March 31, 2008O'Connor speaks about the rules of war; Congress should listenFor Tuesday: The nation, and especially Congress, should sit up and take note of retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's warning last week that the government is failing U.S. military and intelligence forces by leaving vague what rules apply in an asymmetrical war. Golf and politics
Golf Digest has released its annual list of the 200 best political golfers in Washington. The handicap rankings reveal some interesting things.
(photo from warner.senate.gov) In-state tuition for the resident children of illegal residentsHere's the situation. Anton was born in Virginia. He was raised in Virginia. He went to school in Virginia. He's a U.S. by birth and a resident of the commonwealth. Now he wants to go to one of the state's fine public universities. Unfortunately, his Russian parents overstayed their visas and are now in the commonwealth and the country illegally. Because Anton still lives with his parents, he isn't entitled to in-state tuition without jumping through hoops and proving that he's a legal resident. That, at least, is the opinion of Attorney General Bob McDonnell's office. It all comes down to the laws of domicile. The ACLU of Virginia says it will file suit on behalf of any students denied in-state tuition under such circumstances. In this case, both sides have good arguments. The AG's office reads the law correctly. And the ACLU is right to be outraged that a citizen of Virginia might not get the tuition rates to which he is entitled. The problem is a bum domicile and residency law that attaches students' standing too closely to parents. It causes problems in other areas, including student voter registration. Discuss Monday's editorialsMental health system still needs attention One council seat isn't the only race in town Discuss Monday's commentary and lettersA not-so-typical Friday How Wall Street crashed on Main Street Read Monday's letters here. March 30, 2008Radmacher and Trejbal columnsDan and I wrote no columns this week and will likely not write them for the next two or three Sundays because it's election season on the editorial page. We're interviewing dozens of candidates for local offices. I think more than 60 overall and more than two dozen in the New River Valley alone. Making time even tighter, we have people out of town in upcoming weeks -- Hello, San Diego! Look for our endorsements in the weeks leading up to the election. When those start appearing, our columns should also. Discuss Sunday's editorialsLessons from the Center Downtown Roanoke's Center in the Square is due for a sprucing up. The rough outline of a plan it made public Thursday looks a lot different than Roanokers might have expected last spring when word leaked that the landmark Weiner Stand and some market stalls might be uprooted. A firestorm of criticism ensued, and Center officials incorporated the feedback into the renovation plan they are ready to introduce. The city's public officials ought to be able to take a lesson from that model -- since they were critical in developing it. Don't let states opt out of treaties Last week's Supreme Court decision that Texas may ignore international treaties came as a surprise. The majority of the court that supported it typically preaches a strict, literal reading of the Constitution. Yet it is the law, now, and the nation must adapt to it. Fortunately, Congress can undo the damage. NRV Current Editorial Blacksburg needs a higher meals tax No one enjoys paying a hefty meals tax in Blacksburg, but it is a smart means to ensure visitors help fund essential local services. Now if only Virginia Tech would have campus diners chip in. Town leaders propose increasing the local meals tax from 5 percent to 6 percent, the same rate Christiansburg charges. Combined with the statewide 5 percent rate, diners at Ceritano's and other eateries could pay 11 cents for every dollar an entrée costs on the menu. Discuss the New River ForumOld middle school stands on precious ground They sold the vacant, old junior high in my New York suburban hometown. Land was precious. Government officials needed dollars fast to repair the newer junior high, whose foundation cracked because it was built on shifting ground, and as a stopgap to put off raising taxes. No classrooms were needed that year. Read today's letter here. Discuss Sunday's local commentaryClinton's strategy engages divisiveness Sen. Hillary Clinton's kitchen-sink strategy -- an updated version of the Nixon/Atwater/Rove Southern Strategy -- was designed to undermine the public's confidence in her rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Barack Obama. This strategy represents the epitome of the politics of divisiveness. While the older version of the Southern Strategy sought only to use race as a wedge issue, Clinton has added a second poisonous arrow to her quiver -- the whispering campaign that Obama is a Muslim. Read today's letters here. March 29, 2008Discuss Saturday's editorialsShort takes Discuss Saturday's commentary and lettersVa. can look to coal, or to a clean-energy future Read Saturday's letters here. March 28, 2008Agreement from on highIn case you wondered, Jerry Fuhrman at From On High doesn't always disagree with us Not always, but usually. Discuss Friday's editorialsCutler for the Roanoke council appointment Nonprofit agencies can't live on pork Discuss Friday's commentary and lettersVirginia's prison gravy train From anger to hope: thoughts on the Rev. Wright Read Friday's letters here. Make sure you register to voteRoanoke City Council will appoint a member to join them for the next two years. For legal reasons, council and not voters get this pick. Don't forget there is a race for mayor and council going on. If you want a say, and you're not registered to vote, the deadline is quickly approaching. March 27, 2008What your phone company can disclose about youThere's a new Congressional Research Service report out explaining the federal laws that govern what a phone company can disclose from its customer records. Of course, if they have immunity from civil suits, they can tell the Bush administration anything. Roanoke might take a lesson from Center in the SquareFor Sunday: Downtown's Center in the Square is due for a sprucing up. The rough outline of a plan that it made public today looks a lot different than Roanokers might have expected last spring, when word leaked that the landmark Weiner Stand and some market stalls might be uprooted. A firestorm of criticism ensued, and Center officials incorporated the feedback into the renovation plan they are ready to introduce. The city's public officials could take a lesson from that model. How bad has the administration mismanaged its wars?
(Photo: Miam-Dade Police Department - oh, yeah, did I mention the guy was charged with assault and a woman sought a order of protection against him?) Our choice for Roanoke's vacant seatFor Friday: Roanoke City Council selected four fine applicants from which to select a council member to replace Alfred Dowe. One applicant stands out as the best choice. Blacksburg's meal taxFor our Sunday NRV Current editorial, we're writing about Blacksburg's meal tax. They should raise it to 6 percent. And Tech should work with the town to collect it on campus. Pulaski town endorsementsWe've started our endorsement interviews. The actual endorsement editorials won't start appearing for a few weeks because there are dozens of candidates to talk to. Tomorrow (Friday) we'll speak with a batch of candidates for the Pulaski mayor and town council. What would you like us to ask them about? Oh, there's a meeting tonight on the Montgomery County budgetI just received this e-mail from Montgomery County. From: Montgomery County Email Lists Here is the agenda for Public Hearing on the FY 2008-2009 Proposed Budget and Advertised Real Estate Tax Rate scheduled for March 27, 2008 at 7:15 p.m. The public hearing will be held at the Montgomery County Government Center, 2nd Floor Board Room, 755 Roanoke Street, Christiansburg. Vickie Swinney, CMC A few weeks ago, I wrote about the weak commitment to open government in the NRV. In that piece, I mentioned that officials often don't send out agendas in a timely manner. Montgomery County isn't the worst offender usually, but 10 hours notice for what is sure to be a contentious meeting? Come on, they can do better than that. The young don't just read news, they pass it onThe New York Times has an interesting story about young news readers, and how they serve as both consumers and conduits of interesting stories: According to interviews and recent surveys, younger voters tend to be not just consumers of news and current events but conduits as well — sending out e-mailed links and videos to friends and their social networks. And in turn, they rely on friends and online connections for news to come to them. In essence, they are replacing the professional filter — reading The Washington Post, clicking on CNN.com — with a social one. Flood insurance vs. health careJerry at From On High seems to think he caught us in a contradiction: Yesterday the Roanoke Times demanded a universal health care program. I don't see the contradiction. Part of the problem with a universal flood program is that it makes all taxpayers assume the risk for the unwise choices of a few who decide building in flood-prone areas is wise. By offering premiums far below what is actuarially necessary, it also encourages that unwise behavior. Eventually, wise or unwise, we all need health care. And, far from encouraging unwise behavior, a universal health care program would encourage wise behavior, since those with insurance are more likely to seek life- and money-saving preventive care. Discuss Thursday's editorialsComing to terms with April 16 Discuss Thursday's commentaryHome schooling in jeopardy The audacity to offer hope An ill-defined commission and objective Read Thursday's letters here. March 26, 2008Texas needn't follow America's treatiesFor later in the week, we are writing about a U.S. Supreme Court decision that found states need not obey treaties unless there is clear enacting legislation. We'll urge Congress to do some enacting immediately. The case dealt with Texas inmates on death row who were Mexican citizens but denied access to the consulate. Anonymous speech onlineAn interesting article looking at blogs and online posts from a legal perspective. Should bloggers and other online material incorporate more accountability? What about in light of the controversy over the gossip website juicycampus.com? What's happening in IraqFrom Talking Points Memo, here's a good rundown of the escalating chaos in Iraq. Roanoke police maintain silent treatmentFor Thursday: A Roanoke cop drives a police cruiser to another county and wrecks it while drunk. He's no longer on the force, but the city refuses to say whether he resigned or was fired. Worse, police won't say whether the officer will pay for the damage. Virginia is doing the right thing in seeking a settlement in Virginia Tech shootingsFor Thursday: Only one person is responsible for the Virginia Tech shootings last April 16: Seung-Hui Cho, the shooter, and he is dead. Still, Virginia is wise to seek a settlement with bereaved families and injured survivors rather than risk lawsuits that might cost taxpayers far more. Discuss Wednesday's editorialsA necessary discussion for cities and counties Shifting hurricane risk to taxpayers Discuss Wednesday's commentaryWe've forgotten 26,000 dead American soldiers Read Wednesday's letters here. March 25, 2008Stranded air passengers loseA federal appeals court struck a New York law that required airlines to provide basic services to travelers stranded on the ground. The decision was probably right. The federal government control air travel, not the state of New York. That said, keep in mind what the airlines were fighting for by challenging the law. They demanded to right not to provide passengers with access to food, water and clean toilets when stranded. Is it any wonder that air travel has lost its allure? Discuss Tuesday's editorialsHealth care for all Americans |
