For the first time in 30 years, Richmond and its suburban neighbors are contemplating a truly regional government authority.
Wherever one lands on the ideological spectrum, no matter your politics, morality, religion, or “gender ideology,” the idea that female athletes must be protected from domineering “biological males” posing as transgender women is irrational and baseless.
When you campaign on the promise to remove 11 million or more undocumented immigrants in the U.S. who are “poisoning the blood of our country,” it’s disingenuous to accuse other people of fearmongering. Just two weeks into Trump’s second term, the fear within our most vulnerable communities …
The editorial board oversees the opinions section and pens editorials, with the board’s consensus, with the goal of offering perspective and contextualization to the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s daily coverage.
Raise a glass of tap water. City Hall appears to have competent leadership.
Sometimes it takes a crisis to shine a light on the solution that’s staring us in the face. When the water shuts off in Richmond, the entire region pays the price — as both Henrico and Hanover found out last week.
It’s going to take a few days to get back to normal, but we can all breathe a sigh a relief that the water is pumping again. Assessing the problem and root causes? That’s going to take some time.
In a city that seemed to pass him by, Stoney largely abandoned his campaign promise to clean up City Hall in pursuit of the big shiny object.
Why is Congress protecting untraceable weapons?
So, to recap: In a little more than a month since Trump was elected, Youngkin has said he’s perfectly content with the new administration’s plan to gut the federal workforce. Now, the governor is promising to deny state funding to localities who don’t participate in Trump’s militarized “deportation force.”
So ask yourself: Is the Chesterfield School Board really concerned about protecting kids? Or is it furthering a political agenda that puts vulnerable children in harm’s way?
General Registrar Keith Balmer should have been fired months ago. That it took the Richmond Electoral Board the better part of a year to reach the obvious conclusion that Balmer isn't qualified to administer city elections is difficult to reconcile.
Adjudicating Keith Balmer’s transgressions in the middle of a presidential election was probably a bad idea, which explains the timing of the inspector general's report. But the election is behind us now. The electoral board must dismiss the general registrar.
Adjudicating Keith Balmer’s transgressions in the middle of a presidential election was probably a bad idea, which explains the timing of the inspector general's report. But the election is behind us now. The electoral board must dismiss the general registrar.
In Avula, there's an opportunity to rise above the racial politics of the past. With Trump’s return to power, however, the path forward will become a minefield.
Richmond is making real progress. The city’s suburban neighbors are doing more than in the past — especially Henrico. None of the surrounding jurisdictions, however, are incentivizing affordable housing at the same rate as the city.
Yes, ensuring that the next mayor will protect and nurture access to reproductive health care, especially in our current political environment, is important. Richmond, however, has more pressing issues to confront.
That’s not to say that the city shouldn’t offer residents tax relief — in the form of a citywide rebate, for example — but now isn’t the time to turn the “rollback” rate into in a political football.
It should go without saying that Richmond doesn’t have an endless stream of tax revenue to devote to nonessential, recreational projects. But that’s not really the biggest issue. It’s that the city decided to switch gears and devote $170 million in taxpayer funds with little to no public input.
Yes, tighten up border security. Arrest those bringing in illegal drugs. And then stop the unserious politicization.
When you’re running for statewide office and can’t escape the headlines, it can sometimes feel like everyone is piling on. But we’re unaware of anyone “s***-talking” his city. That flushing sound is coming from the second floor at City Hall.
All the noise at City Hall is a problem, but not for the reasons you might think.
Implementing long-term solutions to the city’s persistent dysfunction and operational deficiencies is a heavy lift that no mayor can accomplish on their own. So let's finally take the blinders off. Strong mayors aren't going to save Richmond.
Since the pandemic, school superintendents are increasingly heading for the exits. In Virgina, the superintendent attrition rate has doubled during the last five years: 89 new superintendents, interim superintendents or vacancies among the state’s 132 school divisions since the 2019-20 school year, according to the Virginia Association of School Superintendents.
It was unrealistic to expect Stoney, now in year seven of his two-term mayoralty, to uproot decades of dysfunction at City Hall overnight. But when your “change-making” initiatives intended to foster good government become obstacles to accountability — that’s on you.
In the current cauldron of poisonous partisanship and overheated politics, it’s encouraging that political leaders on both sides of the aisle are calling for restraint. But there is absolutely nothing in our recent history to suggest this restraint will last.
Richmond needs a reset, and a long-term commitment from the current candidates for mayor, and City Council, to prioritize improving the functionality and efficiency of city government.
In her latest What keeps you up at night? podcast, columnist Lynn Schmidt shares her concerns over Project 2025 and the current state of America's politics.
During an address to Congress in March, President Joe Biden claimed to have been “delivering real results in fiscally responsible ways,” adding that his administration had “already cut the federal deficit by over $1 trillion.”
Shining a spotlight on the dearth of affordable housing, displacement and gentrification, and the need for more equitable development is a departure from the growth-at-all-costs mindset of earlier councils and administrations. Solving the equity problem, however, requires long-term commitment and focus.