Rob Krupicka

Rob Krupicka

Template:TOCnestleft Rob Krupicka was, until 2015, a Virginia State delegate. Born February 18, 1971, Kupricka, a Democrat, he served on the Alexandria, Virginia city council from 2003–2012, the Virginia State Board of Education from 2009–2012 and, since September 28, 2012, in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Reforming taxi industry

In 2003, after more than a year of discussion and several public hearings, the Alexandria City Council decided to make no substantive changes to the city’s taxicab system. However, last year, a new council with four new members decided to look at the issue again. Council members Rob Krupicka and Ludwig Gaines began work to devise a system that is acceptable to drivers, companies and taxicab users alike.

“We have had several meetings with all of the parties that are involved and plan to present a new proposal to City Council later this month,” Krupicka said. “We fully understand that no one proposal is going to give everyone involved everything they want. However, we hope that everyone will come away with having gotten something. This entire process is about compromise and a willingness to work together.”

Working together has become more complicated because of a split among the drivers. The Alexandria United Taxi drivers Organization was previously a group under the auspices of the Alexandria Tenant and Workers Support Committee. This summer, Kathleen Henry, who worked for TWSC as an organizer and who was the contact person with AUTO, left TWSC and formed her own organization. That organization is AUTO Inc. and she is the president. Jon Liss, the executive director of TWSC, is working with a group of drivers known as AUTO/TWSC.

“We have about 200 drivers who are with us,” Henry said. “We believe that the time for talking is over and that it may now be time to file lawsuits. Several of these drivers have been talking to City Council for many years and council just doesn’t seem willing to listen, at least not to us.

“When I met with Councilmen Krupicka and Gaines, they told the drivers that they had to get rid of me. That’s also part of the split with TWSC. When TWSC got the $300,000 from the city, I believe that Jon was told he needed to curtail his political activities. That group of drivers who are with TWSC are, shall we say, maybe more civil. We just want to take some action,” Henry said.

Gaines denied making any such demand. “That is just complete nonsense,” he said. “Kathleen simply wants to go in a direction that we are not willing to go and the fact that she could make such accusations speaks volumes.”

Liss admitted THAT there was a split and that it is not amicable. “We are proceeding to work with Councilmen Gaines and Krupicka toward the goal of reforming the city’s taxi system,” Liss said. “We are proceeding based on a proposal that was approved based on a democratic vote.

“We know that we aren’t going to get everything we want but we are optimistic, based on our meetings, that we can begin to take real steps toward reform,” he said.

Liss said that TWSC is working with a group of multinational drivers who comprise 70 to 80 percent of all taxicab drivers in the city. He responded to Henry’s accusations about being urged to decrease the organization’s “political” activity.

“Our disagreement with Kathleen had nothing to do with our getting a loan from the city for our new building,” Liss said. “Her accusations are outrageous and are coming from a disgruntled ex-employee.” The $300,000 was given to TWSC in the form of a 99-year loan to purchase a new facility on Mt. Vernon Avenue. City Council approved the loan during budget deliberations last May.

VSPN event

Virginia Student Power Network‎ Hearing on Student Debt — with Rob Krupicka at Virginia General Assembly January 2015.

Delegate Rob Krupicka (D-Alexandria) met with the Virginia Student Power Network, a coalition of student activists concerned about college access and affordability, today to discuss chronically increasing tuition and student debt rates.

“If we want to invest in Virginia’s economy, we must begin with education,” Delegate Krupicka stated. “Instead of penalizing young adults by hiking up tuition rates and requiring them to take on massive amounts of debt to finance their education, we should be promoting sensible ways to increase college affordability and helping our students prepare for tomorrow’s jobs.”

Delegate Krupicka continued that Virginia could start this process through his bill, HB 1877, by allowing certain coal tax credits to expire and using that revenue to fund the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program, 50% of which would be reserved for students from coal districts. “Whether we like it or not, Virginia’s coal tax credits are not working and reserves are quickly drying up. In order to prepare for the future, we must begin investing in the students of Southwest Virginia and our entire Commonwealth. Providing an affordable college degree would ensure that students can graduate and bring their success back into their communities by buying homes and starting businesses.”

The Virgina Student Power Network’s conference was also hosted by the New Virginia Majority. Tram Nguyen, Co-Executive Director of New Virginia Majority, said "Delegate Krupicka’s bill would lower the need for students to borrow and make it more likely for them to finish a degree. Moreover, there will be funds dedicated to students from counties in the southwestern part of the state that has been hardest hit by the economic downturn and that could stand to benefit the most from strong investment in education and worker training. This is an important issue to young voters, students, as well as parents."

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