Friday’s editorial in The Virginian Pilot focused on the recent call for a strong mayor form of government in Norfolk as well as the results of a recent survey. At the center of both is Councilman Randy Wright.
No “survey” can undo any of that progress, especially one done by a single-issue advocacy group, Norfolk Tea Party 2. Here’s a hint about how seriously to take their survey, released this past weekend: Councilman Wright – who won re-election by a hair – was deemed the most popular member of City Council, by 40 percentage points.
This wasn’t a survey; it was self-serving political theater, a sham to be ignored. Wright calls the plays for the Tea Party.
Ouch! But it gets better:
Norfolk should be doubly wary of Wright’s assurances that all great cities have a strong mayor, the implication being that one follows the other.
“What we need is someone who’s responsive to the citizens, someone who will pick up the phone and return calls, someone who won’t be stuck in some ivory tower,” he said, a cheap dig at Mayor Paul Fraim’s 10th-floor office.
We called New York City to ask about their centuries of experience with strong mayors. We’re still waiting for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to get back to us. Strangely, neither the mayors of Philadelphia nor Washington, D.C., are known for returning calls, either.
Then there’s Richmond and its tumultuous experience with former governor and current Mayor Douglas Wilder, who has entirely upended city government, not always with reason or to good end. Nobody cares whether he returns phone calls.
I have to commend the Pilot editorial board for stepping up and calling it like it is. Now, if the “news” department could do the same, we might just be on our way to having a decent newspaper.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
I notice it took them six days to reach a conclusion that should have been immediately obvious to everyone, however, and after publishing that sham survey in their Sunday edition last week, too. I suppose I should be glad they decided not to wait an extra day to bury their charges against the fraud Wright and NTP2 are trying to foist upon Norfolk’s voters in the virtually-unread Saturday edition….
Glen Sussman from ODU had a great letter to the editor about how the “survey” was pretty much just an miniscule percentage from Norfolk.
If you have yesterdays paper, look at it as he makes some great points.
Well said Vivian.
I’ve written a letter to the editor which, if it does not make printing, I will visit again and post here. “The rest of the story” as they say . . and if that does not help to clear things up, I suppose other means will need be employed.
Hey Vivian,
Do you remember the question you asked me in the parking lot about a year and half ago at the very first public meeting of the Norfolk Tea Party? Do you remember my response? My convictions have never changed.
And, I am curious, in your opinion (and not limited to this survey business), have the aggregate endevours of the the Norfolk Tea Party has been helpful or hurtful for the citizens of Norfolk?
r/ Brian
Brian – I haven’t forgotten. But you have to recognize that perception is reality – and when 35% of the respondents come from Wright’s ward, when he provides the refreshments for the meetings – well, it’s not a leap on the part of the Pilot. Your convictions may not have changed. But that doesn’t mean that others haven’t.
I have given NTP2 it’s kudos for spearheading the effort to reduce the real estate rate. But as I wrote in my story about the survey, the comments Wright made about ForwardNorfolk could just as easily apply here.
proudvadem – that LTE is available here.
Thanks.
Thanks Vivian, you are so much better with links than I am! 🙂
maybe before someone wants to compare PHIL,LA,CHICAGO and nyc to norfolk all of the major cities have strong foundation of communities to build upon, some how i think norfolk, is lacking in a sound foundation of communities.
Actually, 10% response rate from a survey is pretty remarkable. It’s not a reliable, generalizable poll, but if the Pilot’s going to spend ink everyday printing the opinions of a half-dozen people on Brambleton Ave., why not the opinions of 1,000 people?
Too often the “strong mayor” turns into a “stupid tyrant.”
Look at what has happened in Richmond.
Don’t be stupid, Norfolk. A City Manager form of government is like a bulwark against corruption.
Wow, Im thinking many of the posters here have never taken a social science class. Nor anything close to Research methods.
The “survey wasnt sampled correctly” and it was disbursed in a poor manner. And granted there may be a 10% respondant rate but since there was improper sampling, the results are skewed.
I’m say to the the NPT2 wasting their money on a pseudo-survey. If you wanted to gather something with some empirical evidence, perhaps hire a professional or better yet organize letters to the city council and drop them off (that is effective).
This is one step above internet “surveys”.
In case you missed it, you can read the NTP2 response that appeared in today’s Pilot here.
PVD, I do understand research methods, but the Pilot regularly publishes non-scientific poll results. They have one on their website every single day.
Their editorial page is in no way representative of anyone but a few folks on the upper floors at 15 W. Brambleton.
So, the Pilot editorial board calls the Tea Party survey “self-serving political theater”? The Pilot’s run that kind of show for so long, I’m surprised they don’t get arts funding.