The Cardinal Way: Civility Rules
Cardinal News has been selected by the American Press Institute Project to participate in a nationwide project to promote civic discourse. We are partnering with the Roanoke Collaboration Project to give people in our demographically and politically changing communities the tools to engage in constructive dialogue.
We may agree to disagree on issues, but we are hoping that we can do so without becoming disagreeable. At the end of the day, we seek to remember that there is more to our neighbors than their political yard signs and that we might even find common ground on which we all can stand.
We will try this experiment for a few months. If successful, we will continue through the 2024 election cycle so that our community can emerge from what is expected to be a trying political year.
Please read the featured essays, and then take part in an informal survey. We will publish new essays every other week with the survey results and comments in the intervening weeks.
Featured articles
Cardinal Way collection of civil debate
Solar farms respect property rights and the environment
The NIMBY crowd has moved further toward a “not-in-your-backyard, either” mantra. To hit state goals, solar needs just 0.5% of Virginia’s total land.
Local governments decide where, how big, under what conditions solar will be developed. Who advises them?
The Virginia Clean Economy Act is not working out as many expected. Solar farms are concentrating in Southside and many residents are skeptical of siting…
Too many workers are relying on minimum wage, readers say
Those who responded to our Cardinal Way essays on the minimum wage said we need to find ways to move workers into higher-paying jobs but…
Minimum wage hike could mean curtains for young employees
Raising the minimum wage increases expenses and reduces razor-thin profit margins without increasing profits.
Continuing the path to a $15 minimum wage is the right choice for families and our economy
Most recent high-quality studies conclude that past increases in the minimum wage have had little to no effect on employment levels.
It’s hard to find common ground on abortion
If there is common ground to be found, it might be over sex education.
A doctor’s view: Banning abortion is an ineffective means of reducing the need for abortion
The collective abortion rate among the countries that allow the procedure is roughly the same as for those that ban it. Yet the rates of death…
On abortion, listening is the key to understanding
Both sides tend to see see those whom they oppose as wicked or of evil intent.
Proposed Alexandria arena draws lots of skepticism about its economic benefits
Skeptics don’t believe the economic projections and say that because it involves sports teams, it should be treated differently from other projects.
Tax the rich to pay for schools? Or cut income taxes to spur growth? Two different ways to view state taxes.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has proposed reducing the income tax and raising the sales tax. Our readers weighed in.
Proposed Alexandria arena would be economic benefit for Southwest Virginia
Two Roanoke Valley business leaders make the case for why the proposed arena would generate revenues that help other parts of the state.
Sports arena in Northern Virginia is a lose-lose proposition for all Virginia taxpayers
The former vice mayor of Alexandria makes the case for why the proposed arena is a bad deal for the whole state.
Not much gray area on ‘gray machines’
Some see the games as gambling and want them banned; others see them as harmless diversions whose revenues help small businesses.
There is no ‘gray’ in gray games; they bring violent crime
Two former law enforcement officials make the case against electronic ‘skill games.’
The bottom line is that my restaurant counted on ‘skill games’
Roanoke restaurant owner makes the case for the General Assembly to allow electronic ‘skill games.’