Views on Tobacco Disqualify Defender of Whales?

Posted on May 6, 2024 by | Leave a comment

NOAA Right Whale graphic, updated this year.

By Steve Haner

It was disappointing to the see the Richmond Times-Dispatch stoop to a weak ad hominem argument on its front page May 6, seeking to discredit a legal challenge to the Dominion Energy Virginia wind project by labeling the plaintiffs as “climate deniers” and defenders of tobacco.

The challenge to the federal permits for the wind project is based on some of the same laws and precedents used to challenge (and successfully delay) the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Southwest Virginia.  The Biden Administration is pushing construction of thousands of ocean wind turbines in the migratory path of an endangered whale species.  The Endangered Species Act requires their careful protection and lawsuits are filed under its provisions all the time.

Yet the first thing reporter David Ress and his editors thought it important to mention was that the plaintiffs “challenge Biden administration climate policy as climate change alarmism.”  Deeper into the story he details some of their skeptical statements on the issue, and in the case of one group even brings up statements about tobacco.

Of what possible relevance to turbine permitting is the Heartland Institute’s views on tobacco regulation?  Oh, I guess if Heartland is not convinced tobacco kills people, that would explain why it is also not convinced the climate catastrophe is killing people.  The problem is a quick visit to Heartland’s website reveals it does consider smoking a health hazard and it is pushing non-tobacco vape alternatives as providing “harm reduction.” So it recognizes harm after all.

There is some actual news about the lawsuit, which Ress all but ignored but which explains why the newspaper chose now to attack the plaintiffs.  A federal judge in Washington has taken up the plaintiffs’ request for an injunction, with some deadlines for information and briefs building up to a key hearing later this week.  Reports that she ruled for the plaintiffs were premature, but she also didn’t rule for the company or the Biden Administration. Continue reading →

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Posted in Energy, Environment, Regulations and Government Oversight

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Virginia Is Not California. Or New York.

Posted on May 6, 2024 by | 7 comments

by Kerry Dougherty 

By pro-Hamas standards, the protests at the University of Virginia were anemic.

Estimates placed the size of the “crowds” that began gathering on Grounds – as they say in Charlottesville – last week ranged from about 12 to perhaps as many as 50.

The Hamas fan club was clustered near the chapel and engaged in mostly peaceful demonstrations. According to news reports the demonstrators respected the orders of Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who warned last week that Virginia would not tolerate tents or “encampments” on any campuses. Continue reading →

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Posted in Culture wars, Democracy and Western Civilization, Education (higher ed)

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Ban Cellphones in Schools? It Can be Done!

Posted on May 5, 2024 by | 8 comments

Photo credit: U.S. News and World Report

by Dick Hall-Sizemore

Schools around the country, including in Virginia, are beginning to effectively ban students’ use of cellphones in schools.

According to available data, about 75 percent of schools in the country ban the non-academic use of cellphones during school hours.  However, in most cases, the ban is enforced sporadically.  Teachers are put on the spot to enforce it, which creates another source of tension in the classroom.  Enforcement is inconsistent—some teachers are OK with some cellphone use; others might feel that they would not be supported by the administration; others might not want to deal with angry parents over the issue.

Technology has made the implementation of a ban much easier.  Yondr, a San Francisco-based company, makes a magnetically-sealed pouch that can be used to keep cellphones unavailable for use.  They have been used at concerts to prevent attendees from filming performances, but schools have been their biggest customers recently.  It works simply:  when students arrive at school, if they are carrying their cellphones, they place the devices in the pouches which, when closed, are magnetically sealed.  During the day, the cellphones cannot be accessed.  When leaving the school, the pouches can be unlocked with a docking device. Continue reading →

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Posted in Discipline and Disorder, Education (K-12)

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RVA Car Tax Elevator: Going Up!

Posted on May 5, 2024 by | 13 comments

by Jon Baliles

A reader alerted us this week that if you have not yet gotten your personal property tax bill (car tax) from the City of Richmond, you soon will — and it will be notably higher than last year unless you bought a newer model or drive a jalopy.

The city receives roughly $16.7 million per year from the state to provide for car tax relief originally established by the state in 1998 (which is a whole other topic for another day). During and after the pandemic, car values rose as the demand for used cars skyrocketed and higher tax bills followed accordingly. City Council first approved the Mayor’s “step-stair” approach to tax relief in 2022 — a policy in which owners pick up a bigger share of the tax over the course of a few years. Last year, the tax relief rate was 36.6% in the city.

In the city, you pay $3,70 tax per $100 assessed value. Under the relief program, a car valued at less than $1,000 owed no tax. If your vehicle was assessed between $1,000 and $20,000, you received the partial credit and owed the balance. If your vehicle was assessed at $20,000, you received the credit in relief up to $20,000 but then owed full freight on everything over $20,000.

So a car assessed last year at $12,000 would owe $444 in personal property tax but got the 36.6% relief. That vehicle would have received a credit of $162.50 and the owner paid $281.50 in tax. Continue reading →

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Posted in Taxes

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Jeanine’s Memes

Posted on May 5, 2024 by | 16 comments

From The Bull Elephant

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Militants to Ryan Administration: “Bullshit”

Posted on May 4, 2024 by | 67 comments

Source: UVA Encampment for Gaza Instagram post

by James A. Bacon

Pro-Palestinian militants erected tents last night at their “liberation zone for Gaza” near the University of Virginia chapel in defiance of orders to take them down. The administration’s immediate response: engage in dialogue.

“We are writing to acknowledge the document you shared with us early this morning outlining the interests of your group,” wrote Kenyon Bonner, vice president and chief student affairs officer, and Brie Gertler, vice provost for academic affairs, to the Gaza zone participants.

“We thought it would be most productive to respond in writing, with the hope of scheduling a time to discuss your goals in greater detail with the appropriate representatives from your group,” they said.

The protesters posted their response, written in bold letters over a copy of the letter, on Instagram: “Bullshit.” Continue reading →

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Posted in Culture wars, Education (higher ed)

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Fairness + Accountability = Thriving City

Posted on May 3, 2024 by | 7 comments


by Jon Baliles

The city of Richmond seems to be trying to plug all of the holes in its boat, also known as the U.S.S. Meals Tax Fiasco, that has been taking on water for months. It seems that the city is finally wiping out the erroneous meals tax payments and interest they had charged numerous restaurant accounts in recent years, often amounting to tens of thousands of dollars, without ever telling them the bills were so enormous.

Tyler Layne at CBS6 reported last week that Matt Mullett, the owner of Richbrau Brewing, recently got a call from the city’s Finance Director, who said the city would clear his $50,000 bill that accrued due to bad advice he received four years ago from the Finance Department when they told him he did not need to collect meals taxes on draft beer, even though the department had lost a case just a few years prior.

In addition, Mullet’s business was now finally eligible to receive Enterprise Zone grant money to improve his business. This money had already been approved several years ago, but was not released because the city said they owed all the back meals tax money. Which he didn’t. Nevertheless, Mullet took the high road and was thankful the unnecessary drama and delays were behind him so he can move forward with his business. Continue reading →

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Posted in Business and Economy, Economic development, Government Finance, Government Transparency, Taxes

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A Question for Some Supreme Court Justices

Posted on May 2, 2024 by | 101 comments

I have a question for the originalists on the U.S. Supreme Court (Thomas and Alito) and textualists (Gorsuch):  where in the Constitution does it say that the president is immune from prosecution (partial or full immunity)?–RWH

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At UVA, One Pro-Palestinian Protest Disperses, a Second Persists

Posted on May 2, 2024 by | 14 comments

by James A. Bacon

One of two pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the University of Virginia wound down around 5 p.m. yesterday without incident. Although the rally was marked by all-too-familiar anti-Israel chants and sloganeering, protesters dispersed at the scheduled time. A parallel demonstration, a tent-free “encampment,” continues this morning.

University officials set clear expectations from the beginning that university rules would be enforced. When a pro-Palestinian group erected tents Tuesday near the University Chapel in imitation of encampments at other campuses, university authorities quickly told them to take down the structures, for which they had not obtained permits. In other interactions, Police Chief Tim Longo personally engaged with protesters to inform them about university policy regarding trespassing and amplified sound.

“The protest activity near the University Chapel has continued peacefully and in compliance with University policy since it began Tuesday afternoon,” said University spokesperson Brian Coy. “Organizers have complied with requests to remove tents and other prohibited materials.” Continue reading →

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Posted in Crime, Corrections and Law Enforcement, Culture wars, Education (higher ed)

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Congress Values Names More Than Housing for Service Members

Posted on May 1, 2024 by | 31 comments

Congresswoman Jen Kiggans

by Donald Smith

“Removing the last vestiges of Confederate history from the U.S. military, including renaming nine Army posts, will cost more than $62 million, a congressional commission said Tuesday.” 

That quote is from Alex Horton’s Washington Post article on the recommendations of the Naming Commission, dated September 13th, 2022. “For the base names,” wrote Horton, “the changes will require a complete overhaul for items big and small, from signs outside the main gates to the stamps used to process paperwork for new and departing soldiers.”

One year later, it was crystal-clear that the “Naming” Commission’s recommendations went far, far beyond changing some base names. (Recommendations which, apparently, Congress let pass unchallenged). By September of 2023, cranes had removed statues of Grant and Lee from Reconciliation Plaza, a memorial park gifted to the U.S. Military Academy by the West Point Class of 1961 to commemorate the reconciliation of Union and Confederate West Pointers after the Civil War. Cranes would soon show up in Arlington National Cemetery to remove the Reconciliation Memorial from the center of the Confederate cemetery in Arlington. And, across the nation, street signs were being pulled down, memorial bricks were being pulled out of monuments, software was being rewritten on classified and unclassified computer networks to reflect the new base names, etc. Undoubtedly, little-to-none of this was cheap. 

The Virginia Council, a Virginia heritage defense group created and led by WRVA talk show host John Reid, has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Department of the Army, to see what the total cost of implementing all of the Naming Commission’s sweeping recommendations actually was. Some people I spoke with in the Army, who wish to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation, think that the total costs could far exceed $62 million. 

Also in September of 2023, the U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO) released a report on the quality of housing in military barracks. “In recent years,” the GAO wrote, “there have been concerns about health and safety risks in military housing and DOD’s management of its housing programs. Poor housing conditions negatively affect quality of life.” Continue reading →

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Posted in Culture wars, Defense and National Security, Federal issues, Politics

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CRT Critic Carol Swain to Speak May 15

Posted on May 1, 2024 by | 2 comments

Dr. Carol Swain speaking May 15 at the Cultural Arts Center in Glenn Allen. Purchase tickets here.

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Imagine a world where civil discourse triumphs over the divisive rhetoric saturating our daily lives. It seems this reality is slipping away, but amidst the chaos, one visionary offers a solution to the schism pervading our culture: Dr. Carol Swain.

Dr. Swain embodies the American dream. Born into abject poverty in rural Southwest Virginia, she grew up in a one-room house with twelve siblings, surrounded by chaos and hopelessness. Despite dropping out of high school, marrying, and becoming a young parent, her destiny took a remarkable turn with the encouragement of a few key individuals.

Dr. Swain’s journey saw her earning five degrees, starting from community college. With a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.S.L. from Yale, she attained early tenure at Princeton and eventually a full professorship at Vanderbilt, excelling as both a political scientist and law professor. Today, she’s a sought-after cable news contributor, best-selling author, and national speaker, renowned for her expertise in critical race theory and higher education, cited three times by the U.S. Supreme Court. Continue reading →

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Unmask the Death-To-America Rioters

Posted on May 1, 2024 by | 23 comments

by Kerry Dougherty 

It’s time.

Time to burn the last foul-smelling remnant of the Ralph Northam regime.

Actually, it’s long past time to once again enforce an important part of the Code of Virginia: 18.2-422. “Prohibition of wearing masks in…any public place.

This law was active from 1950 until Northam the Awful – the doctor who forced Virginians to wear cloth bandanas on their faces in 2020 (he idiotically demonstrated how to tie a rag around one’s face) because he apparently didn’t know that homemade masks would literally do nothing to stop a virus.

Once the useless mask mandate ended in May 2021 there seemed to be some sort of agreement that law enforcement wouldn’t arrest the hypochondriacs who continued to wear them.

I realize that masks are de rigueur for rioters. Combined with an oversized keffiyeh they offer anonymity to the Hamas and Hezbollah wannabes. Take a gander at any footage from the nationwide campus protests and most of the anti-semites are wearing masks.

Look, the pandemic is over. There is no need for anyone to be wearing a mask in public. Especially not the Death-to-America crowd that’s rioting and trespassing on the grounds of Virginia Tech and Virginia Commonwealth University. Continue reading →

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Posted in Culture wars

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UNC’s Lee Roberts Gets My Vote for Best University President in America

Posted on May 1, 2024 by | 11 comments

At UNC-Chapel Hill the Palestinian flag comes down, the American flag goes up.

Hear the chants of “USA! USA!” I haven’t heard anything like that on a Virginia campus in quite a while. Maybe it’s time to become a Tar Heel.

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Posted in Culture wars

Amid Arrests on Other Campuses, Tensions Mount at UVA

Posted on May 1, 2024 by | 13 comments

by James A. Bacon

As a wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations and encampments rolled across Virginia college campuses yesterday, university presidents held firm in enforcing rules governing the orderly conduct of protests. The day after Virginia Tech shut down an unpermitted “liberation zone” Sunday, arresting 82, Virginia Commonwealth University closed an encampment last night, arresting 13. At the University of Virginia, pro-Palestinian groups were ordered to take down their tents, erected before the main event today called for by protest organizers, but were allowed to continue their vigil.

Media reports indicated, however, that protests spread yesterday to Mary Washington University, where they had died down from a previous eruption, and to Christopher Newport University.

The Virginia protests were overshadowed in national media Tuesday night by resolution of the standoff at Columbia University, where New York police broke up a liberation zone and evicted students who had barricaded themselves inside a building.

If university presidents in the Old Dominion needed any stiffening of resolve, they got it from Governor Glenn Youngkin who, appearing on CNN Sunday, said, “We’re not going to have encampments and tents put up and yes, we will protect the ability to peacefully express yourself, but we’re not going to have the kind of hate speech and intimidation we’re seeing across the country in Virginia.”

After the knock-down of the encampment at VCU Tuesday, the main action in Virginia shifted to UVA. Continue reading →

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Beach College Weekend Was a Dud: The Good News & The Bad.

Posted on April 30, 2024 by | 12 comments

by Kerry Dougherty 

Talk about spinning until you’re dizzy, get a load of the local coverage of last weekend’s taxpayer-subsidized Audacity Oceanfront Concerts:

Describing the anemic “crowds” as “smaller-than-expected” The Virginian-Pilot added “That’s not to say those who attended didn’t have a good time.”

Oh please.

We, the taxpayers, gave the organizers of this dud $750,000 to bring the show to the oceanfront, plus an untold number of “in-kind-city services” in return for an advertising campaign showcasing Virginia Beach.

Judging from the virtually empty resort area last weekend even that p.r. offensive fell flat.

The organizers blamed the weather for the poor turnout, but there wasn’t a drop of rain, just chilly late April temperatures.

What happened was actually good news: it appears that Beach College Weekend, an annual headache for the Resort City, may have moved on. Continue reading →

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Posted in Economic development, Media

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