BP Oil Spill Sucks

Here is a T-shirt I designed on April 30, 2010, just 10 days after the oil spill began.

Spill Baby Spill T-shirt by freesilver
More Oil T-Shirts

RRHA Monthly Board Meeting - RePHRAME speaks to Board

Part 1/3 - RRHA Board Meeting - April 20, 2010 - Public Information Period from Silver Persinger.



Above, Claudia Hill addressed the RRHA Board to complain about inaction by RRHA, difficulty in certification, unauthorized disclosure of her personal information, and a dangerous gas leak that took too long to repair. This is an excerpt from Part 1, from the Public Information Period.



Above, RRHA Board member and President of the the Richmond Tenants' Organization [RTO], Marilyn Olds tells it like she sees it regarding RePHRAME and the RTO.

Part 2/3 - RRHA Board Meeting - April 20, 2010 - Reports and Resolutions from Silver Persinger.

Part 3/3 - RRHA Board Meeting - April 20, 2010 - Workshop on Mixed Finance Development of Public Housing from Silver Persinger.

Mayor Presents Budget to Council

Richmond, VA City Council - Prayer, Pledge, & Appointments - March 22, 2010 - Part 1/12 from Silver Persinger.

Richmond City Council - Information about Census 2010 - Awards Period - March 22, 2010 - Part 2/12 from Silver Persinger.

Mayor Dwight Jones Presenting FY 2010 Budget to City Council - March 22, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Richmond City Council - Budget Details with Byron Marshal & Marcus Jones - March 22, 2010 - Part 4/12 from Silver Persinger.

Conflicts of Interest?

This was one of the longest meetings in quite a while. 3 1/2+ hours! I left at 9:45 PM and the introduction of papers had just started, and it was a thick packet, thick with budget related papers from the Mayor.

Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about? But what if I'm saying is true? Is something wrong here?




Ellen Robertson's 2004 campaign contribution from Kelvin Hanson

I have written a letter to members of Council about this situation. I think it stinks, I don't understand how this is OK, good, or desirable and not self-serving, cronyism and corruption. And yet, with the exception of Councilwoman Reva Trammell, all the rest of them are acting like this is completely fine, it's not in the newspaper, and if I didn't mention it, it wouldn't be public information -- even though it is "PUBLIC INFORMATION."

If something wrong is going on here, I hope to help to bring it to the attention of the public and the proper authorities.

If I am wrong, I will be greatly embarrassed, and will crawl back under my rock. And learn from my mistakes. I am motivated to speak out because NO ONE IS AT CITY HALL, there are no citizens. I don't believe Council members even know as much as they should about what the government is doing, Cronyism is real. And if all this business is done in the open and they are never called out on it -- they are free to continue to play their little insider game of appointing friends and campaign contributors.

I'll be posting the entire meeting over the next few days. There were several big stories at tonight's meeting. Mayor Dwight Jones presented his budget to Council, Citizens spoke during the Citizen Comment Period in Opposition to the Stormwater Fee recently enacted by the City, and the Rezoning of Manchester was a surprisingly popular topic.

Legislative Assistant John Westbrook Announces Retirement

Today, Councilwoman Ellen Robertson's liaison [6th District], John Westbrook, sent an email announcing his retirement from the City effective March 1, 2010. Mr. Westbrook has served as Councilwoman Robertson's liaison since 2004.

Best wishes to Mr. Westbrook and his wonderful wife Winnie.

A Glimpse of how the Local News Media Interact with Our Government

Behind the Scenes: After the Meeting with the Mayor, Council Members Speak with Local Television News - Jan. 11, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Airport Commission desires Leasing Authority / RRHA's Voucher Program/ Lehigh Cement Environmental Assessment Good @ Land Use - Jan. 19, 2010

Part 1/2 - Citizen Comment & Papers for Consideration @ Land Use - Jan. 19, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

At this meeting the Capital Region Airport Commission wanted to amend the language of their agreement with the city, giving the Commission sole authority in determining leases at the property.

Part 2/2 - Presentations on RRHA's Voucher Program & Lehigh Cement Environmental Assessment @ Land Use - Jan. 19, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Noise Ordinance / Scooter Laws / Prohibiting Ex-Felons from Fire Dept. @ Public Safety - January 19, 2010

Part 1/4 - Citizens Comment in Support of Noise Law @ Public Safety Jan. 19, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Finally catching up on a backlog of meetings. Above, during the Citizen Comment Period three of five speakers addressed the Noise ordinance, Ordinance 2009-236, asked questions of the committee to see if it could address their particular issues. One woman spoke of her next door neighbors, obnoxious college students who drink, party and cuss constantly and are ruining her quality of life. Another woman spoke about her neighbor's HVAC machine that made a lot of sound and impacted the quality of her life.

Part 2/4 - Scooter Traffic Laws @ Public Safety Jan. 19, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 3/4 - Noise Law - Ord.2009-236 @ Public Safety Jan. 19, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 4/4 - Prohibiting Ex-Felons from Serving as Fire Fighters @ Public Safety Jan. 19, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Richmond City Council • February 8, 2010 - Storm Water Fee Complaints / Renaming the Finance Committee

Part 1/5 Richmond City Council - Prayer, Pledge, Amending Agenda, Citizen Comment Period - Feb. 8, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Above. During the Citizen Comment Period five citizens complained about the Storm Water Assessment Fee. The people who complain the loudest are churches and businesses. The bigger the roof and parking lot, the bigger the bill and complaint. Speakers for the citizen comment period included: Ronald E. Mabry with Veterans First a group that works to house homeless veterans asked Council to give his group an old school building at Laburnum & Brook Road, Rev. Matthew Brown from Branch's Baptist Church on Storm Water Fee, Rev. Bryan Roberts from Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ on Storm Water Fee, Samuel Seward on Budget Concerns, School Board and marijuana, Nick Eubank (Owner, Eubank Truck, Inc.) on Storm Water Fee, Amelia Lightner yielded her time to Rev. Ralph Hodge from Second Baptist Church, Charles S. Gilbert from the Acca Temple on the Storm Water Fee, Willie Earl Bradley (Owner, Bradley Development) on Section 3 HUD program.

Part 2/5 - Mayor's Comments on Snow Removal & Storm Water Fee - Feb. 8, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 3/5 - Richmond City Council - Consent Agenda, Approval of Minutes, Expedited Resolution - Feb. 8, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 4/5 - Council Reports and Announcements - Richmond City Council - Feb. 8, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 5/5 - Introduction of New Papers - Richmond City Council - Feb. 8, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Patrick Henry Charter School Needs Money/ Teen Pregnacy Prevention Program/ RBHA Initiatives Discussed @ Health, Human Services & Edu. - Jan. 20, 2010

Part 1/5 - Citizen Comment @ Health, Human Services, & Edu. - Jan. 20, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 4/5 - Antione Green on Patrick Henry Charter School @ Health, Human Services, & Edu. - Jan. 20, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 2/5 - Dr. Stern Proposing Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program - Community of Caring - Jan. 20, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 3/5 - Overview of RBHA Initiatives - Dr. Jack Lanier, CEO, RBHA - Jan. 20, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 5/5 - Minutes Approved / Staff Committee Report - Jan. 20, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Jewel Objects to Reappointment of Full Term for Marilyn Olds to RRHA Board / Council Evaluations of Appointees / Budget Process Discussed

Part 3/3 - Jewel Objects to Reappointment of Marilyn Olds to RRHA Board @ Organizational Development - Feb. 1, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 2/3 - Budget Process & Deadlines / Renaming Finance Committee @ Org. Dev - Feb. 2, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 1/3 - Charter Changes / Council Appointees Evaluations @ Org. Dev - Feb. 2, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Council Gives $600,000 to Wealthy Landowner-Developer Ronald Stallings & Abolishes Admission Taxes for Businesses at Request of Business Group

Above, you may listen to my comments during the citizen comment periods speaking in opposition to Ordinance 2009-217 to grant $600,000 for the Hippodrome/Taylor Mansion renovation on 2nd Street and Ordinance 2009-237 which abolished the Admissions Tax on complimentary tickets.

Part 1 - Richmond City Council • January 25, 2010 - Awards Period from Silver Persinger.

Part 2/5 - Hippodrome $600,000 Grant - Ord. 2009-217 - Jan. 25, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 3/5 - Richmond City Council - Consent Agenda - Jan. 25, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 4/5 - Richmond City Council - Council Reports & Announcements - Jan. 25, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 5/5 - Richmond City Council - Introduction of New Papers - Jan. 25, 2010 from Silver Persinger.