The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
The city manager, the mayor and most members of the City Council got poor reviews in an unscientific survey of residents released at a town hall meeting Saturday by an anti-tax group.
The survey by Norfolk Tea Party 2 "found a lot of anger and discontent in the community," said Vic Yurkovic, a civic leader who helped compile the results.
Asked if City Manager Regina V.K. Williams is "doing a good job," 82 percent of respondents said no and 14 percent said yes. Mayor Paul Fraim received a yes vote of 35 percent.
"All I do is go to work every day, do my best and catch hell," said Fraim, who did not attend the meeting of about 200. Regina Williams was out of town and unavailable for comment.
Don Williams fared worst among the council members - 74 percent of residents of his ward voted no and 13 percent voted yes. Williams did not return a phone call to his home Saturday.
More than 10,000 surveys were distributed to residents and businesses. About 1,000 were returned.
Approximately 35 percent of the responses came from Councilman W. Randy Wright's ward. Wright, who helped found the Tea Party group, had an approval rating of 75 percent, officials said.
Tea Party head Brian Smith said enough surveys were received from other wards "that we feel like we took the pulse of the city."
He said the issues of most importance from those surveyed were clear - lower real estate taxes, a new city manager, a reduction in money being spent downtown, more transparency in government, and more oversight of the school system.
Smith said 95 percent endorsed a 12-cent reduction in the real estate tax rate.
Smith said his group does not endorse the firing of Regina Williams. "We're here only to provide a platform for Norfolk citizens," he said.
Councilwoman Daun S. Hester defended Williams to an audience that was not receptive to her message yet applauded when she was done.
"It's the council who appoints the manager," she said. "Your anger should be directed to us, because we're the ones who tell her what to put in the budget."
Hester said Williams' reputation "has been ruined" by stories in The Virginian-Pilot. Among them: the revelation she had hired a felon to run a crime-fighting agency and a series of stories on audits of the city's Human Services Department. "I hope you don't take all of the information you get in the newspaper and believe it is so," she said, "because the newspaper does things to sensationalize."
A proposal for the city to adopt a strong mayor form of government drew strong support from the group. When Wright asked if members were willing to consider his proposal for a strong mayor, more than 200 agreed. Two voted no.
"I was very pleasantly surprised that it was that overwhelming," said Wright, who added that he plans to begin speaking to civic leagues on the issue "all over the city."
Harry Minium, (757) 446-2371, harry.minium@pilotonline.com
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Such an embarrassment
I'm sure if I carefully selected my respondents and worded my questions just right, I could devise a poll that shows that Ghandi or Jesus have single digit approval ratings in Norfolk right now. Would the Pilot publish that as well?
With people like Mr. Minium doing the reporting, I wouldn't have to worry about reporters asking questions about such obvious issues as sampling bias or misleadingly worded questions.
It is shockingly lazy, if not downright negligent, to give us an article with no helpful details about this so-called poll. Was the poll cheap theatrics or a valid study? Readers of the Pilot may never know.
I'm no big fan of Norfolk's city council, but let's critique them on facts, not meaningless polls.
So start holding your polititians to the movement
Because they are exploiting it on both sides and have been for a long while
Sorry
No son of the south, simply an educated student, I am a 2nd Generation American, on BOTH sides of my family. I think it's time people moved beyond screaming racism, and attempting to blame a ware that happened over 100 years ago.
what i don't think you are understanding about my posts
I state Riddick is racist as Wright. My point is that these politicians use race to stay in office. My over arching issue is that we need leaders who are progressive enough to understand the distinctions of class and not exist on exploiting race. I hope I have cleared up my sentiment as this should be easy to see from the naked eye in terms of viewing the constructs of our city government. Once we can achieve this feat which is late in coming when can create a better city. I agree with your points in terms of the city admin being ill-suited to deal with the tasks. If we had a bullet point list of their records I could show you how their votes stood on these ill-fated traditions.
Poll conducted at our home
We conducted a poll at my home this weekend(six voters) and the results show this isn't worthy of publishing. Honestly, how in the world did the newspaper get involved in this? What a crock of crap... Come on, how about we stick to publishing real news stories?
And I don't even live in Norfolk.
To AsnerJ...
I honestly cannot make much sense of your posts besides the fact that you think that white people are evil and racists. Please do not continue to expose yourself as the demon that you attempt to abhor. Norfolk people have much to be ashamed of in their city council, not that Va Beach fairs much better, in that race seems to be at the forefront of most decisions. Regina Willaims, Daun Hester and Paul Riddick do nothing but hide behind the race card every time something doesn't go their way. It seems to be all about black people in their eyes and Fraim just goes along and plays stupid. What racially energized but mentally diverted people (AnserJ) don't get is that the city manager and city council is robbing you blind in the name of the phoney but proverbial "quality services". I got a real laugh from the www.norfolk/City_Hall.gov website. Poor english, poor tourist message, bad punctuation and the realization that someone is a paid "High Constable"? Too much!!
ignorance?
George Allen referred to it as the Confederate Flag. He also recognized that it could be seen as "an emblem of hate and terror, an emblem of intolerance and discrimination,"
So what to you call the flag and what it has stood for and stand
s for. Tell me son of the south. Educate me. What was the flag that was flown to separate the south from the north? Frankly it is semantics if that is not what you call it because most if not all regard it as the confederate flag. Ignorance is accepting that Wright is not as bigoted and persistent in polarizing our community upon racial lines just as Riddick with the black community. WE NEED TO WIPE THE SLATE CLEAN AND ELECT PROGRESSIVE LEADERS . This is my over arching point
Spelling
PLease forgive my spelling, I typed in a real hurry and I have a lousey kb, amongst other things, I fat finger the kb regularly!
Confederate flag?
For those who have had limited schooling, there was no Confederate Flag. There were three that was submitted to the confederate congress, however the flag most people talk about was the "Battle Flag of Northorn Virginia". The Northern Virginia Army was led by a man who had no slaves, against a Northenr general whose wife had several slaves, even after the end of the war. Quite using stupid comments like Flying the confederate flag in S.C., it shows your ignorance.