Pulaski County Democratic Committee Website Blog

For more information on the Virginia State Democratic Convention, visit:

http://www.vademocrats.org/page/s/stateconvention
For more information on the National Democratic Convention, visit:

http://www.demconvention.com/

Democratic Call to Caucus

Pulaski County, Virginia Democratic Committee

Whereas, it is the duty of the Pulaski County Democratic Committee to issue the Call to Caucus for the purpose of electing delegates and alternates to the 9th Congressional District Democratic Convention and the Virginia Democratic State Convention.

Now therefore be it resolved that the Pulaski County Democratic Committee hereby issues the Call to Caucus to convene an assembled caucus at 7:30 on Monday April 21, 2008 at the General District Courtroom at 45 Third Street, Pulaski, Virginia for the sole purpose of electing delegates and alternates to the 9th Congressional District Convention and the Virginia Democratic State Convention, and the following provisions shall govern the convention, to wit:

1.       Prefiling: Those wishing their names to be placed on the ballot at the Caucus shall prefile their candidacy by 5:00 p.m. April 16th, with  Elizabeth Chitwood, Democratic Committee Secretary.

2.  Voluntary Administrative Fee: There shall be a voluntary administrative fee of five dollars ($5.00) for each person filing for delegate, payable to the Pulaski County Democratic Committee.  Payment of this fee is completely voluntary.  No statement is required in order to waive payment.

3.  Notice Requirements: The Pulaski County Democratic Committee may cause to be published the time, date, and location of the Caucus at least 7 days prior to the Caucus, but not more than 2 weeks before the Caucus. All notices may be published in a paid political advertisement in a newspaper of general circulation.

Notice of the prefiling deadline for delegate and alternate positions may be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the locality of at least 7 days before the prefiling deadline but not more than 2 weeks before the deadline.

4.  Conduct the Caucus: The doors to the Caucus will be opened at 7:00 p.m.  Check-in will occur between 7:00p.m. and 7:30 p.m.  The doors to the caucus will be closed at 7:30 p.m. and no further persons will be permitted to enter.  Those in line at noon will be permitted to complete the check-in process and will be permitted to participate.

The Chair of the Pulaski County Democratic Committee or his/her designee, shall be the Temporary Chair of the Caucus and shall appoint a Temporary Secretary and such other Temporary Officers of the Caucus as is deemed appropriate.  Until the adoption of the Rules, the order of the Caucus shall be determined by the Chair of the Caucus, subject to the approval of the Caucus participants, Robert’s Rules of Order, and the Virginia Democratic Party Plan.

5.       Affirmative Action: It shall be the duty of each local precinct Democratic chair and the members of each local Democratic Committee to take all feasible steps to encourage broad participation in the delegate selection process.  Discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, color, national origin, religion, ethnic identity or economic status in the delegate selection process is prohibited.  The Pulaski County Democratic Committee shall make every effort to ensure that the Pulaski County delegation is half-male and half-female.

6.       Call Distribution: It shall be the duty of the Pulaski County Democratic Committee Chair to distribute a copy of the Call to Caucus.

It shall further be the duty of the Pulaski County Democratic Committee Chair to cause this Call to Caucus to be publicized through the news media of Pulaski County as is feasible.

Adopted: March 29, 2008

Signed: K. Mike Fleenor, Jr.

K. Mike Fleenor, Jr., Chair

Authorized by the Pulaski County Democratic Party of Virginia

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Pulaski County Democratic Committee

Mass Meeting

Thursday, May 24, 2007  7:00 PM
 

The Pulaski County Democratic Committee hereby announces that they will hold a mass meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 24, 2007 on the second floor of the courthouse in the Circuit Courtroom at 45 Third Street, N.W., Pulaski, Virginia for the purposes of nominating candidates for the Board of Supervisors and all Constitutional Officers of Pulaski County.  In addition the Democratic Committee will elect delegates and alternates to the 6th District Convention to be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday June 2, 2007 in the Town of Pulaski. 

Any person that intends to be a candidate for any office is requested to give notice, in writing to Mike Fleenor, Chairman of the Pulaski County Democratic Committee, in person or at P.O. Box 2463, Pulaski, VA 24301 by 5:00 pm on Friday May 18, 2007.  There shall be no prefiling requirements for delegate or alternate to the 6th District Convention.  Any person attending the Mass Meeting, before participating in that meeting, shall sign a standardized declaration and oath form stating that he or she is a Democrat, believes in the principles of the Democratic Party, is a registered voter of the County of Pulaski and does not intend to support any candidate who is opposed to a Democratic nominee in the ensuing general election.  This form shall be filled out and signed by any participant prior to the 7:00 pm meeting.  Doors to the meeting shall be closed and no person may complete a form or enter the Courtroom after that time with the exception of those persons in line at 7:00 p.m. For further information contact Mike Fleenor, Chair of the Pulaski County Democratic Committee at 540-980-9757.  Should only one candidate file and give notice by the May 18, 2007 deadline, that candidate will be declared by the Chair to be the Democratic nominee.
 

Legislation to Offer Unique Training for Virginia’s Rural Police Force

Washington, DC—Senator Jim Webb of Virginia today commended the passage of legislation that provides cutting-edge training for law enforcement officers in rural communities. Offered as an amendment to the 9/11 Commission Homeland Security Legislation, today’s 82-1 vote creates a Rural Policing Institute (RPI) within the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC).

“The post-9/11 environment has increased demands placed on our law enforcement agencies,” said Senator Webb. “In addition, our rural communities are facing new challenges, particularly with the spread of methamphetamines.”

The Rural Policing Institute will offer comprehensive training programs designed to address the needs of rural law enforcement agencies, including combating methamphetamine addiction and distribution, domestic violence and law enforcement response related to school shootings.

“We count on our more than 17,000 local law enforcement officials to serve as the Commonwealth’s first responders, but our officers in rural Virginia communities face unique challenges. This Rural Policing program will ensure that they receive the training that they need to address such an array of issues.

“In addition to this amendment today, I will continue to work with my Senate colleagues to ensure the full implementation of the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations to increase the security of our nation,” said Webb.

The Senate is scheduled to pass the 9/11 Commission homeland security bill next week.

U.S. Representative Rick Boucher announced today that approximately 260 workers who will lose their jobs as a result of the April closure of the Pulaski Furniture manufacturing plant in Pulaski, Virginia will be eligible to receive federal Trade Readjustment Assistance, commonly known as “TRA,” from the U.S. Department of Labor.  The benefits will assist all affected workers with health care premium payments and those who qualify with job retraining.  Workers previously affected by layoffs at Pulaski Furniture also remain eligible for federal benefits under the petition previously approved by Department of Labor.     

The displaced workers will also be eligible for healthcare benefits through the Health Care Tax Credit which will provide laid off workers with 65 percent of the cost of health insurance premiums.  The remaining 35 percent of premium cost will be paid by the employees.     

The U.S. Department of Labor will provide job outreach services, career counseling, job search and job development assistance, classroom training (including adult basic education and GED completion) to those workers affected by the plant closure.  Other services which can be provided under Trade Readjustment Assistance include on-the-job training and transportation assistance.  In addition, Alternative Trade Act Assistance (ATAA) will be provided to those workers who qualify.      

“This federal assistance is of critical importance to the workers who have been affected by the closure of the Pulaski plant,” Boucher said. “These workers deserve our help, and some of the most important and meaningful services we can offer relate to training individuals for new jobs and assisting them in maintaining health insurance coverage for themselves and their families.”    

Some employees may also be eligible to receive Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance. Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) is a federal benefit program for workers over the age of 50 years who qualify for TRA benefits.  In addition to the traditional TRA benefits, workers who qualify under the ATAA program are eligible for a federal subsidy of up to $10,000 over a two-year period if a worker regains employment within 26 weeks of being dislocated from Pulaski Furnitiure and if the new salary is less than $50,000 and less than his or her former salary.  The provision of this federal assistance is an important step in assuring that the displaced workers have the training, health care premium payments and other benefits needed to find new employment,” Boucher said.       

Frequently, workers who lose their jobs find that they do not possess the skills necessary to compete effectively for employment in another field.   The use of federal funds to provide the new skills and job placement services are wise investments which strengthen both the earning potential of the region’s residents and the base of the regional economy.      

Boucher explained that the retraining and health care premium funding would be furnished by the U.S. Department of Labor under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program, which provides assistance for workers who have lost their jobs due to foreign imports or plant relocations outside the United States.  In addition to job retraining benefits, the program also provides up to 52 weeks of additional unemployment insurance benefits beyond the normal 26 weeks available to all workers who lose jobs.  The additional assistance enables unemployed workers to continue searching for work or to continue participation in training programs.       

Boucher said he is pleased that the Department of Labor is able to assist the displaced Pulaski Furniture employees.  “I want to commend the Department of Labor for providing the funding necessary for job training and health insurance assistance to these deserving people,” he said.      

Legislation Follows Four Day Visit to Southwest Virginia

Washington, DC - Senator Jim Webb today announced that he is co-sponsoring a research bill that seeks to accelerate the safe and effective development of geological carbon sequestration, which is one of the most promising new technologies for curbing carbon dioxide emissions.

The “National Carbon Dioxide Storage Capacity Assessment Act of 2007″ (S.731) would authorize the U.S. Geological Survey, in coordination with the Department of Energy and the EPA, to conduct a comprehensive assessment of carbon dioxide storage capacity. Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) is the chief sponsor of the bill.

“Generations of Virginians know the value of coal’s role as a domestic energy source,” said Senator Webb. “This legislation is an important step to develop technologies that allow us to use fossil fuels in a more efficient and environmentally-sound manner.”

Last week, Senator Webb visited with the Eastern Coal Council in Abingdon. His meeting included a diverse set of representatives from the coal industry, area universities, local technology companies and the environmental community.

“Senator Webb showed a deep appreciation for understanding the concepts before proceeding to make legislative decisions affecting the coal industry,” said Barbara Altizer, Executive Director of the Eastern Coal Council. “The Coal Council appreciated the Senator’s visit to the coalfields to learn more about today’s clean coal technology, carbon sequestration and energy education, among other issues. The Council is pleased to see Senator Webb’s interest in coal and research for coal. Coal can play a key role in helping the United States achieve energy independence.”

The meeting with the Coal Council was one of several stops during the Senator’s four-day trip to Southwest Virginia. Webb also toured the Laurel Mountain Deep Mine in Russell County to witness the mining process first-hand. He also visited the CGI offices in Lebanon, the General Dynamics Armament & Technical Products Plant in Marion, and the Radford Army Ammunition Plant in Radford.

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The “National Carbon Dioxide storage Capacity Assessment Act of 2007″ (S.731) authorizes the federal government to spend up to $20 million on the inventory process.

The bill has two primary components:

* Establishment of a methodology. Over the course of the first 9 months, the USGS will design a formal methodology for geological capacity assessment. It will address questions of distribution (extent), rate (injectivity), total volume (capacity), additional oil and gas recovery, and a ranking of risk. The methodology will be reviewed by a panel of experts, available for public comment, and formally published 15 months after the date of enactment.

* Execution of the national assessment. Upon enactment of the legislation, the USGS will begin to gather and analyze data from all 50 states and all sedimentary basins to assess the CO2 storage potential. The assessment should produce maps and formal quantitative estimates of the terms described in the methodology. In addition, a database of the work inputs and components will be published for public use. The assessment will be completed and published within two years of the publication of the formal assessment methodology.

In addition to Senators Webb and Salazar, Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) serves as an original co-sponsor of the legislation. Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN), Chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology, introduced a companion bill this week in the House of Representatives.

Text of the Senate version of the carbon sequestration bill can be viewed at: http://salazar.senate.gov/images/pdf/070301env.pdf.

Editor’s Note: For photos of the Senator’s trip to Southwest, Virginia, visit: http://webb.senate.gov/newsroom/photo_gallery.cfm