Month: September 2009

Creigh Deeds Plans To Have A Transportation Plan After He’s Elected

Criegh Deeds, in his own words, in today’s Washington Post:

The day after I’m elected, I will begin assembling a bipartisan commission to craft a comprehensive transportation package. Like Gov. Baliles did, I will appoint Republicans, Democrats and independents along with private-sector leaders and transportation experts. The commission would begin work in December and issue its report early next year.

Emphasis mine. But just to make sure you didn’t miss it:

THE DAY AFTER I’M ELECTED

THAT is when Creigh Deeds intends on begining to come up with any sort of solution for transportation.  That is when he’ll start telling Virginians his plans for the roads they drive on (or sit on for hours on end) every day.  Not before, no, not when you and I are supposed to consider Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell’s positions so we can make an informed decision on who to vote for Governor.

And who will he stock his bipartisan committee with?  Maybe the tax raising Republicans who have endorsed him?  You know, the same bipartisan individuals who brought up Mark Warner’s tax increase?

A bipartisan tax increase is good for Deeds and Democrats. Gives them political cover from any hounding they’d face for raising taxes during a down economy.
On the issues that matter to Virginians Deeds fails.

Transportation he has no plan.

Jobs? He’d raid the general fund that is so vital for education (in his words) to maybe help create some. Probably union jobs, but we don’t know because he can’t take a stand on card check.

Unions? Love em! And their money! Even though only 4% of Virginians are members of a union.

Is he for collective bargaining or against it for police officers? Depends on which police organization he’s talking to.

And this is all from a guy who can’t even appear on the same stage with his opponent!  A guy who can’t articulate basic answers to basic questions about whether or not he’ll raise taxes without snapping on a reporter simply trying to do her job.

From a campaign that touts “Deeds not words” they really aren’t delivering much of either.

Sensationalist Headlines And Chicken/Egg Arguments

Today’s Richmond Times Dispatch front page screams about how that evil devil music is leading kids to kill people left and right. Or, rather, how one kid may have been influenced by violent rap lyrics to murder four individuals:

Police: Lyrics may have played role in Farmville slayings

Investigators are trying to determine whether a suspect’s fascination with violent rap lyrics fueled the killings of four people found dead Friday in a Longwood University professor’s home.

Richard Samuel Alden McCroskey III (which is a pretty hoity name, if you ask me) was arrested at Richmond International Airport in connection with the killings. McCroskey was a big fan and singer/rapper or Horrorcore, which is different from regular rap in that it’s about doing awful things like killing people. Wait…

Anyways, the gem in the article is this:

One song attributed to McCroskey on one of his MySpace pages discusses committing murder in a rage, trying to get rid of the remains and driving a stolen vehicle.

So here’s what the RTD wants you to think.

McCroskey’s fascination with music, rap music in particular, horrorcore rap music specifically, may have led this guy to kill four people. Just look at the lyrics.

THAT HE WROTE!

Anyone else see a problem with that “logic”?

It’s like saying bad literature may have led Charles Manson to be crazy. JUST LOOK AT HIS OWN ATTEMPTS AT LITERATURE!

It’s an attempt at sensationalizing the story in a matter that appeals to base emotions.

Books lead to violence.

Movies lead to violence.

Video games lead to violence.

Music leads to sex, drugs, and more violence. It’s like a hat trick for the Devil!

OR.

Really messed up crazy kid’s violent writings showed a mind that could comprehend doing horrific acts.

Now, this is certainly a slipperly slope because it’s hard to say the lyrics showed a troubled youth who needed an intervention. I’m sure there are plenty of perfectly sane folks who are into horrorcore rap, so saying the lyrics are a sign of madness and anyone involved needs help is a bit of a leap.

Over the next few days and weeks I’m sure we’ll find out more about McCrosky and a lot more red flags will pop up aside from his facination with writing violent lyrics.

But, really, Richmond Times Dispatch? Really?

No wonder no one buys your rag.

UPDATE: Ryan Nobles at NBC12 discusses the chicken and the egg argument with VCU’s Robin Diehl.