Desparate Times

So it has come to this. A Prince William County official has proposed freezing new housing construction for one year in response to northern Virginia's worsening traffic congestion. Apparently, Supervisor W.S. Covington III introduced the legislation in a response to the region's worsening traffic situation.

Although he stated the proposal was introduced "to get the governor's and the General Assembly's attention," it seems to be a sad state of affairs when a County Commissioner cannot get the help he needs from his elected representatives for his region. The fact of the matter is, the Commonwealth of Virginia has been collecting tax dollars for years, and the Northern Virginia region has little to show for it.

Someone will have to blink at some point, but I still think we should just part ways!

The Proof is in the Pudding.

As we already know, it seems the Virginia General Assembly is clearly out of touch with the rest of Northern Virginia. An article in today's Washington Post notes that Fairfax County officials want to urge the General Assembly to adopt some fairly reasonable measures. My money is that -- just like in the past -- these resolutions will go nowhere.

Among the items under consideration:

• A ban on carrying guns into law enforcement buildings by anyone other than authorized personnel;
  
• A "living wage" bill that would let the county require contractors to pay employees more than the state's minimum wage, which has been $5.15 an hour since 1997;
  
• A measure allowing the county to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation; and
• A ban on the use of cellphones by drivers under 18.

According to the Post article, more than 130 communities, including DC and Montgomery County, have adopted living wage bills. In addition, a number of states have passed measures concerning discrimination based on sexual orientation. Finally, a number of states already realize that cell phones and driving certainly do not mix, and who better to trust than the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

But how much do you want to bet that the General Assembly in Richmond continues our Commonwealth's march back into the 18th century? Their focus this week? Making sure we can hunt racoons on Sunday.

Others Think Likewise

Apparently, I am not the only one with the bright idea for Northern Virginia to part ways with the rest of the Commonwealth. Many in the NoVA region share my desire. See here and here. Not to mention the folks in RoVA, who would love to see us go.

Welcome to Northern Virginia Statehood

If you have stumbled across this blog, perhaps it happened after reading this article in today's Washington Post. I must say, that I have been feeling this way for quite some time, and now I intend to do something about it. But what to do?

An important first step I suppose, is to see if anyone out there feels the same way I do. So how about it Northern Virginians (i.e. NoVAs)? Do we want our own state? How do you feel about it Southern Virginians (i.e. RoVAs)?

Let me know what you think. Leave a comment!

[Virginia State Line used under a Creative Commons license provided by patriarca12]