Month: February 2007

Mayor’s State of the City Address

I attended the State of the City address, delivered by Mayor Paul Fraim today. (I had hoped to get a copy of his remarks but they haven't come yet. ) For the most part, the mayor portrayed a fairly rosy picture for Norfolk: homicide is down, assessments are up, investment in the city is up, … Continue reading Mayor’s State of the City Address →

To those who ask: Is Black History Month (Still) Necessary?

Guest editorial by John L. Horton In recent years, certain celebrities, like Morgan Freeman and others, have questioned the continuing significance and ongoing commitment for the observance and celebration of Black History Month. They say that the time has come for Black History Month to be absorbed into the overall cultural and historical fabric of … Continue reading To those who ask: Is Black History Month (Still) Necessary? →

Now you know why you’re not invited

Well, I have a 65" widescreen HDTV and I was going to invite all of you over for the game but I guess I can't do it now. Seems the NFL doesn't want folks having SuperBowl watch parties where the TV screens are larger than 55 inches, unless, of course, you happen to have a … Continue reading Now you know why you’re not invited →

US Senate passes minimum wage bill

The US Senate passed a minimum wage bill, raising it to $7.25 per hour over a two-year period. The Senate bill contains several other provisions, which will have to be reconciled with the House version of the bill which contains no additional provisions. Besides increasing the minimum wage from the current $5.15 an hour, the … Continue reading US Senate passes minimum wage bill →

SB 1168: Court-appointed compensation

According to the Virginia Fair Trial Project (formerly the Virginia Indigent Defense Coalition), Virginia provides the lowest compensation for court-appointed attorneys in the country. A court appointed attorney in Circuit Court is paid a maximum of $158 for a misdemeanor punishable by confinement, $1,235 for a felony punishable by more than 20 years confinement, and … Continue reading SB 1168: Court-appointed compensation →

Action needed before Friday

Got an email last night regarding proposed cuts to the FFELP program. It seems that there are those who want to reduce this successful private-public partnership and replace it with increases in the Direct Loan program, which relies on the federal treasury as a source of funds. This makes no sense to me. I'm told … Continue reading Action needed before Friday →

FL governor: voting paper trails

Florida Governor Charlie Crist would like to do away with touch screen voting machines and replace them with ones that generate a paper trail. Ensuring the integrity of elections is the cornerstone of any democracy, he said. "It's at the very foundation of it all. You go to an ATM machine, you get some kind … Continue reading FL governor: voting paper trails →

And we lose another

JC Wilmore, of The Richmond Democrat, announced in this post that he will no longer be blogging. The ranks of the blogsphere are thinning - rapidly. Good luck with your new job, JC.

Floor-Flippers

From Assembly Access: This year’s increased scrutiny of committee meetings has created an interesting new creature in the House of Delegates - the “Floor Flipper.” Floor Flippers vote for a bill in committee (often overwhelmingly), but later vote against the same bill when it arrives on the House floor. Now we know why they don't … Continue reading Floor-Flippers →