, owns the publicly regulated electric monopoly in Virginia and, according to Colligan, it is permitted to spend unlimited amounts in campaign contributions and political gifts.

“The passage of SB966 is symptomatic of Virginia’s unique style of political corruption,” she says. “In the absence of publicly financed elections, a full-time and well-funded state legislature and checks and balances on Dominion’s influence on our representatives, we can only expect that the company would try to ram a utility bill through the General Assembly that is a windfall for their profits.”

If the Senate bill is signed into law, Dominion spokesperson Rayhan Daudani says customers will begin seeing refunds in their July bills. The average bill is about $115.75 a month, and the average customer can expect to see a $6 credit for about nine months. Customers can also expect about $125 million in rate reductions from federal tax legislation, he says.

“When you factor in these rate credits, it’ll lower them down to the same rate [customers] were paying in 2009,” he says.

Dominion has drawn major controversy and criticism because of its efforts to build the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, a $6 billion and 600-mile gas fracking pipeline that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved in October.

Charlottesville resident Kay Ferguson, who also opposed the utility rate bills, says she’s become familiar with the company in her fight against the ACP.

“It is a big bully,” she says. “It does have a chokehold on the government in Virginia.”

But, says Daudani, “That’s the way the political process is set up. It requires us to make sure our voice is heard alongside other groups that may have their own priorities.”