Stinging rebuke to local GOP lawmakers

Chris Graham

How about that ringing endorsement of 25th District Republican Del. Steve Landes’ effort to inject partisan politics into the special session of the Virginia General Assembly on Wednesday? The Republican-majority House of Delegates voted 82-7 to limit the legislation to come before the session to the matter at hand cited by Gov. Tim Kaine in…

Kaine details budget shortfall

Chris Graham

It’s official – the state is enduring another budget shortfall. “I directed executive agencies in July to prepare budget reduction plans at the 5, 10 and 15 percent levels so that we can make decisions promptly. I began review of these plans last month and will be prepared to announce and implement decisions in early…

Nan Russell | Everyday actions

AFP

Enthralled with the majestic surroundings on a recent Washington, D.C., trip, I was inhaling the experience as my husband, Dan, and I walked to a lunch destination a few blocks from the White House. A flawless weather day, the outdoor cafes were thriving with suited men and women. 

Stimulus monies to help pay for solar panels

AFP

An $80 million grant from the federal stimulus will fund improvements to wastewater-treatment plants across the Commonwealth, including here in the Valley. Augusta County will get $364,964 to go toward the installation of solar panels at wastewater-treatment plant pump stations across the county, according to the office of Gov. Tim Kaine, who on Tuesday accepted…

Hopewell puts his foot down

Chris Graham

Ben Hopewell isn’t even listed on the JMU roster, but the “kid from Waynesboro” has the attention of Dukes’ coach Mickey Matthews as Hopewell has landed in a battle for the starting placekicking job as a true freshman. “He’s really putting some pressure on Dixon. We like the guy. He’s really got a chance,” Matthews…

Health-care reform and the ’09 elections

Chris Graham

You tell a tea-partier that a key element of health-care reform is reducing overhead costs, and they counter that the overhead costs of private insurers include spending money to investigate allegations of fraud and abuse of the system and collecting on delinquent accounts and that sort of thing. I mention this to Greg Marrow, the…

Don’t call it a comeback

Chris Graham

“Which one of your candidates is the one that fired his campaign manager?” I happened to be standing at the Staunton-Augusta Democratic Party booth at the Augusta County Fair last week when that question was directed at a volunteer. The reference was to a report from University of Virginia politics professor Larry Sabato from earlier…