"Open government is good government." Seems some of our elected representatives tend to forget that. This legislative recap from the Virginia Coalition for Open Government gives you an idea of why I say that, at least as it applies to Virginia. An editorial in Sunday's Virginian-Pilot raises the issue that the Norfolk Council needs to … Continue reading Sunshine Week: March 10 – 16
A recent study of census figures shows that the Danville area, near the North Carolina border, is the least wealthy area in the country. The ravages of the poor economy for years have take their toll on this entire area. This study by the Commonwealth shows many of the problems facing Danville. (These studies are … Continue reading Study: Danville least wealthy area in the country
... I told you so. Not once but twice. In a letter (pdf) to United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Gov. Bob McDonnell made clear that Medicaid expansion was not what the General Assembly enacted. From his press release: The recently passed budget of Virginia contains language outlining a series of … Continue reading Hate to say ‘I told you so’ but …
Last week ended up being busier for me than usual. I don't believe I've ever gone a week between publishing posts in the history of this blog. Nevertheless, sometimes stuff happens - and last week was one of those times. The big news on the federal side is, of course, the sequester. It has been … Continue reading Catching up
Three years ago, I wrote about how to navigate the Virginia budget. Although the screens have changed, the process is still about the same. Unfortunately, as I was watching the live stream Saturday of the last day of session, the conference report was neither available online nor had been incorporated into the budget. We now … Continue reading Medicaid expansion: it ain’t done
My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in The Virginian Pilot Thursday. In it, I discuss the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a part of history that temporarily remains as an effort to keep discriminatory voting practices from occurring. Section 5 of the VRA is being challenged in the Supreme Court, in the case Shelby County … Continue reading ICYMI: Fending off discriminatory voting practices
Sequestration, that is. Despite recent efforts to sound the alarm on its effects in Hampton Roads and Virginia, including a letter from Gov. Bob McDonnell, I doubt Congress will do its job. Forget the blame game - both sides agreed to this mess because it wasn't supposed to happen. And now I hear folks saying … Continue reading It’s coming
In what is hardly a surprise, a rural newspaper in Farmville has put their articles and editorials behind a paywall. The paper itself has been available online for about two years. I was looking for an article and when I clicked the link, a "Subscription" page came up. I have had my problems with them … Continue reading Farmville Herald, rural paper – is behind a paywall
My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in The Virginian-Pilot Thursday. I don't often write about the politics of taxation but in this case, I felt like something needed to be written. I've had far too many folks - students, family, friends, former clients - who don't get the connection between Congressional action on the fiscal … Continue reading ICYMI: Another delay rolls down Capitol Hill
From The Virginian-Pilot: Every year, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, a state watchdog agency, puts out a report comparing the Old Dominion to the rest of the nation on a wide variety of measures. The 2013 edition is out, and it provides relevant background for some of the major debates of this year's … Continue reading How does Virginia stack up?
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 