Author: Bob Rayner
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Added Pay Won’t Make Teachers Want to Stay in Bad Teaching Environments
by Nancy Almasi Abby Zwerner, the Newport News teacher shot by a 6-year-old student a year ago, doubts she will ever return to teaching. In addition to her lingering injuries and psychological trauma, Zwerner is suing the Newport News School District for ignoring multiple warnings that the student had a gun and was prone to violence. The…
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Which Side Are You On?
by Joe Fitzgerald Dartmouth’s basketball team voted this week to unionize. It’s a shame Harrisonburg’s police officers can’t. The basketball players will join the SEIU, Service Employees International Union, a kind of super union for people who don’t qualify for other unions. SEIU strongly supports health care and a higher minimum wage, making it a…
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RVA HISTORY: Schools Are for Learning
by Jon Baliles The effort to save the old Richmond Community Hospital (RCH) from Virginia Union’s wrecking ball raises an interesting debate about recognizing history, remembering history, and benefitting by learning from history. Especially when one program is established that then becomes part of a bigger effort and very especially when it is used to…
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We Need More Teachers!
by Matt Hurt Chris Braunlich (Bait and Switch: Reform Reverts to Mo’ Money) brought up many good points about some bills that propose to increase teacher salaries. However, it seems necessary to add some additional context to help flesh out this conversation/debate. It appears that many don’t fully understand the gravity of the situation. On…
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A True Community Hospital
by Jon Baliles Virginia Union University announced recently that it would utilize several parcels it owns just north of the main campus to build a new $40 million development with up to 200 apartments (some market and some lower income) and possibly some homes and commercial space for students or the public, which would create…
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Youngkin and Confederate Heritage
by Donald Smith Does the Virginia GOP want the help and support of the Confederate heritage community? We should get a pretty good indicator this week. Three bills just passed by the General Assembly will soon land on Governor Youngkin’s desk, if they haven’t already. They will remove the tax exemptions of the United Daughters…
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RVA Meals Tax: Practically Poetic Injustice
by Jon Baliles As noted, two weeks ago City Council approved the change to city code to make sure the city’s Finance Department only applies meals tax payments to the month for which the invoice is submitted. So, no more of the shady practice that had been applying a portion of say, May’s tax payment,…
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Virginia Dems Have Their Panties in a Twist
by Kerry Dougherty This is what triggers Virginia Democrats today: There was an exchange at the Virginia Capitol between Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, who presides over the State Senate, and Sen. Danica Roem of Prince William County. Roem identifies as a woman, although Roem was born a man. The politically correct crowd insists that failing…
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Must Be an Election Year: Kaine’s Staff Is Answering the Phone!
by Scott Dreyer Life is full of surprises, and I got one today when I called the Roanoke office of US Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA)… and a real voice picked up! The receptionist was friendly and professional as I requested the senator help block the proposed Kroger buy-out of Albertson’s. I then asked her why…
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Democrats Proposal to Cut Sentences Would Undermine Public Safety, AG Says
by Hans Bader On February 27, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares sent a letter to Virginia state legislators about a Democratic proposal to allow some violent offenders to receive sentence reductions previously available only to non-violent offenders. Miyares asked legislators to prevent the proposal, passed by the House of Delegates on February 22, from going…
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Common Sense from Young Delegate Earley
by Gordon C. Morse Occasionally, a member of the House of Delegates will stand up, speak to a matter of public interest and do so coherently. Del. Mark L. Earley Jr., R-Chesterfield, achieved this feat on Friday afternoon, Feb. 23, 2024, when he offered his thoughts on state Sen. Bill 212 — legislation that would…
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Virginia Budget Amendment Could Lead to Lawsuits Seeking Many Inmates’ Release
from Liberty Unyielding On February 22, Virginia’s progressive House of Delegates removed language from the state’s proposed budget that limited early releases of inmates who committed both violent and non-violent offenses. It removed that language in a 53-to-44 vote, then passed the House’s version of the state budget by a 75-to-24 vote. If the final…
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What Is It with Democrats and Criminals?
by Kerry Dougherty Elections have consequences. And when Virginia voted last November to give Democrats a slim majority in the General Assembly they also voted to give almost 8,000 violent criminals a shot at getting back on the streets. This ill-conceived measure – SB427 – is the evil brainchild of Sen. Creigh Deeds, who believes…
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The Grim Reapers of Virginia’s General Assembly
by Kerry Dougherty When she was hospitalized in September 1998, my brother and I had a somber discussion with her physician. We asked how long our mother – who was clearly failing – would live. “How long is a piece of string?” the doctor shrugged. She died four days later. I’ve been thinking about my…
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Partisan Poison: Va Dems Quash a Bill to Protect School Kids
by Kerry Dougherty How exactly is Virginia’s General Assembly celebrating Black History Month? By killing a bill to protect children in public school lavatories, introduced by Del. A.C. Cordoza of Hampton. Cordoza is an African-American. And a Republican. He was famously denied membership in the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus when he was elected in 2022.…