Far more interesting than the original fight over discretionary funds is the aftermath. There is lots of Monday morning quarterbacking going on and lots of insider conspiracy theory trip trap being cited.
Several things really bother me. The first is that I think that some on the BOCS now see a colleague as being all tumbled in to what was being said on the blogs. I don’t think that Mr. Candland was part of the blog gossip. I hope I am right. I think he learned to avoid that like the plague. Additionally, it seems that Mr. Candland’s reform efforts really weren’t finger pointing but seeking correction where correction was needed. I say that as one who didn’t even like his entire resolution. However, it was a start–a place to begin discussion. Unfortunately, the BOCS felt it was a place to end discussion, so we now have perfectly ridiculous rules that don’t address any of the problems.
BOCS
The second thing that is now bothering me is the usual slice and dice and character assassination that goes on on the blogs. Supervisors may do things we dislike. Lord knows we have gotten up on our haunches and howled over things that have happened. That is one of the main reasons to have a blog. I hope we have not impugned anyone’s character wrongly. If we have, that should be corrected. Bloggers need to be careful about what they spread as ‘truth.’ There are those out there who enjoy a good dust up way too much and who do not care who they take down in the cross-fire.
It has been interesting to see who has gone all paranoid over things Elena and I have said, thinking we were talking about them, when no names were mentioned. That is where guilty consciences come in to play, me thinks.
Reading all the conspiracy theories, I can’t help but think that some good people are being massacred. We might not always politically agree with them but that is no excuse to practice the art of personal destruction on people who have given their time serving others. I personally think that the major spin-meister is throwing out a smoke screen the size of Kansas to protect his/her political interests and the political interests of certain individuals who will go nameless at this point. Heaping the attack on Pete Candland directs our focus on Pete when in fact, Pete wasn’t the intended victim at all. Pete isn’t running for office now is he?
Everyone will get a turn before this has spun itself out. Notice the list is expanded. It also seems to me that the state delegates need to keep their noses out of local political business other than as regular citizens of their district. Anyone who votes yea for transvaginal ultra sound obviously isn’t any law expert. All of our local state office holders have the dishonorable distinction of voting yes. That clearly says to me that they don’t know the perimeters of their own scope and reign of influence. They want to tell us how to make our local laws and how to govern our reproductive lives. Yes, Limgamfelter and Anderson, back off. This is a local matter and you really need to keep the state out of our business. Learn to do your own job right and leave the duties of the BOCS alone. There is nothing new here and if you were so concerned, you have had thirty years to croak out some correction. If someone is doing something that wrong, we can call in Paul Ebert or we could replace our elected local officials with someone else. Look around. Did that happen? Nope.
I acutally believe that Corey will be the most affected by some of these amendments, whether Jenkins realized it or not. The mixing of campaign workers and staff is a Corey condumdrum for sure, and definately vendors too. The printing company he used for his campaign is the same company he used to send his rule of law postcard. Who knows what more lurks.
Don’t forget the postage was covered by that print job. Now…somehow postage is taking on a new role of importance….
I love it. Normally it’s only the people that get screwed when the government acts. For once its government itself.
Career politicians can sniff out blood in the water like sharks Moon!
Yesterdays “News and Messenger” carried this story about how some of the smaller charities are already lamenting the loss of the supervisors’ largesse at the expense of the taxpayers:
http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2012/jun/08/whats-next-prince-william-countys-nonprofits-ar-1974279/
It will be interesting to see if the supervisors will have the same enthusiasm for charitable gifts when they must reach into their own pockets as they did when the were picking the pockets of the taxpayers.
Scott Lingamfelter has assumed his usual roll of Mighty Mouse, rushing into save the day and I think that without thinking about it, Rich Anderson had inadvertently signed on to Lingamfelter’s belated idea. Scott has been an elected official for nearly 10 years but his silence on this whole thing until now places him well within the “win-wink, nod-nod” business model of the PWC BOCS. I have better hopes for Anderson even though he is a Republican. I am still mystified by his vote on the transvaginal ultrasound–I think it may have been honest ignorance–am just not certain.
I think the Sheriff’s note today about a Candland letter is most interesting. He is being very cautious and I’m sure he has good reason to be. As he calls them, The “Bullies of Candland Society” are lying in wait for the Sheriff’s identity to be revealed so they can deal with him properly. I sincerely hope that does not happen since the Sheriff seems to be willing to call a spade a spade and as he has noted, he will apologize should he be proven wrong. Time will tell.
@George S. Harris
I don’t know why either of them think that they should be setting up rules for medical procedures for women. Of all the arrogance! I put them both in dumb ass territory for doing that. They obviously think that they know what is best for women. I wonder where that sense of entitlement and superiority comes from?
i invite either gentleman to come to the blog to explain why they feel they are in the position to decide reproductive choices for women (before I kick their booty around the blog for it).
So why do either of the mighty mice think that they have a right to decide what happens with our local government? I don’t care if all 8 of supervisors are robbing me blind, it isn’t the job of the state boys to “save us” from ourselves.
@George S. Harris
In my journeys around the blogosphere, I have come to a few conclusions. I firmly believe that the sheriff has some traitors in his midst…you know…the ones we know about…advancing their own agendas, inflating their own ego. Some might even be extracting revenge.
The Sheriff needs to think like Mulder and trust no one. None of any of this is new. The discretionary funds have been around for years and years and years. Now for people to start acting like apes discovering fire? I am not buying it. The Sheriff should be very mindful of the fact that there are people out there who are more than willing for the Sheriff to take the fall for their dirty work–stuff they are too chicken crap to do themselves.
He should be mindful that people will feed him garbage that perhaps is or is not accurate. He needs to be real careful about accuracy at this point. There has been an earthquake of sorts and there is no business as usual.
I think the Sheriff is attempting to act as an honest broker. I think there are those around him, some of the jackals and hyenas who have never been honest brokers. I just hope the Sheriff is cautious and is reading some warning.
Mike May said it best from the Inside Nova article:
Occoquan Supervisor Michael C. May said he doesn’t know how nonprofits will adapt to the policy change made by the board Tuesday. However, he felt the negative attention brought on the board and the nonprofits “was not helpful” and that it was important to reform the process.
“I understand the desire for not-for-profits to try to get funding from any source so they can try to make a difference in our community,” May said. “And we appreciate it. [But] the discretionary process was in need of reform and that’s why we took the action that we did.”
The one that wants $200k of our money was not helpful either. They still want it and hopefully they wont get it. Enough is enough. In fact, I would say they pretty much single handedly killed the goose that laid the golden egg. Of course, no other non-profit is sitting on 45 prime acres of county land.
@George S. Harris
Holy bat nuggets. I actually agreed with something you wrote.
Stop the world, I want to get off.
“It will be interesting to see if the supervisors will have the same enthusiasm for charitable gifts when they must reach into their own pockets as they did when the were picking the pockets of the taxpayers.”
@Elena
@Moon-howler
We try to give a reasonable amount to a number of charities but in many instances, I think it would make no difference how much you gave them they would still ask for more. When I look at some of the salaries their CEOs get, it is easy to see why they continually ask for more.
@Moon-howler
I hope you are wrong about traitors in the Sheriff’s camp. Perhaps the latest Candland letter will shed some light on things. It is sad there is so much skulduggery in politics–it keeps many honest people away and Imcertainly don’t blame them. I was disappointed in Mike May the other day, I thought sure he would side with Candland to delay the Jenkins amendments and Imstill don’t understand why he didn’t–politics.
@Moon-howler
I rarely read anything from the dark side since most of it makes me want to throw up but if GL is half right about what he claims the Jenkins amendments will do, Ms. Horan is going to have her hands full trying to sort out the mess. Many things could virtually grind to a halt for the Bullies of Candland Society. I would not be surprised to see a quiet recall/delay in implementation of the Jenkins amendments. And anything about the stuff Ernestine Jenkins has been doing at the county’s expense is correct, Mr. Jenkins could have a very large debt to repay to the county. It just may be that the Sheriff’s writing, if correct, could be cause for a special prosecutor to appear on the scene. The Sheriff may have to reveal him/her self in the search for honesty. As Paul Harvey would say, “Now for page two!”
Assuming Ms. Horan wants to sort out the mess……She is also an employee.
@George S. Harris
I didn’t really take the time to digest the Candland Resolution. I saw where schools were cut out. I don’t like that. Clubs often need a little help as do some vital components of a school. For instance, the school band is the last place on earth you are going to see first out money going. All the glitz and glitter goes to the football players and other high visibility, high gate receipt organizations. The band is often wearing 10 year old uniforms. Discrepancy funds were often God-sent to struggling organizations. I hate to see that go. Money given the school board doesn’t often trickle down to the sewing club or the fifth string horseshoe players.
As I watch the county blowing up around me, I think this is a clear case of being careful what you wish for.
I don’t think lots of folks thought through what was going to replace discretionary funding. One leap thinking if you ask me.
The small nonprofits…now is the time to start thinking of who they can team with for common mission, joint work and most use of resources. The News & Messenger article quoted the Streams & Trails guy, and I can think of several other outfits they could team with. Is the Community Partner application process time consuming? Yes it is, but so is any grant application nowadays. Key for the smaller groups though is strategic partnering.