Recent Opinion Columns

The Virginia Organizing Project tries to find as many ways as possible for people to become more active citizens. This page lists recent opinion columns that individuals have written to push for much needed changes in our communities, our state and our country.

This is a list of articles, please click on each title for details.

Op-Ed: Will Congress Sell Out Americans’ Health Care to Insurance Companies Again? 6-22-09

Will Congress Sell Out Americans’ Health Care to Insurance Companies Again?

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
Benjamin Franklin

The assault on a public option for health care is a mounting obscenity as Republicans, insurance lobbyists, and some Democrats roll out a propaganda campaign designed to scare Americans – and Congress – into turning their backs once again on the American people in favor of corporate greed.

Contrary to industry propaganda, the system we have does not work. High costs are bankrupting families and businesses and our quality of care is abominable. The United States is the richest country in the world but it provides the poorest health care among Western industrialized countries. According to the World Health Organization, The United States ranks 37th – lower than all the Western European countries. We rank lower than Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Israel, and Canada. (France is ranked #1, Italy #2, and Japan #3.) What a miserable shame we can’t – or won’t – do as well

Ranked by “Health System Attainment and Performance,” the U.S. was 72nd, between Argentina and Bhutan!

Nor is the U.S. any better than some Third World countries in average life expectancy. According to the Central Intelligence Agency’s rankings for 2009, the U.S. ranks 50th, (78.11 years), between Wallis and Futuna (You aren’t alone if you never heard of these two tiny islands in the South Pacific.) and Albania. In comparison, Japan’s average life expectancy is 82.12 years, Canada’s 81.23 years, and France’s 80.98 years.

With respect to infant mortality, the U.S. has the worst rate in the Western world, ranking 37th with 6.37 deaths per 1,000 live births, between South Korea and Croatia. In comparison, Sweden’s infant mortality rate is 2.76 deaths per 1,000 live births. Keep in mind that these are average rates. In America’s inner cities, the rates are much worse. In 2007, Washington, D.C., had the highest rate: 12.22 deaths per 1,000 live births. In New York City, the infant mortality rate for black babies was 9.8 deaths for every 1,000 live births compared with 3.9 deaths for every 1,000 live births among white babies. Minnesota had the lowest infant mortality rate in the U.S.: 4.78 per 1,000 live births.

The U.S. maternal mortality rate is scandalous, ranking 41st among 171 countries surveyed by the United Nations. Even South Korea has a lower maternal mortality rate than the U.S. Based on the United Nations’ 2005 estimates, one in 4,800 American women carry a lifetime risk of death from pregnancy, something the anti-choice crowd doesn’t bother to mention. In contrast, among the ten top-ranked industrialized countries, fewer than one woman in 16,400 carry such a risk. The most probable reason is that many European countries and Japan guarantee women high-quality health care and family planning services.


For those who tout the U.S. health system as “the best in the world,” there’s an important qualification – IF YOU’RE RICH. Anyone in the top one percent of wealthiest Americans can buy the best health care in the world no matter where they have to go to get it. But the majority of American citizens have to fight their way through a maze of bureaucratic fine print to obtain health care that, in far too may cases, is no better than that in the Third World. Families have the triple financial whammy of foreclosures, lost jobs, and mounting healthcare costs while insurance executives and pharmaceutical companies rake in huge profits. Paying for health care is the major reason for personal bankruptcies, a situation that analysts say will continue unless Congress passes meaningful health reform.

Our current healthcare system is not only a burden for citizens, it also burdens physicians. By enabling insurance companies to run our healthcare system, Congress usurps physicians’ medical expertise and burdens them with voluminous paperwork and restrictions. The nation’s doctors want to be healers not secretarial assistants to health insurance companies. Doctors – not insurance companies – are the experts in providing medical services, yet in too many cases, insurers dictate medical decisions to doctors and hospitals. Sometimes patients die because an insurer has delayed or denied needed medical care. Yet those who support corporate profits rather than public health don’t seem to give a damn.

President Obama calls for a public option. The message of the last election is that the people support a public option. Now is the best opportunity since Clinton’s failure on health care for Congress to pass a real health reform bill. If our elected officials turn their backs on we-the-people this time, such an opportunity may not come again in our lifetime.

John Reeder Letter to the Editor 6-18-09

To the Editor:

We read news reports that Governor Tim Kaine appointed Arlington state Delegate David Englin to yet another commission to study poverty in Virginia. While we certainly welcome that the Governor’s and the General Assembly’s desire to measure the extent of poverty in Arlington and Virginia, we’re puzzled by the call to “study” what census data and other readily available information already make clear — significant levels of poverty and hunger exist statewide and in Arlington.

It’s time for Virginia Democrats and Republicans, including Kaine and Englin, to change state laws and policies that would actually reduce poverty rather than wasting time and resources trying to “measure” it.

Researchers and advocates for the poor already highlight the steps that would greatly reduce poverty and hunger in Arlington and in far southwestern Virginia:

1. Raise the Virginia minimum wage of $6.55 an hour to the living wage rate of $12.50 an hour (which is based on the federal poverty level for a family of four).

2. Lower the regressive Virginia 9-percent effective tax rate on people making less than $20,000 a year (those making over $200,000 pay only 4 percent).

3. Raise the miserly Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) assistance provided to children ($80 a month), and the disabled, and stop the State of Virginia from using federal TANF funds designed to go to the poor for other state programs, such as highways.

4. Finally, eliminate laws and restrictions that deny unemployment compensation and food stamps to Virginia’s working poor and unemployed.

The Democrats and Republicans (each for different reasons) wish to divert the public’s attention away from concrete steps that would directly reduce poverty and hunger in our state that largely affect children, the working poor, the elderly, and the disabled. The time to study poverty is past; it is time to make Virginia laws and policies work to relieve poverty and hunger, and give our friends and neighbors a helping hand.

John Reeder
Josh Ruebner
Suzanne Sundburg
Arlington, Virginia

Wende Marshall Letter to the Editor 6-4-09

Dear Editor,

In 2007, more than one million Virginians were without any health care coverage and the health care crisis in Virginia is growing. Families USA estimated that in 2006 more than ten working-age Virginians died each week due to lack of health insurance.

Look around at your family, friends and co-workers and ask yourself who will be sacrificed while the U.S. Senate drags its feet. Now is the time to act.

A public health care plan, like the one used by our members of Congress, needs to be part of health care reform. Our Virginia members of Congress know what a good health care plan looks like because our tax dollars provide them and their families with the best. It is time we all have access to the quality, affordable health care our members of Congress enjoy. We need this now — the lives of ten Virginians a week depend on it.

Sincerely,

Wende Elizabeth Marshall, PhD
Charlottesville, VA

Natalie Grossman Letter to the Editor 6-3-09

Dear Editor,


As corporations beg for public tax dollars, workers’ wages have remained stagnant. Wages have not kept up with the cost of living. Working people need a living wage in order to pay for quality education for their children, health care, retirement savings, and rising gas prices.


Unions are a clear path towards giving workers a decent living wage. The Employee Free Choice Act is crucial for giving workers the choice and power to form a union.


As a college student, I see many student groups on my campus advocating for different causes. I recently ran across a table for Jobs With Justice, a workers' rights organization advocating for the Employee Free Choice Act. I signed a petition in support of the Employee Free Choice Act and encourage others to do the same. www.jwj.org/efca
We need to step up and tell Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act now.

Sincerely,

Natalie Grossman
Fredericksburg, VA

Jon Liss Letter to the Editor 5-29-09

Dear Editor,

I work with low-income workers and day laborers in northern Virginia fighting for fair pay and treatment. Through my work, I have seen some unspeakable abuses of worker’s rights by employers taking advantage of low-income workers.

The workers I deal with have a clear understanding of why their employers treat and pay them poorly: because they can. This simple concept is understood by millions of low-wage workers and is one of the main reasons we need the Employee Free Choice Act. Many employers know that if their employees are not organized they can treat them however they want. The Employee Free Choice Act removes obstacles that make forming a union difficult and punishes employers that harass and intimidate workers trying to form a union. With the Employee Free Choice Act, workers receive better wages and working conditions: because they can.

Sincerely,

Jon Liss
Executive Director
Tenants and Workers United

SALT Letter to the Editor 5-27-09

Letter to Editor:

The recently established Governor's Poverty Taskforce and Poverty Summit, an event held in Richmond on May 7th, has been given extensive coverage.

I find it troubling that not one person on the task force is poor himself, herself. Do the poor have nothing to contribute? It's almost as if we, the well-heeled, should not be listening to the poor, not caring what they are actually thinking. Far better strategies and easier implementation can result by including the community, all segments of the community, in the process of creating strategies and in making the actual decisions. People who live in poverty can understand the concepts of decision-making about resource allocation, based on my experience.

Bringing to the table the indigenous leaders, much to the surprise of the taskforce, once these leaders understand the choices, will have relevant input into some if not most of the service problems.

The point is, inclusiveness works! It’s not just political correctness; it assumes that we all have talents to contribute, regardless of whether these gifts have been attained experientially or via professional training.

We urge consideration of our proposal.

Sincerely.

John Horejsi, Coordinator
Social Action Linking Together (SALT)

Vienna, VA


Taskforce members, and assigned working groups, are:

Co-Chairs

* Marilyn Tavenner, Secretary of Health and Human Resources
* Robert Grey, Attorney

Asset Development

* Jeff Anderson, Virginia Economic Development Partnership
* Richard Grattan, Wachovia Bank
* Delegate Jennifer L. McClellan
* Marsha Shuler, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
* T.K. Somanath, Better Housing Coalition

Individual & Community Resilience

* Dr. Erik Beecroft, Virginia Department of Social Services
* Anthony Conyers Jr., Virginia Department of Social Services
* Trisha Ferrell, United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg
* Jill Hanken, Virginia Poverty Law Center
* Michelle Larkin, State Board of Social Services
* Jim Schuyler, Virginia Community Action Partnership
* Senator John Watkins

Kevin Morris Letter to the Editor 4-27-09

Dear Editor,

Do you feel that our profit-driven, fast-paced, .com networking culture is missing something? The value of community work is constantly being ignored, and it’s costing everyone. Our culture has pushed us to focus on getting the most out of every minute and to become centered on economic value. While this is a great attribute to have in the business world, it just doesn’t work to our advantage in our communities. When we become connected in our communities, we care more about what’s going on.

Recently, I spent time volunteering with the Virginia Organizing Project. They are a non-partisan community organizing group that challenges injustices by giving people the power to address issues that affect their lives such as health care. The work I did with the organization was gratifying and helped me feel more connected to my community.

However, you don’t have to target political issues to get connected with your community. There are countless ways to organize your neighbors for the good of the community. Help coach a youth sports team, organize a clean-up of a local park or river bank, or reach out to current organizations as a volunteer. Community organizations are always looking for more volunteers. And you will likely feel more confident and aware just knowing that you have done your part for our communities.

Kevin Morris
Fredericksburg, Virginia

Show Me the Green: Obama’s First 92 Days and Virginia’s Environment 4-24-09

For every new president the preliminary measure of success is the infamous “First 100 Days.”

But maybe this year it’s time to set a new benchmark. Perhaps President Obama should be the first American president to be assessed against the “First 92 Days” measuring stick.

Day 92 falls on April 22, better known as Earth Day.

And this Earth Day, Americans will have plenty to celebrate. That’s because President Obama has, in 92 days, set the nation in a new direction when it comes to transitioning to a clean energy economy, stopping global warming, and protecting the environment.

Take day 6, when President Obama directed his brand new Environmental Protection Agency Administrator to reconsider a contentious Bush administration decision preventing fourteen states from reducing global warming pollution from cars and light trucks. If Virginia were to adopt the stronger standards we could save over 4 billion gallons of gasoline and prevent 36.4 tons of global warming pollution by 2020.

Day 28 sure didn’t fly under the radar. On this day, President Obama signed into law the single largest green funding initiative in American history, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. With a stroke of the pen, the President allocated nearly $80 billion that will double America’s renewable energy production, improve energy efficiency, and invest in green transportation, creating 1.5 million green jobs in the process and achieving his first major policy victory.

But President Obama didn’t stop there. On day 37, President Obama unveiled a budget that incorporates $646 billion in revenues from capping global warming and invests an additional $150 billion in renewable energy like wind and solar. His budget sets the stage for a new energy plan for America that addresses global warming and drives the transformation to a new clean energy economy. Simply put, Obama’s proposed budget means a cleaner, greener, more prosperous America. If implemented, the president’s budget proposal means that Virginia’s ailing sewage treatment plants could be eligible for $40.8 million in funding for upgrades that would protect our water quality and clean up could be accelerated at some of the 31 Superfund toxic waste sites deemed an imminent threat to our communities.

With less fanfare, on day 59, Obama’s EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson moved ahead with a finding that global warming pollution poses a danger to public welfare. A final decision, expected as soon as this week, would allow EPA to speed our transition to a clean energy economy and regulate the worst global warming polluters.

Day 63 too may have slipped notice when the administration announced that it would reconsider the dubious practice of “mountaintop mining,” where companies blow the tops off mountains and dump the debris into nearby waterways.

And then on day 69 the president signed the largest expansion of protected wilderness in 15 years. The Omnibus Public Land Management Act was the result of a bi-partisan coalition of politicians in both the U.S. Senate and House working to protect two million acres of American wilderness—such as Virginia’s George Washington National Forest. This is an amazing victory for any American who’s ever enjoyed a hike through California’s towering Sequoias, backpacked the craggy peaks of Rocky Mountain National Park or spent a night under the green canopy of the Virginia Blue Ridge wilderness area.

So as Americans celebrate Earth Day on April 22, why wait for those last 9 days to evaluate Obama’s progress? The first 92 days look pretty darn good.

And yet, there is more work to do. The latest science makes clear that, to protect future generations from the worst effects of global warming, we must reduce pollution over the next 10 years faster than the president has proposed, cutting emissions by 35 percent below today’s levels by 2020. Capping global warming pollution to the extent needed and ensuring that polluters pay is the right move for our environment and our economy but will face roadblocks from Big Oil, other polluting interests, and their allies in Congress.

After eight years of perhaps the most anti-environmental administration in American history, President Obama is working hard to right the ship and protect our environment and public health—today and for our children and future generations of Americans.

As the slogan says, we should make “Earth Day Every Day.” During his first 92 days, President Obama has shown us that he’s taking this idea to heart and putting it into practice. Here’s hoping that the next 1,333 days are as productive as the first 92!


J.R. Tolbert is the Advocate for Environment Virginia, a statewide citizen-based advocacy organization working for clean air, clean water, and open space.

J.R. Tolbert
212 West 7th Avenue, #125
Richmond, Virginia 23224

Annie Morris Letter to the Editor 4-14-09

Editor:

As a current college student who will be entering the job market within the next few years, my lifestyle has been tremendously affected by the current economic recession. We as Virginians have a duty to help those entering the work force and others stuck in right-to-work states — we have finally been provided with the tools to accomplish this. The Employee Free Choice Act assists in developing strategies to help all citizens deal with the weak economic conditions through its ability to repress corporate intimidation. Today’s labor laws don’t do enough to protect workers.

By calling Senator Jim Webb or Senator Mark Warner and asking them to vote for the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), we as a state would be promoting stronger penalties for those corporations who illegally coerce and intimidate employees in their attempt to form unions. By bringing in a neutral third party to settle contract disputes and establishing majority sign-up (as used successfully by large corporations such as AT&T and Kaiser Permanente), the lower and middle class could take back control of their working conditions.

As a concerned citizen and student, I am asking readers to take an active role in their United States government and promote the Employee Free Choice Act.

Respectfully,

Annie Morris

Fredericksburg, VA

Larry Yates Letter to the Editor 4-9-09

Sir:

William Simpson's letter (April 8 issue) suggests that the Historical Education Movement (HEM) and its president, the Rev. James Kilby, should wait their turn until the School Board has asked them for suggestions about the naming of the former Warren County High School.

I am sure Mr. Simpson's intentions are good. However, citizens of a democracy are not obligated to wait their turn to use legal constitutional processes. In fact, James Wilson Kilby's name has been proposed because he was what Mr. Simpson calls "premature and pre-emptive."

Mr. Kilby did not wait until some agency "established a process" to build decent affordable housing, set up a weatherization program or get clean water out to the Happy Creek community. He went ahead and exercised citizen leadership. Nor did he wait for the state of Virginia's "equitable process" to replace the segregated school system that forced his children to go to an inferior boarding school in another county. Instead, he exercised his right to seek relief in the courts, and we are all better for it today.

Unfortunately, Mr. Simpson inaccurately states that there has been "monopolized lobbying" for naming the school after Mr. Kilby, "to the exclusion of others." In fact, every one has the same rights that the HEM has exercised. He also writes incorrectly "they are lobbying the Town Council." In fact, Councilman Sayre proposed the current resolution on his own. He may have been influenced by the recent highly successful HEM activities, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the integration of Warren County High School, but Mr. Sayre was not lobbied to take this step.

As the local organizer for the Virginia Organizing Project, I am proud that, since 2006, we have supported the HEM in its persistent use of the democratic process. Not everyone shares Mr. Simpson's belief that we must all wait passively for government processes to work out. Some of us believe that each one of us has a right to petition our government and that our system of government is strong enough to handle public opinion and what Thomas Jefferson called "the agitation it produces."

Larry Yates
Maurertown, VA

Jill Hanken Letter to the Editor 3-26-09

Editor:

As we recognize “Cover the Uninsured Week,” we can note the ever-increasing number of Americans who don’t have health insurance as well as those who can’t afford the spiraling costs of health insurance premiums and required out-of-pocket expenses. The average health insurance premiums for family coverage have skyrocketed 90 percent since 2000, leaving millions of Americans struggling to meet their health expenses or facing bankruptcy for medical debt. Three out of five adults having problems paying their medical bills had insurance at the time they incurred their debt.

At the same time, it is heartening to know that the first effort in decades is now seriously underway in Washington to actually reform the health care system in the U.S., with an ultimate goal of offering quality and affordable health care to all Americans. The first step in this effort is consideration of the President’s budget proposal which will make a down payment for health reform over the next ten years. The cost of the proposal is mostly covered by raising taxes on the most wealthy (representing just 1.2 percent of all tax filers) and by eliminating payments to private Medicare plans that are higher than regular Medicare costs.

During his campaign, the President promised to reform health care, and when voters elected him, they expected results. The President is keeping his promise, but opponents and special interests are already working hard to kill his plan. They oppose the funding proposals and complain that health reform is “too much” to tackle during the current recession. I believe the economy can not really be fixed without reforming health care, too. The economic crisis demands action this year.

The President is ready to move forward. His health care budget proposal is on the table. Will our representatives in Congress finally meet this challenge and take action on health care that is long overdue? Ask them!

Jill A. Hanken
Staff Attorney
Virginia Poverty Law Center

Richmond, VA

DeeDee Tostanoski Letter to the Editor 3-18-09

To the Editor:

On Thursday, February 19, Virginia killed Edward Nathaniel Bell in our name. He received the death penalty because he was found guilty for the 1999 murder of Officer Ricky Timbrook in Winchester. Officer Timbrook’s murder is a heinous crime and his murderer deserves severe punishment. However, killing a person who has killed another person to make the point that killing a person is wrong is absolute nonsense. Our humanity is diminished when the Commonwealth kills in our name. Make no mistake: state approved killing is still killing, despite the fact that we name it execution to sweeten it up.

I certainly don’t know whether Eddie Bell killed Officer Timbrook. He claims he did not, including his last words as he was forcibly carried to the execution chamber. I do know that Eddie Bell was most likely retarded (the Supreme Court has ruled that mentally retarded people cannot be executed), but was prevented from presenting that evidence at his trial. His legal counsel in the sentencing phase was so poor that the appeal court commented on the absolute failure of counsel to provide any mitigating information. The case against Eddie Bell was completely circumstantial, and the only witness against him has admitted to lying in his testimony. These irregularities make it possible that Virginia has killed an innocent man in my name.

Over 130 death row inmates have been exonerated by the Innocence Project, which has proved that they did not commit the crimes for which they were found guilty. Unless and until we have a fool-proof legal system, incapable of error, I do not want any state-approved killing carried out in my name. How about you? Please let the Governor and your state legislators know how you feel.

DeeDee Tostanoski
Alexandria, VA

Liz Riggin Letter to the Editor 3-6-09

Dear Editor,

The current health care system is not meeting the needs of most Americans. Individuals and families are faced with overwhelming financial burdens when treating both “typical” medical needs and unexpected medical traumas. Due to the high cost of health care, many Americans are not seeking treatment. Delayed treatment usually leads to further health complications and requires more costly medical assistance.

I worked as a social work intern in a high-risk obstetrics unit for four months. I saw first hand the effects of the inadequate health care system, especially on low-income families. I worked with a mother who was unable to seek treatment because she did not qualify for Medicaid and her husband’s employer did not provide affordable health insurance. It wasn’t until she was six months pregnant with twins that the complications became life threatening for all three of them. Because they were so desperate for necessary medical care, the husband lowered his income in order to be eligible for Medicaid which would cover the mother's medical costs during the last three months of her pregnancy. In this case, there were three lives in danger because of inaccessible and unaffordable health care.

I believe that everyone in the United States deserves affordable, accessible health care. Often vulnerable populations are not properly represented in the health care debate. Health care should not be a luxury but a service that is available regardless of socio-economic status.

I urge you to contact U.S. Senators Jim Webb and Mark Warner in support of a comprehensive health care reform that will include all Americans.

Liz Riggin
Harrisonburg, Virginia

Ranna Zirakparvar Letter to the Editor 2-24-09

Dear Editor,

I am in the social work program at Virginia Commonwealth University. I recently joined 15 other individuals from the Richmond area to rally on Lombardy Street outside a payday lending facility. This action was part of a statewide effort to put an end to predatory lending practices.

All of us presented signs and our voices to the passing vehicles and pedestrian traffic to raise awareness on the destruction that these companies’ open-end loan products are causing. Because payday lenders do not have to acknowledge regulations that larger loan companies are subject to, people are being taken advantage of with 360 percent interest rates, membership fees, and unethical business tactics. Most recently some companies have begun offering open-end loans by exploiting a loophole in the law.

When Virginians have requested legislative changes to protect themselves in the past, these companies figured out how to reinvent their overall image and offer new (harmful) products to the public. Because of the unchecked interest rates, people who borrow money are likely to be unable to cover the initial amount borrowed as well as interest with their future paychecks. This allows the payday and car title lending companies to trap Virginians and bury them in debt.

People borrow because they are in tough financial situations and are fooled by the images these companies project of themselves as majestic financial knights. They are in fact far from being knightly in their villainous endeavors.

Please, fellow Commonwealth residents, help close the loophole in the law that allows such exploitation by contacting your state legislators and sharing what you know.

As one of our posters read: don’t let predatory lenders romance you!

Ranna Zirakparvar
Richmond, VA

Don Manning Letter to the Editor 2-10-09

Dear Editor,

One of the first headlines I noticed last Sunday morning and gave much thought to during the course of that day was “Crafting a Plan B for tough economic times: What's your Plan B if your current job becomes another casualty of the recession?”

Specifically, as certain congregational members stepped forward to light a candle, this headline took on real meaning during Joys and Concerns at church when I learned that the very next day would bring an end to their jobs.

But what if we find ourselves with no time to craft a Plan B and must resort to a desperate loan through Car Title lending? Then, I believe our financial troubles would really begin. Recently, I read that one out of 16 such loans results with the vehicle being repossessed and sold.

Without our vehicles, those of us who become victims of Car Title loans may lose our jobs because of missed work or may have to shred Plan B as we find we have no means to drive to an interview for a new job.

We can do better than this for fellow citizens. My day brightened up a bit when I discovered “Close the open-end credit loophole,” a plan prepared by the Virginia Partnership to Encourage Responsible Lending (VaPERL), a coalition of organizations and individuals working to reduce the damage of predatory lending to Virginia citizens and the state’s economy.

Can we take action to regulate such loans? I plead with all in our great state to get behind the efforts to stop the abuses of the Car Title lenders, support VaPERL, and advocate for the passage of critical legislation that would correct these wrongs.

Sincerely,

Don Manning
Lynchburg, VA

Sue Capers and John Horejsi Letter to the Editor 2-9-09

Editor:

The newspapers continue to tell us of the shortfalls in the Virginia State budget and of the drastic cuts our Governor has been forced to make due to our failing economy.

The media keeps reporting on more and more programs that are on the chopping block. Many of these programs are essential to the health and welfare of Virginia’s most vulnerable populations.

In addition, churches and food pantries are running out of food, while job losses, evictions and foreclosures are increasing for Virginia’s families.

Cutting needed programs or denying assistance is a heavy price to pay for a balanced budget especially when there is another way. Several legislators put in bills to restore the Virginia Estate Tax. This legislation would have exempted estate taxes up to $5 million, as well as small businesses and farms.

Restoring the Estate Tax would have generated nearly $100 million, which could have been doubled with federal matching funds.

Restoring the Estate Tax would not have met all needs or save all programs, but could have made a big difference. Unfortunately, Virginia legislators were not willing to take steps in the right direction to restore the Estate Tax.

Sue M. Capers
Alexandria, VA

John Horejsi
Coordinator, Social Action Working Together (SALT)
Vienna, VA

Veronica Guitierrez Letter to the Editor 1-30-09

Dear Editor:

Recently, the phrase 'predatory lending' has taken on a new meaning for me. I've always thought that predatory lenders were bad businesses. They plant themselves in low-income communities, offer fast cash, and then charge ridiculous interest rates, inevitably trapping people in a cycle of debt. Last Saturday, I joined in the Virginia Organizing Project’s door-to-door canvass effort in Fredericksburg to talk to folks about this issue. By the end of the afternoon, we had knocked on more than 2,000 doors in the area. But there was one door in particular that helped me to put a face on the issue.

It was the door of a young woman. She had taken out a car title loan for $450 just to make ends meet, and while she managed to make a payment each month, she could never get the loan entirely paid off. To make matters worse, the car used to make the loan recently broke down. It has been at the auto shop for a month because she has not been able to collect the $475 needed to fix the car. No car means no trips to the grocery store, no way to get to work, and no way to pay off the car title loan she took out in the first place! After she told me her story, her six-month-old daughter came to the door wearing clothes for a three-month-old baby. The young woman explained to me that she hasn't been able to afford new clothes for her daughter or her young son.

I'll never forget the conversation I had with this woman. She showed me that predatory lending institutions are not just burdens on your wallet — they can infiltrate all parts of your life. Predatory lenders are in the business of taking advantage of the most vulnerable members of our community. They hurt our community as a whole, and we must call on our legislators to make laws that regulate them!

Veronica Gutierrez

Ivy Main Letter to the Editor 1-30-09

Dear Editor,

Two years ago the Virginia legislature took a major first step towards verifiable voting by passing a law banning localities from buying any more of the paperless electronic voting machines known as DREs — the computers that most of us have been voting on, but which have been shown nationwide to be prone to failure, subject to programming errors, and vulnerable to manipulation.

Since then, some jurisdictions have begun to purchase optical scanning machines, which read paper ballots filled out by voters. The paper ballots are retained to be available in the case of a recount, and could be used to audit the accuracy of the machines. This is precisely what lawmakers intended to have happen, and what voters and election security advocates have demanded from their legislators. And the optical scanning machines have done more than provide verifiability; one can do the work of many DREs, so they eliminated waiting times for voters where they were used in this past election.

Now, incredibly, committees in the House and Senate are considering a reversal of the ban. SB 988 and HB 2422 would make Virginia the only state to reverse course and embrace a technology that other states have been abandoning. Even Florida, which bought new DREs after the 2000 election debacle, has since scuttled the machines following a second disputed election, and after regulators determined that optical scan machines would save the state money.

So why would Virginia go backwards? Lawmakers are experiencing a full-court press from local registrars, many of whom never liked the ban and see their chance now to reverse it, while voters aren’t paying attention.

The registrars say they can’t afford to change over all their machines at once, and they don’t want to use DREs in some precincts and optical scan in others. But allowing them to buy more of a bad technology now would simply push the problem down the road. Meanwhile, these officials run the risk of making Virginia the next Florida.

Legislators should not cave into these shortsighted appeals, but should vote no on SB 988 and HB 2422.

Yours truly,

Ivy Main
McLean, VA


Ivy Main is the Policy Director of the New Electoral Reform Alliance for Virginia (New Era), a member of the Verifiable Voting Coalition of Virginia.

Car Title Lending? What is it Really? 1-14-09

When someone gets a car title loan, the lender is fully secured by the borrower's automobile. And here are more details:

* The interest rate is at least 300%. Yes, 300%.
* The loan has no maturity date because it is structured as a "line of credit."
* The monthly payment pays little to no principal on the loan.
* When an individual borrows $1,000 at 300% interest, the borrower pays $250 a month and that only covers the interest.
* After a year, the borrower will have paid $3,000 in interest.
* Oh yeah, after a year of faithful payments, the borrower still owes the full amount $1,000 borrowed.

This is the world of car title lending. It is a black hole, from which the consumer cannot escape. It is predatory and it is unconscionable.

As an attorney, I have seen my clients in this situation over and over: Doing their best to make payments over nine to twelve months, they have paid two to three times the amount they borrowed but still have not reduced the principal owed. After paying all of this money, one missed payment puts their vehicle in danger of being repossessed. The loss of a vehicle to the average Virginian is disastrous because of the need for transportation to work and for family responsibilities.

The legal loophole used by car title lenders is the "line of credit" used by car title lenders that allows them to charge the immoral rate of 300 percent interest. Virginia General Assembly, it is time to work for your constituents and close the loophole. Make car title lenders subject to the Consumer Finance Act, like every other small loan lender, which caps the interest rate at 36 percent.

I would ask our legislators -- why is this lending good for our economy? Why is this unending "line of credit" at 300 percent interest a sound product? It is not. It has no justification. It drains precious dollars from citizens of the Commonwealth. We have seen enough toxic loans and its disastrous effects on the housing market. Failure to respond decisively on behalf of consumers is to appease predatory lending in the Commonwealth.

Last year, some in the Virginia General Assembly and Governor Tim Kaine decided to give in to the payday lenders and provide minimal consumer protections. In response, payday lenders are setting up "lines of credit" designed precisely to circumvent the few consumer protections of the new payday lending law. Let's not take the approach of appeasement toward another predatory lender.

Jeremy P. White
Lynchburg, VA

Karen Kallay Letter to the Editor 1-6-09

Phil Kent, communications director for Fast Auto Loans, made several pertinent and interesting points in his Dec. 18 op-ed, especially noting the value of car-pawn loans in these credit-strapped times ["Consumer credit that is insane!"].

He also observes that the car-title pawn business is "an honest transaction between two willing parties."

Whoa! It's really more like taking candy from a child, or standing at the lifeboats on a sinking ship, keeping out everyone but those willing to sign on for a high risk of future financial ruin.

The child in this case is that part of us that comes to the foreground when we're desperate, that yields to wishful thinking, and that doesn't think too clearly.

Otherwise, we'd see that the full balloon payment that is due within a few months (or less) probably wouldn't be payable, and that we'd be trapped in a very expensive financial sinkhole.

According to the Center for Responsible Lending, "Although high-priced title loans are illegal in most states, the title lending industry has grown tremendously in recent years in states that have failed to take adequate steps to protect borrowers.

"Title lenders have made generous campaign contributions, and industry-friendly laws have passed in some states at breakneck speed."

Yes, there's a place for car-title loans, but not at interest rates annualized at more than 300 percent, and where the car at risk of repossession is the family's access to employment.

I hate to say it, but during this next legislative session in Virginia, any legislator who resists closing down this loophole on predatory lending will make me suspect that some personal advantage rather than community benefit is motivating him.

Karen Kallay
Fredericksburg, VA

Karen Beiber Letter to the Editor 12-22-08

To the Editor,

I am concerned about the Inmate Phone System in our Commonwealth. Under the current system, families of inmates are assessed a surcharge of $2.85 per call in addition to the usual collect call rates. One phone call, which is limited to twenty minutes, can easily cost between ten and twenty dollars. If a mother wished to speak with each of her two daughters once a week, it could cost her family one hundred sixty dollars each month -- not including any conversations with her husband or parents!

At such rates, Virginia's General Fund has received over six million dollars in revenue from some of our state's most vulnerable families, and has effectively prohibited others from maintaining contact with their loved ones (over 80% of our women in prison are mothers). Studies have shown that children who maintain contact with their incarcerated parent are less likely to become incarcerated. With the epidemic of incarceration in our nation, changing the current inmate phone system is a way we can actively interrupt the generational cycle of those who enter prison.

Other states and our federal prisons have phone systems that are far more family friendly. Perhaps a system akin to the federal inmate phone system could be implemented. Federal inmates purchase phone cards from the inmate canteen for three cents per minute. Equipment maintenance could be assessed to the inmate as a surcharge on the phone card. With so many creative people in Virginia, surely there is a way to implement a socially just system.


Karen Beiber
Lovingston, VA

Brenda G. Manns Letter to the Editor 12-15-08

I think we should make insurance more affordable in this community. We need insurance here so that medical bills don’t become a burden to our family members and community. Over the last five weeks, medical bills have become a big issue in my family, and this problem can happen to anyone. There are more than one million people in this state who don’t have insurance. Why don’t our legislators do something to fix this problem?

On top of the insurance, the cost of medicines is too expensive. The system is messed up, and we need to change it. We need to be better informed about how we can access the insurance we need. We also need to come together as a community to figure out ways we can decrease this big insurance problem.

Thanks to all of those who are trying to help, but we need to do more to help those in need. Thank God and keep praying.

Brenda G. Manns
Martinsville, VA

Matt Caterine Letter to the Editor 11-26-08

On November 4, the people of Virginia sent a loud and clear message to elected officials in Congress: they want leadership that will bring about real change in Washington. Despite misleading attacks from anti-worker special interests, voters elected Mark Warner to work with a pro-worker majority in Congress and a pro-worker president to take a critical step toward reinvigorating the middle class and turning around our crumbling economy.

Through continued support of the Employee Free Choice Act -- bipartisan legislation making it easier for workers to form unions -- Senator-elect Mark Warner will help more Americans join and stay in the middle class. Union membership guarantees opportunities for better wages, access to health care, job security, and the ability for those who work hard and play by the rules to achieve the American Dream.

I hope as our new U.S. Senator, Mark Warner will use this new opportunity, through supporting the Employee Free Choice Act, to create positive change that will affect Virginia’s working families and future generations to come.

Matt Caterine
Williamsburg, VA

Op-Ed: What did Virginia learn about voting systems in 2008? 11-21-08

The election is over. But is it? What can we learn from the election itself?

First, optical scan systems are the voter's friend. Forward-looking localities that added optical scan systems had far shorter lines than localities with only DRE ("touch screen") machines. If lots of voters show up and you're using optical scan, you hand out more pens and voting continues; if you're using a DRE you're out of luck and lines may result. We need optical scan systems uniformly across the commonwealth.

Second, complex rules about who can vote early caused unnecessary confusion. Virginia law permits only excused absentee voting. Localities interpreted the law differently. Thus, what constituted an excuse varied from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Virginians need no excuse in person absentee voting, so everyone has the opportunity to vote when it is convenient.

Third, electronic pollbooks are not ready for prime time, as shown by the failures in Chesapeake, where entire precincts were shut down for hours due to problems, with no backup paper pollbooks. If we're going to use electronic pollbooks, they need to be thoroughly tested before being used, particularly if there will not be paper backups.

Fourth, localities need to do better ballot review and testing. There were reports from around Virginia of missing races – including some localities that didn't show the presidential race. Ballots could be published for public comment; problems could be identified and corrected upfront and ballot design could be improved.

Fifth, like most states, Virginia had many problems with voters who claimed to have registered at DMV but weren't listed on the rolls, or who were dropped from the rolls for unexplained reasons. Virginia needs to do a better job of ensuring that voter registrations are processed correctly, including ensuring that applications are forwarded in a timely fashion to the State Board of Elections for distribution to the applicable registrars, and purging is done under procedures mandated by law and isn't used for partisan purposes. The State Board of Elections should continue to encourage voters to verify their registration before showing up at the polls.

Sixth, if localities continue to use only DREs, the State Board of Elections should provide direction concerning the use of emergency paper ballots. This would include the number of paper ballots required to be on hand, and when they must be handed out. Fortunately, there were only relatively isolated equipment failures, but had the level of failures been as high as in some states, this lack of preparation could have disenfranchised voters in localities that did not have emergency ballots on hand.

Last, and perhaps most importantly, we need to fix Virginia's inadequate audit and recount laws. Auditing is a good practice after every election to make sure that the machines counted votes correctly, but in Virginia it's illegal except when the margin of victory is greater than 10 percent -- so there's no question who really won -- and even then it’s optional. A majority of states have mandatory random audits after elections, and it's time for Virginia to catch up.

Most voters would be surprised to learn that in Virginia a recount doesn't actually hand count the ballots, rather optical scan ballots are rescanned and DREs are not recounted at all; there is nothing to recount (or audit). Virginia has had a number of very close races recently including the still undecided 5th Congressional race, the 2005 Attorney General race (McDonnell vs. Deeds), and 2006 Senate race (Allen vs. Webb) -- showing that both parties are impacted by poor recount laws. The point of an election is to let the voters choose, not the technology, so we need technology that helps us count, but does not change the count. Real audits and recounts ensure that result.

The State Board of Elections and the local boards and staffs are hardworking people who struggle with several unmovable deadlines every year. It's time for the General Assembly to give them the authority and resources they need to do a better job -- so every voter in Virginia can have their vote counted accurately.

Jeremy Epstein
Fairfax, VA

The author is a computer security expert and co-founder of the Verifiable Voting Coalition of Virginia, a non-partisan advocacy group for fair and accurate elections in Virginia.

Larry Yates Letter to the Editor 11-20-09

Editor:

We have an unprecedented situation in this country, with the election of Barack Obama to the presidency. For some of us, this is a wonderful moment. But we all know that for some Americans, this election result is painful, even hateful.

Given our economic crisis, President Obama and his administration will have plenty of opportunity to show that they are working for the benefit of all Americans. But in these first few months, the raw emotions stirred up by the election are still very much with us.

As a fervent supporter of free speech, I generally support the expression of any criticisms, even outrageous ones, of an elected official. Americans have a proud tradition of saying outrageous things, going back to our outrageous Declaration of Independence.

But I hope each of you will think carefully about what you say and do about Barack Obama, not for his sake, but for our country's sake. We could wound this country in ways that cannot be repaired. Acts of violence -- even threats of violence -- will not be forgiven or forgotten, either by those of all colors who have placed deep hope in a President Obama, or by the rest of the world.

Fifty-six times, the United States of America has elected a president. Each time some of us have been bitterly disappointed by the result. But the vast majority of us have been fair and self-disciplined, and controlled any urge towards violence or hatred. Let us show each other -- and the world -- that we can do it again.

If your friends or relatives express threats or urge violence, ask them, for the sake of our country, to stop, to think, to pray if appropriate, and to look beyond this moment to our common future. In the gracious words of Senator John McCain, let us offer "our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together." We do owe this self-restraint to our duly elected President -- but we owe it to our country first.

Larry Yates
Maurertown, VA

Op-Ed: Cost of the crackdown 11-8-08

The illegal immigrant crackdown in Prince William County continues. County officials insist that it is fair. Some see a great success -- others see a travesty. Many immigrants are leaving the county, thinking that police are targeting Hispanics. They see individuals being detained and separated from their families. Even legal immigrants, like Federico, have been caught in the net.

Federico has been a resident since 1990. He is married with four children. He’s a member of All Saints Catholic Church. He has worked for the same firm for years. This summer, Federico and his wife, Maria, were on their way to register their daughter in kindergarten. They stopped to answer the phone. Maria stepped out of the car to take the call. They were about to be late. As he tugged at Maria to get in the car, a passing witness called police. Within minutes the police pulled them over. Federico was arrested for assault and abduction despite Maria’s objections that nothing happened.

Federico was held in the Prince William County jail for two months before his case was heard. Predictably, the charges were dropped at the hearing. However, PWC had already transferred him to immigration custody for a prior conviction. In 2002, on his lawyer's advice, he pled guilty to assault charges in exchange for probation and a suspended sentence. He was unaware the plea could result in deportation.

Prior to immigration charges against Federico being filed, Catholic Charities submitted a bond request for his release, pending the outcome of his case. The request was denied. It appears DHS is determined to deport Federico for his previous conviction.

Federico paid his debt to Virginia, but immigration law allows him to be held for his 2002 assault conviction under Virginia law. His only hope of remaining in this country is to have his 2002 felony conviction reversed. Federico doesn't have the resources to reopen his case.

Federico needs legal assistance that he cannot afford. Catholic Charities has done all it can do. However, in our opinion, Federico should not have been charged for assault and abduction in the first place. This frivolous arrest caused an insurmountable problem for Federico. The human cost of PWC's immigration enforcement for Federico and his family has been enormous. Is this how we want to deal with immigration problems?

RICHARD QUINTANA
Chairman, Peace & Justice Committee, All Saints Catholic Church.
Manassas, Virginia

DANIEL McGUIRE
Staff Attorney, Catholic Charities
Washington D.C.

Cheryl Talley Letter to the Editor 11-14-08

Editor:

It was early on election night. I, along with fellow Democrats, had come to the Blue Nile Ethiopian Restaurant in downtown Harrisonburg to watch the returns. A big tent had been erected in the parking lot. One of the organizers lowered the TV sound briefly and announced that cars parked in the municipal parking lot next door had to be moved immediately.

It was then that I glanced out of the nearby plastic window. Ten feet in front of me was a police car. Two policemen were trying to get a handcuffed man in a gray hoody into the back seat of the squad car. I was close enough to see the policemen’s faces straining with effort as they tried to fold the man’s rigid body into the back seat. After a few moments, one of the officers went through the other back door and helped pull the unwilling rider into the car. The entire incident took less than three minutes. I didn’t know who the man was or what he had done. However, I did I notice my reaction to the incident. After scanning the scene I immediately searched the face of the hooded man in order to identify his race. I couldn’t see him clearly, it was dark, he had a hood over his head and the incident lasted only a few moments but in my mind’s eye I saw clearly two white cops and a Black man in handcuffs, an image so familiar that I could construct it out of a dimly lit scene.

As each ensuing moment of the Obama presidency is photographed, filmed, downloaded and broadcast a new image, an unfamiliar image will be presented to the American psyche. For those of us already trained to expect to see Black men in handcuffs more so than in business suits, it may require some time to get used to the image of Barrack Obama sitting in the Oval Office, shaking hands with world leaders or boarding Air Force One. It undoubtedly will be difficult for some Americans to think of him as “our” president when we have been used to our leaders being white men. But President-elect Obama was indisputably elected and if his election does indeed usher in a new political era it will also create a unique opportunity to examine ourselves as a member of a race, as a citizen of a nation and a part of what has never existed in the world, one nation of many races.

Although it is tempting to consider Obama’s victory as an inevitable result of American’s upward march toward racial equality, the history of American race relations shows that negative reactions, setbacks and backlashes often follow victories. Reconstruction was followed by fifty years of legislated Jim Crow in the South, defacto Jim Crow in the north as well as unprecedented violence against Black people. Just as civil rights laws did not change all hearts and minds, neither can the election of an African-American address continued racial disparities or racist notions. The thoughts and feelings that are spurred by images of white policemen and a Black man in handcuffs; of a group of brown men climbing a border fence or for that matter, images that render Asian-Americans invisible and Native Americans virtually absent, all point to a need for the substantive dialogue on race that we, as a nation, have never had. The power of images is that they elicit feelings, feelings influence beliefs and beliefs can eventually become public policy. Hence, there are reasons that Black men are disproportionately jailed in our country and that a fence is being built on our southern border. It will be left to historians to debate whether Barrack Obama could have been elected president under anything less than the direst of national circumstances. However, the real legacy of the first African-American president will be how personal attitudes, community actions and legislative policies that adversely affect people of color will change in America as a result of his election. That is the change we all need.

Cheryl Talley
Harrisonburg, VA

Martha Hicks Letter to the Editor 9-23-08

Dear Editor,

I retired three years ago after teaching for 30 years in Virginia's public schools. I have a pension, for which I am grateful, through the Virginia Retirement System. The benefits from that pension were partly paid for by me when I began to teach, then my school system took over the payments. While teaching I did pay for part of my health insurance.

Now I pay all my health care premiums, as well as dental, and the costs have risen dramatically in just three years. The total cost for both health and dental are nearly a quarter of my pension (and continuing to rise yearly). The costs are only a quarter of my pension because I have had to increase my deductible to afford it.

I work a part-time job to make ends meet and I cannot imagine not being employed or active. I am so lucky to be able to continue to work, collect a pension that I deserve and live life to the fullest. While lucky, I am, like many other Americans, an accident or illness away from bankruptcy and financial ruin.

My sister is in her second year post chemotherapy and radiation and I know she is concerned about her health care coverage as well. She is still employed and has great insurance but she couldn't leave her job because her new health care program might deny her coverage due to pre-existing health conditions.

My sister and I are not just isolated exceptions but part of the growing trend that unfortunately has become the norm in health care coverage in this country. About 50 days from now, my sister and I will be joining with millions of others in making the most important choice of elected leaders in more than a generation. I hope everyone will educate themselves on the health care plans of the Presidential candidates. Health care needs to be affordable, accessible, and comprehensive.

Martha Hicks
Lynchburg, VA

Op-Ed: Community organizing is no joke 9-11-08

Community organizing is no joke
By Karen C. Waters

I am a community organizer. I make change.

I am my brother's and my sister's keeper. This is one heck of a big responsibility; one I believe is no laughing matter. Thousands of others like me understand we are in this together, and shoulder the heavy burden to create healthy, just and inclusive communities by harnessing the collective wisdom, energy and efforts of folks willing to sacrifice for the common good. We forgo high-paying jobs, evenings and weekends at home, fancy offices, big expense accounts and public recognition. You can find us in church basements, community centers or walking neighborhoods that others are content to drive past, or on rural back roads that are sometimes impassable.

In big cities and small towns all across America, we solve problems, find resources, manage tight budgets, motivate and mobilize people to rise above their own expectations of themselves, their neighbors, and even those with whom they fundamentally disagree. The job title is one you may not have heard, but the functions are certainly familiar -- working with everyday people to activate a communications network like Paul Revere, organizing peaceful demonstrations like Mahatma Gandhi, speaking truth to power like Martin Luther King, changing policies to benefit children like Marian Wright Edelman, advocating for the poor like Mother Theresa, and partnering with others to get things done like Bush 41's thousand points of light.

While recently some have mocked and laughed at my life's work, I am deeply privileged to work with residents to improve their quality of life as Executive Director of the Quality Community Council and to serve on many community boards and task forces. Helping teachers to make sure that parents, even if they're homeless, disabled, or unable to read well, understand how we can work together to make our schools the best they can be; knocking on hundreds of doors to tell residents how to save our planet by recycling and conserving precious natural resources; teaching families miles from the nearest grocery store to work cooperatively, organically growing the vegetables they need to reduce their risk for obesity, diabetes, and cancer; showing the mother of a murdered youth how to convert her plea for safety to action, challenging City Council to adequately fund the police department before she has even buried her son; empowering a teenager to educate her neighbo rs on gun violence prevention; organizing forums and dialogues to forge consensus on our community's needs; plus registering enough voters to hold leadership accountable should those needs go unmet.

Although the pay is not much, the rewards are great, and well worth being the butt of petty political punchlines. It was no joke when a low-income retired veteran thanked me for "bringing back America like it used to be -- everyone helping each other." It was no joke when I was told by a teacher that a middle schooler wrote an essay naming me as his hero. It was no joke when a graduate of our leadership program was sworn in as the mayor. At the Quality Community Council, we know that Community Values are American Values, and we believe it takes Courage to Make a Difference.

Karen Waters
Charlottesville, VA

Kara West Letter to the Editor 9-10-08

Dear Editor,

I am a very lucky woman and I know it. I have no out of pocket expenses for healthcare thanks to the forward thinking of my progressive employer. Unfortunately many working Virginians don’t enjoy this basic benefit. I haven’t always been in this position, and while it feels luxurious, it should be commonplace. Every Virginian deserves comprehensive, affordable and portable healthcare.

As a former small business owner I struggled with providing health insurance for my four employees, and I simply wasn’t able to do it and provide a living wage at the same time. In the first year of the business I wasn’t even able to buy insurance for myself.

My guilt over not being able to provide this benefit was alleviated somewhat by the fact that three of my employees were either still in school or young enough to be covered by their parents’ policies, but this is not an excuse for our lack of healthcare options. The fourth employee, a single mom, had insurance (at a premium which took a sizable portion of her wages) through her other full-time job. Her sad reality was that she had to work one and a half jobs to provide the basics for herself and her son.

The time is now for our elected officials to make quality healthcare for every Virginian an affordable reality.

Sincerely,

Kara West
Charlottesville, VA

Clarence Shelton Letter to the Editor 9-8-08

I think it is really important that we start having politicians listen to the serious problems that we have here in Martinsville and Henry County. Our officials keep talking about what they are doing, but we need to have better communication from them. We need to be told the truth about what is happening here.

When politicians don’t listen, people keep struggling every day with how they are going to pay their light bill, feed their kids and buy fuel. Every person here has been affected by NAFTA, and when they lost their jobs, they didn’t just lose their paychecks. They also lost their benefits. This hurts them and their families, and it is very real.

We need to help these displaced workers and the elderly who are on fixed incomes. We need to raise the minimum wage area jobs, and we need to provide health care for the people who do not qualify for Medicaid because right now, they are on their own.

Whatever category you fall in, we should all come together to make sure that our politicians hear our message all of the time, not just when they are up for election. If they are going to talk the talk, we need to make sure they walk the walk.

The Virginia Organizing Project is working in our community to help give people tools to help people form this unity. I think this is really important to make sure our politicians follow through on their campaign promises. I want to encourage everyone who can to join in with this group to form a stronger voice.

Clarence Shelton
Martinsville

Fred Glover Letter to the Editor 9-8-08

Dear Editor:
In these trying economic times, there are a great number of concerns. Well-publicized is the price of gas at the pump, and how it has caused a ripple effect on things like the price of food. I think just as critical of an economic emergency is the cost of health care in today’s economy, and how our teachers have great difficulty caring for their families.
Up until the first of the year, I was a teacher in Bedford County. I was quite proud to be a teacher in Bedford County, but found myself financially struggling with my choice of profession, especially when it came to caring for my family. By putting my wife and infant daughter on the family health care plan 4 years ago, it took a $625 chunk out of my pay. On top of that, when my daughter was born we were billed by the hospital for more than $1500. On a teacher’s salary, and with a new mouth to feed and care for, these bills were quite staggering. I had to leave teaching, but I have spoken recently with former colleagues now that say that the family plan for Bedford County is now in the range of $700 per month coming out of the employees’ pockets. And to be fair to my former employer, these conditions exist across the state in many places.
While these are economic hard times, we need to make sure we are taking care of the people that pave the way for our children’s future. My hope is that lawmakers will make a commitment to ensure that the people who will be teaching my daughter next school year will afford to care for their own children when they get home from taking care of mine.

Sincerely,
Fred Glover
Lynchburg, VA

Blair Smith Letter to the Editor 9-8-08

Dear Editor,
As a new member of the Virginia Organizing Project, a statewide grassroots social justice group, I was drawn to the work VOP is doing to make health care access affordable for everyone. When I was growing up, health care never seemed to be a big issue for my family. It wasn’t until I grew older that I realized how the health care system and insurance companies charged absurdly high rates for hospital bills, visits to the doctor, and other essential services.
In 2002, my father was diagnosed with kidney failure and multiple myeloma cancer. He had just begun a new job with an exceptionally good pay rate, but when he became terminally ill, the medical bills went sky high, and he was no longer able to work. My mom made less than $30,000 a year, so she could not afford to pay the bills on her own. Insurance paid for most of the hospital bills, but prescriptions were almost $80 per bottle, and my father had to take multiple medications.

In 2004, my father passed away, and the money we received from his life insurance policy had to be used to pay for his medical bills. We ended up losing our house, and had to move. The health care system failed my family at a time when we needed affordable health care the most.
Just recently, I had surgery for a pilonidal cyst, and because of rising health care costs, my mom had to pay a $200 co-pay plus medicine and surgery fees. With the amount of money she makes each year, it is almost impossible for her to even afford a yearly physical. At my mother’s age, health problems may start to arise and going without a physical for years in the long run may result in even more health care problems.

My personal experiences with the health care system have opened my eyes to the changes that need to be made. For many, insurance is too expensive to afford and too limited in its coverage. Please contact your elected officials and remind them that everyone deserves access to quality and affordable health care.

Blair Ebony Smith
Williamsburg, VA

Murray Whitehill Letter to the Editor 9-5-08

Sirs,

Summer has now passed and the school season is upon us. Perhaps one thing that our school system could focus on is everyday math. Our children need to be taught that when a store has a 30% off sale, you are not 'saving' anything -- you are spending less. If you have the mindset of spending less you have a better chance of not falling into the clutches of one of our societies most fiscally vicious parasites, the payday and car title lenders.

There were some laws passed recently that quieted the loudest of the complaints about this industry but it is still there, sending many into what is essentially indentured servitude. That is something most thought we outlawed decades ago. But no, our state lawmakers accepted over half a million dollars in 'political contributions' last year from this industry, and surprise, it is still ruining lives and collecting great profits.

The industry claims it would be put out of business should it be forced to become less of a loan shark business and more like a reputable lender. They also claim that people would suffer greatly were they not able to borrow at usurious rates. I wonder how the residents of WV, MD, and NC where these 'lenders' have been banned are managing.

Communities have an obligation and duty to help those in trouble and to educate them to avoid problems. The failure of our legislators to control this industry is making if difficult if not impossible for our communities to do so.

Sincerely,

Murray Whitehill
Ivy, VA

Op-Ed: There are big holes in our health insurance system 9-2-08

There are big holes in our health insurance system
I know because I'm an insurance agent

by Jessica O'Brien

As an independent health and life insurance broker in Williamsburg, I deal with people looking for health insurance coverage on a daily basis. It is very satisfying to be able to help folks find affordable, comprehensive coverage that offers them security in the event of a medical problem, and many of the health insurance plans available in Virginia do just that. However, for many people, the search for affordable coverage is a painful process. There are several common scenarios which leave Virginians in very difficult situations. Here are some examples.

Employees with employers who offer health insurance and who then pay a portion of the premium out of their own paychecks -- Depending on the health rating of the whole pool of employees (including all insured dependents) assigned by the insurance company, the health insurance premiums may have been increased to a level that is unaffordable to many employees.

When offered a job, wouldn't it be a good idea to ask your potential employer about the cost of the company's health coverage before accepting the job?

Employees whose employers do not offer health insurance and individuals who do not have traditional employment -- Depending on the health of the employees or individuals and any dependents they wish to insure, individually bought health insurance may be rated high (multiples of the "healthy" rate) or declined. Each insurance company has different criteria for accepting new clients and must be applied for separately. In the worse-case scenario, a "guaranteed-issue" policy is available from Virginia's Blue Cross Blue Shield. This policy is often quite expensive and does not cover any pre-existing conditions for one year.

Does it make sense that the employee will be paying a high premium for a plan which, for the first year, will not cover the very condition which caused him to take the plan in the first place?

Dependents of employees who cannot afford the employer's group dependent coverage -- These Virginians face the same obstacles as employees and individuals who are not offered employer coverage -- their health determines what coverage they can get. A "healthy" dependent will be offered standard premiums, while an "unhealthy" dependent faces high rates or the "guaranteed-issue" policy with its high rates and a one-year wait on pre-existing conditions.

Isn't that a risky and frightening situation for lots of families?

Employees leaving their job -- While federal laws such as COBRA exist (guaranteeing the availability of continuous coverage for employees who leave their employment or lose their coverage, and which help many people when they are between jobs), the cost of a COBRA plan is often beyond the reach of many families -- often way more than what they were previously paying.

In the situation where an employee leaves his or her employment and has not found employer-group coverage by the time COBRA runs out (18 months), though continuous coverage is guaranteed to that person no matter what his health condition, do you think it is fair for the insurance company to charge its highest premium (which it often does)?

These are some of the difficulties facing Virginians today. In my practice, I often cannot help those people who most are in need of health coverage.

When I began working as a health insurance broker many years ago, my manager always said, "The only thing that buys good health insurance is good health." While this is true and exactly the right message for an 18-year old who doesn't think he needs to bother with health insurance right now, being immortal, it is little comfort to those who are not so lucky.

"SO, WHATCHA GOT THERE?" 8-21-08

The day was over, the boss man asked, "So, whatcha got there?"

"Two-hundred eighty five bundles," I replied.

He screamed, "You're cheatin'. Can't count good."

At the age of 10, I protested, "Count them yourself. There are 285 bundles."

My brother was only six and a half. I don't know why we did this along with three neighborhood friends. This incident has stuck in my craw all these years. I chew on stuff. I've been masticating for almost six decades about this.

Joliet, Illinois, 1949. Some truck farmers wanted help getting stuff ready for market. Did our parents see a 'help wanted' notice and sign us up?

Bushel baskets of thousands of unpeeled, dirt encrusted scallions were dumped at our feet. We peeled off the outer skin to make the scallion clean for the market. With 24 we tied them together. That was a penny's worth. We kept good count and stacked the onions into custom-made cardboard boxes.

The big old boss man scoffed, spit and repeated, to me, "You cheat."

At that moment, Mr. Smith, our ride home, showed up. We five dirty, hot little kids piled into the car and left, unpaid.

We didn't get the $2.85 owed to us on our last day. We had 285 bundles of 24 scallions each or 6,840 onions or 1,368 per kid if we peeled at the same rate. We evidently had no recourse. That number 285 has stuck with me all these years.

The 'cheat' was hiring little kids. That was illegal even in 1949. He paid way below the 40 cents/hour minimum wage. We returned home stinking of onions. Mom and Dad talked about 'ethics' at dinner. This guy was the first dishonest adult I met.

This is a small, insignificant story from the last century -- peeling onions for a two-bit truck farmer.

Now, move into the 21st century. Inhumanity is rampant where work ethics are concerned. Think about the injustices in our own communities done by us to other ethnic groups -- namely those people without documentation -- those 'illegal' immigrants who are being cheated at every turn. They're 'illegal' just like we were as kid laborers in 1949. We weren't feeding destitute families. We were making money to buy bubble gum and baseball cards.

"So, whatcha got there?" Whatcha got is 37 million undocumented people in the US today -- some working under the table for low wages often cheated by boss men looking to make a faster buck. Who's the culprit? The employer? The employee? I believe that answer is simple. Think of all the stuff stuck in craws today.

"So, whatcha got there?" Whatcha got is a serious moral dilemma which needs to be addressed before another half century goes by. In 1949 we see middle class kids with white privilege screwed. Today, much harsher penalties await 'undocumented' human beings who share our planet who are here now working to alleviate dire poverty. They are being cheated here and now. So, whatcha gonna do?

Sandra Brian Lore

Op-Ed: Transportation funding plan going down the wrong path 6-6-08

Transportation funding plan going down the wrong path
By Dave Shreve

The Virginia Organizing Project and its Tax Reform Committee commend Governor Tim Kaine for his recent efforts to publicize and push for expanded investment in the state's transportation network. There is little doubt that Virginia faces an ongoing road maintenance funding deficit, that there is ample need for public spending on innovations beyond automobiles and asphalt, and that there must also be significant roadway improvements undertaken throughout the Commonwealth.

We also applaud the Governor's contention that higher gasoline taxes not be included, for, as he has explained it at several Town Hall meetings in recent weeks, this would "hit the hardest those who have already taken the hardest hits" at the hands of our "stagflationary" national economy. Yes, the gas tax is simple and it appears to be a logical choice for roadway funding, but it is also one of the most regressive choices. As a percentage of income -- the only sound way to assess tax equity (and on one critical level, tax soundness as well) -- gasoline taxes take the most from those who have the least. First adopted by all states in the 1910s and 1920s when only 30 to 40 percent of American families owned automobiles, the gasoline tax was something of a luxury tax that quickly became a much more regressive user fee. Moreover, when Virginia adopted its first gasoline tax, a highest-in-the-nation three cents in 1923, no state had yet to adopt a sales tax and only eleven had individual or corporate income taxes. Sounder alternatives, in other words, had yet to be established or tested very effectively.

Out of VOP's decade-long study of the state's tax system, we contend that no public official -- including Governor Kaine -- has put forth a transportation funding proposal that adheres to sound public finance principles, including the critical concern for equity reflected in the Governor's rejection of new gasoline taxes. Asking localities to shoulder the full responsibility ignores ongoing state funding deficits and encourages the fragmentation of what ought to be a state system, but also compels transportation funding at a place where it is certain to be regressively financed. Relying on sales tax increases at any level is to rely upon the most regressive of the three major tax vehicles employed by the Commonwealth and its municipal governments. User fees, including tolls and higher vehicle registration levies, are even more regressive choices, if also seductively less prominent or visible. Financing any public investment in this fashion may well serve to plug short term deficits, but it will also force the state to rely upon taxes that grow less slowly than the economy, that dampen economic activity by depressing the consumer demand of those who spend virtually all that they earn, and that will most assuredly force taxpayers to address recurring funding shortfalls.

The Virginia Organizing Project has proposed as an alternative a two-part transportation funding plan. First, we would raise new revenue by imposing a small income tax surcharge. A five percent surcharge (not a 5 percent rate increase but a 5 percent charge added to existing tax liabilities) would raise approximately $450 million. We recommend using up to $400 million of this amount to finance ongoing maintenance deficits, with the balance dedicated to interest payments on newly issued revenue or general obligation bonds in the amount of $600 million. The proceeds from these bonds should be sufficient to finance the new transportation investments for Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and throughout the Commonwealth. Such an approach would also finance these investments as they should be financed -- on the basis of ability to pay -- and it would rely on the state's sterling credit where it should be counted upon -- to finance relatively long-lived state assets.

As we see it, there is no compelling reason not to finance this or any other investment on this kind of a moderately progressive footing. Often expressed concerns that transportation needs not compete for the same general funds as education and health care assumes, illogically, that all revenues aren't paid out of personal or corporate income. The critical question ought to be not which categories of spending fall under which dedicated tax vehicle, but whether or not any new investments are financed in an equitable and efficient manner. As we have witnessed many times before, the prospective pinching of one priority to pay for another occurs only when we rely upon regressive taxation.

We urge Governor Kaine and all interested parties to consider our more progressive and sustainable proposal.

Shirley Rothman Letter to the Editor 05-29-08

Is there anyone out there who can help us in Mecklenburg County? The Planning Commission and the County Board of Supervisors are ignoring the citizens. Osage Bio Energy LLC from Glen Allen is forcing an ethanol plant down our throats. This is the same outfit that is attacking Hopewell. Osage has never made a drop of ethanol, but the Tobacco Commission (TICR) approved $1,000,000.00 to run a water pipeline 13 miles to the site, a beautiful farm on the edge of Chase City that Osage wants rezoned heavy industrial.

Meanwhile, Governor Tim Kaine visited South Boston, 30 miles down the road, to promote his program of land conservation and preservation. Then he awarded our county $650,000 in grants to help pay for the water pipeline to this ethanol plant, that will spew 700,000,000 (7 hundred million) pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air.

Over one thousand four hundred (1,400) people from Chase City, Clarksville, Boydton, Skipwith and the county have signed statements of opposition to the location of this plant. We have 700 acres of industrial parks sitting empty in the county without rezoning this beautiful 600 acre farm right next to a town.

All the national news concerning ethanol is negative. The taxpayers are paying twice for this insane federal program providing subsidies to the manufacturers and then the taxpayer pays taxes at the pump. The state is also paying subsidies.

People in Mecklenburg County need to find an organization, a good law firm, or a hero/heroine to come to our rescue right away. We have a war chest pledged to help with the fight. Please email us at info@preservemecklenburg.org or call 434-372-8363. Do it now.

Ida O'Sullivan Letter to the Editor 04-21-08

Editor:

Recently Governor Tim Kaine hosted the Governor's Forum on Land Conservation in South Boston at the Prizery to focus on land and family farm conservation in Virginia. Judging by the standing-room only turnout, there was a great deal of interest by both the public and private sectors from across the state.

Participants were welcomed by Virginia State Senator Charles Hawkins and Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources L. Preston Bryant, Jr. The keynote luncheon speakers were Governor Kaine and Ward Burton, NASCAR driver and creator of the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation. Additional speakers with varied and extensive expertise addressed the benefits and tools to be used for land conservation and the financial incentives available. The advantages of open space, water quality and wildlife habitat protection were also stressed.

"Our land is too precious to lose," stated Senator Hawkins in his opening comments. This all sounds well and good. If Governor Kaine, Senator Hawkins, Secretary Bryant and other officials are so concerned about land preservation and conservation, they need to stop the proposed ethanol refineries in Virginia. They need to provide action, not just talk about it. Here in Mecklenburg County hundreds of acres of pristine farm land of woods, fields, a pond and stream next to Chase City are under threat of being developed into an ethanol refinery. Presently attempts are being made to rezone the area from agricultural to heavy industry.

So we have this to say to Governor Kaine: You stand to be known as the one that allowed the destruction of the rural charm that is the heart of Virginia. If you so love Virginia and the way of life you treasure, you MUST put a stop to the ethanol train wreck.

Let's hope one of the governor's aides brings this to his attention.

Ida O'Sullivan
Chase City, VA

Judith Jae George Letter to the Editor 03-18-08

Dear Editor:

The time has come to take a serious look at why Virginia has one in 44 adults in the prison system and why they are kept there so long. A top-to-bottom review of our entire parole system seems in order, giving serious consideration to releasing those who clearly have demonstrated they pose no threat to society.

Holding the dubious distinction of having the lowest levels of approval in the nation, the Virginia Parole Board, in 2007, had a 5 percent release rate -- we Virginia taxpayers continue to pay mightily to keep those eligible inmates behind bars.

Virginia currently houses an estimated 9,000 persons who pre-date the 'no parole' law. With their limited resources, the three full-time and two part-time Parole Board members determined eligibility to an estimated 6,000 inmates in 2007, resulting in deliberating an estimated 6.5 minutes per prisoner.

Currently, there is no "risk assessment" given to those eligible. In other words, any prisoner, regardless of his rehabilitation progress or lack thereof, is considered equal --and we continue to pay. The $31,000 estimated annual cost per inmate doesn't include the cost the state supplements many of these families due to the year after year loss of that incarcerated loved one's income.

How much is too much? Prior to abolishing Virginia Parole in 1995, our parole release rate was as high as 45 percent. Is the answer to build more prisons? At your expense, the estimated cost to build each prison is $100 million, and don't forget the operating costs.

No Virginia, I don't want bad people on the streets, I only want those who have done their time back in the community, earning their own keep.

Judith Jae George
White Stone

Sarah Thomas Letter to the Editor 2-27-08

Dear Sir,

I am a fourth year student at the College of William and Mary, majoring in history and Jefferson Studies. I support President Gene Nichol, a man who stood up for what he believed in. Gene Nichol is and will always be an important part of the Tribe.

President Nichol's tenure as President marks the shortest in our long and varied history. With the oldest continually operating academic building in the country, our College represents the promises that higher education offer America. The values that Nichol represented at William and Mary -- integrity, equality, diversity, and justice -- are to be followed. On the other hand, the Board of Visitors' actions -- full of cowardice and betrayal -- are examples of actions that should not be followed. People look to us for example. I say we should look to President Nichol. He did the right thing. He is an honorable man.

In the past months, the media have reported on "Nichol's controversial presidency" of the College. Nichol did not bring about the controversies. Others -- a vocal and wealthy minority of alumni and politicians -- have brought controversy upon our great President.

All that Nichol did was to try to make William and Mary a welcoming and open place for everyone. He fulfilled his oath of office by protecting our first amendment right to free speech. He continued Thomas Jefferson's important legacy by attempting to make the Wren Building a place of religious freedom. He opened the College's doors to low income, underprivileged students by providing full tuition scholarships through the Gateway Program, which in turn has increased Pell eligible students by 20% over the last two years.

As a student, I am saddened by the actions of both the Board of Visitors and the Virginia Assembly. I have, however, never been more proud of my historic institution when thousands gathered and sang the alma mater in support of President Nichol. Like him, we did what we thought was right. It's high time that others in this country do the same.

Lisa Catterton Letter to the Editor 2-25-08

Dear Editor,

As quoted in the article, "A useful service or trap?" which appeared in the February 12th Richmond Times Dispatch, a payday loan borrower stated, "I don't mind paying $15 for a $100 loan if my kid has shoes on his feet and there's food on the table." A person in need of a short-term loan for basic necessities such as shoes and food has a crisis. People in crisis can only think about the immediate dilemma. If children are involved, the dilemma is heightened and the need to find a solution is even more immediate.

Why deny an opportunity to get cash fast from a payday loan, when a credit check is not needed? Many low-wage workers do not pass up the opportunity to get a payday loan when they are in need of money fast, especially when the payday loan industry can offer cash in about ten minutes.

In survival mode, thinking of making ends meet is priority, not the consequences that would follow after making a decision. Unfortunately, the consequences of obtaining a payday loan will most likely worsen the situation. Payday loan borrowers are not really aware that they are about to enter into a cycle of debt after obtaining a loan.

Supporters of the payday loan industry say the payday loan industry helps low-wage workers. With interest rates as high as 390% that are not regulated like other small business loan offices throughout the state, the only people the industry is helping is their employees. Many loan borrowers take out more than one loan. Additional loans are most likely used to pay for the initial loan borrowed, because of lack of funds. At such high interest rates and the probability to get additional loans to pay back the first one, borrowers enter a cycle of debt from which they cannot escape.

Reforming the payday loan industry is the only answer to helping these citizens. Reforming the payday loan industry respects the dignity and worth of a person. Justice can only be reached by regulating interest rates (APR) for the payday loan industry.

Larry Yates Letter to the Editor 2-21-08

Editor:

Payday lending is not just an issue for those who get caught in the debt trap. For many of us Virginians who don't expect to use payday loans ourselves, it is still deeply disturbing to see these stores proliferate faster than fast food or fancy coffee franchises. This generates an uneasy feeling that the social contract just doesn't work, that things are coming apart in some hard to define way. After all, even baby boomers were born in a day when usury laws (which of course reflect Biblical values) kept legal loans under a strict limit. Back then only a thug could dream of squeezing unwary debtors dry the way that payday lenders do now with the legal sanction of the General Assembly.

It makes sense, then, that the Republican leaders of the House of Delegates have taken the lead on this issue. They are standing for conservative principles; Virginia law prohibited payday lending as we see it now from colonial times through 2002. Though their proposal -- House Bill 12 -- will certainly protect many Virginians from the debt trap, it may be more important as a signal to their Republican core constituency that they hear how uneasy those constituents are about payday lending. It is also a signal to those who are younger or more socially liberal that there is more to the conservative moral agenda than enforcing sexual rules.

Of course, House Bill 12 is a compromise. It keeps the opportunity open for those who want to get an occasional loan and are willing to pay the high price. But the legislation sends a clear message that a business model whose survival depends on trapping and bleeding consumers is unacceptable.

After the House's passage of House Bill 12, the real battle is in the Senate. The pro-payday industry positions taken by key Democratic leaders are an education for those who think that one party is always "the good guy." A good outcome in the Senate will require principled conservatives and principled liberals to override the opportunistic middle.

All of Virginia's state legislators must hear the growing unease of the people, to which they have been a bit deaf. Though not all Virginians are caught in the payday trap, every Virginian is living in a society where that trap is condoned by law. And most of us don't like that a bit.

Michael Ahern Letter to the Editor 02-20-08

To The Editor:

Over the next several days the state legislature will consider legislation intended to reform the payday lending industry. The House of Delegates has passed a bill that would stop many of the predatory practices typically inflicted on Virginia citizens who can be categorized as the neediest among us. The Senate version is a watered down bill that allows these evil predators to get around many of the measures intended to protect our citizens from industry procedures intended to create a circle of debt from which there is no end and inflict economic harm upon their victims with interest rates which when compounded can rise to hundreds of percentage points. Loan sharking is too nice a word to attribute to these predators.

It is disturbing to hear that many of our legislators, particularly those in a Democratic led Senate, would accept the feeble rationalization justifying these practices offered by the payday lending industry and their lobbyists. At a recent state Senate Commerce and Labor Committee meeting I attended in Richmond, the "industry" paid 50 or so employees to come to Richmond wearing signs urging a "no" vote on the House legislation. Much more disturbing is the likelihood that they also paid many, many times that amount in campaign contributions to the legislators who should be serving the public and not an industry who inflicts so much harm on our neighbors and members of our community who need our help the most.

I have personally spoken to several of our legislators who could only offer the weakest excuses for their "no" votes in support of the industry. The excuse heard most often by the industry and legislators is that the poor would have no other place to go for necessary loans from time to time. Can these inhumane people actually hold themselves up to be some kind of benevolent social service agency, helping the poor while literally stealing what little assets they own? If there was ever an anti-Robin Hood, or for that matter an anti-Christ, here you have it!

I would urge you to state an editorial position that would encourage your readers to support the stronger House version of this bill and not to be fooled by the "industry supported Senate version.

Sincerely,

Michael Ahern
Oak Hill

Robert L. Tripp Letter to the Editor 2-19-08

To the editor:

As Democrats and residents of Fairfax County for 34 years, my wife and I are appalled at the role Senator Richard Saslaw has taken to undermine efforts to put a cap on the interest payday lenders can charge to people in desperate need of a loan -- almost always the most vulnerable of our fellow citizens.

Saslaw's willingness to bend to the wishes of the lenders' lobby is a disgrace. Surely he can live without the campaign money the lending industry has given him -- about $48,000! Why must he support the greed of the lending industry?

So much for being a so-called liberal! Saslaw is betraying the liberalism he generally proclaims. So much for the hope aroused by t