Column: Creating a Need
Creating a need or entitlement is a favorite occupation for socialists. An unmet need is fodder for growing the government and expanding its reach into our lives. Delegate Ken Plum continually writes about unmet needs ("A Budget Divide," The Reston Connection, February 29-March 6, 2012).
Editorial: Interrupting Harassment and Bullying
Empowering bystanders to intervene, students to set boundaries.
With a controversial and much discussed new movie, "Bully," coming out this week, local school districts continue to wrestle with the issue of bullying in the schools.
Column: Balancing the Budget
Adjourning a 60-day legislative session without approving a biennial budget may seem like Washington-style failure to some, but to those who work closely with the process taking more time to balance the budget reflects the realities and limitations of the tremendous task involved. Contrasted to federal budget-making, there are no continuing resolutions or the ability to print or borrow money.
Column: Spring has Sprung
It is officially spring — "a time of growth and renewal." Indeed, it seems this year that growth and renewal are upon us almost before we are ready.
Editorial: ‘Practices That Undermine Trust’
Virginia gets a failing grade on ethics rules.
The State Integrity Investigation is "designed to expose practices that undermine trust in state capitols — and spotlight the states that are doing things right."
Column: “Here, There And Everywhere”
The Beatles sang it on their “Revolver” album back in the mid 60s. My wife and I danced to it in the late 70s when we selected it as “first song as husband and wife” – in 1978. And recently we felt it, three years after my stage IV lung cancer diagnosis, as our reaction/assessment to the many similarly diagnosed individuals who’ve shared their lung cancer stories with us. Who knew?
Column: “Early Results Show Stable Disease”
There’s five words e-mailed from my oncologist that I can live with (Duh!). Certainly better than the previous nine words e-mailed eight weeks ago regarding my then current CT Scan: “Scan results show progression. We’ll talk more on Friday.”
Editorial: So Hard to Imagine?
Poor families face challenges that officials and many of the rest of us have trouble envisioning.
The Commonwealth of Virginia and even Northern Virginia includes many poor families and individuals. But officials seem to have trouble wrapping their brains around some of the difficulties this can cause.
Column: Overreach
If a single word or phrase can describe a General Assembly session, the 2012 meeting of the state legislature would be known for “overreach.”
Column: Gone Rogue
We have a non-elected governing body having a significant impact on our lives: The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
Column: Look What She Saw—Sort Of
Well there’s five seconds that fellow super-market-shopper won’t have back anytime soon. The question, the curiosity is: will she have nightmares and/or live to regret staring at me so intently that I think I may have seen the whites of her eyes – and it wasn’t even remotely dark?
Column: General Assembly Session Stalled
The beautiful red and pink camellias on Capitol Square in Richmond have been blooming for a couple of weeks.
Letter: Chambers ‘Frustrated’ With General Assembly
Letter to the Editor
On behalf of the Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership, comprising the Dulles Regional, Greater Reston and Loudoun County chambers of commerce, we would like to convey our collective frustration with the conduct of the 2012 Virginia General Assembly and remind you of the priority we shared at the start of the 2012 session – to support policies that promote a strong, pro-business environment that enhances Virginia’s economic competitiveness, cultivates growth in all segments of our economy, and ensures adequate access to critical business infrastructure and resources. At this point in the session, on behalf of our 2,800 business members and their more than 100,000 employees, we urge you, once again, to focus on this top priority.
Editorial: Reenacting a Dark History?
Turning back the clock in Richmond.
Who could have anticipated that our elected officials would take African-American History month and Women's History month so seriously that they would literally try to turn back the clock?
Column: Protecting Residents in Tax, Road Debates
Congress finally has acted to ensure payroll tax relief for 170 million individuals and families through the rest of 2012. This additional tax relief is critical for maintaining the momentum of the economic recovery, and Northern Virginians will realize an average savings of $2,000 per household.