Tag: Dick Hall-Sizemore
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Virginia Ratifies!
by Dick Hall-Sizemore On this date, 233 years ago, June 25, 1788, Virginia ratified the United States Constitution. The stakes could not have been higher. Ratification by nine states was required for the Constitution to go into effect. When the delegates to the ratifying convention began their deliberations on June 2, they knew that eight…
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From Farming Corn to Electrons
By Dick Hall-Sizemore In light of recent denials by local governing bodies, there has been some skepticism expressed on this blog as to whether the Commonwealth could meet its goals on solar energy. Going against recent trends, however, has been the city of Chesapeake. According to the Virginian-Pilot, the city council recently approved an application…
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Trees and the Chesapeake Bay
by Dick Hall-Sizemore There was a scuffle on this blog a few days ago over the production of more hardwood seedlings by the Department of Forestry. There were some who questioned the efficacy of planting more trees in the attempt to mitigate climate change. Others questioned why the state should be subsidizing the production of…
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Some Thoughts on Local Government Finance
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The recent posts and comments concerning the reversion of the city of Martinsville to town status (see here, here, and here) provide a good opportunity to discuss the complexity of local government finance and the limitations of using simplistic measures to compare governments. Jim Sherlock referred to the “wreckage” of Martinsville, which…
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The COVID Restrictions Have Been Lifted!
by Dick Hall-Sizemore We now have been a week without state-imposed COVID restrictions. No social distancing. No restrictions on venues opening. I can go to my grandson’s graduation tonight. Kerry can go to the beach without a mask on. We all can go to Flying Squirrels’ games. As of May 28, the Governor lifted all…
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Getting Electricity from Government
By Dick Hall-Sizemore More than 300,000 Virginia residents and numerous commercial enterprises are not subject to the monopolistic electric rates of Dominion, APCO, or the electric cooperatives. They get their electric service from their local governments. There are 16 municipalities in which electric service is provided by a governmental entity. Primarily, they are small towns…
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More on the Martinsville Reversion
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Like Jim Sherlock, the decision of the city of Martinsville to revert to town status caught my interest. There are several clarifications, as well as context, needed in response to his post on this subject, which would be too long for a comment. Therefore, I have decided to use a separate article.…
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Change Coming to Virginia Beach Politics
by Dick Hall-Sizemore A recent federal court decision could fundamentally change the politics of Virginia Beach, the Commonwealth’s largest city. Some background is needed first. Virginia Beach has an unusual method of electing its council. All 11 members of the council are elected by all the voters in the city. However, seven of the council…
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An Old Use of Solar Power
By Dick Hall-Sizemore Greenhouses have been used since the time of the Roman Empire. A couple of Virginia Beach entrepreneurs are planning to use this old technology to harness the sun’s energy in a big way. Their company, Sunny Farms, plans to invest $60 million to build hydroponic greenhouses on more than 30 acres, about…
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CRT and Virginia History
By Dick Hall-Sizemore Over the past few months, there has been considerable commentary on Bacon’s Rebellion regarding Critical Race Theory (CRT). Many on this blog seem to genuinely fear that this theory, or frame of reference, presents an existential threat to society, with our schools becoming centers of “Marxist indoctrination.” Before discussing the legitimacy of…
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More Nonsense from AG Candidates
By Dick Hall-Sizemore A recent article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch has compelled me to once again mount my soapbox about one of my favorite peeves — the misleading claims, and understanding, of the role of the Virginia Attorney General. I will say upfront that I realize that mine is a lost cause and, furthermore, what…
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Brood X is Coming!
By Dick Hall-Sizemore It was spring, 2004, several months after our first grandchild had been born. My wife and I were visiting our daughter and family in Fairfax County. There was a loud, incessant buzzing, almost roar, in the air. Big bugs were everywhere; you could not walk without crunching on them. They were dropping…
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More Positive Notes on General Assembly Members
by Dick Hall-Sizemore I appreciate Jim Sherlock providing a positive view of two members of the General Assembly. He is right that we often dwell on the negative aspects or members of the legislature and neglect the good ones. In that vein, I am offering a supplementary list of legislators who are conscientious and smart…
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Some College Graduates Will Get Paid to Live in Southwest or Southside Virginia
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The Tobacco Commission (Virginia Tobacco Region and Revitalization Commission) has come up with a program that does not involve pork-barrel grants. Two of the problems afflicting the area served by the Commission, Southside and Southwest, are a shortage of people to fill certain jobs and a shortage of young adults putting down…
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Mentally Ill in Jails, Part 3: Costs, Legislative Initiatives, and a Modest Proposal
By Dick Hall-Sizemore (Note: This is the third, and final, post in a series examining the issue of mentally ill people being held in jails. Earlier posts can be found here and here.) Costs. In comments to the previous installments, several readers brought up the issue of the cost of providing services for the mentally ill…