Bacon's Rebellion

Tag: Chap Petersen

  • A House Is Not a Hotel

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    James A. Bacon
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    Even you can rent it out on AirBnb by Chap Petersen One of the best parts of being a Virginian is our State Constitution, specifically Article I, Section 11 which states that private property rights are fundamental and cannot be taken without just compensation. While local governments have the ability to zone property into appropriate categories, they…

  • A Birthday Letter to America

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    James A. Bacon
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    by Chap Petersen A long time ago, I was a freshman at an elite New England college, just graduated from Fairfax High School. (“F-A-I-R-F-A-X-R-E! B-E-L-S, Oh yes! Those Rebels are best!”). On a gorgeous fall morning in 1987, I was taking a class in Colonial American history, when the topic turned to the American Revolution.…

  • A Judge Who Moved Justice Forward

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    James A. Bacon
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    by Chap Petersen We spend a lot of time complaining about public servants in today’s America. And, truthfully, a lot of elected officials are pretty worthless. But there are exceptions. Last Friday, Judge Penney Azcarate presided over her final Motions Day docket as the Chief Judge of Fairfax County Circuit Court. She will be best remembered as…

  • A Rise and Fall — and Then a Tragedy

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    James A. Bacon
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    by Chap Petersen Two things can be true at once. Last week, my former Senate colleague Justin Fairfax shot his wife Cerina, an accomplished dentist and loving mother, and then killed himself. It was a malicious and cowardly act, which goes against every principle of his professed identity as a husband, father and Christian. Nothing…

  • Is a Casino the Answer to Fairfax County’s Genteel Decline?

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    James A. Bacon
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    by Chap Petersen A few things are certain in life. Death, taxes and UVA losing to Duke in the ACC men’s basketball final. (No, I’m not bitter). Another one is well-funded interests getting their way in the Virginia General Assembly. A mere decade ago, our battle was with Dominion Power who sought to avoid customer…

  • Data Center Showdown

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    James A. Bacon
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    Tuesday, February 24 was cold and blustery at the Arlington Courthouse, where the Court of Appeals was meeting. Welcome to the front lines of the “Third Battle of Manassas,” which has been going on for 3.5 years — just a few months less than the American Civil War. What’s at stake? The future of western…

  • Court Reverses Intent of 2020 Do-Not-Compete Reform

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    James A. Bacon
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    by Chap Petersen In the 2020 legislative session, the General Assembly – with a new Democratic majority – passed A LOT of bills regarding labor rights. One of the most important and least noticed was SB 840, which protected “low wage” workers, i.e. those making under the average state wage, from being subject to “covenants…

  • America’s Greatest of All Time

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    James A. Bacon
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    by Chap Petersen In a few days, our country will enter its 250th year. Some of us are old enough to remember the “Bicentennial” of 1976, which was the celebration of a younger, less introspective, nation. But America is no less greater. Indeed, the achievements of our Founding Fathers grow more noteworthy with time as…

  • Chap Petersen’s Least Favorite Things

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    James A. Bacon
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    by Chap Petersen It’s nearly the end of the year. Christmas will soon be here. In the spirit of the season, we need to celebrate all the great things that happened and be glad. But what about the not-so-great things? Sometimes speaking them can be a form of purging. So, with apologies to Julie Andrews,…

  • The Virginia GOP’s Sole Hope: Democratic Overreach

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    James A. Bacon
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    by Chap Petersen It’s been a month since I’ve sent out a newsletter. Since that time, Virginia has seen a statewide election and the Federal shutdown has come and gone. And UVA is on the verge of going to the ACC championship in football. Twenty-four years ago, when I entered the Assembly as an unlikely…

  • Who Are the Haters Now?

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    James A. Bacon
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    by Chap Petersen Ten years ago, with the initial rise of Donald Trump, a yard sign began popping up in the yards of right-thinking progressives: “Hate Has No Home Here.” The message was effective, promoting the righteousness of the homeowner while demonizing “the other.” A moral hierarchy was established. Funny, how that seems a long time ago.…

  • The Last Man Standing in Prince William

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    James A. Bacon
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    by Chap Petersen Last week, Prince William County Supervisor Bob Weir (R-Gainesville) died at the age of 62 of colon cancer.  It struck suddenly, as it usually does. Most of his constituents and fellow politicos had no idea he was ill until he was dead. Bob was a unicorn in Virginia politics. He was a…

  • AI, Solar and Trees

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    James A. Bacon
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    by Chap Petersen If you read this newsletter, you are aware of the ongoing struggle between the data center industry and conservation groups in Virginia. Most of those proposed projects are in suburban counties like Prince William or Loudoun or in the exurbs. In rural Virginia, a separate struggle is playing out as utility scale solar seeks to establish a…

  • An Example of Servant Leadership

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    James A. Bacon
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    by Chap Petersen In the fall of 1991, I had just entered UVA Law School after a year in Japan. My first act on arriving in Charlottesville was to join the University rugby team. (I had played in college and Japan). Grad students comprised the “A side” of the UVA team and, yes, we had…

  • Here’s an Idea: Let’s Stop Hating Each Other

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    James A. Bacon
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    by Chap Petersen This Sunday, I had drafted my usual glib newsletter, on the heels of a joyful 35th reunion at Williams College (Mass). Then came the chilling news from Minnesota of the assassination of a Democratic House member and her husband, along with the wounding of a State Senator. The motives are still unclear but the…