Opinions

Next Monday, Jan. 20, the Virginia Citizens Defense League is organizing what it calls “the most important Lobby Day Rally that [they] have ever had,” saying, “If you care about your gun rights in the slightest then it is vital that you show up at this rally.”I own guns. I also have a concealed weapons permit, although I never carry a weapon on me in public.

Buena Vista is in a precarious fiscal state. For a number of years, the city, despite having one of the highest tax rates in the region, hasn’t been generating nearly enough revenues to cover its financial obligations. As a result, the city’s fund balance has been declining at an alarming rate and will disappear altogether, in a couple of years, if current trends together.Through these difficult times, City Manager Jay Scudder has managed to maintain the city’s solvency. He’s accomplished this by cutting spending to the bone, sometimes not replacing personnel when they leave, and securing grant funds whenever possible. In addition to his duties as city manager, he has been overseeing the public works department for nearly a year.