Sunday, December 6, 2009

CITY ASSUMES NEW STATUS

The citizens group for saving Obici House has been nose-thumbed by the oversalaried city spokesperson, and assistant city manager. Firstly came a bid from the serious group, followed by a flat unexplained rejection, followed by a serious attempt to again pick up the thread and meet with said city officials, somewhat agreed to, followed by, this time, with a punch in the nose "NO." This indicates the Market Sreet lords have have put on bigger britches and feel our city is now above the level where city officials really have to listen or engage in conversation with taxpayers. You know, we used to call it "work something out.

25 comments:

Long-Timer said...

Work something out? It only works when the people in charge like the Mayor and her minion are running for office and then summarily forgotten when thy are secure in their seats at teh dias. The assumption that any fair of reasoned plan will ever be approved is a pipe-dream of the highest order. The Mayor and her skemers have their own plans and that does not include the citizens of Suffolk, except their players like those who win preferential bids and have clout on certian commissions.

To now assume that an unsolicitated bid from the vast unwashed masses will somehow see the light of day, is both ignorant of the way Suffolk really works and void of reality related to the stated plans of the Mayor to encourage condos and development on the site. She has not been bashful about discussing jsut that in the past, according to a past longtime City Manager! It is clear to all see that it is her plan to remve the old delapidated buildings to make way for her vision of more condos to sell and collect her 6%. This episode is just another of how bad our city is being run by the making of backroom deals that have become the hallmark of Mayor Johnson, Parr, Gardy, and especially Milteer. I have known for years that for just a little money or political juice, anyone of these hacks could be bought and their votes pocketed. Time will once again prove my insight into the souls of these bankrupt persons to be fully proven. With a long and troubled view of the actions of this group for the past few years, we are now all coming to the conclusion that we have the wrong people in charge and trusted to make our decissions. I only hope we can survive their antics once more. Time will tell, but save the paper with your plans and just do as they want and go away quietley so the bull-dozers can start up and clear the site for the Mayor's and her new golf-course owner's plans. That is how it always was going to be anyway!

Anonymous said...

If the city owns the Obici House and do not want it why don't they just sell it for the appraised value to whatever person and group would like to have it?

Anonymous said...

They have plans, but not for the house. The Mayor has told a past City Manager that she would like to see more condos on the site. Count on it as the plan that will get done.

Anonymous said...

Great idea anon 2;39
One problem. "In the mode of We need a bigger boat" "Your going to need an honest ouside apprasier".

Anonymous said...

Your going to need a full time fact checker on this to see how deep the mess is that the mayor and her hubby are buried in.It stinks like, well like a cow patty on Shelia Butler Barlow's farm. Other than Centerpoint this could be the next biggest septic tank around.

Anonymous said...

"The Freedom of Information Act should be administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails," Obama told government offices on his first full day as president. "The government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears."

Yea, our mayor paid attention didnt she?

Anonymous said...

Knowing the mayor she will probably run for re-election touting her unprecedented transparency.

Long Timer said...

The Mayor has a plan and don't get in the way of her progress, even if it cost us all!

We need someone to really look into what the heak is going on with this and CenterPoint. It is time that we all realize that political power should not translate into pocket money for the MAyor and her henchmen. Seems like a day of reconing is needed, but most likely will never come in Suffolk.

Another balck-eye for our little town! Why is it that the city hacks just can't get off of it and let someone else do a good dead for the community. The Obici House group only want to give to this community and the Mayor and City Manager will not allow it due to their need to gather all power, recognition, and ego fluff for themselves. A truely sorry state to say the least.

Anonymous said...

I support the firefighters and the first glimpse of common sense to arise from the offensive other demands upon city funding for a pipe dream proposal by the self appointed Citizens Opposed to the Council and taxpayers. If Obici himself never took steps to preserve his house, why do we now need a monument to egos of those self appointed people who now challenge his judgment and even try to get funds from his medical foundation diverted to a real estate project for their apparently much needed name recognition.

I think we can and should honor Obici AND the firefighters and briefly apologize for the way this has been handled.

Anonymous said...

Why don't we bring Miles Standish back as our City Manager? This would solve the CPOH problem and put pressure on all eight of the misled City Council members who don't see the wisdom of funding the CPOH future.

Anonymous said...

Why should the Obici Foundation waste Mr Obici's money on health issues for our citizens when it could fund the old house Obici was not smart enough to put before the health of our citizens on his will? The house will last longer than any living person.

Believe it or not, folks, this is the logic some of the historical lunatics have advanced in their attacks on the firemen, The Obici House and others by the "group" known as the
UNION of GIRLS LOVING and YEARNING to SAVE OBICI'S BUILDINGS (known to their friends affectionately as the UGLY-SOBs.)

Anonymous said...

I whole heartedly agree that we should bring Standish back as the city manager. The empty suit we now have in his old office is in need of a good cleaning. I hate to say it, but the manager that makes the decissions we see day in and day out now, ise so bad that you must wonder why she still has the job.

Time for a change and NOW!

Support the Fire-Fighters!

Anonymous said...

The Brits are going to tax over pay for bankers, we need to get the city sallaries for these highly paids like the manager and her henchmen cut too! When they can make decisions like this one on the Obici House, there is little doubt that they are not even worth their SALT!

The Mayor has a plan for Condos, The Manager has a plan for a deal with the Golf Course Operator, and we get stuck. To assume that a backroom deal of some type is not in the works is a farce. Remember the backroom deal on the Health Services Building and how the mighty Mayor and her henchmen and City Manager had to back-track on that decission? Well, this is no different!

Time will tell us all that there is a fix in and the mayor and her puppet city manager are deep into it.

Anonymous said...

How can a man who has been dead for decades take care of his house? Does anyone know such an arrangement. The perception of value of the O-House is it's historic significance and location along the Nansemond River. The city doesn't want to lose a shred of control by selling the building and a sliver of land. If it was available and marketed nationaly there would be more offers than a downtown ladies group, a local fire fighter union and a well connected political patron.

Instead there is stalemate among the groups, with each negotiating against themselves and silence from the city. A call to a television station would help apply pressure by demanding answers from our otherwise open and transparent government. The Chairman of the multi-million dollar Obici Healthcare Foundation also needs to be heard why they have allowed the home of their benefacor to slide into such a deplorable condition.

Anonymous said...

Why save the Obici House? Do we need yet another monument to a man that populated downtown with menial ex-farmhand laborers. This community became near ghetto conditions, with fire traps, drug dens, gambling, prostitution and nip joints. Then there is the proliferation of slumlords preying on them at will? They shuffle tenents into and out of their buildings like so many cards in a deck.

Today's downtown is largely a shadow of the once factory town that never recouped after Planters was sold and the highly paid executives left town. They are gone forever and so is downtown. It no longer sounds worthy of saving a legacy in Sleepy Hole. Any way there is a brand new building next to the SCCA for the OHCF. We can take some measure of pride in something new on North Main Street. Don't you think so?

Anonymous said...

Well said and a characteristic of the "Nanny-State" we now live in. Suffolk has much that it could claim, but it is impeeded by poor leaders and management!

Anonymous said...

anon 7:56
Your first paragrah.Are you trying to be a racist and a bigot with political corectness? It didnt work just like it didnt work for Dingy Reid against the repugs.

Anonymous said...

The person who wrote and started out saying "why save the Obici House", well I'm dumbfounded. I am speechless. How can ignorance be so blatant.

Anonymous said...

The last time I looked shelling, sorting, roasting and packaging peanuts doesn't require an MBA, BA or high school diploma. The same goes for stacking, warehousing and loading crates of peanut products.

It's not racism, or political correctness, it's a fact! Like Senator Reid if some think it so, then let them think it. Who are we to tell them otherwise, they always know better.

Anonymous said...

4:15
As for sheep skin or high school diplomas they arent required for jobs up north either.And thats a FACT

Suffolk Voter said...

Who said anything about up north, we have plenty of ignorant people in the old downtown. I have lived here for decades and find that the people of Suffolk are usually a kind lot, but dumber than a rock when they pick their leaders. Just look at who we have running this city and anyone can see what I speak of. We need to correct that, especially with Charley Parr who is the worst Suffolk councilman ever. I certianly hope to vote against him this coming year!

Anonymous said...

Right on! Who needs a GED to operate the simulation center computers. Why all that book learning when its so easy to master telecommunications, defense systems and information technology. Yep that's it. I reminded of a phrase from the movie Forrest Gump.

Anonymous said...

3:46
All that education you speak of to work in North Suffolk and the industry you used. Well with the cutbacks in the military and DOD contracts that will be cancelled. That industry Obama will shred it like a lawn mower on your yard at that fine home. Just like the lot of those that are foreclosed on now.The minimum wage earner will still be working in the type of business that you seem to think are deplorable and the people who work them, both black and white.So much for your better than thou attitude.Maybe you can apply with one of those business's just to be told no thank you, your really not what we are looking for.The so called city leaders including Parr are a diverse bunch of professional idiots who have failed in seeing that the city isnt as diverse as one may think.

Anonymous said...

Hos is it possible for a MAYOR who campaigned on open and transparent govenment, to have sucha problem with letting us all into the deal on the Obici House. After working in this city for years, her actions are nothing new for this place. Different names, same policies and actions to exclude us all.

Anonymous said...

As a recent retiree of this city, I can assure you all that the Mayor's wishes to keep it all quiet are strictly enforced by our mindless City Manager. Both are skeemers of the highest order and are always slicing things for thier own uses. These two ladies have done untold damage to our community and continue to do so. I am happy to be out of the mess, but really have no suggestion on how to change the situation since most people that carp and complain just don't vote the problems off council like the Mayor, Parr, Milteer and Gardy. This plump little person who got to be mayor with about 34% of the vote seems like a nice person to have on your side, until being on your side does not work for her and you get your throat cut. I would never turn my back on her and neither should you. The problems of Suffolk will continue to grow until she is gone and we can get a real city manager again. Suffolk is having problems, they are hidden but about to blow!

Deb's Education Corner