As Black History Month 2019 in Fairfax County draws to a close, here is a small sample of the many speeches, celebrations, exhibitions and events that have made it specially memorable. At left, Dontae Bugg, Esq., soon to take office as the third African-American ever to become a circuit court judge in Fairfax County. Bugg gave the keynote speech at…
Muslims are believed to be under-represented among Fairfax County voters, but outreach efforts by Democratic Party candidates for local office aim to change that equation. The latest such effort took place Saturday, Feb. 16, at Dar al Hijrah Mosque in Mason District, where three school board candidates met with Muslim community members to describe the workings of the Fairfax County…
The struggle for Virginia to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment is not over, although the chances for victory in the current legislative session are slight. According to VAratifyERA, an activist group, there are three paths to getting the ERA ratification to the floor of the legislature before the end of the session on Feb. 23. Pro-ERA groups are sponsoring a…
By William Berkson. Ronald Reagan’s small-government crusade led directly to our current era of slow growth and massive income inequality. But his vision still dominates the political landscape. Why? History shows that sustained, equitable growth only happens during periods of strong government investment in both the commercial and social welfare spheres—what I call the “Investment State”. Its opposite is the…
By Susan Laume Police were a visible presence Saturday at two town halls in Fairfax County on Saturday, including one that had been cancelled but nevertheless attracted hundreds of demonstrators. The unusual police presence highlighted the emotional nature of two issues state legislators are dealing with currently – a racist photo connected to Gov. Ralph Northam, and partisan vilification of…
Updated 4:10 pm to remove reference to town hall, which has been cancelled Virginia Del. Kathy Tran (D-42) has apologized to constituents for misspeaking, while reaffirming her opposition to infanticide and clarifying that a bill she sponsored would not extend the time period for legal abortion in Virginia. Tran kicked up a firestorm last week in answering yes when asked…
Although the weather was cold, the reception was warm as 10 state lawmakers met with a delegation of 50+ Committee members, part of Fairfax County Democratic Committee, in Richmond on Jan. 17. The 50+ members discussed key issues for seniors with legislators, including mobile voting in long term care facilities, creation of an elder care abuse registry, and ensuring staffing…
There were fewer marchers and even fewer pussy hats at the 3rd annual Women’s March in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, Jan. 19, than in past years, but the spirit and message of those who showed up was strong. Organizers estimated that about 10,000 people marched down Pennsylvania Avenue and attended the rally at Freedom Plaza, one of the events taking…
By Susan Laume: Since the Diversion First program began three years ago in Fairfax County offering an alternative to jail for those experiencing a mental health crisis and facing a first arrest, detentions have dropped by nearly 20% in the Adult Detention Center population, according to Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey Kincaid. “Diversion First remains a top priority and one of our biggest…
By Karen Kirk: By a bipartisan vote, the Virginia Senate voted Tuesday to pass the Equal Rights Amendment Resolution by a 26-14 vote with 7 Republicans joining all 19 Senate Democrats. Now the resolution faces a more difficult road to passage in the House of Delegates, which has never cleared it. Del. Mark Cole, R-Spotsylvania, chairman of the Privileges and…
By Karen Kirk: Winning the decades-long fight for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is in Virginia’s court, or actually its General Assembly. And the push is on to finally get it passed in 2019 in both Virginia’s Senate, where it has passed five times, and its House of Delegates, where it has languished in committee year after year. In 2018,…
By Sharon Bulova: I read with shock and disappointment the Nov. 29 report by Ms. Diane Burkley Alejandro, Special Report: Local police may be helping ICE make Fairfax a national leader in immigrant detention. This report uses data to draw a number of false or misleading conclusions meant to stoke fear in a community already under immense pressure from the…
By Diane Burkley Alejandro: There is a family separation crisis right here in Fairfax County. The nation was rightfully shocked when 2,600 children were separated from migrant families crossing the border. Why then isn’t the Fairfax Board of Supervisors incensed that 12,037 Fairfax immigrant families have been torn apart by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—and that Fairfax law enforcement, working…
By Todd Thurwachter: Ahead of the Nov. 6 election, Democrats have made a sustained effort to register and educate Latino voters in Fairfax County – who now constitute 16% of the population, and are heading higher. The campaign has contacted tens of thousands in Fairfax and neighboring counties, led by the Voter Registration & Education Committee of Fairfax County Democratic…