Honoring MLK, Jr.

Monday is the day that we officially honor the birth of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was actually born on January 15, 1929. Four days after his assassination on April 4, 1968, a bill was introduced to make his birthday a legal holiday. It took 15 years for the bill to pass, with … Continue reading Honoring MLK, Jr. →

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… →

Friday fun: how’s your spelling?

Your Spelling is Perfect You got 10/10 correct.Your spelling is excellent. You also have a great memory and eye for detail. I have to admit that one of my pet peeves is misspelled words. That's what spell checkers are for 😉 None for this quiz, though. How's your spelling?

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 →

Don’t surrender to violence

My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in Wednesday's Virginian-Pilot. How many of these kinds of events have we political junkies attended? There but for the grace of God go I. That was one of the many thoughts I had in my head as I watched the coverage of the massacre in Tuscon. And I'll bet … Continue reading Don’t surrender to violence →

A win for the citizens of Norfolk

Developer, Norfolk abandon deal: Faced with certain defeat, developers withdrew their request to the City Council on Tuesday for additional incentives to construct a $32.7 million office tower in a low-income neighborhood. [...] ... council members said the public reacted sharply once word of the proposal broke Monday, showering City Hall with e-mails and telephone … Continue reading A win for the citizens of Norfolk →

Webb at Norfolk Forum

Senator Jim Webb was the second speaker in this season's series of The Norfolk Forum. The Senator discussed three broad themes in his remarks: Reorienting U.S. national security Restoring economic fairness and social justice Reinstituting accountability in government In the context of these themes, the Senator discussed how legislation that he has supported have moved … Continue reading Webb at Norfolk Forum →

Sharon McDonald needs to go

So says The Virginian-Pilot: McDonald, elected in 2009 to a fourth four-year term, is either defiant or oblivious to the wishes of her constituents to a degree unprecedented in recent memory. Or she just doesn't care enough to do the right thing. Or she thought nobody would notice. Regardless, the only conclusion that reasonably follows … Continue reading Sharon McDonald needs to go →

Why the rush?

With the announcement of the retirement of Del. Tom Gear and the Governor's setting of the date for the special election for March 8, one would expect that the contest for the Republican nomination would be around mid-February. Not so. The party-run firehouse primary is set for next Tuesday, January 18. What, exactly, is the … Continue reading Why the rush? →

Just say no

Norfolk developers want city guarantee: Tivest officials want the city to guarantee 65 percent of rent payments for space the Southeastern Tidewater Opportunity Project will lease. The guarantee would kick in only if STOP could not pay its rent.STOP, a private social services provider funded largely with government dollars, would pay annual rents of more … Continue reading Just say no →