Tag: James A. Bacon
-
How Do We Pay to Fix the Schools?
by James A. Bacon It has long been recognized that some of Virginia’s public schools are in scandalously poor condition — leaky roofs, mold, asbestos, outdated HVAC systems, clogged toilets, and so on. More than half of all school buildings in the state are greater than 50 years old. In mid-2021, school districts across Virginia…
-
Hell, No, I’m Not Apologizing for Stuff that Happened 400 Years Ago
by James A. Bacon I’ll make Delegate Delores McQuinn, D-Richmond, a deal: I’ll apologize for the sins of my ancestors against indigenous Americans in the 17th century if indigenous Americans apologize for the sins of their ancestors against the English. McQuinn introduced HR 7 with support from five other Democrats, that would “acknowledge with profound…
-
Does Virginia Really Need a “Tribal Consultation” Ombudsman?
by James A. Bacon The Washington Post takes note today of three bills affecting Virginia’s sovereign Indian tribes moving through the General Assembly. One would update state code to reflect federal recognition of the tribes. One would make tribes eligible for grants from the Virginia Land Conservation Fund. And third would give federally recognized tribes,…
-
The Blind Leading the Blind
by James A. Bacon Some people believe whatever they want to believe, and no recitation of contradictory facts will sway them. That seems to be the case with the new editorial writer at the Roanoke Times. In an opinion piece published today, the author takes Governor Glenn Youngkin to task for undoing the education policies…
-
The Fiscal Challenge of Educating Immigrant Children
by James A. Bacon Last week Victoria Manning, a member of the Virginia Beach school board, posted a comment on her Facebook page noting that the school system had added 300 additional English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students the past year, mostly from “South America.” The city’s ESL budget had increased more than $1 million over two years,…
-
Decline of the Honor System: UVa Edition
by James A. Bacon In elections this week, University of Virginia students will vote on a measure to reduce the punishment for honor-code violations (lying, cheating, stealing) from expulsion to a two-semester suspension. At least 10% of the student body must participate in the referendum, and of those who vote 60% must vote in favor.…
-
Alumni Are Mad as Hell — and They’re Organizing!
by James A. Bacon College alumni, to borrow the classic phrase from the 1976 movie Network, are mad as hell and aren’t going to take it anymore. Unlike the fictional TV newsman played by Peter Finch, who had no idea how to channel his frustration, alumni groups around the country are organizing to push back…
-
Virginia Shows Solidarity with Ukraine
Denouncing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Governor Glenn Youngkin has directed a series of actions to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people. “The invasion of Ukraine by Soviet dictator Vladimir Putin cannot stand, and the people of the Commonwealth are ready to rally in opposition to this senseless attack on a sovereign nation and western ideals,”…
-
The Latest Obstacle to Solar Power in Virginia: the PJM Project Queue
by James A. Bacon Solar energy is the cheapest source of energy available to the world today. The more solar energy we can generate, the better… up to a certain point. Once solar and other intermittent energy sources comprise 30% or so of the juice supplied to the electric grid, they create problems with reliability…
-
First, Do No Harm
I met Carla Howell a few years ago when she was on the staff of the Libertarian National Committee in Washington, D.C. In 2019 she began releasing original songs with libertarian themes. This one, “First, Do No Harm,” is arguably Howell’s best production to date. — JAB
-
The Decline (and Fall?) of the Honor System
There was a time in Virginia when a gentleman’s word was his bond. Lying, cheating and stealing were universally condemned as reprehensible. The values of this by-gone era were enshrined in single-sanction honor codes at many Virginia universities. A handful of people paid a high price — expulsion — for violating honor codes. Though harsh,…
-
About that Wason Poll…
by James A. Bacon Virginia voters disagree with Governor Glenn Youngkin on major issues such as his crusade against Critical Race Theory and masks in schools. Furthermore, only 41% of voters say they approve of his job performance compared to 43% who disapprove. That’s what The Washington Post extracted from a poll just released by Christopher…
-
The Rebellion Seeks Reader Feedback
About two weeks ago, I installed, Ezoic, an ad-management software on Bacon’s Rebellion. I have gotten considerable feedback that readers were experiencing technical difficulties, both on the blog and in the Disqus comments. We have addressed some of the issues that readers were encountering, but not all. Preserving a positive reader experience is more important…
-
How to Distort the Most Contentious Issue of Our Time
by James A. Bacon Well, you’ve got to give Virginia Democrats credit: they have succeeded in persuading the public to accept their misrepresentation of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s campaign against “inherently divisive concepts” in public schools as a move to ban teaching the history of slavery, segregation and racism. A poll from Christopher Newport University’s Wason…
-
Bacon Bits: Law and Order Edition
Lord of the Flies update. In late January a fight broke out after a basketball game between Deep Run High School and Glen Allen High School in the affluent West End of Henrico County. One student reportedly suffered a broken nose. According to WWBT-Channel 12, brawls had occurred “several times” over the previous two weeks.…