Va Political Pineapple ... there's a new blog in town

There's a new blog in town. You might call it pragmatic. You could call it mainstream. You may even call it compassionate conservative. Whatever you call it, there is a need for civil discussion in the political world and that is sadly lacking these days.

When Governor Bob McDonnell's transportation bill passed the Virginia General Assembly earlier this year with a bipartisan vote, the protests from the far-right side of the Republican Party were discouraging as they turned to personal attacks and vitriolic rantings.

As Political Pineapples, what we believe is in our welcome:

Throughout Virginia's history the pineapple has served as a symbol of hospitality and warm welcome.

Over the last several years we have seen a shift in the political environment with a polarization between far-right conservatives and moderate Republicans. In the likeness of Virginia's Governors Bob McDonnell, George Allen, and Jim Gilmore, and Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, along with Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, Political Pineapples do not compromise their values and core beliefs. However, they are pragmatic and apply Ronald Reagan's 80 percent rule: "The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally -- not a 20 percent traitor."

Being politically pragmatic, we will strive to move Virginia forward. We invite you to join us as we engage in polite and courteous political discourse while promoting tolerance, open dialogue, and bipartisanship for the good of the Commonwealth.

With regular contributors including Kurt Michael, Bob Kirchman, and Lynn Mitchell, as well as guest posts from pragmatic conservatives such as former Delegate Chris Saxman, the Pineapple will offer a place for citizen journalists to offer civil yet thoughtful conversation about topical issues at hand from a pragmatic and sometimes humorous perspective. Check the in-your-face attitude and personal attacks at the door and come armed with facts for a logical discussion in the vein of Reagan's 80-20 Rule, W's compassionate conservative, George H.W.'s pragmatic look at taxes, and McDonnell, Bolling, Allen, and Gilmore's bipartisan leadership.

Stop by the Pineapple. Look around. We hope you'll make us one of your regular stops.

Cross-posted at LynnRMitchell.com

Twenty-first Century Transportation

Complex Problems Deserve Thoughtful Answers


Interstate 66 and Metro in Vienna.

"There are no simple solutions...Only intelligent choices"
-- Caterpillar Advertisement from the 1960's 

Recently the state of Virginia hammered out an agreement to deal with the transportation issues of the Twenty-first Century. While there are things to love about the agreement and things to dislike, two points should be considered. First, from the time of George Washington to the present, good infrastructure has always been seen as essential to the functioning of a robust and prosperous nation. You can see that in the attention men like Washington paid to canals, and later that which men like Declaration of Independence signer Charles Carroll of Carrollton paid to Railroads. Governor McDonnell's work on transportation builds on good precedent.

Second, and perhaps less discussed, is the idea that mobility is an essential component of liberty. Holding taxation low at all costs might decrease the ability of citizens to access employment choices and other resources necessary for their well being. People from all over the region, for example, travel to the University of Virginia Medical Center or Johns Hopkins for essential healthcare services.

One publication I especially enjoy is American Conservative. One issue they regularly address is the importance of a diverse transportation system. While some may rail about the cost of public transportation, it is important to look at the amount of money that goes into roads as well. With the mission being to provide maximum mobility at the most reasonable cost, transportation design might just get a whole lot more interesting. Good analysis must consider the total cost of a highway-only approach versus a well designed mixture.

When my Mother moved to Baltimore, she did not drive. She pursued graduate work at Johns Hopkins and a career at the Martin Company. Streetcars empowered her. A decade after she moved to Baltimore, traffic engineers removed the streetcars. Mom learned to drive. Now engineers are reconsidering the streetcar, or light rail equivalents. The end result could be greatly increased mobility (and opportunity) for urbanites. The American Conservative Center for Public Transportation [click to read] offers more insight into transportation planning for the future.

Welcome

Throughout Virginia's history the pineapple has served as a symbol of hospitality and warm welcome.

Over the last several years we have seen a shift in the political environment with a polarization between far-right conservatives and moderate Republicans. In the likeness of Virginia's Governor Bob McDonnell and Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, along with Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, Political Pineapples do not compromise their values and core beliefs. However, they are pragmatic and apply Ronald Reagan's 80 percent rule: "The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally -- not a 20 percent traitor."

Being politically pragmatic, we will strive to move Virginia forward. We invite you to join us as we engage in polite and courteous political discourse while promoting tolerance, open dialogue, and bipartisanship for the good of the Commonwealth.

Contributors

 Kurt Michael

Kurt lives in Augusta County, Virginia. He is active in his church and the community, and has been involved in Virginia politics for more than 20 years. He is a former chairman of the Augusta County Republican Committee.

You can email him at kmichael1@juno.com

Lynn Mitchell

Lynn and her husband live in Augusta County, Virginia, and have two grown children. As SWACgirl.com (an acronym for Staunton, Waynesboro, and Augusta County), she has been writing in the Virginia political blogosphere since 2006, currently contributing to Bearing Drift, and has done freelance work for the Washington Examiner and VirginiaVirtucon.com. One of her passions is to photograph this scenic area of the Shenandoah Valley as well as political events. Lynn has served on official boards in the area and is currently a trustee with the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia and the Augusta County Library Board. She served for eight years as a member of the State Central Committee of the Virginia Republican Party, and has been a local coordinator and volunteer for many political campaigns.

You can email her at swac.girl@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @swacgirl.


 Bob Kirchman

Bob and his wife live in Augusta County, Virginia. They have two grown children and one grandchild. He is an artist, photographer, amateur historian, and citizen commentator on a variety of subjects. His blog, The Journey, often takes 'the road less traveled' to find interesting stories and a fresh perspective on the stories around us.

You can email him at bobsjourneyblog@gmail.com

Guest Post

The views expressed by our Guests do not necessarily represent the views of the politicalpineapple.com.