In out latest poll, 50% said to tweak Governor Kaine's Transportation Plan. 27% oppose it, while 22% support it. Therefore, 72% want it in one form or another.
The newest poll: your preference in Virginia Beach City Council's Rose Hall District race. It's incumbent Reba McClanan versus challenger Glenn Davis. Davis' campaign kickoff is Wednesday evening, so it's timely.
16 comments:
Well, my feelings are hurt. Glenn never sent me an invitation to his announcement.
Eileen,
Glenn's announcement is $50/person minimum, a luxury for people like you and I.
That said, Brian told me I'll love Glenn's platform, so I'm looking forward to him running. Reba has run unopposed the last two times, so it's great that she faces a challenge.
Geee...who to vote for?
Someone who has been an obstructionist on council and has voted against every budget and comprehensive plan for years? And then has the gall to complain when things aren't done?
Or maybe someone who came within a half-inch of beating DeSteph and two years ago and clearly has a plan for change?
Davis is a hand picked Sessoms stooge who has moved thru several Districts hunting for a race he thinks might win. Remember he was Princess Anne but moved out of that race, then At-Large(lost) and now is Rosehall candidate. Who would vote for a loser who doesn't know where he lives?
His is only in this race because Sessoms and co are funding him so they can have a six vote majority on council to ignore the will of the people and fund the special interest business agenda.
Vote for McClanan!!!
Davis has a "Plan for change?" Must be a reference to the district he lives in… Do you really believe that Desteph, Davis and Ron V. can co-exist on City Council? Not in a million years…
I don't believe that DeSteph can work with anyone on council.
But McClanan has voted against employees, funding education, roads, stormwater, EMS, agriculture, neighborhoods, animal shelters, etc. EVERY YEAR because she votes against the budget.
Maybe someone can tell us when she last voted to fund these things (if ever).
Davis may be supported by Sessoms, but I bet he is supported by a lot of other people who are tired of no representation.
Plus, the VBTA uses her as their poster child. Every time Moss or Dean get up there and scream at the city council, they always say "except for Mrs. McClanan and Mr. DeSteph." That alone is reason enough for me to vote for change!
There's a clear difference between DeSteph and McClanan.
Even where DeSteph disagrees, he offers substitute motions and counterproposals.
On the other hand, McClanan votes "No" and offers...what?
As much as I hate the stench of Sessoms, I'd rather have a Councilman who would get me some things on my agenda (Davis) than a Councilperson who says "No" to everything (McClanan).
Finally, thanks to Glenn Davis. After having seen this blog entry and my poll, he e-mailed me himself to invite me to tomorrow night's Kickoff as his guest (read: no $50 donation). Since I'll be at HRT's UCAC meeting (which I'll blog on), I can't make it.
Yeah, Glenn offered the same to me. Like you, I may have a conflict in the form of a Ft. Monroe FADA public hearing in Hampton. We'll see...
If anyone falls for the “voted against the budget” spin, then you are really not honestly watching or analyzing the City Council Meetings. There are votes every week on many issues that get positive votes by Mrs. McClanan. Yes, she will often be the lone “No” vote on an issue but so what? A room full of Yes men isn’t good government. We had the three amigos and look what that elitist group did to our city spending and debt ratio.
What you have is a political spin doctor(Likely to be Brian Kirwin) taking her no votes on the ENTIRE budget and turning it into a claim she voted against employees, funding education, roads, stormwater, EMS, agriculture, neighborhoods, animal shelters, etc. Nothing could be further from the fact. Yes it is true that EVERY YEAR because she votes against the entire budget but she has in fact voted in the affinitive on many of those items in the budget. She has voted on many important items that have directly improved this community. To me, her budget vote seems to be a protest against the 1.7+ billion dollars of spending to support special interest oceanfront developer spending year after year by the majority of city council members. Look at her record… She has been a very productive and positive member of council for many years. She represents a segment of the community outside the big money, political parties and special interest organizations. Davis will be just the opposite.
IMO: She is extremely valuable member of city council who represents the hard working middle class working people of this community. She is not a big business, oceanfront, developer, political party machine or special interest representative. She represents the real people of the Rosehall District and does it very well. She asks the questions nobody on council will ask. She holds Mr. Spore and his staff accountable. She is a fine asset to this city and she has earned tens of thousands of votes every election cycle from voters other than those of the VBTA. And if any of you can be bought by off by Davis for the comp of $50 price, then your integrity and political savvy is not where I thought it would be…
William,
First of all, note that I didn't accept the comp, as I have the UCAC meeting this evening.
In 2006, Davis was the only Council candidate endorsed by my good friends at AAPAC. Now Brian Kirwin (yes, he's working for Davis again) tells me I'll love Davis' platform. Since Kirwin and I go back nearly a decade, I'll take him at his word on that until I read the platform myself. (Since Glenn and Brian both read this blog, can you e-mail it to me as a pdf or rtf file?)
If you can get the business community, Resort interests, and minority communities on the same campaign, you could have the perfect storm.
To William Bailey:
I agree that she attempts to hold city staff accountable. However, I have never seen a positive outcome from that. To call her a "productive" member of council is beyond belief.
It takes no courage to vote "No" because you can always tell the people that you didn't support this controversial project or that unpopular issue.
But at the end of the day, we need someone who has the courage to actually vote FOR something.
I don't know anything about Davis, but I do know that Reba does not have my vote. If he is tied in with the VBTA or any of their associates, I will not support him.
Having said that, Davis should be able to run a decent campaign by just pointing out all the little people she attempts to hurt with her "symbolic" votes.
To Anonymous: Last time I checked it only takes six votes to pass anything down at city hall. Six votes... That leaves five who can vote no and the item passes. IE: 7-4, 6-5, 9-2 and I hope you get the picture…
Fact: Mrs. McClanan has voted for many positive items on the agenda of council. She is in the minority in cases of planning or expending tens of millions on special interest projects but since when is opposing an expensive project or sprawl development a negative? She votes No on those items she doesn’t support as being in the best interest of the citizens and taxpayers. As many of us know, we wouldn’t have to expend 15 million every year if more city council members had voted “NO” on encroachment around NAS Oceana in the past twenty years.
I guess you'll have to explain why it is ok for any of the other ten council members to vote "No" on issue (I keep track of those too) but Mrs. McClanan's are bad. As an example: Louis Jones has voted against the Hilton hotel deal at the oceanfront but I guess when your trying to spin a story, you have to ignore the “no” votes of other council members. I have many examples to share when the time comes. And council members throw away votes on many occasions. I have recommended throwing away votes to council members for many years and it works well. The item still passes and you do not offend your base supporters. It is called P-O-L-I-T-I-C-S…
BTW: If you go back and examine the voting records of all eleven council members since 1 July 2002, you’ll have a very nice chart that shows very little difference between any of the members of council. Even I was surprised when I started counting the votes. Try adding the votes up when you have the time. I have one that I only share with my political partners. Unfortunately, I don’t know who you are, so you don’t get a peak at it. If we meet at a political interview for an endorsement, introduce yourself and I’ll share it with you.
Bottom-line: if your entire spin is about the once a year ENTIRE BUDGET “No” vote, go ahead and spin on. That story will win her more votes than it will cost her.
Lots of votes on this one...I received an email solicitation to vote!
Anon 5:51,
It looks like I'll get more hits than normal for the third day in a row.
I'll take it. :)
Henry: I've even had folks call me about my comments on your bolg. Well Done to you for growing this thing.
BTW: there is a "vote on Henry's blog" email making the rounds. Want to guess where it comes from? Maybe Davis will win an election for the first time.
Congratulation you get to claim victory in Henry's blog! The bad news for Davis is the real vote isn't until November...
William,
Campaigns make hay out of winning straw polls all the time. No different here.
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