For Tuesday: Candidates hope the voters are still hopping mad over abusive driver fees and are ready to vote against those who enacted them. Trouble is both Democrats and Republicans point the finger of shame at the other. Who's really to blame? The people who think its good public policy to pay for roads this way.
Coming Tuesday: Problems in state death penalty systems, cited in an American Bar Association report this week, are serious enough to warrant a nationwide freeze on executions.
Let's act, at last, on global warming
One of John Warner's final acts of public service can have a good impact on the world.
As he heads toward retirement, Virginia's Sen. John Warner is working with Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut on a strong bill to limit greenhouse gases in the United States. It is not the perfect bill to head off the worst effects of global warming, but unlike stronger measures, it has bipartisan support.
Read more.
Information patients need to know
Virginia should require hospitals to report infections contracted under their care. Reporting could prompt institutions to take greater care.
It is not known where or how a Bedford County teen picked up an antibiotic-resistant staph infection that killed him. So it can't be said whether better reporting of the germ in both hospitals and the community could have helped prevent Ashton Bonds from contracting the disease.
Read more.
If heaven were a month, it'd be October
Ray Stubblefield
Stubblefield, who teaches earth science at Franklin County High School, is a Roanoke Times columnist.
October has to be my favorite month. Even though we can still get a few warm spells, you know summer has definitely packed it in for another year. But it's not just the cooler temperatures that make it so pleasant; it's the lower humidity.
Read more.
Yes, Virginia, there is a king, and he is the state
Shireen Parsons
Parsons, of Christiansburg, is the Virginia Organizer for the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund.
A Washington Post article, reprinted by The Roanoke Times ("Legislators discuss fund for victims of shootings," July 30), included this little tidbit: "Even if the Virginia Tech victims allege the university was at fault for Cho's rampage, it would be difficult for them to sue the state of Virginia, which has a legal protection known as sovereign immunity. ... the concept dates to Virginia's British roots and the notion that 'kings and governments can do no wrong and cannot be sued for damages.'" This information is surely news to most Virginians, but the editorial staff of The Roanoke Times apparently thought it unworthy of explanation or discussion.
Read more.
Monday's letters can be read here.
Send Breiner to the Senate
The Democrat offers an alternative to a former Roanoke mayor whose anti-tax ideology is incompatible with sound governance.
An open seat in Virginia's sprawling 22nd Senate District is up for grabs between two newcomers for state elective office, but that doesn't mean the candidates are completely unknown. Republican Ralph Smith, who ousted incumbent Brandon Bell in their party's primary, was Roanoke's mayor from 2000 to 2004. Smith made enough waves in the heavily Democratic city that he enjoys some name recognition throughout a district that covers parts of Roanoke and Montgomery counties, Radford and all of Botetourt County.
Read more.
Fence the dog park
But keep it fee-free. This is, after all, public space.
Fencing Roanoke's dog park at Fishburn Park and adding benches, water fountains and trash bins is a fine, if overdue, idea. The half-acre dog park wasn't used as much as parks officials had hoped during its six-month trial period, which began in March. A fence likely would increase use by dog owners who might be hesitant to allow their pooches to run free in a park without enclosed boundaries.
Read more.
Three for Montgomery County
A sheriff, a supervisor and a school board member.
Voters in Montgomery County will find a crowded ballot when they vote Nov. 6. We interviewed candidates in three of the highest-profile races and recommend an incumbent, a challenger and a write-in.
Read more.
Sunday's letters can be read here.
Booze on the ballot
By Christian Trejbal
Two years ago, the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce asked voters to lift a ban on the sale of mixed-alcohol beverages in the Cloyd District. A Ruby Tuesday, leaders said, would open in Fairlawn. Cheap, chain eats would be right around the corner in no time.
The measure passed overwhelmingly, but Ruby Tuesday never came.
In House District 7, stick with Nutter
The three-term delegate has proven himself as an independent thinker and a responsible, effective legislator.
Del. Dave Nutter, R-Christiansburg, is a generally thoughtful and independent-minded conservative who has served the 7th House District well in his three terms in the Generally Assembly. Voters should send him back on Nov. 6.
Dysfunctional democracy
Poor Rep. Thomas Davis. For a minute there he actually thought there was a place for a moderate voice in today's Republican Party in Virginia.
Keeping protected income safe
Henry Woodward
Woodward is general counsel of the Legal Aid Society of Roanoke Valley, which provides legal assistance to people who can't afford to pay lawyers.
The Roanoke Times article "Federal committee eyes garnishments" (Sept. 22) and editorial "Safeguard federally protected income" (Sept. 27) highlight a tragic risk faced by people who live on Social Security disability and retirement benefits or SSI.
Read today's letters here.
For Saturday, we're writing about Rep. Tom Davis' decision not to run for U.S. Senate. Both the Republican and Democratic candidates are now set. It's sad that the parties wield such control of their candidates, giving voters no choice in who will appear on the ballot. It's sad, too, that Davis' moderate voice apparently has no place in Virginia's Republican party.
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