Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Revolt of the Pack Mules: The Hard-Working, Law-Abiding Guys Just Trying to Make a Living

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by

James A. Bacon
in

The March 5, 2007, edition of the Bacon’s Rebellion e-zine is now available online. Never miss a single issue — get the e-zine delivered to your in-box. Subscribe for free.

Here are this week’s features:

One Man’s Garbage…
is another man’s energy-rich biomass. Warrenton Mayor George Fitch views the town landfill as the key to energy independence.
by James A. Bacon

Voltage Hogs
Virginia has one of the most electricity- intensive economies on the planet. One reason: State energy policies don’t foster conservation and energy efficiency.
by James A. Bacon
Saving Neither Life Nor Money
Fewer than 25 percent of Medicaid-eligible children get dental care.
by Doug Koelemay

Taxes, Status and Ladies’ Purses
Why do politicians resist raising taxes for basic government services? Blame the all-too-human preference for status and luxuries over necessities.
by E M Risse

Conservatism and Fundamental Change
The principles behind The Shape of the Future have been called “socialist,” “fascist,” and everything in between. We call them profoundly conservative.
by E M Risse

March Madness
The GOP transportation plan isn’t just bad policy, it’s bad politics. Republicans are fast losing credibility as the party of low taxes and small government.
by James Atticus Bowden

A Good Start
The transportation bill passed by the General Assembly still needs fine tuning, but it injects new money into the system along with greater accountability.
by Mike Thompson

Transportation Transgressions
Del. David Albo complains that people are looking for reasons to kill HB 3202. He is right, but only because of the many illegal and unconstitutional provisions in this bill.
by Phil Rodokanakis

Never Better
Parkinsons is a slow-motion crippler and killer. But the disease has given me an appreciation of what is truly good in life.
by Barnie Day

Nice & Curious Questions
Checking Tailpipes: Car inspections in Virginia
by Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia Bangs

(The last edition of Nice & Curious had a bad link, so we are republishing it. -editor)
Nice & Curious Questions
Tea Leaves and Lifelines: Predicting the Future in Virginia
by Edwin S. Clay III and Patricia Bangs

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5 responses to “Revolt of the Pack Mules: The Hard-Working, Law-Abiding Guys Just Trying to Make a Living”

  1. Larry Gross Avatar
    Larry Gross

    re: March Madness

    deja vu – 2002 Transportation Referenda

    The knowledge I have about WHY the referenda went down in NoVa seems to differ from the reasoning that I’m hearing about why it went down in HR/TW … and I’m perfectly willing to admit my knowledge … not good.

    I thought that the reason it went down in NoVa was that the money collected was to go to Richmond and then get (in theory) allocated back to NoVa for lossely “suggestive” possible projects.

    Voters did like this but other local transportation referenda have been approved so one has to presume that it’s not a refusal to fund transportation that caused the 2002 referenda to go down in NoVa.

    I’ve heard almost no discussion about the evils of regional authorities in NoVa – as far as I know.

    It appears that the problem in HR/TW is the concept of regional authorities, at least in part – a different mindset that the NoVa mindset.

    In other words – the idea of a Regional Referenda… with the money staying local APPEARS to be something that NoVa might support but TW/HR would not?

    Is this what Kaine is going to hear/find out when he talks with NoVa and TW/HR officials?

  2. E M Risse Avatar
    E M Risse

    Larry:

    Your memory is largely correct, there was one other thing:

    There was a sizeable number of folks who where non convinced that the projects to which the money would be applied would do any good.

    It is the governance practitioners, not citizens that have given it any thought, who have a fear of elected, representity regional governance.

    EMR

  3. James Atticus Bowden Avatar
    James Atticus Bowden

    LG: What Kaine hears from Democrat city officials is different from what the voters say.

  4. Larry Gross Avatar
    Larry Gross

    Oh .. yes… if WaPo and TW/HR papers ask local officials why the referenda went down.. surely the answer won’t be the same as asking the folks who actually voted “no”.

    It’s too late to go back and ask but I wish I’d read “more” back when it happened.

    Again – “something” is at issue in NoVa where taxpayers have voted FOR local transportation referenda and the same folks voted “no” for the Region-wide concept.

    Have there been any successful “local” transportation referenda in HR/Tw?

  5. I'm Not Emeril Avatar
    I’m Not Emeril

    Never Better by Barnie Day is an inspirational article that will be enjoyed by anyone who knows Barnie, as well as those who have not had the good fortune to have met the man from Meadows of Dan.

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