Bacon's Rebellion

  • State Spending Grows Faster Than Income. Something Has to Give.

    Posted on

    by

    Steve Haner

    By Steve Haner,

    There was an important story in the preliminary end-of-year financial report that the Richmond Times-Dispatch misinterpreted as the state “running in the red.”   State spending has been on a major growth spurt under Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, although the Democrats with the majority in the General Assembly have just as much to do with it.

    The data from the state comptroller, which will reappear later this year after the state’s books are audited, shows that general fund tax revenue grew 25% during the four years it covers in one of its tables (page 3), fiscal years 2021-2025.  During that same period, the spending in that general fund category grew 47% (from $23.1 billion to $34 billion.)

    The report uses only a few broad categories for spending.  Again, this is general fund only so all the various federal programs or dedicated non-general fund revenue for the same services are not included.  Spending on individual and family services was $10.7 billion in the year ending June 30, 2025, and that was 52% higher than four years ago.  That is steady growth of far more than 10% annually, with Medicaid likely leading the charge.

    Spending on education, which always gets the most political focus, was the largest category by far.  The $14.9 billion spent during FY 2025 was an increase of 50% since 2021.  Presumably this covers the waterfront from pre-K through higher education.  Higher education is much more dependent on non-general fund revenue (think tuition and fees), but does share in the general fund, too. 

    (more…)

  • Jeanine’s Memes

    Posted on

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    Steve Haner

     

    The Bull Elephant

    But the overall theme of the batch is “paybacks are hell.” Jim Comey probably regrets his earlier post about those seashells….

  • No, Times-Dispatch, Virginia’s Budget Did Not “Run in the Red”

    Posted on

    by

    Steve Haner

    By Steve Haner,

    It is not clear who should be more ashamed of themselves, the Richmond Times-Dispatch or Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax).  Both didn’t just mislead Virginians, but defamed Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin and the entire state finance staff.  Even the silly season has limits.

    Virginia’s state government finances did not “run in the red” during the fiscal year that ended June 30, despite the newspaper’s front page headline September 26.  Surovell knows that full well, and if he doesn’t, somebody better audit his law firm escrow fund.  His claim that the governor is “trying to hide the real numbers” would garner an instant lawsuit if he made it about the CEO of a major publicly traded corporation.

    Of the bitter partisan Surovell, I no longer expect better.  His shoes do not fill the footsteps he seeks to walk in, those of the late Senators Ed Willey and Hunter Andrews and the still kicking Walter Stosch.

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  • “Clean” Energy Mandates are Raising Power Bills, Not Data Centers

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    Steve Haner

    By Steve Haner,

    No, Virginia, we cannot blame the data centers.  The impact of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) on rising electricity bills is more significant and destined to grow.   With the cost of living turning up in election polls as a top voter concern, a repeal of the VCEA is one step the next Virginia General Assembly could take if voters make the right choices.   

    Some of the ways VCEA is raising electricity bills, mainly for 2.7 million Dominion Energy accounts, are easy to find: 

    • The up-front construction cost of the $11.3 billion offshore wind project for Dominion, which will not produce electricity until next year.  If your Dominion bill is 1,000 kWh, as of September 1 you are paying $11.23 per month for that.  Without VCEA the project likely would not have been approved as prudent.  
    • The cost of purchasing renewable energy certificates (RECs) from companies other than Dominion, most of them not in Virginia.  Under the VCEA, Dominion must hit an annual target for non-hydrocarbon electricity, and when it misses the target, it must pay for RECs or pay a fine.  That is adding another $7.68 to the 1,000-kWh bill. 
    • The up-front construction cost of a growing fleet of large solar projects.  The VCEA also mandated that and is calling for much more solar in the next several years.  The cost for the current projects is $3.67 on that monthly 1,000-kWh bill.  
    • The cost of energy efficiency subsidies offered to induce customers to reduce their use of electricity, often with the purchase of LED lighting, insulation or newer appliances.  Some of the subsidies are given to businesses.  They currently add $1.45 to that 1,000-kWh monthly bill.  

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  • A Million Reasons to Worry Either Way the Election Goes

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    Steve Haner

    By Steve Haner

    Jay Jones

    Democrat Jay Jones and Republican Jason Miyares have now both accepted more than $1 million each in campaign contributions from major players in Virginia’s energy wars.  The job they both seek, Attorney General of Virginia, includes a duty to stand firm on behalf of Virginia’s energy consumers against the elephants in the room at the State Corporation Commission.

    Do you feel protected?

    Jones had passed the $1 million mark in contributions from the environmental activist group Clean Virginia by the time of a previous contributions summary, which was complete through the end of June.  The former state delegate from Norfolk remains at a similar level, $1.11 million, now that the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) data includes donations through the end of August. 

    Jason Miyares

    Miyares, the incumbent attorney general and former state delegate, received additional money from Dominion Energy Virginia in the most recent report, and his total from the utility is now $1.25 million.  To that must be added another $125,000 given to his political action committee since 2024, bringing his total to $1.375 million for the cycle. In the four years since his last election, the two accounts combined have received more than $2 million.

    Dominion’s key energy role as a monopoly electricity provider clearly creates potential conflicts with the interest of consumers.  In recent years, Clean Virginia has moved from merely making political contributions into the regulatory arena, and it now brings its own attorneys and expert witnesses to energy cases at the State Corporation Commission. It had a small army of lobbyists at the last session.

    Clean Virginia is just as capable of being at cross purposes with consumers as Dominion is.  A consumer counsel who owes it his election has a problem.

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  • The Pediatrician-in-Chief

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    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    by Dick Hall-Sizemore

    Photo credit: NPR and Getty Images

    At his press conference last week, President Trump railed at length against giving young children multiple vaccinations at once.  In his view, doctors were pumping all this stuff into those “beautiful bodies.”  At times, he alluded to 80 vaccines, as if children were being given every vaccine available.  At other times, he clearly was talking about the standard MMR (mumps, measles, and rubella) vaccination shot.  He urged parents to separate those vaccination shots.  “Take them [the children] in three, four, five times,” he advised.

    He offered no medical or other scientific basis for this recommendation. “This is based on what I feel. The mumps, measles and — the three should be taken separately. And it seems to be that when you mix them, there could be a problem.  So, there’s no downside in taking them separately. In fact, they think it’s better. So let it be separate.”

    There is a major obstacle to being able to follow that advice.  The three vaccines are not manufactured separately.  For each of these diseases, the Centers for Disease Control says, “Single-antigen vaccine is not available.” 

    https://www.cdc.gov/rubella/hcp/vaccine-considerations/index.html

    https://www.cdc.gov/measles/hcp/vaccine-considerations/index.html#:~:text=Introduction,%2C%20and%20varicella%20(MMRV)%20vaccine

    https://www.cdc.gov/mumps/hcp/vaccine-considerations/index.html

    My daughter is a pediatrician in Northern Virginia.  She told me that she occasionally has had parents ask about getting the MMR vaccination in separate shots.  When told that separate doses are not available, they drop the issue.  Now, I can imagine her and other pediatricians throughout the state being confronted by angry mothers demanding separate shots and not believing that such doses are not available. After all, President Trump told them that was the best way.

    Pediatricians may be affected by this crusade against vaccinations in another way.  My daughter recently had a mother of a four-month old ask when was the earliest that her baby could be vaccinated. (Doctors recommend that children get their first MMR vaccination when they are 12-15 months old.)  She wanted to get her child vaccinated as soon as possible because she was worried that the vaccines soon might not be available.

    The President is spreading misinformation and fear among parents over an issue of which he is ignorant.

  • A Call for Civility

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    James A. Bacon

    Virginians are desperate for a change in tone. The Charlie Kirk memorial at UVA hit all the right notes.

    I was proud of the University of Virginia students speaking last evening at the Charlie Kirk memorial held in Cabell Hall. The message was pitch-perfect: a celebration (as advertised) of free speech and civil dialogue. The students’ uplifting message was echoed by Attorney General Jason Miyares and UVA faculty legends Larry Sabato and Ken Elzinga.

    Since Kirk’s assassination, social media has been its usual cesspool. Left and right affixing blame for political violence upon the other. Lefties tut-tutting that violence was not justified but Charlie Kirk was a horrible person, others celebrating his death openly. Their counterparts on the right tarring all Democrats, progressives, and leftists with extremist sentiments expressed on Tik Tok and Twitter.

    The UVA students sponsoring the UVA Kirk memorial — Young Americans for Freedom, the College Republicans, Turning Point USA — stayed positive. They did not call for vengeance but for forgiveness. They did not demonize those with different views. They called for comity, for engaging with and listening to others.

    As the country immolates itself with hatred and political violence, this is a message that most Americans desperately want to hear.

    Readers may have noticed that I have significantly cut back my posts on Bacon’s Rebellion. I make an exception today, before heading off for a two-week vacation in France. (For what it’s worth, the atmosphere in France is just as ugly as it is here. The center is not merely eroding. It has collapsed. Demonstrations and strikes are breaking out everywhere.) I am hoping against hope that, thanks to events like the UVA memorial and another taking place at Virginia Tech today, the mood in Virginia will be a little less rancorous when I return. — JAB

  • As MAGA As Ever

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    A man with a beard and short hair speaks into a microphone, wearing a suit and tie, with an American flag backdrop behind him.
    John Reid

    John Reid’s endorsement by Joe Morrissey won’t fool voters into thinking he’s a political moderate. 

    by Paul Goldman  

    Radio show host John Reid got nominated by accident when the likely GOP Lt. Governor primary winner dropped out. Soon Reid, now the GOP LG nominee by law, chose to engage in a public feud with GOP Gov. Youngkin. In that regard, Reid seemed to suggest Youngkin was anti-gay when apparently the Governor’s political folks tried to get Reid — openly gay — to drop off the GOP ticket. This instantly made Reid the poster boy for the anti-Youngkin MAGA GOP folks loyal to President Trump. He eagerly embraced them despite the basic anti-equality bias of the MAGA movement

    I wrote about these events months ago, predicting they showed that John Reid wasn’t ready for prime time as a statewide political candidate. Before he got embroiled in the statewide politics at the candidate level, John had been perhaps the most successful political radio host in Virginia. 

    But there’s a world of difference between radio show host politics, and politics at the statewide candidate level.

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  • If Politics Ruined PJM, is More Political Control the Fix? Maybe.

    Posted on

    by

    Steve Haner

    Former FERC Chair Mark Christie

    by Steve Haner

    State elected leaders want more control over the regional electricity marketplace that manages the power grid in Virginia and 12 other neighboring states. They have a point in their complaints about PJM Interconnection Inc.’s problems but they are also deeply engaged in blame shifting for higher energy costs. 

    Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) was one the several state governors who called Monday for major changes in the governance of the regional transmission grid operator, with an open threat that Virginia might leave entirely if demanded reforms were not adopted. The speech was covered by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, but with little focus on just want Youngkin and the others are asking for. Youngkin also said nothing about what would replace PJM, given Virginia is a major power importer.

    Top on the governors’ joint list of reforms is an opportunity to choose, or at least nominate, two members for the 8-seat PJM governing board. What Youngkin and the newspaper didn’t mention is that one of the names they put forward is Mark Christie. Christie is the former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and spent 17 years on the Virginia State Corporation Commission. He spoke right after Youngkin.

    PJM, one of several regional transmission organizations around the country regulated by FERC, is currently governed by a board chosen by the multiple generation and transmission companies which are part of its network. Some of the most controversial energy decisions within its footprint, from eastern North Carolina to west of Chicago, are largely out of the control of state and local authorities.

    Christie’s prepared remarks, which he shared with Bacon’s Rebellion, and we share with you in full (with some of the acronyms explained), get into that history. A key excerpt follows:

    (more…)

  • And in More Charlie Kirk-Related Developments in Virginia….

    Posted on

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    James A. Bacon

    ***** Sponsored Content *****

    A graphic promoting a community gathering titled 'Free Speech & Civil Discourse' in honor of Charlie Kirk, featuring silhouettes of diverse people, with event details including date, time, and location.

    This memorial to Charlie Kirk focusing on free speech and civil discourse is being organized by the University of Virginia chapters of the Young Americans for Freedom, College Republicans, and Turning Point USA. Charlottesville residents are encouraged to participate in person. Others may watch it remotely. Click here to view the livestreamed event when it begins at 5:00 p.m. today.

  • “Comeback Tour” at Virginia Tech to Honor Charlie Kirk

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    by Scott Dreyer

    Virginia Tech

    As our region and nation reel from the senseless violence that recently stole the life of conservative icon and free-speech advocate Charlie Kirk, there is also a sense among many that a kind of invisible line has been crossed: not only how has political violence struck America again, but how can some publicly take a ghoulish delight in the cold-blooded murder of a 31-year-old, leaving his wife a widow and his two children, ages 3 and 6, fatherless and now too young to ever hold any memories of their dad?

    Among those posting to social media expressing opinions that can be interpreted as condoning, excusing, or even celebrating Kirk’s assassination are a nurse at LewisGale, an employee of the Roanoke City Police Department, and professors at both Roanoke College and Virginia Tech. 

    The Roanoke Star has reached out to those entities for statements; these stories are developing.

    Not only are some celebrating the bloodshed, but others seem to now be threatening other conservatives with violence, apparently in hopes of silencing them.

    For example, leftwing talker Keith Olbermann seemed to threaten CNN commentator Scott Jennings with a tweet on X, “You’re next, (expletive),” a tweet Olbermann later deleted but which Jennings flagged for FBI Director Kash Patel to investigate.

    (more…)

  • All the Lovely People

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    A cartoon pig wearing glasses and a suit stands in front of a blackboard, gesturing as if giving a presentation.

    Charlottesville writer Scott Johnston’s new book is a lark, but it makes a serious point about society’s new norms, status seeking, and virtue signaling in the wealthy enclaves of New York.

    Listen to the latest Oinkonomics podcast.

    James Bacon: Hello, everybody. I’m Jim Bacon, and this is the Oinkonomics Podcast.

    A man with grey hair and a beard is speaking into a microphone at a public event, wearing a blue checked shirt and a dark blazer, set against a teal backdrop.
    Scott Johnston

    American society seems more divided than at any time since the 1960s, when the Vietnam War was raging and the Civil Rights Movement was at its peak. What’s really scary today is that we’re not at war, and the gains of the Civil Rights Movement have been consolidated and institutionalized. What is driving the discord? The root of the increasingly acrimonious divisions in our society, I would argue, has been the spread of critical theory, and the reactions, and perhaps overreactions to it.

    Very few Americans can actually define critical theory. Not many have even heard of it. But its precepts have trickled down through academia, school systems, and elite media into the popular culture. Basically, critical theory views human interactions through the paradigm of oppressors and oppressed. This set of ideas is commonly referred to as wokeness.

    Today, I am talking to Scott Johnston, a Charlottesville novelist, about his latest work, “The Sanderson’s Fail Manhattan.” The novel is set in Manhattan, not Virginia. But it explores how wokeness plays out, not just in academia and politics, but in the everyday interactions of the educated elites who have most fully embraced it. “The Sanderson’s Fail Manhattan” takes place in New York City, but it easily could have been set in Fairfax County.

    Scott is a Northerner, transplanted to Virginia. He graduated from Yale, worked on Wall Street, and launched several successful businesses. His 2019 novel, Campusland, skewers political correctness run amok at his alma mater. It’s hilarious, and I recommend it highly. He explores similar themes in the Sanderson’s Fail Manhattan, which was published this summer.

    Good day to you, Scott.

    (more…)

  • Another Virginia Trump Nominee Runs Afoul of Trump

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    by

    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    by Dick Hall-Sizemore

    Erik Seibert, former interim U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Virginia

    Poor Donald Trump.  His appointments as U.S. Attorney in Virginia are proving to have too much independence and integrity. First there was Todd Gilbert in the Western District. Now, there is Erik Seibert in the Eastern District.

    Seibert’s office was overseeing the investigation of Letitia James, New York Attorney General, for mortgage fraud regarding her purchase of a house in Norfolk. After he refused to seek an indictment after investigators were unable to find incriminating evidence of fraud, the Trump administration made it clear that it wanted him out. He then resigned. Unlike Gilbert’s resignation, this one made national news.

    Seibert had been serving as the interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District since January. In May, President Trump formally nominated him for the U.S. Attorney position. Both of Virginia’s Democrat Senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, had supported Seibert.

    Shortly after appointing Culpeper attorney Mary Cleary to be the interim U.S. Attorney, Trump announced that he intended to nominate White House aide, Lindsay Halligan, for the post. Halligan had been one of Trump’s attorneys in the case regarding his retention of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.  Most recently she has been in charge of removing “improper ideology” at the Smithsonian. Halligan has no prosecutorial experience. Before joining the Trump defense team in the Mar-a-Lago case, she had primarily handled insurance claims.

    (more…)

  • Signs of the Times

    Posted on

    by

    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    by Dick Hall-Sizemore

    Campaign sign for Abigail Spanberger, featuring her name and the word 'Governor' against a blue background.

    This weekend I spent time in the center of Virginia. That would be that area west of I-95, south of I-64, and east of the Blue Ridge–encompassing Powhatan, Buckingham, Cumberland, Campbell, Bedford, and Franklin counties. Some I just passed through on the main highway (Rt. 60); others I spend more time in on lesser roads. The weather was gorgeous; the roadside goldenrod glorious.

    A campaign sign for Winsome Earle-Sears for Governor 2025, featuring her image and the outline of Virginia, set in a landscaped yard.

    This is Republican country; deep red. Youngkin carried it with 77 percent of the vote in 2021; Trump got 73 percent last year. All the General Assembly members from these counties are Republicans; their representative in Congress is a Republican.

    Last year, anyone driving through this area would have been overwhelmed with campaign signs for Trump. This year is notable for the lack of campaign signs.

    There were some signs for Earle-Sears scattered throughout, but not many, considering the large area covered. What surprised me were the signs for Spanberger. There were almost as many, if not as many, as there were for Earle-Sears. (I wasn’t keeping an actual count, so this report is based on my impressions. And, after all, in politics, that is usually what counts.) One interesting note was the presence of signs for Miyares. There was one large, banner sign for him, as well as an occasional yard sign.

    I am not sure what this signifies, if anything. It could be a sign that Republicans in this area are either not excited about the election itself or not excited about Earle-Sears. Either way, that could mean be another sign that she is in trouble.

  • Jeanine’s Memes

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    A joyful older man sitting at a desk with a laptop, holding a coffee mug. The top text reads, 'TAXES ARE THE PRICE WE PAY FOR A CIVILIZED SOCIETY.' The bottom text states, 'I SHOULD BE GETTING A HUGE TAX REFUND CHECK NEXT YEAR.'

    View more memes at The Bull Elephant.

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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