Sometimes, right and left take a back seat to right and wrong. With that, here’s what I said to City Council today about the Midtown Office Building project:
By Coby Dillard
That a majority of City Council has spoken in support of this project, in a time where our schools continue to fall apart and there is not enough funding for police officers or other elements of public safety, is surprising. But let’s look at the real number behind this project: $7,250. That is the amount of campaign contributions from Tivest Development to three members of Council supporting this project: Mayor Fraim, Councilman Burfoot, and Councilman Winn, with Mr. Burfoot receiving the majority of these contributions at $3,750.
Today, we learned that Tivest decided that, between Friday and Monday, it was a good idea to catch up on $32,675 on delinquent real estate taxes. And now, they’re expecting their “friends” on this body to take responsibility for up to two-thirds of this proposed building’s space-and rent. Or, put differently, their “friends” are expecting them to pass this responsibility on to us, the taxpayers.
By any measure, this is unacceptable. The fact that Tivest says this guarantee is necessary to secure financing for the project shows that even its potential investors think it’s a horrible idea. A reasonable person would ask why, then, would our elected officials want to put the citizens of this city on the hook for a project that appears fiscally dubious to investors. But, to Fraim, Burfoot, and Winn, apparently $7,250 in contributions speaks louder than the many Norfolk residents who have called, written, and spoken against this project.
Members of council, this is your time to choose. Will you stand with your constituents, who not only disapprove of this proposal but who have basic needs that you have failed to address? Or will you continue to support your campaign backers and their schemes to make money of the taxpayers’ backs? If you are true representatives of the people, we demand that you vote against this proposal. And if you choose your “friends” over your constituents, we will remember your choice when we make ours in the voting booth.
Yes, the “time to choose” line was a throwback to President Reagan. Not that it registered, as the council voted 5-3 in favor of approving the project.
This was my first city council meeting, but it showed that there’s just as much here locally to be paid attention to as there is on the state/federal level. Thanks to Ms. Paige for the crosspost! Coby
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
I think its time we revolt and “oust” The Three Stooges from their posts. anyone else agree? Lets get an investigation and dig deeper. The majority of people DO NOT want ths and realize it is not something showing postive points towards the city officials that were getting political contributions…. Don’t people know times are changing and that what goes around eventually WILL come around…..It won’t be long!
Maybe what Norfolk needs is to have Coby Dillard on council. Maybe even take Mayor Fraim’s job?
Coby – now that I’ve reviewed a certain Cee Lo Green song, I’m glad you didn’t use it 😉
Hey, I was gonna go with the edited version…if it’s good enough for Idol… 🙂
@Pam, it’s been tried before. The woman’s name was Donna Briggs. They threw her in jail, had her witnesses killed or scared out of town, threatened her life and her kids, and eventually had her disbarred as a lawyer.
Google it and you will see that she sued Fraim and dozens of other city employees for perjury and racketeering. Now she can’t even practice law and her daughters don’t even have her last name.
Here, I’ll save you the time;
https://www.lexisone.com/lx1/caselaw/freecaselaw?action=OCLGetCaseDetail&format=FULL&sourceID=gdii&searchTerm=eCZT.Zgaa.aadi.YaaO&searchFlag=y&l1loc=FCLOW
The saddest thing about these postings to me is no matter how much you show people the actually facts they still chose to go with conjecture. I offered Coby an opportunity to meet with the developer to show him the facts, give him an opportunity to ask questions and have his questions answered and he told me he had no questions. I have offered Vivian the same opportunity and she has declined. So I have come to the conclusion that some people just want to complain!
Micheal,
I would have loved to have met with the developer and gone over Norfolk’s last 5 budgets- and SHOWN him how the terms of this deal would not work. I’ve got a 20 page breakdown on the CAFRs But hey..what would I know.
Michael, what was in this for you? Why do you choose to so negatively beat up on any that are opposed (like Smigiel for example).
I believe that you must have a monetary or personal tie to this…that’s just my hunch.
Really Michael? How do you explain all the needed garauntees on the backs of the taxpayers if this is such a wise move? I’m sure they know more than enough to come to an informed conclusion.
Viv, just saw this on the norfolk.gov:
http://www.norfolk.gov/News/Press/prdetails.asp?PressID=2028
Apparently, the Tivest project if OFF again.
And FYI..Michael, it IS quite difficult to get to 2:30pm meetings. For myself..for many.
Regardless of what you said on Tuesday.
These meetings NEED to be at night WHEN it is easy for people to make it.
Why is it that I’m “getting something” out of this because my view is not the same as your view? What are you getting? If I did or do get paid, I am in business to make money from which I pay my share of taxes! Some may feel great by todays & maybe tomorrows news about the “city pulling out” on the additional space but please know there is still a 60,000s
f deal from our great city! 🙂 (can you say millions?)
By opposing this cluster of a project, I am standing up for fiscal responsibility.
As a citizen, as a tax payer, as someone who cares about transparancy in government, and someone who believes that robust economic development should be fostered but not on the backs of the budget- I am opposed to this project because it’s the right thing to do.
If this was a good economic development project, there would be a clawback provision- there is not one.
As for what I am getting- nada, zilch, zero. I spoke on my own accord and not on behalf of a civic league, elected official or anything.
I took 5 hours of my time during a weekday to attend both sessions and participate in the democratic process- that’s all. Citizen participation does not end at the ballot box.
This whole thing, for someone who’s never followed local politics, was pretty pathetic.
Those who are in the business of advocating dubious causes will continue to justify this project, and that’s fine. It’s up to the rest of us to see that for what it is, do our own research, and try to find the “why” in the midst of all the smoke and mirrors. That’s what a responsible citizenry is called to do.
I said on my blog that it was good to see Republicans, Democrats, and the Tea Party (I’ll include Libertarians too) come together in a common cause. That something like this brought all sides together speaks volumes about what we were heading into.
Amen. Agreed. One of the few positive things to come out of this. That FINALLY … citizens of all stripes woke up, came together and got involved. Let’s hope that continues and that it reinvigorates the meaning of “by the people, for the people”. Thanks Coby.