For Monday: No life was lost when a gunman appeared on Ferrum College's campus, and for that everyone is grateful. The response and ensuing lock down afford the college an opportunity to dissect a real, rather than simulated, tragedy to determine the effectiveness of procedures.
For Monday: With more than 1 in 100 people in the United States behind bars, America has the shameful distinction of having the highest rate of incarceration in the world. A newly released study by the Pew Center on the States http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/uploadedFiles/One%20in%20100.pdf
found the prison population grew last year, as it has every year since 1987. Virginia's 5 percent rate of growth exceeded the national average of 1.6 percent.
With its more than 38,500 prisoners to support and guard -- the figure for Virginia as of the first of this year -- the Old Dominion needs to use every tool it has to keep corrections costs in line. Fortunately, the state has experience at this sort of thing. When the Allen administration abolished parole in the mid-1990s, it overhauled the sentencing system for nonviolent offenders.
Judges can divert a lot of low-risk offenders from prisons and jails with alternative sentences. But even in tight budget times -- especially in tight budget times -- the state needs to do more to keep people who present little danger to society out of jail, and on a path to productive citizenship.
For tomorrow, we'll write about the Virginia Supreme Court's decision striking down the creation of a regional transportation authority to collect taxes for transportation as unconstitutional. This decision will blow a huge new hole in the state transportation budget.
An unfortunate way to fill a council seat
Roanoke voters can't pick a replacement for a resigned councilman's post. But they should be invited to participate.
Alfred Dowe resigned his Roanoke City Council post with more than two years remaining on his four-year term. Roanoke plans to hold an election on May 6 to select a mayor and three council members. Logically, it would follow that voters could pick Dowe's replacement then. But logic doesn't rule. State law -- flawed as it is -- controls the timing.
Read more.
Budget politics and scams
A newly Democratic, but more sharply partisan, state Senate faces dangerous budget waters.
Virginians looking for signs of whether the retirements last year of veteran Republican moderates from the state Senate would push the GOP, now the chamber's minority, to the right ideologically need look no further. Republicans sealed the shift Wednesday when, joined by one Democrat, they voted as a bloc for a budget amendment to eliminate money for women's health care that the state funnels through Planned Parenthood -- and prevailed.
Read more.
What do you want to talk about today?
Cuba and Israel have been foreign policy failures
John Freivalds
Freivalds runs an international marketing communications firm in Lexington.
Fidel Castro's recent resignation from the Cuban presidency brought to light two longstanding domestic policy issues: total rejection of Cuba and total support of Israel. Each has gone on almost as long with disastrous consequences for the United States.
Read more.
Read Friday's letters here.
For Friday: Virginians looking for signs of whether the retirements last year of veteran Republican moderates from the state Senate would push the GOP, now the chamber's minority, to the right ideologically need look no further. Republicans made that apparent Wednesday when, joined by one Democrat, they voted as a bloc to eliminate state money for women's health care that is funneled through Planned Parenthood.
For Friday: A judge ruled that state law will prevent voters from picking a citizen to fill a vacancy on Roanoke City Council. This is unfortunate, and will require the mayor and council to make an appointment in the most open and welcoming manner. And the city's state delegation should seek a change to state law.
For our Sunday NRV Current editorial we are writing about the bridge that would carry the Huckleberry trail across Virginia 114 in Christiansburg. It will be a welcome addition to one of the recreational gems of the New River Valley. The town, however, should seriously investigate costs associate with sprucing it up beyond the bare-bones structure. This could be an attractive, signature edifice in a busy part of town.
The little train museum that hasn't
The Virginia Museum of Transportation is heading the way of abandoned lines. The nonprofit board needs to steer a different course.
A graveyard for forgotten railcars -- that could be the fate of The Virginia Museum of Transportation, if its board fails to capture the imagination, enthusiasm and cash from more than parents of tiny tots and old railroaders.
Read more.
Daisy chain decisions
Roanoke's mayor needs to learn that communication is a two-way street.
Mayor Nelson Harris chatted privately with his buddies on city council and decided it's a bad idea to turn one-way Church Avenue into a two-way street. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. No one will ever know now, because Harris has cut off debate.
Read more.
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