House GOP Caucus talks jobs, economic development

AFP

On Monday the House Republican Caucus held its first weekly Policy Work Group press conference, highlighting various job creation and economic development initiatives. Following the press conference, the Policy Work Group issued the following statement: “We were excited to host our first weekly Policy Work Group press conference this morning,” said Del. Chris Peace (R-Hanover)…

McDonnell announces initiative to eliminate state mandates on localities

Chris Graham

Gov. Bob McDonnell, joined by members of the Governor’s Task Force for Local Government Mandate Review, today announced specific legislation to eliminate burdensome state mandates on localities. Today’s announcement is part of a continuing effort to reduce burdensome state mandates on localities. In September 2011, McDonnell announced the creation of the Governor’s Task Force for…

Creigh Deeds: General Assembly Report

Creigh Deeds

The 2012 Session of the General Assembly got off to an inauspicious start. Precedent was ignored and the 60 day session began under the shadow of a lawsuit. A brief explanation: Twice before, houses of the Virginia General Assembly have been evenly divided. In 1996 the Senate was divided, 20 Democrats and 20 Republicans. In…

Two announce candidacies for Waynesboro School Board

Chris Graham

Doug Norcross and Dr. Melinda Ferguson announced their candidacies to run for re-election to the Waynesboro School Board in the May 2012 election. Norcross, who represents Ward A on the Board, and his wife, Sue, are active citizens of Waynesboro and are now enjoying retirement. Norcross has three children. He lost his son Kevin to…

Kaine: Deficits do matter

AFP

Tim Kaine didn’t run for governor in 2005 promising to cut the state budget to the bone, but that’s pretty much what he had to do as the state faced down the recession a year into his term. The key lesson that he learned: You can’t do across-the-board cuts. “Everything isn’t worth everything else,” said…

Kaine addresses economic issues

AFP

Tim Kaine has been taking some heat from political rival George Allen over his support for the economic-stimulus package that President Barack Obama championed as a cornerstone to an economic recovery. Funny thing, to the Democrat Kaine – the stimulus package that the Republican Allen has criticized played a key role in the decision of…

Local attorney announces run for School Board

Chris Graham

Attorney Linda Schorsch Jones has announced that she will run for the At-Large seat on the Waynesboro School Board in the May 1 general election. A long-time Waynesboro resident, Jones graduated from Stuarts Draft High School in 1982 and from the University of Virginia in 1986, earning a bachelor of arts degree with honors in…

David Reynolds: Poverty-A moving target

David Reynolds

Why does society’s well intended aim keeps missing the poverty mark? Because folks move in and out of poverty far more than we realize. Yet, whenever we hear the word “poverty” we picture a permanent underclass, a group of victims with a crippling disease. So we crank up our personal quilt machine and donate time…

Poll: Virginians support increased funding for public K-12

AFP

Virginians remain strongly supportive of funding for public schools and oppose test-based teacher pay, according to a new statewide survey conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University. The VCU Commonwealth Education Poll finds six?in-10 Virginians (60 percent) say that Virginia schools do not have enough funds to meet their needs, while 29 percent say schools have enough…