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Editorials/Columns
Jeff Schapiro, Times-Dispatch: Shortly after Bob McDonnell was sworn in as governor almost four years ago, Virginia government became less transparent – literally: Maintenance workers were directed to affix a cloudy applique to the windows of his communications office that look out on the reception area. Members of McDonnell's staff couldn't see out. Members of the public couldn’t see in. McDonnell isn't the only Virginia politician emphasizing the opaque. A big factor in the ethics scandal that is soiling the Republican's preferred reputation for rectitude — he's battling with federal investigators to keep his emails secret — opaqueness is spilling into the campaigns to choose his successor and the down-ticket races that will produce gubernatorial wannabes.
Daily Press: You're free to speak up. Oct. 20-26 is Free Speech Week. Here are some thoughts on the subject: "Freedom of speech is a principal pillar of a free government; when this support is taken away, the constitution of a free society is dissolved, and tyranny is erected on its ruins." — Benjamin Franklin
Times-Dispatch: Virginia Inspector General Michael Morehart has now issued his findings on the subject. He concludes that the subordinate, Sharon Pigeon, did act inappropriately when she advised EQT Production and CNX Gas (a subsidiary of Cuccinelli donor Consol Energy). But Cuccinelli did not know about her emails in advance, let alone direct them. Cuccinelli’s spokesman says the AG shut down the communication as soon as he learned of it and eventually removed Pigeon from the case. The GOP gubernatorial candidate has taken some hard hits — from us, among others — in other matters besides this one: the Star Scientific controversy, the Navy Veterans charity scam, the Michael Mann inquisition. Those hits were well deserved. This one wasn’t.
News & Advance: At about the same time last week that Gov. Bob McDonnell was restoring the rights of felons to vote, the State Board of Elections was removing voters from local voting lists across the state. The odor of politics is much stronger in the actions taken by the elections board. With respect to the general elections coming up in two weeks, the timing couldn’t be worse.
Roger Chesley, Virginian-Pilot: Virginia Democrats picked a losing fight over a multistate database, in which the information led to the state's purge of tens of thousands of registered voters. A federal judge upheld the state's move last week. Nothing sinister was involved in eliminating the names of 38,870 people in the commonwealth. Those people also were registered in at least one other state. By comparison, Virginia has 4.8 million active voter registrations. The lawsuit filed by the Virginia Democratic Party against the governor and attorney general – both Republicans – and the GOP-controlled State Board of Elections overstated perceived problems. U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton rightly rejected the suit. The Dems' reaction is understandable, though, given the climate involving voter access in Virginia and elsewhere.
Dick Hammerstrom, Free Lance-Star: Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act permits two members of a public body to meet and discuss government business privately without public notification of the meeting. If three or more meet, it’s a violation of the law. It’s always been my impression–perhaps naively–that such gatherings were merely a way for two members of the body to chat about upcoming board business or to lobby a fellow board member for his or her vote on a project. But at localities east of here, such get-togethers are being used for business interests to meet with elected officials–one or two at a time, of course–and have their own discussions or lobbying sessions for major projects without public input or knowledge. |