A big news item in our humble state has been ethics reform, ever since it has come to light that our Governor and Attorney General accepted some pretty outlandish gifts from a businessman friend. I gotta say that, for as staid as our folks in the General Assembly like to portray themselves, it's surprising to me that someone could give an elected person a $10k watch and, not only was it legal but that it violated no ethics laws. Wow.
So, it appears that a main feature of the upcoming session will be some sort of effort to reform the "ethics" standards amongst our state-level elected folks. I read with interest an interview with Delegate Marshall on the subject. He says that it is hard to imagine that the General Assembly would attach criminal penalties to ethics violations because of the peril of "unintentional violations". Wouldn't it be nice if we could all use that logic? Think we could get the General Assembly to legislate higher speed limits on downhill sections of the road due to the hazard of "unintentional violations?"
If it seems like I'm pissed off about this it is because I am. Let me tell you how this works at the local level: say a local business wants to get input from Council members privately before he submits some project. He'll call up and ask if I would be willing to meet for lunch. I say sure, same as I would (and have) done for any constituent. We go to lunch. We talk. The bill comes. I either pay it in full or just my half. It isn't reimbursable either. When there's a bigger meeting between a private interest and the City, the City pays. I have a friend who owns a nice piece of vacation property. Before I was elected I could stay there almost whenever I wanted to and only pay about $50 for the cleaning lady. The day I was elected that stopped. I had to pay full freight. $50 a week became $2500. Delegate Marshall is concerned about getting "free tips from a golf pro." How about this: pay for your tips like the rest of us?
Look, I've got nothing against Del Marshall, he just happened to be the one in the story. However, I think the $100 limit that has been kicked around is more than enough and that this is a very straightforward issue.
December 6, 2013 at 9:57 am
I just hate to see time wasted on talking about and piling on yet another rule that should be inherent — you take an oath to "serve" not to "get". Tackle the work of moving Virginia forward first, and leave these distractions to the end of the session in Richmond. And thank you, Andy. You're one of those that gives to the City, gives to the Chamber, gives to the community, and still have to take a load of fertilizer from people who don't appreciate how well this place is run. It's all in the details — like paving the rough road (construction area) around the curve in Old Town that will be the parade route tomorrow. That's people who care, doing their jobs.
December 6, 2013 at 2:46 pm
"Mayor Harry Davis to Greet St. Nick at Airport!
Three bands and 24 float units promise the greatest
Christmas Parade in Manassas history. Mayor Davis
and hundreds of children are expected to meet Santa
at the Manassas Municipal airport tomorrow at 1 PM..
As soon as Santa arrives from the airport,
the parade will begin from the Courthouse and progress
down Grant to Center and up Center to Zebedee and
then back down Church to Pitt's Theater . Younger
children will be allowed first into the theater for front row
seats . Santa will then pass out candy and offer kind
and hopeful words."
(Manassas Journal-Messenger 12-11-1952)
Note that the 1952 airport location is now
Manaport Shopping Center.