Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Fan the Flames, Spread the Rebellion

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by

James A. Bacon
in

The Jan. 22, 2007, edition of Bacon’s Rebellion has been published. Don’t miss a single issue —click here to get it delivered free into your inbox.

Here are the highlights:

Power Play
Northern Virginia could face blackouts by 2011. But is it necessary to run a high-voltage transmission line through Virginia’s piedmont to avert them? Many questions remain unanswered.
by James A. Bacon
Investing for the New Economy
Meeting the demands of a globally competitive economy isn’t just a Northern Virginia priority anymore. Look what Harrisonburg. is doing.
by Doug Koelemay

A Conservative of Conscience
Jim Gilmore can win the GOP nomination for president because he embraces the conservative positions that appeal to Republican voters.
by James Atticus Bowden

Open Letter to GOP Delegates
Don’t believe for a minute that raising taxes and fees will help you hold on to your majority. As no new roads will be built for years, raising taxes now only guarantees to alienate voters.
by Phil Rodokanakis

Into the Fray
Media, the Web and a Virginia Library
by Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia Bangs

The United States as Margaritaville
This interview with Jim Young is the second of three Q&As with commercial real estate visionaries exploring the changing relationship between workers and the workplace.
by James A. Bacon

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4 responses to “Fan the Flames, Spread the Rebellion”

  1. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Doug Koelemay – If we need to protect the General Fund from use for transportation purposes, why can we afford to waste billions of dollars on the Silver Line? The State’s own evidence shows that, at most, the Silver Line will attract an additional 15-16,000 new riders, of which 13,000 or so already take commuter buses at much less cost and with shorter commuting times than the Silver Line would offer. The State has also admitted that spending billions on the Silver Line will not provide any measurable traffic relief; yet it diverts resources from Fort Belvior and Route 1, for example. Further, using data taken from other Fairfax County zoning changes, granting even some of the requested density will increase daily vehicle trips by 500,000 to 600,000.

    If we need to protect the General Fund from use for transportation purposes, why are elected officials, including, but not limited to, Governor Kaine permitting a mass giveaway to some well-connected Tysons Corner landowners? You are on the CTB. You could easily point out that the “emperor has no clothes.”

    You make some good points in your article, but they are undercut by the Governor’s very own actions. If we can afford to waste billions on the Silver Line, the argument that we need to protect the General Fund is empty bucket.

  2. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Bowden must be smoking something to think that Gilmore has a chance or is a viable candidate.
    He blew out the state’s finances through his mismanagement of the car tax and other exercises. The foundation he laid to be “true” to Republican anti-tax principles was so flimsy that the bursting of the tech bubble in 2000 made hash of the state’s treasury and it was up to the Democrats to straighten it out.
    Before the “Car Tax Blues” hit, Gilmore was named head of the Republican National Committee. He certainly didn’t last long. Why the short run? You sure won’t find out from the state’s primarily GOP newspapers. Seems to me he just wasn’t ready for prime time.
    Finally, Gilmore just doesn’t bring much to to table with his background. What was he before politics? A local prosecutor in a rich, white suburban county? Whoop Dee Do.

  3. James Atticus Bowden Avatar
    James Atticus Bowden

    Anon: Thanks for your opinion. The facts about the budget are different than opinion. The state didn’t go broke because of car tax relief for citizens. The rate of increase got schwacked duringb a recession. The increases in Medicaid – mandatory spending created a $400m shortfall that Higher Education ate for 2 years – and made up with higher fees etc right afterwards. Again, the numbers are pretty clear.

  4. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Bowden,
    What about the state drawing much less revenue than predicted because the tech bubble burst and lots of companies in Northern Virginia went out of business? You don’t address that. Nor do you offer anything about Gilmore’s brief tenure at the RNC. What about that? Simply to blame his failures on Medicaid and Higher Ed is somehow disingenuous.

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