"R%20%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%20cddc7.com%20%5B%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%20B77%5D50%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BDgrandmondial%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%EF%BF%BD%20miraculous/"

Commentary: Words of Wisdom

Folks back home where I grew up in Page County, Virginia were not known to have a lot to say about events.

Commentary: Bumper Sticker Politics

Experts on communications in political campaigns advise that a message needs to be expressed in a matter of seconds—not minutes—if it is to be effective.

Commentary: Public Trust above Party

Shifting from a relaxing vacation back to work is always challenging, but my return this past week from the mountains, streams and lakes of Glacier National Park to a special session of the General Assembly has been a particularly stark contrast.

Column: Traveling Abroad

While I am far from a world traveler, I find the trips I take to other countries to be relaxing, fun and educational. I agree with those who stress the value of traveling abroad to a complete education.

Column: Thank You, DCRA

The opening of the Silver Line brought an overflow crowd of dignitaries and well-wishers to cut the ribbon and ride the first train.

Column: Institutional Stress

The ship of state of the Old Dominion that traces its beginnings to a meeting of the colonists in the church at Jamestown in 1619 showed some stress lines last week as the legislative body, the General Assembly, turned a one-day reconvened session to consider the Governor’s amendments into two days of meetings with incomplete results.

Column: We the People

In Virginia as in states throughout the South and the Midwest, there is a continuing stream of legislation that attempts to place the power of the states over that of the federal government.

Column: Cheaper and Cleaner

Under a bill passed by the General Assembly in the 2015 session and signed by the Governor, the cost of electricity in Virginia will go down next month, and the base rate of electricity will be frozen for the next five years. Critics of the “Dominion bill” seem to have not read the provisions of the legislation as it passed or do not understand it.

Commentary: Transit Means Business!

A couple of weeks ago I dropped off my Prius for service at a dealership near the Spring Hill Station on the Silver Line and caught the Metro for a one-stop trip to the Greensboro Station.

Commentary: A Legislator's Holiday Season

The multiple celebrations that make up the holiday season bring travel, big meals, and family and friend reunions. For state legislators the end of the year and the holidays bring an additional dimension: preparation for the next legislative session.

Column: On the Agenda

One of the most frequently asked questions of me this time of year is, “What will the General Assembly be doing when it meets?” The question is understandable with the regular session of the legislature scheduled to begin on Jan. 14, 2015.

Commentary: From Polarization to Compromise

The outcome of the most recent elections demonstrates once again how divided we are as a nation and as a state. The clearest winner is gridlock as it is hard to see how progress can be made by Congress on important issues that await resolution.

Column: The Legacy of Bob McDonnell

I had no idea what to expect when the jury announced it had reached its verdicts on the charges against former Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen, but when the verdicts were announced I was stunned.

Column: A Sense of Community

As you may know, I grew up in a very rural part of Virginia—in Page County near the little town of Shenandoah in the Page Valley that is part of the grander Shenandoah Valley.

Column: Couple of Bad Weeks for Virginia

The Commonwealth that has been reeling all year from a spate of bad publicity from the legislative session found itself in the national spotlight again as the president of its nationally premiere university was forced out in a behind-the-scenes maneuver by a couple of members of the Board of Visitors without a formal vote.

Column: Shaping Up the MWAA Board

Recently I attended a briefing for elected officials arranged by Congressmen Connolly and Wolf on the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) review of the management and governance of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) as had been requested by Congressman Wolf.

Column: Get on Board, Virginia

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) dropped a provision last week from its procurement documents for construction of Phase 2 of the Silver Line that would have rewarded bonus points to bidders who included a project labor agreement (PLA) in their proposals.

Commentary: Civics Education

While I enjoy studying history and reading the stories of the past, I equally enjoy studying the writing of history—historiography—which is “the writing of history based on the critical examination of sources, the selection of particulars from the authentic materials, and the synthesis of particulars into a narrative that will stand the test of critical methods.”

The Connection

All results / Stories / Delegate Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum

Sort By

Date