My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in The Virginian-Pilot Thursday. One of the best things about writing is the research that goes into it. It never fails that I end up learning something new. In this case, it was the link between the last major scandal Virginia endured - that of Norfolk state senator Peter … Continue reading ICYMI: What will McDonnell scandal produce?
Lambda Legal, The American Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia filed suit today to overturn Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage. The press release is here. The actual filing is here. The plantiffs in the suit are Joanne Harris and Jessica Duff of Staunton and Christy Berghoff and Victoria Kidd of … Continue reading Suit filed to end VA’s marriage ban
The big story coming out yesterday was Gov. Bob McDonnell's announcement that he is going to give back the gifts he received from BFF Jonnie Williams, including the Rolex. As I read somewhere else, I'm not sure what value there will be in an engraved watch. Maybe the governor can just pay Williams for it … Continue reading McDonnell to give back gifts, throws Cooch under the bus
My op-ed, title above, appeared in USA Today Monday. There is a seemingly growing dissatisfaction with the two major candidates for governor. It seems everywhere I go, that's what I'm hearing. The more people learn about the two candidates, the more they wish there was another choice. (Of course, there is a third choice, Libertarian … Continue reading ICYMI: Virginia isn’t for governors
The money quote: "Poverty is no longer an issue of 'them', it's an issue of 'us'," says Mark Rank, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis who calculated the numbers. "Only when poverty is thought of as a mainstream event, rather than a fringe experience that just affects blacks and Hispanics, can we really … Continue reading Poverty in America
My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in The Virginian-Pilot Thursday. Until I read the Ohio court order, I had no clue that the couple mentioned had been married on the same day and in the same state as I had been. I spoke with someone yesterday who had been following me on Twitter that day; … Continue reading ICYMI: A tale of two marriages
After months of press reports of gifts and loans, Gov. Bob McDonnell issued an apology via Twitter yesterday and announced that he had repaid two loans, with interest. No doubt McDonnell thinks this will make everything good again. Um, think again. Trust is something that is earned, over a long period of time, and given … Continue reading Not nearly enough
It's no longer a matter of "if", but "when." Marriage equality will come to every state, including Virginia. Last week, two Norfolk men filed suit challenging Virginia's marriage inequality. Three days later, an Ohio judge issued a restraining order which forbade the registrar of deaths from accepting a death certificate that did not reflect that … Continue reading The day will come
The Zimmerman trial exposed what many are unwilling to acknowledge: there remains a deep racial divide in this country. The Washington Post released poll numbers yesterday on the verdict, but the issue is really deeper: In the Post-ABC News poll, 86 percent of African Americans say blacks and other minorities do not get equal treatment … Continue reading Two Americas
A few articles that caught my eye: Let's enact a new Voting Rights Act. Some commonsense solutions in here. I suggested to Rep. Bobby Scott, after last November's long voting lines, that the federal government implement voting procedures for its races that would be the same across the country. (That is pretty much what happened … Continue reading Quick hits 07/22/13
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 