All Topics

• The Independence of Judges

  Staff Writer | April 16, 2006 8:00 AM | 0 CommentsRichmond, VA

  Violence against Judges is on the rise. So much so that some Judges now carry a concealed weapon for fear that they will face retaliation for prior judicial decisions. At many courtrooms, Judges now feel the need to park in secure areas and be protected by airport like security.Recently, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) stated that there might be a connection between the violence against Judges and...

• Cruise Ship Responsibility

  Staff Writer | April 14, 2006 8:30 AM | 0 CommentsRichmond, VA

  Cruise ship discussion at a dinner table usually divides groups in three categories: 1) those who have cruised and enjoyed it, 2) those who have cruised and have a sea sickness story, and 3) everyone else who has never cruised. Usually, the discussion of a cruise ship always begins and end with how much food is available on the ship. Rarely do we think about whether or not a cruise is safe....

• The Silent Tort Reform

  Staff Writer | April 12, 2006 10:39 AM | 0 CommentsRichmond, VA

  Years ago, the Republican party prided itself on limiting the federal government's intrusion into our lives. One legislator joked, "No free man is safe, when the legislature is in session." In many instances, Republicans would take the position that states should have the right to legislate relating to their citizens. This was consistent with the Federalist and what was wrong with governance by...

• Say No to Influence Peddling in Virginia

  Staff Writer | March 17, 2006 3:47 PM | 0 CommentsRichmond, VA

  I recently saw that a republican legislator from Virginia Beach had to file bankruptcy, as a result of his financial condition. Obviously, financial difficulties can happen to anyone. However, when it occurs to a legislator, it raises the possibility that money might influence legislators.It should not be accepted that influence peddling has become a way of life in our Virginia capital. For this...

• Owners Accountable for Dangerous Dogs

  Staff Writer | March 14, 2006 11:23 AM | 9 CommentsRichmond, VA

  This past weekend, a casual stroll through many of the parks in the Richmond, Virginia area would you have made you think it was "pitbull weekend". Strangely enough, there were dozens of owners walking their dogs with make shift leashes. In many instances, it appeared that the dogs were actually walking their owners. On Sunday, one pitbull got loose in Monroe Park and attacked at least five...

• CEO Responsibility

  Staff Writer | March 13, 2006 11:28 AM | 0 CommentsRichmond, VA

  CEO accountability is in the headlines as we watch star witness, Andrew Fastow, being cross-examined by the defense attorneys for Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling, in the Enron jury trial. Relevant to this is a bill which has recently been introduced by Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, which will attempt to hold CEOs accountable for manufactured products that are dangerous and cause harm to the...

• Hospital Errors Need To Be Reduced

  Staff Writer | February 28, 2006 1:55 PM | 0 CommentsRichmond, VA

  The Institute for Health Care Improvement reports that deaths from medical errors are estimated at between 98,000 and 195,000 ever year.According to Dr. Georges Benjamin, many of these errors result from a failure to consistently adopt procedures in hospitals that save lives, such as raising the beds for patients on ventilators to reduce the potential of pneumonia, or to concentrate on sterile...

• Lots of Ads for Medicare

  Staff Writer | February 23, 2006 5:30 PM | 0 CommentsRichmond, VA

  I keep seeing the ads that tell senior citizens about making proper choices about their medicare and prescription benefits. I wondered who was paying for these ads. I guess it should come as no surprise that the Bush Administration, using tax dollars, has funded these political ads to tout the medicare bill.Since these ads were being paid for by taxpayers, who made the ads and what agency was...

• More Legislation to Hurt Victims

  Staff Writer | February 20, 2006 4:50 PM | 0 CommentsRichmond, VA

  This weekend, I sat watching a sporting event that was regularly interrupted with the usual commercials. However, one specifically caught my attention because it was accompanied with sad music and an elderly distinguished voice that was telling me to urge my federal legislators to pass a bill that would help make payment to his friend. Because I represent victims, my ears immediately went into...

• Virginia Legislators Are Inconsistent in Trying to Reduce Insurance Rates

  Staff Writer | February 13, 2006 2:11 PM | 0 CommentsRichmond, VA

  I put myself through law school by selling Harley Davidson motorcycles in Virginia Beach, Virginia. At the shop, I would regularly hear riders complain about restrictions and helmet laws. They even wore tattoos that said "Live Free or Die". However, motorcycle helmet laws continued to be enforced and provide safety protection for riders. This past week, we saw a Virginia delegate continue to...