Logan Sekulow, ACLJ: Pray for God's Hand To Guide Us

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea. . . . "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" (Psalm 46:1–2, 10)

Governor Glenn Youngkin Issues Statement on Noncitizen Voting Lawsuit Filed by the Biden-Harris Department of Justice

RICHMOND, VA— Governor Glenn Youngkin, after being notified this afternoon that the Biden-Harris Department of Justice was filing a lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Virginia, released the following statement: 

"With less than 30 days until the election, the Biden-Harris Department of Justice is filing an unprecedented lawsuit against me and the Commonwealth of Virginia, for appropriately enforcing a 2006 law signed by Democrat Tim Kaine that requires Virginia to remove noncitizens from the voter rolls - a process that starts with someone declaring themselves a non-citizen and then registering to vote. Virginians - and Americans - will see this for exactly what it is: a desperate attempt to attack the legitimacy of the elections in the Commonwealth, the very crucible of American Democracy. With the support of our Attorney General, we will defend these commonsense steps, that we are legally required to take, with every resource available to us. Virginia's election will be secure and fair, and I will not stand idly by as this politically motivated action tries to interfere in our elections, period."

Jeremy Beck - NumbersUSA.com: Exposed: Mass immigration bypasses Americans to exploit foreigners

The next time someone says "immigrants do the jobs 'Americans won't do," please remember this story from The Wall Street Journal's Patrick Thomas about the living conditions of Haitian immigrants working for the global food company JBS in Greeley, Colorado:

"They slept on the floor, as many as eight to a room, and cooked meals on hot plates on the carpet....

"....The supervisor, himself an immigrant from the African nation of Benin, set up others to stay in a five-bedroom, two-bathroom unit he had leased in a house in town. There, too, they slept on floors. At one point, 30 or more people were living there, workers said. When the power went out in the winter, they cooked in their coats. They were charged $60 a week in rent."

They cooked their coats for heat.

Why should any American want that job?

Why should any American want that job for an immigrant?

Why should any job in America reduce a laborer to such conditions?

The Jefferson Journal: The Spanberger-Graves Social Security Fairness Act is Unfair

By Andrew Biggs

10/11/2024 -- Over 300 Members of Congress from both parties, including Virginia Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Rep. Abigail Spanberger, are pushing for legislation that would grant a nearly $200 billion Social Security benefits windfall to a group that neither paid for these benefits nor truly needs them. That legislation, called the Social Security Fairness Act, is actually anything but. As costly as this bill is, the topic is so complex that many people have little idea what is happening. Here I'll explain the issues. Social Security's benefit formula works more or less as follows. When a person goes to claim benefits, Social Security's computers look back at the earnings the person received under jobs that were covered by Social Security. The computer adds these earnings up, and divides by 35 to produce an annual average, which is then converted to a monthly average. Those Average Indexed Monthly Earnings are then run through a progressive formula in which Social Security benefits are paid equal to 90 percent of the first xx on monthly earnings, 32 percent of earnings between x and y, and 15 percent of earnings between y and the maximum amount of that's subject to payroll taxes. Because of the progressivity of the benefit formula, Americans with low average earnings receive a higher "replacement rate" than those with higher average earnings. For instance, imagine a middle-income employee who earned the national average wage each year throughout their career. At retirement, they would receive a Social Security benefit equal to about 43% of their pre-retirement earnings. Now imagine a much lower-income worker who earned just 25% of the national average wage throughout their career. They would receive a Social Security benefit equal to about 80% of their pre-retirement earnings. In other words, the lowest earners receive about twice as much benefits per dollar contributed as does a middle-income worker. There's nothing wrong with that. It's how Social Security was designed. But that system doesn't work when handling state and local government employees who do not participate in Social Security. The reason is that these people have earnings from jobs that weren't covered by Social Security. Social Security's benefit formula doesn't "see" these earnings, and so Social Security treats these public employees as if they were much poorer than they really are. For instance, imagine a middle-income person who earned the national average wage every year of their career. But they only spent one quarter of that career in a Social Security covered job, and the other three-quarters in a public sector job where they didn't pay into Social Security. At retirement, Social Security's benefit formula would only see the years that person worked in a Social Security covered job. Those years of covered earnings would be added up and divided by 35. Their Average Indexed Monthly Earnings would be equal about 25% of the national average wage. And so, as far as Social Security's benefit formula is concerned, this person would be indistinguishable from an employee who worked their entire career at very low earnings, when in fact they earned four times that amount. That public employee would receive a much better return on their Social Security contributions than a person with the same earning who worked their entire career under Social Security. The public employee would receive roughly twice as much benefits per dollar of taxes paid than would the non-public employee. This isn't fair. There's no reason that one middle-income employee should receive twice the return on their Social Security taxes as another middle-income employee. It's also not necessary: state and local government employees almost universally participate in traditional pension programs that are much, much more generous than the 401(k)s that private sector workers have. Moreover, the pensions offered to public employees who don't participate in Social Security are typically even more generous than pensions for public employees who are covered by Social Security. Sure, everyone likes to get more money in retirement. But giving that extra money to people who neither truly paid for it nor truly need it isn't in the spirit of Social Security. That's why Congress passed laws called the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). The WEP reduces Social Security retirement benefits for an individual who is entitled to both Social Security benefits and a pension from a non-covered job. The GPO reduces survivors benefits to people who also receive a public sector pension. The reason is that, ordinarily, a survivor can receive the greater of their own Social Security benefit or their spouse's benefit, but not both. Without the GPO, a survivor could receive both their own full public pension benefit and a full Social Security survivor's benefit. Without the WEP and GPO provisions, individuals with public sector pensions that don't pay into Social Security would receive additional Social Security benefits that are intended to be paid only to the poor. The WEP and GPO formulas are complex, which is one reason that many public employees resent them. And there would be more efficient and equitable ways to impose the WEP and GPO today, using data that wasn't available when the laws were passed in 1983. Various laws have been proposed to reform the WEP and GPO to better ensure that these provisions are not merely correct on average, but treat each individual fairly. These reform laws generally have low costs. But the Social Security Fairness Act would cost almost $200 billion over its first 10 years, during a period when Social Security itself is moving toward insolvency. Moreover, the Act's title not withstanding, it wouldn't be fair: there is no reason that middle-income public sector employees should be entitled to the extra boost that Social Security's progressive benefit formula ordinarily grants only to low-wage workers. The Urban Institute estimated that repealing the WEP and GPO rules would increase benefits for about 4.5% of seniors, by an average annual amount of over $9,200 in today's dollars. Moreover, the richest retirees – those with lifetime earnings in the top fifth – would receive benefit increases that are 2.5 times larger than for the poorest seniors.  It is not that public employees are attempting to cheat Social Security. But the Social Security Fairness Act would allow state and local government workers who don't participate in Social Security in their public sector jobs to exploit a loophole in the program's benefit formula, that Congress 40 years ago made the decision to close. On Social Security, we need better leadership than this.

Competitive Enterprise Institute: Regulations hindering hurricane recovery

Deregulation could help with post hurricane recovery - The Milton and Helene cleanups could take years. CEI's Ryan Young says the best thing that policymakers can do right now is lift never-needed rules that prevent people from helping each other. 
Read more here.

Congressman Good Update: Ongoing Hurricane Response

Ongoing Hurricane Response 

All eyes have been on the catastrophic hurricanes hitting our neighbors here in Virginia and to our South. Millions of Americans are currently without power, thousands of homes have been destroyed, and there have been more than 200 fatalities. 
 
The good news is the American spirit is still alive and well. Churches, businesses and civic organizations across the 5th District continue to organize volunteers and supply deliveries to those in need. I am encouraged by this outpouring of support, and I ask you to join me in contributing to this effort and praying for everyone who has been impacted by this natural disaster. 
 
The bad news is that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), whose responsibility it is to come to the aid of the affected areas, has not met the urgency of the moment. The Biden-Harris Administration's priorities have been exposed. FEMA has been celebrating spending $640.9 million dollars for handouts to illegal aliens, including housing, food, and cellphones for individuals who did not pay taxes nor have any legal right to be here. Yet, story after story on the ground in the impacted hurricane zones are reporting that FEMA is actually hindering recovery efforts. 
 
When Congress returns to Washington, we are likely to consider an emergency funding bill for FEMA. I am calling on my colleagues to join me in demanding answers for the hurricane response, identifying other unnecessary spending we can cut to pay for it, and ensuring that none of the money sent to FEMA as part of any new spending bill is used to facilitate illegal alien resettlement. 

Abuse of America's Children This week, the watchdog group Do No Harm released an online database outlining the number of surgeries, hormone treatments and puberty blockers given to U.S. children, including children across Virginia. According to the database, nearly 14,000 children have received such treatments since 2019, including more than 5,500 children who have been permanently mutilated via surgery. You can view the database for yourself here: stoptheharmdatabase.com     We must put a stop to the horrific and irreversible harm being done to our children.

Farmers for Derrick Anderson luncheon - October 12th

 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/farmers-for-anderson-lunch-tickets-1030249904197?aff=oddtdtcreator

 

America's Frontline Doctors: Ending Big Pharma's Immunity

Big Pharma has been running the show for far too long, with no accountability. 

 

It's time to end their immunity and reclaim our healthcare. 

 

In 1986, vaccine manufacturers threatened to stop producing vaccines because of lawsuits over injuries that were bankrupting them. Instead of demanding safer vaccines, the government caved. 

 

They passed the National Childhood Vaccine Act, granting Big Pharma immunity from liability for vaccine-related injuries and deaths. 

 

This immunity has had devastating consequences.

 

Before the 1986 Act, children received 24 vaccine doses. Today, it's 72 doses before age 18. The result? There is a skyrocketing rate of childhood cancers, diabetes, autism, and allergies. 

 

The science shows it: We're sicker than ever before, and it's time to face the truth.

 

Pharmaceutical companies have grown richer while our children's health has been put at greater risk. And when these vaccines cause injury, it's not Big Pharma paying the price—it's the taxpayers. 

 

Over $4.6 billion has been paid out by the government's "vaccine court" for injuries, with thousands more claims dismissed or ignored. The system is rigged against the people it's supposed to protect, and many families never see a dime for their suffering.

 

That's why Congressman Paul Gosar has introduced the End the Vaccine Carveout Act. 

 

This bill will finally strip away the legal immunity that vaccine manufacturers have enjoyed for decades, holding them accountable for deaths and injuries to hundreds of thousands of people. 

 

The 1986 Act must be repealed, and vaccine manufacturers should face the same scrutiny and liability as any other industry. 

 

But Big Pharma is powerful. 

 

They pay off politicians, single-handedly fund media outlets, and bury the truth. 

 

I have personally been on the receiving end of corrupt politicians, lawless courtrooms, Fake News Media stories, and a Big Tech machine that canceled me, censored AFLDS content, and even shut down our website. 

 

They lied for THREE YEARS about our work, our recommendations!

 

The result is this: My team at AFLDS and I will NEVER bend or bow to corruption or be swayed by corporate interests.

 

We stand for truth, and we will never stop fighting to protect public health from corporate greed and push for fundamental safety standards for vaccines.

The Family Foundation: The Porn Industry Picks Its Favorite Candidate!

The porn industry has launched a $100,000 ad blitz targeting young men in seven critical swing states, aiming to specifically help Kamala Harris get elected who they believe will ensure their industry continues to thrive. They're mobilizing voters to oppose pro-family policies, trapping young men in a cycle of addiction and exploitation to secure the Left's political future.

This shift is not surprising, as recent research indicates that young men are increasingly leaning toward conservative views. The number of young men identifying as conservative now surpasses those identifying as liberal, and this gap is widening. Additionally, for the first time in modern American history, young men are becoming more religious than their female counterparts. The secular left will not stand for these trends and is now resorting to one of its most powerful weapons—pornography—to reassert control over young men.

 

But there's hope: 19 states, including Virginia, have passed age verification laws (HB 1515). Thanks to bold leadership, Pornhub has been kicked out of most of these states by requiring age verification to access explicit website content. This victory protects our families and children, but now the left is working to undermine this progress. They're determined to bring the porn industry's influence back, and they've gone all in on this election to ensure it happens.

 

The porn industry is determined to:

• Trap young men in addiction: Their ads target the most vulnerable demographic, ensuring an endless stream of voters hooked on pornography and its destructive influence.
• Prop up the left's morally bankrupt agenda: The secular left has embraced an industry that exploits young men for profit, and they're using this election to solidify their power.
• Undermine American families: With every dollar spent, the porn industry seeks to tear apart the foundation of our society—destroying families and weakening our communities.

What can you do?

• Stand against this attack. The porn industry and the left want to normalize their destructive influence—don't let them win.
• Share this alert. Spread the word to friends, family, and your community. Together, we can expose this insidious agenda.
• Get involved in this election. Your vote is critical in pushing back against Kamala Harris and the forces that want to degrade our nation's moral fabric.

Together, we can ensure that our families, communities, and values are protected from the greed and corruption of this morally bankrupt industry.

GreenMedInfo: DoD Policy Raises Constitutional Alarms 🌀

The recent reissuance of Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 5240.01 approved at the highest levels of the Pentagon and signed into effect by the Secretary of Defense, represents a significant challenge to the core Constitutional protections that we hold dear. Here's how it threatens these freedoms:

• Violation of the Posse Comitatus Act: This Act limits the powers of the federal government in using military personnel for domestic law enforcement. The new DoD directive, by permitting the use of lethal force through military assistance in civilian law enforcement, effectively overrides these limitations. 
• Erosion of the First Amendment: Natural health advocates, and others exercising their First Amendment rights, such as questioning the government's response to COVID-19 or the integrity of elections, are now being labeled as potential domestic extremists. This directive expands those classifications into lethal force interventions, potentially silencing voices under the guise of national security.
• Fourth Amendment Infringement: This directive also allows intelligence sharing between military and law enforcement under emergency conditions, raising concerns about the right to privacy and unlawful surveillance.
• Due Process Violations (Fifth Amendment): The possibility of military use of lethal force in domestic scenarios introduces concerns about bypassing due process protections before potentially life-ending decisions are made.

Gary Bauer: End Of Day - 10-10-24 - Exploiting Emergencies, Un-American

Exploiting Emergencies

The left has a saying, "Never let a crisis go to waste," meaning they will exploit anything to advance their agenda. It's hard to imagine, but we saw it again yesterday when President Biden gave a briefing about Hurricane Milton as it was about to hit Florida.

Breaking every norm, he used it to launch partisan political attack on Donald Trump. They have politicized every aspect of our government – our intelligence agencies, our Justice Department, the Pentagon, and now FEMA. Biden not only lied about Trump; he lied about what Trump said.

But Biden really crossed the line when he called Trump "un-American." We can't blame this on his dementia. This is one of the left's main smear tactics, and they've been doing it for years. That's what the whole Russia collusion hoax was all about.

The purpose here is clear. They want you to be confused about the difference between America the country and the government of the United States.

In countries like communist China, Cuba, and North Korea, if you are critical of the government, you are labeled an enemy of the nation.

In America, we have a right to be critical of the government, while still loving our nation.

"Get that book out of my child's school!"

"Why do I have to stand in line at the DMV for hours? An illegal immigrant can get into the country faster than this."

"Congress is spending too much money!"

The Biden administration gives us plenty of reasons to criticize it every day. And as Americans, we have a First Amendment right to criticize them.

Biden calling Trump "un-American" is ridiculous.

Would someone who is "un-American" fly the biggest American flag possible?

Would someone who is "un-American" open up one of his luxury resorts to house nearly 300 linemen who will be working hard to restore power?

Would someone who is "un-American" help raise more than $7.5 million for hurricane victims?

Would he champion the theme "America First"?

No, he wouldn't do any of those things.

Un-American

If Joe Biden wants to talk about what is "un-American," I'm happy to set him straight.

Un-American is using your big city political cronies to file ridiculous charges in order to put your political opponents in jail.

Un-American is kicking your political opponents off the ballot.

Un-American is censoring free speech and restricting religious liberty.

Un-American is telling parents to shut up when the government forces our daughters to share restrooms with boys or exposes our children to graphic LGBTQ propaganda.

Un-American is opening our borders so millions of people can come illegally into our country, bringing crime to our communities and overwhelming public services.

Un-American is putting illegal aliens ahead of our own citizens.

That's not misinformation. That's exactly what is happening.

SUVGOP: NoVA GOP News

GOP candidate Hung Cao "dominated" the Virginia US Senate debate against Tim Kaine at Norfolk State University last Wednesday night, putting forth a clear vision to Save America. Here's what they're saying about Hung's debate performance: Townhall: Hung Cao Annihilates Tim Kaine in Senate Debate - "According to a poll published shortly after the debate, Cao was the winner, with 75 percent support to Kaine's 25 percent support, according to WRIC." Daily Wire: Senate Candidate Hung Cao Shines In Debate, Rips Illegal Immigration, 'Drag Queen' Navy Recruitment - "Cao had numerous standout moments during the lively debate, including his personal comments about illegal immigration and the direction of the U.S. Military."

Brownstone Institute: Where Free Speech Lives

N. Ireland's Totalitarian Public Health Bill By Hugh McCarthy. The N. Ireland Department of Health is seeking control of all of us by introducing totalitarian legislation governing your premises, your property, and your documents plus forced vaccinations and forced medical examinations.

China Enters the Economic Doom-Loop By Peter St Onge. China's ruling Politburo held an emergency economic meeting and decided to crank up the money printers to 11, pumping money to consumers, to banks, to property developers, basically to anybody who might spend it.

Don't Let the 'Infaux Thugs' Close Down Debate By Daniel Klein. Today's censors wield cudgels with the word 'information.' Content they don't like they call 'misinformation' or 'disinformation.' The justification is fake. Pretending to protect people from bad information by means of censorship may be called infaux thuggery.

Policy Imperatives for Health Freedom By Leslie Manookian. In order to create a society based on true health freedom, the following policy shifts should be implemented, as a first step. These proposals would address some of the most glaring, pernicious anti-liberty and anti-health aspects of our system.

The FOIA Lady Pleads the Fifth By Maryanne Demasi. A public records officer at the NIH is at the centre of a scandal involving FOIA requests. Subpoenaed emails belonging to a former advisor to Fauci revealed that someone had taught him to avoid emails being captured by FOIA requests.

John Kerry and the Circuitous Assault on Free Speech By Brownstone Institute. Mere words cannot restrain our aspiring censors from weaponizing their power to silence dissent. Enemies of the First Amendment vow to "hammer it out of existence," as John Kerry explained this week, and they are prepared to circumvent legal protections.

Western Civilization Declaration By Philipp Bagus and Michael Esfeld. With the following Western Civilization Declaration, our intention is to make a strong case in the public for the foundations of our civilization still being an appropriate guide for the future of humanity.

The "Financial Coup" That Seized America By Peter St Onge. In the wake of the 2008 Financial Crisis, former chief economist of the IMF Simon Johnson warned that the same dysfunctional policies he saw in his basketcase banana republics had taken hold in the United States.

Study Confirms the Truth about Masks and Children By Ian Miller. A new study co-authored by Tracy Beth Høeg delves into the side effects of masking, a subject ignored by experts and politicians desperate to exert control over individual behavior. It's obvious why their research will be ignored by the media.

Migration, Assimilation, and the Limits of Compassion By David Barnhizer. Neither Europe nor the United States can admit all who want to come or support those who manage to infiltrate the nations unlawfully. European and North American nations cannot absorb the large-scale and growing immigration numbers.

The Carbon Alarmists Are Silent about This By Eric Hussey. If carbon dioxide production by evil humans is the culprit, we should be hearing about new data showing 1) reduced CO2 during lockdown and 2) a flattening or direction change of "climate change" temperature curves.

Political Renewal, Intellectual Revival By Bert Olivier. Indications of a renewed political sense abound. What seems to have been a dormant political awareness is being revived. Not only the intellectual activities under the auspices of Brownstone Institute testify to this; the growth of 'patriotic' activities is significant.

Psychological Bioterrorism By Robert Malone. Psychological Bioterrorism is the use of fear about a disease by governments and other organizations, such as Big Pharma, to manipulate individuals, populations, and governments. Although fear of infectious disease is an obvious example, it is not the only one.

New Hate Speech Laws Scrapped in Ireland By David Thunder. The Irish Government announced that it is scrapping its plans to introduce significant updates to Ireland's existing hate speech laws, as there is not enough support for the proposed legislation. It gained notoriety when it came under fire from Elon Musk.

Congressman Good Update: Remembering the Atrocities of October 7th, 2023

Remembering the Atrocities of October 7th, 2023 Monday will mark one year since the terrorist group Hamas brutally attacked our important friend and ally, Israel. The violent October 7 attack against the innocent people of Israel was unprovoked, and its effects have been felt far beyond the Middle East. In total, 43 of our citizens were among the 1200 brutally killed, and 7 Americans are among the 97 hostages still being held. We have also experienced destructive anti-Semitism and pro-Hamas protests across the United States.    Israel is the sole democracy in the region, and they need our unequivocal support now more than ever, especially with Iran's recent missile attack. We must continue to stand with Israel's right to do whatever is necessary to defend themselves and eliminate the threats to their existence.

Dockworkers Union Strike  It is no secret that Democrats are deeply entrenched with Big Labor bosses around the country. In the recent short-lived port workers strike along the East Coast, union leaders were holding our economy hostage by demanding no automation, massively enhanced pension benefits, and an astonishing 77% pay raise.     Instead of working around the clock to avoid the threatened strike leading up to the October 1 "deadline," or managing the federal response to Hurricane Helene, President Biden was at the beach in Delaware and Vice President Harris was fundraising in California. This lack of leadership from the administration could have had devastating impacts on our economy during the upcoming Holiday season. In fact, it was only after Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the Florida National Guard would take over operations of the ports in the state that the union quickly agreed to go back to work while the labor issues were resolved.

Response to Hurricane Helene Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across the Southeast, including on our neighbors to our west here in Virginia. We have seen the images of countless properties that have been damaged beyond repair, while the death toll has tragically risen to 200 and will undoubtedly grow. The American citizens impacted by this storm urgently need relief funds for rescue, food, and shelter. I am grateful for all those who are giving generously of their time and resources to their neighbors in need.     Sadly, FEMA's priorities are being further revealed as the taxpayer-funded federal agency charged with responding to natural disasters. The White House announced it was making available a $750 one-time payment to those impacted by Hurricane Helene for food and supplies, while FEMA is running out of funds after spending $650 million last year to resettle illegal aliens across the United States.

Securing Our Elections  One of the privileges of being an American is our right to vote. If you are not a citizen, you do not have that right.     Sadly, untold thousands of non-citizens are registered to vote all across our country. House Republicans have been trying to put a real enforcement mechanism in place to prohibit noncitizens voting in federal elections. The SAVE Act passed the House and would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and force states to purge voter rolls of noncitizens. Sadly, the Biden-Harris Administration threatened a veto of the SAVE Act, and Democrat Majority Leader Chuck Schumer blocked its consideration in the Senate.  This week, my colleagues and I sent a letter to Attorney General Garland demanding the DOJ stop enabling this problem.

Holding the IRS Accountable  I led a letter with some of my colleagues to the IRS this week, addressing delays in processing the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) claims. The ERC was passed by Congress with the intent of supporting employers who maintained payroll during COVID-19 lockdowns.     On September 14, 2023, the IRS imposed a moratorium on new claims to supposedly address concerns over fraud in the program. Despite IRS promises to restart claims processing, many small business owners have faced long waits—over a year in some cases—without receiving so much as a status update on their claims, let alone payment. Although the IRS announced on August 8, 2024, that it would start paying out claims deemed "low-risk," there is little evidence of these payments being made, and over 1 million claims remain unprocessed, with some businesses being owed hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Kimberly Pinter & Callahan Burton, Thomas Jefferson Institute: The Jefferson Journal: It's Car Tax Day, Let's Move Forward on Governor Gilmore's "No Car Tax" Pledge

By Kimberly Pinter and Callahan Burton

10/7/2024 -- Governor Gilmore was right. His "No Car Tax" slogan resonated with all Virginia vehicle owners and catapulted him to the Virginia Governor's mansion in 1997 with 56% of the vote.   The tax is universally hated and perceived as unfair. You pay good money for a car (plus sales tax!), more to insure it and fill up the tank, and even more to maintain it (and perform mostly unnecessary annual inspections). And then you're hit with an annual tax for the pleasure of owning the vehicle. Worse, Virginians pay the highest car tax rate in the country, with an average effective rate of 4.05% and average annual bill of $1,011. No wonder young people are moving out of the Commonwealth.   Car Tax Day for Commonwealth residents has similar significance as April 15 does to all Americans nationwide. It is a day that every Virginia car owner dreads. It is the day when the locality where you live demands its pound of flesh simply because you own a car.   Why, in 2024, are we still paying this tax? What happened to Governor Gilmore's promise?   Governor Gilmore did his best to deliver on his "No Car Tax" promise. In 1998, The Personal Property Tax Relief Act (PPTR) was enacted. The goal was to phase out the car tax by 2002. However, the new law didn't really end the car tax, it just shifted the burden. It was also capped at the first $20,000 of the vehicle's assessed value. Because the localities that collect the tax were so heavily dependent on its revenue, the Virginia government tried to replace the revenue rather than trying to wean the local governments off the windfall it provided.   Starting in 1998 at 12.5% of taxpayers' car tax liability and steadily increasing to 70%, the strain on the Commonwealth's budget ballooned well beyond the projected cost. In 2002, the General Assembly froze the reimbursement at 70% rather than fully covering the tax, as was originally envisioned. The cap was not sufficient to address the continued rapid rise in the cost of the program, so the General Assembly further undermined relief to the taxpayer by capping the entire pool of relief paid to the localities to $950 million per year starting in 2006. And that is where it remains to this day.   As a result, as populations grow and the number of cars increases, relief rates have steadily decreased. In addition, inflation acts to further dilute any relief, as the $20,000 per vehicle cap and the $950 million cap on the available pool are not indexed for inflation and become worth less and less with every passing year.   Logically, population growth along with a higher number of cars that are increasingly more expensive would allow localities to rely more on volume for needed revenue than on high car tax rates. But the political pressure for increased spending for education, infrastructure, and other public services has limited the desire to forgo that additional revenue.  In fact, many jurisdictions have actually increased their car tax rates over the last 20 years.   As universal as the hatred of the car tax is, its application is equally diverse depending on where you live. In each locality, there are several moving parts that operate in conjunction to determine the ultimate tax liability.    The first is the tax rate, expressed as $x.xx per $100. This can range anywhere from $0.55 to $9 per $100.    The second is the valuation method. Typically, localities rely on JD Power and use one of three valuations: 1) retail value, 2) trade-in value, or 3) loan value. Each of these valuations are further categorized by vehicle conditions – clean, average, and rough.   Third is the relief rate. Relief rates vary widely, generally ranging between 14-58%, although relief may be up to 100% depending on the assessed value of your vehicle.   Fourth is the assessment ratio. This is the percentage of the assessed value on which the tax is levied. This seems to range anywhere from 30-100%, with many jurisdictions levying on the full 100%.   The final factor is the method of disbursement. Most localities simply apply the first four factors and distribute accordingly. However, the City of Alexandria is an outlier in that it employs a declining percentage method. The more expensive the vehicle, the less tax relief you will receive. Vehicles valued at $5,000 or less incur no car tax liability (100% relief). Vehicles worth $5,001-20,000 qualify for 52% relief. Once you hit $20,000, the difference really becomes apparent. Vehicles worth $20,001-25,000 get 26% relief, but only on the first $20,000. Once your vehicle surpasses the $25,000 mark, it qualifies for only 12% relief and only on the first $20,000.   The resulting interaction of all these factors produces a stunning lack of transparency in that the lowest or highest tax rate doesn't necessarily translate to the lowest or highest car tax liability in the final analysis. In fact, low-income communities in Virginia are disproportionately affected by the car tax. Vehicle owners in the City of Buena Vista, which has a median household income of $36,634, pay a 31% higher effective tax rate than Loudoun County, the richest county in the country by median household income. This is insane.   The real question is, is it worth it? While the car tax clearly brings in a significant amount of revenue, it is not without cost on the other side of the ledger. The most obvious, as indicated above, is the cost to the Commonwealth's finances to reimburse the localities for the relief provided. This mechanism ensures that there are administrative costs at the state level as well as all the administrative costs to collect the tax incurred at the local level. It doesn't appear that anyone has published an analysis of what those numbers are, but they certainly should be a significant consideration in any discussion of the car tax's effectiveness.   There are also clear behavioral incentives at either end of the income scale. On the lower end of the spectrum, blue collar workers who can't afford to live in urban centers with mass transit must rely on their cars to make a living. In cases where they don't have access to a car, the tax adds an additional hurdle to obtaining one and possibly being able to travel to a better, higher paying job, which would yield more income to the Commonwealth in terms of income taxes, etc. At the higher end of the spectrum, those who love and are inclined to purchase very high-end, expensive vehicles are going to do all they can to avoid registering and garaging these cars in Virginia. Go to any high-end car show and admire all the Montana plates. Wouldn't it be preferable to have them purchase (sales tax) and register those cars here rather than in another state?   Finally, the car tax provides a clear incentive for taxpayers to hold onto older, less efficient vehicles rather than buying newer, more fuel efficient or electric cars. This is in direct conflict with environmental concerns about reducing carbon emissions.   The car tax is not political; it is hated by more than 80% of Virginia voters. It is high time that Governor Gilmore's original vision became a reality.

Common Sense: Democrats and Noncitizen Voting — Paul Jacob answers a question about partisan positions.

Do Democrats support noncitizen voting? 

It depends. 

Which Democrats do you mean?

A clear majority of voters who identify as supporters of the Democratic Party oppose giving the vote to noncitizens. Specifically, they support the Citizen Only Voting Amendments (COVA) on the ballot this election in eight states — Idaho. Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wisconsin.* 

For instance, polling shows Democratic voters in North Carolina favor the only citizen voting measure by an eight to one margin. Among Republicans the margin is a whopping 22 to one. Most Democratic legislators joined every Republican in voting to place the amendment on the ballot, but less enthusiastically: 42 yes votes, 16 no votes and ten abstentions.

In Georgia, 70 percent of Democrats supported passing a Citizen Only Voting Amendment. Republican support was 93 percent with 76 percent of independents in favor. But while every Republican in the Peach State's House of Representatives voted in the affirmative on HR780, not one single Democrat did so. 

Though not as lopsided as Republicans or independents, 83 percent of whom favor citizen only voting, 59 percent of Kentucky Democrats are supportive, a four to one margin. Yet, while every Republican legislator voted yes, less than one in five Democratic legislators were supportive. 

In Wisconsin, 76 percent of voters like the Citizen Only Voting Amendment, including 57 percent of Democrats residing outside the legislature. Inside the legislature, every single Democrat opposed the amendment. 

In this two-year legislative cycle, votes were cast in 21 chambers in eleven states. The partisan difference between elected Republicans and Democrats was stark. Not a single Republican voted against the COVA, compiling over a thousand yes votes. Conversely, more Democratic legislators voted against COVA than for it.

Do Democrats support noncitizen voting? Most elected Democrats, yes. 

This is Common Sense. I'm Paul Jacob.

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Note: Additionally, all 19 of the cities where noncitizens are now legally voting, including noncitizens in the country illegally, are very progressive. All are sanctuary cities and governed (nearly) exclusively by Democrats.

* Voters have previously passed COVAs in six other states going back to 2018: Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, North Dakota, and Ohio.