Welcome to 'Talking Richmond'
Local members of the General Assembly bring Richmond legislative news that affects our region directly to the Advance's readers.
By Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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The idea that we are a politically divided people is a trope that few question. To those who pay attention, however, the closer to local that politics operate, the less partisan politics tend to be — at least in theory.
That theory breaks down when national politics drives local discussion. Local media is critical to ensuring that local issues, not national ones, shape community discussions and decision-making.
But local media also has an important role to play in making sure that local citizens understand what is happening on the state level. This year, the Advance is committed to improving the way that we inform our readers about state-level politics that affect our region.
Beginning today, the Advance will weekly publish columns from our representatives in the General Assembly throughout the forthcoming legislative session.
The idea is simple — legislators will focus on the bills they are carrying, other bills in Richmond that would have an impact on their constituents, and related goings-on in Richmond that shape our local communities.
We’ve asked our local representatives to write one column each month. These columns will typically appear on Thursdays, though we are rolling out our inaugural column a bit early.
We begin with Del. Phillip Scott, who represents HD-63, which includes parts of Spotsylvania and Orange. Next week, Nicole Cole will deliver her first column. She is the representative-elect for HD-66. Look in the New Year for the full line-up of representatives you can look forward to reading in the Advance!
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Again, hearing from both local and state level legislatures on their work is certainly laudable.
Though the fact that someone who is operating in our local and state legislature with great power over our lives chooses to belong to a group that is supporting and actively attacks so many of the basic premises of our society should not be asked how they reconcile those diverse ideals is not.
It's nice if someone is working to build a bridge across 95 or increase school funding. Well done.
But isn't it at least worth asking how they reconcile those views with being in a group that has fired so many honorable Virginians this year without cause, withheld monies from Virginia schools, hospitals, and research, sent secret police into our schools to arrest children and then send those children and their parents to foreign gulags without judicial review, withhold already authorized, purchased, and waiting medications to the poorest in the world until it expires, kill and commit war crimes, raise and lower taxes daily based upon who is providing graft or worshipping enough, and all of the myriad of things that have been going on for the last year.
Again, as always, when preparing such a list, admitting that I am forgetting a myriad of outrages just as horrendous just due to the overwhelming number of them?
This idea that the solution is to ignore those outrages, injustices, and open attacks, as basic to our lives and society as they are, and limiting our questions or discussions with members of this group to only those things that don't touch on these actions - is mind boggling. No one is making them be Republicans. They are choosing to be. Aren't they? Why does it not matter to them? Why does it not matter to you?
Is it like Tom Joad's Pa in Grapes of Wrath, who doesn't really care as long as he gets his hamburger? Or is it something more basic, where they do see the ones who this is happening to as another breed of human?
You know, shithole people from shithole countries (but hey, I'm not racist! - look, I like Tim Scott and Clarence Thomas and Kanye West, it's just the poor ones without a media following that I despise).
Problems don't go away by not admitting they exist or talking about them. Didn't work in the 1600's before the Glorious Revolution, in the 1700's before the War for Independence, 1800's before slavery was resolved, in the 1900's before Civil Rights finally arrived.
And I'm not sure that a truly responsible journalistic endeavor does itself or its readers a good service by ignoring them. Whatever the rationalization given to do so.
So I truly do not understand this Pollyanna ideal that it will work now. I don't.
Though, at a certain level, I do admire your loyalty to it. About on the same level as I admire the cultists themselves for their loyalty to their cult being a fount of truth and enlightenment - despite all evidence to the contrary.
Anyway, now I'll read the article and hope it's worthwhile.
But just once, for the sake of novelty if no other, I sure would love if you took the time to ask these good, local, friendly, Christian Republicans how they reconcile those actions being committed in not only their names, but ours since they currently represent our nation with those happy feelings how they do it and why. It be worth recording. Someday, some historian or student is going to ask. Extant records would be of value.
Though I doubt folks whose children now go hungry before school, have lost their homes, jobs, and healthcare, and who are hiding in fear from our loving Republicans this holy season as they wait to see if the power goes off because a data center (which just gave a grant to the FX Advance AND a million dollars to the Friends of the Rappahannock for absolutely nothing in return(nod nod/wink wink)) coming on line can afford to pay $8/month for an on-line newspaper - but I'm betting they still would like to know.
Anyway.....
The proposed series of articles by our representative in the General Assembly is an excellent idea. We usually hear only occasional, top‑level news, so this kind of ongoing coverage fills a real gap. Your series provides a valuable public service by supporting one of our most important civic responsibilities: staying informed. By this, I mean:
Getting reliable information about elected officials, candidates, and issues, not just rumors.
Paying attention to what elected officials do and speaking up when needed.
Thank you very much for undertaking this work.