time machine

Creigh

Virginia gubernatorial candidate, Creigh Deeds

informed citizenry

Tonight (Wednesday, 10/21) four candidates for City Council will take part in a forum -- a question and answer session -- airing their stances on the issues that affect our lives in Charlottesville -- and in our neighborhoods. The forum will take place in Council Chambers in City Hall, from 7 to 9 pm.
The forum is hosted by the Alliance of Neighborhoods. Candidates Bob Fenwick, Dave Norris, Andrew Williams and Kristin Szakos (not pictured) will be participating.
The Alliance solicited questions from Charlottesville residents. There is no republican or democratic way to fix a pothole, but is there a Charlottesville way? Ours is a unique political/bureaucratic culture. Join in as questioners shine a light down the rabbit hole.

Mr. Deeds

Virginia gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds in CHO Saturday.

Mr. Deeds

the next gubernator

vote count

Edward Sims and Karen Parker tally votes from the Charlottesville Democratic primary, Charlottesville Tomorrow has the story.

Norris? Szakos? Taliaferro?

The candidates for the Charlottesville Democratic primary Saturday May 9 participated in political theater, conversation and debate this past Wednesday night.
It was intense, like a Thanksgiving meal when the family is a bit dysfunctional. Real. Refreshing after the gloss of presidential politics.
Charlottesville Tomorrow has posted audio which is handily indexed for the channel surfers amongst us.
I am pasting in several of Charlottesville Tomorrow's questions below, hope you will visit their site, listen. ruminate and vote May 9!

• 17:00 Question #3: "Do you think the City and the City taxpayers have a responsibility to help finish the Landmark Hotel project, and what would you like to see done with it?"
• 19:30 Question #4: "Regal Cinema 4 has announced plans to rebuild their cinema behind K-Mart with additional screens and stadium seating. Many area residents are excited that they won?t have to drive to Short Pump in order to have a modern movie-going experience. Unfortunately, that theater sits directly in the path of the $30 million proposed road construction project to extend Hillsdale Drive to Hydraulic Road. At the same time, a group of concerned citizens have gone to court to prevent the construction of the Meadowcreek Parkway through McIntire Park. What do you propose, both short term and long term, as a solution to our traffic problems and to citizen opposition to building new roads?"
• 27:30 Audience question #1: "We have a city manager form of government, and over the years I?ve come to believe that the city manager wields more power than anyone else for setting priorities and making decisions. My question to all three of you is, what system do you have in place to watchdog the city manager?"
• 33:30 Audience question #2: (directed at Taliaferro) "You mentioned affordable housing in your opening statement. On several occasions, you have publicly endorsed the creation of a dedicated fund for affordable housing, but when it came time to vote for it, you were the deciding vote against it. How do you reconcile your public statements against it with your [previous] campaign promises?"
• 39:00 Audience question #3: "I hear each Council member speak for affordable housing. The last time I heard someone talk about affordable housing they built 12 houses in the 10th and Page neighborhood, and they were all $300,000 homes. Can someone define affordable housing and who are they going to build these affordable housing units for when a large majority of people in this town are not doctors and lawyers and only have incomes [between] $30,000 or $35,000? What kind of affordable housing are we offering those citizens?"--Charlottesville Tomorrow
  

change

-noun
the supplanting of one thing by another.
what is left in your pocket after the transaction

day after

WASHINGTON --The Newseum's daily exhibit of newspaper front pages was a popular post-election attraction for tourists and international news organizations seeking more news about President-elect Barack Obama's historic victory on November 4.--Newseum

Pennsylvania Avenue

heating up in Virginia

morning sun supplies heat of fusion, frost changes state to water vapor, Obama does victory dance in the Old Dominion...

Julian's first presidential election

presidential politics is serious

Creigh

Creigh Deeds

a man for all seasons

Mr. Kleeman is back in town

change

Now the seats are all empty
Let the roadies take the stage
Pack it up and tear it down
They're the first to come and last to leave
Working for that minimum wage-Jackson Browne

patronymics

don't forget, Forgit! A better last name than Crook for one engaged in the political sphere.

Gretna, Florida

people have fought and died for our right to vote

equal time

day of arrest

day of arrest

satyendra

Satyendra Singh Huja

kevin

real time

Cindy Sheehan in Charlottesville for an impeachment and anti-war rally Friday 6:00pm. Charlottesvillians largely a peaceful lot. The only guns drawn and punches thrown were off the mall.

excellence

(lt) Charlottesville High School Orchestra principal cellist Marvin Brown, (rt) Charlottesville Mayor David Brown

Charlottesville has selected a new slogan, A Great Place to Live for All of Our Citizens.
In Charlottesville we are preparing to elect 3 new City Council members, a deliberate process. I wish some degree of deliberation was shown with this slogan business. The City will spend over 100,000 dollars for the design of a building, how about expending a little care on the sloganeering? Solicit suggestions from the public, have CCDC run a word-design contest. I think we can do better.

The little City that could..

Milhous

Almost all our faults are more pardonable than the methods we resort to to
hide them.
-Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680)

goode's hiway

Many missed posts here. Conflicting demands. This city is fighting to retain its character, I want to help. And then selfishly, I want to get in the darkroom and print pictures.
There is a wonderful photo event upcoming in Charlottesville. I hope to participate.
Not enough hours in the day.

Woolen Mills update: writer Coy Barefoot and Brian Wheeler discuss "taking by typo".

heart and mind

Thoughts and prayers from black and white to Elizabeth Edwards.

thirty years

Last year

ETOH

I wonder if UVA was a party school back in the 50's?

Calderon or Obrador?

Close to seventy people from all over the world sat in the sun in front of the nickel porch at Monticello yesterday and became citizens of the U.S. The level of their intention is impressive. They followed the law. After the ceremony they were able to register to vote.

Meanwhile, down in Mexico, the tally in the closest presidential election ever is being recounted. About 402,000 votes separate Felipe Calderon and Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.


I am unfamiliar with Mexico's absentee balloting procedure. Did the citizens of Mexico here in the U.S. vote in the Mexican presidential election? Would it make a difference if they participated in politics at home instead of voting with their feet?

time machine

OH NOOOOO! Not 1980!

good fences?

tomato crew-boss, Gadsden County

I wonder what Lewis Lapham thinks about S.2454, Securing America's Borders Act?

Hey Lewis! Where does the ruling class weigh in on this one? What does the RC think about the 17 guest workers that live down the street in a one room apartment? How do we count these folks for the census? Is this a way for the RC to import a new underclass?

Note to guest workers. If you want to improve chances of North American citizenship, marching with an American flag is the best approach.

========================================
(from the bill)

(a) Tucson Sector- The Secretary shall--
(1) replace all aged, deteriorating, or damaged primary fencing in the Tucson Sector located proximate to population centers in Douglas, Nogales, Naco, and Lukeville, Arizona with double- or triple-layered fencing running parallel to the international border between the United States and Mexico;
(2) extend the double- or triple-layered fencing for a distance of not less than 2 miles beyond urban areas, except that the double- or triple-layered fence shall extend west of Naco, Arizona, for a distance of 25 miles; and
(3) construct not less than 150 miles of vehicle barriers and all-weather roads in the Tucson Sector running parallel to the international border between the United States and Mexico in areas that are known transit points for illegal cross-border traffic.

patronymics

Historically, economic development and environmental degradation have gone hand in hand.
Yesterday in Virginia we elected new politicians.
Will they kowtow to those who pave and pollute our Edenic state?

god and mammon

for thirty years whenever there is a republican in the white house virginians put a democrat in the governor's mansion. its part of the twisted VA logic. Elect the national republican, balance him with the local democrat.
Everywhere there are yard signs for the gubernatorial candidates. Quick quick put up a couple of Ten Commandments signs.

33 years later

I asked candidate Toscano whether he'd support "scenic river" designation for the Rivanna River in Charlottesville and he sounded genuinely enthusiastic.

Key to improving water quality is self interest. We need people in the water, by the water, on the water, recreating, becoming aware of this resource.

(33 years after the clean water act)

internecine

I've been trying to look up intercine, a word to characterize the current Republican conflict. It is not in dictionary.com
and the OED wants $29.95/month to look up a word.

Ah shucks. Ronnie wouldn't have needed an eight cylinder word or the prime lime dictionary.

Conservatives are gettin' their backs up, shades of AuH2O 64! The Bushman has stepped in his base, getting internecine conflict on his shoes.

Spirit of Ron is in the air.

(During the VA gubernatorial debate the wannabe Governors were channeling the 20 mule team borax man, saying "there you go again.")

Virginia Bloggers

I have asked several people "who is running for Governor of Virginia." So far over 75% have no idea. Don't like what yer government is up to? Run for office, vote, git educated.

Today Norman Leahy is hosting the 3rd Virginia blog carnival.

A good starting point for political education. Check it out.



(Note: I am unaware of the creative source of the illustration above. It was e-mailed to me a few months back, around "election time" in Iraq. You thought it was created for the people of New Orleans?
Please, if you are aware of whose creative effort this is let me know so I can secure permission to use and provide proper attribution!)