Convicted killer Dexter Lee Vinson was put to death Thursday night after his petition for clemency was denied by Governor Tim Kaine, who said: Having carefully reviewed the Petition for Clemency and judicial opinions regarding this case, I find no compelling reasons to doubt Mr. Vinson’s guilt or to invalidate the sentence recommended by the … Continue reading Kaine denies clemency, inmate put to death
Category: Virginia
Dean: Voting machines not reliable
Howard Dean, chairman of the DNC, had this to say about voting machines: This is not some Internet conspiracy; this is a serious problem that faces American democracy. These machines are not reliable and they shouldn’t be used. We should not be using machines in this country where the results of the vote can’t be … Continue reading Dean: Voting machines not reliable
Local candidates: No party affiliation on ballots
In Virginia, voters do not register by party. The only hint that a particular voter is Democrat, Republican or Independent is whether or not they vote in party primaries. I don't have a problem with that; after all, voters' party affiliation is a personal choice and "declaring" to be for one party or the other … Continue reading Local candidates: No party affiliation on ballots
Gilmore: “Not my fault”
Hilarious is how I'd describe the article in today's Pilot about former Governor Jim Gilmore's response to last week's charge by Norfolk Treasurer Tom Moss and Commissioner of the Revenue Sharon McDonald regarding the increase in personal property taxes the citizens of Norfolk will have to pay. Moss, the former speaker of the House of … Continue reading Gilmore: “Not my fault”
Ford: Transportation figures in plant closure
I found this letter to the editor in today's Pilot interesting (emphasis mine): WHILE OUR FORD JOBS BURN, THE LEGISLATURE FIDDLES They stopped the assembly line Thursday at work, gathered us together and showed us a seven- minute video message from Detroit. The man commended us on the quality of our work and productivity. He … Continue reading Ford: Transportation figures in plant closure
Yes, they are :(
Earlier, I linked to a post by over at Extra Innings about the General Assembly accomplishing nothing on their first day back in the special session. My question then was did they get paid? The answer is now in: yes. It seems that only seven members of the 100-seat House of Delegates and none of … Continue reading Yes, they are 😦
DYK: Local campaign finance
There has been some talk around the blogsphere regarding the debt that certain candidates incurred. I have heard that Dennis Kucinich is still carrying debt from his 2004 presidential run. Creigh Deeds has debt from the recount. Former Lt Gov candidate Chap Peterson ended his primary run in debt. What do all of these candidates … Continue reading DYK: Local campaign finance
But did they get paid?
Delegate Kris Amundson reports that the first day of the special session of the General Assembly was a day of doing nothing. OK - so they couldn't pass a budget during the regular session and now they are into a special session - at taxpayer expense - and nothing gets accomplished?
Virginia’s Citizen Legislators
A post on Extra Innings by Delegate Kris Admundson has J. Sarge musing about our citizen legislature. As I posted on Extra Innings, I believe that we are beyond the point of having part-time legislators. While I value the experiences that part-timers bring to the table, I believe the nature of the part-time service eliminates … Continue reading Virginia’s Citizen Legislators
RK: American Values
Raising Kaine has an interesting post on American Values. One of the aricles cited is this one, regarding the cultural debate. When it came to defining themselves in the nation’s ongoing cultural battles -- such as the battle over “family values” -- Democrats had virtually ceded the field to Republicans, presenting an uncertain face to … Continue reading RK: American Values
