Author: James A. Bacon
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Bacon Bits: Special Ethnic/Racial/Sexual Exploitation Issue
VCU construction workers allege exploitation. From VPM News: Speaking anonymously, undocumented workers at Virginia Commonwealth University construction sites say they are being exploited by unidentified middle men who misclassify them as contractors instead of employees, deprive them of benefits, and don’t pay them for overtime. VCU said it does not hire undocumented workers (illegal aliens)…
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The Great Reshuffling of Higher-Ed Enrollment
by James A. Bacon Yesterday I noted the fact that college enrollments in Virginia were holding their own despite the uncertainty and turmoil created by the COVID-19 epidemic. In particular, based on State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) data, I noted that enrollments had increased strongly — 6.6% — in the category of…
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Virginia Higher-Ed Enrollment Resilient in Face of COVID-19
by James A. Bacon Undergraduate enrollment in Virginia’s nonprofit higher-ed institutions has declined only 1.3% this fall, far less than feared in many quarters, according to preliminary estimates released today by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). There had been widespread concern that measures to combat the COVID-19 virus would disrupt campus…
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College Education as Consumer Fraud?
by James A. Bacon I’ve long warned that Virginia’s colleges and universities would pay a price for their embrace of leftist radicalism, intolerance of non-conforming views, and hostility to reasoned debate. Why, I asked, would parents spend tens of thousands of dollars yearly to send off their children to be indoctrinated with values and world…
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Three Reasons to Take Down the “F— UVa” Sign
Aubrey M. Daniel III, an alumnus of the University of Virginia and the University of Richmond law school, made his name as a young Judge Advocate General captain who successfully prosecuted the court-martial of Lt. William L. Calley Jr. for his role in the infamous My Lai Massacre. Daniel went on, after his military career,…
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Alumni to UVa: Enough Is Enough
by James A. Bacon The debate over “contextualizing” the Thomas Jefferson statue at the University of Virginia itself needs some context. Viewed in isolation, the idea of adding a plaque to the Jefferson statue alluding to his flaws as a slaveholder as well as to his political and intellectual achievements should not be a cause…
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A Tale of Two Governors
by Kerry Dougherty Every once in a while we get a delicious example of agenda-driven news coverage. Last week, for instance. On Thursday, headlines across the country gloated over news that Missouri Gov. Mike Parsons and his wife, Teresa had tested positive for COVID-19. Here, have a peek: CNN: This Republican Governor Refused A Mask Mandate.…
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UVa Leadership Justifies Contextualizing Jefferson Statue
The University of Virginia administration and Board of Visitors is caught in the crossfire as alumni push back against the radicalization of the university and denigration of its founder Thomas Jefferson. In the previous post, I published a letter written by Thomas M. Neale and co-signed by 200 others condemning the Board of Visitors resolution…
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End Self-Flagellation, Urge UVa Alumni
The social-justice war has been unfolding at a furious pace at the University of Virginia. Earlier this month, UVa alumni Bert Ellis wrote a widely disseminated email decrying the posting on the door of a 4th year student of her room on the lawn a sign saying “Fuck UVa.” When the administration declined to act…
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How Well is VDH Managing COVID-19 Outbreaks?
by Carol J. Bova The Virginia Department of Health data is now equipped with extensive testing capacity and a small army of contact tracers to squelch outbreaks of COVID-19 in Virginia. Recent data regarding the number of outbreaks raises questions about how well VDH is doing its job. One concern is the validity of the…
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COVID Shutdown Shocker: People Losing their Jobs More Likely to Experience Depression
by James A. Bacon People who are out of work and/or facing financial difficulties are significantly more likely to suffer depression than others, according to data from the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey for August 19-31. That’s hardly a breath-taking conclusion. But thanks to the survey, we have extensive data on the extent to which…
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Changing the Rules for Absentee Ballots
by Emilio Jaksetic The Virginia State Board of Elections is proposing to disregard and nullify the statutory requirement that absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before the date of the election. This proposed administrative action makes a mockery of Virginia election law and is an appalling assault on the rule of law. The Virginia…
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Kendi’s Brand of “Anti-Racism” is Unconstitutional
by Hans Bader The Fairfax County Public Schools paid $20,000 to an advocate of racial discrimination against whites, for a 45 minute speech on “anti-racism.” They also are paying bus drivers to drive empty school buses, even as schools operate online. Fairfax County has 1.1 million residents, and runs the largest school system in Virginia.…
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Northam Bit by the Bug
Governor Ralph Northam and his wife Pam have contracted the COVID-19 virus, the Governor’s Office announced this morning. The virus apparently was transmitted by a member of the Governor’s official residence staff, “who works closely within the couple’s living quarters.” The Governor and First Lady, who will self-isolate for ten days, are working with state…
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Fairfax County Tax Dollars at Work
by Asra Q. Nomani One Thursday morning, in early August, author Ibram Kendi tucked Apple AirPods into his ears and nestled into his seat in front of a camera to chat online in an “exclusive” “conversation” with principals, teachers and staff of Fairfax County Public Schools. An hour later, he was done, and laudatory messages…