Deadlock

In the previous poll question, I asked you all to estimate Tide ridership on Saturday, August 20. That would be the second day of light rail revenue service here. 27% each voted for 4,900 or more, 4,100 - 4,899, and 3,300 - 4,099. 18% chose 2,500 - 3,299, while no one expected less than that.

With a deal to build a headquarters hotel for the Virginia Beach Convention Center reportedly imminent, I'll ask about public support for the City of Virginia Beach entering a public-private venture (PPV) to complete such a project.

68% Look Favorably On Interracial Marraige

68% of you, more than two-thirds of voters, look favorably on interracial marriages. For the 31% unfavorable, wake up and smell the 21st Century! Such arcane beliefs belong in the landfill of history.

As a Catholic bachelor in this area, I long thought I'd end up married to a pinay. Between having lived in an 85% African-American neighborhood for over eight years, and utilizing a mass transit system where ridership is about 75% African-American, it's African-American women who now dominate my personal life.

The new poll question: estimate ridership of The Tide on August 20. Launch day is August 19, which is a Friday. Being a weekday, that should dampen crowds. The following day is a Saturday, service will be fare-free, and people will want to see it for the first time. What's your guess on ridership? (2,900 is the average weekday benchmark.)

You're Not Expecting Many

In our latest poll, I asked how large you expected the voter turnout percentage to be in Virginia Beach for this November's election. 37% voted each for 15%-19% and 20%-24%, while 26% voted for 25%-29%. No one voted for 30%-34% and 35%-39%.

Why I think this number is so important: John Moss' only chances of winning a Council seat are turnout being under 20%, and no mainstream Republican with name recognition getting in the race.

The new poll question: what is your opinion of interracial marriages?

We Want Substance, Rosemary

62% believe that Rosemary Wilson speaks with the least substance of any Virginia Beach City Councilman, with 37% giving Bill DeSteph that tag.

I agree. I've said half-jokingly before that Rosemary couldn't give you three substantive minutes on an issue if staff wrote it for her. In comparison, John Uhrin was pretty much two-note (Resort Area and Norfolk Southern Corridor) when he first came on Council, but within a couple years was articulate on most everything.

The new poll question: what do you estimate voter turnout will be this November in Virginia Beach? The only announced General Assembly challenge is Adrianne Bennett against Ron Villanueva in the 21st House of Delegates District, plus there's the City Council special election for the remaining three years on Rita Sweet Bellitto's term.

91% Consider The TEA Party A Minus

In our latest poll, 91% considered the TEA Party to be a minus for the Republican Party. Only 9% consider it a plus.

Personally, I believe the TEA Party is mangling the GOP. Republican candidates are lurching right to appease the tea baggers, and losing swing voters and donors in the process. In most cases, catering to the TEA Party costs more votes than it gains.

The new poll: which Virginia Beach City Councilperson speaks with less substance, Bill DeSteph or Rosemary Wilson?

TEA Party: Plus Or Minus?

In our latest poll question, one-third regularly go to regional board meetings, while two-thirds have never been. That may tell me more about my readership that it does about the general public.

The new question: is the TEA Party a plus or minus for the Republican Party?

Have You Ever Been To A Regional Agency Board Meeting?

In our latest poll question, I asked if you believed the Virginia Beach city government cares about the average resident. The replies on this one were all over the place: 31% felt Very Much, 6% Somewhat, 38% Not Much, and 25% Not At All.

The new question: have you ever been to a regional board meeting? Those agencies impact our lives, but how large of a portion of residents go to their meetings? At most TDCHR meetings I recognize 80% or more of the people in the room. (Granted, we wouldn't want a much larger attendance in Norfolk until there's a new board room with more seating.)

They're Coming To Take Them Away

64% agreed that Napoleon XIV's They're Coming To Take Me Away should be the theme song of the extremist Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance (VBTA). 35% chose Red Rider's Lunatic Fringe, while no one voted for Steve Miller's Lost In Space.

The new poll question: does the Virginia Beach city government care about the average resident?

84% Want Economic And Military Sanctions

84% want economic and military sanctions against Pakistan for harboring Osama bin Laden, 16% want no sanctions, and 0% want economic or military sanctions alone.

The new poll question: what should be the theme song of the extremist Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance (VBTA)? I give you a choice between Lost In Space by Steve Miller, Lunatic Fringe by Red Rider, and They're Coming To Take Me Away by Napoleon XIV.

Go For It!

56% of voters lean towards light rail extended all the way to the Oceanfront, 39% are leaning towards the Lynnhaven option, while 5% want an extension to Town Center.

While all three options are in play, I'll explain why I'm one of the 39%:

1. The gap between Lynnhaven and the Resort Area could easily be bridged transit-wise. Simply run a shuttle bus between the Lynnhaven Station and the transportation center planned for the Dome site complex.

2. You can run feeder service to Oceana NAS nearly as easily from Lynnhaven Station as you could Oceana Station.

3. The Lynnhaven alignment would bring in 4 of the 6 Strategic Growth Areas (SGAs) along the Norfolk Southern Corridor. Remaining would be AICUZ-constricted Hilltop, and the Resort Area. (Obviously the dynamics of the Resort Area are quite different than the other five.)

4. The estimated $251 million lower cost than the Resort Area option would be easier for the public to swallow.

5. One of the two major obstacles an Oceanfront extension faces in getting Federal funding is the constrained redevelopment opportunities adjacent to Oceana NAS. (The other is the large sum of money.) Stopping just west of the Oceana doughnut hole negates that, and also boosts us on the other count.

Should Oceana lose Master Jet Base status in outlying years (as many anticipate), the AICUZ footprint around the base would shrink dramatically for choppers or turboprops. We can then extend Lynnhaven - Dome site without breaking our commitment to the Navy.

The new poll question: should Pakistan be sanctioned for harboring Osama bin Laden? If so, how?

By A 2:1 Margin...

You believe Blockbuster is in worse financial condition than Sears Kmart.

I went to Kmart this morning to buy a box of Pepto Bismol chewable tablets. (Hey, Kmart is across the street from work.) The same box that would cost me $3 at Walmart was $4.49 at Kmart. No wonder they're in the proverbial "deep doo-doo"!

The new poll question: which light rail extension are you leaning towards in Virginia Beach? Yes, the study just went to a timeout and we don't have enough information to endorse an option yet, so that's why I used the modifier "leaning towards". However, I thought this would be a fun exercise that would allow us to compare and contrast options.

Morality Wins!

61% want traditional marriage only, with 39% supporting gay marriage. 0% wanted civil unions.

Of course, it's a moot point in Virginia. Our state Constitution defines marriage as between one man and one woman, prohibiting any alternatives. I worked the polls to do my small part in getting the amendment passed.

The new question: which company goes bankrupt first, Blockbuster or Sears Kmart? It's from a water cooler discussion I had at work.

You're Happy With the Mayor's Performance

45% of you rated Mayor Will Sessoms' job performance excellent, with 23% voting Good. 3% think he's done a Fair job. 29% rate it Poor. The striking thing about the Poor vote is that it corresponds with what we saw in Bayside and Lynnhaven Districts last November, where 30% would vote against any incumbent no matter what.

Personally, I'm not enamored with Mayor Sessoms performance. (I was a Good voter.) I may have some pointed things to say about him (and other members of Council) after this year's City redistricting process. However, Virginia Beach is moving forward after four years of sitzkrieg under Meyera Oberndorf. If Meyera was still there, City Hall would be giving lip service to a number of key initiatives, but doing nothing about them.

The new poll question is inspired by a Facebook exchange I was involved in yesterday. Which do you prefer: traditional marriage alone, allow gay marriage, or allow civil unions?

69% Favor A Midtown Tunnel Routing

69% prefer taking light rail to Portsmouth via the Midtown Tunnel, with 31% favoring the Downtown Tunnel. Here's the problem: Phase II of the Regional Transit Vision Plan eliminates the Midtown routing, leaving a possible Downtown Tunnel routing.

The new question: how do you rate Mayor Will Sessoms' performance in office? He's been there now over 26 months.

94% Grasp The Mistake

94% of you grasped that the Council of Civic Organizations (CCO) inviting John Moss, Chairman of the extremist Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance (VBTA), was a blunder. There are so many reasons it shouldn't have been done.

First, it hurts the CCO's credibility. There's an old diplomatic axiom that "You can tell a revolution by its friends." The CCO holding hands with the VBTA doesn't paint a pretty picture of the new CCO leadership.

Second, wait for the political blowback. The CCO now has a number of powerful organizations and individuals unhappy with it. There will be ramifications.

Third, from my own prior tenure with the CCO, I know you schedule programs based on two drivers:

1. It will get good information to the community.

2. It will bring out attendance.

The VBTA only gives lies and conspiracy theories. The only attendance will be the Kool-Aid chuggers coming to worship their cult leaders.

Fourth, the CCO used to have annual Budget meetings. Management Services from the City of Virginia Beach would give a presentation. They were discontinued due to poor attendance.

Fifth, some will probably claim the CCO was just trying to offer a different perspective. If so, why doesn't it invite the KKK, the Nation of Islam, and the National Socialist Movement? If not, why are they inviting the VBTA, another group clearly out of the mainstream?

Sixth, did the CCO forget it has a seat on the Resort Advisory Commission (RAC)? How does the CCO expect it's RAC representative to be effective when it's playing footsie with the VBTA, which believes the Resort Area is public enemy number one? (If I held the CCO RAC seat, I'd resign, my job impossible to accomplish.)

Seventh, the CCO often works through partnerships. It does projects jointly with the City, including the Community Legislative Package. It funds it's annual Party In the Park, and offsets the annual Banquet, through donations from the business community. Neither will be pleased with this snafu.

The bottom line: the CCO will spend at least six months repairing the damage from this.

The new poll question: which routing should light rail take into Portsmouth - Downtown Tunnel or Midtown Tunnel?

You All Agreed

It was unanimous that insurance companies don't care about your health.

The impetus was that I have a condition that medical science recommends surgery for. However, Medicare (I get it due to disability) won't cover it as I don't have one of their prerequisites. (Granted, Medicare is a government program.)

The new question: does John Moss hurt the Council of Civic Organization's (CCO) credibility? The Chairman of the extremist Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance (VBTA) has been invited to be the speaker at the March general meeting of Virginia Beach's civic league federation (i.e. the CCO).

You Don't Care...But Should

Of the few that voted, 75% are optimistic about things in Egypt after Mubarak's ouster, 25% unsure, and 0% pessimistic.

It was a low vote count, but you should care. The government that sits in Cairo controls the Suez Canal, and through it comes the lion's share of Arabian oil coming to the west. Disruption of shipping through the Suez Canal would force tankers around the southern tip of Africa, driving up gasoline prices at the pump.

The new question: do insurance companies care about your health?

Unanimous On Crossing

All voters preferred using the multimodal portion of the planned Third Crossing for getting light rail across the harbor to a dedicated rail-only tunnel under the harbor. I agree: not only much cheaper, but it puts light rail right where you'd want the line to land: Newport News' East End.

The new poll question: how do you feel about Egypt's chances moving forward? Ousting l'ancien regime is only half the job. What you do next is at least as important.

Deadlock On Pensions

The previous poll question was on what pension system should City employees have? 50% liked Defined Benefit plans, which we currently have. 44% want to move to pensions similar to a 401 (k) plan, with 6% wanting a Defined Contribution system.

At the 2034 LRP meeting last night, I was offered a ride home, but turned it down. First, I wanted to observe night bus operations. Second, I know "the meeting after the meeting" can sometimes be very interesting. It was. A mid-level transportation official and I got in a discussion about the options for bringing light rail across the harbor. It has been long assumed that The Third Crossing's multimodal component would be the light rail route. However, Phase II of the Regional Transit Vision Plan is based on it not being there, with light rail needing a dedicated rail-only tunnel under the harbor.

That's the new poll question: which way would you go? You can explain under Comments.

Bears Fans Don't Read My Blog

In our latest poll, I asked which of the four remaining teams will win the Super Bowl. 53% believe the Pittsburgh Steelers, 26% the New York Jets, 21% the Green Bay Packers, and 0% the Chicago Bears. I agree that the Cheeseheads should make short work of Da Bears today.

The new question: what kind of pension system should we have for city employees? Traditionally, we've had a Defined Benefit system. However, the cost of that has led some to call for a Defined Contribution system. In addition, there are four bills in the General Assembly this session that would give localities the option to go to a form of 401(k) system.