The Virginia political analysts appear to have the General Assembly turning "BLUE" this November. Both Ben ("Not Larry Sabato") Tribbett and Chaz Nuttycombe both are predicting that the Republicans will lose control of the Virginia General Assembly next month if Democrats come out to the polls like they did in 2018 and if voters see the State House as a perfect way to rebel against President Trump.
One such race in the Virginia Senate is the 11th District where Republican Amanda Freeman Chase is in the middle of one of the toughest contests as the historical conservative leaning District has witnessed historical out of state contribution coming into the race in support of her challenger Amanda Pohl.
"We can't wait any longer for affordable healthcare, fully funded public schools,equality..."(Amanda Pohl)
Amanda Pohl appears to have taken much her campaign strategy out of the page of Rep. Abigail Spanberger's playbook in the VA07 who won in 2018. However, much of Pohl's healthcare pitch appears hollow. Wasn't the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) suppose to address "affordable" healthcare? Instead, healthcare now costs many Virginians more than it did before the Progressives passed the measure in Congress. "Fully Funded" schools? Virginia ranks higher for its return on investment in public schools than many of its peers. Is Pohl calling for more than the 11,886 per student currently spent per child in Virginia. Is she aware that is in fact an increase from years past and Republicans did raise the level spent? Does Pohl wish Virginia to spend like the State's below do?
Many of Amanda Pohl's supporters have taken to Amanda Freeman Chase's facebook page launching repeated aspersions against the Senator but Chase has actually run a very strategic and message drive campaign staying on message regarding her challenger. Accusing Chase of not suppoting "equality" yet look at this race. What better example of equality for women in Virginia that both Parties have women running for the Senate seat in the 11th?
Pohl's supporters have taken offense to their candidate's portrayal by Chase, but the truth is voters do not have any real substance coming from the Pohl campaign that would indicate what Amanda Pohl truly stands for as a candidate. Instead Pohl supporters have launch attacks against gun owners in the District as supporters of domestic gun violence and asserting that Senator Chase is in the pocket of the National Rifle Association. Supporters of Pohl have declared that Virginia Open Carry laws should be repealed though out the Commonwealth and some have even called for firearms to be confiscated. A proposal endorsed by Presidential Candidate Beto O'Rourke of Texas.
Pohl is supported with contribution from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, one of the most Progressive gun control advocacy groups in the country.
Many voters in the 11th and all across the Commonwealth disagree with infringing on the rights provided by the U.S. Constitution as it relates to gun ownership.
The charge regarding the NRA appears to be a daily charge against Senator Chase. However, this charge appears baseless in truth. There does not appear to be contributions made to the Chase campaign by major gun advocacy groups or associations. In fact only 2% of all contributions to the Chase campaign have come from outside the Commonwealth. 2%.
In contrast, Progressive challenger Amanda Pohl who secured the right to face Chase by winning the Spring Democrat Primary has received contributions approaching over twenty percent by outside organizations and advocacy groups. Pohl supporters cried foul when Chase raised the issue of Chesterfield "sanctuary" policies yet Pohl is being supported by CASA in Action, which is one of the Mid-Atlantic's largest immigration rights and pro-sanctuary groups in the region supporting Montgomery County, MD sanctuary policies and other localities efforts.
Virginia Republicans passed legislation to limit sanctuary policy in Virginia localities but Governor Ralp Northam (D) vetoed the legislation. See here:
https://www.richmond.com/news/local/government-politics/northam-vetoes-sanctuary-cities-bill/article_a0594c7e-b87f-5e4e-9eb8-feb32abdbfc7.html
Amanda Pohl supports "Sanctuary" Policy and has gladly accepted the contribution and support from CASA in Action. Furthermore, Pohl is in support of the Virginia Dream Act sponsored by Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington), would offer in-state tuition to DACA recipients that reside in Virginia; under current law, these hard-working Virginians are considered out-of-state and are ineligible for federal financial aid programs, rendering an affordable education inaccessible to many. (Vote Vote Summary, Pohl Positions)
Amanda Pohl's also supports localities right to refuse cooperation with federal authorities like Immigration Custom Enforcement (ICE) with regard to violent felons in custody being turned over to ICE for potential deportation should they be in the country unlawfully.
Chase supporters also point to the fact that while Amanda Pohl supports allowing unlawfully present immigrants to secure in state tuition rates she refuses to support state funding for charter schools in Virginia. Pohl, an educator, appears willing to put unlawfully present immigrant education before the right of parents to chose better options for their children when face with failing schools. City schools for example have a drop out rate of almost 20% and a graduation rate of 75%. City of Richmond schools have the worst graduation rate in the Commonwealth. See here:
https://www.richmond.com/news/local/richmond-public-schools-has-the-worst-high-school-graduation-rate/article_b68a6040-d19e-5321-b433-dc2dff08a801.html
Why as an educator is Amanda Pohl willing to leave so many students through Virginia's urban cities and rural areas behind and not fund options that parents can have for their children? Could it be because of the contributions made to her campaign from educational political action committees?
Another alarming element regarding contributions is Amanda Pohl has taken contributions from End Citizens United, a group working to reverse the 2010 Supreme Court ruling regarding campaign finance and yet has taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from political action committees, advocacy groups and association from outside the Commonwealth. This to the Chase campaign appears to be very contradictory and hypocritical. Pohl also will not support a Voter ID bill that would require all voters to have a valid state issued identification card or license to vote in elections.
Another endorsement secured by Amanda Pohl was from NARAL-Pro Choice Virginia. This group is in support of Delegate Kathy Tran's bill which would remove virtually all restrictions on abortion up until the time of birth. This is a very controversial proposal even for some Pro-Choice Democrats in the District. Most citizens while they may support a women's right to an abortion questioned whether abortions should be undertaken so long into a pregnancy let alone right up until child birth or even after. Pohl supports the State funding through tax payer contributions to support organizations that perform abortions which is the exact position of the Planned Parenthood PAC.
Amanda Pohl has also stated that supports government spending as a means of promoting economic growth in Virginia. That government should pick winners and losers. What does that look like when one Party may have control of the Assembly and the Governorship exactly? Will we see politicians pick the winning industries? See them support industries like Green New Deal initiatives Progressives may seek? Absolutely we will. Pohl also does not support lowering state income taxes as a means of promoting economic growth.
If the Assembly had supported Pohl's position, Virginians would not have reaped the benefit of the almost 800 million dollar budget surplus delivered by Amanda Freeman Chase and Assembly Republicans. Virginia would have not seen the benefits of the Trump Tax cuts and the state refunds to tax payers in Virginia. Pohl also supports expanding even more entitlement and welfare programs like unemployment insurance at a time when Virginia is experiencing its best performing economic and employment trends and furthermore does NOT support drug testing for all those receiving welfare benefits but the biggest question is whether Amanda Pohl supports Virginia's "right to work" laws that are in place or would repeal them.
As far as employment goes, Amanda Pohl appears to support State workers and State bureaucracy over that of the individual employee in the private sector. Pohl does not support reducing State employees salaries or pension compensation pegged to national averages and will not support any necessary furlough of employees in the event of budgetary issues or economic downturns. In short, government jobs will always be protected if Pohl is elected while average citizens working in the private sector do not get the luxury of having their employment guaranteed.
These are just a few of the policy positions that Amanda Pohl is advocating in her challenge to Senator Amanda Freeman Chase. They can be found at the Vote Smart website. Pohl supporters have been vocal in defending the charge that their candidate is a "Socialist" yet many of the positions or policy advocacy that Amanda Pohl seeks are very similar to those advocated by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the Democrat Primary for the Presidential nomination.
Pohl has endorsed by:
Run for Something
Human Rights Campaign
Emily List
Democracy for America
LGBT Dems Of Virginia
NARAL-Pro Choice Virgina
VA AFL-CIO
Virginia's List
Donate: Amanda Freeman Chase
https://secure.anedot.com/amandachase/donate
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