http://hamptonroads.com/taxonomy/term/29 Category: Opinion en-us Copyright 2012 PilotOnline.com / HamptonRoads.com. Sat, 26 May 2012 19:10:21 -0400 In their eagerness to ensure they're abiding by privacy laws, Chesapeake school officials are unnecessarily complicating efforts to protect students and staff. http://hamptonroads.com/2012/05/needless-tangle-over-school-videos Sat, 26 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400 Riiing. Riiing. Riiing. "Jean-Paul Sartre Marketing and Public Relations. 'We bring nothingness to being.' Al Camus, speaking. How may I help you?" "I'm calling from the Hampton Roads Regional Task Force Partnership and Coalition to Rename Hampton Roads Again." "You've called us before?" "No. Why do you ask?" http://hamptonroads.com/2012/05/our-existential-beach Fri, 25 May 2012 21:36:03 -0400 Rarely are we treated in public to music by Beethoven, Mozart or Liszt - not for free, anyway. The artistry of such classical composers tends to be a staple of public radio, high-brow opera houses or intimate gatherings. Until now. http://hamptonroads.com/2012/05/retail-business-blasts-classical-music-loiterers Fri, 25 May 2012 21:34:09 -0400 Builder T.E. Jones tackled a challenge that proved harder than he expected: constructing a new home in Chesapeake using only American-made products. http://hamptonroads.com/2012/05/local-house-made-usa Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400 Virginians are sadly mistaken if they think they're saving money because the state's gas tax, among the lowest in the nation, has been a steady 17.5 cents a gallon for the past 20 years. With a busy holiday weekend upon us, it's time again to take a look at how the state's gas tax affects - or, more accurately, doesn't affect - prices at the pump. http://hamptonroads.com/2012/05/whos-getting-rich-gas-tax-gap Fri, 25 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400 Just in time for prom and graduation, hundreds of teenagers have asked Virginia Beach officials to crack down on drunken driving. They did it partly on a dare. Everyone, the police chief included, knows that telling teenagers they can't do something makes them more determined. http://hamptonroads.com/2012/05/sobering-call-help Thu, 24 May 2012 18:38:46 -0400 By Aubrey Layne We live in a society in which many of our citizens believe roads can be constructed and bridges built without paying for them. Gas taxes and tolls are loudly vilified, yet complaints about our roads are routinely heard at every public transportation meeting. This mentality is short-sighted and detrimental to our community. http://hamptonroads.com/2012/05/bill-now-due Thu, 24 May 2012 07:29:56 -0400 By Jeff Bergner Harry Reid and other Democratic Senate leaders have praised Dick Lugar in the wake of his recent primary defeat. That is fair enough - Sen. Lugar has had a long and successful career with many accomplishments. He deserves it. But they cannot seem to leave it at that. http://hamptonroads.com/2012/05/why-us-senate-doesnt-work Thu, 24 May 2012 07:28:04 -0400 To the great consternation of Virginia Beach's naysayers, the city is paying $300,000 for a piece of the planned Thalia Creek Greenway by Town Center, next to the abandoned rail line. http://hamptonroads.com/2012/05/politicizing-beachs-prudent-purchase Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400 The General Assembly's failure to seat a qualified nominee for a vacant judgeship in Richmond's General District Court doesn't mean the bench must remain open until next legislative session. Nor does it mean that Virginia's capital city, or its residents, should be deprived of a capable jurist in the interim. http://hamptonroads.com/2012/05/richmond-judges-can-right-wrong Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 -0400