Archive for June 2010
Texas congressman apologizes to BP
Rep. Joe Barton apologized to BP today. Backlash for this apology resulted in … an apology for the apology. Finally, Barton retracted his apology to BP. I’m guessing Barton wished that he had remembered Mark Twain: “It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.” … Continue reading
Maddow for President
On her show Wednesday night, Rachel Maddow did a segment in which she re-writes the Tuesday night speech of President Obama.
Bad decision
It is no secret that times are tight. The City of Norfolk is eliminating positions to deal with shortfalls. So I’m absolutely mystified as to how they could possibly conclude that it is OK to give $11,000 to the operators of Afr’Am Festival to help pay police officers who worked at the festival. There is … Continue reading
Norfolk Schools news
School board announces finalists for superintendent With the retirement of current superintendent, Stephen Jones, scheduled for June 30, the Norfolk School Board announced the three finalists for the position. The three men – Richard Bentley, Randy L. Bridges, and Robert L. Copeland – will be in town this Thursday, June 17, for a public forum. … Continue reading
RIP Janie Bowen
Janie Bowen, the Virginia Tax Commissioner, passed away unexpectedly Tuesday morning. I learned of her death in the afternoon, when Governor Bob McDonnell’s statement on her death came via email. I met Bowen shortly after she was named Commissioner, as I was considering a gubernatorial appointment position with her agency. This was shortly after the … Continue reading
National town hall meeting on the budget
America Speaks, an organization dedicated to “reinvigorating American democracy by engaging citizens in the public decisions that most impact their lives,” is hosting a national town hall meeting on June 26 on the economy and the budget. One of the discussion sites is in Richmond. Hosted by the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis and the … Continue reading
Is the amateur political blogosphere dead?
Chris Bowers of Open Left has written two articles (1, 2) in which he opines that the amateur1 political blogosphere is dead. The fallout has prompted posts from other sites (1, 2, 3), who reinforce the basic premise. All of these point to the national political blogosphere, and in truth, I agree: anyone trying to … Continue reading
Statement from Gaylene
Greetings To whom much is given, much is required. – Luke 12:48 I want to take this moment to once again thank you for your support. Yesterday was a bittersweet day for me. It was joyous because, of course, WE won the 1st Vice Chair of Organization position! This victory would not have occurred without … Continue reading
ICYMI: Norfolk Ward 7 appointment notice
The notice to the left (click to enlarge) appeared in the business section of Sunday’s Virginian-Pilot. In case you have any trouble with the image, here is the text: NORFOLK CITY COUNCIL APPOINTMENT WARD 7 The Council of the City of Norfolk is accepting letters of interest from persons who wish to be considered for … Continue reading
Reminder: Norfolk School Board appointments
Just a reminder that there will be a public hearing at the beginning of the June 15th council meeting (agenda pdf) to hear from those who wish to serve on the Norfolk School Board. The terms of three members – Chairman Stephen Tonelson, and members Linda McCluney and Ursula Rhodes – expire at the end … Continue reading
Gaylene elected
Congratulations to Gaylene on her election as 1st Vice Chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia. And my thanks to Susan Mariner for offering herself for the position. UPDATE: Congratulations are also in order for Jon Bowerbank, who was elected Vice Chair – Finance.
Slaves and the U.S. Capitol
Next week, a plaque will be placed at the U.S. Capitol, honoring those slaves who built it. How different this response is from the last time I visited the Capitol about this issue. In June 2001, I along with a number of others involved with Connecting Communities, went to Washington. Our mission was a simple … Continue reading
SM
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