I have been working in Washington DC for sometime now and I keep my ear to the grape-vine about all things that could affect my hometown: Suffolk.
I just left a staff meeting at the Pentagon and the Department of Defence has made the decision to close the Joint Forces Command in Norfolk/Suffolk. This effort is to reduce redundant services and costs. "The primary duties of this command will be absorbed into other commands, as an effort to reduce costs and increase efficiencies. The Department must focus more effort on domestic obligations and duties and reduce costs."
This will have a big impact on North Suffolk as almost three thousand jobs are at stake in Suffolk and a total of five thousand jobs overall at JFCOM. Such a huge hit will demand rethinking the North Suffolk growth plan and how it will play out.
Do our local leaders have a plan, or will they just let events run-over them as usual? I would demand that a relevent plan be instituted immediately and a focus group be established to guide this huge process. What do you think...?
45 comments:
Hows that hope and chanege working for you now North Suffolk? You are getting kicked to the curb and Skippy and his family will be taking two more vacations for a total of 4 in less that 30 days or so.
As we citizens cringe on the third class deck, city employees and the EDA officials scamper around re-arranging the deck chairs. The band plays a soft melody as Linda and City Council climb onboard the life boat. She looks up to us, smiles and waves goodbye as the boat is gradually lowered. With no place to go we look around and see in horror as the deck slips under the waves into the dark cold ocean.
I wonder how Linda (claim it all) Johnson will spin this big loss for Suffolk?
It never seems to change that Linda Johnson and company can make even this painful news sound like the city just landed even better paying jobs and all will be well if we vote them in for another term.
While Linda Johnson did not have much to do with this (or the benfits we saw in the past either), but it makes it tough when she tries to claim credit for everything under the lovely sun.
Anyone want to bet that Linda Johnson will be mute on this subject? Maybe this will prove that not all good is under the control of our inept leaders and council. Then there is the nice little girl manager who works for Linda Johnson, not us so we will see how this works out too. Maybe they can replace the revenue with more taxes and fees for public information, like always.
I just dont understand what the problem is. 2500 or so are going on vacation. So?
I’d be curious to know how many vacations the average black person has taken in the last 18 months. The eight vacations the Obamas have taken are more vacations taken by half the black population of America in the same timeframe! I know of NO working person who has taken EIGHT vacations in EIGHTEEN months. When you take that many vacations, vacationing is your JOB!
Captain Cuffee-Glenn UVA, stands alone in the Ship's Bridge. The night is filled with screams and cries for economic help from citizens but she can do nothing. Linda "Ismay" Johnson has already abandoned ship with her council friends and family. All the boats are gone and no one is coming to the rescue. It's dark outside the revenue lights are dimming to dangerous low levels. The angle of slope towards the bow increases as the focsle deck is awash in debt. She had been warned many times of the danger by the lookouts and others but paid no heed. Cavalier she was going full speed into the night. Now she is alone in the dark with little hope of salvation.
Its funny how we all want to cut waistful government spending but not when it is in our own backyard.
City employees would like to ask the City Manager if today is a good day to ask about the bonuses you gave away last year? How about giving back some of her auto allowance that could feed a family for a month?
I know that this is not going to be popular, but I do appreciate Sec. Gates finally cutting back somewhere. Spending by government has got to come down and this is a good place to start. There are just too many people that have jobs at this palace and even downtown that are bleeding the rest of us dry! Take a look at our City Manager as an example. She makes over $200,000 with pay, benefits and allowances. then almost everyone with a title makes over $120,000 with benefits. Do we need a uneducated communications director who makes that much? How about a public works director who makes over $150,000 with benefits? How can the council justify that? Time to cut them off and we need more of this kind of leadership to cut spending NOW! And yes I will accept it in my back-yard!
I hope that all those developers understand that just because they own the coulcil, does not mean that they own us all!
When I was a young man the lowest paid government employees were the ones that worked for a city, town, or county. Next came state employees and then Federal employees were paid close to what private industry paid for a comparable job. Now it looks like anyone with a job title working for the city is paid in excess of $100,000 plus benefits. I don't begrudge the person for the salary they are getting but I do think it has gotten out of hand and that the city should consider lowering the salary of a lot of jobs when they become vacant and they have to be filled by a different person.
How much will these so called civil servent take with their lifetime pension 80-90% of their highest salary. Then add in their medical, dental plans and voila $195,000 at the current salary level. Let me ask the reader, do you have any possibility of that kind of benefit if you didn't work for the city, state or federal government?
Obama is asking Gates to cut back right? 80% of it is coming from he DOD. Why not Freedie and Fannie.
Rather than Man Up and admit his policies failed, Obama blamed George Walker Bush.
Barack Obama: “The policies that crashed the economy, that undercut the middle class, that mortgaged our future, do we really want to go back to that, or do we keep moving our country forward?”
Really?
So why did Obama continue President Bush’s policies?
Why did Obama re-appoint Ben Bernanke?
Why did Obama continue the TARP?
Why did Obama follow up Bush’s failed $150 billion stimulus with an $862 billion stimulus?
Why did Obama not only continue Bush deficits but quadruple them?
Why is Gitmo still open?
There is one difference though.
Bush cut taxes and ended the recession he inherited. Obama didn’t.
How smart is it to go to Texas and criticize Bush? As Don Imus said, What IS Obama’s IQ?
I would go to Hawaii, no I would go to Chicago, no I would go to Kenya and criticze him there.
Obama is driving the car and Miss Daisy wants him gone.She is slapping him upside the head from the back seat.
After all the slaming and blaming Republicans and George Bush for the recession, I would say he got out of Texas none to soon. Virtually every statement was false to fact.
Personally, I would welcome the failure of George Bush’s economic policies. You know, the tax cuts for the rich that got them paying a higher portion of federal revenues, the tax cuts that increased revenues, the jobless recovery that saw unemployment skyrocket from around 6% to about 4.8% … oh, yeah, the deficits that ballooned from $400b to $160b, that too. Not to mention plundering my stocks so they ended up at 40% higher than when he started.
Now the hopefulness of His Changeness has dropped unemployment from 7% to 9.7%, lowered the deficit by a factor of .1 (hard math but work it out), increased the Dow and my kids’ college money from 14k to 10.6k. Who could gripe about that?
Local taxpayer . . . your first three sentences have got to be the silliest three sentences ever posted on this blog. You imply someone does not have the right to a job at this "palace". Have you ever been inside this "palace"? Do you know what they do there? So you believe the closing of a command that will impact 6,000 direct jobs and hundreds of indirect jobs (supporting business and services) with an explanation where the numbers do not jive is a "good start"?
I worked all my life and never made but a small fraction of what these people are making. I find it totally insane that we are paying someone with the obvious lack of leadership skills like this city manager we now have. Then there are all the young kids making huge salaries working for the city dole. They seem to hire friends and relatives as nepitisum at the best!
Time to lower the curtian on these clowns who think they deserve huge salaries just because. I say fire the lot and get some new blood. They surely can't do any worse than we now are getting! Just look at the mistakes our local government makes all the time. The city managment we have is a pure joke.
The hatch covers have caved in and the sea of debt is rapidly filling the holds and compartments of the ship. Attempts to reach rescuers has been futile. Captain Cuffee-Glenn UVA looks through her spyglass one last time and sees nothing but a blank horizon. Distress calls to the credit rating agencies have gone unnoticed. There are fewer cries as citizens have taken their lives into their own hands abandoning all their pocessions and jumping overboard as a last ditch effort. Meanwhile Linda "Ismay" Johnson watches the calamity from afar without comment in the safety of her life boat.
This thread is about the Joint Forces Command. Many comments here have taken this in the direction of the incomes of City employees. Two different topics. Stay on topic when you comment.
The issue of huge local government salaries are the same symptom as the JFCOM isutation! Take for example the mid-level job of Public works Director at $150,000 a year and other examples and you have the same thing locally except we pay the entire bill from our local taxes. Why do we have so much nepitisum in hiring at the city. The Treasures wife gets hired by the Commonwelath attorney, the commonwealth attorney;s wife gets a psid cussy job on the eda, because he supports the mayor and on and on! JIFCOM is the same, just bigger!
I beg to differ the issues are tied together. The loss of JFCOMM means less revenue from the city. Homes will be sold below assessed values as the owners relocate. Hotels and Restaurant utilization drops and so does the fat city tax revenue. In general the income level for the region significantly drops with small businesses that relied on government descretionary spending soon realize they have to cut their losses and shut down.
The city administration however has never demonstrated they were ever serious about spending, wages and other expenses. In fact the city was repeatedly warned by many but chose to ignore them with a brush of their hand. Mr. Gardy once said he didn't need to hear from the public at the budget pulic heraing he had already made up his mind in the work session. Another time the Mayor waived a letter from their finance consultant Mr. Rose warning against cutting the budget. The city then borrowed more and more against pie-in-the-sky revenue projections. So here we are about to lose a big employer with no hope of filling the revenue void anytime soon. What will our city leaders do; Review the budget, Hit us with new taxes and fees, Make immediate personnel cuts, Wipe out welfare for the wealthy like SCCA funding, or go to a retreat in Spain with Michelle and her 40 pals on our tab? I'm betting we have nine cowards sitting on the dias don't have a clue and hoping that another Goose will give them a golden egg. The only egg we see from here is on their faces.
We must remember that millions of American citizens voted for "CHANGE." Northern Suffolk is witnessing it. When we elected a Republican governor orders came down from Obama's office to "make them pay." He created dozens of social programs for his Democrat free-loaders and now is merely finding ways to pay for them. A true American hero.
Mr. Barclay Councilman of Sleepy Hole your borough has been paying a majority of the city's property taxes. If JFCOM pulls out how do you plan to keep the revenue stream going? Instead of hiding behind the dias why don't you tell your constituents what is the game plan, or do you not have a clue.
Failing to do so will wipe out any prospect you have running for Chris Jones' Delegate seat.
The weight of tens of millions of debt dollars rush in flooding every passageway. The deck heaves and buckles under the strain. The sound of tearing resonates through the Bridge as files and papers are hastily shredded. Captain Cuffee-Glenn UVA stands to the side and watches in disbelief as the remaining citizens and city employees hold on to anything they can as the end approaches. Seconds remain and her mind races back to recall hearing how the economy was unsinkable and the chain of mistakes she made to have come to this concluding climax.
The Winds Of Change. Hows that hope and change working now?
I totally agree with the comments about MR. Barclay. He has had the chance to seat upon the dias for many months, yet has done very little if anything with the "gift" the people handed him in the last election. Just seating there and smiling does not count for much of anything, and you know it. The issue of JFCOM is not about garbage cans, recycling, or curb and gutters. It is about the vital life of our city...
Circumstance has now placed a huge issue at your doorstep affecting the entire city, and you will be judged by how you lead or run from this issue. As the leader from the part of our city so dearly affected by this action, it is your duty and obligation to respond with insight, leadership and most improtantly a plan.
Will you reach out to the many smart people who reside in the community, or grandstand for political sound-bites? Remember, a humble leader with insight and respect for the people can do big things, but a small mined egoist can only marshall his own fantisies and little else. We have to many of the later type already on show every first and third Wednesday at Market Street and it is a shame. Does our Council have any leaders, or only poiticans? This test and issue will define which is which and who is who.
I would suggest that if you do subscribe to being a true leader in Suffolk and have asperations for even more, now is your time. Reach-out, listen, and form a relevent position and policy statement that will help. Think about this as an opportunity to put that high-hoursepower education and mind to work for us all. But, please don't just seatback and leave it to others that may or may not have the best interests of the people in mind.
Leaders are formed by the challenges that confront them, not by money or politics. We all hope that we do have at least one leader on council and one that can articulate our interests and hopes for the future... Mr. Barclay, it is your time, so make it happen!
Roger A. Leonard
Suffolk....
If the military can cut fat, why can't the rest of the government?
The way things stand it's not cutting the fat many citizens are thinking about. It's cutting off heads.
Two lawyers will straighten out Mr.Gates, IT SAYS HERE IN THE SNH 'Despite the fact Vaart and Simmons have been working with JFCOM for some time, they were surprised at the recommendation, they said. A media representative for JFCOM also said Wednesday it was a shock. Vaart said he believes that once the defense secretary fully understands what JFCOM does, the recommendation will get pulled. “In the end, they will find out that almost all of these functions are necessary, and probably the best place to do them is right there in that location where they conduct their business today,” he said. Simmons agreed.
You see...Gates must be educated.
Years later a board of inquiry will convene made up of Moody's, Fitch, Standard & Poor's with many citizen survivors in attendance to determine the cause of the calamity. The investigation however, is hampered as there is very limited information availble that escaped the shredder. Captain Cuffee-Glenn UVA, could not speak in her defense as she had gone down with the ship according to protocol like the good sailor she was following orders.
Linda "Ismay" Johnson was then called to testify. She denied any responsibility and placed blame entirely on the Captain and the Finance Architect Mr. Rose from Davenport & Co., who also went down with the ship. Linda "Ismay" Johnson later moves away and resides in luxury and solitude never admitting knowledge of any warnings or orders she had given to anyone. The board could not determine specific cause so the case and pending surviving citizen claims are mired in the courts for decades. By the time fault can be proven, the guilty are no longer around. All that is left are a few elderly survivors to recall the final hours, the memoribilia of better times locked away in safety deposit boxes and a debt their grandchildren will be paying for the rest of their lives. The End
This website has gone off the deep end. What does comparing the number of the president's amount of vacation to the average black man have anything to do with the closing of JFCOM? This city - not unlike the rest of the nation, is highly polarized. Obama is not sitting in the Oval Office singling out defense contractors in Virginia to teach Virginians a lesson in electing a Republican governor. (This recommendation came not from the Democratic President, but from the Republican Sec. of Defense). And why are some commenters laying blame to a city councilman? I dont understand how a low level politician like Mr. Barclay do to alter the closure of JFCOM by this nation's Secretary of Defense! Kill the shot in the dark comments that somehow tie city leaders that many commenters are in opposition to for the closing of JFCOM.
Lets try and think for a moment how dependent Suffolk is to USJFCOM and the associated contractors in Northern Suffolk. Then think about the number of homes and businesses that are supported by them. Then consider the lost tax revenue when they fold up the tent and leave. Now consider all the warnings given to council by citizens to diversify economic development and the promises made to constituents to offset property taxes with commercial sources of revenue.
It doesn't take long to realize the city's expenses are increasing while the revenue stream is decreasing. So who will be hit hardest by USJCOM's demise you or the city? There is ample blame to go around. Council lied to their constituents, commercial growth is NOT going to offset property taxes. The city is NOT going to drasticaly reduce their budget and we once again will foot the bill. Mr. Barclay and the others on council including Madame Mayor owe the people of Suffolk an apology for the false campaign promises and inability to lead. Don't believe me then wait until early next year and see who's talking about raising your taxes again.
anon 12:33 Gates serves at the beckon call of the president. All cabinet members do. If Gates is having to come up with 80% of the 100% of the "savings' that Obama wants, I very sure that Gates took the idea and volunteered that exact amount.
The reason that some would try to deflect comments about their frinds on council and how it ties into JFCOM are the same ones' that either are on the city payroll or are beholdin' to the council/city for development rights or other approvals. The way some in Suffolk game the system is to defelct obligation or accountability owed, as somehow it should always belonging somewhere other than at the top of the city leadership, where it belongs.
YES, the city leaders and even MR. Barclay have an obligation in this little oparetic drama. Barclay should be out there advocating a pull back on city spending, a rethinking of the city budget and taxes, and even how this event might be optimized to insure that once again the citizens are not left holding the bag as usual with ever growing taxes and local spending.
If the demand to lead is to difficult, then those in power need to get out of the way of good ideas and others that can. So, no I do not agree that somehow there is no connection and claim to act as some would state. It is either stupid, dishonest or both to claim otherwise!
Roger A. Leonard
Suffolk...
Barclay clearly has self-minimized himself be a local attorney with political ambitions. He covets power and will high brow the myopic media to gain their favor. Any sense of purpose or intent to serve the public needs is secondary to his personal ambition for higher office at any price. As can be seen by the deplorable state of our country, we have had more than enough Barcalys thank you.
Iceberg? What iceberg?
I did not vote for Barclay, he got a pass since no else ran. I will see if he got a gift or can give a gift.
Time will tell.
The silence form Market Street has been deafening. Our Democrat held city council dares not say a word fearing they will feel the heat from their constituents. The DNC money that fueled their council campaigns would suddenly disappear if they did. So they hunker down and zipper their lips closed. The only talking they are doing in on their cell phones. Here's a suggestion for Mike Duman if he is elected; UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT GIVE YOUR CELLPHONE NUMBER TO LINDA JOHNSON!
I do agree with the comment that one should never give the mighty mouse of a mayor their cell phone number. She will speak to you in a shrill voice and claim that all are against her and you msut support her or else, and yea she means or else!
Mike, do not give it to her or you will be brow-beat into line like the rest of the boys.
Where is Ms Johnson in all this issue? I have heard her talk and talk and talk about everything else, yet she is so quiet about what really matters. She is incapable of really reaching our to those of us that call her neighbor and help? She is incapable of anything but the sound-bite? She is not going to figure out what to do since she sees no benefit for her. This is a sorry state for one that says she is our Mayor. Why not respond Mayor Johnson, we know you read these prose? Are you going to be as quiet about our plight like your peers on council are being? I spoke with you during the last election and you sold me that you were going to lead our city, but what a farse! I will not be so mislead in the future and you will see that at the polls!
Perhaps if our illustrious mayor hadn't been so interested in pandering to her buddies and funneling city money to developers in northern Suffolk, she would have seen the wisdom in spreading that money around. Perhaps if she hadn't put all her eggs in one basket (Harborview) we all wouldn't feel so vulnerable at the proposed closing of JFCOM. Perhaps if an equal share of the development that has taken place over the past 4 years had been in the southern and western parts of the city we all wouldn't be lamenting the projected loss of revenues we now face. Downtown has been given short shrift since she took over the mayors seat and "closed the checkbook". Maybe Suffolk's future wouldn't seem quite so grim if she hadn't been so blinded by her desire to help out her friends (and herself).
Mayor Johnson has done as most Suffolk Mayors have done for the last few years, helped those who help her. This shortsighted method of "give me mine first" is what ailes the city and why we careen from one crisis to the next.
It is time to demand more and to hold people like MRS. JOHNSON accountable. It most likely will not happen though as the sleeping folks of Suffolk will not go to the polls when they could make a difference. A good first step would be to vote for anyone but her supporters like Mr. Parr. He votes however he is told and expects support when he needs it, not when the issues merit support. If merit was the gauge of why something was supported, we would have a thriving downtown, better and more evenhanded policies and less ackromony over the agonizing way they do everything from the Health building to the next school house in the south end of town.
We seem to be doomed to suffer as long as we have these people in the drivers seats.
Perhaps we could change the 642,000 square foot JIFFYCOM building into a new Islamic Mosque and our Democratic Mayor could dedicate it.
I too was snookered into voting for pandering johnson and made a big mistake. When this closing thing was announced I was sure she would speake out strongly about what could be done and push a plan forward fast before people lost the faith but I was wrong. She has no interest or plan. I am not sure what is worse. Then the rest on council are no better than Big-Ideas BROWN, who could not find his own socks much less a plan.
Where are we to go? It seems no one in this city knows or cares!
So last night Council voted to send a letter to Obama imploring him to reject Sec. Gates recommendation to close JFCOM. What makes them think that the economic survival of Suffolk takes precedent over all the many other cities in this Country that are suffering at this time?
As much as I hate to see the closing of this facility for obvious reasons, I wonder why there is so much concern for the ancillary businesses that will also suffer should this happen such as hotels, restaurants and retail shops, when there is very little concern on Market Street for the long suffering businesses Downtown. Maybe they should get a taste of what it is like to struggle to stay alive while their City Leaders ignore their plight and turn their attention elsewhere.
Johnson claimed to be the Mayor of all of Suffolk but her actions spoke much louder than her words. She just couldn't forget her alliegence to the borough she represented for so long and now it has come back to bite her.
Remember New York, Paris, London, and Tokyo at the places to visit? Thanks to their uncontrolled tax and spend policies we now have California, New York, Illinois and Suffolk facing bankruptcy.
could this be the beginng of the bankruptcy of suffolk? mayor johnson is not up to the job it seems sure.
Suffolk has been morally bankrupt for many years. I would say about nine years, which coinsided with the time our Mayor came to Council. While one and the other may not be directly connected, the timing must be seen for what it is.
I have decided to give up on Suffolk and jsut try to keep those in power on their toes when they demand, ask for, or ortherwise manipulate the situation for their own personal gain, Which is rampent in this little town. There are so many examples of this it is disheartening to say the least.
So to get back on subject, Secretary Gates has made a good decision that may be disruptive for some, but is right and proper. It is time that the GOVERNMENT shirink down and this is a good first start. North Suffolk has always been a Fairy-Tale that could never stand by reason, so now it will shrink and change. So is life and there is nothing that our Mayor or anyone else shall be able to do. I say that these local leaders need to keep their mouths suht and keep focus on how to make local government more efficent and less demanding of our dollars. Thsi most likely will never happen, but it should.
I read a truly amazing point made about this entire issue the other day. Our Mayor, Linda Johnson and Mr. "Do Nothing Councilman" Barclay, stated that they were suprised by how hidden and secret this agenda to close JFCOM has been and that the Sec Def has not given data and information on the closure when demanded by the City and others.
Well Mrs. Mayor and cronnies, welcome to our plight in your open and transparent world! The citizens of Suffolk suffer these FOIA indignites all the time with your administration and you deserve a "Taste of Suffolk", so to say! How does it feel to be locked out of information you feel and do have a right to? How do you like the feel of hopeless and powerless action upon your legal "rights"?
This is an exact reason that your Suffolk, Madame Mayor does not work! It is time to be open if you are going to ask for openness.
I am appauled that our local government can make a claim that they are not getting information on JFCOM, when they vilolate the rights of citizens daily when they are the target for FOIA requests. AND, If they could get the information from Mr. Gates and the DOD, what would the bill be? Millions if billed like Suffolk DOES? Life does have some payback, and even if I am of great sorrow over the possilble closure of JFCOM in my part of the City, I find no end to the carma delivered upon our inept Mayor and her Administration!
Has anyone else found the true nature and action of this process when the Mayor claims a right to know, when she and they will not render the same considerations to their fellow citizens? What a farse you are Mayor Linda Johnson
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