It is absurd and outrageous that West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice would invite counties from Virginia to secede and join West Virginia. That said, that a sitting governor of a neighboring state would make such an invitation speaks to how broken our political system has become. Justice’s remarks make it…
Recently, a study by Quote Wizard ranked the “Best and Worst Drivers By City.” Richmond’s drivers ranked 10th. Buried within the study was a little heralded fact. Per TRIP — a nonprofit transportation think tank founded in 1971 — 65% of Richmond’s major roads are in poor condition. In other…
Too often, Americans think our country can’t afford nice things. Several recent letters have exemplified such thinking. In “’Free money’ could kill jobs, boost inflation,” Erich Reimer argues a universal basic income (UBI) is unaffordable. In “President working to lower drug prices,” Marvin Rosman argues that we can’t afford Medicare…
If Democrats want to win the presidency and both houses of Congress in 2020, they’ll need a bold agenda. Simply being anti-Trump will not suffice. So, here’s an idea for that agenda: Eliminate federal income taxes for anyone making less than $50,000 per year. Consider the numbers. In 2017, the…
When discussing economics, the government’s budget is often compared to a household’s. That thinking is evident in Sidney James’ letter, “Congress must be fiscally responsible.” But is that line of thought correct? Unlike a household, the United States is 242 years old. During those 242 years, there has been only…
During the 2018 election, many candidates emphasized campaign finance reform. One of those candidates, Abigail Spanberger, is now our representative-elect. I’m proud to say that I voted and volunteered for her. I also donated $350 to her campaign. She will represent our district well. That said, after Election Day but…
In response to Correspondent of the Day Karen Owens’ letter, “Why build more bike lanes if they aren’t used?”: In December, I returned to Richmond after three years in Arlington. Say what you will about Northern Virginia, but its bicycle infrastructure is superb. There is, quite literally, a bicycle interstate…
In 1971, Virginia’s Constitution limited the General Assembly to 100 delegates and 40 senators. That constitution continued a long tradition — at least as old as 1900 — of having 100 delegates and 40 senators. However, times change. In 1900, per the U.S. Census, Virginia had 1,854,184 people. Delegates represented…
Rep. Dave Brat makes a simple argument in his recent Op/Ed column, “What happens when red states go blue.” His point is that the economic policies of liberal-leaning states and communities are driving people out, while conservative-leaning states and communities are enacting policies that are bringing people in. It’s an…
In his letter, “November Election showed voting still counts,” rebutting my earlier letter, Correspondent of the Day Brian Glass rightly points out that “voting for the House of Delegates is by district, not statewide.” However, Glass’s letter misses the point: Gerrymandering ensures that, while all votes are equal, some votes…