Op-Ed

The inability of so many of our fellow citizens to access basic health insurance coverage represents a public health crisis that is undermining the well-being and security of the most vulnerable in our community.

Potential for harm can’t be easily dismissed by mining interests

Here’s a pop quiz: Since their inception in the 1990s, the Standards of Learning tests have (a) relied exclusively on multiple-choice questions, (b) rewarded rote memorization, (c) resulted in ever-higher passing rates, or (d) none of the above. Go to the head of the class if you correctly answered “none of the above.”

Regulation, control don’t happen by themselves

I shouldn’t go riding sometimes. I think too much when I’m on the bike.

Some time back, someone told me he was asked, “Why waste your time on the Parsons-Bruce Art Association or Destination Downtown? You get nothing from them.”

Traditional conservative values support continuing the moratorium on uranium mining in Virginia. Moving forward with legalization of uranium mining in Virginia would be expensive for taxpayers, with no guarantee the costs would ever be recovered.

As a longtime resident of southern Virginia, a board member of the Industrial Development Authority of Halifax County, and the CEO of one of the largest employers in the area, I’m very familiar with growing a business and creating jobs.

Are we prepared to develop – and enforce – a culture of safety for a risky industry?