Trying to make sense of the ’09 Dem governor’s race

Chris Graham

The race for the Democratic Party nomination to run for governor has come to look an awful lot like the race for the Dem nomination to run for the White House that resulted in Barack Obama’s historic victory in November. It started early – when Valley native son Creigh Deeds declared his candidacy for the…

Is there a plan post-Commonwealth Center? Of course there isn’t

Chris Graham

The state is closing the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents as part of a strategy to shift mental-health care for children to the private sector and local community services boards. OK. Except that the closing is the result of the state budget shortfall. Got it. I think we have our real motivation right there.

Smoke-free Virginia?

Chris Graham

Whaddya think about being able to go into a restaurant and not having to deal with the contradiction in terms that is a no-smoking section? “The scientific evidence about the health risks associated with exposure to secondhand smoke remains clear and convincing,” said Gov. Tim Kaine, who announced yesterday his support for legislation that would…

Finally, early voting in Virginia?

Contributors

Gov. Tim Kaine is backing legislation that would allow for no-excuse, in-person absentee voting in Virginia. Patroned by State Sen. Janet Howell, D-Reston, and State Del. Rosalyn Dance, D-Petersburg, the legislation, styled SB 810, would allow Virginia voters to cast absentee ballots in person at their local registrar’s office during the 45-day absentee voting period…

Agenda Update

Chris Graham

AFP editor Chris Graham will be a guest on WINA-1070AM’s “Charlottesville-Right Now!” with Coy Barefoot today at 4:15 p.m. Chris and Coy will be talking about the news that Tim Kaine will be taking over the Democratic National Committee, the announcement from Terry McAuliffe regarding his run for the 2009 Democratic Party gubernatorial nomination and, switching…

Roads fix on the backburner again

Chris Graham

Looking back on it, wouldn’t it have made sense to have started doing something about our transportation-infrastructure limitations, I don’t know, maybe a few years ago when the economy was relatively purring and the dollars were available to address the traffic jams in NoVa and Hampton Roads and the clogged arteries inhibiting commerce statewide?