Charles Samuels' Community Meeting to Discuss Homelessness & Closure of Monroe Park for Renovations

Text adapted from the Wingnut Blog.

This meeting took place at the Carillon War Memorial, where Councilman Charles Samuels [2nd District] held a "community discussion" for groups who ‘serve the homeless’ to figure out what they should do when Monroe Park is closed for renovations. It was not a forum, nor really a big group discussion. However, there were about 25 or so folks associated with Food Not Bombs who came to promote the idea that the park need not and ought not be closed entirely during renovations. Many people spoke out questioning why the park was going to be closed in its entirety and suggested that moving services would not make up for destroying the community of people- homeless and not- who use Monroe Park on a regular basis.

Part 1/2 - Charles Samuels' Community Discussion on Homelessness & Monroe Park - Nov. 4, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

The first half of the meeting includes comments from Mr. Samuels, Homeward, and Embrace Richmond. They did not allow any questions or feedback from anyone attending the meeting, even when it was very clear that people had questions and concerns. Mo Karn, a Wingnut, interrupted the meeting [24:40] to say that the discussion was based on the false assumption that the park must be closed during the renovation.

Part 2/2 - Recommendations from Citizen Work Groups @ Charles Samuels' Community Discussion - Nov. 4, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

This 2nd section of the video shows how many of the groups in the room decided that the solution to the problems with closing all of Monroe Park was simply not to close the entire park!

Below is a highlight reel featuring comments supportive of keeping the park open.

Public Forum Participants: Keep Monroe Park Open from Kontra.

The Latest Boondoggle - The Richmond Coliseum Study Group

Interim Status Update from Coliseum Study Group - Sept. 9, 2010 - Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger.

Today at 12 noon at the Performing Arts Center, a presentation was given to Richmond news media outlets by consultant Dan Barrett of Barrett Sports Group, LLC to discuss the preliminary results of their unscientific survey among Coliseum users which was used to illustrate support from the "General Public."

A statement from the report that jumped out to me was, "Approximately 99% of Respondents would potentially attend an event at a renovated Coliseum or New Arena Development."

Read the Interim Status Report for yourself and Mayor Dwight Jones' Press Release that was handed out after the presentation.

Here is an informative article about the formation of the Coliseum Study Group that costs $150,000 and was paid for by four area corporations, Genworth Financial, Dominion Resources Inc., Altria, and MeadWestvaco.

Mayor Jones was not present at the Press Conference, neither was any member of the Council present, nor any representative from Council's Chief of Staff. However, many of Mayor Jones' top administrators were there including Byron Marshall [Chief Administrative Officer], Peter Chapman [Deputy CAO, Dept. of Economic and Community Development], Suzette Denslow [Mayor's Chief of Staff], and four members of the Mayor's public relations office: Tammy Hawley [Press Secretary], Michael Wallace [Public Information Officer], Shelby Crouch [videographer and one of the only carry-overs from Mayor Wilder's administration], and a photographer, Jemila Woodson.

The assembled press were permitted to ask questions after the presentation.

KUDOS to the Office of the Press Secretary to the Mayor for both emailing PDFs of the documents above and for having paper copies at the Presentation for members of the media.

$600,000 Grants for Millionaire Ronald Stallings' Hippodrome Theater / Taylor Mansion Project / Abolish Admissions Tax Revenue Now?

Here are a couple of recent worthwhile articles on the Hippodrone deal written by Isaac Graves, a former aid to Mayor Douglas Wilder.

Hippodrome deal merits further Council scrutiny as City finances become constrained

Ron Stallings and The Hippodrome; the final act or only intermission in a lengthy play?



At Thursday's Finance Committee meeting, I spoke in opposition to Ordinance 2009-217. It would give a $600,000 grant to millionaire Jackson Ward developer Ronald Stallings' Hippodrone Theater and Kelvin Hanson's Taylor Mansion. By chance, Kelvin Hanson's name was on the agenda, named as a reappointment to the Economic Development Authority. The summary of Ordinance 2009-217 reads, "To authorize the CAO to execute a Development Agreement between the City of Richmond, Virginia and the Economic Development Authority of the City of Richmond, Virginia for the purpose of implementing economic development and HOME grants for a mixed use development..."

Does something sound wrong? Should a developer who is a member of the Economic Development Authority also be a primary developer in a project financed by the Authority?

Part 1A - Marcus Jones on Future Economic Outlook for Richmond @ Finance - Jan. 21, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 1B - Byron Marshall on Budget Process for FY 2011 @ Finance - Jan. 21, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Finance Committee Discusses $600,000 Grants for Hippodrone Theater - Jan. 21, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Above, listen to the entire Council discussion of the ordinance. The final vote from the Committee was 2-1 . Mrs. Ellen Robertson [6th District] and Mr. Charles Samuels [2nd District] in the affirmative and Mr. Bruce Tyler [1st District] voted in the negative.

Silver Persinger Speaks Against Exemption from Admission Tax for Business - Jan. 21, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Ordinance 2009-237 proposes to abolish admissions taxes on complimentary tickets. I spoke in opposition to the paper. This paper was inspired by the Virginia Automotive Dealers Association not being happy to pay the $7000 for handing out 20,000 complimentary tickets. So they sent their representative to their friend Mr. Doug Conner [9th District], a friendly ear in the auto body repair business, himself.

Why should businesses be exempt from paying the same taxes that us regular citizens have to pay? When I buy two tickets, I am paying the admissions tax. This is the cost of doing business. Perhaps there are better ways they can spend their marketing dollars. Corporations and business organizations should not have so much influence creating legislation.

As you can see from the existing legislation, there are already exemptions for children under 12 and for free admission to "museums, botanical gardens, or zoos."

Part 2- Shall Business be Exempted from Tax? Jan. 21, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Above, watch the entire discussion on abolishing the admission tax on complimentary tickets, the discussion starts around 3 minutes, 30 seconds [3:30].

Part 4 - Consolidation of Departments Discussed / Bond Issuance Rushed to End Meeting Quickly - Jan. 21, 2010 from Silver Persinger.