Bacon's Rebellion

  • Let’s Get Our Money’s Worth from Those 2,000 Contact Tracers

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    James A. Bacon

    by James A. Bacon

    The Virginia Department of Health has hired 2,000 COVID-19 contact tracers and investigators since May, but the virus has spread so rapidly that public health officials are conducting triage: focusing scarce resources on household members of people diagnosed within the past six days, people living in prisons and nursing homes, and individuals whose co-morbidities make them especially vulnerable to the disease.

    State Health Commissioner Norman Oliver said in a statement that the change will allow Virginia to deploy resources where they will have the most impact, reports the Virginia Mercury.

    “This means that the local health department may not be contacting everyone with COVID-19 infection or close contact to someone with COVID-19 infection,” Oliver wrote. “Instead, VDH urges people to take proactive responsibility to isolate at home if they are infected and to identify and notify their close contacts.”

    I have always been skeptical that, except in special circumstances, contact tracing would prove of much assistance fighting a virus that spreads as easily and stealthily as COVID-19. By the time people are notified that they have been exposed, they likely already have the disease and have passed it on to others. Making the task even more difficult here in America, as opposed to countries with conformist cultures, many people refuse to cooperate. In New Jersey, reports CBSN Philly, an astonishing 74% of those contacted declined to answer question. (more…)

  • How Big a Problem Is Sexual Victimization of Children in Juvenile Facilities?

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    James A. Bacon

    Credit: 2018 National Survey of Youth in Custody

    by James A. Bacon

    According to the late 2018 National Survey of Youth in Custody, an estimated 7.1% of youth held in juvenile facilities reported being “sexually victimized” during the previous 12 months.

    The good news, such as is it, was that the percentage for Virginia youth was somewhat lower: 5.1% (subject to a fairly wide statistical margin of error). Another silver lining: The rate of rate of sexual victimization had declined from 9.5% since the previous survey in 2012.

    The bad news, of course, is that any sexual victimization of young people in state facilities is unacceptable.

    This data was brought to my attention by Rise for Youth, an organization dedicated to “dismantling the youth prison model” and promoting community-based alternatives to youth incarceration. As Executive Director Valerie Slater wrote in January in ACLU Virginia, Virginia’s criminal justice system is “deeply flawed” and stacked against “black, brown and poor men, women and youth.” (more…)

  • Fightin’ Joe Morrissey in Hot Water Again

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    James A. Bacon

    Fightin’ Joe

    by Kerry Dougherty

    When I saw yesterday’s headline in The Washington Post, I was shocked:

    “Virginia State Sen. Joe Morrissey Faces Criminal Charges For Allegedly Campaigning Inside Polling Place.”

    I wasn’t surprised that Morrissey’s in trouble. Heck, his entire checkered career has been a gift to Virginia’s newsaper columnists. I wrote about him several times and, frankly, the fiery Democrat was a terrific interview.

    Not shy, highly quotable. Everything a columnist could ask for in one colorful bundle.

    There was that courtroom fistfight that earned him the nickname “Fightin’ Joe” when he was Richmond’s commonwealth’s attorney in the 1991. Then there was the 2015 session of the House of Delegates, when he commuted to the Capitol from the Henrico County Jail where he was on work release for a misdemeanor conviction for contributing to the delinquency of a minor (his 17-year-old receptionist, whom he later married.) If he crossed his legs just right you couldn’t see his ankle bracelet. (more…)

  • Jefferson Weeps

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    James A. Bacon

    This cartoon is circulating among University of Virginia alumni along with a link to an article in the Daily Wire, describing how participants in a student council public comment period attacked a conservative group, YAF, for videos it had posted online. Among the quotes was this from student government representative Akshita Kalavakonda: “Hate speech is not protected under the First Amendment. I repeat, hate speech is not protected under the First Amendment.” And who defines what constitutes “hate speech?” I’m guessing that in Kalavakonda’s mind, he, not YAF members, makes that call. — JAB

  • Bacon Bits on a Snowy Day

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    James A. Bacon

    Another free clinic closes. Harrisonburg’s Free Clinic is going out of business after 30 years of providing medical care to low-income, uninsured adults. The clinic’s board attributed the decision in part to the decline in the number of patients resulting from Virginia’s Medicaid expansion. The clinic had 600 patients before expansion and 90 patients afterward, reports Virginia Business. Also, staffing the facility, which relied upon the contributions of 80 volunteers, became problematic during the COVID-19 epidemic. And, thus, Virginia civil society continues to shrink and Virginia’s health care system continues to consolidate under the control of monopolistic health care systems and monopsonistic, taxpayer-funded insurance programs.

    Virginia’s ruling class in action. Christian Dorsey, a member of the Arlington County Board, is in hot water for fraudulently misrepresenting his liabilities while filing for bankruptcy, reports the Washington Post. Dorsey had listed a second mortgage payment as one of his obligations, which would have reduced the amount he had to pay toward his other debts. But in fact, court testimony revealed, that debt had been forgiven and Dorsey had made no payments on it. As a practical matter, that means Dorsey has no protection from creditors for at least three months. The bankruptcy came to light after a story in the Post forced Dorsey, who also serves on the Metropolitan Washington Area Transit Authority board, to return a $10,000 campaign contribution from WMATA’s largest union. Between his Arlington board pay and his consulting fees, he earns more than $120,000 a year.

    Good Governance Rule #1: You don’t want people facing bankruptcy anywhere near the public till. Good Governance Rule #2: You don’t want people who misrepresent facts to federal judges anywhere near the the public till. (more…)

  • Save Our Schools — Give Teachers the Vaccine

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    James A. Bacon

    Fall 2020 K-2 PALS pass rate by race/ethnicity. Source: Arlington County Public Schools “2020-21 School Year Monitoring Report“

    by James A. Bacon

    The Northam administration expects Virginia to receive 480,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year, and has announced it will follow federal guidelines for distributing the vaccine first to health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities. Explained Virginia State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver Friday: “We will focus initially on the groups that have been most at risk for severe illness from COVID-19 infections and those whose work puts them at greatest risk of contracting COVID-19 infections.”

    Those sounds like reasonable priorities, and I expect most Virginians will share them. The interesting question is whom to prioritize next. There is a growing body of thought, which I share, that the vaccine should be distributed to K-12 school teachers and essential staff.

    COVID-19 has put Virginia’s public school system in meltdown mode. Because many teachers don’t feel safe teaching classes in-person, dozens of districts have adopted online or hybrid arrangements that don’t work for many students. Tens of thousands of students are falling dramatically behind.

    To rescue Virginia from the edupocalypse, which will have dire consequences for society far beyond the pandemic, the Northam administration should make it a priority to get teachers back in school so we can get students back in school. (more…)

  • If Your Porch Is Piled With Amazon Packages Shut Up About Stay-At-Home Orders

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    James A. Bacon

    by Kerry Dougherty

    Sometimes you read an entire news story and just one sentence sticks with you.

    That happened this weekend when I read an online piece on the pandemic. In it the experts admitted they’re not sure how or where the virus is spreading. Following a quote from one of these public health experts, the reporter added this:

    In the last nine months, he’s only been to a grocery store twice.

    My first thought was, Yeah, but I bet his wife shops every week.

    Perhaps I’m too cynical. There’s a chance this man is single. Or he’s been fasting since March. Or he’s a prepper with a garage full of staples.

    More likely, he’s like a lot of people: prosperous enough to have groceries delivered to his home.

    That’s fine. I don’t care if people want to stay in their houses, avoid supermarkets, restaurants and gyms. As long as they don’t add their voices to the chorus of Karens begging the governor to lock down the rest of us. (more…)

  • Omissions and Lies in the Annual Report of the Virginia Board of Education

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    sherlockj

    by James C. Sherlock

    This weekend I read the 168-page 2020 Annual Report on the Condition and Needs of Public Schools in Virginia (the report) published by the Virginia Board of Education appointed by Governor Northam.  

    The report is most notable for its omissions and occasional lies.

    Poverty. First the good news.  

    The Board reported well on one major issue affecting effective learning environments — the poverty of some students and school districts.   

    The content of the report on the issues related to poor kids and schools in poor districts was excellent. I strongly support the recommendations for changing the state contribution formula to give more state money to poorer districts. (more…)

  • Southwest VA’s Health Crisis Began Before the Pandemic

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    James A. Bacon

    This map shows the region served by the Southwest Virginia Health Authority. (From the Virginia Letter Authorizing a Cooperative Agreement)

    by Carol J. Bova

    The looming COVID-19 hospital crisis in Southwest Virginia was set in motion long before the pandemic.

    To begin with, the region’s health indicators and outcomes generally are much worse than the state average. Two indicators particularly impact the COVID-19 epidemic: Every county in the Southwest Virginia Health Authority service area has a higher percentage of obese adults than the state as a whole. Similarly, the diabetes rate in the counties of Lee, Scott, and Wise, and the City of Norton is 19.1%.

    Against this comorbidity backdrop, a nursing shortage at the region’s largest health provider, Ballad Health, is making it impossible to staff enough hospital beds to serve Southwest Virginia’s COVID-19 patients. (more…)

  • Governor Northam, You’ve Got the Money for Eviction Relief — Do Something!

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    James A. Bacon

    by James A. Bacon

    Virginia is in the midst of a housing eviction crisis arising from the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 epidemic. Here in Virginia, governments have responded through three major initiatives: The federal government distributed one-time $1,200 stimulus checks to American households and funded a $600-per-week supplement to state unemployment benefits through July 31. And Governor Ralph Northam has allocated $62 million to help families facing evictions.

    With all that public assistance, how it is possible that tens of thousands of Virginia families are on the brink of being thrown out of their houses? Nearly 2,000 eviction judgments were rendered in Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield counties alone in September and October, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. 

    One answer is that the people who need the money aren’t getting it. The federal government managed to blast out its stimulus checks, but Virginia’s unemployment insurance agency has been overwhelmed by the spike in unemployment and can’t keep up. As Don Rippert pointed out a week ago, 70,000 Virginians had yet to receive their unemployment checks. Now we find out that the Northam administration has dispensed only $33.6 million of the $62 million set aside specifically for eviction relief. (more…)

  • Virginia Voting “Reform” Makes Fraud Easier

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    James A. Bacon

    by Chris Adams

    In a Restonnow.com opinion piece last month, Delegate Ken Plum, D-Reston, listed several accomplishments of the General Assembly in 2020. Several speak positively to the Commonwealth. One, however, is noteworthy for degrading election integrity.

    “Non-discrimination legislation passed with the Virginia Values Act being one of the most comprehensive in the nation,” wrote Plum. “Voting laws were changed to make voting easier and more accessible as voters are now learning as they cast their votes in this election. Many Jim Crow-era laws were repealed.”[i] Speaker of the House Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax Station, and Senator Chap Petersen, D=Fairfax, joined Plum in voting in favor of the bill. Governor Ralph Northam signed the bill in April.[ii]

    On April 10, 2020 several changes were made to Virginia Election Law. A complete list of changes made to Virginia election law can be found here. Here are three of the most worrisome.

    Absentee Voting; no excuse required
    HB 1 and SB 111
    Effective date: July 1, 2020. (more…)

  • Vaccine Priorities — A Contrarian View

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    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    by Dick Hall-Sizemore

    The Commonwealth is going to follow CDC guidelines and make health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities first in line for the COVID-19 vaccines. I have a different proposal.

    Health care workers certainly should be first, no argument there. But, I would put teachers next in line. With teachers being vaccinated, schools could open, which would be great news for everyone.

    Residents of long-term care facilities are certainly vulnerable. However, with the folks working in those facilities, i.e. health care workers, getting vaccinated, the risks for the residents are decreased significantly. Furthermore, long-term care facilities can protect these folks by continuing to isolate them and not letting anyone into the facilities except their employees who have been vaccinated. (more…)

  • Solar Panels in Virginia: A Primer

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    James A. Bacon

    by Emilio Jaksetic

    Virginia law (Virginia Code, Section 67-701 ) makes it easier for owners to consider installing solar panels on their property by limiting the ability of community associations to prohibit or restrict the installation of solar panels on the owner’s property.  While the statute is likely to encourage the use of solar panels by property owners, there are some things that should be considered by property owners, community associations, and local government officials.

    First, community associations in Virginia should get legal advice about the scope and applicability of Section 67-701 before trying to prohibit or restrict an owner from installing a solar panel on the owner’s property.  (The relevant definition of “community association” is provided by Section 67-700.)

    Second, owners should not rush to install solar panels on their property, and community associations should not rush to install solar panels on the common areas of their community, without considering the following: (more…)

  • Remote Learning Takes Predictably Highest Toll on Virginia’s Most Vulnerable – There are Villains

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    sherlockj

    by James C. Sherlock

    The most predictable (and predicted) crisis in the history of the nation’s public schools has come to pass. The education and thus future prospects of millions of poor children have been destroyed by weak governors and mayors, aggressive teachers unions and feckless boards of education who not only should have known better, but did know better.  

    The Facts

    I wrote in June in this space:

    Every study has found that in the past few months K-12 schools have had very little success in teaching large groups of children remotely. Remote learning is much harder, inherently much less successful, and exacerbates the differences in outcomes between those with a lot of support at home and those with less.

    Ignoring for a moment the daunting challenges at the teacher end, remote learning in K-12 generally works only for children whose families provide a stable and supportive learning environment, are motivated to learn, undistracted and have access to the tools necessary to do the work.

    If school boards require remote learning, they will do so knowing it won’t be effective. 

    (more…)

  • Bacon Bits: Stream-of-Consciousness Edition

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    James A. Bacon

    New sparkplug for Colonial Williamsburg. Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, unsuccessful candidate for president and Virginia resident since 2011, has joined the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Board of Trustees as chairwoman. It is gratifying to see Fiorina, a truly dynamic individual, apply her talents to a Virginia enterprise. Colonial Williamsburg has suffered a long-term decline as American interest in visiting historical sites has ebbed. Like all tourism attractions, the preserved colonial town also has been hobbled by mandated and self-imposed travel restrictions during the COVID-19 epidemic.

    Speaking of conserving history… The American Battlefield Trust has issued a report describing how developing massive solar farms can be made compatible with the preservation of rural historical resources. “Conflict tends to arise when developers disregard the historic and cultural landscapes on or near potential solar sites,” states the report, “Siting Solar in Virginia: Protecting Virginia’s Historic Landscape While Meeting the State’s Clean Energy Goals.” The report advises: (1) early planning and consultation can help avoid harm to historic resources; (2) localities should establish clear rules and guidelines; (3) developers should consider locating solar facilities on greyfield or brownfield land, or co-locating with existing uses such as rooftops and parking lots; (4) developers should proactively engage with the State Historic Preservation Office.

    Speaking of solar production… Dominion Energy has scrapped its plans to build a $200 million gas-fired peaking plant at the Southern Virginia Megasite in Pittsylvania County. Reports the Chatham Star-Tribune: The company said it no longer believes it is possible to build the units planned in Pittsvylania County “despite the economic and reliability benefits for our customers.” Peaker plants offset fluctuations in supply and demand to maintain a stable electric grid, a concern that will become all the more pressing as Virginia moves to increased solar production. “We plan to conduct a further reliability study to determine how best to move forward to maintain the around-the-clock service our customers need.” (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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