麻花视频 speaks up: Letters to the editor for the week of Jul. 11, 2025
- Updated
Our weekly round-up of letters published in the 麻花视频.
On June 12, an article titled 鈥淏onuses for teachers complicated鈥 ran in the paper discussing an issue from the June 10 麻花视频 School Board Meeting. Mentioned in the first sentence of the article is that 鈥渢eachers and staff approached their school board,鈥 which spurred this conversation about state-funded bonuses for the 2024-25 school year.
That small section does not include, however, that these staff members were a part of a concerted effort by the 麻花视频 Education Association (REA) to bring this to the attention of the board. More than 30 麻花视频 City Schools staff/REA members attended this meeting decked out in their union red T-shirts, many of which read 鈥淭his is How I Use My Teacher Voice.鈥
The end result, as stated in the article, is that RCPS staff can now expect at least part of the bonus by the end of the month of June, at the start of a two-month period without pay for many employees, rather than at the end of September as originally planned. Furthermore, the school board has determined to meet again after the fiscal year concludes to discuss adding to this bonus with remaining funds to ensure all employees are able to get as close to the full $1,000 as possible.
While I am thankful this win for workers was reported on in The 麻花视频, it is important that the public and RCPS staff know who went to bat to fight for RCPS employees. Organizing workers gives workers power, and unions get the job done, as was evidenced in this win for the REA and the people it represents.
Taylor Vecchia, Salem
Southwestern Virginia is represented in Washington, D.C., by Morgan Griffith and Ben Cline. This region is not only rural but one of the poorest regions in the commonwealth. We rely on our representatives to work for us to protect and improve our quality of life. Unfortunately, both representatives are cowards, more beholden to our would-be king than to the citizens they represent.
Last month they voted to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting which helps fund National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service. This came just after they also voted in favor of Trump鈥檚 One Big Beautiful Bill which will reduce Medicaid benefits to thousands of Virginians.
Medicaid provides health coverage for low-income individuals. Over 180,000 citizens in Southwest Virginia are enrolled in Medicaid, 11.8% of our population. Typical medical problems include diabetes, substance abuse, prenatal and postpartum treatment and vaccinations. Most hurt are our rural hospitals, which continue to disappear from our region despite promises by Griffith and Cline to restore them. Together they turned their backs on our fellow citizens to appease the would be king, Trump.
We are fortunate to have public Radio Station WVTF-RadioIQ and Blue Ridge Public Broadcasting providing news and entertainment to our region. Like rural hospitals, small rural radio stations have been disappearing in recent years. WVTF and Radio IQ have more than 200,000 listeners across the state. Over 37.7% of our community regularly watch Blue Ridge Public Broadcasting for programs from Sesame Street to award-winning news coverage.
Again, Cline and Griffith ignored the interests of their fellow citizens by voting to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It鈥檚 more important them to kowtow to Trump than to support our interests as citizens in Southwest Virginia. It takes courage to stand up to a dictator. Its time we find representatives more loyal to our citizens than to a tyrannical president.
Ernest Bentley, Blacksburg
Based on having three letters-to-the-editor in the newspaper within the last 60 days (4/13, 4/25, 6/8), Steve Huppert of Christiansburg appears to have been appointed The 麻花视频' New River Valley anti-Trump, the sky-is-falling correspondent. For good measure, Huppert included Morgan Griffith for criticism in each of his letters, directly or indirectly. Huppert seems to conveniently have forgotten the Obama and, especially, the Biden years.
No doubt, President Trump is a lightning rod, and his shakeup of the bloated and wasteful federal bureaucracy has stirred some New River Valley residents to protest. But lumping Representative Griffith with him is futile. Griffith is routinely reelected by large margins, and in 2024, he defeated a weak Democrat, polling 72% of the vote.
As I have stated before, Morgan Griffith represents well the views of the vast majority of SWVA voters. Why Huppert and others continue to beat their heads against the wall is beyond me.
Ed Lawhorn, Blacksburg
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On June 12, an article titled 鈥淏onuses for teachers complicated鈥 ran in the paper discussing an issue from the June 10 麻花视频 School Board Meeting. Mentioned in the first sentence of the article is that 鈥渢eachers and staff approached their school board,鈥 which spurred this conversation about state-funded bonuses for the 2024-25 school year.
That small section does not include, however, that these staff members were a part of a concerted effort by the 麻花视频 Education Association (REA) to bring this to the attention of the board. More than 30 麻花视频 City Schools staff/REA members attended this meeting decked out in their union red T-shirts, many of which read 鈥淭his is How I Use My Teacher Voice.鈥
The end result, as stated in the article, is that RCPS staff can now expect at least part of the bonus by the end of the month of June, at the start of a two-month period without pay for many employees, rather than at the end of September as originally planned. Furthermore, the school board has determined to meet again after the fiscal year concludes to discuss adding to this bonus with remaining funds to ensure all employees are able to get as close to the full $1,000 as possible.
While I am thankful this win for workers was reported on in The 麻花视频, it is important that the public and RCPS staff know who went to bat to fight for RCPS employees. Organizing workers gives workers power, and unions get the job done, as was evidenced in this win for the REA and the people it represents.
Taylor Vecchia, Salem
Southwestern Virginia is represented in Washington, D.C., by Morgan Griffith and Ben Cline. This region is not only rural but one of the poorest regions in the commonwealth. We rely on our representatives to work for us to protect and improve our quality of life. Unfortunately, both representatives are cowards, more beholden to our would-be king than to the citizens they represent.
Last month they voted to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting which helps fund National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service. This came just after they also voted in favor of Trump鈥檚 One Big Beautiful Bill which will reduce Medicaid benefits to thousands of Virginians.
Medicaid provides health coverage for low-income individuals. Over 180,000 citizens in Southwest Virginia are enrolled in Medicaid, 11.8% of our population. Typical medical problems include diabetes, substance abuse, prenatal and postpartum treatment and vaccinations. Most hurt are our rural hospitals, which continue to disappear from our region despite promises by Griffith and Cline to restore them. Together they turned their backs on our fellow citizens to appease the would be king, Trump.
We are fortunate to have public Radio Station WVTF-RadioIQ and Blue Ridge Public Broadcasting providing news and entertainment to our region. Like rural hospitals, small rural radio stations have been disappearing in recent years. WVTF and Radio IQ have more than 200,000 listeners across the state. Over 37.7% of our community regularly watch Blue Ridge Public Broadcasting for programs from Sesame Street to award-winning news coverage.
Again, Cline and Griffith ignored the interests of their fellow citizens by voting to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It鈥檚 more important them to kowtow to Trump than to support our interests as citizens in Southwest Virginia. It takes courage to stand up to a dictator. Its time we find representatives more loyal to our citizens than to a tyrannical president.
Ernest Bentley, Blacksburg
Based on having three letters-to-the-editor in the newspaper within the last 60 days (4/13, 4/25, 6/8), Steve Huppert of Christiansburg appears to have been appointed The 麻花视频' New River Valley anti-Trump, the sky-is-falling correspondent. For good measure, Huppert included Morgan Griffith for criticism in each of his letters, directly or indirectly. Huppert seems to conveniently have forgotten the Obama and, especially, the Biden years.
No doubt, President Trump is a lightning rod, and his shakeup of the bloated and wasteful federal bureaucracy has stirred some New River Valley residents to protest. But lumping Representative Griffith with him is futile. Griffith is routinely reelected by large margins, and in 2024, he defeated a weak Democrat, polling 72% of the vote.
As I have stated before, Morgan Griffith represents well the views of the vast majority of SWVA voters. Why Huppert and others continue to beat their heads against the wall is beyond me.
Ed Lawhorn, Blacksburg
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