Category: Ethics
-
Out of Bounds: When Religious Bias Enters the Legislative Process
by Joshua N. Lief In the high-stakes environment of the Virginia General Assembly, debate is expected to be vigorous. Whatever the topic, we rely on elected officials to weigh arguments based on facts, economics, and fairness. However, when a delegate bypasses the substance of a bill and instead targets the identity of one of its…
-
In the Business of Health Care Fraud, Virginia is Minnesota
by James C. Sherlock Health care fraudsters are often treated by Virginia elected officials in the same way moonshiners were in this state, as local heroes pursued only by the feds. Many prefer not to interrupt the product flow. They simply want a taste from the jar. Dick Hall-Sizemore, a dedicated contributor to BR and a good…
-
Evidence of Intent
by James C. Sherlock Evidence of intentional wrongdoing by specific nursing home chains operating in Virginia is hiding in plain sight. The huge gaps and consistent trends in each exhibit below cannot be attributed to happenstance. It reflects business models rigorously applied. The numbered exhibits draw entirely on a single Center for Medicare & Medicaid…
-
The Institutionalization of Corruption in the Virginia General Assembly
by James C. Sherlock A late friend, who was on the local bar association’s ethics committee, offered wise overarching advice to attorneys. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. Fairness is often defined as impartial and just treatment or behavior without favoritism or discrimination. In this case, we are not talking about political favoritism,…
-
The Virginia Senate’s Louise Lucas Dilemma
by James C. Sherlock Scandals can have real victims. This one certainly does. The victims are poor people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, people who citizens think and hope are cared for by our Medicaid dollars under the Americans with Disabilities Act. A politically powerful member of the Virginia Senate has failed them in her…
-
Betrayal 2 – The Virginia General Assembly
by James C. Sherlock People, including our elected representatives in the General Assembly of Virginia, might not know that the Commonwealth is subject to a permanent federal court injunction requiring compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The “Commonwealth of Virginia” is enjoined, not just the executive branch. The author herein informs the…
-
Virginia Nursing Home Laws Avoid Chains and Subverted by Weak Sanctions
by James C. Sherlock Delegate Rodney Willet, D-Henrico, is trying to do the right thing for the right reasons. He has introduced HB 605 to amend § 32.1-127. (Effective January 1, 2026) Regulations. He added a new section B. 35 to establish staffing standards for Virginia nursing homes. Del. Willett is joined by many members of…
-
Out-of-State Donors Push Nursing Home Campaign Contributions to New Heights
by James C. Sherlock “Organizing for Virginia Seniors” has jumped to number two on VPAP’s list of Top Political Donors in Virginia behind Dominion Energy. The funding for “Organizing for Virginia Seniors” comes from New York and New Jersey nursing home chains, about which this author has been less than complimentary. And then there…
-
General Assembly Upends Bill to Hold Virginia Nursing Homes Accountable
by James C. Sherlock Fish gotta swim. The General Assembly gotta do the bidding of the nursing home lobby. Patients be damned – literally. Consider the fate of House Bill 2253 in the 2025 General Assembly. As introduced, it would have empowered the Health Commissioner to impose serious sanctions on our worst nursing homes; but…
-
The Grim Reapers of Virginia’s General Assembly
by Kerry Dougherty When she was hospitalized in September 1998, my brother and I had a somber discussion with her physician. We asked how long our mother – who was clearly failing – would live. “How long is a piece of string?” the doctor shrugged. She died four days later. I’ve been thinking about my…
-
Dueling Fiscal Impact Statements
by Dick Hall-Sizemore Providing a fiscal impact statement (FIS) for legislation is a positive aspect of the legislative process. The statement can alert the legislators to the possible fiscal implications of a bill under consideration and its estimated cost. Thus, legislators are in a position to make a more informed decision about supporting the bill.…
-
Legacy Media Play Catch-Up in Hashmi Case
by Kerry Dougherty Just as I predicted: The corporate media could no longer ignore the election controversy brewing in Virginia’s bright blue 15th Senate District and were finally forced to cover the uncomfortable topic of election “irregularities”. The Daily Wire’s Luke Rosiak – the best reporter in Virginia – broke the story last weekend. The…
-
Anyone Know Where Sen. Ghazala Hashmi Lives?
by Kerry Dougherty mmm. Looks like things just got interesting — instead of merely horrifying — in last Tuesday’s election. If Luke Rosiak of The Daily Wire is correct, one Democrat member of the Virginia State Senate may be fighting to stay out of jail rather than taking her seat in the Capitol come January.…
-
Delegate Won’t Correct False Accusation About Israel
by Scott Dreyer On October 17, around noon Virginia time, a missile allegedly hit a Baptist hospital in Gaza. Almost immediately, many US mainstream news outlets blamed Israel for the attack and claimed “over 500” had been killed. As reported here, about four hours after the blast, Del. Salam “Sam” Rasoul (D-Roanoke) posted to X,…
-
The Impact of Virginia’s Certificate of Public Need Laws on Nursing Home and Home Health Care Availability and Expenditures
by James C. Sherlock I have come across a major study in the National Institute of Health’s National Library of Medicine that made a point that I have not explored sufficiently to this point. It discusses the intersection of nursing homes, home health care, CON laws like Virginia’s Certificate of Public Need (COPN) law, and…