Steve Shannon learned it the hard way: you really have to do your homework when running for office. An article in today's Virginian-Pilot should serve as a wakeup call to Terry McAuliffe as well as other candidates out there. Knowing what the job you're trying to obtain entails is a requirement. And if you don't, … Continue reading Do your homework
To the surprise of, well, no one, LG Bill Bolling announced today that he will not pursue an independent bid for governor. Bolling cited three reasons for not running, with money leading the list. Based on my discussions with key donors over the past three weeks, I was confident I could raise enough money to … Continue reading Bolling out
"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
Been a while since I posted one of these. Finding a fun quiz is getting harder all the time 😦 Anyway - I ran across this one from Slate. Apparently, it's a weekly feature over there. I didn't do too badly (click to enlarge). You get points not only for right answers but also for … Continue reading Friday fun: Slate news quiz
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 …
Voter participation is at an all time low for localities. The participation/attending/viewing city council meetings is even lower by citizens. This allows for bad behavior by elected officials to go mostly unnoticed. However, there is always the faithful small group that watches what goes on in local politics and either writes about them on blogs, … Continue reading Hampton: The Assault On Freedom of Speech
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
As a kid, February 22 was celebrated as George Washington's birthday - and my Mama's. Today, my mother is 92 - or 93, if some in the family are to be believed. (She always told us she was born in 1921, but some of her siblings say she pushed her age back a year.) Like … Continue reading Happy birthday, Mama
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 