Mark Brooks
Martinsville unemployment 15.6% while Robert Hurt votes on another abortion bill
At a time when some localities in the 5th Congressional District have high unemployment rates, our congressman, Robert Hurt (R-Chatham) has been doing exactly as he is told. His masters in Congress give him the instructions. This means voting against extended unemployment, voting against actual job plans brought to the House, and voting to restrict … Continue reading
Robert Hurt tired of Washington already
(I have delayed talking about next year’s Congressional races until after the elections here in Virginia were over. I will have a lot to say about Hurt, his inaction in Congress, and his habit of following instead of leading.) In an interview with the Farmville Herald published on October 6, 2011, Robert Hurt answered the … Continue reading
Christmas music mixes online
A couple of years ago, Waldo Jaquith posted a few places where you can find some Christmas music mixes. I am reposting them here, in hopes of perpetuating them and for people to enjoy the holidays with a mix usually about an hour apiece.
Social Security especially important in rural areas
The Daily Yonder, a great place for facts and information, had an article recently about the increased dependence on Social Security payments by those in rural areas of the country. The article argues that a higher percentage of residents receive benefits, and that the average payment is also higher than the national averages or the … Continue reading
Cumberland County voted out 4 of 5 Supervisors last Tuesday
After waiting until Wednesday evening for results, Cumberland County voters finally knew who would represent District 3 as a supervisor. A voting machine malfunction at 6:30AM on voting day caused the totals to not be able to be read by the poll workers and the Registrar. SBE personnel had to come to Cumberland to work … Continue reading
Connie Brennan gains News-Advance endorsement (HD-59)
Connie Brennan of Nelson County, the Democratic nominee for the House of Delegates seat in District 59, has gained the endorsement of the News-Advance newspaper based in Lynchburg. Brennan, who was also a candidate 4 years ago for the same seat, is finishing her campaign with a flourish in the shrunken district. The News-Advance editorial … Continue reading
Candidate Bert Dodson answers some questions (Senate-22)
I recently had a chance to interview Bert Dodson (by email), Democrat running for the Senate in the newly-formed 22nd District. He is a businessman from Lynchburg, and has served on the City Council. Here then are the questions I asked and answers from Mr. Dodson. My questions are in italics, his answer has his … Continue reading
How much money does your doctor take from industry?
The investigative website ProPublica has announced further results in their investigation into money that is given to medical professionals by those in the medical industry, such as pharmaceutical companies. It’s a very handy compilation of money listed from all 50 states that goes to professionals in the form of promotional items (pens, clipboards, etc) and … Continue reading
Selective journalism and parsing comments
Actually, I shouldn’t really call one of these examples journalism at all. It reads more like an essay from a jealous ninth grader that just can’t get over it. There is that example, which I will get to shortly, and another, in which a blogger took the parts of a news article and used only … Continue reading
Cumberland NAACP to hold candidates forum
Local officials have their elections this year as well, such as Supervisors, School Board, and Treasurer. In Cumberland County, there are positions that are uncontested, even School Board Districts 3 and 4 – without candidates at all. This year the Cumberland NAACP forum is in the Cumberland Elementary Cafeteria. The program starts at 4 … Continue reading
Your demographic pulse
Not everyone may be aware that the “long form” of the Census was actually separated from the rest of the Census questionnaire after the 2000 Census. This was done in an effort to provide more timely information in between the Census taken every ten years. Last week, the American Community Survey (ACS) results for 2010 … Continue reading
Is Robert Hurt afraid of his constituents?
My Congressman, Robert Hurt, had a recess in August, along with the rest of Congress. He decided not to have town hall meetings with all his constituents, but to drive down a highway in the extreme southern portion of the district, Route 58. To be fair, there was also a “Route 29 Tour” Where I … Continue reading
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