I'm semi-retired now and I do volunteer work in an animal shelter. The problem with dealing with a sick animal is that they will let you know that something is wrong but they won't tell you where it hurts. (Sep 2, 2008 | post #1540)
Bennigan's restaurants closing, at least temporarily
I don't understand why you say you're in denial. Did you know what was going on in the Hampton City government? If you did and turned a blind eye, then you are in denial. If you didn't know what was going on then take steps to find out. The Daily Press is full of the machinations of the Hampton City government. You just have to read between the lines. Read the letters to the editor section. Become familiar with the people on City Council. Less than 20% of the registered voters in Hampton vote in City Council elections. Most people can't name them. Get to know the names of some of the City's administrative staff. That is where the real power in the City resides. Watch what they are up to. That, in time will reveal what the City government is up to. I wrote the State complaining about the Hampton City government. They dodged it. I'm THROUGH complaining. It's someone else's turn. If this is the type of government they want, they are welcome to it. Are other Cities around here in the same boat? Probably. They will have to speak for themselves, however. CITY COUNCIL IN HAMPTON 1. Molly Ward 2. Randy Gilliland 3. Joe Spencer 4. George Wallace 5. Ross Kearney 6. Angela Leary 7. Paige Washington ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF TO WATCH Jesse Wallace (City Manager) Jimmy Eason (Director of Econ. Devel.) Terry O'Neill (Director of Planning) Ed Novi (Public Relations) Mary Bunting (Budget Office?) Hardy Cash (Ombudsman) (Aug 30, 2008 | post #212)
Bennigan's restaurants closing, at least temporarily
Hampton is in for rough sledding when it comes to economics. It's going to get worse when Ft. Monroe closes. The Hampton City government has pursued policies that have resulted in a net loss of jobs. If you read the want ads in the newspaper, you will notice that a disproportionate number of entry level jobs are now located in the Greater Williamsburg area. The best thing I can tell you to do is to check into some of these temporary agencies, like Manpower. Just remember the outcome of the last City Council election in Hampton. Would you invest money in Hampton to form a new business that would create jobs? Other cities will have to speak for themselves. (Aug 30, 2008 | post #209)
Bennigan's restaurants closing, at least temporarily
The Byrd Machine is extinct at the State level. What's left of it continues to exist in Hampton because there hasn't arisen a political force that has the staying power to drive it from power. That's why I call it the Cabal. I'm not familiar with Portsmouth's politics. You would have to ask someone from there. Light rail is expensive. The Cabal would love to build something like that. It's not economically feasible because, of its nature, it doesn't take into consideration the movement of its likely patrons from one part of the City of Hampton to another. (Aug 30, 2008 | post #207)
Bennigan's restaurants closing, at least temporarily
The Byrd Machine in Virginia was around for years. It probably got started in the 1920s. It controlled Virginia politics by controlling the "Constitution al Offices", City (or County) Treasurer, Sheriff, Clerk of Courts, etc. It ended at the state level with the election of the first Republican governor since the Reconstruction. Although the Byrd Machine no longer has any weight at the state level it is still in a lot of local governments, including Hampton. If you want political office in an jurisdiction so controlled, join the local Democratic party organization and wait for an opening. There is always someone waiting when the person leaves office. That is the nature of machine politics. That's one of the reasons why machines exist. I didn't vote for Mr. Sapp in the last City Council election. By the time his term ended, I was pretty upset with him. (Aug 29, 2008 | post #205)
You must be quite a lady. This is one of the biggest threads in the whole Daily Press Forum. (Aug 29, 2008 | post #1459)
Bennigan's restaurants closing, at least temporarily
As through this world I've rambled, I've seen lots of funny men. Some will rob you with a six-gun, Some with a fountain pen. (Sorry, Joan Baez) (Aug 28, 2008 | post #203)
Bennigan's restaurants closing, at least temporarily
I don't have a website or a blog. Just look at what they have built. That's a dead giveaway. I can give you a contact, after I contact her, if you are looking for independent verification. (Aug 28, 2008 | post #201)
Bennigan's restaurants closing, at least temporarily
A cabal is a loose conspiracy. It functions like a an alliance except that it is secret. Decisions are made in private rather than in any kind of open discussion. In Hampton it is made up of the remains of the old Byrd Machine, which calls itself the Democratic Party, and contractors that benefit from continious building. One hand washes the other. The City government lets contracts and allows overbuilding of homes and commercial buildings of questionable vale. The contractors furnish the votes to keep the City "fathers and mothers" in power. Decisions are not made by City Council but by conversations in hallways and in unnamed restaurants by various Cabal members. The City Council has become a rubber stamp for their schemes. The real power in the City of Hampton lies with the administrative arm of the Hampton City government. The result has been a rather bizarre capital improvement situation in Hampton. We have the Radisson, a limited access highway called the Hampton Center Parkway complete with stoplights, "Coliseum Central", More Condominiums being planned at Buckroe, The failed restaurant in Downtown Hampton, a traffic snarl on Settlers Landing Road, the list goes on. This has been going on for years. The Hampton City government doesn't exist to serve the needs of Hampton, it exists to serve itself. As long as it has a block of votes it can get away with giving unwarranted six figure salaries to its administrative arm. I've given up yelling about it. Nobody seems to care. Just don't ask me to invest here. My money is invested outside the City of Hampton where the City "Fathers and Mothers" can't get their hands on it. As for Molly Ward, to quote Ronald Reagan, "Trust, but verify". (Aug 27, 2008 | post #199)
It's about time the Daily Press published something on this. (Aug 26, 2008 | post #1)
You expected something different when Ross Kearney's kid was involved? May God bless the Hampton City government because I surely don't. (Aug 25, 2008 | post #32)
Two juveniles arrested in shooting of elderly man
Revoke their privilege to go to the community center. (Aug 25, 2008 | post #8)
Poindexter: Vick's state trial on hold until he's out of prison
I agree. Football is 22 fat guys chasing an odd shaped ball up and down a 100 yard vacant lot that is striped every 10 yards. The symbolism of the white stripes on a green vacant lot is that it is autumn and summer, the green field, is ending and the white stripes represent coming snow. The ball is shaped kind of like an egg and I guess its symbolism is that a touchdown represents pregnancy. The backfield sort of wiggles around which, I guess, is symbolic of sexual arousal or the motility of the sperm - I guess you can take your pick. The players spend a lot of time in huddles where, I guess, they are discussing which of the cheerleaders they plan to take out that night. I never cared much for football with the exception of watching the cheerleaders. For the most part, they were interesting. I watched very little of it in the past and this year I probably won't watch much of it at ll. (Aug 22, 2008 | post #532)
I don't know. I did Social Work for many years. I'm retired now. I remember reading a study of heroin addicts which said that quitting tobacco was as hard as quitting heroin. I don't really know if that is a true statement or not, but I remember the discomfort when I quit smoking. I never want to go through that again. I guess I'll never use heroin. Nicotine is a drug. The only difference between it and "street drugs" is that nicotine is legal. (Aug 21, 2008 | post #34)
Poindexter: Vick's state trial on hold until he's out of prison
I don't hate Vick. I just don't want anything to do with him. He's kind of like gum on the soles of my shoes. (Aug 21, 2008 | post #529)
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