Virginia Beach Republican Mayor in TV Ad for Democrat McAuliffe

Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms has gone even further in his support for Democrat gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe.  He's now appearing in a TV ad for McAuliffe with two local Democrat Mayors (see above).  His motivations are likely multiple.  First, Sessoms - whom I have known for over 20 years - is not and has never been an extremist on social issues.  In fact, he has spoken at several HRBOR networking event (HRBOR is the local gay and gay friendly chamber of commerce).  Second, with much of the Virginia Beach economy relying on tourism, I suspect that Sessoms understands that the extremist image a Cuccinelli governorship would give Virginia would not be good for business.  Another likely issue is Virginia Beach's need to see the transportation system in Hampton Roads drastically upgraded to ensure that Virginia Beach tourism isn't killed by local gridlock.  Cussinelli opposed the transportation bill passed during the last session of the General Assembly and has basically offered slashing taxes as his cure all for Virginia's economic ills.   Here's a sampling from the Virginian Pilot:

Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms has gone all in for Terry McAuliffe.

The resort city’s Republican mayor endorsed the Democratic gubernatorial candidate last month. Now he’s appearing in a TV ad on McAuliffe’s behalf along with two Democratic mayors, Paul Fraim of Norfolk and McKinley Price of Newport News.

Peppered with scenes from Hampton Roads, the ad was released by the McAuliffe campaign today. It’s part of a Democratic narrative meant to portray McAuliffe as a more mainstream candidate than his Republican opponent, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.

Lawlessness in Norfolk Spreads to Upscale Ghent

I've posted recently about the problems that I have had with my home in Norfolk where my daughter and her family had been living up until a week ago.  For the who missed the prior post, a rental house backing up to mine has been rented to what in my opinion hoodlums and my house has been hit by gun fire, nuisance level music and rowdy parties with under age drinking have been the norm, my family members have been threatened and intimidated and to date the City of Norfolk and its police department has done nothing to shut down the out of control situation.   Apparently, others have picked up on the message being sent that one can do whatever one wants and face no consequences.  How else to explain events across the street from my law office today:  a man allegedly tried to pass a bad check at the Wells Fargo branch across the street and then tried to run down two responding police officers.  A shoot out ensued (and the perpetrator's car pictured above was riddled with almost a dozen bullets) and the would be bad check passer was killed.  Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot:

One man was killed and an officer was injured during a police-involved shooting at a Ghent bank Monday afternoon.

Officers were called to the Wells Fargo at 21st Street and Colonial Avenue about 2:40 p.m. for a report of someone trying to pass a bad check, said Karen Parker-Chesson, a Norfolk police spokeswoman.

Two officers approached a car in the parking lot. The driver put the car in reverse and, as the officers moved closer, accelerated and struck one of them, Parker-Chesson said. The second officer fired at the car, killing the driver, she said.

Police identified the driver as Joshua Johnson, 22, of Norfolk.

Tiarra Jackson was ringing up a customer across the street at the Sherwin-Williams paint store when she heard what turned out to be gunfire.

She said she saw the cream-colored car move quickly in reverse and strike something like a curb. As officers approached the car with weapons drawn, the car backed out of her view.

Yes, it is frightening.  Both what happened this afternoon and what has occurred in the neighborhood where my property is located.  It is also frightening that, based on conversations with civic league members in other neighborhoods, the lawlessness  I have experienced is not the exception to the rule.  And what is Norfolk City Council doing?  Slashing funding for neighborhood preservation, maintaining an under staffed police force and giving tens of millions of dollars to private hotel developers.   Norfolk is a study in misplaced priorities.  One can only wonder whether Mayor Paul Fraim will finally get off his butt and demand that taxpaying residents be protected from violence and lawless behavior. 

More on Lawlessness in Norfolk - Is Mayor Fraim Paying Any Attention?

Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim

Yesterday I wrote a follow up post on the out of control crime wave that is gripping parts of the City of Norfolk, particularly around the Old Dominion University campus near my property.  The mayor and City Council are pouring many millions of dollars into a new hotel development - over the protest of existing hotels - while slashing funding for neighborhood preservation and doing nothing to address the greatly under staffed police force.  I had a lengthy conversation with the head of the Third Patrol of the police force and got a lot of blather about being patient, waiting for the "process to work," etc.   Meanwhile the situation is worsening although the City Attorney's office can still find time to harass small business owners, especially those of Arabic descent.  It's a frightening state of affairs and as the Virginian Pilot reports, the shooting of an 11 year old boy two nights ago was "random."  Yep, thugs and gang members running around with guns and firing off shots at will.  That's why my family members have evacuated to Virginia Beach and why my residence is going up for sale ASAP.   Here are highlights from today's Virginian Pilot article:

An 11-year-old boy who was shot in the foot while walking in a neighborhood Tuesday appears to have been a random target, police said.

The boy was walking on 31st Street near Colley Avenue about 9:20 p.m. when someone in a dark sedan with tinted windows began firing, police spokesman Chris Amos said. The boy began running and felt a sting in his foot, Amos said.

He was treated for a minor bullet injury. Officers recovered shell casings from the street.

Welcome to Mayor Paul Fraim's Norfolk.  As for the perpetrators of the shooting being caught, don't hold your breath.  Forensics confirm where the gunfire that hit my home came from and neither the tenant of the property nor the landlords have met with any consequence.   The city is headed back to the old days where its not safe to be in some neighborhoods even in broad daylight.  Thanks a lot City Council and Mayor Fraim.  Norfolk desperately needs a clean sweep of City Council.

Lawlessness Continues Under City of Norfolk's Misplaced Priorities

Mayor Paul Fraim

I previously wrote about the problems that have gone on in the neighborhood around Old Dominion University and the residence I own in Norfolk.  Yesterday evening an 11 year old boy was shot - thankfully not fatally - while walking down the street not too many blocks from the ODU campus on Colley Avenue.   Sadly, it is symptomatic of the lawlessness that is taking over the area.   And things are not improving.  The result?  My family members are moving out of my house and I've decided to sell the property and invest whatever I make on the place somewhere where law abiding citizens and their receive adequate police protection.   Here's coverage on yesterday's shooting incident from the Virginian Pilot:

A 11-year-old boy was taken to the hospital after being shot Tuesday night, police said.

The shooting happened at 31st Street and Colley Avenue, police said in a news release. The boy was shot while walking outside, then ran home after being shot. The boy’s mother told police about 9:10 p.m., that she was taking him to Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters.

The boy’s injuries are not life-threatening, the release said.  Police did not immediately have a motive or information about the shooter.

Given what has been occurring, no motive may have been involved - just random punks and/or gang members getting liquored up and firing guns (which odds on they have in their possession illegally).  Unfortunately, until someone is killed - if even then - Mayor Paul Fraim (pictured above left) and his cronies on City Council will probably not take the situation.  They'd rather pour millions of dollars into a new downtown hotel development rather than provide meaningful law enforcement protection to city residents and property owners.  Oh, and they focus on harassing small business owners in response to what are miniscule problems compared to what I and the 11 year old boy have suffered. For city residents in other areas of the city outside of downtown, under the current City Council regime, they are on their own. Two photos of my property are set out below.

Photo before new front railing and new front door completed

Norfolk, Virginia - A City of Misplaced Priorities

The City of Norfolk, Virginia likes to portray itself as a modern progressive city.  Like so much in Virginia it is a sham facade meant to disguise a city that still operates largely on a "good old boy" system and where some neighborhoods and businesses get preferred treatment while the rest are largely left to fend for themselves and are supposed to be satisfied with whatever scraps are thrown their way bu the self-anointed city fathers.  Worse yet, despite all the studies that correlate gay friendly policies and acceptance to economic growth and attracting the so-called creative class Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim is, in my opinion, a homophobe who views being gay or lesbian as a form of communicable disease.

 Two of the areas given very low priority by Fraim and his cohorts on City Council are (i) neighborhood maintenance and (ii) adequate police protection.   The first phenomenon was looked at  in an article in the Virginian Pilot where Norfolk is slashing its budget for neighborhoods while pledging many millions of taxpayer dollars to a new downtown hotel development.  Here are some article highlights:

Community leaders are upset that the city's proposed spending plan seems to favor new downtown projects over revitalizing struggling neighborhoods.

Norfolk's 2014 budget includes about $2.75 million for specific neighborhood plans, compared with $6 million last year, a change that City Manager Marcus Jones said is justified by a drop in the city's real estate revenue.

But some community leaders say the reduction threatens progress in key growth areas, such as Broad Creek, Fairmount Park, the Southside and Wards Corner, four communities among 20 with plans that outline strategic goals for improving infrastructure, acquiring land and rehabilitating struggling areas.

While the money problems are not new, neighborhood and city leaders say the cuts sting more now that the city has set aside money for other projects, including $4 million for a new Government Center Plaza downtown.

They also point to a decision this year to support a $126 million hotel conference center in downtown. That project will use $89 million in public money, including $16 million that the city has already spent.

As for inadequate and noneffective police protection, the Norfolk police department has been under manned for many years.   But worse yet, protecting taxpayers and their property seems to be a low priority.  How else to explain my experiences over the last three weeks.  In 2005 I bought a 1917 vintage arts and craft style house three blocks from the Old Dominion University campus.  I remodeled the kitchen and bathroom, repainted every surface  of the property, put on a new roof and installed new heating and cooling.  In short, I invested a lot of money as did other residents on my block.  I now live in Hampton with the boyfriend and my youngest daughter and her family live in the Norfolk house.  Where they are being terrorized by self-described gang members in a rental property that adjoins mine property at the rear.    Three weeks ago my house was hit by gun fire (see photo above) that shattered the rear storm door.  My family members have been harassed and intimidated, loud nuisance level music is the norm, etc.  What has been done to correct this situation? NOTHING.

Meanwhile, the police and City Attorney's office have the time to harass a client of mine who owns a restaurant for allegedly violating a city code noise ordinance.  Indeed a threat of criminal prosecution has been leveled.  Perhaps not coincidentally, my client is of Arabic descent.  Yet NOTHING has been done to stop the war zone behind my home despite calls and meetings with police and one meally mouthed message I received from the City Managers office.  

Visitors to Norfolk need to get a strong message - do not venture out of downtown or you may not be safe.  Self-described gang members are allowed to do whatever they wish while law abiding citizens cower in their homes and debate whether they need to go somewhere else for the night in order to be safe.  This is the real story of Norfolk under Mayor Paul Fraim and his gang of do nothing for regular citizens members of City Council.   Meanwhile I am left to ponder: do I sell the house and relocate my family members or do I let it go into foreclosure and drive down neighborhood property values?