81: Wait and see
Special Report by Chris Graham
freepress2@ntelos.net
You might remember all the hubbub over what they were planning to do with Interstate 81. They were going to pave over the Valley! That was what people were saying, anyway, looking at the monstrosities of plans that we knew as the Star Solutions proposal and the Fluor proposal, not to mention what the Virginia Department of Transportation itself seemed to have in the works.
People came out in record numbers to public hearings up and down the Valley and Southwest Virginia to let officialdom know what they thought of the plans. The basic message: Thanks, but no thanks.
But there was also some ambivalence to our stand. After all, not many of us like having to deal with the truck congestion on 81, which is carrying twice the capacity of trucks that it was designed for – and considering the design flaws that any non-engineer can see with the long hills and windy curves that we’re somehow supposed to navigate to get to Roanoke or Harrisonburg or Winchester or Bristol, well, that’s saying something.
Those of us who had the time to give the issue some thought wanted to see the state look more at rail, which is to say, we wanted them to actually look at rail, as opposed to making it look like they were when we knew from reading their reports that they really weren’t. They eventually did, and released a report a few weeks ago on how increased rail capacity in Western Virginia could impact congestion on I-81.
Kudos also go out to the technocrats and their friends in the policy realm for getting to work on a new rail line connecting Manassas to Front Royal that will take some of the pressure off 81.
So we sort of got what we wanted on rail, and also sort of got what we wanted on the paving-over-of-the-Valley, because we’re now in the second decade of the 21st century, and the Valley hasn’t yet been paved over, and looking at the state’s finances, and multiple transportation-funding priorities, it’s not going to happen anytime soon, and anytime soon could be, 20 years, 30 years?
Which isn’t to say that there aren’t still issues with congestion that will need to be dealt with.
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Republicans sweep local House races
Not much to say about the four contested House of Delegates races in the AFP reader area. The Democrats got pantsed.
Jeff Price’s 28.8 percent showing in his 24th District challenge to Republican Ben Cline was actually the best showing of the four, if you can believe that. And Price wasn’t even able to get what a Green Party candidate, Eric Sheffield, was able to do in 2005 in the 24th against Cline.
Erik Curren got 28.3 percent of the vote against Staunton City Councilman Dickie Bell in the 20th District, even falling short in Staunton by 59.8 percent-to-40.8 percent margin. To put the defeat in Staunton in perspective, Barack Obama won the Queen City last fall. Read more
Chris Graham | Where I am on local elections
I explained in a column today on our new sister website, VirginiaPoliticsToday.com, how much I loathe making endorsements.
That said, I get it that some of our readers are at the least interested in knowing where I am on local elections, assuming that since I do news and analysis for a living I might have some insights into what’s going on.
So … here goes. Read more
David Cox | The sad state we’re in
On Tuesday Virginians go to the polls for statewide and delegate races, never having heard what a serious mess we’re in.
Admittedly, I didn’t realize how bad things are until attending a conference for local officials last week. The data are grim. Though the information has been out for a long time, certainly for someone running for, say, governor, this clear and present crisis has gotten little or no mention in the present campaign, especially from those running on the level where it most matters–the statewide offices. Read more
GOP, for the most part, dominating local House money races
26th District Democrat Gene Hart is giving Republican incumbent Matt Lohr a run for his re-election money, literally. Aside from Hart, though, Democratic candidates contending for seats representing the Central Shenandoah Valley in Richmond are struggling to keep pace with their Republican counterparts.
Hart actually outraised Lohr in the Sept. 1-30 reporting period, according to reports both filed with the State Board of Elections this week. Hart took in $9,974.04 in the month of September, while Lohr raised $4,040 in the period.
Of Lohr’s total, $1,500 came from political action committees – the Altria Corporate Services PAC, the Virginia Coal Association PAC and the Virginia Hospital Association PAC. Hart did not receive any PAC monies in the period. Read more
David Reynolds | Jeff vs. Ben
This is just a wild guess on my part. But I believe that Ben Cline was an outstanding wrestler in college. How else can you explain that no one has ever been able to pin him down? I know I have not.
Following Bates College, Virginia’s 24th District delegate earned a law degree from the University of Richmond. However, most importantly, Ben Cline continues to attend the Goodlatte Institute for Advanced Conservative Studies, where he is known as Bob Lite. Read more
What should it do?
Posted by afp on January 20, 2010 · 1 Comment
Column by David Reynolds
Submit guest columns: freepress2@ntelos.net
What should government do? And are we willing to pay for what it does? Or do we prefer to use our grandkids’ weekly allowance?
Please be consistent and logical, as the Greeks taught us. Those ancient Greeks were smart. They advanced civilization. But they might not make it in today’s America. Still, I will go along with them. After all, the Greeks thought of government as a fee for service operation, that whatever government wishes to do, it – meaning we – should pay the bill. Read more
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