By Susan Laume: Va. Lt Gov. Justin Fairfax was on hand to address protesters at the Beyond the Wall March for Justice in the Gum Springs community in Mount Vernon on June 9. The United Methodist Church event was planned…
Category: Politics
NAACP rally draws large crowd to protest safely
By Marcus R. Motta: The Fairfax County NAACP drew an estimated 1,000 vehicles to a rally recently designed to demonstrate that large protests can be safely mounted during the pandemic. The event, Justice for Black Lives Car Rally, was staged…
Lost your job? Here’s how to stay insured in No. VA
By Abby Block: Many of the nearly 73,000 Fairfax County residents who applied for unemployment insurance between mid-March and mid-May have most likely lost their employer-supplied insurance or were already uninsured and are facing hardship paying premiums. What are the…
Gun control in Virginia advances but not far enough
By Bill Brazier: Virginia Democrats should be proud of the legislation passed to lessen gun violence and control deadly weapons, thanks to new Democratic majorities in the state House and Senate. But the proposed bans on assault weapons and large…
Is Trump mad or just bad? Mental health experts sound the alarm
By Marcus R. Motta: Do you think Donald Trump needs to see a psychiatrist? Do you still need more motivation to get involved to get Trump out of office in November? If your answer is yes to either question you…
VA dogs get their day: 60 more tethering inches and shelter from a storm
By Susan Laume: (Editor’s Note: This is the second of an occasional series on Virginia’s 2020 animal legislation.) Animal welfare is an issue where “two Virginias” are often evidenced in citizen viewpoints: rural and urban. Perhaps nowhere has the difference…
Phone banking is a great way to volunteer during pandemic
By Steve Verdier: As I first-time phone banker, I am finding much the same satisfaction as canvassing – and often with a higher response rate, as so many voters are at home these days. I used to say about canvassing,…
Pandemic worsens affordable housing shortage in Fairfax County
By Bob Leggett: The pandemic has worsened the affordable housing shortage in Fairfax County, and highlighted the overall needs of the many in our prosperous region who already were on the margins. More than 70,000 people were living in poverty…
“Know Your Enemy” — now, more than ever, a helpful recommendation
Ed. Note: Podcasts are enjoying a surge in popularity during the enforced downtime of the pandemic. Write us with your favorites to share the enjoyment! By Abby Fox: I’ve found one of the best ways of beating the COVID-19 blues…
Coronavirus strikes Hispanics in Fairfax at six times the rate of whites
By Julie Galdo: Hispanics are six times more likely to get sick from coronavirus in Fairfax County than non-Hispanic whites, according to data from the Fairfax County Health Department. It has been widely reported that COVID-19 is having a disproportionate…
Connolly pandemic update: Trump acts like crisis is reality TV
By Rep. Gerry Connolly: First and foremost, I hope this letter finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy. I wanted to give you a quick update on what I’ve been working on during the coronavirus pandemic and of…
Paid sick time will have to wait in Virginia
By Marcus R. Motta: Virginia Democrats put their stamp on Virginia law in a whirlwind session of the General Assembly last winter, but they could not come to agreement on a Paid Sick Time (PST) bill even though the COVID-19…
Chap Petersen: Why I opposed moving local elections to November
By state Sen. Chap Petersen: I want to thank Jay Swanson for writing about the issue of local elections during this time of COVID-19 and for the courtesy of a “heads-up” so that I could draft a response. (The Blue…
Voting records shed light on “independence” of Vienna mayor candidates
By Alan Lindsay: As we get closer to the May 19th Town of Vienna election, I’ve noticed a sharp uptick in mentions of candidates’ party affiliation in online discussions. Although these are nonpartisan elections, we know the value of knowing…