Author Archives: Peter Galuszka

Racism and COVID-19 in Virginia

Posted on March 26, 2020 | 61 comments

By Peter Galuszka

“The Chinese Virus?” “Kung Flu?” Wuflu?”

These are some pejorative and racist names being bandied about for what is technically known as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2. The disease associated with the virus is COVID-19.

These distinctions are part of a column written by the Virginia Asian Advisory Board in today’s Virginia Mercury. They write: “In an already anti-immigrant environment, Asians, particularly Chinese, are reportedly facing increasing acts of racism.”

They report that businesses with Asian-sounding names are being shunned, Uber and Lyft drivers are not giving rides of people based on their names and the social media is filled with stories critical of Asians, which is nuts because Asia is even more diverse than Europe.

Donald Trump, our Incompetent in Chief, is leading the charge for demeaning Asians by insisting on calling the virus the “Chinese Flu.”

During the 2016 campaign, he constantly put down Mexicans and other Latinos. That summer I was taken aback when I was at my neighborhood swimming pool. A group of what looked like eighth-grade boys was splashing around shouting “Mexico sucks!” I stopped them and asked them why they were saying that. They said, “That’s what Donald Trump says.” Continue reading →

61 Comments

Posted in Blogs and Blog Administration, Civil Rights, Individual Liberties, Culture wars, Immigration, Race and Race Relations

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What Will COVID-19 Do to Virginia’s Economy?

Posted on March 24, 2020 | 4 comments

Hey, Baconauts!

This is a podcast I did last week for WTJU, the official radio station of the University of Virginia,I have been contributing for a number of years. I hope you find it interesting.

— Peter Galuszka

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Posted in Health Care

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A Look at Richmond and COVID-19

Posted on March 24, 2020 | 13 comments

By Peter Galuszka

Here is a roundup story I wrote for Style Weekly that was published today that explains the effects of COVID-19 on the Richmond area. Hopefully, BR readers will find it of interest.

It was a tough piece to report. The impacts of the deadly virus are very complicated and multi-faceted. An especially hard part was trying to keep with the fast-changing news, notably the number of new cases and deaths. We were updating right up until the story closed Monday afternoon. It was hard to talk to people with social-distancing and closings.

The experience shows the delicate balancing act between taking tough measures to stem the contagion and keeping the economy going. My view is that tough measures are needed because without them, it will all be much worse, particularly more illness and death as the experience in Italy has shown.

Incredibly, our utterly incompetent president, Donald Trump, now wants to focus on the economy more than taking necessary containment steps. It’s far too soon for that. Regrettably, a number of Bacon’s Rebellion commenters are sounding the same irresponsible tune in keeping with their big business and anti-regulation laud of free market capitalism. Continue reading →

13 Comments

Posted in Agriculture & forestry, Business and Economy, Children and Families, Civil Rights, Individual Liberties, Consumer Protection, Culture wars, Demographics, Disasters and Disaster Preparedness, Economic development, Education (higher ed), Education (K-12), Efficiency in Government, Entrepreneurs and Innovation, Environment, Federal issues, Government Finance, Government workers and pensions, Housing, Infrastructure, Insurance, Labor and Workforce, Money in politics, Planning, Public safety & health, Regulations and Government Oversight, Resilience, Science & Technology, Social Services and Entitlements, Telecommunications, Uncategorized

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Is Northam Up to the COVID-19 Challenge?

Posted on March 23, 2020 | 12 comments

By Peter Galuszka

Governor Ralph Northam has approached the COVID-19 pandemic  with a light touch that has drawn criticism for doing too little too late.

He has declared a state of emergency, banned gatherings of more than 100 people and closed schools until well into April. But he’s also not closed restaurants and businesses or done much to make sure that Virginian’s health workers have enough testing kits and respirators and personal protective equipment, such as masks and hazardous material suits.

Consequently, health workers have been slicing up bandanas or reusing face masks against manufacturers’ warnings to protect themselves from the deadly virus.

The Washington Post has compared the responses of regional leaders in an article this morning. Larry Hogan, Maryland’s Republican governor, got high marks for his pro-active, can-do attitude that saw him taking tougher policies earlier on. The Post gave Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser a little below Hogan in her response.

But, the Post reported, “If you’ve got Maryland and D.C. shutting down, but we aren’t, that cuts down tremendously on what Mayor Bowser and Governor Hogan are trying to do,” said Libby Garvey, a Democrat and board chair of Arlington County.

A Northam spokesman said that the lighter approach is appropriate because it doesn’t strangle Virginia’s economy and the state is more rural and spread out than Maryland or Washington. Continue reading →

12 Comments

Posted in Environment

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Spy V. Spy in Virginia Politics?

Posted on March 9, 2020 | 13 comments

Erik Prince

By Peter Galuszka

Erik Prince, the highly controversial former Navy SEAL and founder of the security firm Blackwater, recruited spies to infiltrate liberal groups and the 2018 political campaign of U.S. Rep Abigail Spanberger, according to media reports.

His role was disclosed in a lawsuit deposition involving the right-wing group Project Veritas that has tried to work covertly to embarrass journalists and others, according to the Washington Examiner.

Spanberger, a Democrat, knocked off U.S. Rep. Dave Brat, a conservative favorite, in the 7th District, which includes parts of the Richmond suburbs. Her victory stunned political watchers since the district historically has voted  for Republicans. She had worked previously as an undercover operative for the CIA on issues including terrorism and nuclear proliferation.

Prince is alleged to have hired Richard Seddon, a former intelligence officer with MI-6, for various covert political missions. In one case, Seddon allegedly recruited Marisa Jorge, a Liberty University graduate to work in Spanberger’s campaign. Continue reading →

13 Comments

Posted in Corruption and Scandals, Politics

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Takeaways on Biden’s Big Win

Posted on March 4, 2020 | 4 comments

Photo credit: Richmond Times-Dispatch

By Peter Galuszka

Joe Biden prevailed in the Virginia Democratic primary Tuesday, showing that the state’s movement to the political left can go only so far.

The former vice president got 53% of the vote with Sen. Bernie Sanders snaring 23%,and Elizabeth Warren and Mike Bloomberg far behind. Nationally, Biden’s remarkable comeback on Super Tuesday has made him the leading Democrat, although Sanders isn’t gone yet. Here are some takeaways:

  • Political analysts in the state such as Steve Farnsworth, a professor at the University of Mary Washington, have said that while changing demographics have made the state bluer, it is far from California. The analysts are right, despite what a number of conservatives claim.
  • The turnout was large. That’s significant because if it is likewise large in November, it’s bad news for Donald Trump.
  • A number of state Democrats supported Biden at the last minute, worried that Sanders would be a giveaway to Trump.
  • Democratic leaders know that they must hold on to the gains they made in 2018 and 2019. Two key bellwethers are U.S. Reps. Abigail Spanberger of the 7th District and Elaine Luria of the 2nd District, who defeated prominent Republicans in 2018. If either of those two loses in November, it would be a big symbolic blow to moderate Democrats.
  • Continue reading →

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Posted in Elections

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In Memory of a Great (West) Virginian

Posted on February 24, 2020 | 5 comments

By Peter Galuszka

Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson, a pioneering and brilliant African-American mathematician whose on-the-money calculations kept early astronauts alive, died Monday at the age 101. She spent most of her life in Hampton and worked for NASA there until she retired in 1986.

Her life and that of two other female African-American mathematicians from NASA, were portrayed in the 2016 film “Hidden Figures. Last year, she was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

Ms. Johnson was born in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va, where she was able to develop her talents despite the restrictions of the Jim Crow era. In the Mountain State at one point, public education was not provided to black people from high school on. So, her Father moved the family to the town of Institute where a high school was available. She graduated summa cum laude From West Virginia State, a historically black school, in 1937 when she was 18 with degrees in math and French.

For years she moved in and out of education, teaching at a school In Marion. Va. and continuing her studies. She moved permanently when her husband found work in Hampton. Continue reading →

5 Comments

Posted in Race and Race Relations, Science & Technology

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Why Won’t They Let Professor Funke In?

Posted on February 21, 2020 | 24 comments

Hajo Funk. Photo credit: Main-Echo

By Peter Galuszka

There’s a very curious case involving the University of Virginia that involves freedom of speech and free education, but it doesn’t involve the usual complaints of Mr. Jefferson’s University being a hotbed of Bolshevism.

Rather, it involves a renowned German professor who has had a rough time getting a U.S. visa after he was invited to teach in Charlottesville, according to the Cavalier Daily. Political scientist Hajo Funke had been invited to lead two courses as The Max Kade Distinguished Visiting Professor. On Thursday, he finally got his visa after a months-long wait.

Funke’s specialty is the study of right-wing politics, notably the re-emergence of the trends in Europe which has seen the rise of white supremacism, anti-immigration and anti-Semitism. Some examples include Hungary, Poland, Russia, France and other countries.

He had been slated to teach two courses, “Right-Wing Populism and the Far Right” and “Historical Political Memory” but had had to do them via teleconferencing from Berlin.

The university invited him to teach in November and he went to the U.S. Consulate in Germany to apply for the appropriate visa. Surprisingly, he was told that approval was being delayed with no reason given. According to the media, one possible reason is that he had visited Iran to see his wife’s family and to do some research. Continue reading →

24 Comments

Posted in Education (higher ed)

Huge Dominion Pipeline Project Loses Partner

Posted on February 12, 2020 | 39 comments

By Peter Galuszka

The delayed Atlantic Coast Pipeline is undergoing a major change due to rising costs and legal delays – The Southern Company, based in Atlanta, is backing out of the project as an equity partner.

According to an announcement late Tuesday, Dominion Energy will acquire The Southern Company’s 5% stake in the natural gas project whose cost has risen from $5.1 billion to $8 billion thanks largely to legal challenges by environmentalists and regulatory agencies. The new ownership structure will be 53% Dominion and 47% Duke Energy, based in Charlotte.

The Southern Company will be still related to the project as an “anchor shipper,” the announcement said.

Another surprise in the announcement is that the pipeline project will buy a small Liquefied Natural Gas plant in Jacksonville, Fla. Dominion will assume ownership of it from Southern. That raises questions because for years Dominion has vigorously denied that the 600-mile-long pipeline has any link to plans to export LNG. Dominion does own an LNG export facility at Lugsby, Md. on the Chesapeake Bay that exports LNG mostly to Asian utilities. Continue reading →

39 Comments

Posted in Energy

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Blue, Sweet Blue

Posted on February 10, 2020 | 25 comments

Blue waves have consequences

By Peter Galuszka

The Virginia Democratic party’s stunning success in November’s General Assembly elections has, as promised, lead to some big changes, after, forward-moving legislation was stymied for years by GOP politicians, often in committee,

Let’s run through a short list of where the Dems have succeeded and what else can happen. I’ll keep this short given the detailed coverage other columnists have provided.

Guns: Big wins so far on one-purchase-a-month and universal background check. Some movement on “red flag” laws to allow law enforcement to temporary take away firearms from people deemed dangerous. Exactly how to define that remains to be seen. The Big Enchilada, however, is assault style rifle. Proposals would restrict new sales of them and limit their magazines to 10 or so rounds plus banning “bump stocks” that allow semi-automatic weapons fire just about automatically. Whatever happens, this is progress, since for years anything related to firearms got killed in committee with no real discussion.

Marijuana: It’s not time yet to run out and stock up on little bags or buy gummies with THC in them, but it is likely that possession will be decriminalized. Continue reading →

25 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Thoughts on the Big Pro Gun Rally

Posted on January 21, 2020 | 29 comments

By Peter Galuszka

 I was tempted to go the large anti gun-control rally but I had other work to do for customers and I didn’t want to get caught in a traffic jam. I have been to a few of these things before – some violent, some not.

There seems to be a certain amount of self congratulation now that the demonstration is over with no violence and one arrest. A few takeaways:

(1) Gov. Ralph Northam and his team deserve credit for taking smart precautions such as requiring no guns and metal detectors even though I didn’t quite see the point with having thousands of guys tricked out in military garb carrying assault style rifles just outside the fences at Capitol Grounds. This is what should have been done in Charlottesville in 2017.

(2) This was the approach taken at Klan rallies I covered in the late 1990s in Cleveland and Clarksburg,W.Va. The police tolerated nothing. I also was at a two-day riot in Moscow on Oct. 3 and 4 1993 where order completely broke down in a coup against Boris Yeltsin. Hundreds were killed including some people standing close to me. I also was almost caught in a machine gun cross fire on a highway. Among the dead were seven journalists.

(3)  This being Bacon’s Rebellion, one has to ask the most important question. How much is this costing the city, state and federal government? Why hasn’t anyone asked this question before? We’re supposed to shell out public dough so a bunch of guys opposing fairly moderate gun regulations can feel good about themselves?

(4) Lastly, there’s the moral aspect to this. I can’t say it any better than Ross Catrow in Good Morning RVA. Here’s what he wrote this morning: Continue reading →

29 Comments

Posted in Culture wars, Gun rights

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“Unite the Right” Revisited?

Posted on January 7, 2020 | 20 comments

Scene from the aftermath of the Unite the 2017 Right rally in Charlottesville.

By Peter Galuszka

Think” of it as “Unite the Right 2.0.” Thousands of protesters from Virginia and beyond the state will be converging on Richmond, many packing heat, to support “Second Amendment Sanctuaries,” which are cities or counties that refuse any law passed by the Democratically controlled General Assembly to pass any law that in any way infringes on firearm rights.

This brings back memories of the violent 2017 demonstration in Charlottesville over removing Confederate memorials that ended up with the deaths of three people and the injuries of scores of others. Charlottesville overnight morphed into the ugly icon of the Trump who incredibly found equivalency between white supremacists and people who protested against them.

The Virginia Civil Defense League, a pro-gun group, has put together a complex organization for the event with chartered business leaving such as places as Abingdon for the reasonable price of about $30.

In Charlottesville in images that were circulated worldwide tough looking men in camouflaged that give Virginia a black eye as fascist, white power police state. Charlottesville and the state prepared badly for the travesty. There were no body checks, no electronic scanners, no separation between sides. (I have seen such things in other states). In a recent book highly critical of Charlottesville, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe bemoaned the fact that the white supremacists had higher quality and higher power rifles than the Virginia State Police did.

So what will happen Jan. 20? Continue reading →

20 Comments

Posted in Culture wars, Gun rights

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Media Botching Second Biggest Political Story of 2020

Posted on January 4, 2020 | 13 comments

By Peter Galuszka

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/local-opinions/the-disturbing-second-amendment-sanctuary-trend-in-virginia/2020/01/03/21a442b2-2c0f-11ea-bcb3-ac6482c4a92f_story.html

https://www.baconsrebellion.com/wp/crazy-about-guns/

https://www.baconsrebellion.com/wp/the-rank-hypocrisy-of-rural-gun-sanctuaries/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/second-amendment-sanctuary-push-aims-to-defy-new-gun-

(I left off the Virginia Mercury sorry)

13 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Dominion Plans Four New Gas Units

Posted on December 20, 2019 | 18 comments

Photo credit; Southern Environmental Law Center

By Peter Galuszka

Despite its recent advertising campaign rebranding itself as a “green” utility, Dominion Energy is planning to build four natural gas “peaking units” costing $600 million at its Chesterfield County generating station.

The utility filed for a permit for the State Air Pollution Control Board, according to the Chesterfield Observer.

The gas plants would generate 1,000 megawatts of power to electrify 250,000 homes. One phase of the project would be completed in 2023 with another going online the following year. The units will be switched on when more power is needed.

Other than the Observer, there has been remarkably little news coverage of the plans. It could be that Dominion wanted to lie low after announcing plans to build 220 wind turbines off of the Virginia coast. Ads have touted Virginia as a “leader” nationally in renewable energy. Other announcements have involved solar farms and one to turn hog waste into methane. Continue reading →

18 Comments

Posted in Energy

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PSSST! Trump Got Impeached

Posted on December 19, 2019 | 22 comments

By Peter Galuszka

You won’t hear much about this on Bacon’s Rebellion, but on Wednesday, Donald J. Trump became the third U.S. president in history to be impeached.

The vote in the House of Representatives split right down party lines with Virginia’s Democrats voting for impeachment and Republicans voting against.

Leading the charge were Abigail Spanberger of the 7th District and Elaine Luri of the 2nd District. The former CIA operative and former Navy officer showed considerable guts because they flipped seats normally safely held by Republicans who promise to come after both of them next year.

The strictly bipartisan impeachment vote is being mirrored in Virginia now that Democrats have taken control of the General Assembly. A number of conservative Republicans who had been running the legislative show for years have retired and the state GOP is in serious disarray.

Gov. Ralph Northam is pushing a big $135 billion budget that provides long-needed spending for mental health and education. The Trump fallout is fueling an atmosphere that will embolden Democrats to push ahead with such measures and raising Virginia’s ridiculously low cigarette tax. Continue reading →

22 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized