Finally, a transportation editorial in the (Newport News) Daily Press that I can agree with. The anonymous editorial reviews a series of mega-projects where cost estimates are escalating out of control, undermining the original justification for the projects. Two cases in point… (Read rest of post on The Road to Ruin blog.)

Hey, What’s Hillary Clinton doing in Northern Virginia? According to the WaPo‘s Michael Shear, (“Clinton Cashes in in Warner Territory), some 200 people gathered at the Old Town Hilton in Alexandria–Gov. Warner’s old stomping grounds–to bash Bush administration fiscal policies and raise money. Clinton tactfully praised Warner, a presumed challenger in her bid for the…

In today’s AFP Blue Dog interview, LG candidates Byrne and Bolling discuss the current challenges Virginia health care faces moving forward along with the differences in party philosophies with the issue: “So I would question whether or not the proposals put forth by Ms. Byrne are legally possible, and even if they were, I do…

From the National Journal: “Best Imitation Of John Kerry Award Goes To… Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine (D). Kaine’s position on the death penalty has become even more muddled thanks to his new TV ad in the Virginia governor’s race. Here is the direct quote from his spot: “As a Christian missionary in Honduras, I learned…

Tim Kaine wants to focus the gubernatorial debate on transportation, which he rightly describes as the most important issue facing the electorate today. (See the article in Leesburg2day.) Right now, the only person consistently getting ink on transportation is Russ Potts, and he is degrading the debate through the mindless repetition of platitudes. But Jerry…

From today’s Washington Post: Grand Jury Demands Lawmaker’s DocumentsInvestigation Centers On Ties to ContractorBy Renae Merle and Jeffrey H. BirnbaumWashington Post Staff WritersWednesday, June 29, 2005; D01 A federal grand jury in Southern California has subpoenaed documents from Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, his lawyer said yesterday in a written statement. Prosecutors have been examining the…

The “Road to Ruin” blog has raised an important question regarding a potential bail-out of Interstate 895, also known as the Pocahontas Parkway. An Australian company and Irish bank want to take over rights to operate the parkway, a toll road that skirts around the southeastern edge of Richmond. The million-dollar question: How would private-sector…

Gov. Mark Warner took a bad spill on a bicycle ride near Lexington Tuesday, breaking his hand in two places. An Associated Press photo in the Richmond Times-Dispatch showed him, talking to the press, with what appeared to be a heavily bandaged hand and a neck brace. His good spirits under such adverse circumstances undoubtedly…

The Virginia House of Delegate 2005 Election web blog is morphing into a three-ring political circus with the latest celebrity post by ‘not jim gilmore’… Virginia House of Delegates 2005 Elections‘not jim gilmore’ wrote: “That’s 41 Pro-Virginia, 35 Anti-Virginia and 3 fingers in the wind. With 21 seats left, everyone needs to be very aware…

Gov. Warner’s idea of cross-enrolling high school students, particularly those suffering “senioritis,” in community college courses is a great initiative. Students get challenged with a taste of the “next level” and earn college credits they can hopefully apply to their four year college. Another idea using the community college system comes from Glenn DuBois, chancellor…

Norm Leahy calls Jeff Schapiro’s Richmond Times-Dispatch column this morning “eye-glazing.” It’s all about Joan S. Dent, retiring executive director of the Virginia Governmental Employees Association (VGEA). Maybe, because I’m a state employee myself, I actually found it interesting, especially reading between the lines. First of all, out of 112,000 state employees, only 18,000 are…

In a post yesterday morning, I questioned whether the Daily Press was engaging in a little revisionist history in the way it portrayed the Moody’s credit watch on Virginia’s AAA bond rating. Perhaps, I suggested, the Moody’s warning to Gov. Warner and senior legislators was more ambiguous than subsequently portrayed in the 2004 tax-hike debate.…

Here’s the complete Til Hazel passage from the Washington Post story on Tim Kaine’s transportation plan that Barnie posted on below: John T. “Til” Hazel, a developer and frequent critic of both Kaine and Kilgore, said Kaine’s pledge to veto new transportation taxes is “political baloney.” “That is such a nothing plan, it’s hard for…

Tim Kaine’s transportation plan represents a revolutionary break from platforms of previous gubernatorial candidates by insisting upon the coordination of transportation and land use planning. To read Jim Bacon’s positive report on a plan advanced by a Democrat (gasp!), view today’s post on the “Road to Ruin” website.

Said Til Hazel, a NOVA developer with political throw-weight, to the Washington Post upon hearing Kaine’s transportation roll-out Thursday: “That is such a nothing plan it’s hard for me to even think or comment.”