All Opinions Are Local - A forum on hot topics in D.C., Maryland and Virginia - October 31, 2010

The crumbling case against the 'Norfolk Four'

Like limestone eroding under an acid drip, Virginia’s porous claims against the former prisoners known as the Norfolk Four continue to dissolve. Fifteen months after then-Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine conditionally pardoned three of the four but exonerated no one, a...

By Margaret Edds, Richmond | November 6, 2010; 10:48 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Virginia, crime
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D.C. can't tax its way to a balanced budget

On Tuesday, voters spoke nationwide, and the message was clear. Many Americans believe their government is spending too much money, going too far into debt and taxing too much. We in the District need to heed that message, especially with...

By Jack Evans, Washington | November 5, 2010; 8:34 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Confederate flag, D.C., HotTopic, Local blog network
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Dvorak's 'windshield perspective' on speed cameras

How many people worry about strangers kidnapping their children and lament the loss of life in Iraq, then put other people and their children in danger the moment they get on the road by speeding and become apoplectic if...

By David Alpert | November 5, 2010; 3:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: HotTopic, Local blog network, Montgomery County, traffic, transportation
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Ehrlich the fluke

Bob Ehrlich didn’t just lose on Tuesday in his bid to reclaim the Maryland governorship. Nope, in a year when the country turned hard right, he was resoundingly whupped, losing by 13 points. The margin of Ehrlich’s loss nearly...

By Keith Berner | November 5, 2010; 2:25 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: HotTopic, Local blog network, Maryland
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McDonnell keeps flogging ABC sell-off

Virgina Gov. Robert F. McDonnell's foundering efforts to privatize state liquor stores could get a boost if he puts the idea in front of voters in a referendum rather than relying on a General Assembly whose attitudes about the...

By Peter Galuszka | November 5, 2010; 11:25 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: HotTopic, Local blog network, Va. Politics, Virginia, economy, energy, environment, public health, taxes, transportation
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Excellence comes first at Thomas Jefferson

I am an African American student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, and I am the president of the Black Student Association mentioned in the Oct. 31 front-page article "One thing elite N.Va. school doesn't do well:...

By Chantelle Ekanem, Reston | November 4, 2010; 7:02 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: HotTopic, Virginia, education, race, schools
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Chaffetz moves up, Childers moves out

It's a new day for D.C. voting rights. Oh, wait, no it's not. After Tuesday's national shellacking, Democrats lost both control of the U.S. House of Representatives and, presumably, the ability to at least nominally support the District's attempt...

By Martin Austermuhle | November 4, 2010; 3:40 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C., D.C. politics, DC Vote, HotTopic, Local blog network
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Gray transition: Bold innovators or back to Barry?

Which would you rather have running Mayor-elect Vincent Gray's transportation transition team? A former city administrator under Marion Barry, who was running the city during the famous episode where Barry flippantly dismissed snow plowing failures while he was at...

By David Alpert | November 4, 2010; 3:22 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C., D.C. politics, HotTopic, Local blog network, Marion Barry, Vincent Gray, traffic, transportation
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A little late for honesty ...

The Post acknowledged that Gov. Martin O'Malley's reelection campaign included "studiously avoiding" discussion of how he would address Maryland's severe fiscal problems. But that "now that the race is over," the editorial says, ... "he owes Marylanders a fuller picture"...

By Larry Ciolorito, Darnestown | November 3, 2010; 10:14 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: HotTopic, Maryland
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Lessons of the '68 con-con

Regarding the Oct. 30 editorial "Ballot questions in Md., Va.": The 1968 Maryland Constitution was not a "flop" but rather a "Magnificent Failure," as described in the 1970 book by that title, published by the National Municipal League. "All in...

By Margaret B. Mentzer, Beltsville | November 3, 2010; 10:09 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Maryland
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Election wrap-up: Good news locally, bad news nationally

The election is over and from an urbanism/transportation perspective, the results are mixed. Locally the news is mostly good. O’Malley beat Ehrlich, ensuring the Purple and Baltimore Red light rail lines will continue to move forward. Tommy Wells and...

By Dan Malouff | November 3, 2010; 5:37 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: HotTopic, Local blog network, Maryland
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Taking Connecticut Ave. in the wrong direction

Montgomery County's DOT wants to increase vehicle speeds on Connecticut Avenue, build a road through parkland, and cut off a neighborhood's local street connections to Connecticut, further showing that they are out of touch with what we've learned about...

By David Alpert | November 3, 2010; 3:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Local blog network, Montgomery County, traffic, transportation
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One cheer for Virginia Republicans

At first glance, yesterday's election was an obvious rout of Democrats, with Virginia's Tom Periello, Rick Boucher and Glenn Nye losing their seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. The fate of Gerald Connolly isn't known yet. House Minority...

By Peter Galuszka | November 3, 2010; 10:30 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: HotTopic, Local blog network, Va. Politics, Virginia, development, economy, education, energy, environment, faith, guns, health care, history, housing, immigration, public health, real estate, schools, traffic, transportation, weather
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Boosting diversity at Thomas Jefferson High

By Jennifer Seavey Great Falls Regarding the Oct. 31 front-page article "One thing elite N.Va. school doesn't do well: Diversity": As a faculty member at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology for 12 years, I've watched the ebb...

By washingtonpost.com editors | November 2, 2010; 9:00 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (21)
Categories: HotTopic, Virginia, schools
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This year's Florida? It's Rick Boucher in Virginia

Tim Russert created an unforgettable moment when he wrote "Florida, Florida, Florida" on his white board during the 2000 presidential election. If I were commentating on TV right now, I'd write "Boucher, Boucher, Boucher" on my board. Virginia likes...

By Paige Winfield Cunningham | November 2, 2010; 3:15 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: HotTopic, Local blog network, Va. Politics
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Robocall backfire

By Bobbie Liegus Alexandria I hadn't planned to vote today, because I figured Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) would be re-elected to his congressional seat, as he always is. Then I got a robocall from his Republican opponent, Patrick Murray, saying...

By washingtonpost.com editors | November 2, 2010; 1:39 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Va. Politics
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Halloween candy buy-back is just wrong

First, retailers pushed "Black Friday" specials back to infringe on the prime costume-making season. Then, Halloween displays started getting pulled earlier and earlier to prepare for the winter holiday seasons. But in this burgeoning war against Halloween in America,...

By Aaron Morrissey | November 2, 2010; 10:35 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C., Local blog network
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All Opinions Are Local: October 31, 2010 - November 6, 2010