Bacon's Rebellion

  • 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.

    (more…)

  • 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…)

  • Racial Turmoil in the Alexandria PD

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    James A. Bacon

    Delton Goodrum (center), his legal team, and wife (right) outside the Alexandria federal courthouse after winning a $7.5 million verdict. Photo credit AXLnow.

    by James A. Bacon

    Delton Goodrum, a Black police officer in the Alexandria Police Department, has been awarded compensatory damages for racial discrimination at the hands of Alexandria’s acting police chief Don Hayes… who is Black… and who aspired to create a more diverse workforce… and who even told others that he wanted to promote Goodrum “because he was Black.”

    But White police officers reacted negatively to the perception of favoritism based on Goodrum’s race, and he never got the promotion from lieutenant to captain. The jury awarded him $7.5 million in damages, although awards in TItle VII lawsuits are capped at $300,000.

    The court case illustrates what can happen when a police force abandons the principle of color-blindness in favor of pursuing “diversity.” It is hard to imagine how the racialization of internal politics has helped the morale of either White or Black officers. The more official policy makes hiring and promotion decisions a matter of race, the more employees will interpret every decision through the win-lose prism of race and the losers will feel aggrieved.

    (more…)

  • VCU DEI Update

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    James A. Bacon

    by James A. Bacon

    VCU Office of the President. Image credit: VCU

    Virginia Commonwealth University has eliminated 13 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion positions, revised some scholarship requirements, and eliminated mandated diversity statements, reports The Richmond Times-Dispatch.

    In March, VCU’s board voted 11 to 4 to implement President Donald Trump’s executive order requiring universities to eliminate DEI and racial preferences. The action eliminated the Division of Inclusive Excellence. The university has hired a consultant to ensure VCU is in full compliance.

    Reports the RTD:

    VCU reviewed the work of 60 employees. Among them, nine were offered other vacant positions; four resigned; four had jobs in which a small percentage of their work involved DEI and had their job descriptions revised; 10 were doing work deemed permissible; 18 were student employees who completed their work for the year and 15 are still under review.

    The university did not terminate any employees, school leaders said. Having reduced its staffing level by 13 positions, VCU saves about $2 million.

    (more…)

  • Students Push Back on Trans “Sexual Harassment” Claims

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    James A. Bacon

    by Samantha Flom

    Three male Stone Bridge High School students in Ashburn, Virginia, are fighting back against sexual harassment allegations after questioning why a female classmate was in the boys’ locker room.

    Loudoun County Public Schools opened a formal investigation into the male students after the trans-identifying female filmed them voicing their confusion and discomfort over her presence in the locker room. The female student filed a Title IX complaint about the incident last month, prompting the investigation.

    Founding Freedoms Law Center attorney Josh Hetzler, who represents the male students, said no investigation was warranted.

    “They only asked questions that any boy in that situation would have asked other 15-year-old boys,” Hetzler told Restoration News.

    According to Hetzler, the video shows one of the boys asking why a girl was in the locker room, with another stating: “I’m uncomfortable.” Those comments, he added, weren’t directed at their female classmate but at each other.

    (more…)

  • Jeanine’s Memes

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    James A. Bacon

    From The Bull Elephant

  • Having It Your Way

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    James A. Bacon

    Or all sorts of ways, as the case may be.

    by Gordon C. Morse

    Amphibious politician. Image credit: Bing Image Creator

    Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for governor, says she’s opposed to repeal of Virginia’s right-to-work law – but, you know, maybe we can work something out.

    That appears to be the suggestion.

    The obvious retort: “She just wants to have it both ways.”

    Well, yes. You do that in politics. Having things “both ways” is a democratic ideal – at least when it comes to political positioning. What could be better?

    Early in the 20th century, Virginia lawmakers got squeezed by their personal preferences on liquid refreshments and Temperance Union crusades to legislatively cut off America’s booze supply. With so many living “wet” while voting “dry,” Virginia gave birth to the nation’s first amphibious politicians.

    So went the joke and no doubt everyone thought, heck, why can’t we have it both ways? What’s the matter with America?

    It got like that in the 1980s over the state lottery. Joseph William “Billy” O’Brien, Jr., convivially represented the Virginia Beach area in the House of Delegates from 1974 to 1992 and that man would just not give up.

    (more…)

  • Right-to-Work a Distraction from Issues That Matter

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    James A. Bacon

    Oh, look, a squirrel. Image credit: ChatGPT

    by Paul Goldman

    History says Democratic voters do not believe repeal of the right-to- law is a major issue. Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for governor, should have simply said no to repeal and pivoted to far more important issues to working families. The right-to-work law is increasingly irrelevant in today’s AI revolution, which is threatening the jobs of labor and management.

    The two-party system in Virginia began in 1977. In the ensuing years, one consistent, predictive fact stands out: The gubernatorial candidate for the party of the sitting president has never received 50% of the vote. Ever. The gubernatorial candidate of the sitting president’s party has lost every election except in 2013 due in good measure to the contest featuring a three-way. The only time the winner got less than 50%.

    In 2017, Republican Donald Trump occupied the oval office. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ralph Northam received nearly 54% of the vote. Therein winning by the biggest Democratic margin in 32 years. President Trump again sits in the oval office. He has lost Virginia three straight times by sizable margins. He has a net negative -20% approval rating in the public opinion polls.

    In my view, Spanberger can’t lose unless she runs the worst gubernatorial campaign in the modern era. Historical statistical analysis says she should win by between 6 to 10 percentage points, if not more. In doing so she will sweep in the Democratic ticket unless one of her running mates has a fatal flaw.

    When queried by a television reporter, Spanberger should have simply said I will not support repeal of the right to work law. Period. End of story.

    (more…)

  • Bacon Meme of the Week

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    James A. Bacon

  • Spanberger’s Right-to-Work Dodge

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    James A. Bacon

    by James A. Bacon

    Abigail Spanberger. Image credit: WRIC

    Abigail Spanberger, the Democrats’ gubernatorial hopeful, has declared that she would not sign a bill to repeal Virginia’s right-to-work law, which guarantees employees’ right to work at a company without paying dues to a union. But she’d be open to modifying it, she said.

    Here’s what she told WRIC-TV:

    “I think notably it’s important that this last General Assembly, no one even submitted a bill that would repeal the right-to-work. I support labor. I support our strong Virginia economy, but no, I don’t support a full repeal of our current right-to-work statute. Certainly, it’s an old statute. We have seen reforms and adjustments to it over the years, and recognizing that as Virginia and our economy moves forward, reforms may be necessary into the future, but no, not a full repeal.”

    Let’s dissect how she threads the needle between the expectations of her union donors and those of many Virginia voters.

    Spanberger seeks to downplay the question. No one even submitted a bill to repeal the law in the last session, she says, leading the listener to conclude that this is an abstract and theoretical issue.

    Then she says she supports labor… and a strong Virginia economy. This is boilerplate. Name a single politician who doesn’t.

    Then we get to the crucial phrase: “I don’t support a full repeal of our current right-to-work statute.”

    (more…)

  • Many Segregated Graduation Events to Choose From

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    James A. Bacon

    by James A. Bacon

    Stu, the Jefferson Council’s social media guru, notes in the X post above that the University of Virginia continues to hold identity-based graduation ceremonies: one dubbed the LGBQT Lavender Ceremony and one the Multicultural Recognition Ceremony.

    Although the Department of Education recently issued guidelines that forbid racially segregated graduation ceremonies, UVA is skirting the prohibition by changing the names and making them open to anyone: “Any graduating student is welcome to participate in these celebrations, regardless of identity.”

    One young person, possibly a UVA student, responded to the Jefferson Council tweet, by asking, “Why do you care that gay people and minorities are getting together for a party? Who cares?”

    Fair question. Why do we care?

    Stu the guru responded: “It’s not about parties—it’s about public universities using taxpayer dollars to host de facto segregated events. When institutions claim to champion inclusion but separate students by race or identity, it undermines equal treatment, community cohesion, and federal civil rights law.”

    That’s a good answer. I’d like to expand upon it a bit.

    (more…)

  • Farewell, Jeff Schapiro

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    James A. Bacon

    by Gordon C. Morse

    Columnist Jeff Schapiro vacated the Richmond Times-Dispatch rather abruptly last Sunday and for a man of many words, he had little to say about it.

    Four decades of scribbling and he throws out a few lines at the end of his column, not at all dissimilar to the Woody Allen dialogue in “Crimes and Misdemeanors”:

    “He left a note. He left a simple little note that said ‘I’ve gone out the window.’ This is a major intellectual and he leaves a note that says ‘I’ve gone out the window.’ He’s a role-model. You’d think he’d leave a decent note.”

    No decent note from Schapiro. No decent note from anybody, including the paper’s editors. Just out the window.

    Management indifference to its writing corps is an established and rotten tradition at the Richmond Times-Dispatch. It appears to be the only tradition left at the paper.

    And why are we calling it the Richmond Times-Dispatch anyway? The “Hanover Times-Dispatch” would have the benefit of accuracy.

    In its heyday, now long removed, the Times-Dispatch newsroom was a sight – a floor scattered with messy desks, messy people and messy commotion. Bright, funny, purposeful writers and editors were splayed about and running a competition, it often seemed, over how many books, reports, press releases and note pads could be balanced onto a single desk without it all collapsing to the floor.

    That newsroom spawned raised voices and barked instructions, arguments and disputes, and harbored some just astounding personalities. I thought it was wonderful.

    (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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