The Graham Consulting Group

A Full Service Political and Public Affairs Firm

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Romney is Leading 51-45 Percent

It is apparent that Romney's work in the debates and his campaign focus in swing states is paying off because the Governor is leading the President by 6% in polls according to this Fox News article.  The debates have been the more exciting for this election since the Reagan era.  No matter how you feel about each speakers' style it has been excellent to hear the candidates' views live.  

Although the media has had a good time focusing on slip ups like Libya, Big Bird, and Binders Full of Women, what we want to focus on is something that Romney has been unwavering on, the economy.  When you look at the stage you see two brilliant Harvard educated people, both are phenomenal speakers, family men, and each has undeniable charisma.  

What will win this election is each candidate's record. One candidate has had four years to fix problems, and does not have a clear plan to get us back on track except more of the same policies that are proving to be ineffective.  The other has been incredibly successful in taking defunct organizations and making them more efficient.  Both as a Governor and as a businessman, Mitt Romney's history shows that he has the tools to  fix our problems and will not fail.  

It is not surprising that he is doing better in polls as voters are beginning to realize that either as a Governor, CEO, or potential President he is brilliant at fixing broken things and is committed to restoring the America we built, by creating jobs, restoring faith in our government and our future as a country. 

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Where do you Stand on the Payroll Tax Cut?

             If you haven't seen The New York Times this morning, there is an incredibly interesting article on the payroll tax cut.  The article explains how there will be likely be an automatic tax increase that will cause 160 million Americans to see less income beginning January 1, 2013.

“The tax increase would be about $95 billion in 2013 alone — at a time when the economy is little better than it was when the White House reached a deal on the tax break last year.

Independent analysts say that the expiration of the tax cut could shave as much as a percentage point off economic output in 2013, and cost the economy as many as one million jobs. That is because the typical American family had $1,000 in additional income from the lower tax."

This tax holiday was instituted to let people keep more of their paycheck as an incentive to invest the money back into the system through consumer spending.  Giving families more to work keeps money flowing in a tough economy, making it easier to buy groceries, pay rent, and fuel up.

Economists and Congress seem to be divided on whether they believe the country can stomach the expiration of this tax cut, as it will definitely effect middle-class homes significantly.  Some argue that it will send the country right back into a recession, while others believe that the impact would be too minimal to vastly effect the economy.  The overarching argument is that the tax cut was always supposed to be temporary, and Congress needs the influx of that money to help with the budget short fall.

The thing that we find most concerning is the lack of planning.  Taxing middle class people in an economy where people need every bit of their paycheck seems like it might push people too close to the edge.  This statement from the White House press secretary, Jay Carney, highlights the core of the problem, “We’ll evaluate the question of whether we need to extend it at the end of the year when we’re looking at a whole range of issue.” How can you wait to the end of the year when the tax will take effect on January first?  Waiting to make a last minute decision on things that will effect millions of Americans is poor planning and poor leadership.  There is no clear solution and no simple fix, but it is important to start the conversation about whether we should extend the holiday or come up with another solution to mitigate the impact now rather than when it is too late to make a thoughtful decision.  

What do you think the right course of action is? Do you think we should extend the payroll tax cut or let it expire?

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The Richmond BridgePark Foundation

Do you remember this incredibly exciting article from a March Richmond Times Dispatch Letter to the Editor?  Of course you do.  Everyone was incredibly excited about the prospect of having a park like The High Line in Richmond, VA.  The idea of recycling an old bridge and turning it into something new that the community could use for picnics, farmers markets, and concerts was something that sparked countless news specials and hundreds of supporter emails.

The only problem was that we were about nine years too late in the conversation.  Our city had already signed the contracts, and plans for a new safe bridge for the public was already set in motion.  However, Richmonders are persistent and when a good idea presents itself, it is not easily let go.  

Our team reached out to the authors of the op-ed, offering to help work through the some of the governmental hurdles that projects of this nature face. After six months of brainstorming, research, and a lot of meetings, we are proud to announce the formation of The Richmond BridgePark Foundation.  A group of designers, engineers, public affairs consultants, architects, fundraisers, and historians, dedicated to creating a one-of-a-kind urban oasis suspended over the James River.

We have identified an area in downtown Richmond that will not only connect our city, but will bring immense economic development to an area that will surely become a national destination.  We are creating a design that will have hundreds of uses including health, education, and tourism, but most importantly it will increase the access to our city's best asset, the river.  As we progress through we will be this journey please follow the live updates on facebook and twitter.  A formal announcement with design, details, and dates is coming soon, but till then please email [email protected] if you are willing to help make this dream a reality!

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Congratulations RVA!

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard the great news that Richmond has won Best River Town by Outside Magazine!  As we are the River City this is terrific for our town pride and tourism industry.  Keeping our river in mind, we would like to point you to this Sunday's Richmond Times Dispatch op-ed section as there will be an incredibly exciting announcement for the development of our city's best asset.

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For-Profit Colleges in Education Reform

Excellent article referencing our topic from yesterday's blog post, the benefit of Career Colleges.  It addresses all of the different arguments that both supporters and the opposition have brought up, and gives an honest look into the industry.  The introduction quote brings up a great point that is never usually introduced, and gets to the root of what we should really be addressing, improving our communities and educating our future workforce.

"To be sure, there are tricky issues to navigate in making this kind of public-private partnership work. But these are the real stakes now. Do we move forward and find sensible ways to capture the public benefits that private-sector innovation has brought to every other field? Or do we stay trapped in old ways of doing things that aren't meeting America's needs? When even a famously egalitarian society like Sweden is embracing private sector innovation to help improve schooling, our own path should be clear."

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Kitchen on Cary

Do you work downtown? Are you bummed there never seems to be enough lunch options?  Sure we absolutely love our cafes like Shockoe Espresso and Urban Farmhouse.  We crush the Lunch Special #1 by Niwahana more times a week than is healthy.  Hilton has a personal challenge with the Chef at Sam Millers to see how many club sandwiches he can consume by January 1, and you would probably be offended/appalled if you knew how much Jojo's Pizza our office consumed.  There just never seems to be enough places to circulate through when you are at the office everyday.  That is why we could not be more excited for the opening of Kitchen on Cary, a new restaurant opening next to Sine that will be run by the career institute Virginia College's "Culinard" program.

Lets discuss this concept a little bit more deeply.  A lot of people do not understand the added value of career colleges in Virginia, because they misunderstand and judge the industry when they hear negative news from a few bad apples.  This industry is ever-changing and is helping certify students in industries they would have never been able to break into without these institutes.  For-Profit Colleges offer more night classes than public colleges and tailor their programs to help working families, untraditional students, and single mothers return to college in a schedule that fits their lives. This is a demographic that is struggling harder than ever to get back to school, and Career Colleges help getting there an actual possibility.

They provide on the job experience from professors that have worked in the field, and Kitchen on Cary is an excellent example of the kind of hands on learning students will receive.  Instead of sitting in a classroom and learning about culinary arts, customer service, and business/restaurant management, the pupils of Culinard will actually be immersed in their subject every day, growing and expanding on their knowledge with every patron they serve.  Not only is this great for the students, but it is great for our community.  What an interactive state-of-the-art way to learn!  The government has been trying to promote internships for years, but Virginia College takes that out of the equation and actually has their students living their education.  We think its pretty neat and cannot wait to be able to give an A+ to our next lunch experience.  

What do you think about the new restaurant?  What are your preconcieved notions about for-profit career colleges?

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A Bit of Balance

This article shows Richard Vedder's response to Senator Tom Harkin's final report on for-profit higher education.  It is a truly interesting piece that points out some of the vast issues with Senator Harkin's report.  Not only does it focus on mostly the negative aspects  for-profit institutes, but it does not place them on a fair plane of comparison. 

"Less time should be focused on dumping on 10 percent of higher education, and more on the truly big problems Congress is ignoring"

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Shockoe Stadium?

Wouldn't it be great if Richmond actually had a thriving Downtown scene?  What if Shockoe Slip was a national destination like Georgetown, Downtown Austin, or one of the various bustling boroughs of New York?  Streets lined with boutiques, cafes and restaurants?  Would a Ballpark be the missing link to spark life into a part of our city dying for economic development? 

Think about it.  Richmond is the capitol of our state, the birthplace of several of America's forefathers, a place steeped in rich history and abundant in natural resources.  Why wouldn't our big-little town be the one of the most attractive cities on the East Coast?  We are already halfway there; with countless innovative restaurants popping up, our dining scene is on the rise.  We have already been trademarked as an eclectic, young, hip(ster), town with two universities and an amazing basketball team.  We are on the radar to explode into next  upcoming "it" city.  

This is how economic development works.  Once you add an icon to an area, old warehouses turn into art galleries, gas stations to gastropubs, hole-in-the-walls into chic shops.  Suddenly the Canal Walk isn't just a ghost town, and Off the Hookah isn't your only option to get a beer.  Through economic development, we could have every space filled with retail, apartments, and offices.  We could transform Richmond from just another so-so Metropolitan area into the next Soho.  

We could not be more excited about the prospect of revitalizing Richmond's downtown riverfront with a new baseball stadium.  Not only would it be an incredible addition to our growing city, letting us spend the day downtown to catch a ball game, but the overflow of business that this stadium would surely spur could metamorphosize Richmond.

What do you think?

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MD Anderson Leads in Cancer Care

The Graham Consulting Group would like to congratulate MD Anderson for being named the nation's leading cancer care facility by U.S News and World Report's "Best Hospitals" survey.  This is the sixth year in a row the hospital has won this honor.  As our Principal is both a patient and a Associate Board Member, we could not be more proud of this acheivment. 

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"If you've got a business, you didn't build that."

"If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen."

This is a direct quote from President Obama just four days ago in our backyard of Roanoke, Virginia.  If this is the first time you have read this statement what do you think?

Do you own a small business?  Did somebody else build it for you?  

A full transcript of the President's remarks can be found here.

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We'll Miss Bob.

This Saturday Richmond laid Robert Patterson Jr, former head of McGuireWoods to rest.  As a long time family friend, we were honored to be present at his memorial service at Saint Mary's Episcopal Church, and were truly awed by the outpour of support and reverence for this great man.  Quoted as the last "gentleman of the old school" and a "local lion" in recent articles in The Richmond Times Dispatch, this legend of a businessman and admired member of our commonwealth will be sorely missed.  

See these two incredible articles reflecting on Bob's life, here and here.

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Senator Yvonne Miller's Memorial Service

Senator Yvonne Miller was a true trailblazer, not only because she was the first African American woman to take office, or because she was the longest serving woman in the Virginia General Assembly, but because of her lifetime of accomplishments as a public servant.

This article in the Virginia Pilot highlights Senator Miller's commitment to being a "voice for the voiceless" and details the impact she has had on countless lives.  We at The Graham Consulting Group feel incredibly privileged to have interacted with such an amazing person over our combined twenty years in public affairs and feel we all can learn from the following quote from Reverand William Tyree III, who spoke at Senator Miller's Memorial Service.

"Millers life demonstrates that "one person can make a difference," said the Rev. William Tyree III, of First Baptist Church, Berkley.

"Every accomplishment that Sen. Miller made, she reached back to pull somebody else along the way," Tyree said. "Every door of opportunity that was opened for her, she escorted somebody else who did not have the opportunity or access."

Governor McDonnell named today "Yvonne B. Miller Day" as a tribute to her lifetime of achievements.

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Imagine America Honors Frank Longaker with Lifetime Achievement Award

The Graham Consulting Group would like to congratulate Frank Longaker, President of National College, for being selected as Imagine America's Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.  Imagine America honors one career college founder/owner annually for excellence in leadership and management of their institution.  Read the full story here.

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Watch this amazing segment where Patrick Swayze's wife, Lisa Swayze, speaks about The Pancreatic Cancer Research and Education Act, a bill that would help find a cure for the deadliest form of Cancer!  Find out about National Call-In Day here: http://www.pancan.org/section_get_involved/advocate/advocacy_day_2012/national_call-in.html

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What a success story! Years ago, so many speculated on the future of Green Top when Gander Mountain showed up...concerned that they would push Green Top out.  Instead, Green Top showed up strong, delivered amazing customer service, showed unparallelled expertise in their field, and maintained a great network of dedicated customers.  Proud of you Green Top.

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A tip of the hat to the RTD.

What do you think?  

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And in other news, today is Wednesday.