Kudos to county for purging kludge
1. 41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County
2. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day
3. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys
4. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping
5. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football
6. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen
7. DAN CASEY: Copter cost still stirring up dust
8. Roanoke farmers markets making local foods more accessible
9. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli
10. Man's drowning is 5th in Lynchburg area
Friday, June 28, 2013
Re: “Roanoke Co. looks to simplify permits,” (June 23 news story):
I applaud the Roanoke County Planning Commission for undertaking a comprehensive review of the land-use ordinance in an effort to become more business-friendly.
In his insightful 2012 essay “Kludgeocracy: The American Way of Policy,” political scientist Steven Teles argues that the dominant issue in American politics is not right vs. left or big vs. small but rather complexity vs. simplicity. For Teles, American public policy has (de)evolved into a kludgeocracy, a set of rickety, ineffective and gerry-rigged programs whose opaqueness breeds confusion. Eventually, the vexing nature of kludgeocracy breeds cynicism about the role of government.
The efforts of the county planning commission, and ultimately the board of supervisors, to remove the “kludge” from the special-use permit process represents a positive step forward for the region’s business community. The elimination of duplicative and inefficient regulations will streamline the permit process and provide business owners more time to focus on growing the local economy.
We encourage other local governments to continue efforts to examine potential barriers to growth. Collectively, these proactive steps by local governments to eliminate red tape will enhance the region’s business-friendly reputation.
JOYCE WAUGH
President
Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce
ROANOKE
1. 41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County
2. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day
3. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys
4. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping
5. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football
6. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen
7. DAN CASEY: Copter cost still stirring up dust
8. Roanoke farmers markets making local foods more accessible
9. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli
10. Man's drowning is 5th in Lynchburg area
THE ROANOKE TIMES
