The Daun Hester Story ™ continued on the pages of the Virginian Pilot today, as the lead story in the Hampton Roads section, complete with the requisite big title and photo of her seated in council chambers. (The online version is much tamer than the tabloid style the Pilot employs in the print edition.) The print version has the real meat of the story buried on the back page. Let me point out a couple of things:
[Community Education Partners CEO Randle] Richardson said it was his idea to pay Hester, although he wasn’t sure how much she had earned from CEP. His company also had hired someone else to lobby in Norfolk.
“She spent a lot of volunteer time on this,” Richardson said. “She made it clear she wasn’t going to lobby.”
Did you get that? Hester was a volunteer, looking out for the needs of Norfolk students, when the company decided to pay her. And Hester didn’t lobby on behalf of the company; someone else did.
Both Hester and Richardson said they were unaware of the potential for conflict of interest. Nevertheless, Hester has resigned and apologized.
The end.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Institutional racism is an art form in Norfolk. The article and the attack was politically motivated. Just another example of the Norfolk establishment keeping an intelligent, talented, caring individual with a social agenda in her place.
Just another hit job. Reporters should do a more extensive investigation of a story before the newspaper slaps it on the front page.
“She spent a lot of volunteer time on this,” Richardson said. “She made it clear she wasn’t going to lobby.”
Come On folks, if her interest is truly in the kids, then I would expect her to lobby!
Lobby, as in on behalf of the company, rlewis. She lobbied alright – for the kids. They are two separate things, you know.
Vivian,
don’t be so nieve, she certainly is going to lobby on behalf of the company if the product the company is trying to sell is in the best interest of the kids. She would be foolish not to lobby.
She did the right thing by removing herself from the situation. Whether you like it or not there was a conflict of interest of which she should have been aware of or thought of, kids or no kids involved.
some say this is a race issue, maybe but she is up for election next year, if she wins they she might be mayor, i have someone better for mayor how about VIVIAN that sound even better.
I love it when people misspell “naive.” 🙂
Why is it that whenever anyone disagrees with you, rlewis, you assume that they are naive (the proper spelling, BTW)? Could it be that you are just reading the situation wrong? She was a volunteer first. Did you miss that? Or are you intentionally ignoring it?
excuse me for the misspelling! who cares if she was a volunteer or a paid employee, she obvisiously has an interest in the company and the product they are selling. Do you not think she is going to lobby on behalf of this company if she believes that the product is going to benefit the kids!! You are being NAIVE if you think otherwise!!
I have read your posts long enough to know that if this was someone that you did not like or was of another political affiliation or opinion you would have a different tone to your message.
Why is that whenever anyone disagees with you, Vivian, you have to make an excuse for them or it!
Actually, you’re wrong – again. Have you ever volunteered for anything? And what was your reason for doing so? Was it because you only believe in that candidate or is it because you believe in the greater good that the candidate’s party represents?
Hester believes in doing what is best for the kids. She lobbied on behalf of the kids. Why is that so hard for you to acknowledge?
You really haven’t read much here, rlewis, because I have criticized friends and foes, Democrats and Republicans, black and white, alike, just as I have applauded friends and foes, Democrats and Republicans, black and white, alike.
The question is why are you so angry, rlewis? You have never posted a thing here that was not filled with venom. If you are so unhappy, why not find something to do that would make you feel better?
anon – I just fished your comment out of my spam filter. Sorry about that.
I am sorry Vivian that you are not competent enough to understand that she would lobby on behalf of the company for the benefit of the kids.
I am not angry at all, you clearly are the one that is angry by your most response.
She did not start out lobbying for the company – did you not get that? I don’t know how many different ways it can be said, rlewis. That’s what the article said.
And if you aren’t angry, you sure sound like it.
From Today’s Article:
CEP wanted to handle alternative-education services for the Norfolk school division, which is looking into ways to revamp a program that currently costs more than $3.5 million a year.
Several school officials and Hester traveled to different CEP schools in Richmond, Atlanta and Orlando, Fla., over the past year. Although Superintendent Stephen C. Jones expressed doubts about the program, Hester encouraged him to explore it further.
This sure sounds like lobbying to me. Did you not get that?
I am all for the benefit of the kids, Vivian, but don’t tell me she would not be lobbying on behalf of the company. Again, you are NAIVE to this fact. Whether it is for the benefit of the kids or to save the school district money, which both can be applauded. As I stated before, I would expect her to lobby on behalf of the company if the company is going to benefit the kids and save $$, who wouldn’t.
That being said, she did the right thing by removing herself from the situation, because she is a council member. It is a clear conflict of interest.
Did you ever think you might be wrong?
Mountains out of mole hills.