Poverty in America

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 →

ICYMI: A tale of two marriages

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 →

Not nearly enough

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 →

The day will come

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 →

Two Americas

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 →

Quick hits 07/22/13

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 →

Quick thoughts on first gubernatorial debate

Two of the three candidates for governor squared off at The Homestead this morning. Although the third, Libertarian candidate Robert Sarvis, will appear on the ballot and has garned support in recent polls, he was not included. So we had a slugfest between the two major party candidates, Republican Ken Cuccinelli and Democrat Terry McAuliffe. … Continue reading Quick thoughts on first gubernatorial debate →

ICYMI: Opaque and antiquated disclosure laws

My latest op-ed, title above, appeared in The Virginian-Pilot Thursday. No, it's not about Bob McDonnell. Rather, it's about the lack of transparency in financial reporting for those running for local offices.When I prepared the post on the 7/15 financial reports, it had been my intention to do one on the contested races in the … Continue reading ICYMI: Opaque and antiquated disclosure laws →

Polls X 3

In the last couple of days, three polls have been released which cover Virginia and the contests here. Public Policy Polling led the way Tuesday with its results. It surveyed 601 registered voters 7/11-7/14 and has a margin of error of +/-4.0%. The toplines: Gov: McAuliffe 41%, Cuccinelli 37%, Sarvis 7%.  Key quote: "... more … Continue reading Polls X 3 →