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    <title>Commentary for Richmond Times-Dispatch</title>
    <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/</link>
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        <title>Commentary for Richmond Times-Dispatch</title>
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    <dc:language>en</dc:language>
    <dc:creator>Richmond Times-Dispatch</dc:creator>
    <dc:rights>Copyright 2009</dc:rights>
    <dc:date>2009-11-08T00:01:57-05:00</dc:date>

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          <title>The Berlin Wall: Tyranny&#8217;s Astonishing Collapse</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-JACO08_20091106-202204/304137/</link>
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It was getting late one evening in Prague, a few months after the 1989 Velvet Revolution, and as we walked along Wenceslas Square, my companion began to weep. When I asked what was wrong, he composed himself and gestured at the streetscape around us. To my eye, it was a perfectly commonplace scene&#8212;a few couples out for a walk or sitting together and talking, some tourists window-shopping or looking into the stores that were still open, a cluster of passersby listening to street musicians playing jazz.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:01:51 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>&#8216;Purple&#8217; Virginia a tough electorate to predict</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/NVIEW08_20091106-202008/304134/</link>
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When I was a boy in Arlington, my brother, Paul, practiced the piano every afternoon, aided by a metronome, a timing device with a wand that swung left, swung right, and eventually settled back in the middle. Years later, that metronome seems a fit ting metaphor for Virginia politics. After Tuesday&#8217;s Republican triumph, we might be tempted to draw sweeping conclusions about Virginia&#8217;s new political landscape&#8212;just as when Barack Obama made history a scant 12 months ago.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:01:36 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Remember All Who Serve and Sacrifice for Our Country</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-BERES08_20091106-202008/304122/</link>
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Nov. 11 is Veterans Day&#8212;one day out of our busy lives that Americans stop to salute the men and women who have served, or are currently serving, in our armed forces. Americans are proud of their veterans. They are quick to thank and support them. When news of substandard living quarters at Walter Reed Medical Center broke, Americans were outraged that our troops could be treated so callously. Through programs such as the Wounded Warrior Project, families, friends, and concerned citizens give generously of time, talent, and money to help our returning veterans.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:01:32 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Peace Does Not Bring Freedom to South Asian Island</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-IRBY08_20091106-202204/304136/</link>
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On April 26, The Times-Dispatch published a Commentary column about a group of 18 young professionals representing marginalized communities from Sri Lanka. In March, the group had participated in the Uni versity of Virginia Center for Politics&#8217; Global Perspectives on Democracy (GPD) program in Charlottesville. The program was held as part of an exchange in cooperation with Relief International and was funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The exchange&#8217;s first leg took place just before the conclusion of Sri Lanka&#8217;s 26-year war between the Sinhalese majority Sri Lankan government and a secessionist group, which the U.S. government considered a terrorist organization, called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) or Tamil Tigers.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:01:07 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>T&#45;D Takes to TV to Tell Its Tale of Tenacity and Trust</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-TAS08_20091106-202008/304132/</link>
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Our employees are amazing. Ever since the economy went in the tank, they&#8217;ve battled through adversity and mounting challenges. All of us have seen our paychecks shrink and our re sponsibilities grow. We&#8217;re surrounded by predictions about our struggles, even though each day brings a new set of victories. But we never, never, never give up. We&#8217;re working an encompassing reinvention plan and we&#8217;re backed by a company that&#8217;s smartly anticipating a much different world ahead.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:01:07 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Your 2 Cents</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-2CENTS08_20091106-202204/304135/</link>
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Tuesday&#8217;s election was not a referendum on President Obama&#8217;s policies, but a referendum on lazy Virginia Democrats camping out under a magnolia tree, sipping mint juleps in the sunny weather instead of going to the polls.&#8212;Ernest Irby, Henrico   . . .  I watched a news clip that showed an orphanage in Afghanistan full of happy girls and a few boys. A lot of private American donations have gone to fund similar places in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Guess what will happen to those girls if and when America backs out of another helpless country? We have done it before. For some reason, we never quite commit enough to finish what we start. This is a Christian-based country&#8212;regardless of whether some prefer not to have that mentioned. Are we our brother&#8217;s keeper? Yes.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>St. Mary&#8217;s Will Include Neighbors in Planning Process</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-ARDA01_20091030-203609/302653/</link>
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My first six months in the Richmond area have certainly borne out what I had heard about Bon Secours St. Mary&#8217;s Hospital as a wonderful, caring place to heal and to work. But in making my decision to move here from Northern Virginia, I had not thought much about the partnership that St. Mary&#8217;s and the community have with each other.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:49 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Road to Revival: Respect Madison&#8217;s Republic</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-MARI01_20091030-203609/302659/</link>
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If the American people know more today than they ever wanted to know about financial markets, corporate compensation practices, the mortgage and automobile industries, the national cost of health care, and consumer indebtedness, public officials have done little to heighten our collective understanding of the constitutional system&#8212;and especially the federalistic side of that system. This is discouraging and dangerous.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:47 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Road to Revial: Recognize Government&#8217;s Housing Policy Mistakes</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/road_to_revial_recognize_governments_housing_policy_mistakes/302868/</link>
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Recent reports that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will suffer default rates of more than 20 percent on the 2007 and 2008 loans it guaranteed has raised questions once again about the government&#8217;s role in the financial crisis and its efforts to achieve social purposes by distorting the financial system.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:41 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Political Dispatches: Bob McDonnell vs. Harry Reid</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-PD01_20091030-203609/302660/</link>
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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid&#8217;s recent embrace of the public option for health care reform surprised some and delighted others. The timing is curious. Just maybe, the Nevada Democrat decided the moment&#8212;eight days before the off-year elections&#8212;was right to back government health insurance before Bob McDonnell lays it to rest for good.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:27 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Road to Revival: Preserve Medicare Reform for Seniors</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-ROSS01_20091030-203609/302662/</link>
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Something in the congressional health reform plans will require you to change the coverage or the doctor you have. You will be affected if you are among the growing number of Medicare beneficiaries who have chosen a Medicare Advantage private health plan. If certain provisions become law, Medicare payments to these plans will be cut, causing a reduction in benefits and physician networks.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:26 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>The Road to Revival</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/the_road_to_revival/302869/</link>
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Policy experts and academics look at ways to put America back on track in four crucial areas.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:22 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Afghanistan: Obama Must Decide Soon</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-BERES01_20091030-203609/302654/</link>
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Early November is a busy time. Last-minute hype from candidates begging for votes fills airways and television screens. Politics reach a frenetic crescendo as Americans exercise their right to vote. It is fitting that on Nov. 11, we will stop for a day to honor our veterans who have fought to protect that precious right. This Veterans Day, President Barack Obama will be headed to Singapore for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting. But he did recently speak to about 3,500 sailors, Marines, and other service members at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla. He eloquently expressed his appreciation to these military members for their service and their sacrifices.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:17 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Bank of America Invests in Local Community Leaders</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-TAS01_20091030-203403/302649/</link>
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Big banks have had their share of misery in the Great Recession that can&#8217;t end soon enough. You know the story&#8212;mortgages gone wild, multiplying foreclosures, company failures, government-forced action, CEO depar TOM SILVESTRI tures, tighter regulation, and a much different, financially scarred world in which to operate. But the other side of community banking was on full display Oct. 22 on the 18th floor of the Bank of America Center in downtown Richmond. It&#8217;s the angle where investments in organizations and people make a big difference.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:14 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Your 2 Cents</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-2CENTS01_20091030-203609/302652/</link>
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Conservatives please note: Liberals are also concerned about the deficit. It skyrocketed with the Bush administration&#8217;s bank bailouts and the wasteful Iraq war. It was further increased to stimulate the economy. Your disdain for the latter action smacks of sour grapes. The president and Democratic Congress were elected to serve middleand working-class interests. If you wish to return to government that primarily rewards the country-club set, please vote for GOP candidates.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:04 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Newsroom gears up for election night</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/NV-VIEW01_20091030-203403/302650/</link>
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Goose-bump moments. We all have them. Sometimes, they come at unexpected times. I was fortunate enough recently to visit Hawaii, and while there my wife and I took a &#8220;duck&#8221; tour of Honolulu that included a trip to Pearl Harbor. As we motored around the city in a ridiculously yellow amphibious landing craft, our guide pointed out various sites and played kitschy songs by the Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Don Ho, etc.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:01:03 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Road to Revival: Support Small Business in Health&#45;Care Debate</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-HAMM01_20091030-203609/302657/</link>
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Our health care system is broken, but for Virginia&#8217;s small, family businesses, health care reforms that saddle them with higher taxes and burdensome mandates would make things worse, not better. Unless changes lead to more affordable insurance, more choices for employers and employees, and more competition among health plans, reform legislation will hurt small business&#8212;and that, in turn, will hurt all of Virginia.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:59 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Correspondent of the Day: Public Schools Aren&#8217;t the Problem</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-WRIGHT31_20091030-194403/302636/</link>
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Public Schools Aren&#8217;t the Problem Editor, Times-Dispatch: Regarding this paper&#8217;s endorsement of Bob McDonnell: Politics aside, I could not get past the opening paragraph, which included this sentence: &#8220;Too many public schools fail too many students.&#8220; Well, fine. Is that just something in the catch-phrase playbook that all newspapers routinely use? Perhaps it should be revised to read, &#8220;Too many students come to the public schools from economically-deprived homes, dysfunctional homes, homes where there is no understanding of or appreciation for what it takes to be successful in school. Homes where a book is a non-entity, homes where parents think it is perfectly fine to let their children run the show and run the streets, or affluent homes where parents think their kids should receive an &#8216;A&#8217; just for showing up and behaving.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Your 2 Cents</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-2CENTS25_20091023-210409/301243/</link>
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To understand the original intent of America, simply read the poem on the Statue of Liberty. It is all about receiving people yearning for freedom. There is nothing in there about taking care of anyone, fixing anyone, or taking stuff from one person and giving it to another.&#8212;Mike Walton, Henrico   . . .            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:01:56 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Times&#45;Dispatch Business News Staff Expands</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/NV-VIEW25_20091023-210409/301256/</link>
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It has been more than year since the financial meltdown transformed the economy, the way business is conducted and regulated, and the way people conduct their personal finances. It also changed the way the me JOHN HOKE dia, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, cover the economy and business. We routinely showcase our daily business coverage on the front page and our in-depth projects on the Sunday front to examine the impacts of the recession. We restyled the Sunday Business section as Moneywise to offer readers a lens into how other people and companies are weathering the economic storm. And we continue to press forward with delivering our business news report not only in the newspaper but online and through mobile alerts, e-newsletters, and social media such as Twitter.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:01:49 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>How Doug Wilder Changed America</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-WILD25_20091023-210409/301254/</link>
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If one spends two seconds with Doug Wilder, something becomes strikingly clear: The 78-year-old former governor is not a lion in winter; the man is still a lion. It may be 20 years since Virginians made him the first African-American elected governor of an American state, but the gifts God gave Wilder have not faded into the history books.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:01:32 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Rayner: Is Deeds Still the Comeback Kid?</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-PD25_20091023-210409/301249/</link>
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Creigh Deeds likes to remind people that he&#8217;s a fast closer. After all, he zoomed from last place back in June to score an easy victory in the Democratic primary for governor, topping two formidable opponents. And four years ago, he was trailing Bob McDonnell in the final weeks of the campaign for attorney general, only to lose to the Republican by a mere 360 votes.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:01:32 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Silvestri: Chamber Sponsors a Rousing Defense of Free Enterprise</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-TAS25_20091023-210409/301253/</link>
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Last week&#8217;s Virginia Chamber of Commerce conference was focused on the future of Virginia and business, but it quickly elevated into a broader examination of the future of our country. No surprise here that Virginia&#8217;s distinction as the cradle of democracy is serving as the lightning rod for the defense of liberty and its mate free enterprise as well as a well-timed pushback on over-regulation that stifles innovation and creativity. Based on the state chamber&#8217;s confab at the Richmond Marriott on Wednesday, Virginia&#8217;s passionate business community is adding to the alarm that capitalism could well be at a crossroad.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:01:30 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Tourism: Virginia&#8217;s Top Stimulus Opportunity</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-MOFF25_20091023-210409/301248/</link>
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Statewide tourism annually produces more than $18.7 billion in revenue for Virginia, spreading benefits primarily among thousands of small-business owners. The whole tourism sector, with 210,000 jobs and $4.3 billion annually in payroll and salaries, provides $1.2 billion in state and local taxes that stay in the commonwealth&#8212;a big business by any measure.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:01:26 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>An Affectionate Portrait of Bill Rehnquist, Regular Guy</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-REHN25_20091023-210409/301250/</link>
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The late Chief Justice William Rehnquist was one of the most prominent, influential, and controversial conservative intellectuals of our time. In his new book, Rehnquist: A Personal Portrait of the Distinguished Chief Justice of the United States (Simon &amp; Schuster), Herman J. Obermayer, a former newspaper publisher, offers a warm and personal behind-the-scenes memoir of his long friendship with the man he calls &#8220;Bill.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:01:22 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Asking for Your Vote: Creigh Deeds</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-DEED18_20091016-203606/299794/</link>
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My entire career has been focused on one goal: creating opportunity for everyone in all corners of Virginia. I am running for governor to continue moving Virginia forward by bringing opportunity, prosperity, and hope to the people of the commonwealth through the commonsense, bipartisan tradition of Mark Warner and Tim Kaine that has defined my time in public service and made Virginia what is today.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:01:50 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Autism Coverage: Wrong Way for a Worthy Cause</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-GRAY18_20091016-203809/299800/</link>
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When legislators return to Richmond in January, they will face a number of pressing issues against the backdrop of a significant state budget shortfall and a foundering economy. Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are determined to ensure that their children receive resources that will help them live as independently as possible. For that reason, the General Assembly will again be asked to use health insurance to finance educational services for individuals with ASD.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:01:42 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Richmond Folk Festival: Local Businesses Make Music, Too</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-TAS18_20091016-203606/299796/</link>
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Sunday quiz time: What do these businesses have in common?   Ukrop&#8217;s Super Markets.   First Market Bank.   Altria.   Genworth Financial.   NewMarket Corp.   MeadWestvaco.   SunTrust.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:01:41 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Asking for Your Vote &#45; Deeds and McDonnell</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/asking_for_your_vote_-_deeds_and_mcdonnell/299769/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Today the two candidates for governor, Democrat Creigh Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell make their direct appeals to Virginia voters.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:01:31 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Your 2 Cents</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-2CENTS18_20091016-203606/299792/</link>
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Health care insurers usually raise their rates in the fall&#8212;but not this fall. They want to see what Congress does with so-called health care reform, so they&#8217;ll know better whether to triple the rates, or just double them. Cut out this comment, paste it in your checkbook, and then brace yourself for the crash.&#8212;Ernest Irby, Henrico   . . .            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:01:15 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Asking for Your Vote: Bob McDonnell</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-MCDO18_20091016-203606/299795/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Unemployment is the highest in decades. Budget projections have been missed. Many schools are not fully accredited. Small businesses are struggling. Rest stops are closed. These are tough times in Virginia. What we need is innovation, new ideas, and a focus on the future. Those qualities are the hallmark of the positive, forward-looking campaign we have been running since our announcement tour brought us to the gym at J.R. Tucker High School on a chilly day in late March.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:01:13 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Autism Coverage: Anthem Must Lead the Way</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-MALO18_20091016-203809/299804/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Why does Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield exclude the treatment of autism in Virginia? It&#8217;s a simple question, and a very important one, because autism is increasing in America, and families here have a right to know. There&#8217;s one chance in 100 now that your child will have some degree of autism, according to the latest edition of the journal Pediatrics. Like many families have learned, the out-of-pocket costs to treat a child for autism can run more than $50,000 a year&#8212;and last for several years. The financial risk for unsuspecting young families is significant, and many have endured hardship in order to provide treatment. (Cancer, diabetes, and AIDS are all less common than autism, but they&#8217;re naturally covered.)           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:01:12 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>John Brown&#8217;s Raid Ignited War of Liberation and Loss</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-BROW18_20091016-203606/299793/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Black abolitionist Frederick Douglass called John Brown a &#8220;brave, heroic, and Christian man,&#8220; while Henry David Thoreau called him simply &#8220;an angel of light.&#8220; In contrast, Virginia fire-eater Edmund Ruffin described Brown as an &#8220;atrocious criminal.&#8220; Another Virginian stated that Brown&#8217;s action demonstrated to the people of the slaveholding South &#8220;the true character of the danger before them.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:01:03 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>James River Journal: A Year in the Life of a River</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/NV-VIEW18_20091016-203902/299810/</link>
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Rex Springston traces his love of rivers back to his childhood adventures in the Elizabeth River in the Virginia Beach area. He recalls spending a lot of time in the river with his young buddies&#8212;&#8220;a gang of little Hucks and Toms&#8221;&#8212;swimming, plucking jellyfish from their arms, and even rowing a boat to a miniature golf course upstream.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:01:01 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Defending the Need for Robust American Missile Defense</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-BERES18_20091016-203809/299798/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
On Monday, North Korea test-fired five short-range missiles off its coastline. The odd behavior had even Moscow scratching its head. &#8220;It was not the most suitable time to do this now, when all efforts are made to restart six-way talks on Korea&#8217;s nuclear option,&#8220; a Foreign Ministry official remarked to the Itar-Tass News Agency. North Korea would prefer to forgo the six-party talks and is pushing for the prestige of bilateral discussions with the United States.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:01:01 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>George Marshall&#8217;s Virginia Roots</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-SHAW10S_20091009-213006/298458/</link>
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Although he was a native of Pennsylvania, George C. Marshall was very proud of his Virginia roots. He was a distant relative of Chief Justice John Marshall and traced other family connections to the commonwealth. A 1901 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, Marshall&#8217;s first wife, Lily Coles, lived just beyond the limits gates at VMI. In one of the few examples in his life when he broke the rules, Marshall &#8220;ran the block&#8221;(left the barracks at unauthorized times), risking certain demotion and possible expulsion, to visit Lily.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:01:58 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Richmond Group Helps Children in Indonesia, Philippines</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-GODD11_20091009-213206/298468/</link>
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Generous donors have been giving and caring for children in Indonesia and the Philippines for more than 50 years. Because of that generosity, significant strides have been made in the lives of the children. In the past two week an earthquake in Indonesia and a typhoon in the Philippines struck, potentially wiping out the significant development gains that these countries have made. Natural disasters create terrible situations that put already vulnerable children in grave danger.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:01:53 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Your 2 Cents</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-2CENTS11_20091009-213006/298453/</link>
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Virginia is for lovers&#8212;and Richmond is for Flying Squirrels, Flatheads, Hambones, Rock Hoppers, or Rhinos. What a classy selection for the capital of Virginia.&#8212;Noreen Brown, Richmond   . . .  Those who do not like the banner that the owner of Club Velvet put up on his building about President Obama should remember that free speech is a two-way street. Not everyone is going to agree with everything you say. There are many things that so-called artists do that I find offensive, but in America we have the right to do those types of things. That is what makes this such a great country.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:01:51 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Covering Business Requires Realism, Splash of Optimism</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-TAS11_20091009-213206/298471/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
You&#8217;re staring at a 12-ounce glass. It&#8217;s holding about six ounces of water. Is the glass half-filled or half-empty? Chances are good the optimist will say half-filled, noting something is always better than nothing and 50 percent or more gets you closer to where you want to be. You&#8217;re headed in the right direction. Keep trying. Besides, there&#8217;s an amazing story in how the water was discovered, transported, and poured, no doubt.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:01:50 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>George C. Marshall: A Selfless Public Servant</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-SHAW11_20091009-213006/298459/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
As with many great men and women who gave extraordinary service to our nation, George Catlett Marshall is waning from the national consciousness and memory. To military and diplomatic historians he remains a towering figure of the previous century. Two new books published this year were about Marshall or had a large part devoted to him. A major new biography of Marshall by Josiah Bunting, the former superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute, is due out this fall.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:01:31 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>A Notable Opening, Artfully Staged</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-MUDG11_20091009-213006/298455/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Editor&#8217;s note: This column is based on the remarks made by Grant Mudge at last month&#8217;s opening of the CenterStage performing arts center in downtown Richmond. Mudge is the artistic director of Richmond Shakespeare, one of the nine performing arts groups that now call CenterStage home. Richmond Shakespeare&#8217;s Much Ado About Nothing is playing through Oct. 25 at CenterStage&#8217;s Gottwald Playhouse.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:01:31 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Can the Republicans Grasp Opportunity for Revival?</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-BOAZ11_20091009-213206/298464/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
American voters have been demonstrating a lack of confidence in both parties lately. George W. Bush nearly destroyed the Republican Party, but Barack Obama is giving it a chance at resurrection. Karl Rove dreamed that he and Bush, like strategist Mark Hanna and President William McKinley in 1896, would create a generation of Republican dominance. Instead, he delivered both Congress and the presidency to the Democrats.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:01:22 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>It&#8217;s Time for Governments to Start Helping Renters</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/its_time_for_governments_to_start_helping_renters/298630/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Goodbye to the era of homeownership as the powerful, pervasive symbol of the American Dream. Who believes any longer that owning your own house is a sure ticket to building wealth and assuring yourself an easy retirement?           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:01:21 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Introducing MetroBiz2go</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/NV-VIEW11_20091009-213206/298472/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
You probably noticed the promotional ads in the paper or messages on our Facebook page about our new electronic newsletter, MetroBiz2go. In case you missed it, here&#8217;s the news. MetroBiz2go, a weekly e-mail newsletter, launched in mid-August. The e-newsletter is like a younger sister to our popular and long-standing Metro Business print section, which is published each Monday.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:01:17 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Elementary Civics Class: The Congressional Version</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-HANS04_20091002-195406/297034/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Trying to understand some perplexing political issues, I recently imagined a school civics lesson administered by two members of Congress. None of these events actually occurred, but I challenge anyone to explain to me how this is otherwise inaccurate.   . . .  &#8220;Boys and girls,&#8220; a beaming young teacher called out. &#8220;In preparation for your school election this week, we are fortunate to have two distinguished members of the United States House of Representatives here to talk to you about how the political process works!&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:01:58 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>University Presidents Need Integrity, Passion, Endurance</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-BRYAN04_20091002-195406/297032/</link>
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In recent years, we have witnessed numerous college and university leadership turnovers in Virginia. Some of those transitions have followed long and successful presidencies. Others, however, were brief and ended unhappily. Why? For one, the demands of the job are enormous, especially the never-ending fundraising pressure. The various constituencies who must be satisfied require skills that few people possess. Institutional cultures, personalities and leadership styles, financial conditions, the composition of the board, alumni demands and expectations, or the response to a crisis are often factors that determine whether a presidency ends with accolades or recriminations.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:01:38 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>When Raising Teens, the Devil Is Indeed in the Details</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-BERES04_20091002-195406/297031/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Had Wormwood&#8217;s first assignment been Syko Sam McCroskey, his task would have been much easier. The minion would have been a hero of the underworld and the letters from his Uncle Screwtape would have beamed with pride. C. S. Lewis&#8217; book, The Screwtape Letters&#8212;a series of letters from a senior devil advising a junior demon on claiming the soul of a young man&#8212;describes how we allow evil to enter our lives. Sometimes it&#8217;s the little, insignificant things we do that permit evil to gain a foothold. But sometimes people just open the front door and invite it right on in.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:01:36 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Western Virginia May Hold Key to the Governor&#8217;s Race</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-PD04_20091002-195406/297036/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
When it comes to political punditry, Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and Metro Richmond seem to get all the attention. That&#8217;s not entirely surprising. It&#8217;s where the votes are, after all. But not all the votes. Western Virginia might make the difference in this year&#8217;s race for governor&#8212;especially the 6th Congressional District, which includes much of the Shenandoah Valley (I-81 runs through the middle of the district like a spine), and the 9th, which encompasses the commonwealth&#8217;s entire southwestern panhandle.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:01:35 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Offshore Drilling Will Create Jobs in Virginia</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-HALE04_20091002-195406/297033/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Last September, the United States Congress chose to support American jobs and American energy by allowing the ban on offshore drilling to expire. For the first time in more than 25 years, drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) became legal, offering America the opportunity for more energy, more security, and more jobs.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:01:35 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Making Community Happen Here</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-ANDE04_20091002-195406/297028/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
What makes community happen? Sociologist Robert Bellah of the University of California at Berkeley, and author of The Good Society, Habits of the Heart, and other books, teaches that four types of institutions must DAVID T. ANDERSON be interrelated in a healthy society: the economic sector; educational institutions; government; and the not-for-profit sector, including faith-based institutions, the arts, and cultural centers. Each is expected to play its role with clarity of purpose, yet each must also be involved with the others.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:01:33 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Grassroots Leaders and Groups Take Center Stage</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-TAS04_20091002-195406/297037/</link>
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If you&#8217;re interested in learning more about what makes a caring community tick, then attend this year&#8217;s Richmond History Makers event. The annual celebration on Oct. 20 will mark the fifth time Richmond has come together&#8212;under the big tent outside the Valentine Richmond History Center downtown TOM SILVESTRI&#8212;to recognize grassroots leaders responsible for making our community a better place to live.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:01:20 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Your 2 Cents</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-Y2C1004_20091002-195406/297038/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
America should bring Roman Polanski home to pay the price for his crime. I&#8217;m not convinced that Polanski, being rich and famous, will get the same justice as other perverts. The rich can buy their way out of crimes they commit. America, don&#8217;t let this sex criminal escape justice.&#8212;James R. Flinn, Richmond   . . .            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:01:05 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Review: An Elegant Argument for the Benefits of Globalization</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-MASON04_20091002-195406/297035/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
With the foes of capitalism out in full force, there is an urgent need for clear-headed, convincing defenses of global free markets. It is with great relief, then, that I recommend The Cato Institute&#8217;s new book, Mad About Trade: Why Main Street America Should Embrace Globalization. This concise treatise, written by Daniel Griswold, head of Cato&#8217;s Center for Trade Studies, makes a convincing case for free trade as not only the economically superior path, but also the morally superior one.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:00:59 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>The First Rule of Health Care Reform: Do No Harm</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-ARDU04_20091002-195406/297030/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Ronald Reagan famously said, &#8220;The government&#8217;s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.&#8220; If he were watching Washington today, Reagan might add, &#8220;Once government subsidizes it to near death, nationalize it.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:00:59 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Meet the T&#45;D newsroom staff</title>
          <link>http://static.mgnetwork.com/rtd/pdfs/stafflist.pdf</link>
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To discuss any news story idea or any article we have published recently, please call (area code 804) the section editor during normal business hours. If you do not know whom to call with a question involving the News Department or news articles, call the Information Desk, Monday through Friday, 8a.m. to 6:30p.m. at 649-6990.            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:01:40 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Public Square: Digging Deeper into Health Care Reform</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-PS27_20090925-195003/295495/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
 Editor&#8217;s note: On Monday morning, The Times-Dispatch held its 26th Public Square at its offices downtown. The topic was health care reform and the crowd exceeded our capacity to seat everyone. The conversation began with presentations from Rep. Bobby Scott, a Democrat from Virginia&#8217;s 3rd District, and Rep. Eric Cantor, a Republican from Virginia&#8217;s 7th District. Afterward, audience members asked questions and made comments. Tom Silvestri, the newspaper&#8217;s publisher, moderated. Below is an edited transcript of the Public Square. To watch the entire event online, go to TimesDispatch.com and type in the keyword &#8220;Public Square.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:01:38 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Your 2 Cents</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-Y2C27_20090925-194806/295490/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
To all those who supported the man who now occupies the White House, I ask: Would you give him your vote again?&#8212;James M. Trent, Richmond.   . . .  If this proposed health care is so good, I believe members of Congress, the White House staff, and their families should try the program for at least a year and then report back to the American people and let them know how they like it.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>From the Moderator: A Few More Public Square Answers</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-TAS27_20090925-194806/295489/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Leftovers from Monday&#8217;s Public Square include these questions received during and after the program: Why the unprecedented 10 a.m. start? It was the only time we could schedule both Rep. Eric I. Cantor and Rep. Robert TOM SILVESTRI &#8220;Bobby&#8221; Scott. Congress is in session, limiting options. Normally, the Public Square starts at 7 p.m. on either a Monday or Tuesday.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Bailouts, Debt Magnify Risk of Future Economic Troubles</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-NORBERG20_20090918-212807/293916/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The talk now is about &#8220;green shoots&#8221; and a &#8220;light at the end of the tunnel.&#8220; Markets have rallied, housing prices have stopped falling, banks are profitable again, and it seems like we have been able to save several industrial giants that were on the ropes, like General Motors. But we must never forget that the light at the end of the tunnel can be an approaching train.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:01:50 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Cuba Lacks TP and Health Care, Not Murderous Leaders</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-BERES20_20090918-212807/293909/</link>
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Cuba has gotten a lot of attention lately. According to a McClatchy news report, the island nation is facing a severe toilet paper shortage. The problem won&#8217;t be alleviated until the end of the year. Cubans are forced to use their local news paper (which, luckily, is dirt-cheap). Cuban officials blame the problem on the suffering global economy and last summer&#8217;s hurricane season. CNN Commentator Fareed Zakaria may have identified a more accurate reason for the shortage: &#8220;Cuba&#8217;s continuing commitment to its bizarro world of socialist economics.&#8220;           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:01:50 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Stormwater Regulations: Proposed Changes Provide Benefits</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-SONNE20_20090918-212605/293906/</link>
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NELLYSFORD I am writing in response to last week&#8217;s commentary by Dave Anderson concerning the upcoming changes to Virginia&#8217;s Stormwater Regulations. Anderson&#8217;s article included numerous er rors and misconceptions regarding the proposed regulations, which I would like to address. As a licensed civil engineer myself, I have been involved with site development projects and the related infrastructure design for almost 25 years. I have also worked on a variety of environmental projects subject to state and federal regulations, so I am familiar with how the regulatory process usually works.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:01:39 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Your 2 Cents</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-Y2C0920_20090918-212807/293920/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Lesson of the week: Do not elect someone to the U.S. Senate who is not yet 30 years old at election even if he will be when he takes office. Cases in point: Ted Kennedy (46 years in office) and Joe Biden (36 years). They stay there much too long&#8212;Jim Hill, Irvingto   . . .  People should stop referring to President Obama&#8217;s appointees as corrupt. The politically correct term is morally challenged.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:01:25 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Climate Change Bill Will Crush Recovery for Small Businesses</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-KERR20_20090918-212807/293913/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Up and down the streets of Richmond, the struggle of small-business owners is apparent. Too many storefronts have closed their doors, leaving too many business owners unable to fulfill the American Dream. But with each passing day, consumers are spending more dollars on goods and services, reviving the hopes of small business. However, a climate bill under review in Congress may harm the economic recovery that millions of entrepreneurs are counting on to help their firms not only survive but grow.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:01:25 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>States Taxing the Rich: A Very Bad or Good&#8212;Idea</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-PEIRCE20_20090918-212807/293917/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
WASHINGTON In a dramatic break from tax trends of recent decades, eight states have voted this year to push up the percentages of income that their wealthiest citizens must pay. Connecticut is the latest to take this step, following Delaware, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and Wisconsin, according to a Stateline roundup.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:01:14 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>From the Publisher: Times&#45;Dispatch Makes Progress in a Challenging Era</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-TAS20_20090918-212807/293918/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
This month&#8217;s installment of how the Richmond Times-Dispatch is faring during a time of reinvention presents five questions that I often receive. Does the recent conversion to the narrower newsprint mean the newspaper will eventually disappear? No! On the contrary, cutting costs is part of getting through the toughest recession since the Great Depression. Newsprint is one of our largest expenses. We&#8217;ve been able to trim the raw material and keep the content from the old format, with as few disruptions as possible. And we&#8217;ve averted any further elimination of positions, though we also are relying on furlough days to save expenses.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:01:12 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>The Unlikely Tale of a Lost Friend Found</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-DREY20_20090918-212807/293911/</link>
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I saw my bicycle chained with a thick lock outside a freshman dorm on my campus and I immediately started to cry. I had ridden that bike across the United States in the summer of 2007. Four months ago, someone stole it off my front porch in Harrisonburg.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:01:07 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Why We Need Universal, Consumer&#45;Driven Health Care</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-HERZ20_20090918-212807/293912/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Health care reform has two goals: to control our gargantuan health care costs and to enable people, especially sick ones, to buy health insurance at an affordable price. The two goals are related&#8212;the better we control health care costs, the more people can afford to buy health insurance. Unfortunately, hardly anybody believes in the promise of congressional reform packages to control costs by creating a new public health insurance plan and Uncle Sam&#8217;s Monopoly Health Insurance supermarket (obscurely called an &#8220;exchange&#8221;). The ostensible rationale for both is that the federal government&#8217;s superb managerial skills will force down the costs of insurance and its distribution; but the American people do not believe it.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:01:03 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Shop Local: It&#8217;s Time to Support Region&#8217;s Retailers</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-TAS13_20090911-210407/292194/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Think about the hard-working men and women who run our stores and service businesses. Shop in our community and you keep dollars circulating for the benefit of our hometown. Buy during a lingering recession and you create the best stimulus for recovery&#8212;local jobs. &#8220;Think. Shop. Buy. Local&#8221; just happens to be the focal point of an encompassing campaign by the region&#8217;s Retail Merchants Association to ring up greater support for businesses that are our neighbors, friends, and helpers. Now, more than ever, supporting local businesses is important.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:01:46 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Stormwater Regs: Changes Promise Murky Benefits, High Costs</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-ANDE13_20090911-210201/292184/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Araging debate is going on (in case you hadn&#8217;t heard) that has grabbed the attention of many of us across the commonwealth&#8212;a debate brought on by government&#8217;s insistence that it should lead the way in improving how we as a people live. Interested parties have drawn lines in the sand with vastly different viewpoints over the proposed government plan. Some say our very health is at stake, while others argue that new rules will sink us economically.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:01:34 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>A Summer of Rightful Discontent</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-ALLEN13_20090911-210407/292185/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
America is at its best when it is a land of equal opportunity for all. The United States of America should be a level playing field for everyone to achieve to the best of his or her talent, hard work, and creativity, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or gender&#8212;a meritocracy. Common sense&#8212;and indeed history&#8212;shows that people and countries prosper with the promotion of initiative, personal empowerment, and individual and family responsibility, rather than sapping dependence on a nanny government. Clearly, the best social program is a job.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:01:20 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Narrower Pages Won&#8217;t Mean Less News or Smaller Type</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/NV-VIEW13_20090911-212006/292203/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The Richmond Times-Dispatch will become a little narrower this week, but we&#8217;re confident your newspaper experience won&#8217;t be any different because we are not making major changes to our content. And we are not changing the size of our type. We are following an industry trend in making broadsheet pages an inch narrower (11 inches instead of 12 inches). The length of broadsheet pages will not change. Pages in our tab sections such as Channels and Metro Business will not be as deep.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:01:15 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Hope and Change Have Become Predictable Liberalism</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-SENIK13_20090911-212006/292199/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
If a revolution takes root throughout the country and no one in Washington hears it, does the revolution exist? In our representative system, the answer is yes&#8212;and members of both parties ought to start paying attention if they hope to survive the 2010 midterm elections intact. We&#8217;ve heard a lot about political sea changes in the past decade. Only five years ago, the re-election of George W. Bush and the increase of Republican ranks in Congress led GOP strategists to predict a generational realignment in favor of the party of Lincoln. But as the war in Iraq grew increasingly divisive and conservatives blanched at the GOP&#8217;s flagging commitment to small government, the Republican Party began to look like it was imploding.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:01:09 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Teen TV Shows Ignore Consequences of Decisions</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-JESSIE13_20090911-210407/292188/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
People magazine recently reunited the cast of the 1990s teen television show &#8220;Saved by the Bell.&#8220; Its 20-years-later photo portrayed the stars of the show just as many of their once-young fans remember the once-young actors the embodiment of wholesome kids next door. The day I saw that People shot, I also happened to run across a weeks-old cover of Rolling Stone featuring Leighton Meester and Blake Lively two of the main characters of this decade&#8217;s hit teen show &#8220;Gossip Girl.&#8220; Both actresses were suggestively enjoying an ice cream cone.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:00:55 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Tom Silvestri: Trading &#8216;Dog Days&#8217; for Dog&#45;Tired Times Ahead</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-TAS06_20090904-202408/290709/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Labor Day&#8217;s arrival signals &#8220;are-you-ready-for some-football&#8221; time to many Richmonders, but it&#8217;s also an abrupt start to the season of another contact sport: community participation. The fall unleashes an onslaught of meetings, conferences, events, board retreats, confabs, and special programs, often competing for attention on the same days and times. Some of us had barely survived the similar spring crunch when summertime landed with the splendor of only a handful of morning meetings and a dearth of dinners and night programs.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:01:22 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>The Changing Faces of China</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-CHINA06_20090904-202408/290702/</link>
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Unparalleled economic growth. Massive product safety recalls. Unrest among minority ethnic groups. Hardly a day goes by that you don&#8217;t see or hear news about China. While these news stories seem to be building in frequency and intensity, many reports raise more questions than answers. What is the real China? What are the Chinese people like? How can capitalism and communism co-exist?            ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:01:08 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Making Contact</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-CONTACT06_20090904-202408/290704/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
BY BECCA MARTIN While ascending the Wild Goose Pagoda, a Buddhist landmark in Xian, a Chinese man tapped me on the shoulder and started speaking to me in Mandarin. After three failed attempts at communication, he struggled with the words &#8220;How old?&#8220; I replied &#8220;16.&#8220; He laughed, then pointed to his camera and said &#8220;Picture!&#8220; with an excited smile across his face.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>How Will America&#8217;s Economy Compete With China&#8217;s?</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-COHN06_20090904-202408/290703/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Ijust spent 11 months in Shanghai. In that time, I gained insights about the Chinese people and how China&#8217;s economy functions through managed capitalism. I saw liberalization, much that Americans do not associate with communism, and a belief among Chinese that China&#8217;s repression will not return. Chinese will never accept a return to the old ways&#8212;because TV and movies make them aware of the quality of life in other countries, luxuries in major cities show alternatives to a Spartan lifestyle, and cell phones facilitate the flow of uncensored information around government-controlled media.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Robin Beres: The Boys May Be Gone, But the Noisy Battles Loom Large</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-BERES06_20090904-202408/290699/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Fall is right around the corner. Early last week she sent a calling card, delivered by chilly nights and blankets, to remind us of her inevitable arrival. In a few days, roads and streets will be filled with yellow buses busily transporting their cargo. Please remember to watch for schoolchildren. Our two daughters are ready for the academic year to start. They&#8217;ve got their clothes, they&#8217;ve got their backpacks, and they&#8217;ve got their schedules.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Your 2 Cents</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-Y2C06_20090904-202204/290697/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Creigh Deeds is focusing on character assassination&#8212;something Democrats always do when they can&#8217;t win on the issues. This is not new for liberals. It&#8217;s the first play in their playbook. Deeds wants voters to focus on something Bob McDonnell wrote in graduate school and not on jobs, taxes, and other problems that Virginians face. This tactic only proves that Deeds doesn&#8217;t have the answers for the real problems of Virginia and McDonnell should be the next governor.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>China&#8217;s Treasures: Seeing the Sites</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-SITES06_20090904-202204/290696/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
BY SARA MARTIN In 1972, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) presented a plan ensuring the conservation and protection of monuments, sites, buildings, and natural areas that are of outstanding value for historical, artistic, scientific, or ethnological reasons. Since that time, UNESCO has developed a list of World Heritage sites that are &#8220;must sees&#8221; for travelers and citizens of the world. China began submitting sites for approval in 1987 and now ranks third in the world with 38 sites. We Martins had the good fortune to visit 12 of them.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Paul Goldman: Will an Old Thesis Decide the Governor&#8217;s Race?</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-GOLD06_20090904-202204/290695/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Can old thesis create a new governor? State Sen. Creigh Deeds, a Democrat, and former Attorney General Bob McDonnell, a Republican, are learning the truth in this favorite adage of former Gov. Jerry Baliles: &#8220;In politics, timing is everything.&#8220; In 1989, graduate student McDonnell wrote a thesis for a dual-degree program in public policy and law. For 20 years it lay ticking away at Regent University in Virginia Beach, unread though publicly available.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:01:00 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Obama&#8217;s Defense Plans Could Leave America Defenseless</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-PINC30_20090828-201205/289026/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
Although it has received little coverage, President Obama is moving the direction of America&#8217;s defense posture in an alarmingly liberal direction. True, Obama has not cut and run in Iraq and Afghanistan, as many feared he would, and for this, he deserves the praise he has received from conservatives. But the longer-term defense policies the Obama administration is establishing are troubling and will be very difficult for a future president to reverse.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:01:55 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>An Open Letter to Automakers from Tom Silvestri</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-TAS30_20090828-201205/289027/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
As you plot your future, consider Richmond a partner. Our city and region are perfect locations for pilot programs experimenting with alternative transportation solutions that pollute less. A special tip of the innovator&#8217;s hat to Ford and General Motors. Ford, we think your electric vehicle and Urban Mobility Network would find a nice home in Richmond. We know that you have visited here&#8212;thanks to your manager of sustainable business development, David Berdish, who graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University&#8212;and we are excited that Richmond could be a part of the company&#8217;s return to glory.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:01:54 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Washington Regulations Won&#8217;t Help Consumers or Economy</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-WHIT30_20090828-201205/289028/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
The banking industry is under attack these days and unjustly so. Traditional banking has long been the backbone of communities all over this country and the driver of economic growth. Since the beginning of the modern banking era&#8212;which I define as dating back to the creation of the FDIC in 1933&#8212;banks have been through a roller coaster of regulatory cycles.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:01:42 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Recommendations to Improve Richmond&#8217;s Government</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-CHART30_20090828-201205/289022/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
In July 2008, in the wake of conflicts between the Richmond City Council and the mayor, the council passed a resolution establishing a Charter Review Commission. The resolution directs the commission to &#8220;focus its work on correcting conflicts and ambiguities in the present Charter to provide greater clarity but not to change the fundamental powers and responsibilities of the Mayor and City Council.&#8220; The commission recently published its preliminary recommendations and now invites thoughts and comments from the public.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:01:36 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Mike Seeger: Musician, Educator, Entertainer, Preservationist</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-MCDO30_20090828-201003/289015/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
When Mike Seeger passed away at his home in Lexington on Aug. 7, America lost more than a great singer and entertainer. The country lost one of its great cultural treasures. There was no doubt that Mike was an accomplished musician, seemingly able to pick up any stringed instrument and play it better than anyone else. Then there was that voice that not only reminded his audience of another time and place, but seemed actually to transport them back to that other time and place. Mike Seeger did not just sing old-time American music, he was its very embodiment.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:01:15 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Your 2 Cents</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-Y2C30_20090828-201205/289029/</link>
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Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has died and with him not only the last remnants of the real Democratic Party&#8212;the one that used to care about the average Joe&#8212;but most likely the future of the middle class in this country, as well.&#8212;Mark Graser, Montpelier   . . .  Ironically, the news has reported that Social Security recipients may not receive a cost-of-living increase for two years. Since the &#8220;death panel&#8221; controversy has been eliminated, perhaps this is a more subtle way to get rid of older people who have little to contribute to society. At least we will have a choice: food or medicine. My guess is there will be an increase in the cost of Medicare.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:01:11 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Doug Wilder: What I Expect From Our Next Governor</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-WILD30_20090828-201003/289018/</link>
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The role played by money in politics is such that I have often said, on most occasions, that one word&#8212;money&#8212;serves as a definition for politics. We are seeing that in issue after issue this year, at both the federal and state levels of government. Those who make the decisions at top levels affect the taxpaying public&#8212;in ways that directly affect citizens in their everyday lives.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:01:07 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>SPCA story touches nerves, stirs readers&#8217; emotions</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/NV-VIEW30_20090828-201205/289030/</link>
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What makes an event newsworthy? Where should we draw the line on free speech? Our readers often disagree with us, and with one another, on the answers to these important questions. On Wednesday morning on TimesDispatch .com, we broke the story that a dog belonging to Robin Starr, CEO of the Richmond SPCA, died after being left unattended in her car for four hours on a day when temperatures topped 90 degrees.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:01:06 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Backlash From House Climate Bill is Driving Senate Delays</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-OKEE30_20090828-201205/289025/</link>
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In 1976 in the movie &#8220;Network,&#8220; Peter Finch opened his window and shouted: &#8220;I&#8217;m as mad as hell and I&#8217;m not going to take this anymore.&#8220; Now, over 30 years later the American public&#8212;fed up with reckless government spending and unnecessarily burdensome regulations&#8212;is beginning to echo Mr. Finch&#8217;s sentiment. We didn&#8217;t reach this point overnight. First, Washington handed out $2 trillion for bailouts and a so-called stimulus&#8212;both of which were loaded with political pork and special earmarks. As more and more Americans became aware of this excess, many voters organized &#8220;tea party&#8221; rallies to publicly voice their opposition to the surge in government spending and the resulting higher taxes.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:01:04 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>From the newsroom: Online sports contests</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/NV-VIEW23_20090822-214806/287777/</link>
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Three months ago, we wrote about the Richmond Times-Dispatch&#8217;s weekly auto racing fantasy contest, in which participants can win tickets to races at Richmond International Raceway. We were only 11 weeks into the season then. This weekend&#8217;s race, the Sharpie 500 in Bristol, was the 24th Sprint Cup event of the year, and we&#8217;re only three weeks away from the Chevy Rock &amp; Roll 400 at RIR on Sept. 12.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:01:50 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Virginia Needs a More Balanced Budgeting Approach</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-CASSIDY23_20090821-202407/287529/</link>
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Solving Virginia&#8217;s budget crisis in ways that ensure future economic growth is not for the faint of heart. It involves difficult choices that might not, at first, seem politically popular. The problem is clear: While the needs of Virginians continue to grow under pressure from a crush ing national recession, there is less money available for the programs and services to help them. All across the nation, the bad economy is driving down state tax revenues by unprecedented proportions. Even when the national economy recovers, states will have trouble finding the revenue necessary to support education, health care, public safety, and other key services if they don&#8217;t take steps soon to align their tax systems with public needs.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:01:47 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>The High Cost and Low Price of Freedom</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-BERES23_20090821-202407/287525/</link>
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Our son John is beginning his fifth week of boot camp at Parris Island. Old fashioned, hold-in-your-hand letters are the only contact we have with him. Thankfully, he&#8217;s a good correspondent and his letters&#8212;for the most part&#8212;are upbeat. He&#8217;s homesick, hot, 10 pounds thinner, and has a new appreciation for family, friends, and hot showers that last longer than five minutes. Other than that, he seems to be doing OK. His experiences with &#8220;the world&#8217;s scariest people&#8221; (drill instructors), quarter-decking (ask a Marine), and learning to eat with his right hand (he&#8217;s a southpaw) without looking at his food are written with humor and self-deprecation.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:01:44 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Your 2 Cents</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-Y2C823_20090821-202407/287537/</link>
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Recently I attended a job fair hosted by Rep. Eric Cantor. Right now, it looks like things are going to be OK, but I saw the faces of the thousands of people standing in line looking for work. We have rising foreclosures, declining tax revenue, a Congress that just wants to spend. Our credit card interest rates have increased and lines of credit have decreased. And the commercial real estate bubble is ready to explode. We are in the eye of the hurricane&#8212;just wait until we come out of the eye.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:01:40 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Could the Recovery Act Help Reinvent Government?</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-PEIRCE23_20090821-202603/287539/</link>
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If you think the Obama administration&#8217;s $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is just one big government boondoggle, check out some top regional implementation strategies. Kansas City, Mo., for example. A big infusion of stimulus funds is being focused on a newly dubbed &#8220;Green Impact Zone,&#8220; a 150-block area of the inner city long plagued by poverty, violence, abandonment, and joblessness.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:01:30 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Raising taxes now is a crazy idea</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-BOUD23_20090821-202407/287528/</link>
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According to the Tax Foundation, in 1978 Virginians&#8217; per-capita state and local tax burden was $553. When reckoned in 2008 dollars, that means that every man, woman, and child in Virginia back then forked out $1,964 to fund state and local government activities. By 2008 that tax burden had risen to $3,281&#8212;a whopping 67 percent higher, in real terms, than 30 years earlier.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:01:07 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>In the Best Town Halls, Civility and Inquiry Reign</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-TAS23_20090821-202407/287535/</link>
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Suddenly, we&#8217;re town hall nation. Again. Down goes the news conference. Oh, so stuffy and staged. Up comes the theater-style&#8212;a much better way to get out the message and engage THE PEOPLE. Health care reform has turbocharged the town hall discussions and, in some ways, cheap ened the potential value of public discourse. The yelling, of course, has attracted the sound-bite attention. Health care is a natural for drama. Big money. Life and death. Lots of risk. The haves and have-nots. Clunky solutions. Good intentions. Questionable possibilities. Perfect for 60 to 90 minutes of questions and answers.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:01:05 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Pro and Con: Increasing Taxes?</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/pro_and_con_increasing_taxes/287720/</link>
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With state revenue in free fall, is it time to raise taxes?           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:01:04 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Bob Rayner: Congress Gone Wild</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-BOB16_20090814-202006/286074/</link>
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With so much bad legislation snaking through Washington these days, it&#8217;s tough to keep track of it all. It&#8217;s almost as if the president and the Democratic Congress want to pass bills before anyone else knows what&#8217;s knows what&#8217;s in them. Aided by a supine press corps, this tactic worked for the stimulus package, and it allowed the House to pass&#8212;by a polar bear&#8217;s whisker&#8212;cap-and-tax legislation.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:01:51 EST</pubDate>
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          <title>Mason Rayner: How Regulations Spurred and Exacerbated the Recession</title>
          <link>http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/opinion/commentary/article/ED-MASON16_20090814-202006/286078/</link>
          <description><![CDATA[
 Editor&#8217;s note: The last name of our guest columnist may sound familiar to readers of this section. The author is the son of Commentary editor Bob Rayner, and he obviously shares his father&#8217;s affection for free markets and limited government. He is less sanguine than his dad about the economic legacy of our 43rd president. We&#8217;ve all heard that the current recession is the result of capitalism run amok&#8212;the consequence of too much deregulation and too little government supervision. While this explanation is plausible in some respects, it ignores the myriad ways in which government actions helped cause the crisis.           ]]></description>
          <pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:01:46 EST</pubDate>
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