RICHMOND, Va. – Man-up! In my day, men were men, they protected their troops.
Richmond City Democratic Party Chairman James Minor – hand-picked by Mayor Jones and David Hicks to run the party – is in hot water on the Richmond Times Dispatch news pages.
The story, first reported by WTVR’s “Smoking” Joe St. George, involved a controversial petition drive possibly paid by “laundered” city funds aimed at getting unsuspecting city residents to indicate their support for the Mayor’s even more controversial Shockoe Bottom baseball stadium.
This is the takeaway, the Mayor and his posse are apparently willing to do anything, say anything and throw anyone under the bus to get their Shockoe Stadium.
Let’s be honest. If the Mayor and Mr. Hicks actually wanted to give everyone a say in the matter, they would BE SUPPORTING A REFERENDUM permitted by the City Charter.
Why is your signature key but not your vote?
A referendum process – an advisory one is permitted by the City Charter – is now the only process not fatally tainted by the Mayor and his posse’s actions. Why are they so afraid to let the people have a say in an advisory referendum?
Come on! You know stuff is bad when the Richmond City Council has the backbone to speak out as they did in today’s RTD. They stand in mortal fear of the Mayor.
But the REAL STORY today is not this silly stuff from the pro-Shockoe Stadium crowd.
LETTING A LOYAL AIDE TAKE THE FALL DEMEANS CITY HALL.
There is NO WAY the Richmond City Democratic Chairman gets involved with this pointless petition drive unless he knows the Mayor and his city hall posse are cool with it.
First of all, “J.J.” has a job with – you got it – the Mayor’s Administration. His mother is Delegate Delores McQuinn, a Colonel in the Jones Political Army.
I know “J.J.”
He is a stand-up guy.
He isn’t going to “rat out” anyone.
But that being said,reporter Graham Moomaw deserves good marks for digging this part of the story out, copied here:
“J.J. has been a part of the process,” said Rob Jones, CEO of the Alliance Group, who confirmed that the petition effort is part of the Loving RVA campaign. “He has helped identify some folks to help get signatures.”
“I don’t have anything to do with it,” Minor said Thursday afternoon before abruptly ending the phone conversation and saying he would call back. He never did, and a subsequent message was not returned.
On Feb. 3, Minor, who works in the city’s Department of Economic and Community Development, posted a message to his Facebook page asking anyone available for “some Part Time Employment” to contact him. The posting did not specify what the work entailed.”
Click here to read the full story.
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Busted!
The term “Man-up” actually comes from the rodeo circuit. When a bull rider gets beat-up by a bull, his fellow competitors yell: “Cowboy up. Get tough. Get tough.”
I don’t take Mr. Jones and his posse for bull riders, even the mechanical one in the John Travolta/Debra Winger movie “Urban Cowboy.”
Bull, they got plenty, but the rest, not so much.
Paul Goldman is in no way affiliated with WTVR. His comments are his own, and do not reflect the views of WTVR or any related entity. Neither WTVR nor any of its employees or agents participated in any way with the preparation of Mr. Goldman’s comments.
