Freshman Rep. Scott Rigell (R-2nd) held his first town hall meeting since taking office Monday evening. An overflow crowd showed up for the event, which was held in the auditorium of the Virginia Beach Central Library. The event itself started a little late, because Rigell stood in the hallway talking to those who were unable … Continue reading Rigell’s first town hall
Category: Local
Norfolk City Council: 2/1/11
By Tommy Smigiel Sorry, but the City Council agenda for this week is not that interesting. This is one of those meetings that validates my point that we do not need to be meeting weekly. With only six public hearings and four resolutions on the agenda, the formal session should be completed in less than 15 minutes. Last week, we had … Continue reading Norfolk City Council: 2/1/11
58 cents a month
That is the additional cost per employee reported by JLARC for mandated health insurance coverage for autism treatment, according to this AP story. HB2467, introduced by Del. Tag Greason (R-Potomac Falls), passed the House Commerce and Labor Committee Thursday and is headed to the floor. The bill would "compel companies that employ 50 or more … Continue reading 58 cents a month
Rigell town hall Monday
Been meaning to mention this all week, since I saw it announced on his Facebook page. For whatever reason, I am not on his press list. Rep. Scott Rigell (R-2nd) will hold a town hall meeting this coming Monday, January 31. The event will be held at the Virginia Beach Central Library, located at 4100 … Continue reading Rigell town hall Monday
Kerry goes to Norfolk council
Virginian-Pilot columnist Kerry Dougherty attended the Norfolk City Council meetings Tuesday evening and witnessed the strange goings-on with which we are so familiar: It was, simply, a well-scripted City Hall show, with everyone in the room playing his or her part. And that's what she said about the informal session, the one not televised and, … Continue reading Kerry goes to Norfolk council
Hands across the aisle
My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in today's The Virginian-Pilot. As shown in the video in the post below, last night's State of the Union embraced a bit of this by having members of opposite parties sit together. But that was just for show. Despite all of the red meat that gets thrown to supporters, … Continue reading Hands across the aisle
Norfolk: Time to get involved
I am happy to join the All Politics is Local blog as a contributing writer. Since joining the Norfolk City Council, Vivian and I have discussed different ways to engage Norfolk citizens. While I have challenged our government to be open and accountable, I have also repeatedly expressed concern that our citizens don’t take the … Continue reading Norfolk: Time to get involved
Critical thinking in a fast-paced world
My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in today's The Virginian-Pilot. You might find this report (pdf) informative. I've found it bothersome that while there is this great push - both by Governor McDonnell and President Obama - to increase the number of college degrees, it seems we are not necessarily getting any more educated. That … Continue reading Critical thinking in a fast-paced world
I can’t believe I’m saying this…
... but I agree with Rep. Bob Marshall. In a op-ed published in The Virginian-Pilot today, Marshall discussed the need for his bill, HB1506. Most of you are familiar with some of the issues in related to foreclosures. Part of the problem relates to the difficulty in determining who actually holds the mortgages. Marshall explains: … Continue reading I can’t believe I’m saying this…
One Bad Bill
By Steve Vaughan With the General Assembly in session again, easy targets for the political commentator abound. I usually do a story for the Gazette on silly bills filed each year. I'll get to that soon. But a bill that's not so much silly as just bad has captured my attention. Sen. Steve Martin (R-Chesterfield) has … Continue reading One Bad Bill
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