Yes, I’m buried. (Even more so than normal.) A few posts from around the ‘net:
- Norfolk CSB sues staffers to recover no-show worker’s pay.This is a no-brainer. Somebody should be held responsible for this. Interesting that the attorney for a couple of the staffers is questioning why the Norfolk City Attorney’s office, who investigated the complaint that caused the worker to be placed on leave, never followed up with her termination, a charge CA Pishko calls “Absurd.”
- A break from redistricting. The General Assembly plans are in the hands of the Governor. The House and Senate have competing plans for the Congressional districts, so they are taking a break until April 25.
- Need tax help? The federal tax filing deadline is not April 15 this year, but April 18, due to a holiday in Washington DC. Smart states, like New Jersey, likewise extended their due date as well. Virginia, on the other hand, did not, so returns normally due on April 15 will still be due on that day. Although I’ve received numerous emails reminding me of this, I can’t locate it on the website.
- Civil War was about slavery. So says Leonard Pitts. And James Loewen.
What did I miss? Link it in the comments.
EDIT: Oops, forgot one. Birthers undermine GOP chances. Or at least that was the headline when I read the article in the Pilot. Gee – ya think?
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
C-Span played a panel discussion on Politics and Minorities the other day and it had Donna Brazile, Michael Steele, and Bakari Sellers, a state rep from South Carolina. Both Brazile and Sellers spoke about the problems inherent in majority-minority districts. If you have time, I’d highly recommend it, the level of candid conversation was at an all time high.
“I’m worried about the proliferation of what I call the so called ‘minority-majority’ districts that on one hand has given African Americans, Hispanics, and others a significant number of increases in the United States Congress; but at what cost? At what price? Are they able to then take those districts and then leverage them for economic gains or political gains in the legislature? Are we able to elect another Duvall Patrick in the political arena? We have a lot of steps to take for us before we can finally claim that we are post-racial.” – Donna Brazile
“The type of politician that I desire, that I want, especially an African-American politician, can and should be able to win the 35% district. I just think they should have that ability in a 35% district to go out and reach across lines.” – Bakari Sellers
“In South Carolina, what no one will tell you is this simple fact. You cannot run statewide from the black district. You cannot run statewide effectively from the black district…Because it’s the perception that you are concerned about, it’s a box, you are only concerned about African Americans.” – Bakari Sellers
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Factors
I thought VA state taxes were due on May 1st?
Some are, others are not. Individual returns are due May 1 (actually May 2, because May 1 is a Sunday).
Some of the business returns were due April 15. A lot of the state legislatures across the country that had a due date of 4/15 extended it to 4/18 because of the federal deadline change. But VA didn’t.