By Bob Leggett: Walter Alcorn, along with some other Fairfax County supervisors, is looking at relaxing restrictions on single-family residences as a way to help ease the county’s affordable housing deficit. “We are considering whether homeowners in areas zoned single…
Category: Economy & Business
New Virginia Latino Caucus leader aims to counter rising tide of fear
By Brad Swanson: Ricardo Alfaro is a man on a mission. As the newly elected president of the Latino Democratic Caucus in Virginia, he has crafted an ambitious workplan to expand the group’s reach and counter the rising tide of…
Meeting the challenge of affordable housing in Fairfax County
By Jerry Poje: Fairfax County’s future is on the line. As we saw in part I of this series, high housing costs are forcing lower income families, young adults and seniors to migrate out of our region. This cripples our…
Del. Kaye Kory helps minority-owned pet store stay in business
By Susan Laume: Support from the community, including from state Del. Kaye Kory (D-38), has saved a Latino woman-owned pet store in Barcroft Plaza shopping center from closure. The pet store, Chico’s Natural Pet Market, faced shutdown when the owner,…
No. Va. immigrant job bank honored for finding day labor for thousands
“One Community. One World.” This vision was more than just a slogan at the annual Centreville Immigration Forum dinner on April 13, showcasing the talent and cultural diversity of our region. A Parade of Flags ceremony representing some of the…
Va. ranked worst place in USA to work– Saslaw can help fix it, say labor leaders
By George Hogan and David Allison: In a recent OxFam study, an analysis was completed to determine the best state in which to work. The report categorized 11 policy areas into three basic dimensions—wage policies, worker protection policies, and the…
New law lets Virginia localities sell green energy back to power companies
By Susan Laume: Local governments in northern Virginia and elsewhere in the Commonwealth can now generate up to 30 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy for sale back to the power grid, thanks to recently passed legislation sponsored by state Del.…
It’s all business in Wexton-Comstock debate
By Stephanie Witt Sedgwick: State Sen. Jennifer Wexton (D-33) faced off against Rep. Barbara Comstock (R- 10) on Sept. 21 for the Congressional candidates’ only debate so far in the campaign. In a discussion restricted to business issues, Wexton attacked…
Judge blocks Trump punch at federal workers — but appeal likely
By Sheldon Friedman: A district court judge has blocked, for now, a gut-punch delivered by the Trump administration to federal workers in the form of a trio of harsh executive orders (read them here, here and here). These executive orders…
Republicans steal the American dream
By William Berkson: Many of us feel cheated of the American dream of growing prosperity. But we should target our anger appropriately. Since 1980, whenever Democrats resided in the White House, poverty declined and middle class incomes rose, on the…
Win-win tax reform: Restoring fairness and spurring growth
By William Berkson: Tax reform is not a zero-sum game. Since Ronald Reagan lowered taxes in the 1980s, followed by George W. Bush in the early 2000s and Donald Trump last year, middle class income has stagnated despite productivity increases,…
Fairfax County narrows teacher pay gap in new budget rising 5%
By Stephanie Witt Sedgwick: Public school teachers in Fairfax County will receive pay raises averaging 5% following the Board of Supervisors decision on Tuesday to narrow the gap between Fairfax County and neighboring school systems. The school pay hikes were…
Falls Church veterans’ organizations under investigation
Editor’s Note: Public reports state that two non-profit organizations based in Falls Church are being investigated by the attorneys general in Virginia and New York for apparently overspending on fund-raising and salaries, leaving little for their ostensible mission of aiding…
Candidate Question Time: Republican tax reform
Each week until the Va-10 congressional district Democratic Party primary election on June 12, The Blue View will ask all six candidates to respond to a key question on an important issue in 100 words or less. This week’s question: What one…