All results / Stories / Kenneth R. “Ken” Plum, State Delegate (D-36)
Commentary: Making College Affordable
Members of the college graduating class of 2013 will average more than $35,000 in total debt, according to a study reported recently by CNN. The bulk of the debt is in government loans, but private, state and personal and family loans along with credit card debt contribute to the total.
Commentary: Children and Outside Learning
Research highlights the benefits of outdoor and environmental education for children—ranging from increased academic achievement, improved social skills and interest in school, and boosted health, according to environmental education leaders who have organized NoVA Outside: An Alliance of Environmental Educators (www.novaoutside.org). I attended their School Environmental Action Showcase last week at George Mason University, and I was impressed by the students and their projects. The showcase is like a science fair but with the emphasis on environmental science.
Column: Family-Friendly Voting
Commentary
According to the Virginia Family Foundation, I am not a very “family-friendly” legislator. On their recently issued scorecard for 2014-2015, I scored 11 of a possible 100 points—up from my score of zero on their previous scorecards.
Column: A Bloodless Revolution
About this time of year in 1966 I wrote a letter to my hometown newspaper, The Page News and Courier, suggesting that Virginia had just undergone one of the “bloodless revolutions” that Thomas Jefferson had suggested would be good for society periodically.
Column: Post-Game Analysis
While I enjoy watching college athletic competitions, I do not watch many professional sports on television. For sure I do not watch any of the post-game shows. Panels for these shows seem carefully selected to ensure controversy and banter to fill the time slot.
Commentary: Virginia’s Reputation as a Gun-Running State Returns
A headline in the New York Times in December, 1992 proclaimed that “Virginia Aims to Shed Image as a ‘Handgun Supermarket.’”
Opinion: Commentary: Words Have Meanings
Words have meanings defined in the dictionary that can take on other meaning within the context in which they are being used.
Opinion: Commentary: Defund the Police: Oversimplifying a Complex Issue
’Defund the Police’ slogan in response to the real problems in policing may inhibit progress towards reform.
Communications experts advise that a message needs to be short and punchy to convey its intended meaning in a short period of time.
Opinion: Commentary: Hail to the Chief-Elect
Tears welled up in my eyes last Saturday evening as the President-elect Joe Biden and the Vice President-elect Kamala Harris addressed their supporters and the nation for the first time after having been declared the winners of the presidential election.
Opinion: Commentary: Ending State Executions
Virginia made history last week: The Governor of Virginia Ralph Northam signed the bill that made Virginia the first state in the south and the 23rd state in the nation to end the death penalty!
Commentary
Our Special Community
Recently I was asked to participate in a workshop for a group of leaders who were planning a future for their organization. Specifically I was asked to discuss the characteristics of our community of Reston. While I try to stay on top of trends and am out in the community on a daily basis, I learned a lot preparing for the presentation at the workshop.
Column: Kids Count
Officials at all levels of government need to demonstrate that we know how much kids count!
An index of key indicators in four domains measures what children need most in order to thrive: (1) economic well-being, (2) education, (3) health and (4) family and community.
Reinvigorating Virginia’s Economy
Virginia is well on its way to economic recovery for many families, but working families across the state are telling me and other legislators that they feel like the recession never ended. Even in Northern Virginia, home to some of the wealthiest localities in the country, too many families struggle to earn enough to pay for basic necessities despite having full-time jobs.
Column: The Age Wave
Commentary
Last week, Bob Brink, a former colleague of mine who represented Arlington-McLean in the House of Delegates and who was appointed by Governor Terry McAuliffe to be Deputy Commissioner for Aging Services, spoke to the Northern Virginia Aging Network’s (NVAN) annual legislative summit.
Assembly Leaves Unanswered Questions
Commentary
Last Wednesday the 2014 session of the General Assembly adjourned sine die at the end of the Reconvened Session that is called at the conclusion of each regular session to consider amendments to legislation proposed by the Governor and vetoes he made of any bills. Much of the work during the Reconvened Session dealt with technical issues related to the drafting of bills during a fast-paced session. Although the regular session has concluded, the General Assembly is already in special session to consider the biennium budget and closing the gap in health care coverage.
Column: Closing the Income Gap
Between 2007 and 2012, the median wages of Virginia’s highest income earners rose by eight percent while the lowest income families’ wages shrank by 10 percent, according to an analysis by the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis. The gap between the haves and the have-nots continues to widen in Virginia as it has throughout the nation. A growing underclass of unemployed, under-employed and under-paid creates a challenge for the state and the nation. Too many people are faced with the monthly decision of paying for the rent, utilities, food, prescriptions and school supplies without enough money to cover them all. Public and private relief organizations are strained to keep their food pantries and clothing closets stocked to meet the increased demand.