Monday, October 24, 2011
Archive: Editorials from The Roanoke Times
Letters to the Editor
Recent letters to the editor
- Letters: Gay marriage foes await day of reckoning
- Pick of the day: Congregations in action for a public school
- A de facto regional government
- Letters archive
From the RoundTable blog
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Editorial cartoons: See an archive of Chris OBrion's editorial cartoons
Bigoted lawmakers block gay judge - 5/16/2012
Egos first, children second - 5/16/2012
A modest education victory - 5/15/2012
End the e-tail tax advantage - 5/15/2012
Justice for the innocent - 5/14/2012
Preserve aid for students and seniors - 5/14/2012
This is good news, so dig in - 5/13/2012
May election doesn;t register with voters - 5/13/2012
Short takes - 5/12/2012
Obama evolves on marriage - 5/11/2012
Hunker down, people - 5/11/2012
Thou shalt seek mediation - 5/10/2012
Workers' good deed shouldn't be punished - 5/10/2012
Partisan lines blur close to home - 5/9/2012
Children first, yes, but teachers next - 5/9/2012
Don't skip a public hearing - 5/8/2012
Caring for children in crisis - 5/8/2012
Gridlocked and gutless - 5/7/2012
Good planning heads off fiscal woes - 5/7/2012
Lessons from the school closure debate - 5/6/2012
Slow selling on EMS fees - 5/6/2012
History still lingers for black Virginians - 5/6/2012
Short takes - 5/5/2012
Who's who in veteran fraud case? - 5/4/2012
No simple tax solutions - 5/4/2012
Stir crazy in Portsmouth - 5/3/2012
Taking front stage in Elmwood Park - 5/3/2012
Fast, furious and secret - 5/2/2012
Voters like their 'friendly mayor' - 5/2/2012
Clean energy's future - 5/1/2012
Jefferson takes a bow - 5/1/2012
Allow cocktails outside the towns - 4/30/2012
Montgomery County's taxing history - 4/30/2012
Your money, your community, your vote - 4/29/2012
Equal protection against abuse - 4/29/2012
Saturday shorts - 4/28/2012
Students are not political pawns - 4/27/2012
Savings through the roof - 4/27/2012
Blacksburg council gets a raise - 4/26/2012
End political games over judges - 4/26/2012
Tuition limbo at Virginia Tech - 4/25/2012
Unfair to laborers - 4/25/2012
Gov. McDonnell's gun record - 4/24/2012
A pox on pandering - 4/24/2012
Botetourt's budget fix - 4/23/2012
Legislators must share in pension sacrifices - 4/23/2012
New River Valley endorsements - 4/22/2012
Mark Lucas for mayor of Roanoke - 4/22/2012
Saturday shorts - 4/21/2012
It's a shad, shad world - 4/20/2012
Don't refight the prayer battle - 4/20/2012
Painful cuts for Montgomery County schools - 4/19/2012
We are Virginia's Blue Ridge - 4/19/2012
A failed fix to a bad bill - 4/18/2012
The letter and spirit of the open meeting law - 4/18/2012
Get the budget done - 4/17/2012
Politics and the PTA - 4/17/2012
An Etch a Sketch campaign - 4/16/2012
Counting every dollar in tax incentives - 4/16/2012
Virginia prisons win a lifetime muzzle - 4/15/2012
In Roanoke, go with Rosen, Price and Lea - 4/15/2012
Saturday shorts - 4/14/2012
The Book Wars: Chapter 3 - 4/13/2012
Moving heaven and Earth - 4/13/2012
Teen births trend in right direction - 4/12/2012
Virtual course law puts form over content - 4/12/2012
A whoopsie for democracy - 4/11/2012
Gaps persist in crisis care for the mentally ill - 4/11/2012
Bipartisanship in the legislature - 4/10/2012
Leading from the back - 4/10/2012
Republicans cling to coal's past - 4/9/2012
McDonnell road plan stuck in a cul-de-sac - 4/9/2012
A high price for so little school redistricting - 4/8/2012
Healthiest people live in better-off places - 4/8/2012
Fidler, Nance for Vinton council - 4/8/2012
Short takes - 4/7/2012
Study devolution - 4/6/2012
Aid from localities - 4/6/2012
Cuccinelli won't stand against violence - 4/5/2012
Weighing costs in Botetourt - 4/5/2012
In seeking counsel for the council - 4/4/2012
Trouble in the kitchen - 4/4/2012
A Roanoke antagonist dies - 4/3/2012
The right care - 4/3/2012
Give websites a chance to protect privacy - 4/2/2012
Health reform in peril - 4/2/2012
A gun policy wasn't enough - 4/1/2012
Work left to do - 4/1/2012
Saturday shorts - 3/31/2012
On becoming filthy rich - 3/30/2012
Debate deserves a packed house - 3/30/2012
The cost of 'saving' Medicare - 3/29/2012
Back to the negotiating table - 3/29/2012
UVa keeps digging in email dispute - 3/28/2012
From Bedford to Botetourt - 3/28/2012
Give localities time to adjust to pension rules - 3/27/2012
Hockey's next goal - 3/27/2012
A debate as old as the nation - 3/26/2012
A heart for Roanoke - 3/26/2012
Discuss Stadium Woods publicly - 3/25/2012
Cuccinelli takes unfair jabs on electric rates - 3/25/2012
Development proceeds as promised - 3/25/2012
Saturday shorts - 3/24/2012
A high bar for Facebook checks - 3/23/2012
Change is brewing - 3/23/2012
Think beyond fixed bus routes - 3/22/2012
Make passenger rail a priority - 3/22/2012
Harvest can improve what it reaps - 3/21/2012
A bungled bill for transportation - 3/21/2012
Justices shy away from sunlight - 3/20/2012
Know the drill - 3/20/2012
Keeping false hope alive for a road plan - 3/19/2012
People with disabilities lack influence - 3/19/2012
Take the politics out of drug courts - 3/18/2012
Tech should let the verdict stand - 3/18/2012
Saturday shorts - 3/17/2012
Let's win some Sunnys - 3/16/2012
Surely, they jest - 3/16/2012
Lawmakers left FOIA alone, mostly - 3/15/2012
Welcome the sunshine, Franklin County - 3/15/2012
Trail-blazing volunteers are priceless - 3/14/2012
A reasonable plan for Earth-friendly project - 3/14/2012
Uranium group will keep secrets - 3/13/2012
Virginia's sunshine-makers - 3/13/2012
Fairer rules needed on medical debt - 3/12/2012
Families of the disabled deserve a role - 3/12/2012
Appoint board members publicly - 3/11/2012
A disconnect over open government - 3/11/2012
Anyone can file a FOIA request - 3/11/2012
Saturday shorts - 3/10/2012
The ice rink cometh? - 3/9/2012
Virginia could lose in Bay battle - 3/9/2012
Bad bills will turn up again - 3/8/2012
Budgeting for an agreeable outcome - 3/8/2012
Lawmakers find a new bailout - 3/7/2012
A shared duty to avoid a crisis - 3/7/2012
Mundane Tuesday - 3/6/2012
The view from the South Portico - 3/6/2012
Veto this do-nothing bill - 3/5/2012
Playing doctor with feel-good bill - 3/5/2012
The dastardly press! - 3/4/2012
Ethics investigations still veiled in secrecy - 3/4/2012
Saturday shorts - 3/3/2012
Put discipline records online - 3/2/2012
Limit secret surveillance - 3/2/2012
High gas prices easy to demagogue, harder to solve - 3/1/2012
Sen. Smith's chance to shine - 3/1/2012
A toast to tomorrow - 2/29/2012
When the standards become higher - 2/29/2012
Honor early black lawmakers - 2/28/2012
Afghanstan's violence hits home - 2/28/2012
A bid to slip 'No Child's' handcuffs - 2/27/2012
All a matter of principle - 2/27/2012
Give a tuition break to staff kids, too - 2/26/2012
The bitter lesson of Aveion's death - 2/26/2012
No through traffic allowed - 2/26/2012
Saturday shorts - 2/25/2012
So much for early school - 2/24/2012
An offensive alternative to an offensive bill - 2/24/2012
Slavery museum finally on track - 2/23/2012
Cooperation needed to build a better budget - 2/23/2012
Don't divert taxes to religious schools - 2/22/2012
Still chipping away at waiting lists - 2/22/2012
How's your driving? - 2/21/2012
Keep guns away from convicted batterers - 2/21/2012
The dead register to vote - 2/20/2012
A nonevent in its entirety - 2/20/2012
A worrisome assault on reproductive rights - 2/19/2012
Let the meals tax expire as promised - 2/19/2012
Saturday shorts - 2/18/2012
Candidates welcome - 2/17/2012
No justice in prosecution - 2/17/2012
Explain Bedford administrator's resignation - 2/16/2012
High expectations for teachers - 2/16/2012
A conservative crossover - 2/15/2012
A shared responsibility - 2/15/2012
School realignment - 2/14/2012
No more excuses for Republicans on transportation - 2/14/2012
An injudicious restraint of judges - 2/13/2012
Bending the rules for home-schoolers - 2/13/2012
Advertise a scary, improbable tax increase - 2/12/2012
It's early yet to call overtime - 2/12/2012
A reality check on public school budgets - 2/12/2012
Short takes - 2/11/2012
Prepare for primary delay - 2/10/2012
A sight for sore ears - 2/10/2012
Fantasy-based budgeting - 2/9/2012
Contraception and the church - 2/9/2012
Roanoke libraries write a new chapter - 2/8/2012
Preserve the health care safety net - 2/8/2012
Toll roads in Virginia's future - 2/7/2012
Taking care with a gift park - 2/7/2012
Open government for all - 2/6/2012
Disabled Virginians have waited too long - 2/6/2012
An independent voice for public safety - 2/5/2012
First, master the basics - 2/5/2012
Saturday shorts - 2/4/2012
Don't cap tuition assistance - 2/3/2012
Coasting to re-election - 2/3/2012
The perks of office - 2/2/2012
Will resolve to limit tax credits dissolve? - 2/2/2012
Strengthen child abuse reporting laws - 2/1/2012
Let the judges do their jobs - 2/1/2012
Who knows if you voted? - 1/31/2012
Adjustment on the playing field - 1/31/2012
A little respect for Putney, please - 1/30/2012
Blacksburg's pricey parking lot - 1/29/2012
Partisanship rules in redistricting - 1/29/2012
ICLEI alarmists get iced, for now - 1/29/2012
Saturday shorts - 1/28/2012
You, sir, are an obstructionist - 1/27/2012
A lifeline for Legal Aid - 1/27/2012
Progress on voting rights - 1/26/2012
Time to tend to staff - 1/26/2012
One paycheck away from drug use - 1/25/2012
Putney's leadership on transportation - 1/25/2012
Pass a blue law special - 1/24/2012
[This space for sale] - 1/24/2012
Election reform hits and misses - 1/23/2012
A voice for Virginia's low-income children - 1/23/2012
A rare, positive note on immigration - 1/22/2012
Planners hit one out of the park - 1/22/2012
Saturday shorts - 1/21/2012
Let consumers guide insurance website - 1/20/2012
No rush on uranium - 1/20/2012
Quick, make the fix - 1/19/2012
Kinship care should be first choice - 1/19/2012
Open government isn't a burden - 1/18/2012
Finding a rational middle ground on school performance - 1/18/2012
A grand vision, refocused - 1/17/2012
Blue, the latest Local Color - 1/17/2012
Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. - 1/16/2012
How would you spend local tax dollars? - 1/15/2012
Resetting the clock on Extension changes - 1/15/2012
Yet another heads, we win; tails, you lose - 1/15/2012
Saturday shorts - 1/14/2012
McDonnell skips the culture war - 1/13/2012
A costly overreach on condemnation - 1/13/2012
Redistricting failure - 1/12/2012
A new playbook for high school sports - 1/12/2012
McDonnell wants kids in school - 1/11/2012
A legislative agenda with a long-term view - 1/11/2012
A rescue, and a travesty - 1/10/2012
Peace restored on the market - 1/10/2012
Fellowship makes for odd politics - 1/9/2012
Don't rubber stamp economic incentives - 1/9/2012
Obama's valid recess appointments - 1/8/2012
Sheriff's job is political - 1/8/2012
Saturday shorts - 1/7/2012
Watch over the children - 1/6/2012
Bolling dabbles in the law - 1/6/2012
Prisoners shouldn't pad electoral districts - 1/5/2012
A more sensible way to vote in Roanoke - 1/5/2012
Two sides of the bay cleanup coin - 1/4/2012
The perils of political parties policing themselves - 1/4/2012
Make Virginians the priority - 1/3/2012
All eyes on Iowa - 1/3/2012
Attention lollygaggers - 1/2/2012
It's about second chances - 1/2/2012
Saturday shorts - 12/31/2011
GOP demands party loyalty - 12/30/2011
Pondering potholes - 12/30/2011
These Robin Hoods are criminals - 12/29/2011
Wheeling and dealing on Internet taxes - 12/29/2011
Seeing past differences - 12/28/2011
Don't give Gingrich a do-over - 12/28/2011
Restoring voting rights - 12/27/2011
The dollars and sense of a gas tax increase - 12/27/2011
Track each lawmaker's voting record - 12/26/2011
Handgun restrictions may top GOP hit list - 12/26/2011
A municipal park for Christiansburg - 12/25/2011
A holiday sampler - 12/25/2011
Saturday shorts - 12/24/2011
A sports field of battle - 12/23/2011
To make a balanced budget - 12/23/2011
Postpone uranium decision - 12/22/2011
A strategic House error - 12/22/2011
School standards shouldn't be just a suggestion - 12/21/2011
McDonnell shorts legacy for expedience - 12/21/2011
A 'Great Successor'? - 12/20/2011
Building a better world without hazing - 12/20/2011
Bolling hangs tough on judicial reform - 12/19/2011
A step toward funding state pensions - 12/19/2011
Begging for better roads - 12/18/2011
Citizens, prepare for eternal vigilance - 12/18/2011
Saturday shorts - 12/17/2011
For the Bohemian - 12/16/2011
Mission over; impact stays - 12/16/2011
Stop making dollar bills - 12/15/2011
Smart phones, stupid drivers - 12/15/2011
A good life, a senseless death - 12/14/2011
A twofer for Virginia governors - 12/14/2011
How to improve an image - 12/13/2011
Scientific integrity pledge gives way to piffle - 12/13/2011
Talk, talk, more talk: democracy inaction - 12/12/2011
Another tepid plan for transportation - 12/12/2011
Blacksburg school site promises future bliss - 12/11/2011
Develop uranium mining regs first - 12/11/2011
Southwest's chance to defeat drug addiction - 12/11/2011
Short takes - 12/10/2011
Virginia Tech learned from April 16 - 12/10/2011
Tragedy at Virginia Tech - 12/9/2011
Opening the doctors' bills - 12/9/2011
At last, exoneration - 12/8/2011
Don't abandon Virginia's investment in early learning - 12/8/2011
Virginia pays state workers poorly - 12/7/2011
McDonnell must keep his promise to autistic children - 12/7/2011
Save access to safe abortion - 12/6/2011
Roanoke's free speech fight - 12/6/2011
Tune out the 2013 candidates - 12/5/2011
A disappointing failure of leadership on health care - 12/5/2011
Now is the time for redistricting reform - 12/4/2011
Rehabbing tax policy for new schools - 12/4/2011
Saturday shorts - 12/3/2011
Reform awaits the few - 12/2/2011
Easing the chill of higher electric rates - 12/2/2011
Keep re-redistricting to a minimum - 12/1/2011
In search of stronger consumer protections - 12/1/2011
Federal spending cuts will hit Virginia - 11/30/2011
Cats aren't necessary for pediatric training - 11/30/2011
A closer playing field - 11/29/2011
A Southwest legislator's bleak vision for the region - 11/29/2011
Deliver on the U.S. mail - 11/28/2011
The politics and economics of coal - 11/28/2011
An appeal to and for the community - 11/27/2011
Send Anonymous packing - 11/27/2011
Short takes - 11/26/2011
Gunning for Va.'s gun checks - 11/25/2011
A new career track starts in jail - 11/25/2011
A Thanksgiving sampler - 11/24/2011
Super failures - 11/23/2011
Report major campus crimes - 11/23/2011
Supreme television - 11/22/2011
Let the public speak - 11/22/2011
Constitution, schmonstitution - 11/21/2011
Congress takes aim at states' rights - 11/20/2011
Preserve Virginia Tech's Stadium Woods - 11/20/2011
Getting work done in the Senate - 11/20/2011
Teach children to behave in school - 11/20/2011
Short takes - 11/19/2011
Washington follies - 11/18/2011
Virginia ponders waiting game on health insurance - 11/18/2011
Congress protects pizza Fridays - 11/17/2011
Taxation without participation - 11/17/2011
A different type of housing problem - 11/16/2011
An invisible drain on the treasury - 11/16/2011
No peace for the election weary - 11/15/2011
More homeless - 11/15/2011
A moral obligation to pick up the phone - 11/14/2011
Whither Alleghany? - 11/14/2011
A life forfeited, but not forgotten - 11/13/2011
Briefly put - 11/13/2011
Short takes - 11/12/2011
Change comes to Franklin - 11/11/2011
A chance for Overton - 11/11/2011
Wertz and crew should resign - 11/10/2011
Clip Church's power - 11/10/2011
Feathers unruffled - 11/9/2011
Filling Virginia's leadership void - 11/9/2011
Vote today! - 11/8/2011
Intermodal in our future - 11/8/2011
No public college is immune to FOIA - 11/7/2011
White House sought a license to lie - 11/7/2011
Our New River Valley endorsements - 11/6/2011
In search of the best representation - 11/6/2011
Saturday short takes - 11/5/2011
Student loan reforms are just a start - 11/4/2011
Boys, too, deserve protection - 11/4/2011
Strong leadership for Roanoke County - 11/3/2011
Bell will provide a moderating influence - 11/2/2011
Newman would be an advocate for rail - 11/2/2011
7 billion and increasing - 11/1/2011
Putney prevails on seniority and credibility - 11/1/2011
Hope for Shenandoah Life - 10/31/2011
Forensic nurse services are not a luxury - 10/31/2011
Blacksburg Town Council endorsements - 10/30/2011
Christiansburg Town Council endorsements - 10/30/2011
Chris Head in the 17th House District - 10/30/2011
Return John Edwards to the Senate - 10/30/2011
Short takes - 10/29/2011
Widen access to public records - 10/28/2011
Don Langrehr in the 12th House District - 10/28/2011
Franklin's leaders are doing fine - 10/27/2011
It could happen to your child - 10/26/2011
Arrington for sheriffin Franklin County - 10/26/2011
Cantor won't abide the public - 10/25/2011
Make the most of your dollars - 10/25/2011
Medicaid's integrity is worth the investment - 10/24/2011
Bipartisan study falls victim to partisan buffoonery - 10/24/2011
Montgomery County endorsements - 10/23/2011
Built for your enjoyment - 10/23/2011
Send Armstrong to the House - 10/23/2011
Short takes - 10/22/2011
Ducking in Giles - 10/21/2011
Bravo to the Waldron Stage - 10/21/2011
Leffel and Foster, for the good of Botetourt - 10/20/2011
Free-range legislators can't stray far for now - 10/20/2011
A future for Elmwood - 10/19/2011
Consolidation plan flawed by uniqueness - 10/19/2011
Apathy and the voter - 10/18/2011
Who is Virginia's greatest woman? - 10/18/2011
Flesh-and-blood angels needed - 10/17/2011
More gain ticket to adulthood - 10/17/2011
Choose Tommy Whitt for sheriff - 10/16/2011
Sloppy signatures allowed on ballots - 10/16/2011
No retreat on juvenile justice reform - 10/16/2011
Saturday short takes - 10/15/2011
No-tax pledges last forever - 10/14/2011
Super committee should let in a little sun - 10/14/2011
Women take their moment in struggle for democracy and peace - 10/13/2011
Thou shall not persecute a child - 10/13/2011
Practice penmanship before voting - 10/12/2011
Listen up; this will be on the test - 10/12/2011
How not to treat special-needs children - 10/11/2011
Add this to legislative wish list - 10/11/2011
Virginia's transportation death spiral - 10/10/2011
They say they want a revolution - 10/10/2011
Virginia Tech still burns dirty coal - 10/9/2011
A G.I. Bill education - 10/9/2011
Saturday shorts - 10/8/2011
Steve Jobs changed the world - 10/7/2011
A decoder ring for state laws - 10/7/2011
Bring back the parking meter - 10/6/2011
Women and children shouldnt be victims of pro-family program - 10/6/2011
Facing dementia - 10/5/2011
A stamp is a small price for a big impact - 10/5/2011
Slipping incomes - 10/4/2011
What would Goodlatte cut? - 10/4/2011
Market board can correct mistake - 10/3/2011
The right goal for mental health reform - 10/3/2011
The big lie about coal - 10/2/2011
The 411 on the new, improved 511 - 10/2/2011
Blacksburg High School takes shape - 10/2/2011
Short takes - 10/1/2011
A failure of justice - 9/30/2011
Praying to the masses - 9/30/2011
A smarter way to route a bus - 9/29/2011
Briefly put - 9/29/2011
A modest seating proposal - 9/29/2011
Another government shutdown averted - 9/28/2011
Just-in-time education reform -- for some - 9/28/2011
A bird in hand at Countryside - 9/27/2011
Putting a lid on meth - 9/27/2011
Roanoke shouldn't give away the farm - 9/27/2011
Correction - 9/27/2011
Maybe light speed isn't the max - 9/26/2011
Medical school grants need proper oversight - 9/26/2011
Franklin County's dubious battle - 9/25/2011
Don't forget to write - 9/25/2011
Saturday short takes - 9/24/2011
Let voters hear all candidates - 9/23/2011
Beyond don't ask, don't tell - 9/23/2011
Obama asks rich and poor to sacrifice - 9/22/2011
Radford becomes more transparent - 9/22/2011
Virginia should apply for early education grant - 9/21/2011
ABC's sober ruling - 9/21/2011
Downsizing Bedford - 9/20/2011
Repeating a lie won't make it so - 9/20/2011
A flag for the deceased - 9/19/2011
Don't miss this train - 9/19/2011
Going round the roundabout - 9/18/2011
Reading is fundamental - 9/18/2011
The burden of proof is on Apco - 9/18/2011
Saturday short takes - 9/17/2011
'Hokies' settlement benefits all - 9/16/2011
A self-inflicted black eye - 9/16/2011
Reading between the lines on drug labels - 9/15/2011
A back-door attempt to outlaw abortion - 9/15/2011
Who will defend open government? - 9/14/2011
Countering peer pressure - 9/14/2011
A rules vote on turbines - 9/13/2011
Another Roanoke neighborhood gets a makeover - 9/13/2011
Don't appeal health care lawsuit - 9/12/2011
Will Obama's jobs plan to do the job? - 9/12/2011
Assessing the legacy of 9/11 - 9/11/2011
Remembering who we are - 9/11/2011
Saturday shorts - 9/10/2011
Much ado about voting - 9/9/2011
City to state: Fund mandates - 9/9/2011
One slender government reform - 9/8/2011
The Civic Center gives a good show - 9/8/2011
President Barack Obama ignores smog science - 9/7/2011
Reform panel should work in the sunshine - 9/7/2011
An irrational ruckus over flags - 9/6/2011
Cut a trails deal - 9/6/2011
Keep chickens out of the burgs - 9/4/2011
The high riskof high-impact sports - 9/4/2011
Webb puts troops ahead of profits - 9/4/2011
Short takes - 9/3/2011
Floyd's new superintendent - 9/2/2011
Have a ball celebrating the Market - 9/2/2011
Vetting Roanoke school volunteers - 9/1/2011
Who will pay for Irene? - 9/1/2011
No easy school choices - 8/31/2011
Inadequate mental health care is the crime - 8/31/2011
New rules in an old battle - 8/30/2011
Digital progress block by block - 8/30/2011
Most lawmakers get a free pass - 8/29/2011
Banks mimic payday lenders' dirty tricks - 8/29/2011
Save the Statistical Abstract - 8/28/2011
