Springfield Opinion

Springfield Opinion

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Editorial: Good, Bad and Ugly

A look at recently ended session of the Virginia General Assembly.

The 2015 session of the Virginia General Assembly came to an end last week, and some of the biggest news was about what it did not do.

Column: Health Matters More

I realize money doesn’t buy happiness, although I wouldn’t mind renting it.

Letter: A Cornerstone in Danger

Letter to the Editor:

We are a community that values education. We’re known nationwide for our world-class education system. And for good reason: with outstanding teachers, motivated students, and active leadership, we have every right to take pride in the top-tier education that our community has asked for.

Commentary: Investing in Families Strengthens Communities

Letter to the Editor

The Fairfax County proposed $7.13 billion budget for fiscal year 2016 comes at devastating cost for the most vulnerable families in our community. Included in the budget is the complete elimination of Healthy Families, a nationally recognized, evidence-based child abuse and neglect prevention program that serves hundreds of at-risk families.

Column: Money Matters

It always does, and there always are; especially if you have to work for a living and cancer is a part of that living.

Editorial: On Police Information and Secrecy

Time for change in public access to police information.

The first meeting of the Fairfax County Ad Hoc Police Practices Review Commission will take place next Monday, March 23, and it comes with hope for real change.

Column: How Lucky Am I

You’ll note there’s no question mark after the “I.”

Letter: An Inspiring Story

To the Editor

The article “Fairfax County Animal Shelter Gets Creative to Save Lives,” (Connection, February 26-March 4, 2015) inspired me by how dedicated the volunteers are to provide the best care for the animals they take in and find them a new home as soon as possible.

Column: Sole-Searching

There’s no denying the emotional fact that the CT Scan results I received and wrote about last week were a bit of a disappointment.

Column: Not So Late This Time

But real-time once again: February 20, 11 hours, approximately, after our regularly-scheduled, post-scan meeting with the oncologist at 10:00 this morning.

Editorial: Managing Mental Illness in Jails

Natasha McKenna’s death provides window on national concern.

A national report released on Feb. 11 highlighted the prevalence of people with mental illness incarcerated in local jails.

Column: Staying Ahead of the Feds

The federal government is not always wrong. At the same time, the state government is not always right.

The Virginia House and the Senate have penned similar but competing mid-point versions to the 2014-2016 biennial budget.

Column: Real-Time, Really Late

I’m not a night owl. More of an early bird, worms notwithstanding. But given the contents of last week’s column, “Scantsy,” I find it difficult to write about anything else while waiting for the results of my CT Scan.

Letter: Failing in Their Duties

Letter to the Editor

I applaud your editorial on the Geer murder (“No Justification for Secrecy, Delay on Geer Shooting,” Connection, February 4-10, 2015). The Connection has done yeoman’s work in keeping this tragedy in front of the public, unlike other newspapers which are johnnie-come-latelies.

Editorial: Not the First or Only Time

Secrecy around police shootings has been a problem for at least a decade.

The official position of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on the need for changes in policy after the shooting of John Geer by police in Springfield in August of 2013 appears to be that this is the first time police policies have been a problem: “Policies for handling police-involved incidents, which served us well for decades, were inadequate in this complicated situation.”