Norfolk spending
Norfolk’s mayor and City Council have, with taxpayer dollars, bought a shopping mall, and the Norfolk Economic Development Authority has bought another.
Council members have committed taxpayers to almost $1 billion to build a sea wall that might not protect homes and business, and now they have bought the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration property for more than $4 million. So they have committed way more than $1 billion of our tax dollars to what?
They have wasted money on the casino property, moving the boxing center, renovating a building for a new boxing center, and we still don’t have a casino. I’ve been waiting for years to see the Norfolk Fitness & Wellness Center remodeled. We are told there has been money budgeted for this. OK, so, when do we get moving on this?
Norfolk was flooded with federal COVID-19 funds. Where did they go? And then there is the very golden parachute paid for by taxpayers to our former city manager? Where has he gone?
At what point will we get real leaders with a clear vision for the city, leaders who believe and act in a transparent and honest fashion? Norfolk gets what it deserves.
Laurie Naismith, Norfolk
Not acceptable
Re “Hampton NAACP calls for council member to resign in wake of prostitution scandal” (Sept. 1): Is Virginia becoming a safe haven for sexual Johns with sexual misconduct behavior? We had a high-profile pastor and now a public official accused of misconduct. It reminds me of that high profile minister, The Rev. Jimmy Swaggart, who got on TV crying, “I have sinned.” Virginia you have to promote the public’s trust by transparency and accountability.
Exum Lee Jr., Chesapeake
Presidential election
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” Is it former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence or former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson? Is it former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott or North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum? Is it businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley or some undeclared maybe?
Republican voters might as well stand before the fairy-tale predictor of the future for all the good it will do, given the current slate of presidential wannabes gathered before them in the political version of “America’s Got Talent.”
The choices before those who consider themselves conservative, god-fearing and patriotic Americans are fairly limited and divided into two camps, those wiling to call out the “front-runner” and those who will not — bound by the equivalent of a fraternity pledge to back the party’s choice irrespective of alleged criminal wrongdoing or potential violation of the 14th Amendment.
Why do voters subject themselves to this flawed process that more closely resembles choosing the homecoming duo rather than a more thoughtful screening of character, qualifications and experience? Because the Constitution lists three qualifications for the presidency — the president must be a natural-born citizen, at least 35 years old, and have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years.
That’s it. The leader of the free world only has to fog a mirror. Which is why consulting a mirror for guidance may be OK.
John Mannarino, Virginia Beach
Federal deficit
The Washington Post’s “U.S. deficit explodes even as economy grows” reported, “(former President) Donald Trump added more than $7 trillion to the national debt.”
“Biden’s budget proposals would reduce the deficit by trillions of dollars through higher taxes on the rich and corporations.”
“But GOP leaders are pushing to extend roughly $3.3 trillion in tax cuts.” Who knew? Not Trump supporters.
Robert Perrine, Virginia Beach
