Stuck in Traffic? Call Dave Albo

Yesterday, Governor Tim Kaine released his proposal to raise more than $1 billion per year for new transportation funding. The Washington Post lauded this plan and pointed out:

Roughly half the funds also would be spent in Northern Virginia, which makes sense, given that the region accounts for such an enormous chunk of the state's traffic, growth, population and prosperity. Mr. Kaine's Plan Editorial, Washington Post (May 13, 2008).

So what is Del. Dave Albo's - the senior Republican in Northern Virginia's - response to this effort to fix our problems?

Del. David B. Albo, a Fairfax Republican involved in transportation negotiations, said Kaine's plan had a "0.000 percent chance" of winning approval. VA GOP Lawmakers Reject Kaine's Latest Transportation Fix, Washington Post (May 13, 2008).

Now this all makes perfect sense. For years, Delegate Albo has been a signatory to Grover Norquist's Anti-Tax Pledge.

AMG, Albo, Grover and Abramoff (June 25, 2006)
AMG, Priceless (June 3, 2006)
AMG Albo Flip Flops on Transportation & Taxes (Apr. 1, 2006)
AMG, Denton Asks, Can Albo Walk & Chew Gum? (Dec. 30, 2006)

Does anyone know whether we can bring a class action for legislative malpractice?

Why Does Albo Hate Women?

Over the years, Delegate Dave Albo has not been hospitable to women's issues. For example, last year, when a female judicial applicant complained when now former Sen. Nick Rerras cross-examined her about her views on (a) abortion, (b) requiring arrests for domestic violence, and (c) her views on "feminazi's," Del. Dave Albo's response:

"He didn't do anything illegal," Albo said. "He asked questions about things that are important to him." . . . "Review Sought on Judicial Selection Process," The Virginia-Pilot, Feb. 15, 2007.

So long as legislators don't don't grope judicial candidates, what's the big deal right? AMG, Albo to Rerras: Just Don't Grope the Applicant (Apr. 15, 2007).

When another legislator's wife complained that she was being discriminated against due to her gender. What was Delegate Albo's response? "There's no such thing as workplace harassment." "Complaint Targets State Senator," Richmond Times-Dispatch, 7/19/06. Such sympathy.

When Fairfax County requested $22M for subsidized childcare what did he do? He killed it. See AMG, Is Dave Albo Offering to Babysit 1900 Children? (Aug. 7, 2006).

When PTA moms wanted to sell cookies at polling places what he do? He tried to ban them. AMG, Dave Albo v. the PTA (Apr. 25, 2006).

In 2001, what did Del. Dave Albo say were his constituents top three issues?

Del. David B. Albo, R-Fairfax, said phone bills, particularly various taxes tacked onto bills, trail only abortion and gun control as a top issue for his constituents.' Richmond Times-Dispatch 9.7.2000

You get the idea? So, after getting a 25% rating in 2007, what is Del. Dave Albo's 2008 rating from Virginia NARAL:

0%

Shocker.....

Albo's $84,000,000+ Motion

Sometimes a 42nd District resident as to ask themselves whose side is Del. Dave Albo on - the rural conservative dominated Republican leadership's side or is he there to work for solving his constituents' problems?

Albo's Millions

So if Del. Dave Albo really cared about actually getting transportation funding actually resolved as opposed to advancing his party's ideological agenda, why did HE make the motion to effectively kill it for two months after constantly complaining that nonaction was costing the taxpayers two million dollars per day?

If he actually cared so much about Virginians losing $2,000,000 per day (it's probably more than that), why did HE make the motion?

He killed it because Speaker Howell and Majority Leader Griffin wanted him to kill it.

How'd a guy supposed to keep his committee chairmanship if you won't do the bidding of those downstate rural downstate guys who don't have the same transportation problems that we do here?

Albo Hits The 2008 Trifecta

Hat's off to Cville columnist Dan Catalano who featured this year's worst bills in a recent article. He had this to say about Del. Dave Albo:

Now, the biggest loser in this year’s loony legislation race has to be our
old pal Del. Dave Albo, who had a trifecta of idiotic, unnecessary laws killed in committee. First up was an attempt to add box-cutters to the Commonwealth’s list of concealed weapons. (Whoops! There goes the carpet-layers union vote.) He followed that up with a bill to allow towns to regulate fireplaces “where such use may constitute a nuisance to adjacent residences.” (He was, however, kind enough to exempt “any dwelling that does not have an adequate source of heat without burning wood.”) Finally, mistakenly assuming that the third time would be the charm, Albo attempted to make it a felony to use an emergency exit after committing larceny, thereby magically transforming some shoplifters into felons based on their choice of egress. Dan Catalano, I'm just a bill, cville (Mar.24, 2008).

AMG's only complaint is that he left out 1.5 bills from the bonehead department. First, Mr. Catalano leaves our Del. Albo's first attempt to save his abuser fees with "liquidated damages," and then the floor substitute which attempted to give a routine first offense DWI a $2,250 mandatory minimum fine leaving judges with the whopping discretion to fine someone between $2,250 and $2,500. This creature of legislative ingenuity went down 15-0 in a Senate committee.

It's nice to see our Delegate paying attention to such important matters.

GOP Blogs to Albo: You're The Luckiest Politician in VA

Last November, the Mason Conservative labeled Del. Dave Albo the #4 Loser of this year's elections and had this to say:

4. Delegate Dave Albo
I can’t imagine a luckier politician in Virginia. Though Albo is now Chairman of the House Courts and Justice Committee, he has the daunting task of overcoming the residue of being the chief supporter of the hated abuser fees, that really hurt Republicans and derailed whatever momentum we gained by passing the landmark Transportation bill. Two very credible candidates await in two years, either Greg Werkheiser or Kate Wilder. But never underestimate Albo, there is nobody who is closer to his constituency than him. But 2007 was a rough year, the abuser fee controversy effectively silenced Albo, who’s leadership was badly needed for Northern Virginia Republicans.

It's nice to see that the other side is starting to recognize their exposure in the 42nd District.