Tag: James A. Bacon
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Et Tu Miyares — Prosecuting “Price Gougers”?
by James A. Bacon What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. I lambasted former Attorney General Mark Herring for touting his prosecution of gas station owners for “price gouging” — raising prices in the wake of the Colonial Pipeline shutdown. Now the AG’s office under Jason Miyares has issued a press release…
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The Dude Had It Coming!
by James A. Bacon Most people watching the Academy Awards ceremony were shocked to see movie star Will Smith stride unbidden onto the stage and slap master of ceremonies Chris Rock across the face. Smith later apologized for his action, and then resigned from the Academy. Condemnation was widespread. But the disapproval was not unanimous.…
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A Complete Disconnect from Reality
by James A. Bacon A group of Black leaders has launched an initiative to preserve the teaching of Black history against what it calls a “whitewashing” by Governor Glenn Youngkin. Black History Is American History, a collaboration of the Leadership Conference Education Fund, the NAACP, and People for the American Way, has formed in response…
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UVa Has Issues, But At Least It Is Not Yale
by James A. Bacon On March 10 the Federalist Society, a group promoting conservative/libertarian principles in law schools, hosted a panel discussion at Yale Law about freedom of religion and speech. About 120 student protesters descended upon the event, shouted down the speakers, and then, after repeated warnings, continued their noisy demonstration in the hallway.…
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A Perfect Storm
by James A. Bacon On January 3 and 4 of this year, a winter storm descended upon the Fredericksburg area and closed a large stretch of Interstate 95, trapping hundreds of motorists in freezing conditions for many long hours. The failure of the Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia State Police and other state agencies to…
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“People Are Afraid to Go Over There”
by James A. Bacon A woman is being treated for life-threatening injuries from a gunshot wound after being found in a room at the Diamond Inn & Suites hotel in Richmond’s Diamond District yesterday. City records show that the Richmond Police Department has been called to the motel for multiple incidents, including overdoses and a…
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Virginia Students’ AP Metrics Are Slipping
Nearly 27% of Virginia’s public high school test takers demonstrated college-level achievement on at least one Advanced Placement exam this year, according to data released today by The College Board. The good news: Virginia ranks 9th among the states in the percentage earning a score of three or higher in an AP test. The bad…
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Virginia’s Incredible Money-Spending Machine
by James A. Bacon Spending by Virginia’s state government isn’t just increasing — spending is increasing at an accelerating rate. The current budget biennium (fiscal 2021-22) and the next (fiscal 2023-24) will have seen the two biggest spending increases of the past nine budget cycles. Assuming no modifications to the next biennial budget’s spending totals…
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Policies at War With Themselves
by James A. Bacon University of Virginia President Jim Ryan and Provost Ian Baucom have finally begun to engage in a discussion about university “cancel culture.” In the abstract, they’re against it. Their latest musings represent a step beyond the mere protection of free speech, which the Board of Visitors had endorsed previously, toward respectful…
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Is California-Style Shoplifting Coming to Virginia?
by James A. Bacon California has become notorious as a shoplifter’s paradise where prosecutors downplay “minor” crimes and the criminal element has responded, quite rationally, by increasing the brazen looting of retail outlets. The theft is so rampant in San Francisco and Los Angeles that dozens of drugstores and other retailers have closed shop. I’ve…
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The Left Doubles Down in Defense of Divisive Concepts
by James A. Bacon A coalition of left-wing groups has organized to contest Governor Glenn Youngkin’s effort to expunge “inherently divisive concepts” from Virginia’s public school system. Among the member organizations are the Virginia Education Association, the Legal Aid Justice Center, and the Virginia chapter of the NAACP. One is tempted to say that an…
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Rush Hour Will Never Be the Same
by James A. Bacon In fiscal 2018, the Commonwealth of Virginia budgeted $582 million to the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT). Spending on rail, buses and other forms of mass transit soared to $935 million in the current year (fiscal 2022), and is scheduled to recede somewhat to $865 million in the budget…
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What Is Free Speech Without Intellectual Diversity?
by James A. Bacon Eleven days ago the Editorial Board of the Cavalier Daily, the University of Virginia student newspaper, opined that it could not condone the “platforming” of former Vice President Mike Pence by allowing him to speak on the university grounds. The blowback has been gratifying to see. While some students have expressed support…
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How the City of Richmond Kneecaps Itself
by James A. Bacon Andreas Addison may be a city councilman in Richmond, but it doesn’t look like he’s getting any special treatment from city hall. With plans to open a gymnasium, he is renovating an old brick building in Scott’s Addition, a neighborhood that is transitioning from light industrial and warehousing into a hipster…