The Virginian-Pilot
©
PORTSMOUTH
A majority of the City Council voted again Tuesday night to deny access to financing for state Sen. Louise Lucas’s proposed hotel and conference center project.
Vice Mayor Bill Moody Jr., council members Elizabeth Psimas, Doug Smith and Steve Heretick voted against $38 million in bonds to help finance the project, which Lucas and other investors hoped to build in Victory Village business park.
Mayor James W. Holley and Councilwoman Marlene Randall voted in favor of the requests.
Councilman Charles B. Whitehurst Sr. abstained from the vote, citing questions The Virginian-Pilot has raised about a $10,000 political donation Lucas made to him during his city council bid last year.
More than 25 project supporters and detractors spoke at the meeting, including several Lucas family members and a national board member of the civil rights organization the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
People who spoke against the project suggested Lucas was blackmailing the city with a $97.7 million federal lawsuit filed in December against parties that included the city and council members who voted against bonds for the project in July.
Joseph Waymack, the SCLC representative, said the project would have gotten a different hearing on the July votes had Lucas been a white developer and not a state senator.
“This is not a question of tactics,” Waymack said.
Other supporters pointed out the City Council had not denied the bonds for any other business entities that requested them and suggested the lawsuit was filed to ensure council members were fair.
Lucas was not present for the votes because she is in Richmond at the General Assembly. City Attorney Tim Oksman advised council members not to comment because of the pending lawsuit.
Project opponent Ron Evans said he had come to believe Lucas didn’t care about the citizens of Portsmouth — black or white — or she wouldn’t be suing them.
He and others also challenged the feasibility of the project and whether city funding might one day be requested for it.
“If this is such a great deal, where are all the high-roller investors and why have some pulled out?” Evans asked.
Investors in the project had once numbered about 600 prominent and mainly African American citizens from Hampton Roads and beyond. Some requested their investments back after Lucas entered into a settlement with the State Corporation Commission because Victory Conference Center LLC had not registered with the SCC before offering investments.
Tuesday night’s decisions leave the future of the project uncertain.
“If you vote against the project, you essentially kill it and take away any opportunity for it to come to fruition,” George Scruggs, a bond attorney for the project, told council members before their votes.
Project developer Michael Glenn said after the votes he did not want to speak for Lucas about the future of the project in light of council’s decisions.
But he said it would be a “tough road” to get financing for the project without the bonds, especially in the current economic climate.
Jen McCaffery, 757-446-2627, jen.mccaffery@pilotonline.com
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Nomad.
"The way Ms. Lucas stays in office is the way the Prez. became the prez...an 88 year old A/A woman who has never registered to vote came out this time to vote for him...read between the lines here."
No. Lucas stays in office because she runs unopposed! You cannot say that about our president's election! Even if every AA man, woman and child voted for him...that would represent only 12% of the population! Obama was elected because the majority of WE the PEOPLE chose him as the best candidate. Further, does he strike you as an out-for-himself-money-grubber? No.
Lucas on the other hand....well, will someone PLEEEEASE give us an alternative in the next election!
It's sad:
That a large number, of our elected representatives. Have decided to not represent, those who have elected them. But have chosen to represent themselves. It seems like its all about what's in it for me. How can i enrich myself. But if folks keep voting these type of people, back into office. Then they shouldn't complain. There was a time, when AA(including me) voted whoever ran on the democratic ticket. No matter what issues that individual represented. I stopped that years ago. I urge folks to do their homework. And find out, where these people stand on issues. So there won't be any surprises later. I left Portsmouth, 14 years ago. And still feel, Mrs Gloria Webb, was the best mayor, the city ever had. I love the new I.C. Norcum high school, she was responsible for.
Lucas Stay In Richmond
The best thing about last night was that Lucas stayed in Richmond. She couldn't even face the people of Portsmouth.
Where are Jesse Jackson and
Where are Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton when you need them? Lucas and Holley lost this one. Hopefully we can vote them out of office for good in the next election cycle. I say prosecute them for attempted robbery from the citizens of Portsmouth.
Call Jesse!
Race card didn't work. Time to bring in the Big Gun's. I'm surprised Mr. Jackson isn't here already giving a press conference about how racist Portsmouth is.
Senator Lucas
She must have put the racial spin on Kennedy's famous words "Ask not what your country do for you --- ask what you can do for you country"1 She heard " What can my country do for me ----because I'm Black?" Figures huh?
Outstanding!
Great job City Council Members! I am very pleased by this decision, sounds like you were listening to the citizens. If this project is so great than Lucas should go find some private investors to invest and leave the City out of it!
Lucas
Sounds like Portsmouth has it's very own Cynthia Mckinny. Hope she doesn't start slapping people around.
Lucas needs to leave office...
Maybe she's waiting for her salvation by making so much noise down here in the backwaters that the new Prez' gets wind of the crap she's slinging and makes a national scandal out of it.
And BTW, while I'm on that note, why isn't our new Prez' an American first and an A/A second...or just turn the moniker around - an American African! That has a nice ring to it!
Oh, and may I ramble on...The way Ms. Lucas stays in office is the way the Prez. became the prez...an 88 year old A/A woman who has never registered to vote came out this time to vote for him...read between the lines here. (The USCB couldn't have guessed any numbers on that one!)
One more thing...doesn't the sitting State Congress have an Ethics Committee for such antics as she's displaying here? Why is she even allowed into the chambers?
Lucas needs to leave office
How can an elected official sue her city for something they have voted against fairly multiple times...Having a representative there for you to play the race card is even more concerning for a State Senator to use...She is creating a name for herself, unfortunately it is being used along with the likes of Blagojevich...Does she not read the comments here below? Does she not care for the people who she was elected to serve? Wonder when Portsmouth will tire of her antics and elect a different person next time up, or like Blagojevich can she be impeached? Lots of unanswered questions that Lucas needs to address...If she spent more time working for her people instead of herself maybe the vote would have went differently...DOUBT IT...