Meanwhile ….

While Democrats squabbled among themselves this weekend, Republican Bob McDonnell began in earnest his effort to become the next Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Announcing some of his “big, hairy, audacious goals,” McDonnell, a graduate of televangelist Pat Robertson’s Regent Law School:

blasted organized labor.
condemned legislation that would make it easier for [...]

1-800-IDEAS?

The take-away from Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner’s round of interviews on the Sunday morning shows:
Faced with weak or non-existent regulation, banks and other financial institutions took on too much risk with other people’s money.  The real estate market inevitably tanked, precipitating the banking crisis and the credit crisis.  Now government intervention is necessary to shore [...]

There Is No Truth To the Rumor . . .

Every Friday, we take a look around and debunk gossip, bust urban legends, and, we hope, give you a little smile to start your weekend.
There Is No Truth To the Rumor that the new movie Monsters vs. Aliens 3D details the struggle between Rush Limbaugh and Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann to become the face of the [...]

Orrin Hatch: Taking On The Big Boys

All our problems must be gone.  At least, all our big corporate anti-trust and competition problems.   
Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Ranking Member on the Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced yesterday that he will hold hearings on why the NCAA’s Bowl Championship Series shafted the undefeated University of Utah football [...]

Rainy Day at the Beach?

We have a friend who, if he thinks he’s being lied to in a business transaction, will sometimes say ”stop peeing on my leg and tellin’ me it’s rainin’.” Only our friend doesn’t say “peeing.”
That expression came to mind as we read about Virginia Beach’s proposal to tap into savings to fund this year’s budget.  While [...]

Sometimes, The System Works

Portsmouth Commonwealth’s Attorney Earle Mobley is taking the case of the illegal Obama/Sessoms fliers before a grand jury for consideration of criminal charges.
The chief target of the grand jury? None other than Dave Iwans.
Who is Dave Iwans? Why, Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms’ campaign manager, media consultant.
You know, it seems like just yesterday [...]

$essom$ $peak$

$9000.00.
$257.14 per minute.
$2.44 per word (including “and” and “the.”)
40 cents a letter, including spaces, periods, commas, and an occasional exclamation point.
That’s what Will Sessoms paid an outside consultant for his State of the City address to the Chamber of Commerce.  Wait, that’s what the city paid an outside consultant for Sessoms’ State of the City address [...]

There Is No Truth to the Rumor …

Every Friday, we take a look around and debunk gossip, bust urban legends, and, we hope, give you a little smile to start your weekend.
There Is No Truth To the Rumor that President Obama is multi-tasking too much. We just resent that in addition to saving the economy, overseeing two wars, appearing on [...]

Torches and Pitchforks

Let’s see if we’ve got this right.  We (all of us) bailed out AIG to the tune of $180 billion of U.S. Treasury money (that we have to borrow–from China).  Now their executives are getting “retention payments” (bonuses) of $100 $165 $220 million (see update below) payable March 15th.  These must be paid despite the objections of Treasury [...]

The Great Beach Train Robbery

Virginia Beach may get light rail and development.  Norfolk Southern unloads a non-producing asset.
Sweet deal.
Selling land in a down economy for more than 5 times its assessed value?  Priceless.  Well, not exactly.  The buyer must be a real sucker.
Did Norfolk Southern just get a government bailout?  OK, let’s not call it a bailout. That’s loaded [...]