The Virginian-Pilot
©
PORTSMOUTH
Companies headed by Sen. Louise Lucas dropped a suit Thursday night against Portsmouth and some council members, among others. The $97.7 million suit was related to a vote against her proposed hotel and conference center .
Victory Conference Center LLC and Victory Conference Center Hotel LLC filed a motion Thursday night in federal court to dismiss the lawsuit. It was filed in December against Vice Mayor Bill Moody Jr., council members Elizabeth Psimas and Doug Smith, City Attorney Tim Oksman, and the company that runs the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel and Waterfront Conference Center.
Verbena Askew, Lucas’ attorney, said that because the companies asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed without prejudice, the suit could be refiled at any time .
“I’m glad she’s dropped it because it’s saved the taxpayers of Portsmouth a lot of money in legal fees,” Psimas said.
The suit stemmed from a July vote in which the council voted to deny tax-exempt federal and state bonds for the project. The bonds would have provided Lucas and other investors with lower-cost financing.
Earlier this week, the council again voted to deny the bond requests for the $67 million project .
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lj17163
While I agree that not enough people turn out at the polls (I know...I am there!!), the problem is getting people to run against them! Lucas ran unopposed last time.
It's just amazing!
All of you are so up in arms over what Lucas tried to do. Everyone talks alot here but come election time where will you be ----- sitting at home instead of at the polls voting Lucas and Holley out I'll bet. Not voting is how this whole mess got started in the first place! Like it or not the black community voted Lucas and Holley in because Lucas and Holley look out for their interest. Stop whinning and go to the polls! If you don't vote you have no right to run your mouths! The government is only as good as the people who are elected to it.
Lucas Drops Suit
I can honestly say that she has been a tireless worker for the citizens and deserves a better place in history than what she has allowed to happen. I can't say at what point this became such a big tangled web that her mind and advisors would tell her to sue the people she represents, but I do know that she has served us well in the past. And yes, she has voted on legislation to benefit all of us. Yes, all races. Apparently she felt she had been treated very poorly in her quest for this projec. Many citizens are angry with her now and rightfully so with our economy in shambles and people losing jobs, but after we calm down and the dust settles her goodness and kindness usually comes through.
HAHA Right
Looking at how so many were put down and then re-elected in the past few elections I would be willing to bet this representative gets her seat once again. People never seem to realize nothing changes till their vote does.
To JB1973
If she was a good woman she would have never taken such poor advice. I suspect it was her idea all along. She has really got some members of this community bamboozled.
Get Out
Let's get her out of government all together. She is no better than Blago in Chicago. How about a recall vote and perhaps the Attorney General should charge her of attempted extortion of the citizens of Portsmouth.
She's not done with us yet...
"Verbena Askew, Lucas’ attorney, said that because the companies asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed without prejudice, the suit could be refiled at any time".
Rest assured, Queen Louise has something up her sleeve, she did not drop this lawsuit out of the goodness of her heart. Even her attorney knows this. Just read the above statement.
Be prepared for her to make another go at this. She will re-work the proposal again so that it is slightly different from the other two, and come before city council again. Or maybe another lawsuit, this time for more money. This women has no boundaries. We've made her mad, now we will have to pay!!!
nothing more than a brief reprieve
before she files it again when she doesn't get her way, again! I wonder whom is going to blink 1st, her or Councilman Heriteck. This is just a kinder, gentler approach, but make no mistake, this isn't over. I do hope we have a recall petition started in July, the 1 year mark after taking office this current term. Same as Mayor Holley, 1 year mark is July for both of them, & they both should be recalled. I'll volunteer to carry the petition around my neighborhood. They must be stopped for the betterment of P-Town, & that's all we really want here, better representation from our elected officials.
Lest we forget!
This whole pitiful fiasco needs to be at the forefront of voters minds when the time comes for her next re-election bid. Pray God she does not run unopposed again! She has shown herself unworthy to represent the people of Portsmouth and obviously has no clue what being a "public servant" entails. So she has withdrawn her suit? Big deal...it is shameful for it to have been filed in the first place and I for one will not forget it. It is time for this self-serving woman to go.
We're tired of Lucas' Boogie
We're tired of Lucas' Boogie Man tactics. The statement about her being able to re-file the suit, at any time, is an example of her bullying.
You lost, Louise.
Go away.