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JWCJ

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Burt, I imagine the Central National Bank building will require rents that are above what the school system can/should pay, and I don't foresee Douglas Development selling the property to the city.

Man, this whole thing just makes my head hurt. This debacle seriously needs to be resolved once and for all. Both sides have been in the wrong here and there, but in the end I think the mayor is right even if his execution is a little... crazy. City services should be consolidated under one roof at City Hall... it makes little sense for departments to be scattered all over the city. They should all be convenient to city residents, and consolidating them in city hall or adjacent buildings makes the most sense. The School System is a quasi-local government function in that they operate independently of the city but the city government holds the purse strings. I see less importance in the school offices being in City Hall than a city agency. The School Administration needs to move out.

The mayor has repeatedly given notice to the schools that they need to move out, and as each deadline passes, the schools remain. What we are witnessing currently is really a sorting out of authority/power under the new strong mayor system. It may seem like dysfunction, but it takes time to work kinks out and to establish the boundaries of power each branch of government possesses. Does the mayor have the authority to say who can have their offices in City Hall.. or does Council? We'll find out soon enough. Much of this is intensified by the recent change in governance.

The citizens of Richmond voted for a change in governance from city manager to a strong mayor. I think we're better off with a strong mayor and we'll be better off having had Wilder in office even with all the drama. The worst thing that could happen is to have Wilder replaced with a good ole' boy yes man. We need someone assertive like Wilder, but someone who can get the same job done without being as abrasive and divisive. This city is chocked full of potential and we need to do more to realize that potential. We need a visionary mayor and a visionary council to take Richmond to the next level. Where are all the good civic leaders these days?

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From RyanR at RCW regarding Meadwestvaco:

Having government drama out in the open like this certainly isn't good from an economic development standpoint... notice how Greg Wingfield of the Greater Richmond Partnershipwas quiet in the article about it today? Still, I think your getting caught up in the sensationalism as much as the media. Many people didn't want to do business in the city before any of this in the first place because of dealing with a dysfunctional city hall. Under Wilder, city agencies have become more responsive and customer service has improved because for the first time in decades accountability has been demanded. Things will settle down and when they do, Richmond will be a better place.

Lets hope it is a better place. I do concede that the school system should move away. I also agree with the City Councils decision to sue Wilder over his actions on Friday. He should have given them a notice on Monday, saying hey, movers will be there on friday, here are some boxes, I suggest you pack it. He would have avoided the embarrassment and possible legal issues he is now facing. Right or wrong about the move, Wilder was entirely wrong to allow anyone to touch private information who was not allowed.

Oh and Mary Garcia cleaner doesnt have file cabinet keys, and I would trust her more than I would ever trust JoeSchmoe mover.

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One thing I find messed up about the whole thing is that (as reported today in the paper) the school board was prepared 2 years ago to move into the EXACT same space Wilder wants them to move to today. However, back then Wilder refused to allow the move, arguing they should move into a facility they own. Fast forward two years and Wilder demands they move to 3600 W Broad. This whole thing could have been avoided if Wilder had simply allowed the original lease to go through in the first place.

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  • 2 weeks later...

There was a rather blistering story about Doug Wilder in yesterday's New York Times by Lisa A. Bacon (didn't she write for Style Weekly at one time as Lisa Antonelli?)

I don't know how to bring it over from the NYTimes, but it's posted at RCW under City Issues.

Edited by burt
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I find the press to be more critical and disapproving of Wilder than the people on the street. Style Weekly makes no secret its dislike of Dougie.

While he has certainly made some mistakes and that middle of the night school move was a disaster, the city HAS made a lot of progress under Wilder's leadership.

Though there is definitely some ego involved on all sides, I really feel that much of this was inevitable when switching the city's governing structure.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Lets hope the next president is less spending. Im sick of the government spending my money. Hey Cam if you think we have a dictator now wait till a Democrat takes over then the real Dictatorship begins with a bunch of snakes from hell.

If Democrats are snakes, they are the lesser of two evils.

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Nope my parents are Avid Glen Beck Fans. But lets put it this way our government is being ran by hippies. All these politicians that are in office right now were teenagers and kids during the 60's. They all smoked pot and stuff. Why do you think this going green thing is driving all of out businesses out of the US into China and other parts of the world. Going green will only make things worse. I remember Sean Hannity talking about well if Al Gore is putting emitions into the air by flying in his big private Jet and than hes hurting the environment just as much as we are. I mean who is he to say for us to go green when he is flying in his jet burning all this fuel. Plus not only that but the Democrats and Republicans have lost for what they stood for. Democrats were much different during the Days of FDR and JFK. Same goes for Republicans things were much different for waht Republicans believed when Reagan was in Office.

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Nope my parents are Avid Glen Beck Fans. But lets put it this way our government is being ran by hippies. All these politicians that are in office right now were teenagers and kids during the 60's. They all smoked pot and stuff. Why do you think this going green thing is driving all of out businesses out of the US into China and other parts of the world. Going green will only make things worse. I remember Sean Hannity talking about well if Al Gore is putting emitions into the air by flying in his big private Jet and than hes hurting the environment just as much as we are. I mean who is he to say for us to go green when he is flying in his jet burning all this fuel. Plus not only that but the Democrats and Republicans have lost for what they stood for. Democrats were much different during the Days of FDR and JFK. Same goes for Republicans things were much different for waht Republicans believed when Reagan was in Office.

Glen Beck = 'Rush Limbaugh lite'.

Going green isn't hurting our economy. Unbridled free trade is. The reason all the manufacturing jobs are leaving is global competition, and it is primarily an issue of labor costs. Corporations have free reign over our beautiful earth, and will leave this country in a heartbeat when they find a country with $1/hour wages and no environmental regulations. Who makes more profit... the company paying good wages and benefits, properly disposing of toxic and carcinogenic wastes; or the company employing 10-year-olds for $2.50 per day w/ no benefits, feeding them crystal meth so they can work 14 hour shifts, and dumping all their wastes into the roadside ditch where the children play?

But you know what Joey; maybe going green is helping the Chinese get an edge. Lets pollute like them and see how young we can all die from cancer from all the toxins in the air. Have you seen footage of Chinese cities? Everyone is walking around or biking with facemasks on, surrounded by a brown cloud of coal smog.

You're right about Al Gore, if someone isn't practicing what they preach, we should abandon the idea, even if it is good, because I don't want some hypocrite polluting more than I do.

All these hippies are the biggest hypocrites of all. They went around putting out all these greenhouse gasses from their reefer or dope or doobies or whatever they were smoking, and then they have the nerve to tell me I shouldn't drive my trail-rated V12 monster truck to work everyday!! I plan on moving to a mountain-top one day, and besides maybe I'll have kids and my commute will involve mud-bogging, so I need a big safe vehicle that can get me across 8' deep snow drifts.

If these hippies don't like my patriotic, gas-thirsty lifestyle, they should move to Greenland (get it) and live in communes and make Birkenstocks, and the women can grow out their leg and armpit hair, and they can stop bathing and not use deodorant.

Meantime, we can vote in some good ole' boys and continue what Dubya started. I was thinking maybe we could invade Iran, N.Korea, Syria, and the Netherlands (hippies), oh and Canada.

Edited by mclawsdrive
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I have a lot of respect for Rudy. His actions in cleaning up this city and his leadership on 9/11 along with his social agenda have won my admiration. But his acceptance of support from Pat Robertson has REALLY turned me off. Hillary, here I come!

don't forget that Hillary went along with the rest of the spineless 'liberals' (don't think any true liberal would have voted for the war) who voted to go to war with Iraq, duped, or pressured politically ( I don't know which is worse) by some of the most pathetic "evidence" I can imagine. I will support her if I have to, but I'd much rather not support a flip-flopper, which is what she is. I hope the democratic nominee is someone who was against the war since before it started. I was one of those people, and Hillary, as far as I'm concerned, betrayed our cause and should be one of those held responsible for this mess. Its too late for her to change her mind. She was one of the ones who got us into this mess, do I trust her to get us out of it? Maybe more than Bush, but thats saying very little.

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For me since im sure most of you know im a Republican Im going for either Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson. I think Mitt Romney is a good guy. Only thing holding him back is his religion of Mormon I think it is. One thing I would like to add in is that I think that with all the toy recalls lately this is what you get for our factories going to china. What would you rather have innocent toddlers and new borns dieing or us older people dieing from smog and pollution in the air. To me a new born or toddler dieing from led in a toy is sickening.

Edited by Downtowner
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don't forget that Hillary went along with the rest of the spineless 'liberals' (don't think any true liberal would have voted for the war) who voted to go to war with Iraq, duped, or pressured politically ( I don't know which is worse) by some of the most pathetic "evidence" I can imagine. I will support her if I have to, but I'd much rather not support a flip-flopper, which is what she is. I hope the democratic nominee is someone who was against the war since before it started. I was one of those people, and Hillary, as far as I'm concerned, betrayed our cause and should be one of those held responsible for this mess. Its too late for her to change her mind. She was one of the ones who got us into this mess, do I trust her to get us out of it? Maybe more than Bush, but thats saying very little.

I'm just being realistic, McLaw. It will be a huge surprise if Rudy and Hillary don't head up their respective tickets.

And on the statewide scene (unless a recount in the State elections reverses the situation) the Democrats with their Senate majority will re-district Virginia.

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I'm just being realistic, McLaw. It will be a huge surprise if Rudy and Hillary don't head up their respective tickets.

And on the statewide scene (unless a recount in the State elections reverses the situation) the Democrats with their Senate majority will re-district Virginia.

Hope I didn't come off too mean on my last comment. I don't see alternates to Rudy and Hillary being long-shots. After all, these national polls (even the partisan ones) are more about name recognition than anything else. Most people are completely ignorant of politics, and when they're polled about who they're likely to vote for, they're not going to pick someone they've never heard of. Everyone (almost) knows Hillary and Rudy. But many conservatives don't like Rudy at all, considering he is a social moderate (they might say liberal) and not all that economically conservative either. The Christian right probably dislikes him 99% as much as they dislike Hillary, even with his chumminess with Pat Robertson.

Meanwhile, true Liberals like myself are not at all happy with Hillary. She is liberal (conservative say socialist :rolleyes: )on health care and a few other issues, but many of us see her as a Washington insider who sold her soul to the devil for a chance at power.

We'll see what happens in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. After that, we'll pretty much know who the candidates will be.

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