-
Bacon Meme of the Week
-
Hey NCAA, Let JMU Go Bowling!
by Kerry DoughertyFile this under โEven A Blind Squirrel Finds A Nut Occasionallyโ:
Louise Lucas, one of the worst members of Virginiaโs General Assembly and the ringleader of the obstructionist โbrick wallโ in the state Senate that blocked chunks of Gov. Glenn Younginโs popular agenda, is on the right side of an issue.
For once.
She recently posted this on X, the website formerly known as Twitter:
Let me remind the @NCAA that they are required by their charter to follow state laws where they operate. If they continue to hold @JMUFootball hostage to a technical rule and stop them from competing in the postseason they will face a very unfriendly future from our legislature.
Iโm not sure thereโs much to her veiled threat of โunfriendlinessโ from Virginiaโs General Assembly, but her heartโs in the right place on this one. Until she brings race into it. As she always does. Sigh.
Sheโs one of many Virginia politicians – Republicans and Democrats – who are lobbying the NCAA to allow James Madison University to become bowl-eligible this year.
Letโs back up. In 2022 JMU moved up to Division 1 football after dominating the FCS for many years. This week the Dukes broke into both the AP and Coachesโ Polls national rankings in the 25th spot. The only Virginia college football program in the top 25.
No surprise, considering that after seven games, the university in Harrisonburg remains undefeated.
For most football programs, hitting six wins promises an invitation to play in one of the 41 bowl games. Seven wins? Itโs a lock.
But NCAA rules prevent programs from participating in bowl games until theyโve been in the higher division for two seasons.
-
Lee Statue Meltdown
by James A. BaconAt one point during the decade-long debate over Confederate statuary, the logic of the Taliban, er, progressives, was that the statues should not be commemorated in highly visible public spaces, but could be relegated to battlefields, cemeteries and museums. If the statues and memorials must be removed, that seems to be a reasonable fallback position, and we’ll see if and where it is honored.
But the statue to Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, where the leftist electorate is infected by a rabid animus towards its enemies, will never be seen again. Not in a battlefield, not in a cemetery, not in a museum. In the Peoples’ Republic the attitude seems to be: we’ve got the power, we’ve got the statues, you can’t have them back, and by the way, f— you, we’re going to destroy them, and you can’t stop us.
The news is out that organizers of the โSwords into Plowsharesโ project has melted down the Lee statue, which had been torn down in 2021 and the fate of which had long been the subject of litigation. The deed was done at an out-of-state foundry; the metal will be recycled into some form of progressive artwork.
John Reid, chair of The Virginia Council, released the following statement:
The Virginia Council denounces in the strongest possible terms the vile, vengeful, and repugnant act of destroying in a blast furnace the Robert E. Lee statue that stood for decades in Charlottesville.
Rejoicing in the destruction of historic statues and paintings and gleefully comparing it to the โexecutionโ of a โrabid dogโ reveals an alarming and juvenile belligerence. Only a weak and sick society allows this to happen, and it ought to be an extraordinarily disturbing sign about the future of this country. (more…)
-
In Defense of Painful Free Speech
by Allan StamThe horrific attacks of October 7th on Jews in Israel have prompted pro-Palestinian groups, including several at UVA, to rally in support of Hamas. In recent days, we have heard growing calls for support of Palestinians and condemnation of Israel as the Israeli Defense Forces and Iranโs proxies โ Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and Ansar Allah (the Houthi movement in Yemen) wage the most significant war in and around Israel in years. This is a war precipitated solely by Hamasโ surprise terror attack of unprecedented scale and proportion on unarmed Israeli civilians.
A common theme across the statements of pro-Palestinian groups and many university administrators and faculty is an explicit or implicit assertion of some moral equivalence between the suffering of human shields in Gaza and the victims of barbaric terror attacks in Israel. The linguistic turn that Hamasโ apologists employ most commonly is the โyes, butโฆโ device.
Some responded to these abhorrent statements with calls to restrict free speech, to sanction the terroristsโ enablers formally, and to quell somehow this pruriently hateful speech. I disagree. Most vehemently. Let the antisemites have their say. Why? Because now we know with certainty what they believe and how they genuinely feel about others in our community.
The downside of strict censorship is uncertainty about peoplesโ actual beliefs. For example, by making the use of the n-word utterly forbidden, we protect the sensibilities of Black people who would suffer, at a minimum, great offense and possibly some genuine harm. However, the cost of that protection is that it enhances the ability of the faithful or casual racists to hide in our midst. (more…)
-
Free Speech and Advocacy of Genocide
by James A. Bacon
Chanting “Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea,” hundreds of pro-Palestinian students held a protest on the Lawn at the University of Virginia yesterday. As reported by The Washington Free-Beacon, they demanded the Biden administration defund aid to Israel. The event was part of a national “walkout” organized by Students for Justice in Palestine, and the second demonstration in Charlottesville since Hamas unleashed a wave of terrorist attacks on Israel earlier this month.
“We, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), are sickened by the on-going, escalating genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by Zionist forces,” said the organizing group in a formal statement signed by two dozen other leftist student groups in the aftermath of the Hamas assault. “We stand in solidarity with Palestinians in the fight for liberation and in their struggle against settler colonialism.”ย
While the protesters were not explicit about their ultimate aim, the slogan “Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea” can mean only one thing: the eradication of the Israeli state and the dispossession — or worse — of the Jews within it. Hamas’ slaughter of innocents in its wave of terrorist attacks earlier this month foreshadows the likely fate of the Jewish population should Hamas carry the day.
Even Adolph Hitler did not call for the extermination of the Jews in his antisemitic tract, Mein Kampf. Even the senior Nazis attending the Wannsee Conference to organize the “final solution” for the Jews spoke in euphemisms and knew that their program was too gruesome to reveal to the German people. Hamas is far more open about its aims. The genocidal impulse is all too clear. (more…)
-
Crime and Punishment in Charlottesville
by James C. Sherlock
UVa and Harvard are the two campuses most often cited by the national and world press as homes to the worst actors after October 7.
It is easy work.
I posted a column on Saturday making a series of recommendations for actions by the University of Virginia to protect its Jewish community and rid itself of those that threaten it.
That was my response to the infamous support of UVa-funded organizations for the slaughter of innocents in Israel by Hamas, a group designated by the United States as a terrorist organization.
Kill Jews โby any means necessaryโ they wrote.
Read the column. ย I named them.
Now I have been told by the Executive Director of Hillel at UVa, Rabbi Jake Rubin, that the President’s office and law enforcement “have been incredibly responsive, helpful, and present during this difficult time.”
Good start, and Virginians thank them for it, but it does not answer the questions about enforcement of state and federal laws.
So, there is more to do. (more…)
-
“Hate” Speech Does Not Make Students “Unsafe”
Scene from “Clockwork Orange” by James A. Bacon
There is a widespread notion among militant leftists at the University of Virginia, as there is in universities across the Commonwealth, that exposure to objectionable ideas causes “harm” to those who hear them and, thus, should be suppressed. This logic is a totalitarian wolf in sheep’s clothing. While I do not countenance the banning of speech — even the speech of those who would happily ban mine — I do believe this leftist trope must be combatted forcefully in the marketplace of ideas.
We observed this thinking in the run-up to the speech by Abigail Shrier, author of Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, which highlights the role of social contagion in the spread of transgender identity among teenage girls and the potentially irreversible damage of hormone treatments and sex-change surgery.
Shrier is Public Enemy No. 1 to transgender activists, and their social media accounts lit up once word got out that The Jefferson Council and its partners were holding a Q&A event with Shrier on the Grounds. I won’t bore you with the serial misrepresentations of Shrier as a transphobe and a hater. Rather, my intent here is to explore the logic that speakers with views like hers are unwelcome at UVa.ย
“Unfortunately, knowing that the university is OK w allowing hateful ppl to come to this school (pence, pompeo, other hateful republicans) it is clear that ‘free speech’ and ‘bipartisanship’ is valued over the safety of their students,” messaged one writer in a QSU (Queer Student Union) account. [My bold face.] (more…)
-
Voters Will Decide Virginia’s Future Direction
by Derrick MaxIn two weeks, the people of Virginia will decide on two competing visions for the future of Virginia. Will they elect a General Assembly favoring Governor Glenn Youngkinโs more freedom-oriented policy vision, or will they elect a General Assembly returning the Commonwealth to the statist policy vision of former governors Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam?
While much of the current debate in the Commonwealth has focused almost solely on abortion, the number of issues โon the ballotโ in this election is much broader and ought to be more closely considered by voters. If readers want a deeper dive into these issues, links to the Thomas Jefferson Instituteโs work in these areas are included.
Surpluses are on the ballot inย Virginia.
Earlier this year, faced with an historic $5.1 billion surplus, Governor Youngkin and Democrats in the Virginia Senate reached a deal to cut $1.05 billion in taxes and allocate $3.7 billion in new, one-time spending. This $3 in new spending for every $1 in tax cuts is backward.
Budget officials in Virginia just reported that in the first quarter of this fiscal year, surpluses are continuing to be amassed in Richmond. Coupled with the official projections for spending and revenue for the next few years, the next General Assembly will almost certainly be faced with large cash surpluses. (more…)
-
The Proper Understanding of the Importance of Education
October 20, 2020. ย Fairfax Education Association President asks for Fairfax County Schools to remain closed for 2020-21 school year . Courtesy Fox 5. by James C. Sherlock
Remember the schools being shut down in Richmond for the entire academic year 2020-21 for COVID?
Remember the teachers union protestations seeking the same outcome elsewhere in Virginia?
Of course you do.
Just a note to put that in perspective.
The IDF’s Home Front Command announced yesterday that Israeli schools and educational facilities across the central region of Gush Dan (Tel Aviv) will resume operations without restrictions starting Tuesday.
Jerusalem schools will also open Tuesday.
-
Coming November 9…
*** sponsored content ***
Heather Mac Donald, a member of the Manhattan Institute, is author of โThe Diversity Delusion: How Race and Gender Pandering Corrupt the University and Undermine Our Culture.โ
-
Transgender Issues — Whose “Centerpiece,” Youngkin’s or the Post’s?
by James A. Bacon
The latest Washington Post spin on its recent public-opinion poll about transgender issues in Virginia schools is a window into the unconscious biases of WaPo reporters and editors.
Here’s the lead (my emphasis):
Education is an important factor for many Virginia voters this fall, but transgender issues, one of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkinโs most controversial education cornerstones, is a low priority for voters, according to a Washington Post-Schar School poll.”
โIโm not seeing in the data that the trans issue and how that is playing in public schools is a big driver right now in the electorate,โ said Mark J. Rozell, dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University.
The message: Youngkin has made transgender policies a “cornerstone” of his education policy, but Virginians aren’t going along. (more…)
-
How Pass Through Tax Rules Raid the U.S. Treasury
American Institute of CPA’s map of states with a pass through entity tax rule as of this past July.ย Many of those that haven’t have no state income tax anyway.ย Click for larger view. By Steve Haner
When the General Assembly was briefed on the stateโs financial status last week, the $412 million in unexpected revenue growth was dismissed as potentially misleading because of some new quirk in Virginia tax law called the Pass Through Entity Tax or PTET.ย PTET keeps coming up in these discussions.
Approval of the Pass Through Entity Tax in 2022, with some tweaks to the rules in 2023, has indeed scrambled the stateโs financial forecasting. Virginia is one of 36 states now offering this tax strategy. ย The Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee got a briefing on it October 17.ย Before the boring nuts and bolts, here are the headlines.
First, PTET is popularly seen as a way to undermine the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Actโs limitation on the deductibility of state and local taxes (SALT).ย If you seek itemized deductions on a federal tax return, the limit for state and local taxes paid is $10,000.ย Now that Virginia and so many other states have adopted PTET, the big loser is the federal government.ย PTET adds to the federal deficit. (more…)
-
Virginia Beach School Board Adopts Controversial Youngkin Policy
from The Republican Standard
The school board for Virginiaโs largest city has adopted controversial guidelines announced by the Youngkin administration.
Under the new rules, teachers and students have the right to call transgender students by their birth name and the pronouns of their biological sex.
The Virginia Beach School Board initially opposed the governorโs order but reversed course on Thursday amid a lawsuit brought by two parents.
As The Virginian-Pilot reports:
“For the past year, the school board and community have been embroiled in a debate surrounding these policies, with LGBTQ advocates arguing the model policies could put transgender and nonbinary students in danger by forcibly โoutingโ them to unsupportive families or hiding their gender identities. (more…)
-
Erica Ausch: The Last Holocaust Survivor in Hampton Roads?
Erica Ausch flanked by daughter Jodie Woodward and granddaughter Liza Woodward by Kerry Dougherty
More than 80 years ago the Nazis began โcleansingโ Europe of Jews. The reign of terror began with hate and harassment. It moved on to expulsion and finally to the death camps. Initially the rest of the world didnโt know what was happening.
By the time they noticed, six million Jews were dead.
Maybe, if the world had seen what happened to the Reisner family in an idyllic Austrian town at the start of the Holocaust, many lives could have been spared.
The horror of what happened two weeks ago in Israel is a raw reminder that there are those in the world who still want to eradicate Jews.
As a result, 89-year-old Erica Reisner Ausch is worried.
This cheerful and energetic Virginia Beach resident, who teaches water aerobics in the summer and plays Mahjong with her friends all year long, has spent the last two weeks fretting about what the deadly attacks on innocent Israelis means for the future.
Erica Ausch was a married woman with children before she learned the truth about her family: They were not refugees from Austria as sheโd been told by her parents who wanted to protect her from the truth, but Holocaust survivors. She was two years old when Germany annexed Austria and when the Nazis stormed her little town of Kittsee. (more…)
-
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 Healthโs 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 Virginiaโs Certificate of Public Need (COPN) law, and Medicaid expenditures.
I have shown over time in a series of columns how bad many of Virginiaโs nursing homes are.
Antitrust authorities at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and at the US Department of Justice (DOJ) have long taken the position that CON laws are anticompetitive.
This study, conducted prior to COVID, indicates that COPN administration will ensure that nursing facilities not only have little competition from other facilities, which it was designed to do, but also will limit home health care expansion, which the COPN law does not mention.
That is very good for the Virginia nursing home industry.
It is bad for every other Virginian, every one of whom may need at least post-operative recovery and rehabilitation if not long term care.
Some will need it in a dedicated facility, others can be better served at home.
The study indicated that COPN will tend to make home health care less available and potentially raise total Medicaid spending. It also showed that market forces unconstrained by CON laws like COPN will tend to reverse those trends.
So this article is dedicated to our politicians and their constituents.
You. (more…)
