One hundred years

Were he alive, today would be my father's 100th birthday. Charles Thomas Paige was born September 25, 1911 in the south part of the Chesapeake district of Elizabeth City County, Virginia, now known as the City of Hampton. He was the first of seven children born to Charles Henry and Ethel Mabel (Webb) Paige. I've … Continue reading One hundred years →

Is Robert Hurt afraid of his constituents?

My Congressman, Robert Hurt, had a recess in August, along with the rest of Congress. He decided not to have town hall meetings with all his constituents, but to drive down a highway in the extreme southern portion of the district, Route 58. To be fair, there was also a "Route 29 Tour" Where I … Continue reading Is Robert Hurt afraid of his constituents? →

Saturday rally against offshore drilling

Saturday is Moving Planet Day and a group of local citizens are planning to gather at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront for a rally to oppose offshore drilling.  Details: Citizens of Virginia Beach to Call on Lawmakers to Reject Offshore Drilling Rally one of thousands across the globe calling for move away from fossil fuels Virginia … Continue reading Saturday rally against offshore drilling →

A different kind of bailout

My latest op-ed appeared in The Virginian-Pilot Wednesday. It is quite interesting to me that there has been a slew of applications from Virginia localities to "bail out" of the preclearance rules of The Voting Rights Act this year. So far, five localities have reached agreements with the U.S. Justice Department and another four applications … Continue reading A different kind of bailout →

Debate foolishness (updated)

All of those involved, especially the Associated Press and the candidates, have literally bumped their heads in scheduling a debate between presumptive party nominees for Senate George Allen and Tim Kaine. Oh, sure - the press covered their backsides by saying "eligible participants include any declared candidates that average 15 percent or better in published, … Continue reading Debate foolishness (updated) →

It’s CPAs week!

Once again, Governor Bob McDonnell has proclaimed (pdf) this week "Virginia Certified Public Accountant's Week." This is the third year that the governor has recognized the 10,000 members of my profession, the first such recognition having come in our centennial year in 2009. This Friday has been set aside as a day of service. More … Continue reading It’s CPAs week! →

Google and public engagement

Guest post by Carole Garrison Politics are constantly changing so is the way we interact with candidates. One interesting change is the ability for people to submit questions using Google Moderator. Charlottesville Tomorrow and The Daily Progress are employing this technology for their upcoming debates for the Charlottesville City Council and the Albemarle Board of … Continue reading Google and public engagement →

Monday morning quarterback (on a Tuesday)

How about those 'Skins? Two and oh, baby! We want the Cowboys! Once again, I didn't get a chance to see the whole game. But I'll take the win. About the only thing that would have made it sweeter is if the "Boys had lost. But that's OK - I think we'll whup them next … Continue reading Monday morning quarterback (on a Tuesday) →