Author: Dick Hall-Sizemore
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Well, Maybe Not Full Responsibility
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Governor Youngkin is again showing that he’s “all hat and no cattle.” The latest example is his fawning response to the President’s actions to gut the U.S. Dept. of Education. In it, he declares, “Virginia is ready to take full responsibility for K-12 education.” That sounds impressive, but I thought that Virginia…
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Geology and the Civil War
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Just about any aspect of Virginia history is intertwined with the Civil War, and geology is no exception. Pictured is the Catherine Furnace on Massanutten Mountain. Some of the pig iron used in Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond to manufacture cannons and other items for the Confederacy came out of this furnace.…
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A Little Perspective on the Federal Budget Debate
by Dick Hall-Sizemore There has been much commentary on this blog lately about the size of the national debt and the need to cut federal spending. Many of those commenters point fingers at Democrats as being the big spendthrifts. I would like to add a little perspective to this discussion. When reading the obituary for…
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Oh, All Those Drug Ads
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Tom Garrett, who was formerly a state senator, then a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and is now a member of the House of Delegates from Goochland County, has called on President Trump to rein in drug prices. One of his suggestions is to prohibit drug companies from advertising. Saying…
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The Trump Tariffs and Virginia Farmers
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Virginia farmers will soon feel the effect of President Trump’s 25 percent across-the-board tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10 percent tariff on products from China. According to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer services, the top two export markets for Viriginia agricultural products in 2023…
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Youngkin Commutes Killer’s Sentence
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Well, this is a turnabout! Steve Descanos, the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s attorney much maligned in Bacon’s Rebellion for being woke and soft on crime, secured a guilty verdict in a trial involving the killing of an unarmed man. Two days after the offender was sentenced by the presiding judge, Governor Youngkin commuted…
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Henrico Proposes Tax Relief
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Maybe Henrico County officials read my recent lament in Bacon’s Rebellion concerning the significant increase in my house’s assessed value. In any event, the county manager’s office announced this week that it was proposing to the Board of Supervisors a reduction of 2 cents in the real estate tax rate. Now many…
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Waste, Fraud, and Abuse Report
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Below are two instances of waste, fraud, and abuse of federal funds that have been recently identified and dealt with in Virginia: Hurricane Helene aid—The Virginia Creeper Trail and the tourist revenue associated with it are important to the town of Damascus and the rest of Washington County in southwest Virginia. Hurricane…
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Commonwealth on Fence for Transportation Funding
The U.S. Dept. of Transportation has issued an order that “updates and resets the principles and standards underpinning U.S.Department of Transportation policies, programs, and activities.” The order provides that all “DOT grants, loans, contracts, and DOT-supported or -assisted State contracts shall proioritize projects and goals that (among other issues) “give preference to communities with marriage…
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Legislating in the Budget
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The members of the General Assembly money committees have something in common with President Trump. They, like him, love “one big beautiful bill.” OK, admittedly, that is a little exaggerated. However, those committees have reported out budget bills loaded with non-budget-related items. “Legislating through the budget” is somewhat of a pejorative term…
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Reassessment Blues
I just opened my reassessment notice from Henrico County. The assessment of my house is 13.5 percent higher than it was last year! It is not a grand or fancy house. Just a brick Cape Cod with about 1,300 sq.ft, built in 1955. It is not the house; it is the neighborhood. Houses stay on…
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Take That, TurboTax
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Each year when I finish using TurboTax to prepare my tax returns, I file my federal tax return electronically. However, in order to file my state tax return electronically, I have to pay extra. I refuse on principle. I print off the completed state return, sign it, put it in an envelope,…
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King Elon I
How do you feel about an unelected multi-billionaire “moving swiftly to exert control over vast swaths of the U.S. government,” as the Wall Street Journal put it, with plans to shut down spending and programs he does not like?
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First the James River, Now Federal Grants
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Last week, the James River froze over and folks were walking across the river on the ice. This week, Virginians were confronted with another freeze. The Trump administration ordered federal agencies on Monday to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance….” The purpose of the…
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I’ve Got It! Let’s Just Change the Rules!
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Because it could not legally stop the establishment of a historical horse racing facility within its boundaries, Henrico County is asking the General Assembly to change the rules. This issue was covered before in Bacon’s Rebellion. In summary, Henrico voters approved the establishment of off-track-betting facilities in the county. In 2018, the…