Democrat Kathleen Murphy to Oppose Comstock in November
Murphy, a McLean resident, plans to focus on human rights, transportation and education.
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McLean Democrat Kathleen Murphy will challenge Virginia Del. Barbara Comstock (R-34th) in this November’s House of Delegates Election.
Murphy, a veteran political consultant who kicked off her campaign earlier this week, says she's running because she believes her opponent has failed to represent the best interests of the 34th District, which includes Great Falls and parts of Tysons, Vienna, McLean and Loudoun County.
“I don’t believe that our delegate in Richmond votes for us,” Murphy told Patch. “She doesn’t vote for our priorities or our values and I think we can do better.”
Murphy, a Fairfax County resident for more than 20 years, said she plans focus on transportation, education and human rights issues during her campaign.
Murphy called Comstock’s voting record “egregious,” pointing specifically to her affirmative votes on women’s rights issues such as transabdominal ultrasounds and personhood.
“There hasn’t been a positive that she’s done on women’s issues,” Murphy said.
Furthermore, Murphy disagreed with her opponent’s 2012 vote on House Bill 189, which gives private adoption agencies the authority to refuse adoptions on grounds of religion. Immediately upon its passage through the state legislature, the bill came under fire from LGBT groups.
“How can you vote against gay people being able to adopt a child?” Murphy asked.
In a statement to Patch, Susan Falconer, Comstock’s campaign manager, maintained that Comstock — a 30-year resident of Mclean — has always kept her constituents’ values and priorities in mind.
“No one has worked harder than Delegate Comstock for the priorities of our District – from promoting our technology community and passing significant legislation on tech jobs and teleworking, to reversing the proposed $120 million school budget cuts in Northern Virginia that faced us when she was first elected,” Falconer said. “She has helped secure more funding for our schools and led the effort on getting all day kindergarten in our schools and continues to fight for more in-state college spots for our college students.”
Falconer also cited Comstock’s action on humanitarian issues.
“She has been a leader on stopping the heinous crime of human trafficking in Virginia and helping those suffering from Lyme Disease," Falconer said. "Barbara has earned the bipartisan support of business, community and philanthropic leaders with her record of fighting for our priorities and delivering common sense results.”
Murphy also took issue with Comstock’s proposed legislation to deal with class sizes in Fairfax County Public Schools – a bill that Murphy said lacks an adequate source of funding.
“Comstock is proposing bills to limit the size of classes, but there’s no money behind what she’s proposing,” Murphy said. “It will only further exacerbate the problem of education funding.”
Murphy did acknowledge that Fairfax County schools were too crowded and were in need of change.
“I’ve got kids that went through Fairfax County Public Schools and I know that they’re good,” she said. “But as the population has increased they are crowded. I do think we need to be concerned about this.”
Finally, Murphy said that transportation improvements were a necessity in the region. She said the needed projects were "too numerous" to name all at once.
In her statement, Falconer also noted Comstock's work on transportation projects.
"She has been a champion for our local transportation concerns, most notably in the successful and completely bipartisan effort to change VDOT's plan for Route 7/Georgetown Pike intersection as well as fighting for sound walls in our local community," Falconer said.
Murphy said she wasn’t nervous or apprehensive about the campaign.
“I look forward to winning in November,” she said.
Murphy is the president of Johnson Murphy and Associates. She served in the administration of former President Bill Clinton as a Senior Advisor for International Trade issues at the Department of Commerce.
Murphy also serves on the Human Services Council and the Health Care Task Force for Fairfax County.
Greg Brandon
1:05 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Kathleen Murphy personally understands the costs of proliferation of guns that Barbara Comstock and her friends at the NRA and ALEC have irresponsibly pushed onto our otherwise civil society.
Barbara Comstock . . .
. . . Voted to repeal the "one-gun-a-month" purchase law. (HB 940; http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+vot+HV0370+HB0940)
. . . Voted to restrict cities and counties from conducting gun buyback programs and forced the re-sale of those weapons. (HB 22)
. . . Voted to prohibit local government from banning weapons in their workplaces and parking lots. (HB 375; http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+vot+HV1589+HB0375)
. . . Voted for codifying the "castle" doctrine which allows the use of force not commensurate with the threat. (HB 14; http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+vot+HV0581+HB0014)
Thanks to Comstock and her hard core reactionary friends in our capitol, the voices of moderate Virginia Republicans are squashed. Unfortunately, this means that ALL Virginia Republicans suffer indirectly from the barbs cast by late night talk show hosts. Mandatory transvaginal ultrasounds? I'm pretty sure a majority of women -- and a lot of their husbands -- in the 34th delegate district shout, "No Thank You, Delegate Comstock!"
Ivy Main
9:15 am on Friday, February 1, 2013
I'm looking forward to hearing more from Kathleen Murphy. Delegate Comstock has voted too often with the far right of her party, and not just on the hot-button issues. She also voted for the "outer beltway," a developer boondoggle (and highway to nowhere, since it won't cross the Potomac) that will lead to more traffic congestion here if it gets built. You just can't say you care about transportation if you vote to make traffic worse, simply because sprawl is part of the Republican ideology.
Navid Roshan
1:12 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
I would consider myself independent, but the wreckless spending of the GOP as well as the gerrymandering that has occurred in our state this year tied to the national RNC meeting goals in Williamsburg have all but led me to demanding change and getting rid of the GOP in our area. They no longer look out for us. Look at the new gas tax proposal which will shift an even higher burden of state funding onto NOVA residents via higher sales tax all the while we continue to receive less and less transportation funding.
Delegate Comstock needs to let me know why she deserves to remain in office, and what she has done to help our community not the Richmond GOP.
Navid Roshan
1:35 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Sprawl is part of the GOP ideology because some of the biggest donors are home builders and land developers. Trust me I used to work with alot of them in the hayday of housing, they want nothing more than to keep stretching the boundaries of NOVA out into Hamilton and Western Loudoun and fuel that growth with more highways ultimately unpaid for by them
Rob Jackson
1:06 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Kathleen Murphy is the wrong person for the job of state delegate. She insulted the integrity of the McLean Citizens Association, accusing it of not be fair and even handed during the 2011 Candidates Night. That, of course, is a lie. I was told by representatives of both political parties after both events that they thought the MCA's treatment of everyone was fair. Ms. Murphy's ideological allegations included claims we were playing games with written questions from the audience, when, in fact, questions were vetted by one representative from each candidate's campaign. We worked hard to be fair and should not be the subject of Kathleen Murphy's lie. The McLean Citizens Association and its many volunteers work hard for the community. It's simply wrong that the MCA's and my integrity is attacked by the Democratic Candidate for state delegate.
Freddie
1:07 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Ivy, I think that people should live where they want to live, and not be forced to live in urban high rises, which is what the "smart growth" people want almost everyone to live.
Navid Roshan
1:15 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
... Freddie that is not at all what "smart growthers" want. If you want to fix congestion you need to listen to people who are engineers and planners. No one is saying turn mclean into a high rise, but by focusing development on blocks in tysons you can stop bad sprawl growth elsewhere.
I dont understand why people have to go to extremes. Smart growth at its core means PRESERVING more space. What we have in NOVA right now is development run amuck. People are building as far out into agro lands as fast as they can and ultimately not paying back into the systems that support those things like utilities and roads which become stretched thin.
Smart growth is about being a pressure relief valve not a central planning enforcement to make everyone live in boxes.
This comment has really depressed me
Rob Jackson
3:13 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Roshan, you are simply wrong about smart growth. It does NOT reduce traffic congestion. The high-intensity development at Tysons will permit some people to live there without adding an equivalent amount of automobile trips. Some can walk or bike to work, and others may take rail or buses. Services, such as ZipCar, should also flourish in Tysons. That's all and good. But any growth adds car trips. Tysons is adding so many more car trips that we need $2.149 billion in road improvements (2012) dollars. Included in those improvements as many as 3-to-5 more lanes on the Dulles Toll Road, an additional lane on the Beltway from Route 7 to I-66, replacement of the intersection of Lewinsville-Great Falls and 123 with an overpass (read interchange). There need to be additional ramps to and from the Toll Road. One set will most likely be visible from McLean Hamlet. Some land from Wolf Trap National Park needs to be transferred to VDOT or MWAA. I believe there will be additional invasions of Chesapeake Bay resource protection areas. There will need to be strip takings of some residents' backyards. A few residents might lose their entire lot.
I think Tysons gives people more choices in housing. I'm all for that. But any growth in Fairfax County puts burdens on existing residents.
Navid Roshan
11:09 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Ok, any growth puts more of a burden, that is fair. But the problem is the world isn't that simple. Opposing growth in fairfax means more people will continue to move into pwc and loudoun. Those people use Fairfax's roads to get to Fairfax, Arlington and DC, and now (unlike if they had lived in Fairfax) they dont even pay towards the infrastructure that they use.
That is the worst case scenario sir.
I respect what you have done with the MCA, I thought you were actually a good moderate voice on development and its importance in bringing money into our community and good jobs. But all development is not equal. There is such a thing as sustainable development, and what smart growth at its core is intended to do is to make sure, to the greatest extent possible, that the tax payers are not on the hook for robber baron mentality when it comes to land development.
That is what smart growth is. What it isnt? It isnt a mandate on others lifestyles. It is for providing more options so we as residents can enjoy the kind of lives we want to live. Teddy Roosevelt once said better cities preserve our natural lands. If you don't believe it, go to New York City, then head about 50 miles in land from New York City. Then report back.
Navid Roshan
11:21 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Id also point out that I am a transportation engineer, I have read all of the reports, I have reviewed in detail table 7 and frankly I disagree. The study is irrelevant firstly because it tries to attribute behaviors of suburban life onto a new and virgin ground in Fairfax.
It holds similar trip generation values as today, even though 100,000 residents are anticipated in Tysons. Can I ask you a logical question? If you are a prospective apartment dweller, why would you choose to live in Tysons instead of Arlington, DC, or Alexandria?
Because your job is in Tysons. Rent in the new Tysons apartments will be equivalent to all of those other regions, so it wont be because it is cheaper.
This concept hasn't even been thought of in the transportation study. Why? Because transportation engineers, of which I am one, are in charge of transportation. When it comes to land use there is a disconnect. It is like two parts of the brain that can't talk to each other. The land use guy designs a system to reduce traffic, but the transportation guy only sees zoning code and trips generated.
All that being said, with the political environment that is, I have no doubt that 2.15 billion will be spent, but whether it is needed is a whole other story.
PS, nothing you stated are elements of smart growth, so please dont lump us in with people who want to add freeway ramps on people's property. Thats like attributing Martin Luther King to the Black Panthers, it's frankly on its head
anne gruner
5:19 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
To say that Del Comstock "doesn't vote our priorities" or has done "nothing positive" for women is utterly absurd, unless you believe that women don't work, don't drive, and don't care about education or human trafficking. Comstock has done much in these areas with a majority of her bills passing the House AND Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support, including the capital gains tax exemption for tech investments, the telework and the R&D tax credit bills. She co-patroned the $4billion transportation plan, the largest single infusion in decades for 900 road projects including widening Rt 7. She's worked tirelessly for all day kindergarten for all of Fairfax County, more in-state positions at UVA, allowing schools to use unexpended funds for teacher bonuses and to determine their own start date, making solicitation of a minor a Class 5 felony, improving coordination on mental health between colleges and mental health facilities. The list goes on. Jobs is her priority and unemployment in VA has just fallen to 5.5%, the lowest in the Southeast and a full point lower than any neighboring state. I am very thankful to be represented by Del. Comstock.
Bonni
5:27 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Good grief -- already the democrat starts whining about birth control. It's the economy, stupid. Barbara Comstock and the Republican governor have done an amazing job keeping Virginia's economy stable -- and growing -- while the rest of the over-taxed, over-regulated country goes down the tubes. I am a woman. Stop belittling me and campaigning with unprotected sex without consequence. That is irrelevant in my life and all of my neighbors' lives. Barbara's work on education, jobs, and transportation are all in line with my goals and the best interests of the Commonwealth. I'm so tired of these politicians thinking we women are just looking for free love when we want jobs, good schools for our kids, and the government out of our pocketbooks. We are lucky Barbara Comstock is willing to serve!
Navid Roshan
11:14 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Your statement is devoid of reality. Many of the states with the lowest state tax rates are the highest receivers of federal aid and the highest unemployment. The reason why Virginia's economy is at 5.5% is because of Northern Virginia. Removing the counties of Loudoun, PWC, Arlington, and Fairfax Virginia actually has an unemployment rate of 9.5%, one of the worst on the east coast.
I hate to break it to you, but "socialist" NOVA is kicking the crap outta the low tax haven lands of the rest of the state, and the effective tax rate on business (including localized tax rates in order to make up for the lack of state funding) in NOVA is far greater than Roanoke, Richmond, or Norfolk.
I do agree that social issues in NOVA might not be a big deal... except for the fact that big government in Richmond continues to try and make it an issue.
Louise Epstein
8:44 pm on Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Barbara Comstock's class size bill, HB 1556, illustrates how well she represents her constituents on an issue of concern to many parents in her district.
Virginia already regulates class size through its Standards of Quality (SOQ), which allow school districts to average large class sizes in some schools with smaller class sizes in other schools. HB 1556 would require these existing class size ratios to be applied to each school separately.
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?131+ful+HB1556
FCPS average reported elementary school class sizes as of October 31, 2012 ranged from 16.7 students per class to 25.9 students.
http://www.fcps.edu/it/studentreporting/documents/ElmClassSizeAvg2012.pdf
The average reported class size was 21.9 students, well under state SOQ class size requirements. However, all but two McLean and Great Falls elementary schools reported average class sizes from 24.0 to 25.9 this year. Worse yet, individual class sizes sometimes exceed 30 students, especially during math instruction.
HB 1556 would have placed a fairly high upper limit on school-wide class sizes - one which most FCPS elementary schools outside our area already satisfy. That's why parents thanked Barbara Comstock at her recent town hall for introducing this bill.
Adams
1:06 am on Sunday, March 3, 2013
It's time to defeat NRA lapdog Barbara Comstock. She is completely out of touch w/her constituents on the gun issue and doesn't care. How can she be Catholic pro-life AND pro-NRA and gun proliferation at the same time? By being a hypocrite and pocketing the NRA's blood money, that's how. Bye-bye, Barbara.