A LESSON IN INFORMATION WARFARE: TACTICS APPLICABLE TO THE VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

In what follows, Delegate Scott Lingamfelter lists some of the information warfare tactics we should expect to see in the upcoming session of Virginia’s General Assembly.

General Assembly 2012

–10 Liberal “Whoppers” You’ll Hear This Session –

Dear Patriots,

The 2012 General Assembly Session will begin this coming week (Wednesday, January 11^th) and with it lots of debate over bills, policies, and the budget. To get you ready for the fun and the spin that the liberals will put on the many debates we will have, I thought you’d like some advance warning. Here are the 10 Liberal “Whoppers” (my term) they’re likely to make this year against Republicans

1. “They are making huge cuts to the budget!” (In fact the budget we will pass is likely to be higher than it was two years ago given the cost of doing business. But just as Republicans did in 2010 by taking the budget back to 2006 levels, we will take this one back to 2007 levels. So in reality, we will continue our fiscally conservative approach of constraining spending and enhancing fiscal responsibility. Democrats will call that a cut, but they also believe in unicorns.)
2. “They are slashing education!” (In fact we are making new investments ($204 Million) in higher education and better prioritizing our spending on K-12 education. Remember, education spending has gone UP 41% over the past decade while enrollment only rose 6%. Don’t be fooled by the scare tactics.)
3. “They refuse to close the ‘gun show loop hole’!” (Another unicorn spotting. There is no “gun show loop hole”. What Democrats want is to require a private citizen to be treated like a licensed firearms dealer when you personally sell one of your firearms. Here’s an example. If you wanted to sell your 12 gauge shot gun or an extra pistol you might own to a neighbor as a private citizen, the Democrats would want YOU to conduct a background check on the buyer. What if the buyer was your 20-year neighbor or a relative? Don’t be tricked by this. We have plenty of laws on the books to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals without making private citizens background checkers.)
4. “They will poison our air and water with demands to explore for energy offshore and within the state!” (What is it with these guys? If we are going to be an economic power again, we need MORE not LESS energy. This means we should be permitted to explore for natural gas offshore and-if it can be done in a safe and secure manner-take advantage of energy related minerals (including uranium) that could bring thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of revenue to our state. Don’t buy their “Chicken Little” nonsense.)
5. “They want to torment people with legislation on illegal immigration.” (This is probably one of the more offensive charges because it presumes that people who come to America legally and want all immigrants to play by the rules are somehow anti-immigration. I can’t tell you how many immigrants I spoke to during the last campaign who want the rule of law too. A state and nation that does not enforce its laws is doomed to lawlessness.)
6. “They want to suppress the vote through laws to require people to show their identity!” (It’s amazing how the liberals can make this argument with a straight face. Since when is it a bad idea to protect the integrity of the vote for everyone. The right to vote is a precious right. And when people who can’t legally vote, like criminals and those who are not citizens, are permitted to, it erodes the rights of all voters.)
7. “They will run roughshod over the Democrat minority in the House!” (To the contrary, unlike how the Democrats treated the Republicans when we were in the minority for decades, we will actually hear their bills. But we have a responsibility to run the House in an orderly and efficient manner. When in charge, you must be in charge.)
8. “They won’t compromise on anything with us!” (Think about this for a minute. If I want to head east and you want to head west, where is the compromise? We just had an election and added significantly to our Republican numbers in the House largely because the people wanted conservative government. So don’t be surprised if we advance the policies that we campaigned on. Democrats think compromise means they get their way even when they are defeated at the polls. Sorry to disappoint.)
9. “They are the Party of NO!” (Yep, we’re “no” to higher taxes, we’re “no” to more government, we’re “no” to waste, fraud and abuse, we’re “no” to curtailing your rights….but we’re “YES” to the Constitution, jobs, growing free enterprise, and more opportunity. Elections matter.)
10. “They don’t care about the middle class!” (Oh really, then why is it that we’re on the side of lower takes, energy independence, helping job creators expand and grow, accountability in education standards, and making government smaller and more efficient? Because these are core issues for the middle class and one of the reasons they fear growing and expanding government as a premier threat to their way of life.

So get ready for the fun, folks. You’ll hear this and a lot more. But as always, use your own common sense. You’re a lot smarter than those who would scare you with silly rhetoric. In the meantime, I’ll be updating you each week with what’s going on in Richmond.

Until then, please take a moment to fill out our 2012 Legislative Survey. It will only take a few minutes but it really helps me understand where my constituents stand on many of the issues that we will be debating during Session. The survey can be found here: http://tiny.cc/t20a7

There are countless issues that we are going to be debating and working on this year. It can be pretty difficult to keep up with what is going on in the General Assembly. To make things a little easier on you, here are several links that will keep you up-to-date on the work of the General Assembly.

• The General Assembly homepage: http://legis.state.va.us/ -
• Virginia’s Legislative Information System (LIS):http://lis.virginia.gov/ – the Virginia LIS will allow you to check the status of any bill as it makes its way through the General Assembly. You can also find a complete copy of the Virginia Code and the Virginia Constitution.
• Watch the House of Delegates online:http://virginia-house.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3

If you need to contact us during session, please call us at our Richmond office at (804) 698-1031. All calls to the District office will be forwarded to Richmond, as well.