Thursday, January 7, 2010
THE FIRST READER POST
The Daily Press headline today reads, "Suffolk ponders fate of Planters founder's mansion". They aren't "pondering" anything. The fate of this house has been a forgone conclusion for over a year and its demise was part of the city's deal with Ronnie Rountree to take over the golf course. He made no secret of the fact that he wanted it gone and gone it will be. All of this brouhaha over RFP's and unsolicited proposals has been a show strictly for public consumption so that they can now throw up their hands and say, "we've done everything we can, but now it's over." There is and has been a proposal on the table from the CPOH that would restore the house, make it self sustaining and allow for its use by the public without using one penny of taxpayer money, yet the City refuses to consider this proposal under the guise that "they haven't stated where the money is coming from" while ignoring CPOH's answer to that question. Few restoration projects within this city, or any other, in recent years has had total financing up front. Monies come from a combination of State and Federal tax credits, loans, private donations and ongoing fundraising. This project would be no different. However not being able to nail down exactly where their funds are coming from gives council and the city manager the excuse they need to reject their proposal. What a travesty! Their actions throughout have been disgraceful and have made a mockery of the process. The message that continually comes out of council is "we don't care what the people want...we know what is best and we will act regardless". They should all lose their jobs over this from the mayor on down to the assistant city manager and the citizens of Suffolk should be very watchful of the doings of this council with regards to this issue as well as others.We have an obligation to speak out loud about our dissatisfaction in the upcoming election. They should reap what they have sown and we as a citizenry should show them the door! Unfortunately for the Obici House it will be too late. (Anonymous)
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20 comments:
Everyone I know, including several elected or employed public officials, wants to save the Obici House.
Is it possible the project proposals simply did not attract people in whom the Council had confidence? If so, it is a real shame that those wanting to save the house didn't try to attract spokesmen who were indentified and who carried the same "weight" with our leaders as have past more successful projects. If this has been a personality clash,primarily generated from the same people constantly attacking the Council,the City staff, the Obici Foundation and its directors, Phoenix Bank, the SCCA, and even the Tourist Bureau, Council's actions in not predicting a good future with such attitudes in charge is understandable, and Suffolk has suffered beyond repair but needlessly.
This would be the perfect project for Mr Leonard. No one considers him a "yes" man, but he doesn't have the abrasiveness of some of those clashing with the Council. Also, he is an excellent business man and probably could come up with an actual "business" proposal with economics that are not a sham.
He also, if he wanted to work with them, would most likely have the missing but necessart support from a large group of citizens who feel strongly that the fireman should not be damaged by the shallowness and naivity of the Blair-Standish group's proposal.
This situation may just bring to the fore, the fact that it is not just a vocal few who have an issue with how our city is being mismanaged. More and more people now understand that with the group now in charge, you better backup to something solid, as they will stab you in the back if they can.
The decission to teardown the O-House was apparently already fixed for a certian lessee some months ago, they just had to go through the motions to make it look like they had tried to do something. Just like we have never seen this charade before. The real question to pose is: Even if all the answers and facts are not now known by the citizens group who wishes to preserve the O-House, why not recognize that they have done more than the City of Suffolk has ever done since getting the Golf Course from Prothmouth to save this land-mark? The City just wants to tear it down, it now seems clear to one and all. Why not give it to the preservation group for one dollar and let them do something with it other than jsut tearing it down? If necessary, state that they have five years to get it all figured out or their claim would be voided and then it would be torn-down. We always hear so much about how they want to preserve Suffolk's past, so what gives with this opportunity? Just what is the hurry all of a sudden? Is it because this course of action was actually always the plan, anyway it went!? Seems so and we all have seen this kind of subterfuge in the past and will see it again and again, unless something serious is not done to run off the present group in charge.
It also seems very clear that Mr. Parr has decided that it is more comfortable to align himself again with the wishes of the Mayor and her chossen lessee, over the interests of the citizens he will ask to re-elect him again. Will anyone hold his decsions in this situation to account, or will all be forgiven at the next election? Time will tell all, as always.
It pains me to think that the number 1 name synonymous to Suffolk home might not be in the near future. Suffolk's history has lost so much over the years, why not start 2010 and take another chunk?
A friend of mine from out of state who is in commercial real estate is privy to Suffolk's potential lose. He wonders of all the many companies long established and newly situated in Suffolk, why one of them doesn't buy it for a meeting place, office, or a place for r&r?
This thought makes me wonder why Kraft doesn't purchase it. What they sell of Planters products in one day, probably would cover all expenses. Merged companies should remember the roots of their conglomerates. Maybe if it wasn't for Mr. Obici, the CEO'S would own only 2 homes, not 3.
THe fact that Planters won't subsidize this project while it spends millions on other projects and salaries in Suffolk may be more a reflection on the fact that no one with a civil tongue has presented the proposal with attacking every person and organization in sight (and hearing, actually).
If you do not go to the council with your hat in hand and honey flowing from your lips you are branded a person that is overly critical and unworthy. This unsightly need for everyone to agree with all that the council and our barbed/forked tounged mayor says and demands is just over the pale. If the only way to be recognized as worthy or holding an idea worthy of consideration is to always agree with the nincompoops in city hall, I will just have to be the local renegade. This kind of character-assassination always used by the appoligists for council; that is driven by a lack of bowing to the powers that be in Suffolk, must end. Believe it or not, not all knowledge or all wisdom can be found in city hall! Suffolk suffers too much when we have weakminded chills always calling for the humbeling need to "just get along to go along"! Sometimes and usually so, it is necessary to disagree with the plans and demands from city hall since they get it all wrong so often. They are wrong on the Obici Home and no amount of agreeing with the unagreeable will change that!
The reason that the Obici Home will be destroyed has nothing to do with the unagreeable nature of the people like Susan Blair and others, it has to do with the unfaithful and dishonest manner that the staff and council have used to attack this entire thing from. We all know that and it will not change until we change the actors involved on council and senior staff. Parr is a prime example: he wants to be seen as a community leader, but what has he done to warrent such recongnition? Not very much that did not serve his own needs first. His first big legislative push was to rezone his porperty that Steve Herbert would not do as long as he was City Manager. So we got a weak-mined lot and lol, he got approval for a rezoning of his land that put millions in his pocket. Self-serving, yea and that says it all! Then don't get me going on the mayor, who has never met a real estate deal she could not shakedown to make a buck on. We have a problem in Suffolk and it has nothing to do with the people that want to save the Obici House! Just look to channel eight on Wednesdays to see a cast of characters that drive almost all of our problems!
I think your editors should step back and analize if you're hurting yourself on this issue.
One person I know says you censored and failed to publish this week a response to the attack on Planters by the first small group wanting to save the Obici House without updating their proposal to try to find private financing or at least indicate how they would try and maintain the house until they did find it.
You have published a comment recently referring to the City leaders whose position was disliked as being "prostitutes."
In this very column you libel a Council member by calling him "Milrat" and cavalierly sneer
that his tenure will probably only conclude with "death."
I just hope you will continue to demand and expect a high degree of integrity and mutual respect in your "blog." Certainly the first amendment is not so fragile as to be endangered by such minimal requirements for those wishing to be published anonymously, and certainly resapect for your very founders (especially Pocklington and Keonard) demands no less.
In case there is someone on Mars reading this who doesn't know that I meant "Pocklington and LEONARD," I'm sorry for my typo on the first letter of his name.
Kraft Foods wants nothing to do with the Obici House project. They stated that it was against their corporate policy to enter into a venture on a structure where they didnt have majority control of the project.
I read the Anonymous comment above that tried to defelect the facts for a claim of name-calling. Those of us who put great work into trying to save Suffolk History recognize that with the powerful in charge, a sidewise name calling may be the only means we have to take a swipe at them. I am truely saddened by the way those who subcribe to be my community leaders taking such poor care to represent my interests.
Even Milteer has stated that he would have to be carried out of city hall. The other comments seem to fit, so wear them! Suffolk is hurting and the healing will not happen by the scab-pullers we have on council and especially mayor. after all these years I never thought I would be ashamed of my hometown. But with how things are now run, I am and I hold my councilman Parr accountable for that! No more will I support him or refrain from speaking out against him!
If the readeres of this Blog want action from Planters they should go public in national media with a boycott of Planters products. Lets see how fast they react!
Is there any doubt now in any minds, that we have a council and mayor that cannot get out of their own way, due to self interest? I have watched the train-wreck we call leadership on council for the last three years since Mrs. Johnson has taken over and it is getting worse and worse by the day as we all can see. I used to watch Mr. Leonard rail about what was wrong with city leadership and thought him wrong in most, but now must admit that he was in fact, right almost all of the time! He was ahead of the rest of us in his thinking about Suffolk, as it applies to how our City is being run into the ground by the greedy and selfish group now in charge. I hear constantly that if you pick a fight with the "Mayor and her boys" as I read here by another lucent writer, that you could expect nothing but trouble as we all seem to usually see from them. That alone shows how bad the leadership in our community has sunk and failed us all, when they take a comment about their actions as the means and need to make a decision, just to spite us all!
Mrs. Johnson is perhaps the worst and most vicious political person to ascribe to be our mayor, with a vile and mean spirit covered by a facade of smiles and soft words out front, but deafening character assassination behind people's backs. I have reduced the calls by people like Mr. Leonard in the past because of his call for change in how Suffolk is administered and run, but now must state that he has been right and I will refrain from any comments but respect for his words, now and into the future. We need such coherent people to step forward now and to address the issues, or our mean-spirited "Mayor and her boys" will continue to run our sweet city into the ground. Where are our "real leaders" now that we need them the most, to counter the obnoxious talents of the city staff and their council masters, we are now suffering under? Their boot is getting heavy upon our throat and we need a little revolution to overthrow their spiteful and demanding ways! We need our real leaders to step forward now more than ever to save our community from the people now running things into the ground on Market Street!
Of course we could use more leadership from Mr Leonard, whose opinions have always been studied and in depth.
However, I'm not sure he should be linked with some of the abrasive tactics of those attacking everything in the City in the name of "Obici."
We need his balanced leadership, and some of us think he could still save the Obici House if the Council realized he was not one of those having much noise but no substance.
I do agree that Lenard would be a good person to mediate this thing. He has a good and reasoned way of putting things and that is what is needed. I have watched him over the years speak with the authority of the facts and with reason. He is much to be admired and recognized. His business experence and background would also be an asset!
It looks from my comfortable seat that the deal is already in on the Obici House and that is in favor of Ronney Roundtree and his golf course lease. It now seems clear that he had a inside deal already with the council or at least the mayor to get rid of the Obici House to clear the way for his new clubhouse.
What do you think the mayor got for her help? Lifetime Tee-Fees for her hubby and son? Probably. Do not think that such could be done for so little, it has been that way for years in Suffolk. For many now in public life, it is about what it gets them, more than public service and we all know that to be true. The question to ask is why is Parr fo fixed on helping the Mayor do her dirty deed when he will be asking us to put him back into his seat in a few months? Could it be huberious on his part; where he believes the seat of power in the Suffolk Borrow is his for as long as he wants it, even if he does not represent us, AT ALL!? Seems so, just ask him.
Reading the local newspaper it looks like Councilmen Gardy and Brown can hardly hold their water to vote to tear down the Obici House. Gardy plays golf and wants his own private locker, cart and green fees waived. But what's in it for Mr. Brown? Why is the Brother hangin close with them?
Let's see here. Now two of you above accuse two council members of being guided by bribes, including one for the mayor's "son."
Isn't it time for the CPOH/Sister Cities group to disclaim these criminal allegations and involvement of the mayor's son being made by its members/supporters?
Anon 3:46, yes lets see here. These people have absolutely no shame. They could care less about what happens to you, your family, your life time savings and the commuity you live in. They would like anyone who dares raise an eyebrow by their actions to just go away if they knew who they were. They would take you and your business out in a heartbeat. They do not regard the legacy of the man that put Suffolk on the map and want to remove any trace of his existance and replace it by their own self-serving interest. They have no organized opposition are protected by the Commonwealth Attorney's Office and well funded by special interest groups. They are entirely unaccountable to their constituents and totaly disinterested in what you have to offer unless by some strange circumstance you share the same policy they do. That about covers it. Anyone that could make such a comment is clearly a city administrator or certifiable wacko.
Truth touches a raw nerve, doesn't it? Seems like there are those that already know what is going to go and who makes out! Mrs. Mayor and other decission-makers in Suffolk, always have a claim for thier share it is true and all can see that now! so why not bow to truth and spell out who is getting what? Mr. Brown just likes to take a shot at the old suffolk crowd when he can from teh sidelines, even if that means being used by the others on council.
A shame there is no doubt, but true to form for our suffolk powerful. I would not even label them as leaders! Suffolk is sick and needs a cure!
Not all the historic sometimes hysteric crowd in downtown are aware of well they have been duped. The problem is they have been weened for years by the city with an annual stipend located on the last page of the city's budget. They dare not speak out or lose a dollar of public charity commonly known as our taxes. Another problem is they have been conditioned to use (OPM) Other People's Money for their special projects. Once a building is saved they disappear like rats from a sinking ship not to be seen again, or at least until the next civic rescue comes along. Lastly are the individuals that appear to care purely for public consumption but have no intent to do anything to rock the boat. They prey on people's earnest interest by appearing to champion an issue, gladly accepting accolades and slaps on the back from their friends then retire to their office to laugh at them. At the next fundraiser they'll shake their head, shrug their shoulders in false disppointment and say with tongue in cheek, they did all they could. If Suffolk's historic preservationist don't apply strong public pressure on these jokers, they may as well say goodby to the Obici House right now.
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