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By Roger Chesley The Virginian-Pilot May 8, 2012 My erstwhile colleague Patrick Lackey had a quirky sense of humor.He displayed it from time to time when we toiled on The Pilot'seditorial page. One witticism was his description of the highway department'selectronic road signs. Instead of updating the alerts, Lackey wouldsay, why not just enshrine - in concrete - the usual warning abouta 6-1/2-mile backup at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel? The Virginia Department of Transportation would save money thatway, he figured. It was so amusing because it wasn't far from the truth. VDOT could flag you to the daily congestion at the HRBT, butmotorists knew they'd probably waste time in traffic lurchingnorthward. Accidents or too-tall trucks that must be re-routed havebeen common headaches. Despite the limitations, VDOT is modernizing several traffic alertsystems in the region. Among them: The agency has switched radiostations from 610 AM to 1680 AM. You remember 610 AM, don't you? "Traffic (squawk) at theMonitor-Merri- (screeech) since earlier today (buzzzzz) suggest you(dead air). At the High-Rise Bridge in Chesapeake, meanwh-(squawk).. " And so on. The announcer sounded as if he was hoarse and speakingfrom a cramped closet. Give VDOT credit, though: I checked out 1680 AM on Monday, and it'smuch easier to decipher. The new frequency is supposed to provide astronger and more consistent signal than the old one. VDOT also will erect a half-dozen "Reach the Beach"electronic message signs in which data will be enteredautomatically and help tourists get to the sun and sand morequickly. Those signs will be added to the 274 overhead electronicsigns in the region. Officials are upgrading the 511 traveler network phone system, too. Hooray for technology. But all these alerts can't obscure the factthat we have just a few ways to get between South Hampton Roads andthe Peninsula: the HRBT, the Monitor-Merrimac MemorialBridge-Tunnel and the James River Bridge. Don't blame VDOT. Blame the General Assembly and the governor, whowould rather let Hampton Roads residents stew in traffic than putnew state money into transportation. They don't say that, of course. But it's loud and clear. Maybe you've read that the U.S. State Department recently changedsome rules to its J-1 Summer Work and Travel program. The Associated Press in 2010 reported major abuses in the program,which brings more than 100,000 foreign college students to theUnited States annually. Among those findings were that somestudents worked in strip clubs and others lived and worked inconditions analogous to indentured servitude. The new rules are supposed to ensure the students are treatedfairly and that they get jobs where they can interact withAmericans and be exposed to U.S. culture. "In recent years, the work component has too oftenovershadowed the core cultural component" of the program, thedepartment said. Ya think? Hundreds of J-1 visa holders work across Virginia and along theOuter Banks each year. Many of them hold low-paying jobs at theOceanfront, including changing hotel bedsheets, scooping ice creamand waiting tables. In recent years, the feds have cracked down on hospitality businessowners who have broken labor laws. Several of those companies werein Hampton Roads. I've been skeptical of the program's necessity,especially at a time of higher-than-usual unemployment in thiscountry. The J-1 initiative started in 1961. A half-century later, it'sworth discussing whether the program has outlived its usefulness. Roger Chesley, 757-446-2329, roger.chesley@pilotonline.com , pilotonline.com/chesley. I am an expert from automobiledvd-players.com, while we provides the quality product, such as Land Rover DVD Player Manufacturer , Hyundai DVD Player, Hyundai DVD Player,and more.
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