Bacon's Rebellion

  • Taxes and Teamwork, or Just More of the Same?

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    by Jon Baliles

    Property taxes in Richmond, Va., are rising without a commensurate improvement in government services.
    Image credit: Bing AI Creations

    Today Richmond’s Mayor and City Council will debate (and probably vote) on whether or not to maintain the real estate tax rate at $1.20 per $100 of assessed value or lower it four cents to offer some relief to property owners and renters. The Mayor and some on Council (probably a majority) say that the city has too many needs and cutting the rate four cents will create a $17 million shortfall in the budget that will have to be adjusted midyear; some services will have to be cut back or people laid off, etc.

    The city’s general fund budget grew by $50 million since last year and by $268 million since 2021. While needs have also increased (as they do every year), for a decade there has been no attempt to rein in spending or make sure the money that is spent is effective and accomplishing its mission. In that time, assessments and taxes have gone through the roof and are pricing people out of their homes, making homes and apartments more unaffordable for many. The city is not offering relief nor does it seem to be planning on offering any.

    In addition, a presentation given to City Council a year ago in October 2024 outlined a dire financial situation while the Stoney administration argued against a tax rate reduction. Council was told the FY2026 budget would face a $27 million deficit and by 2030, it would rise to $149 million. That presentation showed spending would increase by an average of almost 6% per year but revenue will grow by an average of about 3%. You don’t need to be a math genius to figure out there is a problem there, but nothing was mentioned about making sure spending did not exceed revenue.

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  • Support Anti-Fascism by Burning the Flag of the Country that Defeated Fascism!

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    by

    James A. Bacon

    A promotional flyer for an event titled 'ANTI FAscist TAILGATE' hosted by UVA Law's 'Friends Against Fascism' group, featuring a grill with flames and items like burgers and hot dogs, along with highlights including flag burning.

    by Tom Neale

    Many of you are no doubt unaware of a UVA Law student group called “Friends Against Fascism.” They are not an officially sponsored UVA CIO student organization. As you see in their flier, they sponsored a tailgate October 3rd ostensibly condemning fascism in America.

    The capital letters in the title spell out ANTIFA, leaving no doubt about this group’s philosophical beliefs. Although this October 3 event was not violent, it was no less abhorrent for those of us who are cognizant of the hatred ANTIFA has for our American core values. They promote discord, not civil discourse and polite debate among those with differing viewpoints, and on numerous occasions have resorted to violence during events across the nation. We don’t know if the group’s founder, Kirk Wolff, is truly an ANTIFA member or meant the reference as a facetious joke. If he did, let me tell him it’s not remotely funny.

    JAG, the US military’s Judge Advocate Generals Corps located at UVA, is dedicated to legally representing our military.  You’ll see in their flier that Friends Against Fascism extended a “special invitation” for them to attend the event.

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  • “All of the Above” Abigail? She Did Say It.

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    Steve Haner

    By Steve Haner,

    “All of the Above” Abigail Spanberger

    Democratic nominee for Governor Abigail Spanberger told the October 9 statewide debate audience that she favors an “all of the above strategy” in addressing Virginia’s massive demand for new electricity in coming years. If she has used that phrase before in this campaign, it hasn’t made the record.

    “All of the above” is a slogan more than an energy plan, and plenty of politicians in both parties are quick to use it. It is also a stock phrase used by the Republican candidate, Winsome Earle-Sears. But Earle-Sears was also clear during the debate that she embraces coal and natural gas as thermal generation fuels in “all of the above”, and Spanberger has never embraced either.

    The Virginia Clean Economy Act Spanberger supports calls for both fuels to be fully eliminated by utilities and created legal impediments to building new gas plants before the final deadlines for retirement. Spanberger has said in interviews that she understands the existing gas plants are not going away soon (a brave statement of the obvious) but indicated hostility to new ones in the meantime. Building new ones is the issue. 

    In responses to both Cardinal News and Inside Climate News, she said:

    “At this juncture, natural gas is going to be part of the energy mix into the future… However, I think when it comes to new natural gas infrastructure, that’s where we really need to be focused and sort of thinking carefully about the lifespan of those projects and whether indeed they are the most cost-effective solution.”

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  • Abolish Red-Light Cameras

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    by

    James A. Bacon

    Improve safety with longer yellow lights.

    by J. Kennerly Davis

    A close-up view of a traffic light equipped with a red light running camera, mounted on a pole against a clear blue sky.

    Traffic ticket revenue maximization and safety have been competing motivations for public officials since the dawn of the automobile age. This has certainly been the case with the enforcement of red-light laws.

    The first electrified traffic signal was activated in Cleveland, Ohio in 1914. For decades after that, traffic signal compliance depended on a somewhat fortuitous combination of observation and enforcement by uniformed policemen who happened to witness an individual violation.

    Things changed dramatically in 1992 when New York City began to automate enforcement by launching the first red light running camera program in the United States. Fairfax County became the first locality in Virginia to automate enforcement in 1995 when it installed red light running cameras under a temporary pilot program authorized by the General Assembly.

    The pilot program used by Fairfax County lapsed in 2005 but in 2007 the General Assembly passed legislation generally authorizing Virginia’s counties, cities, and towns to install and operate red light running camera systems to enforce compliance and support the ticketing of offenders. That legislation is codified in Section 15.2-968.1 of the Code of Virginia. 

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  • Jay Jones: Democrat Nightmare That Won’t Go Away

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    by

    James A. Bacon

    by Kerry Dougherty

    It’s been one week since we learned that in 2022 Jay Jones wrote psychotic text messages that claimed he wanted to put two bullets in the head of GOP leader Todd Gilbert.

    One week since the Virginia elections were turned upside down after we learned that the Democrats had nominated a murderous psycho for attorney general.

    The worst part of Jones’ demented tirade? Jones claimed that Todd and his wife, Jennifer, were “breeding little fascists” and  he’d like their kids to be murdered and die in the arms of their mother.

    Sick beyond words.

    A week later these words still cause revulsion – among normal people, anyway. And one week into this scandal the Democrats look more and more craven as they feign disgust with their nominee but stop short of demanding Jones to get out of the race for attorney general and seek the psychiatric help he so desperately needs.

    At last night’s gubernatorial debate the moderators tried valiantly to get Abigail Spanberger to answer the most important question of the night: Will she continue to endorse Jay Jones for attorney general?

    In response, Spanberger babbled and spouted word salads, but refused to answer.

    “As governor you have to make hard choices,” Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears barked at Spanberger. “Why won’t you tell Jay Jones to get out of the race?”

    As the scandal unfolded, Attorney General Jason Miyares expressed, over and over, that he is most sickened by Jones’ cruel wishes for the Gilbert boys who were two and five when Jones was dreaming of their deaths.

    Continue reading.

  • Jeanine’s Memes

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    A cartoon depicting a man with a charming smile, holding a phone and texting, with speech bubbles including names and phrases related to murder and politics. The text reads 'Murder, He Wrote' and references individuals in a dark comedic context.

    Find more memes at The Bull Elephant.

  • Talking SOL Testing Reform with Senator VanValkenburg

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    A teacher stands at the front of a classroom holding a book, while a group of attentive children sit at their desks, looking at her. The room is bright with sunlight and educational posters on the walls.

    by Todd Truitt

    I met with Senator Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, this summer over tacos at a restaurant in his district to discuss what’s next with Virginia’s Standards of Learning (SOL) exam reform. VanValkenburg is the Chair of the Senate Public Education Subcommittee and a high school Social Studies teacher in Henrico County.

    Whoever wins the Governor’s race in November, the next administration will likely be in charge of a massive 9-figure project to overhaul our assessments consistent with the 2023 work group report on assessments. That work group was convened pursuant to House Bill 585 (which was sponsored in 2022 by VanValkenburg) and conducted by the administration of Governor Glenn Youngkin.

    VanValkenburg’s Philosophy on Standardized Testing

    VanValkenburg is a fierce defender of standardized testing. He believes that such assessments are crucial to our state education system for the purposes of educating children to their fullest potential and for data reasons, teaching and maintaining high academic standards. In addition, he is a strong supporter of Virginia’s testing requirement for graduation for similar reasons; Virginia is one of six remaining states with such requirement.

    As for the criticism standardized tests cause “teaching to the test,” he told me it’s essential that any tests be of high quality and Virginia’s tests largely are not. VanValkenburg said: “no one ever complains about teaching to the AP exam.”

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  • Bacon Meme de la Semaine: France Is Bacon

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    James A. Bacon

    A plate of crispy bacon strips displayed on a round tray, with a map and a book titled 'Francis Bacon' in the background.

    From frites to fine wine, from Gothic cathedrals to water-lily murals, there are many things to admire about French culture. Perhaps the least appreciated by Americans is the fact, as I discovered after two weeks in the land of berets and escargot, that the French love their porc products as much as we do. They even have bacon memes.

    Well, that may or may not be true. But a meme that has garnered Internet fame builds upon the famous saying of the 17th-century English philosopher Francis Bacon: “Knowledge Is Power: France Is Bacon”… which ultimately inspired the image above.

    The French love affair with bacon precedes Internet memes by centuries and is deeply embedded in French culture. For example, bacon is widely served for breakfast. (Good news for Americans: “crispy” bacon, as opposed to flaccid, fatty, lightly cooked bacon, seems to be making inroads.)

    A poster showcasing a Veggie Steakhouse burger with plant-based bacon, lettuce, and cheese, featuring the text 'Le bacon, C'est LA VIE'.
    Sign seen in Toulouse
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  • A View from Delaware: States Caused PJM Price, Supply Problems

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    by

    Steve Haner

    By David Stevenson,

    Dominion’s Yorktown Power Station retired in 2019, adding to PJM’s supply problems.

    PJM Interconnection, the organization that manages the electric grid for 13 states including Delaware, has confirmed what the Caesar Rodney Institute (CRI) has long argued: state mandates are raising bills and straining reliability. Delaware policymakers now face a choice—continue policies that risk higher costs and outages or adopt measures that keep power reliable and protect families from higher bills.

    For years, PJM largely went along with state energy policies, building infrastructure and running markets around political mandates, even as costs rose and reliability weakened. As complaints over rising bills mounted, state officials began deflecting blame on PJM.

    Until recently, PJM’s leaders avoided confrontation, preferring a cautious approach. That stance shifted when Aftab Khan, PJM’s executive vice president of operations, planning and security, published a commentary in Utility Dive. “We at PJM need realistic solutions, not politics, to take on energy challenges,” Khan wrote. “Some public narratives have presented an inaccurate picture of PJM’s role in cost-effectively keeping the lights on. Here are the facts.”

    State policies urging 100% of electric power to come from wind and solar power have struggled to deliver consistent results. Baseload power plants, such as those operating on natural gas, coal, oil, hydropower, and nuclear energy, can run 24/7 and respond to high demand on hot or cold days. Wind and solar often underperform just when electricity is needed most. For example, according to the real-time data from Electricity Map:

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  • Debate’s Biggest Losers: 450,000 Early Voters and Jones

    Posted on

    by

    Steve Haner

    By Derrick Max,

    Derrick Max, President and CEO of Thomas Jefferson Institute

    Last night’s first and final Virginia gubernatorial debate between Winsome Earle-Sears and Abigail Spanberger had one clear loser — the approximately 446,000 Commonwealth voters who had already cast their early ballots.  

    For a state that has such a storied civic heritage, relying on a single, late-stage debate fails the test of responsible governance. The increase in no-excuse early voting, with a 45-day window to early vote, meant that hundreds of thousands of voters cast ballots before the candidates were scrutinized through the heat of direct, unscripted questions under the lights of a debate stage. No doubt, it seems, this is exactly what the two candidates intended.     

    The lack of debates allows the candidates to curate their image through campaign ads and partisan talking points, rather than a direct, head-to-head comparison on the issues that truly matter. Early voters were thus denied the opportunity to see if the two candidates for Virginia’s highest office can think on their feet, know the issues, or have a vision for how to lead.

    The other clear loser in last night’s debate was Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for Attorney General whose text messages wishing “two bullets” to murder then Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert – and the death of his children — were leaked by an unwitting recipient who was included accidentally in the violent text thread two years earlier. Jones then followed up the text messages with a phone call where he tried to justify his views and doubled down on his extremely violent text rhetoric. 

    Winsome Earle-Sears called for Jones to drop out of the race, and pressed Abigail Spanberger to do the same. Spanberger’s refusal to do so looked weak, and difficult to understand considering her clear denunciation of Jones for sending the repugnant text messages. For Jones, to have both candidates at the top of the ticket roundly denouncing his actions was a sure blow to his candidacy. 

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  • The Rest of America Comments on Jones’ Murderous Texts

    Posted on

    by

    Steve Haner

    By Donald Smith,

    Former Delegate Jay Jones

    “Why are so many Democrats such hateful, ‘I hope people die’ bastards?”

    That’s the headline on the “Irons in The Fire” blog on October 6th. I won’t recap what the blogger, “Firehand,” wrote. We’ve all seen it before, over and over the past few days.  It’s about Jay Jones.

    What’s noteworthy is not what Firehand said. It’s where he said it from—Oklahoma.  He’s not a Virginia blogger—at least according to his personal profile. Lots of people outside of Virginia have heard of the Jay Jones scandal. And they are watching how Virginia Democrats, journalists and voters respond.

    I found Firehand’s blog post through Glenn Reynolds, the “Instapundit.”  Reynolds isn’t a Virginian either. He’s a University of Tennessee law professor.  But he’s following Jay Jones’ antics—and Virginia Democrats’ response to those antics.

    Reynolds created and runs the “Instapundit” blog, one of the most popular sites in the conservative blogosphere.  He also writes a weekly column for the New York Post. This week he wrote about Jones, and how Democrats are reacting.  “Major national Democrats are keeping quiet about Jones’ comments, and there’s no move to force him to withdraw. Virginia Democrats, [gubernatorial candidate Abigail] Spanberger included, are circling the wagons around him after issuing token messages of disapproval.”

    Then, Reynolds dropped the real bombshell.  He mentioned the real reason that the Jay Jones story is grabbing serious attention far from the Old Dominion: “Why should they oust him? This sort of violent rhetoric has become the leftist norm, with Democrats habitually calling their opponents Nazis, Ku Klux Klansmen and the like.”

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  • Roanoke’s Rasoul Draws Highest Share of Out-of-State Dollars

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    by

    Steve Haner

    By Scott Dreyer,

    Sam Rasoul

    Del. Salam Rasoul (D-Roanoke City), who goes by the nickname “Sam,” has made a down-to-earth, squeaky-clean image a big part of his political persona. Those acquainted with him know Rasoul to indeed be a friendly, outgoing individual. 

    Rasoul represents House District 38 (see map), which covers most of Roanoke City. 

    However, when it comes to campaign finance, there is a huge gap between Rasoul’s rhetoric and reality.

    In public, Rasoul makes bold claims about not being beholden to big financial donors. Rasoul took the “Big Money Out VA” pledge, whose website is found here. Their subtitle reads: Democracy Loses When Big Money Wins.”

    The first paragraph of the pledge that Rasoul signed states:

    “I support getting big money out of politics by amending the United States Constitution to guard against corruption and protect liberty, federalism, and the equal rights of free speech by limiting the undue influence of money in elections and government. I additionally support comprehensive campaign finance reform in Virginia.”

    The Big Money Out VA webpage also shows a photo of Del. Rasoul with his trademark beaming smile and his quotation: “As the first member of the General Assembly to reject special interest PAC [Political Action Committee] donations, I am proud that my campaign is 100 percent funded by individuals only. It’s time we return the people’s power back to politics.”

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  • Jones’ Behavior: A Stunning Lack of Maturity

    Posted on

    by

    Steve Haner

    By Gordon C. Morse,

    So, why was Democrat Jay Jones – he of the Quentin Tarantino imagination – sending highly partisan and politically suicidal text messages to a Republican member of the House of Delegates?

    Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Chesterfield, the recipient of these merry notes, says she passed them on to their focus of interest, Republican Speaker Todd Gilbert. She let it go at that and Gilbert did nothing, said not a word. It’s curious. Maybe they concluded – at least, then – that Jones was having a hard day.

    Or maybe they carefully placed the chrysalis near a window, as we did as kids, and waited for the butterfly to emerge?

    John Le Carre once wrote, “The questions are not dangerous; only the answers are dangerous.”

    There are lots of questions about Jay Jones’ behavior and his political judgment. The answers point to a stunning lack of maturity. That would explain the other thing, as well.

    In Germany, on an autobahn, away from urban traffic, a BMW may pass you doing 116 mph. (Or even 150 mph.) Lord help you if you’re lounging in the left lane.

    You just don’t want to try that in New Kent County, as Jay Jones did.

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  • Sunday Memes on Monday (Again)

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    by

    Steve Haner

    Sunday Memes–It’s sombrero time!

    Hey, I was still in the Denver Airport and on the plane most of yesterday.  Did I miss anything while riding the rails in the Rockies? Jim returns this week, I think.

  • Opportunity or Faustian Bargain?

    Posted on

    by

    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    by Dick Hall-Sizemore

    (Author’s Note: The following article is unusually long, even by my standards. The subject is a federal policy document recently sent to the University of Virginia and eight other institutions of higher education. The document is ten pages long and contains numerous provisions which could have a significant impact on higher education and, thus, deserve extensive explanation and discussion.)

    The University of Virginia has been offered an opportunity to obtain “allowance for increased overhead payments where feasible, substantial and meaningful federal grants, and other federal partnerships”, as well as an invitation to the White House.  All it has to do is give up its academic freedom and financial independence.

    This offer comes in the form of a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” sent to UVa, along with a letter from the Secretary of Education asking for comments by Oct. 20 and “a signed agreement by no later than November 21, 2025.”  UVa was one of nine institutions of higher education offered this opportunity.  The others were Vanderbilt University, Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Arizona, and Brown University.

    The compact document declares that “it represents the priorities of the U.S. government in its engagements with universities.”  It sets out ten areas which would constitute the agreement between the university and the federal government.

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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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