By Alicia Plerhoples: I often tell my daughters that they are not growing up like I grew up. As a child, I experienced housing instability and food insecurity, just as many hardworking Fairfax County families do today. I was 9 when my father lost his job. Without his income, we were evicted from our home. I spent much of my…
Beto O’Rourke barnstormed through northern Virginia yesterday in a minivan, making several stops to address enthusiastic crowds. Our correspondent caught up with him in the backyard of Fairfax County School Board Member Tammy Kaufax (Lee District), where he presented his presidential vision to about 100 supporters. O’Rourke, a former congressperson from El Paso, Tx., highlighted inequities to minorities under the…
“One Community. One World.” This vision was more than just a slogan at the annual Centreville Immigration Forum dinner on April 13, showcasing the talent and cultural diversity of our region. A Parade of Flags ceremony representing some of the many nationalities resident in northern Virginia opened the evening, complemented by a demonstration of indigenous weaving and embroidery. The 9th…
By Karl Frisch: My partner, Evan, and I have 150 kids in Fairfax County Public Schools–he’s a teacher. When you love a teacher, you share your life together with their students. The challenges they face are your challenges, too. I have spoken with parents about the overcrowded classrooms and trailers their kids sit in all day, and educators who left…
By Karen Keys-Gamarra: It’s that time again in Fairfax County when every local elected official will be on the ballot. This ballot that covers elections from supervisors to the Soil and Water Conservation District board is expansive and contains more parties than a chess board has pieces, but each office is essential to the process of democracy. I’m Karen Keys-Gamarra,…
Gov. Ralph Northam (D) cancelled a campaign stop in Burke on Sunday in the face of protests organized by groups that normally have little in common — the Fairfax County NAACP and the Fairfax County Republican Committee. After the cancellation, Farfax NAACP President Kofi Annan commented on Facebook, “Virginians deserve a governor that does not have ties to the KKK.…
By Brad Swanson: A trio of rising Democratic stars in the state legislature fired up the audience at the Hunter Mill District Democratic Committee’s 44th annual lasagna dinner fundraiser Saturday night with a consistent message– it’s time to take back the majority in both the House and Senate. Hala Ayala (D- 51), Jennifer Foy (D-2) and Kathy Tran (D-42) each…
By Susan Laume: A current investigation into allegations of cruel treatment at a Fairfax pet store highlights the importance of improving legal protection for animals. Nevertheless, about a dozen pro-animal bills failed to win approval in the state legislature in the last session, concluding in March Four Democratic lawmakers who support better protection for animals met recently in a panel discussion…
By Sean Perryman: In August of 2017, James Alex Fields, Jr. intentionally drove his Dodge Challenger into dozens of people, mowing them down and murdering Heather Heyer. In response to the day of violence surrounding the “Unite the Right” rally, President Trump infamously said there are “very fine people on both sides.” The president had apparently equated unabashed white supremacists…
By George Hogan and David Allison: In a recent OxFam study, an analysis was completed to determine the best state in which to work. The report categorized 11 policy areas into three basic dimensions—wage policies, worker protection policies, and the right to organize—and ranked states accordingly. Not surprisingly, our Commonwealth of Virginia placed dead last. As representatives of two Northern…
By Lainie Singerman: A convicted murderer turned legal scholar was honored in Fairfax on March 24 for his contributions to criminal justice reform, including helping to exonerate a fellow death row inmate. The Citizen Advocate of the Year award, from Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (VADP), went to Joe Giarratano, who served 37 years in prison, during which…
Democrats got a premonition of winners and losers in upcoming northern Virginia elections at a straw poll on Mar. 31 with over 500 in attendance. Far from a scientific survey, the event, called “Pick Your Pony, ” was billed primarily as a fundraiser – at $30 per ticket—and an opportunity to sample craft beer at Mustang Sally Brewing Company in…
By Brad Swanson: Fairfax County will seek bids shortly to install solar panels at more than 200 school and government buildings, aiming to decrease electric costs and curb greenhouse emissions. Solar panel installers will be asked to propose terms for “power purchase agreements” (PPAs) under which they will install panels and supporting equipment — at their own expense– at sites…
The Fairfax County Democratic Committee Tuesday passed a resolution condemning all publicly sponsored symbols honoring either Confederate leaders or the Confederate States of America. The resolution encourages all federal, states, and municipalities to remove such symbols from publicly sponsored spaces and encourages the Fairfax County School Board to rename Robert E. Lee High School because the timing of its naming…