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Today's Opinions

  • Saying goodbye to the old tax code

    Guest editorial by Rep. Morgan Griffith
    In the months since President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law, many Americans have already enjoyed its benefits.
    They have noticed that Uncle Sam takes less out of their paychecks, companies are investing in the U.S. rather than overseas, and bonuses are being awarded.
    Still, some people are worried they have been left behind by tax reform. Many concerns are the result of misconceptions about the tax law.

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  • We need to participate in politics

    I was pleasantly surprised by Anthony Flaccavento when he spoke at the recent Farm to Food Forum in Independence.
    I had already decided to support him due to Rep. Morgan Griffith’s abysmal record of doing little to benefit the 9th District.
    A piece of furniture could likely have done a better job for us than Mr. Griffith. Still, I did not expect Mr. Flaccavento to be as informed as he was on livestock farming.

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  • Proper gun control requires a look at history

    Since the school shooting in Florida, many people are calling for gun control. I agree that we need to have some stricter control of guns, especially assault rifles. Hunters do not need assault rifles for hunting wild animals. These are weapons of war, so why are they so available to so many people? What are the restrictions on owning an assault rifle?

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  • Senior committee's mission explained

    In response to the April 9 letter to the editor by M.K.A. Cox of Independence:
    Thank you for the opportunity to inform more citizens of the Grayson County Senior Advocacy Committee’s work for seniors.
    The committee was formed by the board of supervisors specifically to address issues created by the rapid aging of the county and develop recommendations that address those issues. Our monthly meetings are open to the public and we encourage concerned citizens to attend. In response to your specific concerns, our five-year plan includes the following.

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  • Candidate would give farmers a voice

    I moved back to these mountains after 46 years in Oklahoma, and one of the first things I noticed was how the land responds to just a little rain: everything greens up and starts growing, here in southwest Virginia.
    Mountains shelter us from the worst wind, tornados are rare and it’s a sweet place for farming, down in the valleys.
    My daddy’s people moved here in 1729, and it took the 1930s depression to get them off the land. Now we are afflicted by prosperity for the few, and the developers are licking their chops.

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  • Corruption rampant in administration

    Setting the scene, the secretary of the treasury and his new bride fly on a government plane to the U. S. Mint, prime viewing territory for the solar eclipse.
    They pose in front of all the new money with his signature, and his wife highlights on social media all her luxury fashion apparel. He’s in charge of our economy.

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  • Pieces in place for Virginia's Medicaid expansion

    State Sen. Frank Wagner, a Republican, is the latest member of his party to express his openness to expanding Medicaid in Virginia to cover an estimated 400,000 people now without insurance.

    In a column published in The Virginian-Pilot, Wagner said he believes a compromise is possible between Democrats who advocate for expansion, including Gov. Ralph Northam, and Republicans who now stand in opposition, primarily those who hold influential positions in his chamber.

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  • Ideas for county should be communicated

    The gated tiny home in Grayson County, for the uprising senior population, would be a great asset to the county and to the seniors who will inhabit them, provided they don’t have to meet strict income requirements which many will not be blessed with.
    What a better way to commend our CATE [Career & Technical Education] students with their talents.

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