85 Thoughts to “Open Thread……………………………………………….Sunday, February 5”

  1. Mom
    February 8, 2012 at 3:32 pm

    Looks like the campaign contributions are continuing to be repaid by the BOCS, Buchanan Properties which just landed the Gainesville Supervisor’s Office doled out the following contributions last year. Looks like they’re getting roughly a 400% return on their investment from the rent for this property alone.

    $5,000 Stewart for Prince William County Board Chair – Corey
    $1,454 Candland for Prince William County Board of Supervisors – Pete
    $500 Stirrup for Senate – John
    $500 Covington for Prince William County Board of Supervisors – Wallace
    $500 Nohe for Prince William County Board of Supervisors – Martin

  2. Need to Know
    February 8, 2012 at 3:34 pm

    @Mom

    Mom – they and the other developers landed it in more ways than you mention here.

  3. Bob
    February 8, 2012 at 6:05 pm

    @Mom, that is great reporting! Great tidbit there and not surprising…sadly

  4. Bob
    February 8, 2012 at 6:07 pm

    as for the reenactment funding, it sounds like a nice FOIA request for the Potomac News or another reporting agency. Many within the County said no to the reenactment, but the BOS was wowed by Creston Owen and made staff do it anyways, despite their warnings…now….well, here is the outcome! $$$$

  5. Lafayette
    February 8, 2012 at 7:14 pm

    @Bob
    I honestly don’t know how anyone could have been wowed. Especially when the plea for help, ie taxpayer $$$ had no plan as to what the money was supposed to go towards. That sales pitch at the board meeting has always been “hot topic” with me and others.

    For the record I did attend all but two events during the festivities last July.

  6. Moon-howler
    February 8, 2012 at 7:50 pm

    @Lafayette

    Yes, I use yahoo mail.

    Sorry, Clueless. I generally don’t know what year we are in in the present.

    Lafayette, maybe he forgot. Exactly what did he say? I can’t recall. I know he was not the only person who voted no. I would not have known if I didn’t know you.

    I have mixed feelings about it also because of what Mike May said. There seemed to be an awful lot about aesthetics. Actually one of those houses could have easily been mine. I have 3 types of fencing: lattice, chain link in the back and stockage along the front.

    The house next door to me has gorgeous fencing aesthetically but it violates county code. My chain link, like all chain link, is uglier than a dog’s rump but it keeps the dogs contained and has withstood the test of time. A tree fell on it during Isabell and it still survived with almost nothing to show where the tree feel. You can’t beat that with a stick.

    Part of me is asking myself if that isn’t why I live in an older community with no HOA.

    I will say one thing…the county sure didn’t use to care about fencing. I know someone who called and complained about an 8 foot fence and the county blew them off.

  7. Lafayette
    February 8, 2012 at 9:51 pm

    For me it’s a safety issue. I understand not everyone can afford to have the best looking fence. My house didn’t have on the front of the side yard. When I put fencing up, I opted for the cheapest. Luckily, that was chain link fence. If you look at the ZTA, it mostly is regarding height and placement. Furthermore, those are pretty basic “restrictions” if you will. They are not anymore restrictive than those that are on the books for the most part in the older established neighborhoods restrictions. Which have no HOA or CA to enforce those restrictions. One neighbor did talk to a lawyer and they wanted $20K to take the case. I personally don’t want to take a neighbor to court for something like a fence and certainly not for that cost. It was clear this will be revisted. I seriously doubt there will be too many issues. There will always be the random property. The ZTA does not effect the entire county it effects R-4, R-6 and other developed residential areas. This will NOT effect those living in HOA’s as their restritions on record supercede.

  8. Moon-howler
    February 8, 2012 at 9:57 pm

    @Need to Know

    Imagine that!!! All those other excuses should have been handled. Maybe there is an absolute good reason for all of it. That’s the reason it should be discussed.

  9. Moon-howler
    February 8, 2012 at 10:07 pm

    @Lafayette

    Some of the slides were presented as a matter of aesthetics. That is when I looked to make sure it wasn’t my house. I do have 3 different types of fence in my yard. I had never thought about it until I watched the BOCS meeting.

    Neighbors should NOT have to take people to court. That should be the job of the county. They didn’t even enforce the rules on the book. You remember when we discussed that.

    I do think it is important to have something in place so people don’t get blown off like the person you and I both know who called to complain about the 8 foot fence.

    ZTA reminds me of a fraternity house.

  10. Starryflights
    February 9, 2012 at 3:59 am

    Mitt Romney and the enthusiasm gap

    By Dan Balz,

    In the aftermath of Rick Santorum’s clean sweep of Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri, Mitt Romney is still, in fact, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. But the lack of enthusiasm for his candidacy among conservatives foreshadows a potentially ugly road ahead to the party’s convention in Tampa and general-election problems if he becomes the nominee.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mitt-romney-and-the-enthusiasm-gap/2012/02/08/gIQAvoRLzQ_story.html?hpid=z3

    Can’t say I blame those conservtives for being unenthused about their options, haha!

  11. Ray Beverage
    February 9, 2012 at 8:07 am

    @Laf: finally got around to watching the evening session of the BOCS yesterday and applause to you and others for standing there, showing the pictures and making your points. One thing that struck me was all but one (the dissenting voice gentleman) saying there were rules in place renewable every twenty years. I had to chuckle at the BOCS as another example where in all our three local governments, something was put in place years ago and simply forgotten by the government mind. Still, at least it is passed.

    Covington cracked me up about his comments regarding the City’s resident artist and the bicycle “fence” – it had nothing to do with “rebelling”against the City Code and everything to do with artist expression. I miss that “fence” and the quirky artist – he gave character to that corner!

  12. Lafayette
    February 9, 2012 at 8:43 am

    @Ray Beverage
    Thanks, Ray. I pointed out our restrictions were good for 20 years and automatically renewed every ten years. Provided there’s not a document on record with 2/3’s of the owners’ signatures. Well, that ain’t gonna happen. Imagine trying to get these banks to sign on for such restrictions. Laughable.

    I definately got a few chuckles listening about the artistic expression on Portner. I heard lots of that fired me up, as well. The one gentleman was pretty upset that he didn’t know about it. I just don’t get it. He also spoke at citizens time, saying we needed engaged citizens.

    1. Moon-howler
      February 9, 2012 at 9:39 am

      There is a lot some of us don’t know about and it is intentional. I thought I was going to scream during the various look at us we are wonderful reports on Tuesday. Then the real stuff is brushed under the rug.

  13. Moon-howler
    February 9, 2012 at 12:06 pm

    Good grief. Apple stock is up $18.74 a share at the moment. What’s going on? The earnings report was last week.

  14. SlowpokeRodriguez
    February 9, 2012 at 8:10 pm

    Moon-howler :
    Good grief. Apple stock is up $18.74 a share at the moment. What’s going on? The earnings report was last week.

    I couldn’t believe that earnings report. I was at Scott AFB at the time (pretty much the last place on Earth I would ever voluntarily be), when that report came out. My jaw hit the floor.

  15. Moon-howler
    February 9, 2012 at 8:34 pm

    Get well soon, Marin. Bad news travels fast.

  16. Moon-howler
    February 9, 2012 at 8:35 pm

    @SlowpokeRodriguez

    Wasn’t that simply amazing? I guess these are the aftershocks. I guess it settled at $15 at the end of the day.

  17. Starryflights
    February 10, 2012 at 5:15 am

    Apple Faces Boycott Over Worker Abuses In China. It’s Not Crazy Talk.
    2/09/2012 @ 8:20PM

    Fair-labor organizers, Change.org and SumOfUs.org, delivered 250,000 signatures to Apple stores in six cities around the world on Thursday in protest of the company’s working conditions in China, according to a report in Mashable.

    Last month, an excellent New York Times exposé ripped at Apple’s core, building on previous concerns about abuses at firms that Apple uses to make its bestselling iPhones, iPads and Mac computers.

    The claims should be familiar by now as Foxconn in southern China, one of Apple’s primary suppliers, has repeatedly been the subject of accusations of worker mistreatment and unsafe working conditions. From Mashable:

    Foxconn has been accused of making laborers work long hours without breaks, use dangerous chemicals that have caused severe health problems and exposing workers to dangerous conditions. The repetitive work and spartan living conditions have also been to blame for suicides at the factory.

    Charlotte Hill, communications manager at Change.org, pleaded with Apple to use its creativity to “think ethically” and create an iPhone without using factories that have harsh working conditions.

    “No iPhone is worth that cost,” she said.

    At the same time, Apple has also generated billions of dollars in profits, in part due to the cheapness of Chinese labor. (Revenue last quarter surged 74 percent to a record US$46.3 billion and profit more than doubled to US$13.1 billion, blowing away Wall Street‘s expectations as Apple sold more stuff than in any quarter in its history.)

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/raykwong/2012/02/09/apple-faces-boycott-over-worker-abuses-in-china-its-not-crazy-talk/?feed=rss_home

    As much as I love Apple products, and their stocks, I find these allegations very disturbing.

    1. Moon-howler
      February 10, 2012 at 6:33 am

      I think there are 2 ways to look at it–Apple is a world leader and can do more to effect change than any other company. It is also not alone. Every other major tech industry is using pretty much similar labor crews. These companies can set standards and insist that the Chinese companies comply–starting with basic human rights.

      China will probably never get to where we are in this country with labor standards.

      Steve Jobs told President Obama bluntly that the jobs would never come back. It is obvious why. Wait 3 weeks vs wait 1 year.

  18. Moon-howler
    February 10, 2012 at 8:27 am

    The list grows longer…companies to boycott. right now Dell and Barnes and Noble are leading the pack. Why? When I call with a problem and end up in India, I am furious to start with.

    When some freaking idiot who doesn’t give a crap blows me off and doesn’t even listen, killer rage creeps out. I am tired of having to deal with these clowns. I have even told them to shut up and listen after 15 minutes and they are still babbling the printed script. It doesn’t matter.

    I just had a Barnes and Noble experience this morning. Their website shut down, I get double charged, and after discussing PAYPAL for 10 minutes I get asked if I am using a credit or a debit card.

  19. Moon-howler
    February 10, 2012 at 10:00 am

    From http://www.stateline.org:

    Those states — Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Tennessee — will be free from some of the law’s requirements, most notably that all students achieve proficiency in math and reading by the 2013-14 school year. In exchange, states submitted plans for college and career-aligned standards, teacher and principal evaluation systems that included student achievement and a statewide system to track school performance and intervene in the poorest performing schools.

    New Mexico was not given a waiver. My friend who moved there says Virginia standards are light years ahead of New Mexico’s.

  20. Need to Know
    February 10, 2012 at 12:40 pm

    @Moon-howler

    “Steve Jobs told President Obama bluntly that the jobs would never come back.”

    The jobs won’t come back as long as:

    (1) – Greedy people like Steve Jobs put their bottom line ahead of working conditions in the U.S. and abroad, Americans’ jobs and standard of living, etc.

    (2) – Politicians paid off by lobbyists continue to allow China and other nations to manipulate their currencies and trade policies to create favorable conditions for themselves, and those same politicians and foreign relations bureaucracies do not pursue reciprocity in our trade relations.

    (3) – American consumers (those who have jobs) are OK with these policies and practices as long as they can continue to get iPhones and other items cheaper.

    Changing all of this would raise the price of products made by Apple and other companies overseas, but would bring jobs back to America. Moreover, American consumers would know that their products were being made by Americans under American working standards.

    What are some of the biggest hurdles? The “Citizens United” decision, super pacs, and far too much money rather than democracy and free speech running our political system.

    1. Moon-howler
      February 10, 2012 at 3:22 pm

      Am I going to have to put Steve Jobs on the sacred cow list along with Bill Clinton and Don Richardson?

      Is Steve Jobs the ‘greedy one’ poster child? Is this because he is successful? Perhaps we are the ones really at fault because we don’t want to wait a year to get our ipad and iphone orders filled. Wait! Are there other phones and tablets out there? You bettcha! Do their CEOs and imitators get to go on the greedy list also?

      In the case of Apple, time and quality seem to be far ahead of bringing the cost down. I don’t believe that cost is affected that much.
      I haven’t owned a made in America care since the late 70’s. Obviously quality was a huge issue. The American cars died at around 100k and the foreign ones didn’t. My husband commuted daily. Now, you could buy something that holds up or you could buy something and be a proud American and be hauling it to the junk yard at 100k miles. Reminder, Detroit hasn’t always had a spotless record.

  21. SlowpokeRodriguez
    February 10, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    Gun Show starts today! Don’t forget the kiddies! Fun for the whole family!

    1. Moon-howler
      February 10, 2012 at 2:05 pm

      @Pokie

      I wondered why you have been in such a good mood lately. I hope you and Marin appreciate the Castle Doctrine posted JUST for you. Too bad the Squid man is missing it.

      Me? I prefer dogs to shooting someone. Less damage to the walls. Mine scare the crap outta people.

  22. Ray Beverage
    February 10, 2012 at 2:20 pm

    @Moon-howler
    about outsourcing calls: Back about 6 years ago down in NC, there was a nice move to create jobs for government benefit call centers. CitiCorp held the Federal Contract for call centers (SNAP, WIC, etc etc) and when the NC Governor found out it would be overseas at the other end of the line, directed a study be done.

    End result was that instead of taking the Federal allocation and passing it to CitiCorp, was able instead to locate it in a County where there was an old school (renovated it) and then hired 50 people out of work. Cheaper in the long run and got him reelected for keeping his promise to have jobs in NC.

  23. Moon-howler
    February 10, 2012 at 3:36 pm

    @Ray, that is a wonderful story. I just get furious every time I land in New Delhi on a service call.

    Somewhere there should be some incentive to bring these jobs to the United States. If there aren’t workers for them, by all means retrain people. Offer an incentive.

    The jury is out on those that set these things up. I strongly suspect Harvard guys who have little skill in the way of follow up. If they only knew how many dissatisfied customers are out there.

    I told my husband this morning if he got my anything else from Barnes and NOble, I was taking it back. I also added Dell to my Raven list. Nevermore!

  24. marinm
    February 10, 2012 at 11:38 pm

    Moon-howler :
    Get well soon, Marin. Bad news travels fast.

    Thank you much. PWC Rescue were able to get to my home quickly and cart me off to Potomac Hospital so I could get much needed meds. 🙂

    I think I impressed the paramedic by taking 10mg of morphine and still staying alert AND with a BP of 170+.. 😉 What can I say. I’m an over achiever.

    Guess I missed a few things…

    1. Moon-howler
      February 11, 2012 at 12:31 am

      Pretty impressive. I am glad you are back to normal and well, marin.

      I hope you like the post done especially for you and Pokie.

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