Bacon's Rebellion

  • My Advice to Glenn Youngkin – WAKE UP!!

    Posted on

    by

    djrippert

    Image by cmfg804 from Pixabay

    May I call you Glenn? Glenn, we are neighbors. We’re roughly the same age. If you object to me calling you Glenn I suggest you stop reading this article now. It’s only going to go downhill from here. Dude, you need to wake up! Belay that  You need to wake the hell up. And I use “hell” only because Jim Bacon won’t let me use the word I really want to use on his blog. I was watching the Washington Football Team play last night from my usual perch at Mookie’s BBQ in Great Falls. I saw endless commercials from your campaign. Ineffective would be the polite term. Sucks out loud is my term. Seriously, buddy … you think small business is good? That’s your point? Really? I happen to own a small business in Virginia. I don’t know what the hell you are talking about. Small business is good? Now what? And I’m on your side. I voted for McAuliffe when he ran against Cuccinelli because the Cooch was too radical even for me. I won’t be voting for the Macker this fall. I saw his efforts as governor. Never again. You’ve got my vote unless some kind of Northam blackface incident comes up. Now, let’s talk about how you get more votes than just mine. (more…)

  • Will (Legal) Immigrants Save Us from the Madness?

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    An unidentified Chaldean Christian immigrant from Iran had a few words for the Loudoun County Public School Board three days ago. He’s not happy with the idea of public schools propagandizing students “like the ayatollahs did.” If anyone saves Americans from themselves, it will be (legal) immigrants like this man. He has an idea so crazy it just might work: schools should focus on teaching reading, writing, math, and science!

  • An Energy Reform Agenda for Virginia

    Posted on

    by

    Steve Haner

    Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center, St. Paul, VA. Dominion Photo.  Always a good political investment, never a good energy investment.

    By Steve Haner

    What should Virginia’s energy policy be?  What should the next Governor and General Assembly do? What should candidates be promising?

    Based on what has now been my 15 years of close observation and direct involvement, here is the policy outline I would suggest to any candidate who asks (not that the phone is ringing).  (more…)

  • Not All COVID-Fighting Masks Are Created Equal

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    The three main types of face mask.

    by James A. Bacon

    So, society is back to wearing masks. Governor Ralph Northam has mandated mask usage in public schools, while many universities and employers in Virginia are doing the same.

    The K-12 mandate does make accommodations for people who are eating, drinking, sleeping, exercising, playing a music instrument, and/or is in  state of unconsciousness. (I’m not making that up). Clearly, mandating masks represents an advance over closing the schools for another year. But Northam’s latest executive order provides no guidance on one important question. What kind of masks should children wear? (more…)

  • Return to Autocracy in Virginia

    Posted on

    by

    sherlockj

    Why is this man smiling?

    by James C. Sherlock.
    Updated Aug 13, 12:15 PM

    It was so easy to predict that I can claim no special prescience. I wrote a week ago:

    “The Governor’s 15-month emergency powers expired June 30, and, God, does he miss them…. (H)ow long (will the) governor put up with the lack of emergency powers?”

    If you guessed a week, you win.

    Today’s headline: Virginia Gov. Orders Mask Mandate for State’s K-12 Schools

    Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday announced a public health emergency order to require masks in all indoor settings for the state’s K-12 schools.

    The Governor has a legal basis for the order, § 32.1-13 of the Code of Virginia. The State Health Commissioner, acting for the Board of Health when it is not in session (§ 32.1-20 of the Code of Virginia),

    may make separate orders and regulations to meet any emergency, not provided for by general regulations, for the purpose of suppressing nuisances dangerous to the public health and communicable, contagious and infectious diseases and other dangers to the public life and health.

    If you are wondering, the Board of Health meets four times a year for a couple of days each meeting. And there is no mention of a role for the General Assembly.

    This is not the same law that Northam used for 15 months. New ball game. (more…)

  • Seizing and Freezing with COVID

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    by Paula Harkins

    A couple of weeks ago, I received an email from my employer requiring me to report my vaccine status. Ummmm… what?!?

    Let’s back up a moment. Since March 2019, I have been working from my home in Northern Virginia for a D.C. government contractor. I have limited my visits with friends, family, and the public. I had turned off the news. I had reduced my exposure to social media.

    I am a fitness fan, so shortly after my employer went to a mass telework environment, I decided to stand up and lead a #INTHISTOGETHER program to encourage employees to keep moving in a pandemic environment, whether that was on a treadmill or on a hiking trail and to share experiences and pictures. We had over 800 participants! Folks stayed active, safely. This was my way of turning a lemon into lemonade. I was able to do something positive in a world that was struggling to feel and be “normal.”

    Let’s fast forward to March 2020. Vaccines became available. I wasn’t sure about someone injecting me with a vaccine that had not gone through full trials, but I considered the odds and how it might affect me and the ones I love and decided to get vaccinated. My choice. (more…)

  • Northam Orders Masks on Faces of Virginia Students

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    by Kerry Dougherty

    They say an advertisement is successful if you can recall the name of the product long after you’ve seen the ad.

    If that’s true, the 2013 Staples Back-To-School spot has to be one of the greats. I thought it was hilarious when I saw it eight years ago and I think of it every year around this time.

    See for yourself:

    Unfortunately, after yesterday’s edict by Gov. Ralph Northam, there will be lots of long faces on students in the coming weeks – although we won’t be able to see them – as Virginia’s school children trudge back to class wearing face masks.

    Again. (more…)

  • Can Virginia Tap into California’s Liquid Gold Rush?

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    by Bill Tracy

    Jed Clampett of the Beverly Hillbillies struck it rich when his wayward shotgun blast accidently discovered Black Gold. Regrettably, due to his fossil fuel habit, we must now cancel old Jed for his crimes against humanity and his wanton destruction of the planet.

    Today there is a newfangled, politically acceptable liquid gold for Jed: corn oil. Not just corn oil, but soybean oil, palm oil, animal fats, grease drippings from McDonalds, and the list goes on and on. Though scientifically known as “triglycerides” to us chemists, we usually just call them “veggie oils”.

    In an attempt to reduce carbon emissions, California is giving big financial subsidies to manufacturers of “advanced” biodiesel made from veggie oils. Across the USA, and overseas, too, the rush is on to gather up veggie oils and build plants to make clean diesel for California.

    So, I got to wondering. Could Virginia can get a piece of this green gold rush? (more…)

  • Gloucester School Board Nixes CRT

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    CRT in Gloucester County Schools? No thanks.

    by Carol J. Bova

    The Gloucester County Public School Board spelled out its opposition to indoctrination or teaching that encourages hate and division in Gloucester public schools in its Tuesday meeting. The Board voted 6 to 0 for a resolution opposing Critical Race Theory in their school district’s curriculum.

    The resolution printed in the Mathews Gloucester Gazette Journal said:

    Gloucester County Public Schools (in alignment with the mission, vision and core values of the school district) will not teach or embed material designed to indoctrinate students to specific beliefs, teach or encourage in any matter hate or division based on race, creed, color or religion, and confirm that topics such as, but not limited to, Critical Race Theory and The 1619 Project, are not, and will not be, part of the GCPS curriculum.

    (more…)

  • Can’t Anybody Here Play This Game? Virginia’s 211 – Service or Crapshoot?

    Posted on

    by

    sherlockj

    by James C. Sherlock

    Sometimes the government of Virginia just makes you want to scream, cry, stay under the covers, whatever.

    Navigating government and private social services agencies when you need help is hard, even more so a crisis. But it is way harder in Virginia than it needs to be.

    To streamline the navigation process, the Federal Communications Commission in 2000 created 211, a number reserved for helplines that offer information or referrals to health and social support programs.

    Given a layup, Virginia has clanged the ball off the bottom of the rim. (more…)

  • Oyez, Oyez. The Virginia Court of Appeals is Changing.

    Posted on

    by

    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    The newly elected judges to the Virginia Court of Appeals.Top row: Dominique Callans, Doris Henderson Causey, Vernida Chaney, Frank Friedman
    Bottom row: Judge Junius Fulton, Lisa Lorish, Judge Daniel Ortiz, Stuart Raphael
    Photo credit: Virginia Mercury

    by Dick Hall-Sizemore

    One of the General Assembly’s most cherished prerogatives is the election of judges. When one party controls both houses of the legislature, that power is particularly relished. The Democrats had the opportunity in this special session to exercise its prerogative in a big way by electing eight judges to the Virginia Court of Appeals.

    The recent expansion of the jurisdiction and size of the Court of Appeals accounted for most of the unusually large number of available judgeships. The 2021 General Assembly provided for an appeal of right to the Court of Appeals in every civil case. Because that policy decision will result in an increase in the workload of the Court of Appeals, the legislation also increased the number of judges on that court from 11 to 17. Two vacancies on the existing court accounted for the other available judgeships. (more…)

  • Herd Immunity from the Delta Variant – “Mythical”

    Posted on

    by

    djrippert

    Image by Spencer Davis from Pixabay

    To vax or not to vax? I’m vaccinated. I think everybody who is eligible to be vaccinated should get vaccinated.  Jim Bacon makes the excellent point that people who are vaccinated may still get COVID but are far less likely to die from the virus. Others believe that vaccinations will confer herd immunity to the population as a whole if only enough people get vaccinated. Not so claims a world renowned virologist. Sir Andrew Pollard, head of the Oxford Vaccine Group and a leading epidemiologist, calls herd immunity from the Delta variant “not a possibility” and “mythical.” If herd immunity really is “mythical,” is there a public health basis to mandate vaccines? The pro vax mandate crowd has continually compared the COVID vaccinations to vaccinations against diseases like polio. But if herd immunity is “not a possibility,” where do we stand? (more…)

  • Solar Industry Poll Favors (Surprise) Solar Industry

    Posted on

    by

    Steve Haner

    by Steve Haner

    You will never find a better example of blatant question bias in a poll:

    “Do you agree or disagree that solar farms are better than other types of development because they do not pollute the environment and help lower the cost of electricity for homes and businesses?”

    They “do not pollute” and “help lower the cost for electricity.”  With a tilt like that in the question, the amazing thing is that only 56% of a sample of Virginia voters said sure, I agree, and a full 20% still disagreed, the rest unsure.

    There are other examples of biased question design in the poll, released a couple of days ago by a solar industry front group with the convenient and laughable name of “Conservatives for Clean Energy.” Sure, a bunch of conservatives looked up from the latest Tucker Carlson rant, passed on another discussion of the stolen election, and decided instead to pool their money on a poll focused on:

    • The Virginia Clean Economy Act
    • Attitudes about Virginia woods and farmlands being converted to miles and miles of solar panels
    • Virginia’s continued participation in the PJM Interconnection grid

    No, this is an industry backed operation, definitely tied to solar developers but the fine hand of a utility might be discerned, as well. Only somebody totally in bed with the solar industry or less than honest would accept this at face value as coming from disinterested “conservatives.” (more…)

  • Public Health Policy and the New COVID Calculus

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Virginia. Source: Virginia Department of Health

    by James A. Bacon

    As debates rage over mask and vaccination mandates across Virginia, there is no denying that the spread of the Delta variant has created a spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases. The seven-day moving average of 1,455 (which could grow as late reports filter into the Virginia Department of Health) is only 24% of the winter peak, but it likely still has room to run. There is legitimate cause for concern, and it is reasonable to discuss what precautions should be taken.

    What has gone missing from the Virginia media coverage is that the nature of the pandemic has undergone dramatic change — and I’m not talking about the increased infectiousness of the Delta variant. Hospitalizations in Virginia are up by roughly the same amount as confirmed cases, 24%, compared to the winter peak. But the moving average of deaths is running at the rate of only three per day in Virginia compared to 83 at the peak. It appears that after 18 months experience with COVID, physicians and hospitals have gotten much better at treating the illness.

    For some reason, those numbers never appear in media headlines. (more…)

  • Virginia’s Continuing Mental Health Crisis

    Posted on

    by

    sherlockj

    Credit: Adobe clipart

    by James C. Sherlock

    I like government at every level to address only things it must. Then I want it to be world class in efficiency and effectiveness. It has been clear since the ’60’s that I am destined to be repeatedly frustrated on both counts.

    We come to an old issue in Virginia, the shortage of appropriate treatment options for the mentally ill. The COVID-driven increase in mental illness has brought this issue back front and center.

    Why is the Commonwealth so reliably awful when it comes to strategy, management and funding of state health programs? Even under federal court orders in the case of mental health?

    Some of that is incompetence, but some is lack of interest — investigations and funding — by our governors and General Assemblies of both parties.

    Most of us discovered the shortage in severe mental illness capacity in 2013 when Sen. Creigh Deeds’ son killed himself and injured his father. That incident that was preventable if there had been a psychiatric bed available.

    That was not the first time the Commonwealth knew about it. There was that pesky federal investigation and court order. (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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