Watch this video closely. You'll see a lone peaceful protester, shouting, walk to the end of the street. After words are exchanged with the police, he turns to walk away...and the police shoot him.
That's the reality that has drove Egyptians into the streets.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
FY 2012 Budget Schedule
The City of Virginia Beach has released it's tentative FY 2012 Budget process schedule:
1. March 15 - the School Board passes it's spending plan
2. March 29 - the City Manager presents his draft Budget to City Council
3. April 6 - an Open House for the public at the convention center
4. April 21 - Budget Public Hearing at Green Run High School
5. April 26 - Budget Public Hearing in the Council Chamber
6. May 3 - Council Workshop to do Budget Reconciliation
7. May 10 - Council enacts the FY 2012 Budget
1. March 15 - the School Board passes it's spending plan
2. March 29 - the City Manager presents his draft Budget to City Council
3. April 6 - an Open House for the public at the convention center
4. April 21 - Budget Public Hearing at Green Run High School
5. April 26 - Budget Public Hearing in the Council Chamber
6. May 3 - Council Workshop to do Budget Reconciliation
7. May 10 - Council enacts the FY 2012 Budget
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Gift Of Tourism 1.5
The City of Virginia Beach has launched Gift of Tourism 1.5. The website is at www.giftoftourism.com
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.
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.
Airborne Brownie
Occasionally I bring you humorous things I see. (It's my blog, so I can post what I want.) This morning I was sitting in the bus shelter, waiting on the bus to come. I heard a noise, and then there was a brown splat on the concrete pad of the shelter. I couldn't make out what it was, and certainly didn't want to touch it.
A couple minutes later I heard rattling on the shelter roof. I looked up just in time to see a bird push a brownie off the roof onto the pad. It was a smashed brownie in a clear wrapper. Apparently someone had dropped it, and the bird had found a great feast.
Obviously the bird didn't eat it with me standing there. I considered throwing it into the adjacent parking lot for the bird. I decided to leave it be. If the bird was that hungry, he knew exactly where to find it once I got on the bus.
A couple minutes later I heard rattling on the shelter roof. I looked up just in time to see a bird push a brownie off the roof onto the pad. It was a smashed brownie in a clear wrapper. Apparently someone had dropped it, and the bird had found a great feast.
Obviously the bird didn't eat it with me standing there. I considered throwing it into the adjacent parking lot for the bird. I decided to leave it be. If the bird was that hungry, he knew exactly where to find it once I got on the bus.
Playing 47 Questions
On Wednesday evening there was the first public meeting on the region's 2034 Long Range Plan (LRP) for transportation. The meeting was held at the Regional Building in Chesapeake.
The LRP is a Federally-mandated plan that looks at our region's transportation needs at a 20 year horizon, with the Plan having to be updated every 4 years. Projects must be in the LRP to be eligible for Federal funding.
Things began with an open forum, where citizens could read documents, view charts, and ask questions of staff. (It was the first time I had seen the full list of projects from the prioritization tool.) There then was a Presentation on the LRP. That was followed by a question and answer session. It was a robust portion, with 47 questions asked. (Staff noted all 47 questions.) Finally, things ended with another open forum.
While there was a nice contingent from Light Rail Now, zero members of the extremist Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance showed up. (They either were asleep at the wheel again or don't give a damn about our transportation network. Maybe both.) The heartening thing was the number of citizens who showed up who normally don't attend such meetings. They simply are fed up with our transportation problems not being tackled, and want to get involved.
Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Executive Director Dwight Farmer stated that the 2034 LRP will be the focal point of the TPO's February 17 Retreat.
The LRP is a Federally-mandated plan that looks at our region's transportation needs at a 20 year horizon, with the Plan having to be updated every 4 years. Projects must be in the LRP to be eligible for Federal funding.
Things began with an open forum, where citizens could read documents, view charts, and ask questions of staff. (It was the first time I had seen the full list of projects from the prioritization tool.) There then was a Presentation on the LRP. That was followed by a question and answer session. It was a robust portion, with 47 questions asked. (Staff noted all 47 questions.) Finally, things ended with another open forum.
While there was a nice contingent from Light Rail Now, zero members of the extremist Virginia Beach Taxpayers Alliance showed up. (They either were asleep at the wheel again or don't give a damn about our transportation network. Maybe both.) The heartening thing was the number of citizens who showed up who normally don't attend such meetings. They simply are fed up with our transportation problems not being tackled, and want to get involved.
Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Executive Director Dwight Farmer stated that the 2034 LRP will be the focal point of the TPO's February 17 Retreat.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Post 1,010
I wanted to do this at Post 1,000, but I was busy with the City Council Retreat. (Post 1,000 was 2011 City Council Policy Agenda.) In marking hitting four figures in blog posts, I thought I'd give you something you can't see. Blogger can't display the number of posts by label to the public. Therefore, at this milestone I give you the Top 10:
1. Virginia Beach City Council - 426
2. HRT - 397
3. VBTA - 217
4. Virginia state government - 160
5. Hampton Roads - 156
6. Messnerism-Greenmunism - 139
7. RAC - 126
8. Polls - 108
9. Business - 102
10. Norfolk City Council - 72
A couple of them, and the numbers involved, surprised me.
I've tried to recruit additional posters for this blog on a couple occasions. Most recent was among those who had done work for Andrew Jackson's City Council campaign last year. I never intended to do this alone in the long run.
Despite taking the periodic nasty attack over the blog (inevitably, from VBTAers), the lion's share of feedback I get is positive. I'll try to keep it up.
1. Virginia Beach City Council - 426
2. HRT - 397
3. VBTA - 217
4. Virginia state government - 160
5. Hampton Roads - 156
6. Messnerism-Greenmunism - 139
7. RAC - 126
8. Polls - 108
9. Business - 102
10. Norfolk City Council - 72
A couple of them, and the numbers involved, surprised me.
I've tried to recruit additional posters for this blog on a couple occasions. Most recent was among those who had done work for Andrew Jackson's City Council campaign last year. I never intended to do this alone in the long run.
Despite taking the periodic nasty attack over the blog (inevitably, from VBTAers), the lion's share of feedback I get is positive. I'll try to keep it up.
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