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If we must have furloughs, let us try to do them justly:  have those making over $100,000 per year take two times the number of furlough days as others, have those making between $50,000 per year and $100,000 per year take half the number of furlough days as those making over $100,000 per year and have those making under $50,000 not take any furlough days.

Solar Powered Schools

An idea whose time has come

There are many legitimate times that persons receiving services in the State have rights problems. That is true, but also, with this fairly new Organization reporting only to the Governor (?) currently, abuses also occur where families, Guardians, or others pick up a phone and call VOPA before attempting to work things out with Social Workers, Directors, and other persons dealing with their loved ones daily in State facilities.

This is a multi-benefit program.  Form a cooperative partnership with the Marketing departments of EVERY state funded college and university (including community colleges) to formulate and submit competing marketing plans for state tourism and other programs (with the state government communicating specifications to each school).  Each school's Marketing department may choose to work on this program as an end of semester project.  The winning school(s) marketing program will result in formal recognition of efforts by award of grants to that specific department and possibly a

Inmates in the prison system should be required to perform the following functions in order to repay their debt to society:

1. Grow their own food and sell the extra at local farmers markets with the revenue being injected into the DOC system.

2. There should be NO CABLE TELEVISION for inmates (in local jails AND state correctional centers).

3. Inmates should be REQUIRED to perform public services on a daily basis such as roadway trash pick-up, landscaping duties at colleges and universities, etc.

Early voting would be a good idea this year and for years to come.  This would cut down on long waits and any problems with running out of forms as happened in the primary voting.  This would also be beneficial to seniors who are not disabled, but have back and knee problems and cannot stand for long periods.

While I listen on the radio about Virginia's Budget cuts I sat in traffic at the HRBT for over 2 hours last night. I did not make it through the tunnel until nearly 12:30 AM. The whole backup was due to VDOT cleaning the tunnel. If we are in such difficult times, why are we cleaning the tunnel. I could see cleaning the road surface to eliminate oil deposits, but the ceiling? I got an email from my university saying that due to the state budget cuts, an annual geology/earth sciences trip has been canceled. Let me get this straight? We have to cut education so our tunnels can be shiny?

The state is losing millions of dollars in fuel tax revenue because of exemptions granted to special interest groups. We don't exempt truckers from fuel taxes. Why do we exempt farmers. Farmers are one the biggest polluters in Chesapeake Bay watershed. Commercial and recreation watermen are also contribute to the problem, yet all are exempt from having to pay for fuel taxes.  Correction.  Commercial and recreational watermen  are eligible to apply for refunds. DMV maintains a staff to process these refunds.

A couple of states have already went to a 4-day work week, while others are submitting proposals to see if this is feasible or not.  Make it mandatory for all agencies.  Utah is saving 3 million a year.  Have you considered how much Virginia could save?  It would also cut down on the use of pool vehicles.  As high as gas prices are getting, we could use some sort of alternative work plan.

Since the car tax will be with us for a long time, it should be changed from a tax based on value to a flat rate per vehicle.

Why should we be penalized for buying a new car? The tax would be easier to apply and also help the ailing auto sales in Virginia.