Saturday, March 29, 2008
Editorial: Short takes
Quick views on some of the week's news
From the RoundTable blog
Read the latest entries
Kurd risks life for U.S., called a 'terrorist'
Saman Kareem Ahmad risked his life for nearly four years working as a translator for U.S. forces in Iraq. He earned two medals -- the Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. Had it not been for the daily death threats and wanted posters, Ahmad might still be in Iraq helping Marines there rather than training them here.
One would think that Ahmad has more than proven his loyalty to the U.S. and would merit a green card. But then one discounts the faceless bureaucracy that decides these things.
Ahmad was turned down. Seems he once belonged to the Kurdish Democratic Party -- the very group that fought to oust Saddam Hussein and is now part of the elected government of the Kurdish region -- and is therefore considered a member of an "undesignated terrorist organization." The key term -- undesignated -- means it isn't on any official list, just some nameless bureaucrat's hunch.
This country owes Ahmad gratitude not insult. Immigration officials, embarrassed once The Washington Post published Ahmad's story, have decided to stop denying green cards to refugees until they develop "logical, common sense" rules.
A punishment that's far from pedestrian
Roanoke police warned that anyone caught riding a bike or skateboard across the new Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge will be banned from crossing again. Get caught a second time and the bike or board rider will face a trespassing charge, which is a Class 1 misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $2,500 and 12 months a jail. That's quite a harsh punishment and hardly fitting of the "crime."
The $4 million bridge opened recently with anti-skid strips across the steep pitch of the wooden structure whose beams offer much historical accuracy but little traction.
Almost immediately the strips began to tear loose, and city officials blamed rough riders for the damage. The solution required bikers to walk across the bridge. While not ideal, people could accept that.
What they shouldn't accept is being treated like criminals for getting caught riding on a bridge that is supposed to be part of the city's greenway system.
Pitching in and picking up
Kudos to volunteers with the Valley Area Shared Trails Network who have pitched in to help clear trails of downed trees in Carvins Cove. The volunteers through their Web site, vast-network.org, said the high winds did more temporary damage than the February Green Ridge Mountain fire.
So far they've cut away 400 trees in order to reopen popular trails. The work is far from finished and continues today. Those who wish to join the effort should turn out at 10 a.m. in the Bennett Springs parking lot with leaf rake in hand. Yes, your bike is still welcome there.
Budget committee shenanigans
Even in tight fiscal years, lawmakers find ways to look out for the big corporations that contribute to their campaigns.
The General Assembly, for example, made sure that Northrop Grumman will continue receiving money from the state. A special budget amendment requires state agencies to keep buying computers under a contract with the company. That contract has received stiff criticism, but the amendment ensures agencies will not use the standard procurement system.
Dozens of lawmakers accepted donations from Northrop Grumman last year, including Dels. Phil Hamilton and Lacey Putney, and Sen. Chuck Colgan, the chairmen of the House and Senate budget committees. They took $5,000, $1,000 and $2,000 respectively.
Double entendre and a cup of Joe
The name of the new coffee shop opening in Chesapeake is a little ... rude. "Bad Donkey Coffee" would be the polite version. It's part of a chain with outlets around the country, though none in Southwest Virginia.
Chesapeake officials received enough complaints about the name that they asked attorneys if they could do anything. Turns out they can't -- that pesky First Amendment and all.
Go figure, a company can have a name that isn't obscene even if it runs afoul of a few people's sensibilities.
