Bacon's Rebellion

  • Intellectuals Yet Idiots on the Loose

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    James A. Bacon

    Microsoft Image Creator’s AI-generated image of Intellectuals Yet Idiots… well, Intellectuals Yet Fools, actually. The word “idiot” violates its word-usage guidelines.

    by James A. Bacon

    Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the “Black Swan” and “Antifragile” author and curmudgeonly critic of just about everyone, coined the term Intellectuals Yet Idiots (IYIs) to describe the modern-day class of journalists, academics, and other cultural elitists who think they know everything better than anyone else.

    The term well describes professors with the University of Virginia Department of History who signed an open letter critical of President Jim Ryan’s crackdown on the “Encampment for Gaza” protest on UVA grounds ย in violation of university rules.

    “As historians” they wrote, “we are acutely aware that this police action fell on the anniversary of the murder of four student protesters at Kent State University on May 4, 1970. History has not judged those who ordered the violent repression of that protest kindly. History will also judge the University of Virginiaโ€™s actions on May 4, 2024, and we have no doubt that history will also condemn the disproportionate, draconian and excessive use of force against nonviolent protesters exercising their free speech rights on an academic campus founded by the author of the Declaration of Independence.”

    Yeah, right. The crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters was just like the Kent State massacre in which four students were killed and nine wounded by the Ohio National Guard…. except for the fact that no one at UVA was killed. Or wounded. Or seriously injured. (more…)

  • Parking Decks, Debt, & Trap Doors

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    Bob Rayner

    by Jon Baliles

    On Wednesday afternoon at 3:00pm in City Council chambers, City Council will vote and approve the plan presented by the Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to allow Richmond to issue $170 million in bonds to pay for the new baseball stadium on ten acres that will be surrounded by about 57 acres of new development built out over the next decade plus.

    Two years after kicking off the Diamond District process, the new plan announced a month ago was suddenly hailed as the fastest way to build a new stadium so Major League Baseball (MLB) doesnโ€™t move the franchise for failing to upgrade stadium facilities as promised since The Diamond is too archaic to be retrofitted or modernized.

    Wednesday will be a rosy โ€œkumbayahโ€ meeting in which all the positives will be laid out in front of the Council and the public and none of the negatives or risks will be discussed. The public hearing will take place, but many people will be at work in the afternoon or picking kids up from school, and others might decide to stay home knowing this deal will be approved by Council on a 9-0 (or maybe an 8-1) vote.

    The cityโ€™s โ€œleadersโ€ and financial experts promise this new plan will save millions over the next three decades because of lower interest rates and โ€œalmost no risk,โ€ compared to the original plan they started out with two years ago. But the Mayor and CAO, in their desperation to get any deal done and not lose a second baseball franchise, forgot to put any protections in the deal for the city and managed to leave a trap door.

    They swear up and down that the development that has been occurring organically in and around Ashe Boulevard and Scottโ€™s Addition will continue (which is very probable), and that the new development in the Diamond District will produce enough new tax revenue to cover, or almost cover, the annual debt required to pay the bonds back (or so we are told).

    But what no one will talk about on Wednesday is the trap door in the form of a blank check called the Community Development Authority (CDA) that will have a real impact on future city budgets and city services for decades to come. Two years ago when the Diamond District was announced, the plan was to create a CDA to issue bonds for the stadium that would be paid back by tax revenue from the development within the districtโ€™s boundaries. (more…)

  • Ignoring FOIA?

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    Bob Rayner

    by Joe Fitzgerald

    I’ve wondered since college, if not high school, what happens when a public body decides to just ignore the Freedom of Information Act. I donโ€™t know if thatโ€™s what the Rockingham County School Board is doing right now, but if they are, the criticism might be just the cost of doing business. Itโ€™s not Hell to pay. Itโ€™s Hell to pay off before moving on to the next liberal interference in their drive to replace education professors with City Elders.

    The board recently formed a panel to judge their banned books, and because people making decisions for the public should be judged themselves, the Virginia Freedom of Information Act says we should know who those people are.

    Of course FOIA doesnโ€™t mention judgment, possibly because so many public servants come up short in that category. What it does mention is that public bodies shall be public, and that the definition of public bodies, โ€œshall not exclude any such committee, subcommittee, or entity because it has private sector or citizen members.โ€

    Not so much, says Matt Crossโ€™s School Board majority. Theyโ€™re not revealing the names of the book-vetting committee members. The superintendent has said that in forming the committee, they looked for people who could read. Thatโ€™s an extraordinarily low bar for people judging literature, perhaps akin to demanding that a referee be able to see. (more…)

  • With the Tents Down, the Blowback Begins

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    James A. Bacon

    by James A. Bacon

    Following the decision to take down the tents in the UVA Solidarity Encampment for Gaza “liberated zone” at the University of Virginia on Saturday, UVA President Jim Ryan is facing strong blowback from leftist elements in the UVA and Charlottesville communities.

    Pro-Palestinian protesters had rebuked the administration’s orders to take down the tents and refrain from the use of loudspeakers in violation of University rules. After repeated warnings, the decision was made to send in Virginia State Troopers in riot gear Saturday to break up a tent encampment of anarchists and militants near the University Chapel, resulting in the arrest of 25.

    The Jefferson Council contends that the takedown was fully justified. The issue was not the protesters’ right to free speech — they had been shouting and chanting their pro-Palestinian views for almost a week — but their refusal to abide by the rules regarding time, place and manner of protests that everyone else is expected to obey. (more…)

  • Views on Tobacco Disqualify Defender of Whales?

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    Steve Haner

    By Steve Haner

    It was disappointing to the see the Richmond Times-Dispatch stoop to a weak ad hominem argument on its front page on May 6, seeking to discredit a legal challenge to the Dominion Energy Virginia wind project by labeling the plaintiffs as โ€œclimate deniersโ€ and defenders of tobacco. (more…)

  • Virginia Is Not California. Or New York.

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    Bob Rayner

    by Kerry Doughertyย 

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

    Estimates placed the size of the โ€œcrowdsโ€ 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 โ€œencampmentsโ€ on any campuses. (more…)

  • Ban Cellphones in Schools? It Can be Done!

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    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    Photo credit: U.S. News and World Report

    by Dick Hall-Sizemore

    Schools around the country, including in Virginia, are beginning to effectively ban studentsโ€™ 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 inconsistentโ€” 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. (more…)

  • RVA Car Tax Elevator: Going Up!

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    Bob Rayner

    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 โ€” 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 Mayorโ€™s โ€œstep-stairโ€ approach to tax relief in 2022 โ€” 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. (more…)

  • Jeanine’s Memes

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    James A. Bacon

    From The Bull Elephant

  • Militants to Ryan Administration: “Bullshit”

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    James A. Bacon

    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.” (more…)

  • Fairness + Accountability = Thriving City

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    Bob Rayner


    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 cityโ€™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, Mulletโ€™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 didnโ€™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. (more…)

  • A Question for Some Supreme Court Justices

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    Dick Hall-Sizemore

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

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

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    by

    James A. Bacon

    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.” (more…)

  • Congress Values Names More Than Housing for Service Members

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    by

    Bob Rayner

    Congresswoman Jen Kiggans

    by Donald Smith

    โ€œRemoving the last vestiges of Confederate history from the U.S. military, includingย renaming nine Army posts, will cost more than $62 million, a congressional commission said Tuesday.โ€ย 

    That quote is fromย Alex Hortonโ€™sย Washington Postย article on the recommendations of the Naming Commission, dated September 13th, 2022. โ€œFor the base names,โ€ wrote Horton, โ€œthe 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.โ€

    One year later, it was crystal-clear that the โ€œNamingโ€ Commissionโ€™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.ย 

    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 Commissionโ€™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.ย 

    Also in September of 2023, the U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO) released aย report on the quality of housing in military barracks. โ€œIn recent years,โ€ the GAO wrote, โ€œthere 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.โ€ (more…)

  • CRT Critic Carol Swain to Speak May 15

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    James A. Bacon

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

    —– Sponsored Content —–

    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. (more…)

Now Available

Book cover of 'Dust Mites: A Second American Revolution' by James A. Bacon, featuring astronauts planting a flag with a blue and white emblem on a lunar landscape, with Earth visible in the background.
For sale on Amazon.com

The year: 2075. The American colonies on the Moon are getting restless under Washington’s tyrannical rule….

This second edition of “Dust Mites” has a snazzy new cover, includes helpful lunar maps, and is 5,000 words tighter than the original. The sequel, “Trogs,” is scheduled for publication this summer.

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Bacon’s Rebellion is Virginia’s leading politically non-aligned portal for news, opinions and analysis about state, regional and local public policy. Read more about us here.

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