Mark Warner snubs Virginia Beach, Chesapeake
By Brian Kirwin | Wednesday, July 7th, 2010 | PolicySen. Mark “radical centrist” Warner is gracing Hampton Roads with his presence in a trip so rare, the Virginian-Pilot reported his itinerary.
One problem – the list of cities he’s deemed worthy of him has an extremely leftward tilt.
On, Wednesday (July 7) he’ll tour NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility at 10 a.m.; deliver a lunchtime address from Accomack and Northampton counties Eastern Shore Community College’s Great Hall at 11:30 a.m.; and participate in a 2:30 p.m. education roundtable discussion with Portsmouth Public School administrators, principals, teachers, PTA leaders and business partners at Manor Elementary School library, 1201 Cherokee Rd. in Portsmouth.
Thursday (July 8), Warner will attend a news conference with Blue Star military families, Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim and officials from Chrysler Museum and National Endowment for the Arts at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk; and at 10:30 a.m. the senator will lead a roundtable discussion with veterans organizations, leaders of regional not-for-profit community service groups at the Hampton Roads Veterans Business Outreach Center aong the ODU Business Gateway, 4111 Monarch Way, Suite 106 in Norfolk.
The following morning, Friday (July 9), Warner will take a 10:30 tour of Hampton University’s Proton Therapy facility, 40 Enterprise Parkway in Hampton.
Portsmouth? Norfolk? Hampton?
Virginia Beach, the largest city in Virginia, gets not even a wave during the three-day visit. Chesapeake? Not a chance of even smelling a waft of limo exhaust.
Mark Warner’s “radical centrist” tag has been the most blatantly false and infrequently questioned moniker in American Political History.
Senator. Lots of us citizens who don’t live in Democrat stronghold cities would like a bit of your attention. Please? Sir?
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The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled.
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Comments
25 Responses to "Mark Warner snubs Virginia Beach, Chesapeake"
Brian, must be a slow news day. Trying to make an issue when there is none? Yes, J.R., I know this is a blog and you make no pretense about actually being journalists, but this is a new low. It isn’t even funny or smart. Just plan dumb. What else is new.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by bearingdrift. bearingdrift said: Web: Mark Warner snubs Virginia Beach, Chesapeake http://bit.ly/aUA9uI [...]
Yeah, Mike. Plan dumb. Just plan dumb. Plan?
Mike,
There are now people who read BD who previously did not know Sen. Warner is visiting Hampton Roads who now know.
Perhaps Brian’s take doesn’t fit with your paradigm, but the information is now there.
As I have always maintained, you are more than welcome to not read us.
Sorry Brian; I meant just plain dumb. Your article lacked merit and was just plain dumb. The constant denigration of elected officials by Bearing Drift simply plays into the ideology of obstruction by the republican party, a tactic to cause gridlock in Congress at a time when our elected officials of all persuasion ought to be working in our interest to forge effective public policy. Last time I checked, just say No is not effectively working together. How much obstruction represents dereliction of duty? I think we are way passed that point in Congress, and in the Commonwealth in regard to transportation infrastructure.
Mike, you can tell Sen. Mark Warner that…as long as you aren’t in Virginia Beach.
Sorry Brian; did not mean to tax your mentality. Thanks again for proving my point that the right wing has been reduced to a small knot of folks wound so tight by ideology that no intelligent discussion of rational issues is possible.
Mike, if you didn’t mean to tax my mentality, that’s about the only thing of mine you’d oppose taxing.
Taxes are placed on things of value to support a civil society. Regretfully, when you are in full campaign mode, there is nothing of value to tax.
Mike,
For a place where “no intelligent discussion of rational issues is possible” you sure do discuss a lot here.
I’m just sayin’…
Mike, when you look in the mirror in the morning, do you see a neon sign saying…….”You are a genuine jerk!” ?
If not, you definitely are being deprived and should ask for redress from Sen Warner…….but just don’t try that in Va Beach!
No, I see a person genuinely interested in civic affairs, and I seek out like minded moderates who seek solutions to important public policy issues. Things like prosperity, investment, and infrastructure; ironically, issues I deal with as a person in business as well. To see so called republicans herein focused simply on simply cutting taxes with no understanding of the relationship of public investment to personal prosperity is astounding to me. Failure to invest in education and transportation dooms our children to a stunted future. I don’t care for that.
Mike, you’re the only one around here whose personal prosperity relies on public investment.
Yes Brian, your denial of this reveals your true ignorance. Education and transportation are crucial to the success of private enterprise, and our course, in Hampton Roads, which is so dependant upon the Port and the military, both of which are public, we would simply be a back water without these crucial assets. Governor McDonnell has said the same, and Sean Connaughton was in town this morning to pledge to increase economic development by improving our transportation system. Sorry you did not get the announcement.
Doubt you’ll see your beloved tax increases, Mike.
Hey Mike if there is any chance of turning Chesapeake back into the sleepy little backwater it used to be please do your part to make it happen. I don’t depend on the military, crooked politicians or greedy developers to make my business prosper. Allowing the uncontrolled building boom to take place without insisting that proper infrastructure was in place first has led to our regions ruin. I can vividly recall area politicians stating how the building boom would result in a larger tax base that would benefit us all, looks like that didn’t work out to well.
[...] Mark Warner snubs Virginia Beach, Chesapeake [...]
Wow, a politician not going where his base isnt at, groundbreaking. VA Beach can suck it anyways, nothing there but a cookie cutter “downtown” with no character and an even more lame oceanfront. VA Beach has the potential to do SO much more for VA, let alone Hampton Roads, but chooses not to and continues to pander to the rich-white-christian-old people. As soon as they die out and the next generation is in charge, Im sure things will change. Until then, we’re losing out on some great additions to our community (be it new workers, a better transit system, business, etc) that are going places that offer more.
Actually Al, that is not what happened. Instead of taking a portion of the increased taxes from new homes and businesses and investing in roads and schools, the city council chose to actually reduce the tax rate so they would be popular with existing residents. But of course, you must now deal with the result of their failure, and that of the Commonwealth. Those who focus only on the operating budget, and fail to understand the balance sheet, always miss the real effect of lower taxes. Anti tax politicians love to cut taxes, but in the end, they transfer higher costs to our children.
Mike I see that as a problem with both political parties. As a business owner I must pay attention to the bottom line and sometimes I must make tough decisions that may not be popular with my employees but that is what a leader does. I really don’t see much leadership on the federal, state or local level. Either you want to be popular or effective. Personally I’d like to see term limits at all levels and put an end to professional politicians. If politicians were more concerned with governing and less concerned with getting reelected perhaps they wouldn’t be so afraid to make the tough decisions.
Yes, that is absolutely true. Regretfully, the best case study for that is the House of Delegates and the Speaker, Bill Howell, who has chosen to be popular rather than effective. As a result, Howell and his majority have slowly by irrevocably destroyed a system of roads, bridges, tunnels, and highways that a decade ago actually worked quite well. By failing to maintain and sustain the service levels of this system, they have had to concoct fairy tales about who is responsible, with one clear conclusion; it wasn’t us. Too bad that most citizens don’t have a clue about their collective irresponsibility.
Mike claims the “port” is “public”? What “port”, the state owned port facilities are “public”, or does he mean the private sector foriegn-owned port facilities now leased by the state for more than they cost to build? This that what he means by “public”?
Yes Reid, I mean the Port of Virginia, the public entity that produces some $900,000,000 in tax benefits to the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the one you would starve of access so that this fiscal benefit is taken from us by our competitors.
Why would anyone consider this topic not important?
Well, as a *Chesapeake* resident, I was thrilled to have him packing care packages and talking to veterans and military families at our service event in Norfolk. There were people from every city in Hampton Roads present. (Although Mayor Fraim wasn’t there – he canceled at the last minute – the mayors and city council from every city in the area were invited to participate as well, since the event ran from 10am until 2pm.) We also invited every congressional representative in the area. It happened to be at ODU simply because they could accommodate us and were willing and able to help. I know that Senator Warner confirmed before the location was determined.
This was a completely nonpartisan event. We (Blue Star Families) teamed with Service Nation for a service event, honoring our veterans’ service with volunteer service of our own. We were, of course, happy to have Senator Warner join us, and nearly 200 volunteers in honoring our veterans. Politics didn’t come up at all.
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