I figured this might be a good time to step away from our regular muckraking duties here at the Hughes & Record to touch upon lesser-noticed happenings in the community.

Too-cute-by-half plans for managing Virginia’s affairs not only fail to get the job done, they reveal deeper truths about the people who champion such tomfoolery. The shining example is Jim Gilmore’s no-car tax plank in the 1997 gubernatorial campaign. Gilmore rode the slogan to the Governor’s Mansion, then proceeded to wreck Virginia’s finances without even delivering the full tax relief he had promised. Ideological to the point of being serially dishonest, Gilmore today stands as the archetype of what Virginians should avoid in a governor

There’s nothing new about politicians striving to be all things to all people, but claiming to be their neighbor, too?

I’ve neglected to comment in this space on the State of the County forum hosted by the Chamber of Commerce three weeks ago, but our front-page article on the event drew a quick reaction from several readers. One especially sharp-eyed businessman in town took exception to the comment by Mike Sexton, executive director of the IDA, that Halifax County has “figured it all out” when it comes to economic development. Come again?

If a candidate for statewide office promised to extract revenue from southern Virginia to build roads for northern Virginia, would you vote for said candidate? No?