Discover Smith Mountain Lake
SPRING 2016
43
42
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suggestions, puzzle solutions, and any photos and articles that you care to submit
to us.
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If you would like to submit a photograph or article for consideration, please observe
the following guidelines:
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• Articles should be relevant to SML or the immediate area, including:
o History of the area
o Interesting personalities in the community
o Adventures, life experiences, etc. of people with strong ties to the lake
o SML clubs, organizations, churches
o Culture and the Arts at the lake
o Fiction and humor from local writers.
While we encourage everyone to submit anything of his or her choosing, we cannot
guarantee that we will use your submission(s). Anything that is used may appear in
any subsequent issue of the magazine. We discourage readers from submitting the
following types of content:
• News stories, political opinion and other topical pieces that “age” quickly.
• Book reviews, restaurant and theater reviews
• Event driven stories, although we may print a photo or two from time to time
• Articles designed to promote or advertise a specific business
Please send submissions to:
Discover SML Magazine
40 Village Springs Dr., Suite 25, Hardy, VA 24101
Or via e-mail to:
From Our Readers
Dear Mr. Ernandes,
Every issue of Discover has been
good in all these recent years, and
this year’s Winter issue is superb!
Tears accompanied my reading
of the Christmas story,
The Most
Precious Gift
. My laughter went
along on your road trip,
Road
Wearier
. The calendar photos,
as always, are just right for each
month.
You certainly can be proud of your
first Alex Ernandes Scholarship
Awardee. I read the fish articles
because my husband, Tom, zeroed
in on them. I checked out the
Brain Teaser and even the poem,
In the Bleak Midwinter
, struck a
chord for me.
All in all, the Discover Winter
issue 2015-16 was a pleasure to
read, and I wanted to tell you.
Tim, your Editor’s Note left me
counting my blessings. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Nancy Rae Brown
Read us online at:
DiscoverSmithMountainLake.com
inspire me to get rid of Obamacare? My premiums
have doubled… I’m keeping my health coverage,
and that will inspire me.” He also promises not to
take any Congressional retirement money. “I’ve
already taken care of my retirement. I’m very
comfortable where I am.”
His wife Kathy has agreed to work with him
without drawing a salary of her own.
“She’s an integral part of the organization… she’s
really helped me out quite a bit.”
McKelvey promises to be a “citizen legislator”,
serving no more than
eight years. “I just
turned 60 years old,
and I’m not looking
for another career…
I’m limiting myself to
8 years… When I enter
Congress, I’ll be 61. I’ll
be self-terminating.”
Speaking of term limits,
Jim has spearheaded
a campaign to place
term limits on all of
our politicians. “I think
every elected official
should be term limited.
Our founders never
intended for there to
be career politicians,
and
that’s
partly
what’s destroying this
country.” He invites
people to visit the
organization’s web page,
,
to learn more.
He believes that he is
well suited to address
the problems that he
sees. “My experience as a private business owner is
really going to aid me in addressing the problems
of the country… we need people in there who
know how to handle money… it’s a budget… and
you spend less than you take in… the solutions are
very easy.”
As a building contractor and developer, McKelvey
is not afraid to be bold. “We are spending billions
and billions of dollars that we don’t have supporting
these illegals. It’s got to stop. Put me down to the
border. I’ll put the wall up ahead of schedule and
below budget.”
He’s also concerned about the money that seems
to drive our political system. “Our politicians are
owned by special interests, (and) by Super PACs.”
He has a unique take on the cause, and believes
he has a solution. “90 percent of the people who
vote get their information from commercials. Let’s
limit the amount of money that each candidate can
spend, and force them to use the internet to inform
the public.”
“Typically, whoever has the most money wins,”
he laments, although he acknowledges that
there are exceptions. “Eric Cantor… ignored his
constituents, and his ego got a whole lot bigger
than he did… and he just thought he could never
lose.”
When asked about how he reconciles his willingness
to accept campaign financing against all of this, he
shrugs and says, “No-one is going to buy my vote.
When I vote or I author a bill, it has to fit three
criteria:
1. Do we need it?
2. Does it fit the constitution?
The constitution…
is written in black and white, it’s not open to
interpretation.
3. How will you pay for it ?
You’re gonna have to
rob Paul to pay Peter, ‘cause I’m not raising taxes.
I’ve got two years to prove myself. People who
know me know that I stand on principle. In two
years’ time, if I did not do what I said I was going
to do, then you are beholden to vote me out.”
Jim McKelvey makes no bones about how we got
into this mess in the first place, with so many career
politicians doing the bidding of special interests :
“It’s the voters’ fault – yours and mine -- because
we keep voting them back in.”
Let’s see if “Mr. McKelvey Goes to Washington”.
Good news!
Every issue of Discover SML is available online!
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