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Virginia's illegal immigrant blues
The Old Dominion should take care that Congress' failure to reform immigration laws doesn't produce bad state policy, too.
Gov. Tim Kaine railed last week that there is "real bankruptcy at the federal level" on immigration policy, and he's right. Read here.

Tax penalties have lost their bite
Thanks to inflation, fines against tax cheats provide little disincentive these days.

Few people enjoy paying taxes, but they do it. Some pay their taxes because they recognize that it is for the national good. Others pay because the law requires it. Then there are the people who don't pay or willfully break the law to avoid paying everything they owe. Read here.

Blacksburg goes its own way
Other localities should follow the town's lead on road construction.
Blacksburg seceded from the Virginia Department of Transportation last week. Other localities should do the same. Read here.

Talking point
"The defense authorization is about dealing with the challenges of terrorism overseas. ... This [bill] is about terrorism in our neighborhood."

--Sen. Edward Kennedy, explaining how the Senate, on a voice vote last week, could attach hate-crimes legislation to help states prosecute attacks on homosexuals to a bill funding the war in Iraq.