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Business as Usual in the Virginia Senate – “Dominion Dick” Saslaw Delivers

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by

sherlockj
in , , , , , , ,

Sen. Dick Saslaw (D)

by James C. Sherlock

Associate Press headline Feb. 15: 

“Virginia Senate Democrats kill electric rate reform bills.”

Fish gotta swim, Senator Richard L. “Dominion Dick” Saslaw gotta be Senate Majority Leader and Chairman of the Virginia Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.

Saslaw has received nearly a half million dollars in campaign donations from Dominion Energy and its previous CEO, Thomas Farrell. The Chairman literally would be cheap at ten times the price.

From the AP:

“The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee on Monday swiftly killed the last of more than half a dozen bills this session that aimed to reform Virginia’s system of electric utility rate review, which is seen by Wall Street investors as favorable to the utilities and by critics as an example of legislative capture by companies with an outsize influence over the General Assembly.”

Dominion sweeping all before it actually gives some sense of stability to the General Assembly.

Below is a list of campaign donations by Dominion Energy and Tom Farrell to the Senators who voted with Dominion on the closest vote, 8-7 to table Virginia HB1132 Electric utility regulation; initial triennial review, requirements, sponsored by Del. Jay Jones (D).

  • Dick Saslaw (D)- $460,508* + Farrell $27,500
  • Tommy Norment (R) – $187,240 (#2 behind Bankers) + Farrell $15,200
  • Louise Lucas (D) – $170,950* + Farrell $5,000
  • Lionell Spruill (D) – $152,569* + Farrell $10,000
  • Mark Obenshain (R) – $99,853* + Farrell $15,000
  • Dave Marsden (D) – $51,236 (#2 behind auto dealers) + Farrell $2,500
  • Lynwood Lewis (D) – $55,000 (#3 behind Planned Parenthood and Realtors)
  • George Barker (D) – $42,227* + Farrell $2,500

*Top Donor

No word on the position of Ralph Northam ($316,751 from Dominion Energy, $21,000 from Tom Farrell) on these bills.

Nothing to see here other than the usual auctioning of votes to the highest bidder.

Dominion has narrowly focused interests and deep pockets, so it literally doesn’t ask for much in the way of support to its position in the few bills that arise every session that affect its interests.

But if readers think businesses like Dominion are the highest bidders behind much of the legislation being pushed through the General Assembly, they should check it out at vpap.org.

The progressive left, both organizations and individual donors, has invested massively in General Assembly Democrats.  The top donors (VPAP) to Virginia politicians in 2020-2021:

  • $1,335,350 Dominion Energy (Richmond)
  • $1,195,460 Pamunkey Indian Tribe (King William) – famous gambling enthusiasts.
  • $1,177,500 Unite America (Denver, CO) – avowedly centrist organization
  • $1,002,500 Bills, Michael D (Charlottesville) – Hedge Fund Manager – Headline: “Major Democratic donor in Virginia aims to counter Dominion donations with his own money”.  He’s at least $330,000 behind the lead horse in 2020-2021.
  • $907,500 Clean Virginia Fund (Charlottesville) – “Clean Virginia is an independent advocacy organization with an associated Political Action Committee, Clean Virginia Fund. Clean Virginia works to fight corruption in Virginia politics in order to promote clean energy and community control over our energy policy. We are motivated by the core belief that our democracy should serve average Virginians over special interests.”  So Clean Virginia Fund gives over $900,000 to Virginia politicians to fight corruption.  Can’t make it up.
  • $600,600 Zinc Collective LLC (Los Angeles, CA) – “We strive for a post-scarcity society by: Creating and capturing value with human-centered, sustainable digital products and services. Redistributing that wealth in a way that rectifies socioeconomic power imbalances.”
  • $558,567 Action Now Initiative LLC (Houston, TX) –  a center-left advocacy nonprofit created by liberal donors John and Laura Arnold.
  • $522,000 Smith, S Sonjia (Charlottesville) – “Smith—the spousal beneficiary of a hedge-fund-husband—has cash to lavish, previously having supported Soros-adoptee and former Fifth District Congressman, Tom Perriello, to the tune of $650,000 in his recent gubernatorial run.”

And they are reaping a bumper harvest.

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46 responses to “Business as Usual in the Virginia Senate – “Dominion Dick” Saslaw Delivers”

  1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
    Nancy_Naive

    Do they pass the checks out on the floor like they did in Congess?

  2. WayneS Avatar
    WayneS

    Nathan,

    This is from 12VAC5-590 (the Commonwealth’s Waterworks Regulations):

    12VAC5-590-505. Emergency management plan for extended power outages.

    A. Each community waterworks (including consecutive waterworks) shall develop and maintain an emergency management plan for extended power outages.
    B. Each plan shall be kept current and shall be kept at a location that is readily accessible in the event of an extended power outage. C. Each community waterworks shall certify in writing to the appropriate field office of the Office of Drinking Water in the Department
    of Health that the waterworks has completed such plan.

    D. Each plan shall address the following where applicable:

    1. Identification of the criteria (events, duration of power outage, etc.) that will initiate activation of the plan.

    2. How the community waterworks will respond to an extended power outage for a minimum of five days.

    3. Procedures for obtaining and distributing potable water in the event that primary source(s) becomes unavailable.

    4. Notification procedures and example notices to the public and media (local radio stations, television stations, local newspapers, etc.) including conservation and boil water advisories.
    5. Emergency disinfection procedures for distribution system(s) and storage tank(s).

    6. The telephone number of the appropriate field office of the Office of Drinking Water in the Virginia Department of Health.

    7. The names and telephone numbers of the waterworks personnel who should be notified.

    8. The name and telephone number of the Local Emergency Coordinator designated by the Virginia Department of Emergency

    Management.

    9. The names and telephone numbers of the electric power, natural gas, and propane distributors, or other energy supplier to the waterworks.

    Statutory Authority

    32.1-170 of the Code of Virginia.

    There is no specific requirement in Virginia for the provision of back-up power for community water systems. 12VAC5-590-730 states:

    “Standby power capability may be required by the division so that water may be treated or pumped, or both, to the distribution system in order to maintain a minimum level of service during an emergency.”

    So, it’s a “may” rather than a “shall”.

    At the very least, I recommend you call your water provider and ask for a copy of their Emergency Management Plan. That way you will know exactly where they stand. Based on that news release I would guess that they have such a plan (as inadequate as it may seem to their customers) and that they are following it. However, if it turns out they do not have Plan I recommend you contact the VDH Office of Drinking Water and ask them what enforcement action they are taking against the owner of the water system.

    As someone who has worked for nearly 30 years on virtually all sides of “fence” in the water and wastewater industry (regulatory agency, consulting firms, water & sewer authority and local government departments of public utilities) I have NEVER understood why The Commonwealth of Virginia does not require at least some level of back-up power at water treatment plants and water booster station – at least enough to provide a minimal level of service. As an engineer, I would never even consider designing a treatment plant or pumping facility (water or sewer) without some kind of back-up power capabilities.

    You should consider contacting your GA representatives and asking them to change the law to require standby power requirements on all public water treatment and distribution systems. The more people who make noise about the issue the more likely they are to change the law.

  3. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    I find the Zinc Collective item odd. Their website:

    https://www.zinc.coop/financial-overview/

    advertises:

    “Q2 2020, April 1st through June 30th
    Q2 2020 Profit and Loss

    We recorded a $709.78 profit in Q2 2020.

    We received $4,162.99 in gross receipts; split across Zinc Community Dues, Professional Services, and Product Income.

    Our largest costs were paying sub-contractors, paying our 2020 CA FTB taxes, and hosting and infrastructure.

    Download Zinc Collective’s 2020 Q2 Profit and Loss statement
    Q2 2020 Balance Sheet

    100% of financial assets are held in an FDIC insured cash account holding $13,316.43.

    Zinc Collective carried a $3,525 liability in the form of a retainer for client services.”

    Other quarters looked similar. Yet they dropped $600,600 on Virginia pols? Maybe I just don’t understand how this kind of bribery works.

    1. JL Avatar
      JL

      Anonymous: You are looking at the wrong group. When you use Bing search for the Zinc Collective, you should get this link: https://zinccollective.com/

      When I went there, I saw a standard super-PAC type of outfit that is postured to support Democratic candidates for office.

      1. Anonymous Avatar
        Anonymous

        JL: Ah, thank you for the correction!

        A minor point: the quote in the article for the Zinc Collective line item (starting “We strive for a post-scarcity society by: Creating and capturing value with human-centered…”) is taken from the wrong ZC website. JL’s corrected website offers: “We are focused on building programs that recruit, develop and retain high-potential talent, and that address technology gaps to drive persistent Democratic majorities.”

  4. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    As far as the commenters on this post are concerned, Democrats are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Some Democrats get a lot of campaign money from Dominion. They are damned. Some Democrats forego Dominion money and get help in financing their campaigns from Michael Bills. They are damned. So, what is a candidate for the GA supposed to do to raise money for her campaign–stand on street medians with a sign asking for donations?

    Mr. Sherlock is worried about Dominion’s supposed leverage over some Democrats. But, he is also worried about the “progressive left, both organizations and individual donors”. So, who does he think is going to rein in Dominion–Republicans?

    1. Steve Haner Avatar
      Steve Haner

      The campaign finance limits, which many of us have advocated, should apply all across the board. All big money corrupts equally. If you don’t think the wind and solar industries are also shameless rent seekers, you are totally blind.

    2. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      hmmm.. good question.. crickets so far… The Dems are the enemy – no matter what… right? 😉

      Seems like the urgency over the money was not such an issue when it was Dominion and got much more serious when Bills started playing…

      1. sherlockj Avatar
        sherlockj

        oops.

      2. WayneS Avatar
        WayneS

        You lasted about a week…

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          oops… my bad… I’ll try harder.

  5. sherlockj Avatar
    sherlockj

    Dick, I could not care less about Dominion.

    I point out the underlying corruption on both sides of the aisle – both the Democrats and Republicans in the pro-Dominion vote and their contributions from the company.

    Virginia political corruption is a bad and very old joke. As in:
    “Clean Virginia Fund gives over $900,000 to Virginia politicians to fight corruption.”
    We need campaign donation limits before anything will change.

    As an aside, I find making a non-partisan point on this site to be virtually impossible. It doesn’t survive the first comment.

    1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      Sorry, but, “The progressive left, both organizations and individual donors, has invested massively in General Assembly Democrats.” does not sound like a nonpartisan point to me.

      I reiterate my contentions from the past. Virginia politicians are not being bought. Saslaw and Norment do not vote the way they way they do because Dominion gives them campaign money. Dominion gives them campaign money because their instincts and inclinations are to support business, just like a teacher’s inclinations are to support legislation that favors teachers. In addition to getting a sympathetic candidate into office, campaign money buys access. And access gives one opportunity to make one’s points with a legislator whereas one’s opponent, who did not give money, does not get that opportunity. And a legislator, having been exposed to one perspective and not having the benefit of a countervailing argument, will tend to vote for the perspective he has heard.

      I recently discussed this with a recently retired, senior legislator. He agreed with me about special interests giving to those who had positions compatible with them and not because they were buying legislators. And he admitted that there were certain donors who could always get an appointment with him.

      Now, I have not been in the trenches as some on this blog have been. And, if they say that the votes of some legislators they have worked with were up for sale and that the donations of businesses they were associated with were made with the understanding that certain votes would be made, I will sadly admit that I am wrong.

      As for campaign finance limits, I don’t think they will really work. Special interests and donors will find a way of financially supporting candidates they feel are compatible with their interests. Just look at the mess on the federal level.

      1. sherlockj Avatar
        sherlockj

        As for the left dominating Virginia political donations, it is an observation based on VPAP data.

        The current system of unlimited donations is not OK. At least four reasons:
        – the appearance of public corruption
        – influence over voting
        – the overwhelming financial advantage given incumbents absent significant personal wealth or big special interest contributions
        – guaranteed access

        Two thirds of the total funds donated in the last gubernatorial election were in donations of $25,000 or more. That is not a feature of a working democracy.

        State campaign donation laws can and are written to limit or ban, for example,
        – non-resident to candidate,
        – individual to candidate,
        – PAC to candidate,
        – corporate to candidate,
        – union to candidate,
        – state party to candidate
        See: https://www.ncsl.org/Portals/1/Documents/Elections/Contribution-Limits-to-Candidates-2019-2020.pdf?ver=2019-10-02-132802-117

        So campaign donations can be policed if there is a will.

        1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
          Dick Hall-Sizemore

          Like most commenters on this blog, I don’t like the role that lots of money has played in politics over the years and continues to play. However, I disagree that Virginia politicians, as a group, are “corrupt” just because they accept donations from Dominion, Michael Bills, Michael Bloomberg, the Farm Bureau, the state Chamber of Commerce, Emily’s List, or any other organization or individual.

          People like to believe in silver bullets and limitations on campaign donations have reached the status of a silver bullet among some commenters. In the course of this argument, the following points need to be kept in mind:

          1. Many states have adopted limits on campaign limits. Does this mean that corruption has disappeared in those states? In thinking about the answer, consider, as just two examples: New York and Illinois. https://www.bettergov.org/news/top-legislators-blowing-past-limits-in-illinois-campaign-finance-reform-law/

          2. No matter what limits are established, access will always be granted to those that give the limit.

          3. Incumbents have an inherent advantage through name recognition, familiarity, connections, etc. A limit on contributions would provide incumbents an additional advantage. Many of those candidates who defeated incumbents in the 2017 and 2019 GA elections outraised the incumbents. Their chances would probably have been diminished if they could not have drawn upon large contributions from organizations that wished to overturn the establishment in the GA. (I sometimes think this is what has got some of the commenters on this blog so upset.)

          4. For there to be any enforcement on campaign limitations, there will need to be a state enforcement agency. Do you want to increase the size of state government to do this?

          5. One way to truly limit the influence of private money in politics is to institute public financing of elections. Why hasn’t that been a part of the discussion?

  6. djrippert Avatar
    djrippert

    Unlimited campaign contributions, especially from a monopoly that is supposed to be regulated by those receiving the contributions, are absolutely ridiculous.

    46 other states limit campaign contributions to their state politicians.

    As for D vs R – Saslaw is the worst embarrassment and he is a D. However, the only General Assembly member willing to repeatedly try to tackle this travesty is Chap Petersen, also a D.

    Dominion certainly influences Saslaw. His leadership in curtailing the SCCs powers is just the most obvious example. He is a king maker because he takes in a vast fortune in Dominion contributions and repackages those contributions so they can be given to other legislators who then claim they don’t take contributions from Dominion. They needs Saslaw’s laundering of Dominion money to get elected and they do Saslaw’s bidding.

    Dick Saslaw routinely runs unopposed by a candidate from a major party. Why does he need the following “all years” campaign contributions:

    1. Health care – $1,252,338
    2. Financial services – $1,126,494
    3. Retail, Services – $1,095,456
    4. Real estate / construction – $1,058,622
    5. Energy / natural resources – $1,053,015

    I think those are the top 5 since 1994.

    Why has the SCC been neutered?
    Why do we have a monopoly creating CON process?
    Why do we allow developers to overbuild relative to our transportation infrastructure?

    The answers to these questions are all front and center on vpap.org.

  7. Steve Haner Avatar
    Steve Haner

    Dominion top lobbyist Bill Murray was having a leisurely workout at the Tuckahoe Y this morning. Not a worry in the world. We had our usual friendly chat (through masks…)

    Some of the enviros are taking heart that the reform bills did pass the House. But it is a bicameral process, which good lobbyists never forget but bad one’s always do. The roadblock in that particular subcommittee is strong. Knowing the bills were doomed, and that this is an election year, Dominion may have signaled a “free vote” on some of those to allow some legislators to posture for the voters.

    Looking at VPAP’s top donor list, Clean VA, Michael Bills and Sonja Smith are three faces of the same organization. She’s Mrs. Bills. Bills provides most of Clean VA’s money. Just add ’em all up in one. Comes to $2.4 million.

    1. sherlockj Avatar
      sherlockj

      OK, thanks. Then they are together ahead of Dominion in the sweepstakes in 2020-2021. But you are right, that particular committee and subcommittee is full of long-time recipients of Dominion largesse.

      Bills must be a hell of a good hedgey. And smart enough to give his wife her own account. Happy wife, happy life.

      1. Nathan Avatar
        Nathan

        Mr. Sherlock,

        Another article of yours talked about emergency preparedness, so I’m thinking you may know more about this than I do.

        Shouldn’t the providers of essential services like water have a backup power system? Why doesn’t the state require that?

        https://www.amwater.com/press-room/press-releases/virginia/virginia-american-water-service-update-for-hopewell-district-customers

        1. sherlockj Avatar
          sherlockj

          The state could require it, but does not. Procuring and installing an emergency generator for use in situations like this is very expensive.

          20VAC5-300-20. Virginia electric energy emergency conservation plan.
          APPENDIX A. ESSENTIAL CUSTOMERS
          Under that Appendix, Water supply services are deemed essential customers of the power utilities
          “Although these types of customers will be given special consideration from manual load shedding provisions, they are encouraged to install emergency generation equipment if continuity of service is essential. In case of customers supplied from two utility sources, only one source will be given special consideration. Other customers who, in their opinion, have critical equipment should install emergency battery or portable generating equipment.”

          The waterworks emergency management regulation that applies is below. You will see that emergency generators are not required. If you think it should be changed contact your Senator or Delegate.

          12VAC5-590-505. Emergency Management Plan for Extended Power Outages.
          A. Each community waterworks (including consecutive waterworks) shall develop and maintain an emergency management plan for extended power outages.
          B. Each plan shall be kept current and shall be kept at a location that is readily accessible in the event of an extended power outage.
          C. Each community waterworks shall certify in writing to the appropriate field office of the Office of Drinking Water in the Department of Health that the waterworks has completed such plan.
          D. Each plan shall address the following where applicable:
          1. Identification of the criteria (events, duration of power outage, etc.) that will initiate activation of the plan.
          2. How the community waterworks will respond to an extended power outage for a minimum of five days.
          3. Procedures for obtaining and distributing potable water in the event that primary source(s) becomes unavailable.
          4. Notification procedures and example notices to the public and media (local radio stations, television stations, local newspapers, etc.) including conservation and boil water advisories.
          5. Emergency disinfection procedures for distribution system(s) and storage tank(s).
          6. The telephone number of the appropriate field office of the Office of Drinking Water in the Virginia Department of Health.
          7. The names and telephone numbers of the waterworks personnel who should be notified.
          8. The name and telephone number of the Local Emergency Coordinator designated by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
          9. The names and telephone numbers of the electric power, natural gas, and propane distributors, or other energy supplier to the waterworks.
          Statutory Authority
          § 32.1-170 of the Code of Virginia.
          Historical Notes
          Derived from Volume 23, Issue 01, eff. October 18, 2006.

          1. Nathan Avatar
            Nathan

            Thanks very much. I plan to contact my representatives.

            I do think it’s problematic to have a public water system without power and potentially contaminated such that customers are told to boil their water. How do customers who might also be without power boil their water? And during a pandemic no less.

            Seems like a problem to me.

          2. Nancy_Naive Avatar
            Nancy_Naive

            Youse guys should’ve lived in Paris in 1960 to 63. Boil it then strain it and you could use it to wash the car. After my first intestinal bout, I was good for a lifetime. Mexico? No problemo.

            There’s a reason the French drink wine, even kids.

          3. idiocracy Avatar
            idiocracy

            You might point out that even broke-ass Manassas Park has generator backup for their water tower pumps.

  8. Steve Haner Avatar
    Steve Haner

    Dominion top lobbyist Bill Murray was having a leisurely workout at the Tuckahoe Y this morning. Not a worry in the world. We had our usual friendly chat (through masks…)

    Some of the enviros are taking heart that the reform bills did pass the House. But it is a bicameral process, which good lobbyists never forget but bad one’s always do. The roadblock in that particular subcommittee is strong. Knowing the bills were doomed, and that this is an election year, Dominion may have signaled a “free vote” on some of those to allow some legislators to posture for the voters.

    Looking at VPAP’s top donor list, Clean VA, Michael Bills and Sonja Smith are three faces of the same organization. She’s Mrs. Bills. Bills provides most of Clean VA’s money. Just add ’em all up in one. Comes to $2.4 million.

    1. sherlockj Avatar
      sherlockj

      OK, thanks. Then they are together ahead of Dominion in the sweepstakes in 2020-2021. But you are right, that particular committee and subcommittee is full of long-time recipients of Dominion largesse.

      Bills must be a hell of a good hedgey. And smart enough to give his wife her own account. Happy wife, happy life.

      1. Nathan Avatar
        Nathan

        Mr. Sherlock,

        Another article of yours talked about emergency preparedness, so I’m thinking you may know more about this than I do.

        Shouldn’t the providers of essential services like water have a backup power system? Why doesn’t the state require that?

        https://www.amwater.com/press-room/press-releases/virginia/virginia-american-water-service-update-for-hopewell-district-customers

  9. sherlockj Avatar
    sherlockj

    Thx. Fixed it.

  10. Nancy_Naive Avatar
    Nancy_Naive

    Do they pass the checks out on the floor like they did in Congess?

  11. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    I find the Zinc Collective item odd. Their website:

    https://www.zinc.coop/financial-overview/

    advertises:

    “Q2 2020, April 1st through June 30th
    Q2 2020 Profit and Loss

    We recorded a $709.78 profit in Q2 2020.

    We received $4,162.99 in gross receipts; split across Zinc Community Dues, Professional Services, and Product Income.

    Our largest costs were paying sub-contractors, paying our 2020 CA FTB taxes, and hosting and infrastructure.

    Download Zinc Collective’s 2020 Q2 Profit and Loss statement
    Q2 2020 Balance Sheet

    100% of financial assets are held in an FDIC insured cash account holding $13,316.43.

    Zinc Collective carried a $3,525 liability in the form of a retainer for client services.”

    Other quarters looked similar. Yet they dropped $600,600 on Virginia pols? Maybe I just don’t understand how this kind of bribery works.

    1. JL Avatar
      JL

      Anonymous: You are looking at the wrong group. When you use Bing search for the Zinc Collective, you should get this link: https://zinccollective.com/

      When I went there, I saw a standard super-PAC type of outfit that is postured to support Democratic candidates for office.

      1. Anonymous Avatar
        Anonymous

        JL: Ah, thank you for the correction!

        A minor point: the quote in the article for the Zinc Collective line item (starting “We strive for a post-scarcity society by: Creating and capturing value with human-centered…”) is taken from the wrong ZC website. JL’s corrected website offers: “We are focused on building programs that recruit, develop and retain high-potential talent, and that address technology gaps to drive persistent Democratic majorities.”

  12. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    As far as the commenters on this post are concerned, Democrats are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Some Democrats get a lot of campaign money from Dominion. They are damned. Some Democrats forego Dominion money and get help in financing their campaigns from Michael Bills. They are damned. So, what is a candidate for the GA supposed to do to raise money for her campaign–stand on street medians with a sign asking for donations?

    Mr. Sherlock is worried about Dominion’s supposed leverage over some Democrats. But, he is also worried about the “progressive left, both organizations and individual donors”. So, who does he think is going to rein in Dominion–Republicans?

    1. Steve Haner Avatar
      Steve Haner

      The campaign finance limits, which many of us have advocated, should apply all across the board. All big money corrupts equally. If you don’t think the wind and solar industries are also shameless rent seekers, you are totally blind.

    2. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      hmmm.. good question.. crickets so far… The Dems are the enemy – no matter what… right? 😉

      Seems like the urgency over the money was not such an issue when it was Dominion and got much more serious when Bills started playing…

      1. sherlockj Avatar
        sherlockj

        oops.

      2. WayneS Avatar
        WayneS

        You lasted about a week…

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          oops… my bad… I’ll try harder.

  13. sherlockj Avatar
    sherlockj

    Dick, I could not care less about Dominion.

    I point out the underlying corruption on both sides of the aisle – both the Democrats and Republicans in the pro-Dominion vote and their contributions from the company.

    Virginia political corruption is a bad and very old joke. As in:
    “Clean Virginia Fund gives over $900,000 to Virginia politicians to fight corruption.”
    We need campaign donation limits before anything will change.

    As an aside, I find making a non-partisan point on this site to be virtually impossible. It doesn’t survive the first comment.

    1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      Sorry, but, “The progressive left, both organizations and individual donors, has invested massively in General Assembly Democrats.” does not sound like a nonpartisan point to me.

      I reiterate my contentions from the past. Virginia politicians are not being bought. Saslaw and Norment do not vote the way they way they do because Dominion gives them campaign money. Dominion gives them campaign money because their instincts and inclinations are to support business, just like a teacher’s inclinations are to support legislation that favors teachers. In addition to getting a sympathetic candidate into office, campaign money buys access. And access gives one opportunity to make one’s points with a legislator whereas one’s opponent, who did not give money, does not get that opportunity. And a legislator, having been exposed to one perspective and not having the benefit of a countervailing argument, will tend to vote for the perspective he has heard.

      I recently discussed this with a recently retired, senior legislator. He agreed with me about special interests giving to those who had positions compatible with them and not because they were buying legislators. And he admitted that there were certain donors who could always get an appointment with him.

      Now, I have not been in the trenches as some on this blog have been. And, if they say that the votes of some legislators they have worked with were up for sale and that the donations of businesses they were associated with were made with the understanding that certain votes would be made, I will sadly admit that I am wrong.

      As for campaign finance limits, I don’t think they will really work. Special interests and donors will find a way of financially supporting candidates they feel are compatible with their interests. Just look at the mess on the federal level.

      1. sherlockj Avatar
        sherlockj

        As for the left dominating Virginia political donations, it is an observation based on VPAP data.

        The current system of unlimited donations is not OK. At least four reasons:
        – the appearance of public corruption
        – influence over voting
        – the overwhelming financial advantage given incumbents absent significant personal wealth or big special interest contributions
        – guaranteed access

        Two thirds of the total funds donated in the last gubernatorial election were in donations of $25,000 or more. That is not a feature of a working democracy.

        State campaign donation laws can and are written to limit or ban, for example,
        – non-resident to candidate,
        – individual to candidate,
        – PAC to candidate,
        – corporate to candidate,
        – union to candidate,
        – state party to candidate
        See: https://www.ncsl.org/Portals/1/Documents/Elections/Contribution-Limits-to-Candidates-2019-2020.pdf?ver=2019-10-02-132802-117

        So campaign donations can be policed if there is a will.

        1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
          Dick Hall-Sizemore

          Like most commenters on this blog, I don’t like the role that lots of money has played in politics over the years and continues to play. However, I disagree that Virginia politicians, as a group, are “corrupt” just because they accept donations from Dominion, Michael Bills, Michael Bloomberg, the Farm Bureau, the state Chamber of Commerce, Emily’s List, or any other organization or individual.

          People like to believe in silver bullets and limitations on campaign donations have reached the status of a silver bullet among some commenters. In the course of this argument, the following points need to be kept in mind:

          1. Many states have adopted limits on campaign limits. Does this mean that corruption has disappeared in those states? In thinking about the answer, consider, as just two examples: New York and Illinois. https://www.bettergov.org/news/top-legislators-blowing-past-limits-in-illinois-campaign-finance-reform-law/

          2. No matter what limits are established, access will always be granted to those that give the limit.

          3. Incumbents have an inherent advantage through name recognition, familiarity, connections, etc. A limit on contributions would provide incumbents an additional advantage. Many of those candidates who defeated incumbents in the 2017 and 2019 GA elections outraised the incumbents. Their chances would probably have been diminished if they could not have drawn upon large contributions from organizations that wished to overturn the establishment in the GA. (I sometimes think this is what has got some of the commenters on this blog so upset.)

          4. For there to be any enforcement on campaign limitations, there will need to be a state enforcement agency. Do you want to increase the size of state government to do this?

          5. One way to truly limit the influence of private money in politics is to institute public financing of elections. Why hasn’t that been a part of the discussion?

  14. djrippert Avatar
    djrippert

    Unlimited campaign contributions, especially from a monopoly that is supposed to be regulated by those receiving the contributions, are absolutely ridiculous.

    46 other states limit campaign contributions to their state politicians.

    As for D vs R – Saslaw is the worst embarrassment and he is a D. However, the only General Assembly member willing to repeatedly try to tackle this travesty is Chap Petersen, also a D.

    Dominion certainly influences Saslaw. His leadership in curtailing the SCCs powers is just the most obvious example. He is a king maker because he takes in a vast fortune in Dominion contributions and repackages those contributions so they can be given to other legislators who then claim they don’t take contributions from Dominion. They needs Saslaw’s laundering of Dominion money to get elected and they do Saslaw’s bidding.

    Dick Saslaw routinely runs unopposed by a candidate from a major party. Why does he need the following “all years” campaign contributions:

    1. Health care – $1,252,338
    2. Financial services – $1,126,494
    3. Retail, Services – $1,095,456
    4. Real estate / construction – $1,058,622
    5. Energy / natural resources – $1,053,015

    I think those are the top 5 since 1994.

    Why has the SCC been neutered?
    Why do we have a monopoly creating CON process?
    Why do we allow developers to overbuild relative to our transportation infrastructure?

    The answers to these questions are all front and center on vpap.org.

  15. Peter Galuszka Avatar
    Peter Galuszka

    Capt. Jim. A couple of nits. There is no “Dominion Power.” Tom Farrell is no longer CEO of Dominion Energy.

    1. sherlockj Avatar
      sherlockj

      Good nits. Thanks. Fixed them.

  16. Peter Galuszka Avatar
    Peter Galuszka

    Capt. Jim. A couple of nits. There is no “Dominion Power.” Tom Farrell is no longer CEO of Dominion Energy.

    1. sherlockj Avatar
      sherlockj

      Good nits. Thanks. Fixed them.

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