Tag: Dick Hall-Sizemore
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Capitol Fortress
by Dick Hall-Sizemore With the opening of the new General Assembly Building this month came other reminders of how the world has changed. It was not that long ago that staff and tourists could walk unimpeded into the Capitol building. One could drive into the circle beyond the gate fronting on Grace Street to pick…
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Democrats for Crime Witnesses and Victims
by Dick Hall-Sizemore For those readers of this blog who contend that Democrats and “progressive” prosecutors are fixated on not prosecuting violent criminals and ignoring the needs of witnesses and victims, I have some good news for you. Witness Protection Since 1994 Virginia has had a statute authorizing the Virginia State Police to establish a…
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A Day in Court
by Dick Hall-Sizemore I spent some time today observing proceedings in Henrico County District Court. (No, I was not a defendant.) I recommend the experience to anyone interested in seeing how the criminal justice system works in real life. District court is the venue for hearing traffic offenses and misdemeanors. It also hears more serious…
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A Native Virginian Hero
by Dick Hall-Sizemore A family plot in the cemetery of a church in the Northern Neck completed in 1714 is the final resting place of a Virginia native who was one of the United States’ modern heroes. A highway historic marker caught my eye this weekend while I was exploring the Northern Neck on my…
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Integrity Should Go Both Ways
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Governor Youngkin talks a lot about election integrity. By that, he obviously means keeping people ineligible to vote from voting. However, integrity cuts another way, as well. It means allowing people who are eligible to vote the opportunity to vote. The governor’s Department of Elections (Elections) seems not to worry too much…
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The Fog of Political Campaigns
by Dick Hall-Sizemore During the campaign season, I often get so frustrated with the pronouncements of candidates that I wish I could publicly pose questions that they would have to answer. The most recent example comes from a story in today’s Richmond Times-Dispatch about the highly competitive House race in the Petersburg area. The incumbent,…
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Which Party?
by Dick Hall-Sizemore I was at the Virginia State Fair this morning. The state Republican Party has this “booth.” It is a good idea. I don’t know if the Democrats have one because I did not walk around the whole area. The Republicans have a good location—right next to the main Commonwealth Pavilion, where there…
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DOE Response to Average Teacher Salary Issues
by Dick Hall-Sizemore My article on average teacher salaries must have struck a nerve. This morning I received an answer to my inquiry from the Department of Education (DOE). In short, DOE disavows any responsibility for the accuracy of the data in the report it submitted to the General Assembly. The Office of Communications declares,…
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Doesn’t Anyone Read These Things To See If They Make Sense?
by Dick Hall-Sizemore In preparing my recent article on tax cuts, I was going to include a section on the need for increases in teacher salaries. In researching the issue, I discovered that the Department of Education (DOE) submits to the General Assembly a survey of teacher salaries in Virginia. I was delighted because that…
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Whose Water Is It?
by Dick Hall-Sizemore There are some issues that seem to be baked into public policy and, because they affect sensitive and important areas, tend to lead to controversies periodically. Many years ago, one of the hottest controversies was the “inter-basin transfer of water.” Because Virginia is a “riparian rights” state, folks who live next to…
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A Case Against Further Tax Cuts
by Dick Hall-Sizemore After more than a decade of state budget revenue shortfalls and concomitant budget cuts, one would think there would be smiles all round at the news of revenues coming in substantially above the projections, resulting in a healthy general fund surplus. Incongruously, that was not the case. Republicans seemed to be outraged…
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Transparency? Hah!
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Maybe it was the weirdness of amending the biennial budget after Year 2 of the biennium had started. Maybe all the money they had to spend made them dizzy. Maybe they were in a hurry because many of them were in the middle of re-election campaigns. Whatever the reason, the General Assembly…
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How They Spent That Money
By Dick Hall-Sizemore Steve Haner and I unofficially tag-team on the state budget. Fittingly, he covers the revenues (taxes) and I cover the spending. Regarding the revenues available for spending, it is notable what was missing from the presentations by the Governor and Secretary of Finance in their appearances before the money committees last month.…
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Another List of Best Colleges
Inspired by the U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of colleges, everyone is getting into the game, each with its own criteria. The Wall Street Journal has just released its list of “Best 400 Colleges in America.” Its rankings are based on student experiences, social mobility, and salary impact. Its greatest emphasis was on the…
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“School’s Closed Today! It’s the Law”
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Now that two of my grandchildren are in public school, rather than being home-schooled, I am more attuned to what is going on in public school. Last Friday, I was in Northern Virginia visiting them because they were off from school. Although I was happy to get the extra time with them,…