VAPBA Members,

On September 16, 2006, The Virginia Division PBA Board of Trustees met in Richmond to discuss the candidates we would be endorsing for the Congressional offices that are up for election this November. That day and the day prior, a screening committee made up of VA PBA chapter leaders came together and interviewed candidates representing a majority of the districts from U.S. Senate to the House of Representatives. This was a very important process for the VA PBA and its members.  It gave us a chance to find out about the candidates, both incumbents and opponents as well as give them the opportunity to find out about the PBA and our concerns. It was a very educational process. From this meeting, we agreed that the following candidates will support our issues of due process, retirement, and protection of personal information and we publicly support and endorse their election into Congressional office. They are:       

• JAMES WEBB (D) for US SENATE

• CONGRESSWOMAN JO ANN DAVIS (R) for DISTRICT 1

• PHILLIP KELLAM (D) for DISTRICT 2

• CONGRESSMAN ROBERT “BOBBY” SCOTT (D) for DIST. 3

• TOM O’DONOGHUE (R) for DISTRICT 8

• CHARLES “BILL” CARRICO (R) for DISTRICT 9

• JUDY FEDER (D) for DISTRICT 10

• CONGRESSMAN THOMAS DAVIS III (R) for DISTRICT 11

I strongly urge each of you to contact your local chapters and find out what you can do to help get our candidates into office.  Something as simple as spending a couple of hours on a day off canvassing a neighborhood or at a local fair passing out flyers, writing in letters to your newspapers, showing support at local debates or spending a few hours at your local election polls the day of election is what each of us should do. It will make a difference and it shows the candidates that we are serious about our support for them. To help you stay up to date with bills in Congress as well as Virginia, please go to our website (www.vapba.org) and click on the CapWiz icon.  From there you can see what is going on as well as subscribe to Action E- List and Mega Vote to have the information sent to you as it happens.

During this weekend, along with your chapter leaders that were there, we also had in attendance SSPBA President Jack Roberts, Jeff Fluck (Director of Governmental Affairs), Terry Nowell, (Director of Training and Research) Marlon Trone (Director of the Police Benevolent Foundation) and Gary Martin (Executive Director for the VA PBA). While Jeff and Gary were there to help us through the screening and endorsement process of the candidates, Jack, Terry and Marlon were there to educate us on the Police Benevolent Foundation.  The Foundation is an extension of the PBA and is governed by the same Board of Directors as the SSPBA.  The Foundation, which has a charitable donation status, has four key initiatives that we plan to accomplish:

• To provide financial support for the families and survivors of officers whose deaths occur in the line of duty. 

• To help fund activities and services, including defending human and civil rights of law enforcement officers.

• To fund scholarships for children of law enforcement officers.

• To continue to provide assistance for law enforcement officers affected by natural and man-made disasters.

All donations made to the Foundation are 100% tax deductible and will directly benefit law enforcement officers and their families.  One aspect of this that directly affects the VA PBA is the naming of a VA Division scholarship.  Each state division will be allotted monies to contribute to the children of members in the form of scholarships.  We will be deciding in the future, as we learn more about this process, how we will go about doing this and what requirements will be set before us, but until then, we have a great opportunity laid before us. To do this though, the Foundation needs to have donations made to it.  Each of us needs to get out in our communities and find people and organizations that will donate to the Foundation.  The Foundation has pre–made cards to help us with identifying possible donors that can be sent out and help you with this.  I must say that for the Foundation to be successful with accruing donations, as with any charitable organization, all members should give. I have and I strongly urge each of you to pledge whatever you can to help these worthy causes. To find out more about the Foundation and to give your charitable donation to it, visit our website: www.policebenevolentfoundation.org.

As to the status of the Virginia Division of the PBA, a majority of our chapters are now in compliance. We are still in the process of reorganizing our chapters. Aspects I am keeping in mind are geographical areas, law enforcement academies and joint task forces. For those of you who have already contacted me about this with your ideas, they are a part of the process and for those who have ideas and would like to pass them on to me, please do (acsadler49@cox.net). I look forward to hearing from you. Our next Board meeting should be taking place in March where we will be electing our next Board of Directors. Until then, please help recruit one new member into our Association, support the candidates for office who support our issues, donate to our Foundation and above all else – Stay Safe! 

Sincerely,

 A.C. “Woody Sadler

Trustee – VA PBA

President – Colonial Chapter