Month: December 2019
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After Ten Years in Washington, Mark Warner Has Lost His Way
by James A. Bacon This morning I found an email in my inbox, a fund-raising message from U.S. Senator Mark Warner calling for the resignation of U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr. It saddens me to say what I’m about to say because, other than breaking his promise not to raise taxes, I thought Warner did…
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Merry Christmas, General Assembly
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The most surprising item in Governor Northam’s proposed budget is the $200 million Christmas present to the General Assembly. It comes in the form of an annual $100 million appropriation in the Central Accounts section of the budget bill for “uncommitted contingencies.” It is not unusual for that budget Item to contain…
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At Last: Zoning Restrictions on “Middle Housing” Are Coming Under Scrutiny
by James A. Bacon Arlington County plans to study the “missing middle” in its housing market: homes that fall between apartment-sized units and single-family dwellings — in its housing market. Ninety percent of the county’s residential land is zoned for detached, single-family houses. The median housing price in the county falls between $530,000 and $640,000,…
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Can a Cap-and-Trade Tax Salvage Mass Transit?
by James A. Bacon While social engineers plot ways to increase the cost of driving single-occupancy vehicles and push people into low-carbon transportation alternatives like bicycles and mass transit (see the previous post by Steve Haner about the Transportation & Climate Initiative), Virginians stubbornly stick to their cars. Mass transit ridership is down sharply across…
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Dominion Plans Four New Gas Units
By Peter Galuszka Despite its recent advertising campaign rebranding itself as a “green” utility, Dominion Energy is planning to build four natural gas “peaking units” costing $600 million at its Chesterfield County generating station. The utility filed for a permit for the State Air Pollution Control Board, according to the Chesterfield Observer. The gas plants…
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The Carbon Car Tax Nobody Is Discussing
By Steve Haner So far there appear to be about six schemes before the 2020 General Assembly to save the Earth and its inhabitants from the fiery holocaust of climate catastrophe. The one that is going to cost you the most money in the shortest period of time is still missing in action. Finally we…
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Hold Your Hosses, Partner
by James A. Bacon Democrats are submitting a slew of gun-control bills for consideration in the 2020 General Assembly session. Given that the session doesn’t begin until next month, it goes without saying that none have been passed yet. So, it’s impossible to say what gun-related legislation will emerge. But that’s not stopping gun-rights groups…
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How to Fix Virginia Schools: Mo’ Money vs. the Bristol Model
by James A. Bacon In thinking about what ails Virginia’s K-12 public schools, perhaps we should give some consideration to the state’s schools of education and what Virginian teachers are taught. To get a sense of the quality of scholarship and thought that comes out of our teaching academies, we might consider an op-ed penned…
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Cultivating the Next Generation of Fragile Weaklings
by James A. Bacon The painting of graffiti on Beta Bridge on Rugby Road is one of the great traditions of the University of Virginia. I still recall my first encounter with the bridge as a first-year student at the University in 1971. Someone from Washington & Lee had spray-painted the phrase, “Wahoos are Goobers.”…
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PSSST! Trump Got Impeached
By Peter Galuszka You won’t hear much about this on Bacon’s Rebellion, but on Wednesday, Donald J. Trump became the third U.S. president in history to be impeached. The vote in the House of Representatives split right down party lines with Virginia’s Democrats voting for impeachment and Republicans voting against. Leading the charge were Abigail…
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“The Most Progressive Budget in Virginia’s History”
by James A. Bacon In the introduction to his budget statement released yesterday, Governor Ralph Northam described his proposed 2020-22 budget as “the most progressive in Virginia’s history. If by “progressive” he means “leftist,” with a strong propensity for taxing, spending and wealth redistribution, it’s hard to argue with him. That’s exactly what it is.…
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Taxpayers “Clinging” to their Income in a Moderately Taxed State
by James A. Bacon In his budget roll out yesterday Governor Ralph Northam proposed hikes to tobacco and gasoline taxes and a clawback to taxpayer relief fund enacted last year in response to changes in the federal income tax code — an increase in the tax burden well in excess of a half billion dollars…
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California Too Conservative for Some Virginia Dems
by Hans Bader To some Americans, staunchly progressive California may seem too liberal. But not to Virginia’s Democratic legislators. They’re proposing legislation that would make Virginia more liberal than California. That includes letting murderers vote while in prison, and letting them be paroled even if a court has sentenced them to life without parole. Virginia…
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Keep the Inspections
Tucked into the Governor’s transportation package is a relatively little item that is shortsighted. He is proposing to eliminate the requirement for an annual vehicle inspection. This idea has been floated before, but defeated. One justification offered is financial. The argument seems to be that the elimination of this requirement will result in savings for…
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Bacon Bits: Guns, Tolls, Evictions
You’ll have to pry my gun from… More than 90 governing bodies in Virginia have voted to declare themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries, reports WDBJ. Ninety! Unbelievable. Thousands of citizens have appeared at board meetings across the state to demonstrate their support for the resolutions. Virginia Citizens Defense League President Philip Van Cleave said the sanctuary…