Simpson Column: Wanted: real leaders

Paul Nichols is up for reelection in the 51st District. It is my hope he doesn’t get another term. I am one of his constituents, and like many others in this district, I don’t feel that Del. Nichols is
representing my values.

To begin with, Mr. Nichols was a patron of House Bill 2385, with the title of “Discrimination; prohibited in public employment based on race, color, religion, etc.” One would question, I hope, why a bill
would need to be passed in Virginia that prevents discrimination. After all, there are federal laws that shouldn’t make this necessary, right? That’s true; however, the true intention of this bill is quite
different than the federal laws that are already on the books. This bill was specifically designed to extend special privileges to certain segments of society that aren’t covered by laws already on the books.

Here is the text of the summary as introduced from the Virginia legislature website:

“Public employment; nondiscrimination. Prohibits discrimination in public employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital
status, disability, sexual orientation, or status as a special disabled veteran or other veteran covered by the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974, as amended. The bill defines “sexual
orientation” as a person’s actual or perceived heterosexuality, bisexuality, homosexuality, or gender identity or expression. The bill expressly provides that “sexual orientation” shall not include any
person’s attraction towards persons with whom sexual conduct would be illegal due to the age of the parties. The bill contains technical amendments.”

As far as I am concerned, this was nothing more than an attempt to give homosexuals an opportunity to use their sexual orientation to hit it big in the lawsuit lottery. Discrimination laws are frequently
abused by many people as a way to seek retribution when they have been terminated for reasons other than what they are claiming — i.e. discrimination based upon the color of their skin, their sex, etc.
We have recently witnessed a prime example of how these laws are not equally enforced. The New Haven Fire Department case was deemed not to be discrimination where several white firemen were
refused promotion when it turned out that only whites (and one Hispanic) firefighters passed the test. The tests were not written in a way that would make it difficult for black firefighters to pass. They are
simply designed to ensure that people have reached a certain level of competency before being given the privilege of moving up the ranks.

Now Del. Nichols wants to protect a special class of people in Virginia based upon who they are sexually attracted to, or if they like dressing in clothing that is not considered society’s norm —
e.g. “gender expression.” This is ludicrous.

Fortunately this was left in the General Laws subcommittee.

There were other bills Del. Nichols patroned with which I also disagreed. For instance, House Bill 2588, titled the “Individual income, corporate income, and sales and use taxes; restructuring various
taxes.” This was a veiled attempt to increase taxes by promoting it as a reduction in food taxes. Of course, when has a Democrat ever passed up a chance to raise taxes?

Karl Marx wrote a little thing called the “Communist Manifesto.” In his book, which has become the playbook of the Democratic Party, he called for a “heavy progressive or graduated income tax” as one of
10 conditions that needed to occur in order for a nation to fully embrace the model of Communism.

House Bill 2588 moves things in that direction. It provides for a two percent income tax on individuals making up to $5,000 and a six and eighty-five hundredths percent tax on people making over $400,000. This bill would have amended the tax rate that was currently set at five and three quarters on everyone making in excess of $17,000 per year (based upon state code § 58.1-320 reference within HB
2588). This creeping move toward a collectivist society is going to hurt us in the long run. By increasing taxes on the productive members of our society, we will experience the negative consequences of
fewer jobs being created as they will not have the financial resources to expand their successful business ventures. Giving money to people doesn’t help — creating jobs for people does. Paul Nichols has
had an opportunity to prove that he can improve the transportation problems we face in the 51st District and he has not made any progress. It’s time we gave him a pink slip.

James Simpson lives in the 51st District and is tired of representatives who don’t address the real issues facing our state and nation.