Authority will vote again on bonds for Lucas' hotel project

Yes I agree that voter apathy is at an all time high. Yes I agree that city council will usually be a bobberhead. However I also know that when the people will stand with one voice then they will be heard. I know that we have some serious problems in our community. We have police officers that are the lowest paid and schools that are still not accredited. We have neighborhoods that have crime problems and begging for help. We have working people trying to keep food on the table and still pay their bills. And yes we have a department that cites for major problems such as grass(guess). It is time for us as the citizens of portsmouth to put our priorities where they need to be: on people and not things. Yes I am against this project and looking forward to the day that I can speak in front of city council. Portsmouth we need a change, how about that Ted Lamb fellow in Cradock.

I don't know who you are LW, but I like the way you think. If it wasn't for voter apathy maybe things would be different in this city. I concur with your thought process that if Randall and Whitehurst don't abstain from this vote that there should be an investigation to determine if any laws have been broken and if so indictments should be sought out. Since Louise Lucas threw the race card off the top of the deck when all this started by touting it as "by black folks for black folks" I would like to see the names on her list of investors. I wonder if Holley's and Ray Smith's names are on that list? I just can't imagine why the list isn't being made public (actually I can, I was just being facetious.) This entire project reeks of cronyism and back room politics and seems to me to be downright criminal. Perhaps the FBI would be interested, or at least the VA State Police. I urge all citizens of Portsmouth AND NORFOLK to contact your city council and tell them to vote NO on this project!

You can campaign, yell and scream all you want. 80% of Portsmouth voters do not care who is on council. Of the 20 percent who did vote, some voted for who ever had the most signs. Most (80%)Portsmouth folks are the poorest excuse for citizens I have ever seen. Many people told me they forgot to vote, had other things to do or were just not interested. I guess they forgot or did not care what price has been paid through out history to give them this right. Perhaps when it is taken away they may wake up. Be too late then.

As for addressing City Council, can you say "Bobble Head". Council hears some of the sadest hardship stories I have ever heard like widow ladies losing their housed because they can't pay the taxes.They bobble their heads up and down and keep on doing business in the back room as usual. Whatever keeps the Partnership and LL happy.

Just holler and I will be beside you.

I will vote against any Portsmouth City Council member that votes to approve this LUCAS scam project. That is, I will vote FOR anybody who runs against a menber of the Portsmouth City Council who votes for this. I will also go to the Portsmouth City Council meetings, register to speak and will try my best to expose the corrupt nature of any who approve this criminal activity. If Charles Whitehurst and Marlene Randall, who are members of council and INVESTORS in this scam do not RECUSE themselves when the vote is taken, I will personally start a recall petition and ask for a State and Federal investigation of this VERY, VERY improper situation. I have finally had enough of the ignorance of this body, and now I have to deal with BLATANT CORRUPTION, I dont think so. The people, citizens of PORTSMOUTH, are finally fed up. You can mismanage our tax dollars, buy I call this WHOLESALE THEVERY!!!

Why doesn't the Senator do what other business people do - go get a loan from a bank. Surely her credit is good enough for that? And LOL at the Windows4rectal joke. I needed a good laugh today :)

While searching the web I found an operation that can be done. It’s call Window4rectal. It’s for people that have their heads up their butts and need a window in their stomach to see what they are doing. Let’s all chip in and give them as gifts to Portsmouth City leaders, Lucas and her Elves.

I am a disabled Vet. I served over twenty years protecting this great country. I grew up in K-P (Academy Park) . I remember the school that sat where Tower Mall was built. I remember it being tore down and Lowes and Farm Fresh being built. I remember the Recreation Center in K-P, I remember Det. Charlie Brown being their and giving us kids guidance in life as well as Mr. O Neil. Most of all I remember desegregations of the schools and living places. Why are you trying to bring back segregation Lucas. I won’t address you as a Senator because I have no respect for you. I have respect for the homeless, job-less, drug addict, prostitute, but none for you. Carry your dream else where, your not and never will be a Dr. Martin Luther King, he cared about all.

Please take your elves and their funds elsewhere. We here in P-Town are up to our ears in stupid stuff already. We really can’t handle much more. With all the houses and such being built where are the people to occupy them coming from? Do they get imported? Be real, the kids here in Portsmouth have nothing to do. Build a few play grounds, hire a few people, give our children something other then a corner to hang out on. Stuff your motel where the sun doesn’t shine and pay attention to the youth of the city. Take a look at yourself, you waste our tax dollars trying to find away to screw us out of more tax dollars. I wish the FBI would investigate you and our city leaders. Put you down in the ghetto where you belong with the rest of us. You are truly a waste of human flesh to attempt to do this.

did anybody else see Barclay Winn on TV tonite defending giving our tax dollars to wealthy developers. This idiot had the gall to say that Norfolk has more development going on than any other similar sized city in the nation. Wonder where he gets his info? He didn't quote a source or provide figures obviously. It's rather apparrent that he doesn't leave this city much with that belief. Any fool who travels knows how stagnant Norfolk is in comparison. Most cities "this size" ceased being "this size" about 5 years ago as they went off and left Norfolk in terms of development / improvement. Oh well....if a guys wife can't trust him, why would constituents be able to trust him. What a bafoon.

Must be a democrat thing.

Looks to be a project by Senator Lucas to grab a big bag of money. The pitiful few jobs this project will generate is laughable. I could open a McDonald's and generate as many jobs. Looks like the taxable, non-taxable, and State Housing and Development bonds will fund this project in excess of 100%. How can you get 100% financing without providing some equity? The bond underwriters must really like Senator Lucas' operating pro forma to provide in excess of 100% financing. Wonder who gets the excess financing? When this project under performs, who gets stuck paying the debt service? Guess what is next Portsmouth citizen, your council will be extending FREE water, sewer, making road and drainage improvements at your expense soon. Another reverse Robin Hood scam. Senator Lucas has learned a lot in Richmond.

Don't you guys read the paper? There is no such thing as an investigative reporter. Those went away about 20 years ago, when the owners started picking the stories instead of the news staff. This isn't Gotham City, we don't have a Daily Planet, and Spiderman isn't going to save the day. Face it, newspapers are about business. And boy, is Portsmouth (and the rest of us) really getting the business with this scam.

Yes! I would like to see the so called list of "The 600"! We all know who or rather what type of people would be on that list. Well to do, business owners, minority business owners who will write themselves contracts for building, landscaping, ancillary services needed for a development like this-ALL AT THE EXPENSE of the People of Portsmouth. Again, this development is not needed in the city of Portsmouth, and certainly shouldn't be done with a sitting Senator utilizing HUD money. You know, if the Senator said "We have HUD money and we are going to train people in a shipyard trade to earn a living"..I could see the use and the need. The people of Portsmouth do not need this burden. There are much more pressing issues that need to be taken care of. The very least of these is a "self agrandizing political egoist" born of 20 years of public service.

This is all a big joke...tell me it is......No one is seriously going to vote for this pig project, are they?

In these articles about Senator Lucas's personal development project.
A list of investors has not be published. Has the Mayor of Portsmouth invested in this project? Maybe the Pilot can shed some light on who the actual investors are! Anyone interested in finding out?

From earlier article in Pilot: “Stiles criticized Winn for continuing to support subsidies for downtown projects. Winn defended the subsidies, saying he hopes they can also be used to jump-start projects outside of downtown.”

Now our skirt chasing councilman in Norfolk will have to put up or shut up. He promised after re-election to continue funneling gov funds into the pockets of developers (see above). Will he throw his support behind this one? If not is he.....a......R-A-C-I-S-T? Come on BW. Tell us all how good of deal this is for Portsmouth and Norfolk. Shout it from the rooftops or be a hyprocite.

Your newspaper and reporting can make this story if you press the issue. I am begging the staff of the Virginia Pilot in the names of the people of Portsmouth to find out: -why the HUD money was left after ten years -how can a sitting senator solicit a development like this. Pilot staff, you know this woman will cry "racists" and play the "color" game to "inflame" people. Ask yourself Pilot Staff, is it really ethical that this "servant of the people" will pocket millions? Is it ethical for a small group of people to send the City of Portsmouth to its financial ruin? People..common people who are low wage earners, with rising housing or NO housing for there children are living in poverty right now. The jobs generated from this development will all be done in the back room. You ALL know this! I beg you Pilot Staff-Look into this so called "Honorable Senator". She what she has, she how out of touch she is with both black and white citizens. I beg you Pilot Staff, be ethical for people who will not see the true "color" of this so called "Senator".

Give me a break! Isn't there just a little hint of conflict of interest? I would rather her resign and make this application. Something smells here, we need some good VP reporters to investigate and report.

ah ha, someone is holding out on this approval cause they feel slighted that everyone else has gotten a slice of the pie and they want theirs too..what the heck it's just enpowerment money anyway..who ever has the money has the power.. ha ha get it? and thus lucasville will emerge or is it lucastowne or maybe lucaspark or lucagardens,...