
Bob Goodlatte: It’s time to repeal this train wreck
The health care law is a “train wreck.” Or at least that’s how Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) referred to it recently. It’s very telling when one of the chief architects of the law makes that statement.

The health care law is a “train wreck.” Or at least that’s how Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) referred to it recently. It’s very telling when one of the chief architects of the law makes that statement.

I have always maintained that the poor in Northern Virginia are worse off than others living in less affluent parts of the state because the cost of living is higher in this region. The difference can be seen most clearly in the cost of housing; and there have been many notable efforts on the part of local governments to increase the stock of workforce, affordable housing. The traffic coming into Northern Virginia from the west and south is made up largely of people who cannot afford housing in the area.

Free prescription card distributed by United Way could help even more people if they knew how easy it is to get and use one. United Way of Greater Augusta and the FamilyWize Community Service Partnership have teamed up to make prescriptions more affordable for those without insurance or even those who have insurance that doesn’t cover the medicine.

Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe met with women from the business and health care community in Norfolk on Thursday to discuss ways to improve women’s access to quality health care in Hampton Roads and across the Commonwealth.

Augusta Health has made an offer to purchase the Berrang GM Cadillac dealership at 201 Lew Dewitt Boulevard in Waynesboro. The property is under contract, and closing is expected to occur within 30 days.

As the 2013 General Assembly session draws to a close, the overwhelming majority of Gov. Bob McDonnell’s 2013 legislative agenda passed with strong bipartisan support, leading to the passage of the first sustainable and long-term transportation funding and reform package in 27 years, and sweeping K-12 education reforms. The House of Delegates and Senate of Virginia approved 88 percent of the amended bills the governor sent down.

The migration of women from the workforce into business ownership is one of the great economic realizations of the American Dream. The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce has grown to more than 500,000 members. Most of our members are small business owners. And we aren’t opposing an increase in the minimum wage – we’re supporting it.

In January 2011, I featured Social Media in this column. I reread it the other day and thought, “Wow, how things have changed in two years.” At that point in time I mentioned cell phones and laptops, and used the word “perhaps” in conjunction with smart phone and tablet use on the farm. For Social Media, I limited the discussion to Facebook, Twitter and blogs and only referred to “applications” once. I noticed that I wrote applications, not apps.

The House of Delegates voted 74-22 on Thursday to pass an amended state budget that fails to expand Medicaid, while the State Senate in a separate 36-4 vote approved an amendment to the budget that expands Medicaid to more than 400,000 poor Virginians.

The definition of “energy independence” is evolving. Up to recently, it has meant the U.S. producing enough of our own oil so that we were not dependent on other nations for our energy needs. But now we’re in a world of oil interdependence. Oil markets know no national allegiance. Globalization and profit motive are altering a once patriotic concept into this: Producing enough oil and gas so that we export more to our trading partners than we import. While this new energy independence framework may help some companies’ profits, it stands to hurt many Americans’ pocketbooks, water supply, and overall health.
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