Bacon's Rebellion

  • Peay Breaks Silence to Defend VMI Board Member

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    James A. Bacon

    Ever since he resigned in 2020 as superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute under pressure from then-Governor Ralph Northam, J.H. Binford Peay III has refrained from commenting on the furors raging at the military institute. Even as his 17-year legacy was being trashed and VMI was depicted as a racist, sexist institution, he held his tongue.

    J.H. Binford Peay III

    But the 85-year-old veteran of the Vietnam War and Desert Storm felt moved to speak up when the reputation of his former chief of staff — a current VMI board member — was under attack.

    The Institute remains embroiled in political conflict in the wake of the board declined to renew the contract for Peay’s successor, Cedric T. Wins, an African-American alumnus with a distinguished military career. Legacy media has implied without evidence that Wins’ race was a factor in the decision, although Wins’ implementation of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion policies at VMI undoubtedly was.

    E. Sean Lanier, a former board member, sparked the latest controversy by issuing a letter criticizing the board on a variety of grounds, including its vetting and appointment processes for three current board members. He specifically noted that board member Jamie Inman had been “removed from his role as Chief of Staff at VMI under the prior administration for insubordination involving the delivery of sensitive materials to then-BoV President Bill Boland ’73.”

    Peay issued this statement regarding Inman: “Jamie Inman was never removed from his role as Chief of Staff under my administration. Col (Ret.) Inman served me and VMI for over a decade, and his performance was superlative. This is just another case of disinformation.”

    (more…)

  • Jeanine’s Memes

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    James A. Bacon

    From The Bull Elephant

  • Bacon Meme of the Week

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    James A. Bacon

  • Virginia Tax Math

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    James A. Bacon

    by Bill Tracy

    Readers will recall that back in 2017 the Trump administration enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) which fundamentally changed U.S. tax policy.  The maximum allowable SALT (state and local tax) deduction was lopped off at $10,000, forcing many taxpayers to stop itemizing deductions.  

    Offsetting the SALT deduction cap, the TCJA allowed a larger Standard Deduction. Overall TCJA reduced federal income taxes for most Americans.  

    Locally however, both Virginia and Maryland — I believe uniquely among all states — used the TCJA as an excuse to increase state income taxes. This was accomplished passively by no longer allowing residents to deduct their federal itemized deductions from income calculated for state taxes.    

    Enter President Trump’s proposed new Big Beautiful tax bill. Among other things, the bill reportedly considers allowing the SALT deduction to increase up to $30,000 or possibly even more. Presumably, this means that more Virginia residents will be able to take itemized deductions yet again.   

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  • Racial Favoritism at Darden

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    James A. Bacon

    The Consortium program helps women and minorities gain preferential access to internships and recruitment opportunities.

    image from the Darden Consortium web page.

    by James A. Bacon

    Gerritt Jenkins, a married White male, was a first-year student at the Darden School of Business with an interest in making a career in i-banking. But he was frustrated and resentful. His study teammates seemed to be on the fast track for coveted summer internships with big-name companies while he was still spinning his wheels.

    One day he took a break from a study session and went down the hall to take a phone call. Two study mates, Diya Bhargava and Monica Hance, followed behind to get a snack but stopped short when they overheard part of his conversation.

    “Do you know what I heard last night?” Jenkins was saying. “I was at an i-banking networking event at King Family Vineyards and the managing director said offhandedly, ‘We’re looking to hire one woman and one Black student from Darden this year.’ I couldn’t believe he said that out loud to a group. How am I supposed to feel about that?”

    “Like, I know I shouldn’t take this personally, and I should run my own race like you always say, but Monica in my learning team makes more sense now to me, you know?” he continued. “I mean, I love her. Don’t get me wrong, she’s really smart, but everyone at Darden is, right? She’s also Black and a woman. Recruiting is easy for her. Not for me. Nothing is. No wonder they gave her an offer so early.”

    The encounter is fictional. The characters and scene were created for “pedagogical reasons” in a June 2024 document, “MBA Recruiting Dynamics,” written to stimulate discussion. The authors were five Darden school officials, one of whom was the then-assistant dean for Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. (Her position has been retitled to Chief Connection and Community Officer.)

    (more…)

  • Sediment-Like Materials Spur Emergency

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    James A. Bacon

    The only thing muddier than the water is the prose

    What AI imagines when given the phrase, “high turbidity in the water.” Image credit: Bring Image Creator

    by Joe Fitzgerald

    When I declared a local emergency when a hurricane was threatening to come across the hill 22 years ago, the city manager had made it reasonably clear that a local emergency didn’t mean that much. Mostly buying up bottled water, he said, although he also went on to list a couple of other things the city could do during an emergency. I polled the other City Council members to be on the safe side, but probably stopped calling when I had two others agreeing. I don’t remember specifically, but that’s usually what I did. You couldn’t get unanimity from that group on crunchy versus smooth.

    Later, when the taxi company, the official one in those pre-Uber days, called to ask if they could close. I gave the vice mayor a quick call, and he agreed that would be a good idea. But then he laughed and said, “But it’ll be you doing it, Joe.”

    Later I was reminded that during a declared emergency, the mayor was the only spokesman for the city. It became relevant in the wee hours when a bunch of students launched a canoe into the torrent Blacks Run had become, and naturally one of them died. I stopped on the way to the site and bought ten large coffees, and the manager of the all-night Hardee’s decided as I was reaching for my wallet that they should be free for the people on-site. I don’t remember if we called them first responders yet. Emergency personnel, maybe. It took a couple of minutes to void the ticket for the coffee and ring it up on the gratis button, but the coffee was still hot when I got to the site. I miss all-night Hardee’s.

    As one of their many cheap shots at me, similar to kicking Deb off Planning Commission for marrying me, my council colleagues changed the rules after that to say that only the full council could declare an emergency, and not just the mayor.

    So, the full council will meet today at noon to declare an emergency because mud has clogged the filters at the water treatment plant. The city’s publicist in his press releases hasn’t said mud yet. He calls it turbidity, which is the quality of muddy water, but that quality, along with its brother metaphor, turgidity, is what official press releases have instead of clarity.

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  • UVA Board Keeping Close Eye on Provost Search

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    James A. Bacon

    by James A. Bacon

    The search at the University of Virginia to replace outgoing provost Ian Baucom is well underway. The outcome will reflect the shifting balance of power between President Jim Ryan and a Board of Visitors determined to bring a measure of intellectual diversity to an institution whose faculty and campus climate have been transformed under Ryan and Baucom in line with leftist “social justice” principles.

    The last time the provost’s office was vacant — when Elizabeth Magill left the post to become president of the University of Pennsylvania — there was no need to hire a search committee. Ryan hand-picked Baucom, who was then serving as dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, and the Board of Visitors confirmed him with a minimum of fuss.

    The provost, who functions as a chief academic officer, is arguably the most important person, second only to the president, in setting the direction and tone of the University. Previous boards dominated by Democratic appointees were comfortable giving Ryan and Baucom a free hand. The new board, dominated by appointees of Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, is not.

    In a series of votes in recent months, the Board has signaled its intention to provide much closer oversight than Ryan has been accustomed to. The Board’s assertion of authority has been slow but remorseless, like an anaconda tightening its coils around its prey. In off-the-record conversations, multiple Board members have told me that any candidate for the provost selection must meet board approval, and to win that approval the candidate must be committed to ending racial preferences and expanding intellectual diversity.

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  • ODU Med School Discriminates by Race, Goldfarb Contends

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    James A. Bacon

    Eastern Virginia Medical School

    by James A. Bacon

    Stanley Goldfarb, a former associate dean at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, served a half year on the Old Dominion University Board of Visitors before his nomination by Governor Glenn Youngkin was torpedoed earlier this year by General Assembly Democrats.

    He had made a national name for himself as founder of Do No Harm, a nonprofit that opposes the takeover of the nation’s medical schools and medical profession by social-justice advocates. He quickly made himself unpopular at ODU by asking questions about the university’s implementation of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion that no one wanted to answer.

    ODU’s friends in the General Assembly struck Goldfarb from the board, but he hasn’t gone away. In an article just published in National Review, he detailed the scope of racial preferences in admissions to ODU’s medical school, the Eastern Virginia Medical School.

    Despite the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling severely restricting the consideration of race in college admissions, ODU “made no meaningful attempt to stop discriminating,” Goldfarb writes.

    The MCAT scores prove it. Overall, accepted black students had average scores in the 77th percentile, while Hispanics were in the 83rd percentile. The average white student had to score in the 88th percentile, while Asians had to clear 90 percent. In fact, the average MCAT score of Asian students who weren’t admitted is higher than the average score of accepted black students — an unmistakable sign of discrimination. 

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  • Jefferson Council: UVA Needs New Leadership

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    James A. Bacon

    ***** sponsored content *****

    Charlottesville, VA — In a new call to action appearing in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, The Jefferson Council is appealing to the University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors to take urgent action in restoring principled leadership to the University.

    The full-page advertisement declares that The Time Is Now for New Leadership at UVA and outlines seven serious leadership failures under President Jim Ryan’s tenure — failures that have, in the Council’s view, undermined the University’s integrity and founding ideals.

    “The damage to UVA’s values and traditions is not theoretical—it is palpable and measurable, and is the result of leadership that has failed the entire University community,” said Joel Gardner, President of The Jefferson Council.

    The advertisement outlines seven critical leadership failures under President Ryan’s administration and directs readers to ResetUVA.com for supporting evidence and detailed documentation. The failures include:

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  • Conservatives and Commencement Season

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    James A. Bacon

    Governor Glenn Youngkin at VCU. Image credit: Fox News

    by Kerry Dougherty

    Every spring around this time I pen a column with the same basic question: Why would any conservative agree to be a college commencement speaker?

    It’s asking for trouble.

    Inevitably, the mere announcement that a non-Marxist will be venturing on campus is enough to cause the students to grab their masks and keffiyehs and head to the quad. (Unless it’s raining. During inclement weather they occupy the library).

    If they aren’t able to scare the invitee away with their behavior the brats usually stage a protest during commencement to ruin the event for the normal kids.

    In 2014 former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice graciously decided against speaking at Rutgers University after the mid-wits there made it clear they’d rather stick their fingers in their ears than hear from a brilliant, conservative black woman.

    “Commencement should be a time of joyous celebration for the graduates and their families,” Rice wrote, declining the invite. “Rutgers’ invitation to me to speak has become a distraction for the university community at this very special time.”

    Classy lady. Although she did deprive the Garden State morons from making a spectacle of themselves.

    Last spring Gov. Glenn Youngkin was treated to a hat trick of rude behavior at Old Dominion,  George Mason and Virginia Commonwealth Universities.

    VCU’s protest was led by a member of the faculty, Kay Coghill, who – according to her official bio – goes by they/them and is part of the Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies Department. Following her like little lemmings, dozens of graduates stomped out of ceremonies rather than listen to the governor. Continue reading.

  • Deporting Violent Aliens Could Be a Big Winner for Earle-Sears

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    James A. Bacon

    Would make a good Earle-Sears bumper sticker. Image credit: Restoration News

    by James A. Bacon

    Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican candidate for governor, has unveiled her first campaign ad. In it, she introduces herself to the voting public as an immigrant from Jamaica, a former Marine, and a small businesswoman. The tag-line: “Earle-Sears is living proof that the American dream is alive and it is her mission to keep it that way for all Virginians.”

    In her stump speeches, Earle-Sears advocates traditional Republican priorities: Education reform, business and job creation, an all-of-the-above energy policy, and safe communities. It’s a solid platform. But is it enough to defeat Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate who has a reputation (whether deserved or not) as a “moderate”?

    The campaign strategy playbook says to define your opponent on your terms, not theirs. Earle-Sears has not done that yet. A handful of press releases emanating from her campaign have been critical of Spanberger, but they have been scatter shot and they have failed to gain traction. One issue, though, seems to have breakthrough potential—the deportation of criminal illegal aliens.

    In a recent press release and video on X, the Earle-Sears campaign assailed Spanberger’s “close allies,” Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano and Sheriff Stacey Kincaid, for releasing a violent criminal illegal immigrant into the community despite his federal firearm conviction and allegations of violent crimes.

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  • Bacon Bits: Can Blue Virginia Get Any Crazier? Yes, It Can!

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    James A. Bacon

    We’re not San Francisco…. yet. In the Franconia area of Fairfax County a McDonalds restaurant, known for catering to kids, has closed its doors to customers under 21 years old, reports WRC-TV in Washington, D.C. To gain admittance, customers must first ring a doorbell. The restaurant, located down the street from Thomas Edison High School, has been the scene of fighting, cursing and standing on tables. “These kids are off the chain,” a customer told WRC. “They have no respect, no discipline.” McDonalds issued a statement: “We’ve enhanced our Franconia Road McDonalds security measures in an effort to promote a safe environment for our customers and staff. This policy was developed in partnership with local school officials with oversight from local law enforcement.” (Terry McAuliffe: 64.6% of the vote; Glenn Youngkin: 34.8%.)

    Hands off our violent gang members! Arlington County’s governing board has unanimously approved a plan to scale back the police department’s communication with federal immigration officials, reports WTOP News. A tweak in the county’s Trust Policy removes Section 7, which details when Arlington police can inform U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials about an arrest. The rule permitted police to tell ICE of an undocumented individual who had been identified as a gang member and had been arrested for a violent felony or criminal street-gang offense. “What the removal of Section 7 … means is that we are not going to allow anymore that our law enforcement proactively contacts the federal government immigration authorities on any issue,” Board Chair Takis Karantonis said. Such actions undermine the trust the local immigrant community has in law enforcement, he explained. (McAuliffe 76.5%; Youngkin: 22.8%.)

    Business as usual (administrative anarchy) in Richmond. Today, the Richmond Times-Dispatch tells the story of Richmond resident Bill Gay whose personal property tax on his 21-year-old BMW convertible has leaped from $87 last year to $1,499 this year. He is one of 223 taxpayers, a city spokesperson revealed, who has received errant assessments. We also hear today from The Richmonder that Richmond’s inspector general Jim Osuna, who is in charge of investigating waste fraud and abuse at City Hall, has been fired under unclear circumstances. Last year, an Osuna-led investigation found nepotism, overspending, and procurement issues in the registrar’s office, resulting in the registrar’s resignation. (McAuliffe: 77.1%; Youngkin: 19.7%.)

  • Not Your Father’s GOP

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    James A. Bacon

    Hailey Dollar represents an unrecognizable brand of Republicanism. But she’s not a provocateur. She seems absolutely sincere.

    by Ken Reid

    New racy photos have emerged of Hailey Dollar, the Newport News mother of four and Army veteran who is seeking the Republican nomination for House of Delegates in the June 17 primary.

    The photos were sent anonymously to Bacon’s Rebellion following our initial article on Dollar ran on May 7. They show her in various stages of undress. (We have made an editorial decision to publish only the tamest one. Trust us, the others are raunchier. — JAB)

    In an interview, Dollar said the photos were from a pole dancing competition at Pure Pleasure Gentlemen’s Club in Richmond in 2016. 

    “The whole feature show was on the theme of Good vs. Evil,” the 35-year-old mother of four girls said. “I was supposed to be ‘bad’ in black. I got third place because I wouldn’t expose myself.”

    Dollar, who says she was sexually abused by a grandparent when she was about 5, says pole dancing is “good athleticism and a form of art.”

    She also acknowledged in the interview she was on OnlyFans.com, which is a web site that enables content providers to provide pornographic movies and photos for a fee.

    “I tried it for 3 months and took it down because I was sick of being harassed,” she said.

    (more…)

  • Bacon Bits: Sickly, Sinking Feelings

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    James A. Bacon

    A 4.7% unemployment rate next year? Virginia could lose 32,000 jobs this year due to federal spending cuts, as a result of which the state’s unemployment rate could rise to 3.9% this year and 4.7% in 2026, according to a study by the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. The study counts federal employees, cuts to federal contractors, and the multiplier effect of those cuts on the service economy. The analysis sees the losses partially offset by productivity gains and resilience in the private-sector economy. WTOP News has the story. As of last count, Virginia still had 228,000 job openings, which, if the skills of the newly unemployed match up, could alleviate labor shortages. Politicians are losing their lunch with worry, but I’m entirely OK with the prospect of reallocating manpower from low-value occupations to higher-value occupations.

    Hampton Roads still sinking. The rate of sea level rise in Hampton Roads, afflicted by subsidence as well as global sea-level rise, is in line with past forecasts, according to the latest “sea level rise report card” from the Virginia Institute for Marine Science. “We are accelerating at a high rate compared to a lot of the rest of the country, but that rate hasn’t been changing, really,” Molly Mitchell, assistant research professor, told WHRO Public Media. Southeastern Virginia is sinking twice as fast as sea level is rising due to shifts in the tectonic plate and the drawdown of aquifers. I have one big question: When is it time to start selling waterfront property?

    An incremental legal victory against terrorism. Attorney General Jason Miyares has secured a victory in Richmond City Circuit Court that will compel the American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) to comply with the AG’s Civil Investigative Demand (CID), according to a press release issued today. The organization has fought the demand in the courts for more than a year. The AG is investigating the organization to see if it is funneling funds “to support terrorists, terrorist organizations, terrorist activities, or family members of terrorists.” The AG’s office knows more than it has revealed. It makes me queasy to think that AMP might be a front group and fundraiser for Hamas.

  • Was John Reid Framed?

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    James A. Bacon

    by James A. Bacon

    An in-depth analysis of the Tumblr account where lieutenant-governor candidate John Reid allegedly posted explicit photos of nude male models shows that the account was dormant for several years before someone reactivated it and planted the incriminating photos. So concludes the author of an X account identifying himself as @VaChangeAgent.

    “Bottom line,” writes VaChangeAgent: “there is far more evidence that John was targeted than there is of any wrongdoing by John himself. This was a calculated hit.”

    The argument, based upon data generated by the Wayback Machine archives, is highly technical and requires a greater understanding of Internet mechanics than I possess, so I’m not in a position to evaluate it. The author does come across as knowledgeable. That may mean only that he knows more than I do, which is a low hurdle indeed. But, for what it’s worth, I find it credible.

    Although the political furor over the alleged posting has died down and Reid is back on the campaign trail, it is worth knowing whether or not someone within the Virginia GOP ecosystem tried to sabotage him. If it can be demonstrated conclusively that someone did, in fact, resurrect the account and misrepresent the content, that person (or persons) should be outed and hounded out of the party.

    As best as I can understand the analysis, here are the key points.

    (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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