If there's anything nice at all that can be said about state Sen. Louise Lucas' $97.7 million lawsuit against the city of Portsmouth - and, more to the point, the city's taxpayers - it's this: At least she stopped short of asking for a full $100 million.
Ordinarily, bullies don't pull their punches that way.
Bullying is exactly what Lucas, who heads two companies seeking to build a hotel and conference center at Victory Village, is up to in her recent court action. The suit mentions a long list of people who have crossed her by not supporting her repeated bids for government help in funding the $67 million project.
There's a significant amount of gall in this. The state senator is still seeking support from the very people she is now threatening in court.
The suit targets, among others, three City Council members who cast decisive votes in July against her request for access to up to $38 million in tax-exempt and taxable state and federal bonds for the development.
In the suit, the companies headed by Lucas allege that the council members and others unlawfully conspired to block financing for her project, because it would compete against the city-subsidized Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel and Waterfront Conference Center.
The Renaissance project certainly was a factor in the vote, with council members asking reasonable questions about whether it would be wise to use taxpayer money - even in the form of tax-free bonds - for a new hotel and conference center when Renaissance has yet to break even.
Lucas' companies also contend in their suit that the council's rejection was racially motivated; the shareholders in the conference center project are primarily local African Americans.
The charge of racial discrimination is specious, irresponsible and incendiary. The problem with this project isn't the color of the investors' skin, or their belief that the project is needed to serve the black community and would advance economic development among African Americans. The fundamental flaw, from the very beginning, has been the propriety of a state lawmaker seeking government assistance, in any form, for her own development.
In an earlier incarnation of her plan, Lucas and fellow investors sought $13.5 million in cash and tax breaks from the city. The bond request is less offensive but still inappropriate.
As chairwoman of the Senate's Local Government Committee and a member of its Finance, Courts of Justice and health and education committees, Lucas holds considerable sway over municipal issues. Under these circumstances, it is simply impossible for the council to cast an impartial vote on a project of this magnitude involving Lucas or any other public official.
By filing suit against the city, Lucas may have further undermined any potential for impartiality. As The Virginian-Pilot's Meghan Hoyer recently reported, attorneys for the city are now looking into whether all council members would be barred from voting under the state's Conflict of Interests Act when Lucas' latest request for bonds is expected to come up for a vote in January. And the city has had to hire private attorneys because City Attorney Tim Oksman is named as a defendant.
Regardless of what the attorneys determine, the entire council should abstain from voting. They can cite more than 97 million reasons for doing so.
If Lucas wants to resign her seat in the Senate and apply for government financing, that's fine - though it's still no guarantee she'd win approval. If she wants to remove herself from the project and let the investors apply, that's fine, too. And, of course, there's always the option of Lucas and her partners pursuing this project without any government help.
But Lucas doesn't appear to be interested in ending this sad, embarrassing and destructive spectacle.
By filing suit against the very people she represents, Lucas has rendered herself useless in the state Senate, at least when it comes to representing Portsmouth. If she and her companies press forward with the legal action, they'll inflict tremendous financial damage on a city that is already struggling to educate its children, pay its law enforcement officers a competitive wage and provide other basic services.
Portsmouth deserves a state senator who will look out for the city's best interests.
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So, let me get this
So, let me get this straight. Our so-called senator, having failed to entice us with the merits of her plan to further line her own pockets, is now going to try and legally FORCE us to accept her plan.
Obviously, re-election is not her goal. Vote the bum out! Gotta go, you self-serving embarrassment of a "public servant", gotta go!
Take the Mayor Along with Her
When the citizens of Portsmouth finally decide to vote this woman out of her seat then they should take the Mayor along with her. The city of Portsmouth will never progress until the crooked old ways of doing politics are put to rest. The African American community in Portsmouth feel that need to have have a sense of loyalty to those that grab their wallets from the back of their pockets. Eventually voters will get fed up . Look at what happen in LA? Their Democratic Rep Bill Jefferson was indicted on corruption charges plaguing the community in which he was voted in to serve in a district which was majority African American. The citizens got fed up and voted in the first Vietnamese American Congressman. All Portsmouth need is a new face and bold persona to stand up to say ENOUGH already. I was raised in Portsmouth, but will not return until new leadership is in place. Coming from a registered Democrat African American.
Thanks Virginian-Pilot
Recent scandals across the country have shown that while many initially seek political office out of noble intentions, many times the intoxicating effects of influence and power can breed unquenchable greed. Our founding fathers knew this when they established our government's system of checks and balances; however, that doesn't always work and that's why an alert , inquisitive, and independent media is so important to the integrity of our political system. Thanks for being there and keep up the good work!
Pourtsmouth Council
The council should immediately start a movement to have Lucas removed from her office. They have the knowledge to start the removal process. How do they think that she could represent them in a fair and impartial manner? They are foolish if they do not take the steps necessary to be certain that they have an ally, not an adversary representing them in the statehouse. She needs to be gone as soon as possible, before she files another lawsuit.
Ditto
I will have to ditto MikeP on this one. This is one of those rare times I agree with the Virginian Pilot Editorial Board.
Well Done Pilot!!
Well done to the staff writer(s) of the Pilot for this piece!
Please continue with your reports on this so called "Senator" and public servant (which she is not) At this point in time this woman doesn't need to resign! She needs to be kicked out of her office! The audacity she has to sue, play the "race" card and still hold public office is criminal in its intent!
Ms. Lucas "You" are the "perfect sample of a bad example"!
Withdraw and resign with some degree of honor and integrity-if you have any left!
Well done and well written once again to the Pilot! Keep up the fight for the people in Portsmouth and Hampton Roads. This issue and this "sitting state senator" can not go unchallenged, can not go unchecked and should be investigated fully!
True Gall
If you can't beat 'em one way, try another. let's see we have seen Lucas try one way....now she has filed suit....and now screaming racism. If it fails on its merits pull the race card Louise. That is a card everyone is sooooo tired hearing about. Resign...you have absolutely shot yourself in the foot, twice.
Dig deeper Pilot!
My mom is a dialysis patient in Portsmouth. A year ago she was stopped from riding in a non emergency ambulance and instead was picked up in filthy vans by Lucas Transportation. Recently she was picked up in an ambulance by Lucas Transportation. I did a little digging and found this. Lucas Transportation is paid by Logisticare. They are the transportation broker for Virginia Medicaid. So my mom had her care decreased to ride on nasty vans that the state pays Sen. Lucas to operate. The Lucas ambulance my mom was transported in was not licensed as an ambulance. I asked the man that ran the ambulance service my mom used to go with and he showed me the state web site showing this. He also told me Sen. Lucas was one of the key players in setting up this horrible service and that she profits from my moms misery and there is nothing that can be done about it. Why is this allowed to happen??
In her mind
She probably believes it is because of her race. Must be nice to be able to fall back on that excuse anytime her expectations don't coincide with reality. The ego on this woman. Can't wait to find out which of my colleagues is representing her in this farce.
Do not hold your breath....
This will not make the national news because Sen. Louise Lucas is a Democrat. If she were a Republican then it would be an outrage on the news.
Impeach Lucas Now!!!
She makes Blagojevich look like a piker! The unmitigated gall of this woman!!!
Why isn't this National News
The rest of America would be upset if they new Federal Tax money was about to fund a Senator's Private investment. And that she abused her office to get the money for this project and her previous ventures.
"Senator asking for 160 Million in tax money for personal project"
REMOVE LUCAS FROM OFFICE ! SHE SERVES NO ONE BUT HERSELF!!!
WRITE CONGRESS< WRITE THE Govenor < Write National Media Outlets
The more that know, the less her chances are in robbing the American Taxpayer.
Good Article !
Finally an article that tells the truth.
Notice the Author didn't post thier name because Sen. Lucas would do all she could to have them fired.
She is a powerful woman taking advantage of her post.
This project does not work on paper. In this economy how on earth can she promise a return to the investors. The real investors being the tax payers funding the 67 million to build and the 97 million in extortion money. I don't think the personally selected group of people that put up a million should be called investors when the total could cost Portsmouth $163 million!!!
Why is she hell bent on destroying Portsmouth ?
If it is such a good buisness plan, why haven't private investors jumped in? Because it is a horrible buisness plan and only City Council members would approve it because it makes no buisness sense.
Sense day 1
This has been a conflect of interest the day a senator ask for public funds for a private project..Her very own private project..one where she is the largest share holder..come on when you say no brainers some one no every one needs to get a clue on how wronge this project is I am amazed at how far this has gone..Norfolk needs to be ready for the same law suite..They have to vote on this too if for some reason it goes that far..It would not surprise me sense she is playing the race card and everyone knows African Amearicans are left out of the Economic Development Games...The amount of money this is costing Portsmith is not funny in any sense of the word...I have one question who is serving who here seems someone has things backwords Sorry if I offend just my opinion
Frivilous Lawsuit
I read with disbelief that Sen. Lucas in filing a lawsuit against the City of Portsmouth, the city that she represents. In these hard economic times, she has the gaul to file a lawsuit against City Council simply because she is not getting the funds for a hotel. What's wrong with this picture? So the City Council said "No". Good for them! I really don't believe this has anything to do with race, as so many claim . It's a matter of trying to save money. It's a matter of if someone doesn't get their way, they're gonna sue! Oh brother! So I take it, that from now on, if a city council says no to a State Senator, the Senator has the right to sue. Talk about frivilous! She may not be directly involved, but the companies that she developed sure are. It sounds like a conflict of interest to me.
She mentioned the word
She mentioned the word racism. She'll get what she wants.
Gall?
Let's see, open MSWord...type gall...SHIFT F7 to get a thesaurus list... cha-ching! Look at all those alternatives.
Maybe if I type "arrogance"...SHIFT F7...yeah, those are a better match.
Yep...Portsmouth has the female version of Rod Blagojevich.
The questions should be why she continues to be elected and what's Portsmouth going to do about it? Not the city council itself, but rather all those voters.
I'd not expect to get far
I'd not expect to get far with the careless leaders we now have. Nor the one's we've had in the recent past. But to let one escape and move into higher government was a horrible thing to put on us. What Portsmouth needs is for Hampton Roads to come under one governing body and maybe then we could move these current leaders far enough down the ladder they couldn't get back to the top.
Portsmouth City Council....
....needs to stick to its guns and not bow down to Louise Lucas' games. She's just a typical politician trying to benefit financially by using her elected position to lean on local governments to infuse cash into a personal pet project. She and ALL of her businesses that receive government funding need to be investigated by the Va. State Police- and if it is determined that she is misusing federal funds- the FBI. If she and her businesses are found to be in violation of legal or ethical violations she needs to be held accountable to the people. Norfolk City Council also needs to vote this down. When she seeks re-election she needs to get the message LOUD AND CLEAR by being voted out of office!
i saw lucas fall in the mud
about 7 years ago i saw lucas fall in the mud in chesapeake, right in front of william ward. i cracked "how are you gonna run the state when you cant even walk". even ward laughed. i guess she didnt wash it all off.