Letter: Strongly Opposed to Cutting Food Aid
Last week, Elizabeth Berry wrote a letter expressing concern over a bill passed by the House of Representatives that would cut food aid for nearly 3.8 million people, and asked that I oppose this legislation. I strongly oppose it. The cuts recommended by the House would eliminate free school meals for 280,000 children and aggravate an already difficult situation for many families in Virginia struggling to put food on the table. We must protect nutrition assistance programs because it’s our responsibility to ensure the neediest among us have access to food when times are hardest.
Editorial: Vote Nov. 5 or Before
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
For voters in Virginia, it is hard to overstate how important it is to go out and vote next week. All Virginia voters will see statewide races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, plus one delegate race. In addition, there are a few local races in Alexandria and Arlington, a bond question in Fairfax County and a referendum question about the housing authority in Arlington.
Column: Excuse Me, Pardon Me, Excuse Me…
If it wasn’t a coincidence, it was the next thing to being one. What it was, was the hiccups; occurring after chemotherapy infusion number one and again after chemotherapy number two. The first episode lasted only a few days and annoyed my wife, Dina, way more than it annoyed me. The first hiccuping episode was fairly constant; however it was not exhausting – and I wasn’t having any trouble sleeping because of them. Nor was I making any disturbing sounds or having any difficulty breathing – when caught in mid-hiccup, and/or eating because of the herky-jerky movements/spasms of my diaphragm. In general, it was a fairly benign effect. In the big picture, it didn’t seem particularly important that it was the hiccups I was having, so I never called my oncologist. It was the hiccups after all. It might as well have been a skinned knee. Jeez. And sure enough, within a couple of days, I was “hiccuped out.”
Comstock Wants Accountability
Delegate Comstock laid out a clear plan for ethics reforms at the McLean Citizen’s Association debate. Delegate Comstock pointed out that currently there are no substantial punishments or penalties for breaking an ethics law. In order to change the behavior of certain politicians, on both sides of the aisle, laws need to be in place to hold candidates that misuse campaign money accountable with financial or personal penalties.
Elections Matter if We Mean Business
As campaigns across Virginia make their final push to engage voters, disaffection about the election is capturing headlines and salting conversations from kitchen tables to online chats. According to news reports, many voters, especially younger voters, have tuned out or turned off the whole statewide campaign scene claiming fatigue from 2012, disgust with the negative advertising or cynicism about whether any of it really matters to them. Considering that state decisions affect so many aspects of our lives, the reaction is alarming.
Colors of Democracy
Something seems different. Actually, 59,629 things seem unusual. Why such a specific number? It is the almost exact number of registered voters in Virginia’s 34th House of Delegates district (the same district that Great Falls is a part of). And what is so precisely different about these voters? Their shifting political tendencies.
Commentary: Dollars and Sense—Stewardship of FCPS
As many have become aware, the Fairfax County School Board’s budget discussions for the 2015 fiscal year have begun early. It is unfortunate that it has taken a combination of a $140 million deficit and demonstrable efforts by FCPS’ new Superintendent Karen Garza to bring full attention of the stakeholders, including the School Board, to education policy and funding.
Editorial: Halloween Party Safety Net
Make plans for a safe celebration; SoberRide safety net for those over 21.
Halloween is now a major holiday for adults, especially young adults, and also one of the major holidays each year that involve partying with alcohol and the risks of drinking and driving.
Editorial: Don’t Let Negatives Keep You From Voting
Choices are stark; think about what principles should guide governance in Virginia for the next four years.
Every Virginia voter will have the option to cast a ballot for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and their member of the Virginia House of Delegates. While much of the coverage and advertising at the top of the ticket has been negative in the extreme, it will still matter who is governor. Don’t turn up your nose, hold your nose if necessary, and go vote. You can vote on Nov. 5; most likely you can vote before that.
The Issue of the Hour
Climate change is the issue of the hour and climbing. Not many people may find this connection, but as we have been discussing in my environmental security course, climate change and the associated environmental degradation problems are a risk to national security.
Unanswered Questions
To the Editor: The debate between the candidates for the 34th District House of Delegates was canceled Tuesday night, Oct. 8. I have seen the various explanations provided by the host, Great Falls Citizens Association, as well as comments that have been posted online which contain statements that clearly are not true. I am a volunteer with the Concerned Citizens Against Gun Violence and was there on Tuesday.
Editorial: Get a Flu Shot, Register to Vote
Getting a flu shot has never been easier.
Why Churchill Road II
To the Editor: After reading Gina Manning’s letter to the editor in the Sept. 25 edition [“Why Churchill Road?”], I am prompted to express my appreciation for the Connection’s coverage of Churchill Road Elementary School and other area schools. In an era when newspapers are working with reduced staffs and resources, we are fortunate to receive a weekly newspaper that features local news including updates of our area schools.
The Issue of the Hour
Climate change is the issue of the hour and climbing. Not many people may find this connection, but as we have been discussing in my environmental security course, climate change and the associated environmental degradation problems are a risk to national security.
Intimidation at the McLean Farmers Market
To the Editor: An ugly scene disrupted the usual tranquility of the McLean Farmers Market last Friday. As market-goers know, the Republican and Democrat parties have tables where people can pick up campaign literature, bumper stickers, yard signs and information about voting and registration. Or, they can just stop and talk, if they want.