Coarse Cracked Corn

• Forefathers, communists, and injustice

  I guess it was predictable that on this air-clearing Virginia day, we'd get some folks blowing smoke. Guess they've been puffing too long and their brains are totally fogged. In Roanoke, a fellow named Gordon Middlekauff said "banning smoking in restaurants is communism...." Calling opponents "communists" has been popular since [...]
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  Posted: December 01, 2009, 6:29am EST
  

• A governor for all Virginians?

  You may recall that Pat Robertson, responding to the shootings at Fort Hood, said Islam is "not a religion" but it is rather a "violent political system" that he compared to fascists and communists. Rev. Robertson is a close confidant and mentor of Governor-elect Bob McDonnell. Last week a group of [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 4:26pm EST
  

• Conundrum

  The bill for The News Leader has been sitting on my desk for a couple weeks - $133.69 for the annual subscription. My caller ID says they called on Black Friday. They'll probably call back today... and tomorrow... and later in the week. My conundrum - subscribe or not? Today's [...]
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  Posted: November 30, 2009, 8:24am EST
  

• Play it again... and again

  The Department of Environmental Quality just released the Virginia Annual Recycling Report that contains a mixture of good news, not so good news, and some so-so news. Statewide, Virginians recycled/reused 3,661,027 tons of material out of a 9,542,428 tons of solid waste generated, or about [...]
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  Posted: November 24, 2009, 7:20am EST
  

• Beware unintended consequences

  Delegate Lacey Putney (I-19th District) is chair of the House Appropriations Committee. He has a suggestion for the upcoming session of the General Assembly, an intermission of sorts: The possibility of coming into session, maybe recessing, let the members go back, except the money committees working on the budget, [...]
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  Posted: November 19, 2009, 7:53am EST
  

• Collision Course... maybe, maybe not

  As Governor Tim Kaine enters his final months in office and Bob McDonnell prepares to take office, the Virginia budget situation continues to deteriorate because of the nationwide economic downturn that started in 2008. The Commonwealth will cut $250 million, or more, from the current budget to balance the books. [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2009, 8:08am EST
  

• Wolf in sheep's clothing

  Tom Perriello has been besieged with attack ads on NBC29 since his courageous vote on healthcare reform. Many of those ads are paid for and sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber, which was once seen as nonpartisan and in many communities as a civic group akin to [...]
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  Posted: November 16, 2009, 7:59am EST
  

• Southerners/Republicans Favor Federal Help

  I was intrigued by this poll, but found my friend Riley already had an excellent post on Blue Ridge Data. Cross-posted here with his permission. ~~~~~ The anti-big government tea party and Gadsden Flag contingent, sure made a lot of noise and fuss this year, but here's some data to' [...]
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  Posted: November 14, 2009, 4:54pm EST
  

• Community Colleges Raise Tuition

  Effective with the spring semester, tuition at Virginia's community colleges will go up by just under $22 for the typical three-credit course. On Thursday the State Board for Community Colleges approved a tuition increase of $7.30/credit hour to help offset cuts caused by the state budget shortfalls. The increase' [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 1:44pm EST
  

• Troubled waters

  A new report (PDF file) entitled "Wasting Our Waterways: Toxic Industrial Pollution and the Unfilled Promise of the Clean Water Act" by Environment America says Virginia's waterways are the second dirtiest in the United States. The report says Virginia had more than 18 million pounds of toxic chemicals' [...]
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  Posted: November 13, 2009, 10:45am EST
  

• Last week's other loser

  Senator Emmett Hanger, I hope you are watching your back. Folks are already taking aim at your political life... and most likely they are your fellow Republicans. Democrats are still in a daze and aren't plotting that far ahead.... Senator Hanger represents the 24th Senate District that includes Augusta County, Greene' [...]
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  Posted: November 12, 2009, 6:40am EST
  

• Rainy Days and Reading

  Raw and rainy days, a warm fire, and a good book seem to go well together. In that spirit, I recommend In an Uncharted Country by Clifford Garstang, a Shenandoah Valley author. You can easily read the dozen short stories in a morning while listening to [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 4:04pm EST
  

• Blowin' In the Wind

  Virginia Governor Tim Kaine joined his counterparts in Maryland and Delaware to announce a tri-state commitment to developing off-shore wind energy in the Mid-Atlantic region. Governor Kaine stated:With our extensive coastline and highly-educated workforce, Virginia is particularly well-suited to explore offshore wind energy opportunities. In these tough economic times, [...]
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  Posted: November 11, 2009, 2:09pm EST
  

• Over the mountain

  Across Afton Mountain from the Shenandoah Valley we find ourselves in a different political universe. Much of the Valley is strong Republican turf and the congressman from the 6th District, Bob Goodlatte, rarely if ever breaks from his party ranks. Goodlatte, who has a good number of constituents who will [...]
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  Posted: November 08, 2009, 10:02am EST
  

• Win some and lose some

  Blue Ridge Data has a great quote that offers sage advice to everyone after an election. Thanks Joe... and Riley. [...]
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  Posted: November 06, 2009, 5:42pm EST
  

• Voter turnout

  On election day I came home for lunch and tuned into the noontime news on a couple stations and checked The News Leader and a couple other newspaper websites. Though mostly anecdotal, the reports were brimming about the number of people at the polls and the high voter turnout. Later [...]
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  Posted: November 05, 2009, 6:22am EST
  

• Pickin' Up the Pieces

  The morning after. Sound thumpin' for the Dems locally, across Virginia, and in New Jersey. Pundits will offer all sorts of reasons and justifications over the days and weeks ahead. Today I will be gathering yard and field signs. We'll be taking it in for recycling and hope you'll do' [...]
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  Posted: November 04, 2009, 6:21am EST
  

• Full Moon

  Election Day with a full moon. A full moon usually brings out all the crazies. After putting up signs at several precincts, I returned to mine to vote. Sure enough, a Cuccinelli crazy had moved some of my signs. I politely smiled and moved a couple [...]
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  Posted: November 03, 2009, 7:41am EST
  

• DNR's bounce back censorship

  Now it has happened to me. I'd been hearing about folks who sent pro-Democratic letters to the editor, via email, to the Daily News-Record only to have them bounce back. These folks told be they'd double checked the address and found it to be correct. Most email delivery failures come back [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 2:22pm EST
  

• Putting teeth in bay cleanup

  Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-Maryland) has introduced legislation to put some teeth into cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. Among the provisions:Reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Program which is run by EPA;States in the 64,000 square mile watershed would have to devise more specific plans to reduce pollution;States would have to write [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 7:36am EST
  

• Hunt? Fish? There's only one candidate for you

  Roanoke Times outdoors reporter Mark Taylor recently talked to Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell about outdoors-related issues Virginia's next governor may face. Looking through the scope of the interview it comes into focus that, for Virginia sportsmen, there is only one candidate who understands their issues, who in' [...]
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  Posted: November 02, 2009, 7:17am EST
  

• Facts about the "Fact Book"

  Each year The News Leader publishes its "Fact Book: a guide to Staunton, Waynesboro & Augusta County." The 2010 edition arrived rolled in a newspaper a couple of days ago. Was it bigger than the paper? The first thing I noticed was that it is easily rolled, having shrunk considerably [...]
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  Posted: November 01, 2009, 5:18am EST
  

• Time To Reform the Patriot Act

  Remember the Patriot Act? Yeah, the one that abused civil liberties and knocked the United States Constitution for a loop. Well, at the end of this year several sections of the Patriot Act will expire and Congress is just beginning consideration of what to do. The USA PATRIOT Amendments [...]
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  Posted: October 31, 2009, 5:50pm EDT
  

• Cuccinelli: Affable Extremist

  As a candidate for attorney general, Mr. Cuccinelli has profited from an affability and quick wit that have tended to mask his extremist views. As a lawmaker in Richmond, he has displayed contempt for non-English speakers; for those who care about global warming; and for the First Amendment. Many of [...]
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  Posted: October 31, 2009, 7:26am EDT
  

• Down; Up

  Virginia Western Community College has become the latest to announce cuts of positions as their budget goes down while enrollment goes up. At VWCC it was two layoffs and 15 retirements that balanced the books... for now. Unless revenues pick up, there could be more layoffs there and at [...]
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  Posted: October 30, 2009, 7:16am EDT
  

• Witch's Cauldron

  A scary Halloween from artist Zina Saunders at Drawger... "Double, double, toil and trouble," chant Michele Bachmann, Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh as they stir up the pot against health care reform. A few incantations from the trio's trick or treat bag: Congresswoman Bachmann says sex clinics' [...]
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  Posted: October 29, 2009, 7:18am EDT
  

• Battlefield Preservation

  The Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT) today applauded members of the U.S. House and Senate for including the largest ever single-year allocation for the federal Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Interior Appropriations Act Conference Report. The conference report includes $9 million for the [...]
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  Posted: October 28, 2009, 6:50pm EDT
  

• He's been there for Virginia

  Creigh Deeds has been there for Virginia. Now he needs you to be there for him. [...]
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  Posted: October 28, 2009, 5:58pm EDT
  

• Vote Green, Live Green

  Lost in all the negative ads, the whirlwind about healthcare reform, and the daily drumbeat of economic news are how candidates in Virginia stand on protecting our environment. Fortunately, the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club has great website that allows you to compare the statewide and House of [...]
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  Posted: October 27, 2009, 3:30pm EDT
  

• Legal, ethical, and bad for representative democracy

  There is something going on that smells like road kill on hot August afternoon in the Shenandoah Valley. Our 140 lawmakers can derive income from various state or local government agencies without it being a conflict of interest or disclosure of the money. In fact, no Virginia law even requires [...]
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  Posted: October 26, 2009, 4:49pm EDT
  

• Re-post: Bob McDonnell speaks out of both sides of his mouth

  I originally posted this on March 14 when Bob McDonnell had just breezed down Rt. 11 reassuring right wingers that he was an ultraconservative although he appeared to be running as a Mark Warner moderate. It bears repeating. Perhaps it helps explain all the litter spewing forth from his campaign. [...]
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  Posted: October 25, 2009, 7:41pm EDT
  

• MarshallArtz

  Ventured to NOVA this weekend to visit our daughter and celebrate her new job that she'll be starting on Monday. While there we were absolutely thrilled to catch up with old friends Kevin and Mary. Kevin is one-half of MarshallArtz as their site notes a "guitar duo performing a'" [...]
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  Posted: October 24, 2009, 5:47pm EDT
  

• In Case You Missed Gov. Kaine's Announcements

  In all the distractions about sleeping pilots, revival of the public option, and the beautiful weather keeping us busy outside, you may have missed several interesting and important press releases from Governor Tim Kaine. Each, in their own way, are good news for Virginia. The Governor announced that the [...]
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  Posted: October 23, 2009, 7:01am EDT
  

• Mr. Deeds Goes To Town

  Creigh Deeds and the gubernatorial race captured the attention of Newsweek:For more than 20 years, [Creigh] Deeds has served the people of Bath County locally and in the Virginia Legislature. They like him in part because he is one of them, and because he's nothing like the picture that pops [...]
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  Posted: October 21, 2009, 7:38am EDT
  

• Virginians/Creigh Deeds Agree: Close the Loophole

  According to a poll conducted by Christopher Newport University's Judy Ford Wason Center for Public Policy, 80% of Virginians want to close the "gun-show loophole" that allows anyone to buy a gun from an unlicensed dealer without a background check. The same sale at the same show from a licensed [...]
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  Posted: October 20, 2009, 6:42am EDT
  

• Finally

  [...]
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  Posted: October 19, 2009, 10:32pm EDT
  

• Virginia Budget - A Train Wreck About to Happen

  In the current issue of The Virginia News Letter, James J. Regimbald Jr. warns that the worst of Virginia's budget woes will occur in the 2010-12 biennium and that "painful changes to state government and policy are forthcoming." That seems to fly in the face of what we're hearing in [...]
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  Posted: October 19, 2009, 7:27am EDT
  

• Tearing the mountains down

  Last week I traveled with the Sierra Club and other concerned groups and individuals to Wise County, VA to attend a public hearing conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers on "Nationwide Permit 21." I readily admit I knew virtually nothing about NWP 21 just seven days ago. But, I [...]
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  Posted: October 18, 2009, 7:23am EDT
  

• WaPo Set To Endorse Deeds

  Concluding with the words below, the Washington Post will endorse Creigh Deeds for Governor. A link will be added tomorrow. It is a thoughtful, accurate, and timely assessment of the importance of this gubernatorial election... please read it carefully."Mr. Deeds, lagging in the polls, lacks Mr. McDonnell's knack for crisp'" [...]
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  Posted: October 17, 2009, 7:12pm EDT
  

• Shenandoah Valley Democratic Coalition for Professional Women

  PUBLIC FORUM~ Concerned Women of the Valley: Let Our Voices be Heard ~Thursday, October 22 @ 6:00 PMKate Collins Middle School, Waynesboro Democratic candidates for the House of Delegates, and representatives from the Deeds, Wagner and Shannon campaigns; will respond to questions on issues of interest to women voters, from a [...]
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  Posted: October 17, 2009, 7:50am EDT
  

• Republican lies about VA economics

  If you listen to the chicken sh*t being spread by Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling, and Republican spin masters (liars), you'd think the Commonwealth of Virginia is a high tax state, run inefficiently, and deep in debt. Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, Virginia' [...]
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  Posted: October 16, 2009, 6:47pm EDT
  

• Conscience and Spine

  [Senator Jim] Webb has called our prison system a "national disgrace,” and he’s right: the U.S. incarcerates 2.3 million people (25 percent of the planet’s prisoners), and monitors another 5 million on probation or parole (more than 60 percent of whom will end up back in the clink).The Atlantic profiles" [...]
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  Posted: October 14, 2009, 5:42pm EDT
  

• Red Bricks

  Staunton has laid out the red carpet... I mean the red bricks... as part of a marketing campaign to attract attention, tourists, and business for 17 art galleries, theaters, and museums, all within an easy walk. Tourism already supports nearly 600 jobs and nets about $2 [...]
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  Posted: October 14, 2009, 7:01am EDT
  

• McDonnell's Consistent Record

  In yesterday's News Leader, the superintendent of Staunton Public Schools, Steven Nichols said he didn't want to sound "doom and gloom" but it was hard to read the article without getting that distinct feeling. The only thing that kept Staunton and most other school districts from large scale layoffs,' [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2009, 2:15pm EDT
  

• Fear, Lies, and Bob's Ad

  We've all seen Bob McDonnell's ad that claims Creigh Deeds will raise every family's taxes by $7,800 over four years. Sounds pretty scary, right? And that's exactly what McDonnell's big Republican Party donations are buying - fear based on falsehoods. That has been their only strategy at the national level' [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2009, 5:56am EDT
  

• Curren to Bell "You hit it in the rough"

  Dickie Bell has been saying to anyone who will listen that he is a conservative and supports only fiscally responsible policies. Well, anyone who knows Bell has questions about his history of "fiscal responsibility." Today Erik Curren called him out on the issues of fiscal responsibility, prudent city management, and [...]
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  Posted: October 12, 2009, 6:41pm EDT
  

• Hope and Opportunity Tour

  More than two dozen Staunton/Augusta Democrats gathered at Carded Graphics in the Green Hills Industrial Park to be part of DPVA Chairman Richard Cranwell's "Hope and Opportunity Tour" for Creigh Deeds. The always entertaining and enlightening Cranwell used facts, wit, and a broad smile to deliver his core message - [...]
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  Posted: October 12, 2009, 5:47pm EDT
  

• When free ain't free

  You've seen the goofball singing about his woes because he failed to get his free annual credit report. Now the guy has a point - we should all monitor our credit reports on a regular basis for inaccurate or out-of-date information, for signs of identity theft, and to be aware' [...]
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  Posted: October 11, 2009, 7:57am EDT
  

• Should Elected Officials Take Pay Cuts?

  John Lesinski, Democratic candidate in the 15th House of Delegates district, has proposed that legislators' pay be suspended until the economy improves. The suggestion is part of Lesinski's Business Plan that was recently posted to his website laying out ideas for cutting government waste, creating jobs, and rebuilding' [...]
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  Posted: October 10, 2009, 7:39am EDT
  

• Bill Bolling is full of... it.

  [...]
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  Posted: October 09, 2009, 4:08pm EDT