Showing posts with label Gloucester Courthouse Virginia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gloucester Courthouse Virginia. Show all posts

Monday, August 18, 2014

Fitch Upgrades Various Gloucester County, VA Ratings; Outlook Stable

Seal of Gloucester County, Virginia
Seal of Gloucester County, Virginia (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
NEW YORK--()--Fitch Ratings upgrades the following Gloucester County, Virginia (the county) bonds:
--$7.2 million Economic Development Authority of Gloucester County lease revenue refunding bonds, series 2006 to 'AA-' from 'A+';
--Implied general obligation (GO) rating to 'AA' from 'AA-'.
The Rating Outlook is Stable.
SECURITY
The bonds are limited obligations of the Economic Development Authority (EDA) of Gloucester County, VA and are payable from lease rental payments from Gloucester County to the trustee, subject to an annual appropriation by the county board of supervisors.
Catch the rest of the story at the link below.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Do We Have a Democracy ?

By; Sue M Long    Above Photo Art by:  Chuck Thompson of TTC Media, (C 2014)

Have you ever pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Democracy for which it stands?

Of course not. But then, what difference does it make? Don’t we have a Democracy? Isn’t it just a matter of semantics?

Actually, a democracy and a republic are two entirely different forms of government. And, understanding the difference is vital to preserving what liberties we still have left. A republic is a government of laws whereas a democracy is government by majority rule.

It has been said that a lynch mob is democracy in action. The mob wants to hang you and you only get one vote. But if you believe someone is innocent until proven guilty, that they deserve their day in court and that a jury of their peers should decide their fate, then you believe in a nation of laws.

Said another way, democracy is five wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for lunch. If you were the sheep, which would you rather live in — a republic or a democracy? A gentler version is this: After a hearty breakfast of candy bars and
jellybeans, a meal fairly decided by majority vote; you, your spouse and three children take a vote on whether the kids go to school that day. The implications of democratic government are clear and dire.

The deliberations of the Constitutional Convention held in 1787 behind closed doors resulted in the formation of our Constitution. When Benjamin Franklin emerged, he was asked what have we got? Without hesitation, Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

Our founding fathers were well aware of the differences between a republic and a democracy. They revered the former and hated and feared the latter. As a result, nowhere in the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution of the U.S. do you find the word democracy. Indeed, the Constitution not only proclaimed that our federal government should be a republic, it mandated that “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a republican form of government.”

James Madison, often referred to as “the father of the Constitution,” said “…democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they are violent in their deaths.

The principles of republican vs democratic used to be widely understood and commonly accepted. John Marshall, chief justice of the Supreme Court from 1801 until 1835, said that, “Between a balanced republic and a democracy, the difference is like that between order and chaos.” Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Democracy becomes a government of bullies tempered by editors.”
But a persistent campaign to brainwash us into believing we were a democracy has reached the point where today if you were to take a toll, the preponderant number of people would say that we are a democracy. Just note how many legislators and TV commentators refer to our democracy in glowing terms - showing their total ignorance of just what form of government we
actually have. And, there are those who know full well the difference but are bent on our no longer being “the land of the free.”
 
It was Lord Woodhouselee who wrote that a democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over
loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
 
Let’s use the opportunities we still have to preserve our Republic.




Committee for Constitutional Government, Post Office Box 972, Gloucester, VA 23061

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Gloucester, VA Woodville Park, What You Don't Know





We are once again bringing up the Board of Supervisors meeting to point out that the majority of the first hour was an amazing puppet show of people trying every way they could to convince the Board of Supervisors that the new Wooodville park needs sewer run down to the park in order for the community to have some place to go and play or something to that effect.  These people want the taxpayers to fork over money for a park that was accepted by a past Board of Supervisors under the condition that the park would NOT cost the taxpayers any money.

  Well when you have a few select individuals that may just benefit from sewer going to the park at taxpayer expense, it might be worth putting up the fight to argue the park needs taxpayer money so that the few do not have to pay the expense of getting sewer which would raise the  value of property in the area that is up for sale.



Woodville Park Area, Gloucester, VA, Overlay Map from Chuck Thompson

The map above shows property around the Woodville park that would benefit from sewer being run to the park.  They would then be able to hook up to the sewer line for much less than having to pay to run the line down themselves.  A question comes up and has been asked if the park may have been donated in order to get taxpayers to pay for county services instead of paying to run lines themselves.  It would possibly be a much cheaper option to pull off if it would have worked.

  The local paper seems to support the idea that the Board of Supervisors did not act in the best interest of the people because they did not fund the sewer line.  The arguments at the meeting were that this park is exactly what the children of this county need.  Claims that Gloucester County lacks proper parks was stated over and over.  Never mind that Abingdon Community park is capable of fulfilling the needs of a sports complex park.  But we are told that the community park at Abingdon is owned by the school board.  Never mind that it already has water, sewer and or septic and electricity.  It also has lighting too.

  But let's buy the argument that the Abingdon park is owned by the school board, thus not available as a sports complex park for county residents and others outside of Gloucester County.  What everyone failed to look at is Ark Park.  A full sports complex with soccer fields galore, basketball court, baseball diamond, bathrooms, water, sewer or septic and electricity as well.  It has 3 dedicated soccer fields, two make shift fields and room for two more fields or a football field, baseball diamond, amphitheater or camping area.

But wait!  How many soccer fields does the county need?  We found yet another area with multiple soccer fields and it's right in the courthouse area.





This is right across the street from McDonald's which is located on route 17.  This soccer field is on the small dirt road that goes to the Gloucester County Golf Course.  Now these fields do not have lights, bathrooms, running water or other desired amenities but it offers yet more fields that were being complained that the children of this county must simply have in order to enjoy a decent quality of life here in Gloucester.  Is anyone's BS meter going into overdrive yet?

How many parks does Gloucester County need?  The moment you get into the county, you already have 2 parks.  Gloucester Point Beach and Tyndall's Point Park.  Then we have Abingdon Community park.  Now Woodville Park,  Beaver Dam's 2 parks, a proposed state park up by the Rosewell Ruins, Ark Park, and still another park in Ark in commemoration of Powhatan and Pocahontas.  That is a total of 8 parks for a county with less than 40 thousand people.  Most of the parks are not even used in the county most of the time.  Yeah, we need more parks and should spend every penny we can and a lot more to support everything that everyone wants so that maybe one day, someone will actually use something.

Don't get us wrong.  We appreciate Woodville park and all the work that the community has put into it.  We just do not buy the arguments to spend a bunch of taxpayer money, especially in this economy, on parks or other areas that look like the money spent would only benefit the few instead of the majority.

What The Gloucester Mathews Gazette Journal Didn't Tell You, July 10th, 2014


New Superintendent Lays Out "Plan of Entry" is the title of the one article in the paper pictured above.  We are not going to reprint the article by any means.  If you have already read the article, then there is no sense is rehashing it.  If you have not read the article, then you can always go to the newspaper's website.

  What we have a problem with here and everywhere else we have looked including the Gloucester School Board website is who the stakeholders are claimed to be and mainly, who is left out.  And what is the most disturbing is exactly who has been left out.  No reason to delay who has been left out, it's the taxpayers.  The taxpayers, those of us who pay for the entire system are not even considered stakeholders in education.  But don't take our word for it, look at the plan for yourself.  Exactly how do the folks at the local newspaper manage to miss the obvious right in front of them and not ask the questions as to why the taxpayers are not considered stakeholders?



Gloucester, VA School Board Sup Plan of Entry July 2014 from Chuck Thompson

Now one has to ask, does the local school board think that little of the taxpayers?  It would appear to be since they are wasting your tax dollars as fast as they possibly can.  We continue to see the waste each week.

 Vehicle number 273, Driver, D Miller, School Board, Department, Facilities Services, Reports to Dave Miller, July 21st, 2014 time, 7:21 AM.  Location spotted, Hardees Restaurant.  This is a very clear pattern of behavior for this driver.


The above vehicle we still can not get the number on but again, the vehicle belongs to the Public School system.  July 21st, at 8:33AM.






Vehicle number 284, Public Schools, July 21st, 2014.  Time, 9:17 AM.  Went inside McDonald's to have breakfast.  This was not even a drive through quick order.  This is Dave Miller the person in charge of Facilities Services.  No wonder his employees are all over the place.  They are only doing what their boss is doing but not as bad as he does.

  Maybe the Board of Supervisors should take away one hundred thousand dollars of funding per school board vehicle seen in local stores, restaurants and banks where the employees are using government vehicles for personal use, per incident.  We highly recommend the county seriously consider installing GPS tracking in all county vehicles.  This way, if a county employee is seen being someplace they do not belong, the county can actually shut down the vehicle on the employee.  This way the county also always knows where all the employees are and what they should be doing.

Now another area where this gets even worse in our view is with the new contract between the superintendent and the school board.  If you have not read that contract, maybe you should.  See section V on page 3.  The school board is allowing the new superintendent to use a government vehicle for personal use.  Never mind that this appears to be prohibited at the local level, state level and federal level as well.



Walter R. Clemons 3 Year Contract (7-1-2014-6-30-2017) Gloucester, VA from Chuck Thompson

We have filed a complaint with the IRS over the above contract as it appears to be very much in violation with IRS codes as well as Federal, State and local laws, codes and or ordinances.  Maybe we can stop this madness and send a message to the school board that we will not tolerate their complete disregard for the taxpayers and their continuous waste of our money.  We have also included the personal use of government vehicles in the complaint as this needs to end.

Friday, June 27, 2014

Gloucester, VA Board of Supervisors Video, June, 2014





We apologize for the extreme delay on us getting this up.  We have been very tied up with research on our new Unleashing Histories Mysteries series that it has put us way behind on a great deal of information we have been working on.  Most all of that is now caught up these days.



York Herald, Gloucester, VA June 2014 7 from Chuck Thompson

Information from Mr Bazzani, BoS, York District.

Now regarding Parks and Recreation division and Woodville Park.  Who might benefit from water and sewer going to that park from route 17?  Well let's look at what the county public info tells us.

The following property is located directly across Bray’s Point Road from the entrance to Woodville Park.
RPC: 41829, PEEBLES INVESTMENTS LLC, Map#: 045-521 Acres: 1.92, Assessed: $23,100.00, Farm, Sale Price: $0.00, Grantor: David L. Peebles, Sale Date:12/20/2012
RPC: 41828, Name: PEEBLES INVESTMENTS LLC, Map#: 045-520, Acres: 1.00, Assessed: $2,200.00, Farm, Sale Price: $0.00, Grantor: David L. Peebles, SaleDate: 12/20/2012
RPC: 41830, Name: PEEBLES INVESTMENTS LLC, Map#: 045-522, Acres: 19.77, Assessed: $9,900.00, Farm, Sale Price: $0.00, Grantor: David L. Peebles, SaleDate: 12/20/2012
RPC: 30195, Name: PEEBLES INVESTMENTS LLC, Map#: 045-519, Acres: 11.45, Assessed: $7,500.00, Farm, Sale Price: $0.00, Grantor: David L. Peebles, SaleDate: 12/20/2012 
The following property connects to the Peebles Investments property and is divided by Glass Road.
RPC: 32797, Name: GREAVES, NELLIE D &, GREAVES MARITAL TRUST, Map# 46-14, Acres: 362.30, Assessed: $1,140,900.00, Farm, Sale Price: $0.00, Grantor: GREAVES, NELLIE D &, Sale Date:10/28/2013



Woodville Park Area, Gloucester, VA, Overlay Map from Chuck Thompson

The above map overlay with properties that would benefit from water and sewer being extended down to the park at taxpayer expenses.  Rather interesting.  Let's hope our BoS's have enough sense to see the issues here and not vote in favor of this.  The alternatives sounded much better and are more sound for county tax payers.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Gloucester, VA Illegal Procurement By Utilities Department In Progress?

English: Deere construction equipment in Suffo...
English: Deere construction equipment in Suffolk,VA, photo by William John Grimes. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Just another fine example of how well Gloucester County, Va. follows Commonwealth of Virginia law; or not?
On June 15, 2014 I sent the following in an email to the Gloucester County Purchasing Director, Public Utilities Director, County Administrator and Board of Supervisors:
Greetings,
The process thus far to purchase a new mini excavator for the Utilities Department does not allow for competitive bidding.  The Invitation for Bids that was recently published specifies a specific manufacturer (John Deere) and a specific model (60G).  This is the same as sole source procurement, which in the instance of purchasing a mini excavator, is likely not applicable.  There are numerous mini excavator manufacturers who are just as reputable and offer machines, warranties and service that are comparable to John Deere’s.  If there is something specific about the requested item that makes it the only machine that can do a specific task; a description of such should have been included in the procurement notice.      
Do safety issues, excessive maintenance costs, or an excessive amount of hours on an existing machine justify this purchase or is this a new addition to the inventory?  If the latter is the case; is this purchase absolutely necessary at this time?  Is an enclosed cab or canopy option being considered?  Enclosed cab machines utilized in utility work environments increase safety risks due to the amount of work performed in close proximity to people, utilities, traffic and other machines.  Closed cab machines have a tendency to be utilized by employees as a heater or air conditioner which, among other negative things, increases fuel and maintenance costs. 
Based on professional experience and research; the John Deere 60 series mini excavator is just an enhanced version of the John Deere 50 series machines and is considered by many to be an odd ball machine.  Odd in that certain parts which make up the machines uniqueness are only specific to that machine.  The 60 series machines are several thousand pounds heavier than all other comparable machines and often require additional licensing and other transportation related expense increases.  JD-50 series machines outsell JD-60 series machines by a rather large margin.  Combined; these facts suggest an enhanced likelihood of higher maintenance and repair costs and longer down times from waiting on repair parts.  The JD-60 and JD-50 series machines are work horses and are primarily used in high paced production environments of at least 40 hours per week for 40 or more weeks out of the year.  Most contractors purchase the 50 series machines primarily because of cost differences.  Both John Deere machines are more than capable of fulfilling the Utilities Department’s needs, but the 60G is about $10,000 more expensive to purchase and costs more to operate, transport and maintain. 
Unless there is a specific reason why the Utilities Department requires something unique only to the John Deere 60G, the normal transparent procurement process should be followed and all authorized vendors should be allowed to submit bids.
Kenneth E. Hogge, Sr.
Thus far I have received the following response from the Purchasing Director:
“Mr. Hogge
Thank you for your email.
The present bid that we have advertised seeking prices for a John Deere 60 G Excavator is being sought as a brand name without substitution due to the Utility departments desire for this specific equipment.  It is my understanding that Mr. Schlesinger communicated with you regarding this issue and indicated that this specific equipment was desired by his department because of their review of comparable machines.
I do not agree with your assertion that our present solicitation does not allow for competitive bidding and the procurement method is the same as a sole source purchase. Rather, the solicitation is being offered as a proprietary purchase which allows any John Deere dealer to competitively bid on it.  I trust this will be the case because we have had past procurement programs for John Deere equipment that have garnered multiple bids.
As a side note, when the Purchasing Department received the requisition for this equipment, it also included a recommendation to acquire the machine from an existing national purchasing cooperative.  Certainly this would have been an option; however, I decided to initiate our own competitive bid for the excavator in anticipation of receiving a lower price than the cooperative and especially to determine if there was any local source that could bid on the equipment.  Obviously, the answer to this strategy will not be known until the bid due date of Monday, June 23rd.
I am unable to respond to the other issues in your email regarding the Utility Department's justification for the use of this excavator.  Responses to these inquiries rest with the operational requirements of Public Utilities and I am quite sure that Mr. Schlesinger would be willing to discuss them with you.
Our bid opening for the excavator is at 2:00 PM onJune 23rd and we will post a tabulation of the bids on our website shortly after that time.”
Bill Lindsey
Section 2.2-4300, paragraph C of the Code of Virginiastates in part;
that all procurement procedures be conducted in a fair and impartial manner with avoidance of any impropriety or appearance of impropriety, that all qualified vendors have access to public business and that no offeror be arbitrarily or capriciously excluded, it is the intent of the General Assembly that competition be sought to the maximum feasible degree, that procurement procedures involve openness and administrative efficiency, that individual public bodies enjoy broad flexibility in fashioning details of such competition, that the rules governing contract awards be made clear in advance of the competition, that specifications reflect the procurement needs of the purchasing body rather than being drawn to favor a particular vendor”
In his response, Mr. Lindsey stated,
the solicitation is being offered as a proprietary purchase which allows any John Deere dealer to competitively bid on it.”
A proprietary purchase is a purchase in which the specifications or requirements describe a product or service that is only available from one manufacturer or vendor, and which does not permit an equivalent product to be supplied. 
There are no specifications or requirements contained in the Invitation for Bids to support a purchase under the proprietary purchase title.  John Deere bidding against John Deere with respect to an excavator does not demonstrate competition as most heavy equipment dealers are assigned designated sales areas.  This will not necessarily prevent responses from multiple John Deere dealerships however it is still John Deere bidding against John Deere?
The Utilities Department is purchasing a piece of equipment of which type is manufactured and sold by numerous companies such as Case, John Deere, Caterpillar, Kamatsu, New Holland, Kubota, Yanmar, etc.  The exclusion of all companies except John Deere in the procurement process clearly violates Commonwealth law and the spirit for which the law was written.    
Commonwealth of Virginia law requiring all procurement procedures to be conducted in a fair and impartial manner with avoidance of any impropriety or appearance of impropriety has been completely ignored again inGloucester County.  So has the part of the law that requires that specifications reflect the procurement needs of the purchasing body rather than being drawn to favor a particular vendor.  
Manipulation of procurement processes seems to have become a normal way of conducting business in Gloucester County.  This unethical and transparency restricted way of purchasing goods and services is not what the tax payers expect nor is it what the General Assembly intended when the procurement laws were written.
Kenneth E. Hogge, Sr.
Gloucester Point
Note:
At around 5:00 PM on June 16, 2014 I submitted the following FOIA request to Ms. Lewis.
Please provide electronic copies of documentation reflecting the evaluation process utilized in determining which make and model excavator is required to fulfill the mission of the Gloucester County Public Utilities Department. 
On June 18, 2014 I received a response from Ms. Lewis indicating she will contact the departments concerned before being out of the office on the 19th and 20th and will provide a response to my request on June 23, 2014.  June 23rd is the date all bids on providing the excavator are to be in and opened.  Seems like stall tactics to me.



Our Notes:  You just have to love the way some people think they can just get away with doing whatever they think they want to without any consequences to their actions.  The question really does exist however if there will in fact be any consequences other than the department getting exactly what they want no matter what the state code says?  

  We have to ask the question;  is a kickback part of this plan?  Did a John Deer salesman teach the county how to ask for a specific product and get away with somehow bypassing state codes by doing this little trick?  It's a fair question that deserves to be asked.  Someone has to watch every area of the county government these days as there sure seems to be a lot of funny tricks going on everywhere. 

  Yet a further question is why does the department even need this?  If there is a lot of work to be done, maybe it's cheaper to rent what you need?  If not, then what about contracting the work out?  Who else is going to be using this machine?  

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Gloucester, VA Real Estate Sales Along Highway 17 Are Telling

If you have not been paying attention, maybe it's time you did.  Are you missing the big profit potentials along route 17 in the Page Middle school area?  It's the development mecca of the future in this county and it's being snatched up as fast as it can be grabbed by people who seem to have an inside track as to what is going on and what will be going on in the future.

  Take a look at the names on the real estate transactions and start asking yourself a lot of questions as to why these folks are buying up what they are.  Also start paying more attention to what the Board of Supervisors are bringing up and start asking a lot of questions there are well.  Who will benefit?  What did they know in advance and what do they know now?  One name you will see below keeps coming up as a person very much part of the secret government of Gloucester that does everything behind closed doors that the public will never have access to through the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust.  Ashley Chriscoe, Board of Supervisor member, is on the board of this non profit foundation that was once listed as a fraternity but has since been changed to have the appearance of a more acceptable trust.  It's not a 501 (c) 3 tax deductible foundation but instead a 501 (c) 4 foundation that does not have a tax deductible status for any potential financial contributions made to it.

  Highway Seventeen, LLC;
is a Virginia Domestic Limited-Liability Company filed on September 23, 2013. The company's filing status is listed as 00 Active and its File Number is S472487. The Registered Agent on file for this company isBreckenridge Ingles and is located at 6516 Main Street P. O. Box 708 GloucesterVA 23061-0000. The company's principal address is 6338 George Washington Memorial Highway GloucesterVA 23061-0000.
 
RPC: 26002, Name: HIGHWAY SEVENTEEN LLC, Map#: 039-39, Acres: 22.84,    Assessed: $52,400.00, Vacant Land,Sale Price: $242,500.00, Sale Date 12/09/13
 
RPC: 29784, Name: HIGHWAY SEVENTEEN LLC, Map#: 039 39A Acres: 7.68, Assessed: $62,500.00, Vacant Land, SalePrice: $242,500.00, Sale Date: 12/09/13
 
Kkn, LLC
is a Virginia Domestic Limited-Liability Company filed on May 29, 2008. The company's filing status is listed as Active and its File Number is S260645. The Registered Agent on file for this company is Michael T Soberick and is located at 2614 George Washington Mem Hwy Po Box 388 Gloucester PointVA 23062. The company's principal address is 6338 George Washington Memorial Hwy White MarshVA 23183.
 
RPC: 10860, Name: KKN LLC, Map#:039 25, Acres: 3.50, Assessed: $45,300.00,  Vacant Land, Sale Price: $206,000.00, Sale Date: 05/24/13
 
RPC: 20333, Name: KKN LLC, Map#: 039 24, Address: 5456 GEORGE WASH MEM HWY, Acres: 0.50, Assessed: $121,100.00, Dwelling, Sale Price:    $206,000.00,Sale Date: 5/24/2013
 
RPC: 30367, Name: KKN LLC, Map#: 039 22, Acres: 2.43, Assessed: $12,200.00, Vacant Land, Sale Price: $206,000.00, Sale Date: 5/24/2013
 
RPC: 31858, Name: KKN LLC, Map#: 039 23, Address: 5462 GEORGE WASH MEM HWY, Acres: 0.50, Assessed: $60,200.00, Commercial, Sale Price: $206,000.00, Sale Date: 5/24/2013

All of the above information is a matter of public record.  Take a very close look at the assessed values of each of these properties and what they ended up selling for.  Everything between WaWa and Lowe's along route 17 in Gloucester is very hot and getting hotter.  Any investment holding period for this area should be considered for around 5 to 10 years.  

There is no question that special considerations will be sought to avoid expenses by those who own property along this area and that these interests will want you, the local citizen who will gain nothing by their investments, will profit nothing from them but higher taxes to support their own profit returns.  Again, that means that the Board of Supervisors will need to be watched very carefully on everything that comes up to see if they are trying to sneak in extra expenses on us.  Anything coming out of the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust must be viewed with incredibly skeptical eyes as well as anything brought up by Ashley Chriscoe as he sits on their board.  More of a liability than an asset to anyone in the county for the stated reason in our view.


Above, the Gloucester Main Street shopping center owned by the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust with the very clear sign of Ba al in the design of their buildings.  Below, the sign of Ba al shown.  See:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baal  for further information on the meaning.  This gives a much better idea of why the Gloucester Main Street Preservation Trust likes to do everything behind closed doors and out of the public view in our opinion.

 
Isn't it interesting to note where they have placed one of their symbols?  Right above one of their offices.  Yes it means something.  What, exactly, is the main question.  Is anyone comfortable with anyone in the county working with these people at any level?  All hail Ba al?