OPINION




more in politics

Matt Strickland and the Image of Strength He Must Demonstrate

Strickland Appeared before the Virginia Board of Elections “Buy the ticket, take the ride” is that old proverbial saying coined by Hunter S Thompson. I prefer the saying “take the ride, pay for the ticket. Now is almost the time for Matt Strickland to pay for the...

Richmond’s Next Mayor? Get to Know Garrett Sawyer

Today, I’m getting a drink with a politician. Coffeeshop, lunch spot, in-studio - those are perfectly fine places to get to know someone, but there’s nothing like a good whiskey to loosen up a conversation. Garrett Sawyer is meeting me at The Camel for happy hour on a...

Richmond’s Next Mayor? Get to Know Maurice Neblett

I’m starting to really enjoy these interviews. My favorite part? Staying in touch with all of the candidates. They’ve all sent me prompts on issues they care about since our individual conversations; not one in aggrandizement of their contributions to anything. Just,...

Richmond’s Next Mayor? Get to Know Harrison Roday

It’s raining fucking buckets. It’s cold, 4pm, and I want to go home. But I’m about to do that weird half-run, scrunched-shoulders thing into Blanchard's Coffee Shop on Broad street to meet Harrison Roday, candidate for Mayor. They’re gonna close soon too. He’s a new...

Getting Kicked Out of the Trump Event

Let me start by saying that it was a smart move to remove me from the Trump event at the Greater Richmond Convention Center before the former President spoke on Saturday. It was NOT a wise move to grant me press credentials in the first place. After over two hours...

There Will Be No Casino: The Lessons of November 7th, 2023

It’s over. Again. Richmond beat back the ghouls of predatory greed and political prostitution. After a battle, all seems eerily quiet. The quiet unsettles if not followed by the housekeeping of the battlefield - damage reports need filing, and new plans need unveiling. As we’re priming the land for rebirth, let us stop in reflection for a...

Read More

Lessons Learned November 7th 2023 by Christian Detres

Who Are We Becoming?

Voting No Casino & Reclaiming a Radical Vision of Solidarity & Economic Freedom Amidst a Divisive Casino Campaign Over the weekend, I learned that one of the owners of the proposed casino who is also one of the most powerful Black women in America, Cathy Hughes (founder of Urban One), and Gary Flowers decided to call me, and some other...

Read More

WHO ARE WE BECOMING? Casino Opinion 2023 by Allan-Charles Chipman

Labor Peace or Lawsuits?

This piece is one in a series of opinion pieces by Jon Baliles about the proposed Richmond Grand Resort and Casino. You can read his other pieces HERE. The casino advocates made a big deal about their labor peace agreement that was reached with the Washington, D.C.-based hospitality union Unite Here 25 as well as with construction and trade...

Read More

Paducah Kentucky District Courthouse Google Images 2023

Make It Impossible to Happen Again

This piece is one in a series of opinion pieces by Jon Baliles about the proposed Richmond Grand Resort and Casino. You can read his other pieces HERE. The Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial Board and reporters sat down this week with the casino opponents who said the casino advocates “are using what amounts to sleight of hand to woo voters”...

Read More

Make it Impossible to Happen Again Jon Baliles 2023

Resorts Like Airports

There has been a lot of boasting from the casino advocates about their partnership with Kentucky-based Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI). The rebranded Richmond Grand casino developer Urban One is a radio and TV conglomerate that has said they are partnering with CDI because of their huge capitalization and experience with casinos. But let’s take a...

Read More

Jon Bailies No Casino story 2023

Richmond Marijuana Delivery: The Cat’s Out of the Bag

Oh no! The RTD has caught wind of what is really happening in the city, now everyone knows what's up. City Hall been caught with their pants down, but let’s be real, it's not the fault of our city's green entrepreneurs. It’s the head-scratcher of a legal framework, or rather lack thereof, that’s brought us to this bonanza in Richmond. So what...

Read More

Richmond marijuana delivery

Pin It on Pinterest