Author: James A. Bacon
-
If The World Is Getting Hotter…
Why On Day 14 After Paralyzing Ice Storm Does SWVA Still Look Like Frozen Tundra With Wind Chills Of 0 Degrees? by Scott Dreyer Full disclosure: One, I am not a climatologist. Two, I understand the difference between weather (short-term conditions) vs. climate (long-term trends). But just as an observer, it’s been really cold here around Roanoke for a long time.…
-
We Have to Destroy Democracy in Order to Save It!
by Chap Petersen About fifty years ago the United States was involved in a military conflict in Vietnam which lasted many years and did not end well. There was a phrase from that era – “We had to destroy the village in order to save it” – which encapsulated its own self-defeating logic. We know better…
-
The Surreptitious Disappearance of the Capitol Square Preservation Council
by Don Smith Breathtaking. Unsettling. Healing. Those meant-to-catch-your-attention words come from an article by the British newspaper The Guardian on the “reimagined” statue of Stonewall Jackson, currently on display at a contemporary “art” museum in Los Angeles. Now, as members of The Guardian’s target audience — progressives — take full control of Virginia’s state government,…
-
It’s Not Just an Act
Loudoun School officials really do think unhappy parents are potential terrorists. Don’t go — there’s more!
-
Bill & Ed’s Excellent Richmond Adventure, Part 2
by Jon Baliles As mentioned in Part 1, Richmond lost two giants of history and change at the end of 2025 when Ed Slipek died after a brief illness and soon after, Bill Martin was struck by a car in the crosswalk on Broad Street, only two blocks from The Valentine Museum, which he had…
-
“Affordability” Watch: Mandatory AC for Rental Units
From LoudounNow: “Legislation by Del. Marty Martinez (D-29) that would add air conditioning to the list of services labeled “essential” when supplied by landlords has received approval from a House committee. “Essential services for rental units are regulated by the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act and must be maintained by the landlord. Currently, the…
-
Stacked Local Taxes Make Virginia Less Affordable
by Derrick Max — Virginia’s restaurant and lodging sector is still in a fragile post-COVID recovery, yet local governments across the Commonwealth are piling on new and higher taxes that make affordability worse for families and survival harder for small businesses. A new statewide analysis of meals, lodging, and related sales taxes across all 133…
-
Spanberger Signs Bills to Send Constitutional Amendments to Voters
Governor Abigail Spanberger today released the following statement after signing legislation to set referendums on proposed amendments to the Virginia Constitution (my bold, JAB): “Virginia voters deserve the opportunity to respond to the nationwide attacks on our rights, freedoms, and elections. Everyone deserves the freedom to marry who they love — and Virginia’s Constitution should…
-
Tim Kaine Wants to Erase Robert E. Lee
by Kerry Dougherty You can always count on Democrats to engage in vacuous virtue signaling, especially during Black History Month. This year it’s Sen. Tim Kaine offering proof that attending Harvard Law School doesn’t automatically confer knowledge on students. As our country struggles with immigration, election integrity and budget matters, Kaine is consumed with something…
-
The Washington Post Is an Unprofitable Disaster
by Kerry Dougherty When did legacy journalists and the politicians who love them become such a squawking bunch of overwrought socialists? When news broke yesterday of a bloodbath at The Washington Post – 300 employees were laid off – a chorus of imbeciles rose up to demand that owner Jeff Bezos prop up the losing…
-
Fairfax Schools Crack Down on Absences — Except When Suspending Politically Inconvenient Students
by Stephanie Lundquist-AroraRepublished with permission from IWFeatures There rightfully has been a lot of attention paid to radical Virginia Democrats’ day-one blitz as soon as they took back control of the state’s governorship this year. But those of us who live in the deep blue havens that control Virginia politics know that, for our part of…
-
Affordability Watch: Hospitality Taxes
The state of Virginia and its 133 localities have so many taxes that it’s hard to keep track of them all. The Virginia Restaurant, Lodging and Travel Association (VRTLA) has documented the taxes affecting the hospitality sector — meals taxes, transit occupancy taxes, add-on sales taxes, and bed taxes — in a new report, “2025…