As I have discussed here many times before, The Southside Messenger is not afraid to point out the failings of local government, even if other news outlets are. This time it is about a familiar subject: Bucky Fore, the Chair of the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors. The article in the November 27 - December 3, 2008 newspaper recounts that this is the third time in recent months that questions from both citizens and the Messenger have been left unanswered either in session or in other communications.

I will let reporter extraordinaire Wilkie Chaffin fill you in:

For the third time in recent months, Prince Edward County supervisors have been questioned about an apparently illegal action taken by the Board of Supervisors in November of 2007. The charge was first made publicly in a Southside Messenger article in June of this year, after a citizen, Jack Houghton, accidentally learned of a letter that described a commitment that the county had made. The Messenger article described how Prince Edward County supervisors made the decision to provide water to The Manor golf complex based on a secret phone call survey to certain supervisors instead of taking a vote in a public meeting as is required by law. In October of 2008, Supervisor Lacy Ward asked that a Board committee be set up to examine the relevant circumstances of this action and issue a written report of its findings. The other seven supervisors voted against setting up this committee. At the regular November 12, 2008 Board of Supervisors meeting, Jack Houghton raised the matter of this action and asked “if members of the Board would like to comment, to explain your actions, to justify why you forgot in this case the vital importance of transparency, and went ahead to apparently violate Virginia’s open meeting law.” Supervisors Fore, Simpson, Jones, Gilfillan, Moore, and McKay, along with County Administrator Bartlett and County Attorney Ennis, were all involved in this action that has been questioned. Yet, apparently, only Supervisor Bobby Jones has denied the charge that the action was illegal, or tried to explain or justify the action. Supervisor Jones said in October that he had a document that would explain this action. However, no document has been produced.

Previous articles have focused on VFOIA violations, and selective use of public hearings when it seems certain that one would be required, and many more. The latest giveaway to the Manor Resort, which I have been told is on shaky financial ground, is the water infrastructure spoken of in Mr. Chaffin’s article. Part of a recent agreement paid off or forgave amounts owed to the county by the CDA formed to initially start the ‘Manor’, formerly known as Poplar Hill.

At a November 18, 2008 special meeting called by Chairman William Fore, the Board discussed priorities for Prince Edward capital projects. Supervisors were asked to rank six possible projects. Supervisors gave the highest ranking to a $2.5 million utilities agreement with the Town of Farmville, and the lowest ranking to the proposed water plant and distribution system, which at this meeting was estimated to cost between $15 million and $25 million. The construction of a new library was given the second highest ranking ($2.8 - $3.1 million in cost), with the Sandy River Reservoir intake ($4.0 million), an industrial park site development ($1.3 million), and school construction/renovation projects ($1.1 million) receiving ranking of three, four, and five in that order. Supervisor Sally Gilfillan asked the Board to agree to fund the county’s portion of the library costs before the financially attractive construction bid expires. Supervisors have agreed previously to pay a financial consultant, Davenport and Co., $10,000 to prepare a financial report concerning the general financial condition of the county and the ability of the county to afford projects such as those ranked at this meeting. Board Chairman Fore said he believed that supervisor rankings would change after the Davenport report was received. The Board then spent considerable time discussing the proposed water and sewer utilities agreement with the town. In return for $2.5 million from the county, the Town of Farmville would agree to turn over a portion of its water supply and wastewater system outside of the town to Prince Edward County. The town would also agree to provide a potable water supply and to provide treatment and disposal of wastewater for certain county areas outside of the town’s service area. Supervisor Lacy Ward asked why third parties were a part of this agreement and suggested that the agreement would mean that the Poplar Hill Community Development Authority (CDA) will not have to pay the money that it owes to the Town of Farmville. County Attorney James Ennis said that these provisions would eliminate future litigation on matters related to a 2000 agreement and were in this agreement at the request of Farmville. The Board of Supervisors approved the agreement with the town, with Supervisor Ward voting no. Mr. Ward said he did not want taxpayer money to pay off debts made by the CDA. The signing of the agreement by the county and town was scheduled to be held the next day.

Constant pressure is being applied by Mr. Houghton, Mr. Chaffin, and Mr. Ward, a Prince Edward County Supervisor, to get at the truth. What will it take? Will there need to be another Grand Jury? Oops, did that already. You see, the Commonwealth’s Attorney is also the County Attorney. That should be illegal, and there should be a corrupt institutions investigation of Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors.

Continue reading " Prince Edward Chair of Supervisors Refuses to Answer Questions About Anything "

As I have discussed here many times before, The Southside Messenger is not afraid to point out the failings of local government, even if other news outlets are. This time is about a familiar subject: Bucky Fore, the Chair of the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors. The article in the November 27 - December [...]

Continue reading " Prince Edward Chair of BOS Refuses to Answer Questions About Anything "

Tom Perriello Statement on the Deaths of Nelson County Residents in Mumbai Terrorist Attacks

November 28, 2008-Ivy, VA-Congressman-elect Tom Perriello has released the following statement in response to the tragic news of two Nelson County residents’, Alan Scherr and his daughter Naomi, deaths in the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

“I am shocked and saddened by this tragic news from across the globe and from right here in our community. My prayers are with the Scherr family and members of their spiritual community during this painful time. Acts of terrorism, wherever committed, are crimes against our common humanity, and we have been reminded that conflicts abroad reverberate back home. I pledge to work tirelessly in Congress to challenge these cowardly acts and create a more stable world.”

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Scherr’s and their families as well.

Continue reading " Congressman-Elect Tom Perriello’s Statement on Nelson County Residents’ Deaths in India "

Oh, yeah. I was telling you about how Watkins Abbitt is forever tied to big money lobbyists, just like ex-Congressman Virgil Goode.  Watkins Abbitt is surrounded by lobbyists. His wife, sister and niece are all lobbyists.
When you consider how important it is this coming 2009 Session to actually get something done, Republicans-be-damned, it makes little [...]

Continue reading " Now Where Was I? "

So began the relationship of a new blog, ‘Cavalcade of Conflictedness’, with me as I commented on Sadie Love’s blog (her real name?) today. I was asking a question about how a well known fact like Virgil Goode taking illegal contributions from MZM, has become alleged, even though Goode himself has admitted it. And how [...]

Continue reading " Who the hell are you? Get off my blog, liberal. "

Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker, a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement in this country, will be speaking at Hampden-Sydney College outside Farmville, Virginia. The program will take place at 11:30 AM on November 18th, in the Parents and Friends Lounge at Venable Hall on the H-SC Campus.

Reverend Walker will present “The Civil Rights Movement in 1963″.

[Updated to provide date - ed.]

(more over the flip)
Both Reverend Walker and Martin Luther King, Jr. were attending Virginia Union University north of Richmond, when the two met and forged a lasting relationship. Upon receiving his Master’s Degree, Walker was the minister at Gullifield Baptist Church in Petersburg. It was at that time Dr. Walker started working with the National Organization for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), and as a director on the board of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Reverend Walker is probably best known for his work organizing the mass marches in Birmingham, a plan which became the blueprint for future marches during the 1960’s.  He has served as president of the Negro Heritage Library, and as minister at the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City.

In the later portions of his career, Dr. Walker has turned his focus to Africa, mainly in South Africa during the Anti-Apartheid Movement and for free elections in South Africa.

The stories this man must tell of his life, full of excitement, sorrow, accomplishment, disappointment.

I encourage all those who are interested in this subject to show up and listen to this hero and trailblazer speak about his full life.

Continue reading " Reverend Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker to Speak at Hampden-Sydney College "

Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker, a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement in this country, will be speaking at Hampden-Sydney College outside Farmville, Virginia. The program will take place at 11:30 AM, November 18th in the Parents and Friends Lounge, Venable Hall on the H-SC Campus.
Reverend Walker will present “The Civil Rights Movement in 1963″.
Both [...]

Continue reading " Reverend Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker to Speak at Hampden-Sydney College "

Virgil Goode, reeling from allegations that his office helped support the showing of the film ‘Eden’s Curve’ at various film festivals in this country and Canada, has said that he will have a meeting of his staff to find out how the government-paid fax number in his office was used as a contact-by-fax number for promotion of the film, according to the Daily Progress in Charlottesville.

This news comes on the heels of the revelation that WDBJ-TV, the CBS affiliate in Roanoke, Virginia, will not be running the NRCC ad that had been running and continues to run at other media outlets in the district. The station said it wants to see documentation of a claim by Goode that Perriello is in favor of gay marriage.

In fact, Tom’s position is one that I agree with: He does not support any further government intervention in the definition of marriage. The Christian Science Monitor article being used by Goode carried a correction in a later edition, although obviously, that’s not the part the Goode campaign used.

Jeffrey A. Marks, president and general manager of WDBJ, said the ad cites as its source an article about Perriello that ran in the Christian Science Monitor. However, the Perriello campaign pointed out that the newspaper ran a correction about the Democrat’s position on the issue, which is that he does not support more government intervention in defining marriage.

“We’ve suspending running an ad from the National Republican Congressional Committee,” Marks said. “We asked for further substantiation … We’re waiting to see if the sponsor can provide additional information.”

TV stations cannot refuse to air political ads by candidates for federal office, but are allowed to refuse ads that are paid for by third-party organizations, such as the DCCC or the NRCC. “We are in no way taking sides,” Marks said.

Virgil Goode’s insistence in calling Tom Perriello a ‘NY Lawyer’, has drawn more complaints as well, from the campaign and supporters. Tom was admitted to the bar in New York State, a necessary step for him to perform the security and humanitarian work he does, with organizations based in New York.

Now Goode is criticizing the fact that the Perriello campaign has calls being made from a firm in Brooklyn. Why this matters, I have no idea.

Also in Goode’s statement on Thursday, the congressman accused Perriello of having New York residents make phone calls on Perriello’s behalf to residents of the 5th District, which includes the city of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene and Nelson.

“Tonight, Southside Virginians will hear the sound of New York accents on their telephones,” the statement said. “Citizens in New York City will be participating in a phone bank calling Southside Virginians and asking them to vote for Tom Perriello. Once more, liberal New Yorkers are attempting to push their ideas on 5th District Virginians.”

Goode has portrayed Perriello as an outsider from New York in stump speeches and in his campaign’s TV and radio ads. Perriello, Goode said, is relying on the campaign contributions from out-of-state supporters.

The phone banking activity in New York on behalf of Perriello, Barba said, was being hosted by a longtime friend of Perriello’s who had wanted to assist in his bid to unseat Goode. The Perriello campaign, she added, has more than 500 volunteers from within the 5th District and such phone banking is occurring on Perriello’s behalf across the country and elsewhere in Virginia. “This has become a national race, whether Congressman Goode likes it or not,” she said.

Like I have been saying elsewhere, people from all over want Virgil Goode gone. Just because he can’t or won’t understand this is just an effort to paint Tom as an ‘outsider’, a ‘carpetbagger’, even though he was born and raised in Virginia. He even got his Eagle Badge as a Boy Scout in Virginia.

It will be interesting to see what, if anything comes from this meeting. I can’t imagine there are too many happy people at the Goode Campaign, from Virgil on down.

Let’s get Tom over the hump as he gets rid of a horrible Congressman. Give today, and leave it all on the road.

Continue reading " Goode Will Have Staff Meeting; Discussion Of Misuse Of Congressional Office "

RSS Readers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O75KrZSZl_E
      

Continue reading " Tom Perriello Takes On the NY Lawyer Nonsense "

Bernard Baker is reporting in the Danville Register and Bee that Linwood Duncan, Virgil Goode’s Press Secretary, has resigned from the Congressman’s staff.
Duncan, whose work for the North Theater Group had recently been questioned due to the ‘thank-you’ credit on the movie “Eden’s Curve”, resigned for health reasons, it was reported.
As this was being written, [...]

Continue reading " Virgil Goode’s Press Secretary Linwood Duncan Quits "

Senator Tom Daschle, former Majority Leader of the US Senate, will appear in Farmville for an Economic Townhall meeting with residents on Monday, October 27th.
Mr. Daschle is a senior adviser to Senator Barack Obama, the 2008 Democratic Candidate for President.
Senator Daschle has been touring the country holding meetings with residents and helping with fundraising and [...]

Continue reading " Tom Daschle To Hold Economic Town Hall In Farmville "

This is what pure hate looks like. This is so vile, I have delayed publishing this in order to try to gain some perspective on it. Someone, or many someones, wrote ‘KKK’ on signs in the Fifth District. It was reported that another sign had the ‘n’ word sprayed on it, and the people who [...]

Continue reading " Democratic Signs Defaced and Destroyed in Appomattox County and Elsewhere "

Continue reading " Virgil Goode’s Bigotry And Ignorance "

For those who can’t see the video due to RSS or a variety of reasons, the video is here.
      

Continue reading " New DCCC Advertisement on Virgil Goode "

My article that day, and links to others.
Virgil Goode has a way of talking out of both sides of his mouth that we just can’t afford in this District or this country anymore. We need efficient Congresspersons that know that ultimately they work for the people, not the fat cat lobbyists in Washington.
This news doesn’t [...]

Continue reading " October 21, 2006 - North Theatre Group "

From the Perriello Campaign:
POLL: PERRIELLO WITHIN SINGLE DIGITS
October 11, 2008—Ivy, VA—Momentum for the Perriello campaign continues to grow as a new poll released today shows Perriello within single digits of Rep. Virgil Goode, the closest margin any challenger has achieved against Goode. The race now stands at Goode 48 - Perriello 40 in a head-to-head [...]

Continue reading " Bush-Goode Under 50 in New Poll "

From the Perriello Campaign:

POLL: PERRIELLO WITHIN SINGLE DIGITS

October 11, 2008-Ivy, VA-Momentum for the Perriello campaign continues to grow as a new poll released today shows Perriello within single digits of Rep. Virgil Goode, the closest margin any challenger has achieved against Goode. The race now stands at Goode 48 - Perriello 40 in a head-to-head ballot. This is the first poll of the race that has shown Rep. Goode under the 50% mark.

“We are gaining in this race because for too long, citizens of the fifth district have seen jobs shipped overseas, costs for gas and healthcare going through the roof, and now an economic meltdown that threatens their retirement security and small businesses. There’s only one person in this race who’s offering the solutions and leadership needed for this crisis and that’s Tom Perriello,” said Jessica Barba, communications director for the Perriello campaign.

Polling Memo below the fold.

ENLARGE

One thing — this is a ‘State of the Race’ poll, meaning internal. The polling firm seems to be very well regarded and connected in Democratic circles, having worked before for Jim Webb and Tim Kaine. In fact this polling firm won an award this year for their work on the Webb Campaign in 2006.

Seriously though, if Virgil is under 50%, which is what this poll shows, then he has a greatly decreased chance of winning.

So, take it with an appropriate grain of salt, and GO TOM PERRIELLO!!

Continue reading " VA-05 Poll: Goode - 48% /Perriello - 40% — Single Digits! "

You might remember from yesterday’s recommended diaries on Daily Kos about Bobby May, the Republican from Buchanan County, Virginia. He had posted what he evidently thought were funny and satirical remarks in a newspaper in Buchanan County, The Voice.
Today comes word that he has indeed been fired from his position on the McCain Campaign.
The Shad [...]

Continue reading " McCain Chair Bobby May Fired Over Newspaper Remarks "

From the Think Progress website, a verbatim transcript of Virgil Goode on February 15, 2007. Congressman Goode is speaking from the House floor, Washington, DC.: (see website for video)
We are in the middle of a four-day marathon here. While I cannot say that I agree with all of the actions of the president in dealing [...]

Continue reading " Virgil Goode Quote of the Day "

Hooo! The ghost writer over at the laughable VAGOP Caucus Blog has been spouting drivel again. This is not a new subject, and has been covered before by others. I felt I needed to bring this to your attention because the latest ‘article’ is full of coded words and downright lies.
One of the things we [...]

Continue reading " Hilarious VaGOP Caucus Blog Spouts Drivel "