Bacon's Rebellion

  • School Division’s Legal Bills Continue to Swell

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    A pile of burning U.S. dollar bills engulfed in flames, emitting smoke against a dark background.

    by Stephanie Lundquist-Arora

    Even Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, Virginia Senate president pro tempore, knows the last thing Fairfax County needs is more money. Earlier this month, Sen. Lucas posted on X, “I’m getting sick and tired of localities in Northern Virginia (especially Fairfax) spreading misinformation about being underfunded by the Commonwealth of Virginia. It’s time to correct the record and stop these lies.”

    Sen. Lucas explains that Fairfax County commissioned a study with the Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia, which inaccurately found that Virginia’s largest county only gets 50 cents back on each tax dollar raised by the Commonwealth. The liberal senator continues, “This is false and is a number derived by only counting money we send the county directly, not services used by all.”

    In the X thread, Lucas points to the irony that the center Fairfax County is paying to conduct the “study” finds exactly what is most convenient for the argument that they are entitled to more money from the state. She concludes  the thread by stating, “We will not be bullied or lied to by the richest community in the Commonwealth that is constantly begging us for more funding.”

    While the county’s leaders ask state officials for more money, they continue to tax many Fairfax residents, particularly seniors on a fixed income, out of the county. As property taxes have increased by about 65% in the last decade, and an incredibly unpopular 4% food tax will be implemented in January, county leaders continue to increase their own salaries. The Board of Supervisors chairman, Jeff McKay, also enjoys a taxpayer-funded car. Fairfax County’s residents further cover Chairman McKay’s car tax, gas, auto insurance, E-ZPass, oil changes, and car washes. 

    (more…)

  • Somali Daycare Scandal Spreading

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    by Kerry Dougherty

    Buckle up, folks. Nick Shirley’s blockbuster report on massive fraud in the daycare and healthcare industries in Minnesota may just be the tip of the Somali iceberg.

    Investigations are underway in Washington State where more than 500 licensed daycares are run by Somalis. Many without physical addresses.

    Uh-oh.

    (more…)

  • Massive Infusion of Rural Healthcare Funds will be a Magnet for Waste and Fraud

    Posted on

    by

    sherlockj

    Massive Infusion of Rural Healthcare Funds will be a Magnet for Waste and Fraud

    by James C. Sherlock

    The Trump administration has announced that Virginia will receive $189,544,888 for 2026 alone to improve rural healthcare. That figure is based on an application made by the Youngkin Administration that specified how it would be spent.    

    That is just a down payment. The Rural Health Transformation Program’s $50 billion in funds will be allocated to approved states over five years, with $10 billion available each year from 2026 through 2030.

    While the program includes federal-level guardrails, nearly a billion dollars over five years represents a significant investment in rural healthcare in this state. The administration and the General Assembly will be lobbied vigorously to direct the funds.  

    The General Assembly would be wise to ensure that the Inspector General and JLARC closely monitor:

    • Where the funds are allocated,
    • How they are spent, and
    • The prospects for long-term returns worthy of the short-term investments.    

    One undeniable challenge will be monitoring new and existing nonprofits that are already seeking shares of that funding, regardless of the state planning that has already occurred. Their costs can primarily be overhead in programs like this.  

    In a one-party state with no limits on campaign contributions, the blogs and TV networks, given the withered state of our print media, will need to pay particularly close attention to those same matters.

  • America’s Greatest of All Time

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    by Chap Petersen

    A historical reenactor dressed as George Washington holds a silver trophy, dressed in 18th-century attire, while a blurred audience is visible in the background.
    Image credit: Grok

    In a few days, our country will enter its 250th year. Some of us are old enough to remember the “Bicentennial” of 1976, which was the celebration of a younger, less introspective, nation.

    But America is no less greater. Indeed, the achievements of our Founding Fathers grow more noteworthy with time as our nation becomes less Euro-centric and more global in its constituency and its outlook.

    With that in mind, here are my list of Great Americans from colonial times to 1876 —

    1. George Washington. The indispensable man. The  general who held a ragtag army together for 8 years to eventually defeat the British (yes, with French help). To this day, America is the only English colony to win its freedom by force of arms and not by royal consent. The first President who established that the USA would be a democracy without a hereditary chief executive. Indeed, he willingly gave up his power — a truly novel idea at the time. And unlike others, he did not feel the need to imprison or execute his opponents.
    1. Abraham Lincoln. The founder of modern America. First, in reaction to secession, he decided that the Union was actually worth fighting for. Second, his decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation spelled the end of slavery. Third, he had a vision to reunite the nation, which (eventually) succeeded. In addition to the obvious, his administration also initiated the transcontinental railroad and the land grant university system. If Washington created the USA, then Lincoln put it on the road to become a superpower.
    (more…)

  • There Are Real Scholars at UVA.

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    And then there are guys like this…

    But that’s nothing. Wait until you see what this guy is teaching!…

    (more…)

  • Slight Decline in Law Enforcement Staffing in 2024

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Line graph showing the number of law enforcement employees in Virginia from 2018 to 2024, with separate lines for officers, civilians, and total employees.

    The number of law enforcement employees declined slightly (1.2 percent) in 2024 compared to the year before, according to Virginia State Police Crime in Virginia data. The number of both civilians and officers was almost identical to that in 2022 when homicides were roughly 25 percent higher. If the number of law-enforcement personnel is a critical variable for explaining the violent crime rate, it’s not evident from these numbers.

    Arguably, law-enforcement morale and policing tactics are more important than raw numbers. Unfortunately, the Crime in Virginia contain no data reflecting upon morale. Turnover and early retirement in police officer ranks might be useful indicators of morale, but those numbers are not captured in the crime reports. — JAB

  • 3,257 Police Officers Assaulted in 2024

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Line graph showing the number of assaults, injuries, and fatalities of Virginia police officers from 2018 to 2024. The graph includes data points for officers assaulted (blue), officers injured (orange), and officers killed (black) with an upward trend in assaults and injuries over the years.

    Even as homicides and violent crimes declined in 2024, according to the Virginia State Police Crime in Virginia 2024 report, the number of assaults on Virginia police officers continued at roughly the same rate as in the previous two years. The 727 injuries to officers did represent a 10-percent decline from 2023, however. One police officer was killed in the line of duty; 679 injuries were classified as “minor.”

    It’s not clear if the data reflect a real increase in the number of assaults on police officers or a statistical artifact. States the report: “A new method of data aggregation reflects a higher number than reported in previous years.” The report does not say what the number would have been under the old methodology.

    — JAB

  • Jeanine’s Memes

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    A humorous cartoon featuring two men in 18th-century attire sitting at a table, engaged in a conversation about chess enthusiasts in a hotel lobby, with speech bubbles expressing their thoughts on boasting.

    See more memes at The Bull Elephant

  • Bacon Meme of the Week

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    A large serving bowl filled with crispy bacon strips, with the text 'LIFE IS UNCERTAIN. EAT BACON TODAY.' displayed prominently.

  • Do University Boards Need Their Own Staffs?

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

  • Backlash? What Backlash?

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Yours truly was quoted by The Washington Post as asking how Scott Beardsley, new president of the University of Virginia, differs from former president Jim Ryan when it comes to his commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. The Post also quoted my comrade in arms Stu Smith, a popular conservative social media poster, as calling Beardsley a DEI ideologue. And it quotes Joel Gardner, president of the Jefferson Council, as withholding judgment on Beardsley, suggesting that he promoted DEI at the Darden School when he was dean because it’s what he had to do to survive.

    I think the reporter Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff represented everyone’s position fairly (although I made it extremely clear to him that I was not speaking with any authority on Beardsley’s appointment). My problem is not with Rozenzweig-Ziff but the headline. If you’re quoting two conservatives on social media questioning the logic of Beardsley’s record on DEI, and quoting one conservative withholding judgment, and that’s all you’ve got, it’s insane to have a headline suggesting that a conservative “backlash” is “brewing.”

    If there’s a story, it’s that Beardsley’s selection as UVA president has prompted so little questioning by conservatives. The “backlash” is nonexistent. But that wouldn’t have made a very exciting headline. — JAB

  • Congratulations, You Survived Christmas

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Group of historical reenactors dressed in 17th-century attire, sitting and resting under a tree near a rustic wooden settlement.
    Grok imagines Jamestown settlers day after Christmas feast.

  • Merry Christmas from Bacon’s Rebellion

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    A festive gathering around a large wooden table, featuring men in historical attire enjoying a meal, with a roasted turkey, fruits, and pastries, and a small Christmas tree in the background.
    Grok imagines a Christmas celebration in Jamestown.

  • When Is “Affordability” Not Affordable?

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Affordability is a goal that everyone can get behind. I eagerly await an informed and dispassionate discussion by legislators of Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s 17-point agenda to achieve that goal.

    Just a couple of reminders: Redistributing wealth from Group A to Group B might make life more affordable for Group B, but not Group A. More regulations might make one thing more affordable, but they often have unintended consequences that make something else less affordable.

    I invite readers to comment on Spanberger’s proposals with those reminders in mind.

  • Worth Reading….

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Charlottesville, VA, Eliminating Use of Camera Systems Because Feds Might Track Illegal Aliens

    From David Strom with Hot Air: “The Charlottesville police department will drop its use of the Flock license plate reading camera system due to concerns that the federal government might find illegal aliens it is looking for if it gets ahold of the data.”

    Money quote:

    Now, a city council has decided that solving murders and reuniting children with their families is all well and good, but when compared to saving an illegal alien gang member from being deported, it’s nothing.

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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