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…
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 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…
On Nov. 7, Ralph Northam defeated Ed Gillespie by 233,444 votes, or 8.93 percent. The Democratic tidal wave also reshaped the House of Delegates. There, Democrats gained 15 seats and now have 49 seats to the GOP’s 51. The conventional wisdom is that Democrats won a resounding victory. But was…
The number 538 is so culturally relevant that Nate Silver, perhaps the best-known statistician of our era, named his website after it. Let’s examine 538, and its component parts. This is the number of votes in the Electoral College. It is the result of an equation: 435 + 100 +…
Every election cycle, there are some stories that never change. One of the most commonly reported stories is that America’s voter turnout rate is terrible. It’s so bad that every four years, despite choosing who the most powerful man in the world will be, a bit more than half of…