David Cox | Fighting fires and unemployment

David Cox

Imagine this: Fire breaks out in your next-door neighbor’s house. It endangers yours. Fortunately our faithful fire departments respond quickly. Unfortunately—this would never happen here, but remember, we’re imagining—one of the squads needs to use your hose. The squad has the water; all they need, urgently, is your hose.

In the News

Chris Graham

– Local News: Swine flu cases confirmed in Lexington, posted Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – Event: Art collection will help create healing environment, posted Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – Local News: DCCU announces scholarship winners, posted Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – Capitol Hill: Perriello-sponsored protections for consumers facing excessive credit fees pass House, posted Friday, 9:10 a.m. –…

Kent Willis | Virginia Fusion Center’s assessment of terrorist threat begs for assessment of Fusion Center

Chris Graham

Recently an alarming document titled 2009 Virginia Terrorism Threat Assessment appeared on the Internet. Produced by the Virginia Fusion Center, it is chocked full of assertions about terrorist activities in the state that will leave readers trembling with fear (if they believe it) or infuriated by governmental incompetence and prejudice (if they don’t believe it).

Desperate times call for desperate measures

Chris Graham

You don’t have to win the national championship every week, football coach Lou Holtz says. You only have to be the best team in the stadium on Saturday. Terry McAuliffe is clinging to that right now. The same SurveyUSA poll that Creigh Deeds’ campaign manager is citing as evidence that the Bath County state senator…

In the News

Chris Graham

– Capitol Hill: Warner introduces bipartisan legislation aimed at increasing TARP transparency, posted Tuesday, 4 p.m. – Capitol Hill: Webb backs Senate measure aimed at strengthening government oversight in mortgage, corporate fraud cases, posted Tuesday, 4 p.m. – State News: Kaine signs agreement with Germany on climate change, posted Tuesday, 4 p.m. – State News:…

In the News

Chris Graham

– State News: Governor prepares Virginia for swine flu, posted Monday, 9 p.m. – State News: Ordinance banning panhandlers pulled off table in Richmond, posted Monday, 9 p.m. – Event: Yoga, human rights focus of one-woman show in Charlottesville, posted Monday, 11 a.m. – Event: Friday Night Lights in Downtown Lexington this week, posted Monday,…

Greg Marrow | Facts and figures on unemployment

Chris Graham

Recently I read in the News Leader an attempt by Del. Steve Landes to explain away his rejection of the $125 million in federal stimulus money dedicated to unemployment insurance. Early on in his commentary Del. Landes states, “This would have been a permanent change to unemployment benefits.” As Steve Landes and everyone else in…

‘Liberal media’ sides with GOP … again

Chris Graham

The local “liberal media” at the News Leader is at it again, this time giving column space to local Republican legislators Chris Saxman, Ben Cline and Steve Landes to defend themselves from the controversy over their nonsensical party-line vote blocking the receipt of federal stimulus money to expand unemployment benefits for the tens of thousands…