Category Archives: Perspectives

From Senator Tim Kaine: Thoughts on January 6th, 2021

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Publisher’s Note: I received the following message by eMail directed to me as a constituent. Although it is not specific to Portsmouth, it is a thoughtful treatment of issues that affect all of us as citizens of the United States of America. I share it here, therefore, in the interests of stimulating reflection and dialogue.

So many of you have reached out — while the Capitol attack was going on and in the days since — to ask how I am and express your deep concern over what you saw happening. Rather than respond briefly to each, I thought I would write up my thoughts to share with you all. Continue reading →

Open Letter to City Council: Vice Mayor Selection Criteria

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Mr. Mayor and Honorable Members of City Council:

In the twenty-four years I have lived in Portsmouth, city council has selected a vice mayor in accordance with certain unwritten rules. All else being equal, a tradition of fostering a sense of unity through representational diversity has evolved. Consequently, when the mayor has been an African American, a European American would be selected as vice mayor and vice versa. This has not been an ironclad practice but rather a general tendency. Continue reading →

Open Letters to Council and School Board: The People’s Will

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In these times of intense political division, one point of agreement appears to transcend ideological differences. Whether they lean right or left or stand somewhere in the middle, most Americans concur with the notion that elections have consequences. The most apparent of these, of course, is which individual will occupy the seat that was in play. A secondary consequence of some races, though, is that new vacancies may have resulted from an incumbent officeholder getting elected to a different position. Continue reading →

Open Letter to City Council: One-Way Respect, Incompetence, Illegality, and Broken Promises

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Mr. Mayor and Honorable Members of Council:

In a constitutional republic, the principal duty of an elected representative of the people is to understand the needs and desires of those they serve. Honest, direct, and frequent communication with one’s constituents is the preferred means of staying apprised of their views. Those sorts of interactions enable elected officials to benefit from the collective experience and wisdom of the members of their community. Your recent action demonstrates your underdeveloped appreciation of those republican ideals. Continue reading →

Open Letter to City Council: Yesterday and Today

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Mr. Mayor and Honorable Members of Council:

I see that you have scheduled another special meeting for this evening to discuss the current state of unrest in the city. In contrast to yesterday, I hope that you all will conduct yourselves professionally and in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order and council’s own rules of order and procedure. For example, the mayor should have ruled CM Moody out of order when he was strutting and fretting for his moment on the stage by calling out his colleagues rather than focusing on resolving very thorny issues. In the same vein, any member of council could have raised a point of order about the gratuitous nature of CM Moody’s remarks, just as you have done to citizens on numerous occasions. You all need to model in your interactions the deportment that you want citizens to follow. Continue reading →

Open Letter to City Council: Defer Item 19-276

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Mr. Mayor and Honorable Members of Council:

I write to oppose approval of item 19-276 on the City Council Agenda for July 23, 2019. Until 6 PM yesterday evening, only a relative handful of Portsmouth citizens had any idea this was coming. Unlike the previous master plan for development of the old Fairwood Homes/Academy Park property, which was extensively discussed with our residents, this proposal emerged from closed discussions and is being thrust on the populace as a “done deal”. Setting aside for the moment any casino considerations, the entertainment district could negatively impact nearby neighborhoods — including Cavalier Manor, Highland Biltmore, and Newport — and the businesses in and on the periphery of Victory Crossing. Additionally, it will have potential adverse impact on the Portsmouth Campus of Tidewater Community College. I do not believe that such a project, sited on what is one of our largest, if not the largest, tracts of developable land should proceed at breakneck speed. As I have noted at other times and places, when someone wants to achieve something in the worst way, they generally do. Hometown “poster children” for the validity of that concept include the Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion and the Elizabeth River Crossings Project. Continue reading →

What Goes Around, Comes Around, CM Moody

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Almost ten years have passed since Portsmouth City Council called for Mayor James W. Holley III to withdraw from office. Revelations by his administrative assistant, a city employee, that he required her to perform personal services (among them, calling stores to locate apparel items he wished to purchase, having a magazine subscription cancelled, and making hair and nail appointments for him) in addition to her official duties, brought abundant negative media attention to our city. In a rare act of unanimity, six council members, led by then Vice Mayor William E. Moody, Jr., drafted a statement asking Mayor Holley to step down. According to the Virginian-Pilot account, the statement read, in part, “‘We have much left to accomplish and we must have the focus, the consistency and stability with which to move forward as a unified community. Sadly, it is no longer possible under the mayor’s leadership for reasons which have become clear to the entire community.'” [Emphasis is ours.] (See the Virginian-Pilot, August 12, 2009.) Continue reading →

Publisher’s Notebook: Lumps of Coal for Your Stocking

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The late, great Henry Howell used to say, “There’s more going around in the dark than Santa Claus.” As the hours of daylight dwindle for the next week or so, those working in the dark have more time to obscure what it is that they are doing. Additionally, with the elections in our rear-view mirrors and winter holiday plans in the forefront of many people’s minds, the final city council meeting of the calendar year tends to receive far less public attention than most others. Consequently, if our officials intend to avoid citizen oversight, this is an ideal time for them to act. PCW feels obliged, therefore, to shine its high beams on three agenda items slated to come before council this Tuesday evening: 18-466 – Appropriation of $1,820,000 to Acquire Economically Significant Property; 18-462 – Precinct Number 24 Location Change; and 18-465 – Re-appropriation of FY2019 CIP Funds for the Circle of Sail Project. We believe that each of these matters merit more public attention before adoption than they are likely to receive in the current season. Continue reading →

Publisher’s Notebook: V-P Missing the Point as Usual

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As has so often been the case with Virginian-Pilot coverage of Portsmouth politics, the main event has once again been supplanted by the sideshow. An article in the November 1, 2018, issue of the paper accuses Candidate Paul Battle of falsely claiming that Senator Tim Kaine endorsed him. According to the story, Mr. Battle’s advertisement in the Bridges section of the V-P a week ago listed Senator Kaine as a supporter, but the senator’s staffers deny the assertion. The issue is, what in the political realm  constitutes endorsement? Continue reading →

A High Stakes Gamble

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Revised October 13, 2018

As Tropical Storm Michael was making its entrance into Hampton Roads yesterday evening, the Martin Luther King, Jr., Leadership Steering Committee (MLKLSC) gathered for a meeting. Based on subsequent social media postings from some who attended, the political action committee appears to have amended its list of endorsed standard bearers. Previously, MLKLSC had announced endorsements of Candidates Paul Battle and Shannon Glover, leaving one contested seat unclaimed. Last night, though, the group added Candidate Mark Whitaker, who recently received a suspension from city council due to an adverse decision in a judicial proceeding. The suspension also resulted in his disqualification as a candidate for reelection this year. Continue reading →