Hurt pledges to defund health-care reform: Good politics, but is it good policy?

Chris Graham

Robert Hurt’s move to sign the DeFundIt.org pledge to pull funding from the health-care reform measure passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama in March is good politics. It’s probably also bad policy, but you could say that policy is the province of those who are good at politics first. “By signing…

City looks for help in collecting unpaid taxes

Chris Graham

Governments are running on ever-tight budgets. Keep that in mind when you consider this number: $1.8 million. Delinquent motor-vehicle taxes in Waynesboro in a four-year period prior to fiscal-year 2011 totaled more than $1.8 million. The roughly $450,000 a year that has gone uncollected is equivalent to about 1 percent of what the city spends…

David Toscano: Inside the surplus

AFP

It is always better to have a surplus than have a deficit. Consequently, Governor McDonnell and many Virginians recently celebrated the fact that the Commonwealth will have a surplus at the end of the fiscal year. After all, who would not want a surplus? If we balance our family checkbook at the end of the…

Tickets on sale for Hairspray

AFP

ShenanArts will be hosting the Virginia premiere of the recent Broadway hit musical Hairspray beginning Aug. 12. The local production, based on the film written and directed by John Waters, is being directed by one-time “American Idol” contestant Colon Berry, who also co-stars as Link Larkin, the resident hunk of “The Corny Collins Show.” The…

What does early Perriello money lead mean for November?

Chris Graham

You look at the money race in the Fifth District, and it’s no race at all, really. Democrat Tom Perriello has $1.7 million in cash on hand while his Republican opponent, Robert Hurt, has $212,000, according to reports filed by the respective campaigns with the Federal Election Commission. Those numbers are bound to change between…

David Reynolds: So long for awhile, that’s all the songs for a while

David Reynolds

Column by David Reynolds Submit guest columns: [email protected]   So long for a while. That’s all the songs for a while. So closed the old “Your Hit Parade” radio show every Saturday night. This might also be a good way to say that until its proprietor and the weather cools off, this marketplace of ideas…

Sanford D. Horn: Voting no-confidence in government

AFP

Column by Sanford D. Horn Submit guest columns: [email protected]   Here’s a shocking revelation: government, regardless of the party in power, does not create jobs. Confidence in government, however, is a driving force in job creation by the private sector. Giving government unfettered freedom to run roughshod over our Creator-endowed rights – that hinders job…

Dukes extend contract for McFarland

Chris Graham

Edited by Chris Graham [email protected]   James Madison baseball head coach Spanky McFarland has received a contract extension through the 2014 season, it was announced Thursday by director of athletics Jeff Bourne. McFarland was named the CAA Co-Coach of the Year after leading the Diamond Dukes to a 30-23 overall mark in 2010. JMU went…