I tell you: it’s rough living in Norfolk these days. Seems like every day, there is some new revelation about somebody doing something wrong. Just this week:
- Sunday – we learned that a Norfolk city official used a city credit card to buy a $250 phone for a gang banger. The guy used the phone the next day to commit (allegedly) a violent felony. The Norfolk official still has a job. Why?
- Monday – whew! Nothing
- Tuesday – we made up for the pass on Monday with two stories. First we discover the city has $4.4 million in federal funding sitting unspent. Then we learn of our own trash truck mishap – Virginia Beach has their own. At least no one died in Norfolk.
- Wednesday – a break in the action (unless you count this third story dated Tuesday, which was in the Sunday Compass and appeared mysteriously online but not in Tuesday’s paper).
- Thursday – a 12-year employee, who never showed up for work, is fired. I can’t wait to see the outcome of this.
- Friday – nepotism in the Commissioner of the Revenue’s office. “Everybody does it” is not an excuse. As my Mama would say every time I tried to use it, “if everybody jumped off a cliff, would you?” I’m already hearing more rumblings about a petition drive to remove her from office.
This is just plain embarrassing. 😳
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Embarrassing is an understatement!
You got that right 😦
Nepotism is a problem in more than just Norfolk… but who do you complain to?
I guess the citizens. Because at the end of the day, we elect the folks who either engage in this bizarre behavior or hire those that do.
Geez, and I thought Richmond’s local goverhment was embarassing.
I used to point to Richmond and laugh. Not any more.
A couple of months ago I was talking with a good friend who is a constitutional official outside of HR. As usual our conversation turned to politics. He asked how things were going down in Norfolk. I shared the recent revelations of the gov. officials and of Ms. McDonald. I questioned whether all other elected officials acted this way in other parts of the State. His response was “nope, only in Norfolk…they have that machine reputation down there.” Grrreat! Another OMG moment.
Seems everyone has the same response about Norfolk: that it is last place machine politics are really at work. We’ve just got to break the machine.
Hey, there’s nothing wrong with nepotism — as long as you keep it in the family.