By Brad Swanson: Ricardo Alfaro is a man on a mission. As the newly elected president of the Latino Democratic Caucus in Virginia, he has crafted an ambitious workplan to expand the group’s reach and counter the rising tide of fear engulfing the Latino community in the Trump era. “No one should feel unsafe going to school or grocery shopping…
By Richard Cramond: The top personal concern for Fairfax County senior Democrats is healthcare, with environment number two, according to a survey by the Senior Affairs/Advocacy Committee of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee (FCDC). The survey in July went to almost 1,000 FCDC members aged 50 or more, of whom about 1/3 responded. Health care was overwhelmingly selected as top…
By Dalia Palchik: As a first-generation immigrant, I know first-hand how hard it can be for a working family to access critical preventive care. And as a Fairfax County School Board member, I know the importance of affordable healthcare to a child’s development. That is why I am so encouraged by the recent vote of our Virginia General Assembly to…
By Brad Swanson: Almost 400,000 Virginians will gain medical care after the state legislature voted late Wednesday to expand the federal healthcare program Medicaid. The federal government will pick up at least 90% of the cost, estimated at about $2 billion annually. The decision caps a five-year campaign by Democratic legislators, and marks a big win for Gov. Ralph Northam,…
Each week until the Va-10 congressional district Democratic Party primary election on June 12, The Blue View will ask all six candidates to respond to a key question on an important issue in 100 words or less. This week’s question: How should Congress, with you as a member, respond to the opioid crisis? Answers below from candidates, in alphabetical order: Forty percent of opioid…
By Susan Laume: A letter sent in 2014 by a child desperately seeking relief for her pain spurred Virginia State Sen. Dave Marsden (D-37th District) to act. The compassion he felt for that child’s suffering from intractable epilepsy started the senator on his four-year journey to assist those in extreme pain. In 2015, Marsden first sponsored a bill that allowed…
Each week until the Va-10 congressional district Democratic Party primary election on June 12, The Blue View will ask all six candidates to respond to a key question on an important issue in 100 words or less. This week’s question: How should we reform healthcare in this country? Answers below from candidates, in alphabetical order: I believe we must move to a single…
By Brad Swanson: Medicaid expansion in Virginia will be a major issue in the special session of the legislature that begins on April 11. To understand the issue better, I looked at other rich Western countries and compared the quality and cost of their healthcare systems to ours. The results were stunning: Americans pay more for healthcare with worse results…