Great Falls Politics

Great Falls Politics

Subscribe

Tease photo

Supervisors Debate Meal Tax in Great Falls

Foust, Herrity present pro & cons of the proposed tax; Great Falls residents join debate.

On Tuesday, Oct. 11, the Great Falls Citizens Association hosted debates on two major ballot issues: the proposed Virginia Constitutional Amendment on “Right to Work” and the Fairfax County Meals Tax, a referendum which will be on the November 8 election ballot. The Meals Tax is a tax imposed on the purchase of all prepared or ready-to-eat foods and beverages. It would require all restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops, movie theater concessions, and any other food service businesses selling prepared food to collect the tax, at a proposed 4 percent rate of the amount charged for the food.

Tease photo

Debating Pro & Con on Meals Tax

League of Women Voters hosts forum on Meals Tax issue.

The League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area sponsored a debate-style panel discussion on the Meals Tax issue which will go before county voters in the Nov. 8 General Election.

Interfaith Partners for Justice Address Needs of Returning Citizens

Interfaith Partners for Justice (IPJ), a cooperative effort of members of ten Northern Virginia faith communities, invites returning citizens (ex-offenders), people of faith and justice advocates to come together for a come-when-you-can afternoon of opportunities for voter registration and photo IDs, as well as a series of workshops, advocacy tables and conversations on the needs of returning citizens (often less hopefully and permanently called “ex-offenders”) on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016, 2 to 5 p.m. at Lake Anne Community Center, 1609 A Washington Plaza in Reston.

‘Sextortion’ Victims Are Mostly Men

Photos, video used to demand money from victims.

Detectives of the Major Crimes Division of Fairfax County Police report a trend in an unsavory type of financial scam. Sexual extortion scams, commonly referred to as “sextortion,” involve meeting someone the victim believes is a real person online who coaxes him or her into feeling a sense of connection and intimacy, and then sending risque photos or video.

Tease photo

First Lady Comes to GMU, Campaigns for Clinton

Speaks on Hillary Clintons 'lifelong record of public service.'

Excitement filled the air when First Lady Michelle Obama addressed an enthusiastic crowd, last Friday, Sept. 16, at GMU’s Johnson Center. Speaking on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, she urged everyone to vote and called Clinton the only qualified candidate in the race.

Tease photo

Comstock Faces Challenge from Bennett in Congressional Race

Voter turnout, presidential politics and “Trump Effect” considered key factors in once solidly red district.

In Virginia's 10th Congressional District, freshman lawmaker Barbara Comstock remains confident that she will win her first re-election bid.

Tease photo

One Step To ‘One Fairfax’

Agreeing on a policy to create opportunity for all.

Jeff McKay didn’t mince words when discussing racial, social and economic inequity in Fairfax County.

Tease photo

Senator Kaine Hosts Interfaith Forum

Senator Tim Kaine spends last day before VP pick showing why Virginia matters.

No one knew it at the time, but Sen. Timothy M. Kaine’s (D-Va.) public appearances moderating roundtables in Northern Virginia last Thursday, July 21 would be his last day of relative political anonymity before being catapulted to political prominence 24 hours later as Hillary Clinton’s pick for her Vice-Presidential running mate.

Tease photo

Great Falls: Time to Get Involved

Great Falls Citizens Association encourages members to get involved in its stormwater management task force, especially as it pertains to land use cases.

Dranesville Planning Commissioner John Ulfelder announced last Thursday that a decision on The Gulick’s Group application to develop 11 acres of undeveloped, forested land would be deferred until September.

Tease photo

McLean and Great Falls: Revisiting 1771 at Claude Moore Colonial Farm

Market Fair portrays 1771 Virginia farm life.

After driving past Tysons Corner, downtown McLean, and the CIA, visitors were transported back to 1771 Virginia by Claude Moore Colonial Farm’s Market Fair on May 22.

Tease photo

Lawmakers Wrap-up Richmond Legislative Session

Unspent TANF grant money, prisoner rights among social issues discussed.

On average, low income families in Virginia who are eligible and sign up for funds from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant receive $269 monthly and are cut off after five years. But lawmakers say there’s a lot more unexpended money available in the federal grant that, if it remains unused, could one day be taken back.

Editorial: Bad Bills

General Assembly has potential to do lots of damage in a short period.

From pressing for use of a barbaric form of execution, the electric chair, to codifying discrimination, to stripping localities of the major tool for ensuring infrastructure is in place for new development, to hiding more and more critical public information from the public, the Virginia General Assembly is poised to do harm to the Commonwealth.

Proffers in Danger?

Richmond caught the attention of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors this week specifically with House Bill 770 (Gilbert) and Senate B 549 (Obenshain), bills Sharon Bulova says will place “significant restrictions” on development, specifically citing “unreasonable proffers.”

Gun Control Compromise

31st Senate District candidates unite behind gun control legislation, at least conceptually.

While Republicans and Democrats disagree on virtually everything, gun control still stands out above the rest as one of the more divisive issues.

Tease photo

Murphy vs. Parisot, Double Sequel

34th District has history of close elections.

The 34th-District House of Delegates race between Kathleen Murphy (D) and Craig Parisot (R) is a rematch of the special election triggered last November when Barbara Comstock (R) was elected to the U.S. Congress.